Speaking but saying nothing
“Good Friday morning to you!”
Who in the real world ever tells you what day it is while saying hello?
Promoting your departure
“I’m Ed Jock, and I’ll be here with you until 3 o’clock today….”
If the first words out of your mouth are the time you’ll be leaving, that must be because you have nothing more exciting to promote that day.
Which begs the question, “Why did you bother to show up today?”
For too many jocks, the most dramatic part of their show is the periodic “countdown to my departure.”
Traffic reports that tell listeners the problem, then the location
This is Radio 101, yet I hear it daily here in Los Angeles:
“A five-car collision has closed two lanes and slowed traffic for several miles starting at the Cahuenga Boulevard Exit of the 101 Freeway….”
And the listener who is driving along the 101 Freeway says, “Huh? What’s that about the 101?”
First identify the location of the traffic incident, then identify the problem.
Opening the mic without knowing what you plan to accomplish during that break
I’m not suggesting you should script out every word you’ll say. But a true radio professional knows exactly what he plans to accomplish before he opens the mic.
Sadly, the majority of the radio world opens the mic and then thinks, “Well, now what??”
If you simply reverse that two-step process — first figure out what you want to accomplish and then open the mic — you’ll be amazed at how much better your program is.
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good stuff Dan…I like to equate radio with good football. the team that blocks, tackles and doesn’t make mistakes usually wins. I htink your traffic advice can be combined with that last point too.. if you begin your break at exit 99A, and KNOW you are getting off at exit 101..then you make a nice smooth transition OFF the freeway of yappin :))
That is radio 101 and yet overconfidence,pride , whatever stops the process to plan and prep…I would imagine this would also improve relationships with those inside the station. Thank you
Thanks Dan. To those I would add….having a long trivial conversation on air with the traffic reporter just before delivering important travel information. And thanking co hosts, previous program presenters, traffic reporters, news and sport people etc every time they appear on air. “thanks very much indeed Fred”
plus this ridiculous DJ first names only style stations have taken on board – just sounds so glib and crass – you can tell the consultants have just been in!
I’m guilty of at least two, sometimes three of these. Thanks, as always, Dan, for never letting me get comfortable and for reminding me to never stop learning.
“Thanks Dan…great reminders.
I’d like to thank you for that bit of info on this frosty, mostly overcast, Tuesday morning in downtown D.C.!
just some common sense “crutches” that people working in the industry of all years of experience tend to get into because their focused on the mechanics on their show not necesarily what the listener thinks. Most websites tell the times when the talent is on, don’t need to remind them, but it’s also natural state of mind to tell someone how long you will be there. gotta avoid that. People have that detailed a traffic report? I’m glad I don’t live in LA. Traffic reports in general are often so full of words, it just goes in one ear and out the other….clarity of speech and speed of speech is also as important. the one that drives me is “glad to have ya along” I was guilty of it….it sounds insincere….
There’s traffic on that 405 (as though there is more than one 405 to identify) so you will want to avoid that area (really, the 405 is 50 miles long, what area do you mean?). This pronoun mania is repeated so often in LA that if most ‘casters took out ‘that’ and ‘area’ from their reports, they would be two second segments. Is it really that hard to give the actual names of streets and towns?
Rosie , how annoying is that , it seems announcers don’t have surnames or even real names any more , said to one of our announcers the other day , why don’t you say your surname, she was worried , some one may look her up in the phone book and stalk her
in this day and age I can’t blame any talent not wanting to use a surname…or at least a real surname. Many years ago, during a stint at a call centre, we were canadians taking US calls, and the particular client decided to change our surnames to make them “more american” I was change to “strong” which is fine, as anyone who gets irate and wants my name can gladly have it. It’s believable, on that same job I was told hoiw american I sounded, and some americans apparently cause what apparently is an accent, so I guess that’s up for interpretation. Americans are so anal on who they talk to on the phone back then, must be crazy when they have to deal with india these days. The poor phone line quality, their speed of their speech and the often thickness of the accents can be challenging even for me.
A lot of people seem to be forgetting (on the announcer name front) that listeners in a 18-30 demographic simply don’t care about the announcers surname.
A new 18-34 alt rock station went on in my area in the last couple of months. There’s a mix of with and without surname talent on air.