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Happy 2010 radio people!!
I was just listening to an area radio station today, I won't mention the station...and I was not happy with what I heard. As a radio professional, and a listener, I felt it was very bland, generic, and vanilla. The music was fine...many stations have good music. Its what we do around and between the songs that make a difference.
Maybe its the reduced revenue, and subsequent reduced staff at some stations that have the morale lowered. Or maybe its just complacency or laziness. What I heard was an air personality, or rather, an "announcer" just going through the motions. What was missing? Two things: "announcer presence", and actual "personality".
Lets stop, reset, and wake up the personality in us!!
First...announcer presence. This means that the jock has a presence on the show, and is an intregral part of the show. If the jock only talks 4 times an hour, and even then doesn't say much, then there is no announcer presence. Especially when you are live, I'm sure most listeners would rather hear a quick talk set over a ramp. So turn on the mic instead of hitting up another boring, generic recorded liner! When I know the jock is live, and I hear liners between songs 4 times in a row...eeesh!
OK. Now, personality. Say something other than the usual "radio-ism's" (time, temp, song intro and outro, etc). It doesn't take much. Look at a news website like msn, or AP if you have it. What's going on? Any late breaking news? A recent sports score? Any weather news (weather is not just for weather forecasts, it makes good conversation too). What have you seen locally? What did you see on the way in to work? Get some info on the artist you're going to play next. Talk to me (your listener). Teach me something. Make me think.
I'm available to be your affordable air personality coach, and would love to help improve your on-air presentation and your career...for one jock, or an entire station's worth. Call me at 507-450-4604.
Lets keep local radio alive and well and profitable. Have a great 2010.
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Hello radio professionals. I thought for my latest entry, I would discuss your station's imaging...those all-important liners, IDs, and sweepers. That seems to be one of those tasks that we make out to be more difficult than it needs to be, and one that constantly gets pushed down on the priority list. One of the aspects of imaging that torments a program director or producer is the copy. And honestly, as I've seen and heard at many stations, many jocks think too hard about the liner script. Some of the best imaging has very simple wording...like just the station name and the positioning statement. Keep it short, keep it simple, keep it consistent. Drive home your station name and your "claim to fame" by reapeating, triple-peating, and quadra-peating. To add some nice flavor to your liners and sweepers, use quick testimonials from listeners, or have office staff, sales staff, and friends fake them. Have them say things like "WXYZ is my station", "WXYZ is always on my radio", "the WXYZ Morning Zoo is the only way to wake up".
So don't think too hard...nice short phrases, use a couple voice effects, reapeat things a lot, use testimonials, and have fun with it. Assign each jock to do some of the imaging...its too much work and too important for just one person. And if you really don't have the time or the patience to produce some great imaging for your station, just let Joe Casper Productions take care of it. My voice, or the one you already have. I can help with the copy, the voice, and the production.
Happy Thanksgiving...and have a great radio day!
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My wife and I went to see Emmylou Harris in concert at the Overture Center in Madison WI a couple nights ago. Overall, pretty good concert. Her lead guitarist was also the warm-up act, and sounded great. His name is Buddy Miller, and he is an awesome vocalist as well. It is the most upscale concert hall I've ever attended a country concert in...so upscale that there was no sign of anything fun to eat, like a pretzel with cheese, or a candy bar. I felt a little out of place!!
So while I was watching and listening to Emmylou do her thing, I thought I'd share with you a couple of unique, interesting questions to ask a musical artist during a radio interview. Your typical questions that we've all asked a hundred times are: "what have you been doing", or "what can we expect at your show this Friday night?". Its all good, but here are a few questions that your listeners might enjoy more when hearing your interview.
"When you hear one of your songs come on the radio, do you sing along?"
"Have you ever had a good song from another artist come on the radio, and then you sing along with it, maybe sing harmony or backup vocals in your car with the song...and then think, I would sound great doing a duet with this singer"
Or, maybe do a series of "This or That" questions, like the old question that president Clinton was asked..."boxers or briefs?"...about what they like or prefer.
George Jones or George Strait?
Comedy or Thriller?
Coffee or Capuccino?
Motorcycle or Convertible?
Coach or First Class?
Cadillac or Lincoln?
Pepsi or Coke?
So, do a little research before you call your musical celeb, and have some fun...be different. Your listeners will appreciate it.
Keep having fun, and have a great radio week.
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Halloween Radio Ideas
Written by Joe Casper
Thursday, 15 October 2009 19:19
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Radio Station Consulting Blog
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Hello radio professionals. As we move along through October, I'm thinking of all the great Halloween promotions that radio stations are doing. Many stations are hooking up with local bars for Halloween parties, with drink specials and costume contests. Another promotion you can try is to have your listeners carv your station name into a jack-o-lantern. Or, put a HUGE pumpkin in a sponsor's store, and have your listeners stop by and try and guess the weight of it.
This is a great time to make some special liners for airing around Halloween, with drops from horror flicks, or Halloween episodes of sitcoms and cartoons.
Make sure you score some promotion points with local non-profits who have haunted houses, by giving them some free promos, and then ask them if you can hang your station banner at the door.
Have some candy ready at the station, and tell your listeners to bring their kids by...throw some station bumper stickers or key chains in there also.
Have a great fall...and have a fun radio day!!
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