By: Jay Trachman
I think I know what “killed” Personality Radio. Clutter. Well, no, not clutter itself, but something more subtle: the inability of managers, consultants and especially DJs to tell the difference between clutter and worthwhile patter. Sometimes I think there are only two types of radio personalities: those who think they’re getting paid by the word, and those who have no idea there’s a clock running. Both should be charged with felonious clutter.
Clutter is stuff you say because you think that’s what disc jockeys ought to say. Clutter is clichés and phrases you use while stalling until you think of what you really want to say. Clutter is taking five seconds to say something that should take one.
Clutter makes listeners say things like, “I like their music, but the DJ’s talk too much.” All too many consultants and programmers have taken the easy path toward stopping clutter: insisting the air talent say only what they’re told to say, i.e., call letters, frequency, slogan, liner card… You know what I mean. And when you’re doing it, “Be up and bright!” They’re not entirely to blame. Survey after survey shows most listeners (under 55) prefer music stations where the personalities are kept on a tight rein.
In large measure, it’s our own fault. If you’re saying things like these, you’re contributing to the clutter… “It’s Thursday, May 17th, and I’m Johnny Jock.” “Joe Blabber with you onna Tuesday!” I believe any listener who doesn’t already know what day it is needs more help than a DJ can give him.
How ’bout “Looking for a high this afternoon of…” Sometimes three times in a forecast! “And tonight, we’re looking for lows around…” Why not, “Today’s high, 72; overnight, 45 and tomorrow, into the high 60s.” You don’t even need to say “degrees” most of the time; your listener knows you don’t mean megabytes.
Equally wasteful: “Mostly sunny today with a high around 70, then fair tonight getting down to 53 and tomorrow, bright sunshine with highs near 80!” If the conditions are the same through the forecast, why say them three times? “Fair skies through tomorrow — today’s high (etc.)”!
“Hi, you’re caller number six — what’s your name?” “Umm, Mary Jones.” “And what city are you calling from, Mary?” “Uhh, Mishawaka…” There’s about five seconds wasted. Get the caller’s name, city and place of employment before you put her on the air: “On the line, Mary Jones of Mishawaka — here’s your trivia question, Mary!” Take less time for routine information so you can spend more time gushing genuinely when she wins.
The worst clutter generators are unprepared bits. All raps should be prepared in advance of airing. Personally, I prefer to script bits word-for-word as part of my show prep. At a minimum, at least having your emotional pay-off or kicker firmly in your mind before you open the mic. Otherwise you will meander on the way toward making your point. A lot of the time you won’t even know you’ve made it when you have. There is a clock running, my friend, and when you forget that, you lose your listener’s attention.
You have approximately 20- to 30-seconds, depending on the strength and structure of the material, to get a message across to your listener. Beyond that, you are babbling into the ether and if your listener is aware of you at all, his most likely thought is, “When’s he gonna’ shut up and play the music?” If your raps consistently run more than thirty seconds, you need to practice your editing skills, period.
There are so many elements that should go into an effective personality show — life content, local content, humor, responses to the lyrics, information, promotions, cross-plugs, PSAs, basics, positioning statements and more — that when you add in meaningless phrases and rambling bits, you convince the listener that “this guy talks too much.” And he or she is right.
Think: less is more. Sometimes (a lot of times) the best thing you can do for your listener (not to mention the station) is to extro the song, pop the basics and segue right into the next song. If you have nothing to say, don’t say it! Any time you can edit a 40-second bit down to 20 by dropping all the extraneous material, you’ve done something good for yourself, because you’ve about doubled the odds your listener will hear it all. And you’ve managed to insert your personality, without causing clutter.
You don’t get paid by the word. You do get paid by the number of listeners you can “touch” and make feel like you’re their friend. You don’t get paid to talk; you get paid to say something.
Jay Trachman is publisher of “One to One,” a weekly information and humor service for broadcasters. Jay can be reached at: phone (559) 448 0700, fax (559) 448 0761, e-mail at 121@att.net, or www.121online.net. Reprinted with permission.
