Coaches Corner
All I Want For Christmas Is A Fresh Perspective …
“The answers to some of your questions might already be sitting in the back of your mind. Sometimes the holidays can jog your memory and revive a good idea that just needs a fresh approach.”
Santa, Jesus, & My Birthday Confusion At Age Four …
“Having a birthday three days before Christmas is like living in a holiday hurricane. When I was 4-years old, I got some weird looks from kids on Christmas Day when I asked, “What did you get on my birthday?”
Turn It Up, Santa’s Listening …
“His beard Looks good.”
He Forgot To Turn Off The Mic …
“According to the results of a perceptual research study, Ralph was the best-known air talent. But the study obviously did not indicate his thing for underage teenage girls.”
Hitting The Right Notes With Your Website …
“Sometimes sales and programming get into battles because a site becomes the new added-value dump. Your website should be treated like the airwaves and meet target audience expectations.”
Got It Right Or Just Assumed? …
“Your granddaughter’s mother told me you taught her to cut an inch off each end of a pot roast before cooking. She swore it was a requirement, but I’m dying to know why? Is there any sane reason to throw away two inches of perfectly good meat in order to cook a pot roast?”
The Consultant, The PD, Who’s In Charge? …
Air Talent: “When my PD tells me anything, I feel as if she is saying the words, but our consultant is putting the words in her mouth. I want to program someday, but I want to be in charge and not be someone else’s flunky.”
Broadcasting The Best Version Of You …
You must learn how to express that part of you that’s yours and yours only. It’s never about the number of words that come out of your mouth, it’s the spin you put on those words. Your unique personality paints the canvas at terrestrial radio and on all audio platforms. Once an air talent is comfortable with syncing that uniqueness with their voice, it’s like magic.
Brand or Blend …
“Branding separates a faceless voice from an up-and-coming air personality. This holds true no matter what time slot you’re working. While Morning Drive might be viewed as the crown jewel of radio, every shift gives you a platform to build your brand and influence.”
Airwaves Etiquette: Knowing When To Go Off Script …
“At a radio station, everything is connected at various levels. Stations have procedures in place to meet goals and make money. Air personalities can’t divorce themselves from the responsibilities of meeting the expectations of management.”
ChatGPT… Was It Something I Said?
“It’s smart, but it still relies on us to ask the right questions. Without the right guidance, it’s like handing a Ferrari to someone who doesn’t drive—they have the power, but no way to use it.”
Office Romance, Tread Lightly…
“Harmless flirting can turn into misunderstandings, suspensions, or into a courtroom. Don’t be paranoid, just be smart. They are a lot like gambling. Everyone loves to share stories about the couples who made it work—those who met on the job and built something great. But no one talks about all the ones that went up in flames.”
Was Your First Time Good For You? Emceeing …
“I heard crickets—nothing. I was trying to see past the bright lights to figure out what was going on. Meanwhile, out of the corner of my eye, I could see stagehands and booth announcer laughing. I had flop sweat pouring out of me.”
When Workplace Dislike Doesn’t Make Sense
Remember that one kid you just couldn’t get along with? “They just can’t stand you, whether you’re “walking or riding,” as my grandmother used to say.”
Wrangling The Reluctant & Their Flip Phones …
“It’s not generational, no one likes feeling out of their league with anything new. We’ve all been there, whether it’s with new apps, social media platforms, or ChatGPT.”
Paws & Reflect On Why He Quit His Job …
“Crazy never takes a day off in radio”
I’ve never heard of anyone using their pet as an excuse to quit a job. Here’s how my conversation went with a fellow radio veteran.
Oh No! More RIF, Downsizing, Layoffs, Fired …
“No matter what you call it, the result is the loss of a steady paycheck”
Following iHeartMedia’s recent changes, we’re again dealing with the unloading of air talent, programmers, and staff.
Stop Scrolling, Scanning, & Skimming So Much …
It may or may not be generational, but many of us are causing self-inflicted misinformation. We’ve become junkies for knowing, but not for fully reading.
Let’s Take A ‘Diva’ Dive …
Flapping their jaws, telling you and anyone else who will listen, what should be done. They’re a pain. Stroke that ego, agree or disagree?
Sick & Tired Of Being Sick & Tired …
It’s difficult to make good decisions when your brain is not operating on all cylinders. You’re no good to anybody, including you, if you make yourself sick. That’s why vacations are important.
Younger Formats In A PPM World ..Switch Format? …
I love to talk radio and recently I had a conversation with an Operations Manager in a PPM market with a Hip-Hop station in a small cluster. His ratings have been plummeting for some time now. He’s had an occasional glimmer of hope over the last several years, but nothing like the old days before PPM.
Watch Your Back …
Sometimes others don’t have your best interest at heart. That’s especially true when you first start out working in a new job. Being a ‘Newbie’, it takes a while to find out who your friends are. I recently communicated with an air personality who found herself stuck in the middle of a difficult situation. She was deceived by the APD, and it almost cost her job before she could even get started.
Nailed It! He’s Landed An On-Air Job Opportunity…
It’s becoming tight for new on-air positions. Media companies are getting rid of a number of air talents for one reason, they are being viewed strictly as budget line items. But with that said, I’m always glad to hear when an opportunity is on the horizon for someone. Especially when that person once worked for me.