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FIVE RADIO PROGRAMMING FALLACIES

1.  “People don’t remember DJs’ names. Therefore, there’s no point in radio air talent training.”

Some programming consultant actually said that in a trade publication interview.

If your hosts don’t make enough of a connection to your audience to be memorable, then “air talent training” should be at the top of your priorities.


2. 
“You can’t get people to listen for more than 30 minutes, so don’t waste your time trying.”

If you believe that, then I trust you believe it’s impossible to fix a broken carburetor.

After all, I can’t fix a carburetor.

Reminds me of a radio convention panel session I was on years ago.

Someone in the audience asked, “Is it possible to teach somebody to be a radio personality?”

One of the other guys on the panel replied, “No, it can’t be done. I know, because I’ve tried.”

He can’t teach someone to be a personality. But there are others who can.

I can’t fix a carburetor. But there are others who can.

Many programmers can’t get people to listen for more than 30 minutes. But there are others who can.

I’ve seen their ratings.

 

3. Giving your name frequently is self-aggrandizing.”

On a music station, hosts should give their names frequently.

As in, “Each break.”

Making sure listeners know who you are is humble, not boastful.

It’s also good for your ratings (in markets that use self-report measurements and depend upon listener recall).

 

4.  “The audience doesn’t care about you.”

Practically every DJ in the world (including me) has, at one time, worked for a program director or manager who said that.

Of course they care about you!

If you make a human, personal connection to them.

If you’re a personality, not just an “announcer.”

(The difference: An announcer never says anything worth listening to.)

 

5.  “Never say ‘I.’ “

This one is big among self-styled consultants and certain station managers who never were successful radio personalities.

You know the stereotype of the person who couldn’t make it radio and so instead became a consultant?

I was shown an air talent critique written by one of those “can’t-get-a-job-in-America-so-she-became-a-consultant-overseas” types. She instructed the talent, “Use the word YOU instead of the word ‘I’ to deepen the engage.”

(Yes, she did say “to deepen the engage.” Yes, I too had been under the impression that “engage” is a verb, not a noun.)

You see, when you use the world “you,” then boring material magically becomes…um, engageful.

I just checked, and so far in this article I’ve used the world “I” seven times.

Do you find this posting to be impersonal?

Should I have said, “YOU can’t fix a carburetor”?

In your daily conversations with friends and colleagues, do you ever say “I”?

Well, guess what: A good radio show is nothing more than a conversation between the host and the audience.

But you still think it’s wrong to say “I”?

Okay. Test it yourself:

Listen to the 20 highest rated air personalities in America. They all say “I” and “me” and “my.” As well as “you” and “your” and “yours.”

I guarantee it. I mean, “You guarantee it.”

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  • Cliff September 13, 2012, 9:26 am

    I’m continually blown away by how much our listeners care about us.
    That a woman for 2 years now has brought us cookies on the anniversary of her mom’s birthday (her elderly mother was a huge fan and spent her last months with her ear glued to the radio).
    That someone anonymously dropped off FAKE lottery tickets as Christmas presents.
    That a woman I met in the grocery store told me that the week I had to spend with a ‘stand-in’ after my partner had a family emergency “wasn’t very funny.” It taught me to keep my ‘best of’ material ready – it makes a better show than a stand-in. It also taught me that people remember what you do – she told me we weren’t very funny 8 MONTHS after the fact…

  • Kent Matheson September 13, 2012, 9:34 am

    How many times can I say thank-you!!!! Hope it enlightens many.

  • Jonny Hartwell September 13, 2012, 2:44 pm

    I’m not worthy! er…I mean YOU not worthy…no no no that doesn’t work either….ah guess, um, ah…well, thanks, Dan!

  • AdamG September 13, 2012, 4:36 pm

    Yep, You are Right Mr Personality..on your videos you can smile a little bit..I don’t care what your teeth look like I love watching your videos dang it cause I care about YOU first what you’re “selling”second ) Hope you are doing better.

  • Aarti September 21, 2012, 1:14 am

    Good stuff! Very important points. Thanks