ARE YOU BELIEVABLE? (7/26/2014)

Are the members of your show (and people who participate in bits) believable?  A few days ago, I listened to a radio show and heard a bit where someone called in to the show and talked about their relationship problems.  I could tell that the call was staged.  If you’re going to fake a call (or do a staged bit), make sure it’s believable.  Listeners are smarter than you think.  If you’re not believable, they’re going to get tired of you and listen to a different radio show.

IS YOUR SHOW JUST AVERAGE? (4/06/2014)

Quick question: Do you really care enough about your radio show to do what it takes to have a great show?  That may seem like a weird question, but it’s legitimate.  I often talk with jocks and ask them about the things they do to prepare for their show.  Amazingly, a lot of them are looking for some stuff just to get by.  Is that what listeners want - a jock who is doing enough to “just get by”?  I think not.  If you want to be the best, you have to always be on the look-out for great ideas for your show.  You have to strive to be better every day.  EXAMPLE: Brad Heitman (KSTV- FM) in Texas is a Morning Skoop affiliate.  This guy is always looking for ways to improve his show.  By the way: His show rocks!  If you’re going to be in the entertainment business, you have to entertain.  Koodos to Brad for doing it right. ARE YOU DELIVERING THE RIGHT CONTENT? (7/13/2013) One of the mistakes I made early in my career as a radio personality was concerning show content.  I would talk about things that I thought were interesting.  You can’t fall into this trap.  You have to be aware of what people find interesting.  I felt uncomfortable talking about things I wasn’t knowledgeable about.  I finally realized that I had to push myself to learn more about what’s going on in the world.  If something is happening politically in our country, you have to do research and learn about it - then talk about it.  If there’s an important court case going on (like the Jodi Arias or George Zimmerman trial), you have to learn about it.  Remember: It’s not what you want, it’s what your listeners want.  The lesson here: Push yourself to learn more. BE FLEXIBLE DURING YOUR SHOW (7/20/2013) Over the years, I’ve known a lot of radio personalities who lined out their shows ahead of time, and rarely deviated from the show schedule.  This is a big mistake.  You have to be flexible while on the air.  There’s so much happening in the world (even during your show), you’re forced to change up your show while on the air.  If you line out every everything you do ahead of time, you’re wasting your time.  It’s good to have a general roadmap for your show, but don’t get carried away.