In his first Programming To Win column for FMQB, Mike Stern parallels back to school season with ways to refresh aspects of your radio station. It’s the perfect time to freshen up your station’s public persona, be it your website or the tools your air talent needs. What sort of “homework” should the air staff be doing? What “after school activities” can the station be involved in?
By Mike Stern
Here in Chicago it feels completely counter-intuitive: temperatures are in the 90’s and the heat index – whatever that is – is over a hundred while every store for miles around is advertising some kind of “Back to School” sale.
The fact is, regardless of the hot weather, the summer is winding down and school is starting. This time of year marks a big lifestyle shift for most of your listeners. Their routine is changing or, more accurately, their routine is returning. Parent or child, the start of school means the freedom and flexibility of the summer comes to an end.
The fall also brings an avalanche of topical pop culture. A recent issue of Entertainment Weekly boasted the scoop on, “98 movies coming out this fall.” Then there’s the new fall season for television, fall music releases from superstars hoping to make a big score at Christmas time and a set of highly-anticipated elections for anyone with a political bent.
Plus, the most important fall event, especially for male-oriented stations, is the return of football. Make no mistake, whether it’s NFL, NCAA or, in smaller communities, high school, football is a game changer.
More importantly the start of the school year is a great time to start focusing on making the changes that will take your show, and your career, to the next level. It’s the perfect time to go back to school in the studio.
Back to School Shopping
There’s a reason every retail store pushes hard for their share of the back to school business at the start of the school year. Not only do students need all new school supplies but everyone wants to look fashionable and up-to-date when the new semester starts.
You should take the time to review your public persona. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that it’s radio and no one can see you.
Update your station web page and Facebook profile with current relevant pictures and content. While you’re at it, stop at the store and update your wardrobe or, at the very least get a fresh haircut, so you look good at any fall appearances.
It’s also a good time to stop subsisting on the traditional air talent diet of Mountain Dew, leftover pizza and vending machine snacks. Buy some healthy food at the grocery store and brown bag your lunch a few times a week. You’ll not only look and feel healthier, you’ll be much less susceptible to getting sick when the weather turns and germs start infesting the studio.
Now get some new school supplies; the tools that will help you get good grades. Start using a personalized online dashboard like iGoogle or Netvibes to aggregate all the information you need on one page.
It’s also time, if you don’t have one already, to invest in a smart phone and the apps you need to be organized and accessible. That absolutely should include a calendar program to keep track of your commitments so you aren’t late for any more remotes.
The First Day of School
On the first day of class students generally get an overview of the material being covered in the coming semester and how grades will be given out. You should too.
Arrange to sit down with your program director and discuss what is coming up in the fall. Ask what the station’s promotional plan is going to center on; what initiatives are coming down from corporate; and what would he or she like to see from you?
If your PD is always running around from meeting to meeting with his hair on fire during the day, schedule a time to go out for lunch, coffee or drinks after work. Going someplace away from the office and all its distractions and pressure often leads to a much more relaxed and informative discussion.
Do the same with the sales manager. A strong sales effort has every bit as much to do with you being successful as your ratings. Find out how fall sales are shaping up; which ad categories are heating up and which are cooling off; what type of additional promotion clients are asking for; and what type of content might be something a sponsor would be interested in.
Now that you have a feel for the course materials, consider how you are going to be graded. Many markets recently changed from the diary to Arbitron’s Personal People Meter (PPM) system. Educate yourself on how the system works and what to expect. The Arbitron website has a number of free studies and online training classes available and the Coleman Insights series “Mapping the DNA of PPM,” is also very informative and available at no cost.
After School Activities
While this is probably a foreign concept to most people who make their living in radio; you really should do your homework. mework.
Start with your study habits. Review your daily show prep routine and if you don’t have one, it’s time to start. Search out new sources of information, influential bloggers and leading edge websites. Swap notes with other talent to see what sources they are using and ask your non-radio friends that tend to be opinion leaders where they get their dirt from.
Now do the assigned reading. Go to a bookstore and examine the rack of magazines aimed at your listeners. Overall, the topics they are addressing should mirror the content your show is focused on. Then stop by the business books section. Look for titles that address topics like changes in consumer behavior, self-marketing or better organization. If you are leery of plunking down the cash for one of these, do what every other student does and check them out from the library.
It’s often easier to study in a group. Take the initiative and introduce yourself to some of your contemporaries with a simple email. It can lead to swapping ideas, commiserating about the industry and sharing job leads. If you aren’t that social, just start streaming air talent from other markets. Listen critically noting things they do well and consider how to apply them to your show.
Once you finish your homework, give some thought to your extracurricular activities. Instead of being true to your school think of it as being true to your station.
Look for opportunities to enhance your skills and increase your value to the station at the same time. Improve your production skills, work with the web team on interactive projects, learn how to shoot video, start a blog; do something to become a more important member of the team. It’s worth the effort because it could tip the scales when it comes to getting a raise or applying for a new job.
It’s also time to undertake some form of community service. Students do it because colleges love that stuff on an application, and in your case, so do perspective employers.
If there is a particular cause you are passionate about – that doesn’t run completely counter to your station’s message and audience – get involved. Be a leader, an organizer or a face for the movement.
If you don’t have a particular driving passion, just start volunteering somewhere. It’s truly amazing what just four hours a week can do for your self-esteem and your public persona, not to mention volunteer organizations are always full of unique people that will be worth their weight in gold in show material.
Now let’s talk about your social life. Going back to school in the fall often meant meeting new people, making new friends and maybe even finding a new crush.
As adults we don’t have that type of forced interaction with new people, but for an air talent, being exposed to different opinions and viewpoints is incredibly important. Nothing can make your show stagnant quicker than spending time with the same people day-in and day-out.
Make yourself join a new group, take a class, hang out with your friend’s friends, or be the cruise director who organizes new, adventurous group social activities; don’t just go drink at the same old bar.
There’s The Bus… Have a Good Day!
There’s no doubt radio can be a grind. When you are on the air five, six or even seven days a week thanks to the joy of voice-tracking, it’s not easy to step back and take a critical look at your show and your career and think about how to improve.
If you approach the seemingly daunting process with the same excitement, anticipation and even dread that came with the first day of school, before you know it graduation day will be here.
Mike Stern is a veteran radio programmer with more than 10 years of experience in markets such as Chicago, Detroit, Denver and Las Vegas. He recently opened Talent Mechanic, a coaching service for talent who want to improve their on-air performance and build their personality platform. For more information visit his Website www.talentmechanic.com or the Talent Mechanic blog; Free Estimates at http://talentmechanic.wordpress.com/
