LEAP OF FAITH RADIO PRODUCTION with Bobby Ocean
Two things I love about our Super Radio Guru, Dan ODay:
One, he doesn’t wear the usual body-hugging spandex Super hero costume. The more you think about that, the more grateful you become.
Two, his amazing Super Power.
Dan ODay has the uncanny ability to get more “whys” into a standard Q&A than the mere mortal. Seeing him use it in action is to marvel. He’s a natural, and carries the interest of not only himself but his many, many associates into his quest.
His Super Power, as you probably know, is asking questions. ODay can construct two part-questions, which have more contingencies hanging in the first part, each a balancing see-saw leading to so many facets of possibility within potential, you wonder, not only if it’s possible to ever arrive at the second part, but if we’ll need a map to find our way back.
Why?
One conclusion: Finding out the “whys” in your life can make you very wise in your time.
Ultimately, just the “whys” take a lifetime, because there are so many questions for all of Life’s different distinctions, classes, levels, dimensions. And so many answers.
Finding out why the heart behaves so is really finding out many reasons why. All of which lead to more questions.
Finding out why people behave in so many different ways, why plants have and use their myriad of differences, why insects buzz, why molecules hum, why Gravity attracts, why Fear demands response, in fact, takes all of us. That works out because all is revealed.
So – why not focus? OK, easy! Since we all have such an affinity for it, here are a few starter Why-Questions about radio…
Ask yourself WHY your favorite music is important to you. Why it moves that part of you. Why you react the way you do to that stimulation.
Ask WHY you can’t do better at work for the fun and personal satisfaction of it, screw waiting for a salary increase. Ask why you shouldn’t enjoy to the fullest the things your job contains that are challenging and fun. Why can’t you call the shots and re-label the “un-fun” tasks, as something more interesting like, say, “Child’s Play,” or “Part Of My Being In Demand,” or “Value-Increaser.”
Because they lead to such interesting places, one of my favorite Why Areas concerns what’s on the air:
Why are we listening to winners on the telephone say “You’re kidding,” and “Oh my God” after doing this for over a half century? (Why haven’t we better learned to coach our listeners by asking better leading questions for our promos? Commercials have been doing it for years)
Did you ever ask yourself WHY the first radio show interaction with a listener on the phone took place? (I always thought it was a great example of “It CAN happen to the average listener like you,” and wondered why they didn’t extend that relateable line of communication.)
Why do air personalities, after awarding the prize, ask their winners, “What radio station just gave you the big prize?” (Again, better leading questions. By now a listener should have asked back: “Why, don’t you know where you work?”)
Why would anyone in radio, regardless of from which level one operates, not be very clear that this is show business?
Why would anyone looking for profit in business, look upon investments as liabilities?
Seek.
See ya along the quest.
