Help the air staff grow and develop as talented performers. It’s a programmer’s responsibility to motivate, stimulate, counsel, and coach the staff. Schedule frequent show improvement sessions: don’t place them at the bottom of the list of priorities if daily tasks and emergencies take precedence. 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:
+ Focus on the basics of the format; the station name should be at the beginning and end of all breaks.
+ Attach the station name to each feature (like news & weather) to take ownership and use after stop sets going back into music. The station name should be delivered next to what the station is known for, i.e., the music in your slogan.
+ Talents “punch” the station name, they just don’t just “say” it. It’s sold with enthusiasm as if it is being delivered to a stranger for the first time.
+ Time checks are abundant in morning drive as well as frequent weather. Morning talents provide the info listeners require in the morning.
+ Reduce redundant phrases, clichés, and crutches as spotted by the PD.
+ Music is “on the money,” perfectly programmed by the software and hand-edited with precision by the PD or Music Director. It should be listener-compatible hour to hour, shift to shift, day after day.
+ All personalities relate well to the target and provide interesting local bits of information and artist/song relatables that suggest the DJs are as into the music as the listeners.
+ Conversations are succinct and well-edited, leaving the listener wanting more, not less. Idle chatter is MIA.
+ The station is TSL driven by personalities who give listeners genuine reasons to stay tuned by promoting upcoming music, contests, or memorable information.
+ The station flows. All information elements, the music, and talent contributions flow with continuous momentum, never giving the audience a reason to tune away. Is each hour consistent in terms of song era and familiarity?
Promote the station brand – the “Basics”:
> Repetitively brand the station name (especially in diary markets) and positioning slogan, ideally 30-40 times an hour in a diary market
> Promote listening to the stream (from a website, app, and smart speaker hourly
> Promote at-work listening hourly
> Promote website & social media (FB & Twitter) hourly – and say why
> Promote next hour; next show (recycling)
> Promote the morning show hourly
> Promote station events, contests
> Creative, well-produced imaging sells the brand and continued listening.
Don’t let imaging replace “live” sounding talents between songs. Cold, impersonal imaging is a disconnect with local radio.
In the morning show:
+ Present frequent time checks & brief weather for today
+ Be fun, funny, and fast-moving
+ Create a party atmosphere with benchmarks and listener interaction. Be a cheerleader, e.g., “we’re having so much fun this morning.”
+ Sound natural, honest, fresh, and local with lots of interesting content
Pic by pressfoto for Freepik.com.
John Lund is President of the Lund Media Group, a radio programming consulting firm with specialists in all mainstream radio formats. Did you find this article useful? You can leave a comment below or email John at John@Lundradio.com.