When planning your contests and benchmarks, you’ll improve ratings by following two simple adages. “Fish where the fish are” and “use the right bait.”

Listen to your talents execute a talk set and time when they start talking.  How long does it take before they express interesting content?  If it’s over 8-seconds, you are losing listeners. 

PDs make time for the DJs, display a genuine interest, and help them perform better.  Conduct a critique session at least once a week.  Consider these guidelines for analyzing air­checks and offering guidance.

Halloween has a rich tradition of music that sets the spooky mood for parties, trick-or-treating, and haunted houses. Here is our list of the best-known Halloween songs that are perfect for getting into the spirit.

Develop benchmarks that are not the mere reading of show prep. PPM research says “lists” like Celebrity News, Birthdays, and This Day in History are tune outs.  Develop benchmarks which engage the listener.

In the classic comedy movie, “Groundhog Day,” Bill Murray awakens to Sonny and Cher’s “I Got You Babe” on a clock radio (remember those?)… every morning as he experiences the exact same day over and over.  After several mornings, Bill Murray eventually throws the radio against the wall.

Always go into stopsets with a creative promote-ahead.  If you don’t want to go from a bit to a promote-ahead to spots, do a produced “donut promo” after a bit into spots.  Push to expand the average TSL beyond 10 minutes. Practice the 80/20 rule in promoting ahead.  Instead of providing the answer, give enough to intrigue the audience with 80% and hold back 20%.

Examine the production elements on your stations and assess all your on-air elements. Look for quality, freshness, and imaging liners with unplanned consequences. Are imaging liners touting listener benefits? That’s a stronger ploy than a list of features.  Great production makes grasping the context easy for the listener. Look for unintended tune-outs, like comments that signal to the audience that they’ll have to wait for music. 

Repetitively brand the station name (especially in diary markets) and positioning slogan, ideally 30-40 times an hour in a diary market.

Help your air staff grow and develop as talented performers.  This is a great time to take a fresh look at their performances.  Our job as programmers is to motivate, stimulate, counsel, and critique the staff.  Conduct a coaching session at least once a week, and more often with the morning talent(s).  Consider these guidelines.