by Jay Trachman
When I’m coaching jocks or consulting stations, one of the points I make that’s more often complied to with lip service rather than effort, is the importance of Local Content. Oh, everybody agrees that it means a lot, but unlike Life Content, which generally comes right out of your head, Local Content, which requires some effort, seems to be the hardest thing to get jocks to do. “Great idea, but I just don’t have the time…”
Often, I’m working with the PD, who does have “too much to do already,” although I still can’t agree that this justifies slighting the on-air performance. Your listener doesn’t care how much you have to do, only whether or not you’re the most appealing show available, to his or her needs. That’s true for any jock; but there’s another reason for PDs, nearly as important: the PD sets the tone for the entire staff. How are you going to convince your air talents they ought to have something substantial to say, besides jokes out of a joke sheet and banter with the newsman, if you don’t put in the extra effort yourself? In my opinion, the answer to “not enough time” is, either find a way to “work smarter,” rather than work longer, or delegate some responsibilities so you do have enough time.
The other most-frequently-heard excuse is, “This is a very small town; there just isn’t that much going on worth talking about.”
Wrong. When the major upheavals, like an earthquake, a hurricane, or a major snow storm occur, your local content is handed to you on a silver platter. During the other 99% of the time, all that’s required are your personal observations and responses to day-to-day life in the community — with specific places and names when possible.
After previewing a tape from a consulting client recently in preparation for her call, I wrote out a list, to inspire her and help get her thinking about community-oriented things to talk about on her show. (And, to lay in wait for the excuses I knew I’d hear…) This list is specific to the Mississippi River town where her station is located, but you can just as easily write one for yourself or your people, based on your own community. Here’s my list…
Ice on the river — is it normal for this time of year? More than usual, less? Interesting to look at?
How does winter affect the barges one sees floating through the town?
The college kids just came back from vacation — has this had any effect on traffic? Parking? Shopping? The people you meet on the street? When are finals? Mid-terms? (Call the college and find out!)
What are the local shopping malls like at this time of year? Compared to December?
How do the farms along the highway look as you’re driving to work? Are there any significant potholes, or other winter-related conditions along the roads? Mention them and give specific locations — and invite your listener to phone in more.
How does winter affect the local tourism industry? (They have a small but significant national attraction in town.) Is it shut down? If so, what do the people who run the tourist shops do at this time of year?
Church attendance — how does it compare with December?
Local night spots — any you frequent regularly? What are the people talking about? Heard any good local bands lately? Any unusually good entertainment lately in the community?
All these, and lots more, are fertile fields for local mentions. Again: when possible, mention specific locations, specific people’s names (“A special hi to Mary Jo — the checker at the Safeway on Shaw near Main — who grabbed my baby in mid-air as she was climbing out of the shopping cart while I was distracted yesterday!”
Keep a sound recorder or a small pad in your shirt pocket or purse, so it’s easy to make notes as you move through life, saving them for expanding and refining into raps during your show prep time. If you commute to work from another town, there should be a cassette deck on the seat of your car anyway, for listening to today’s show on skimmer tape as you drive home. This deck can also be used for making notes while driving.
The other important source for Local Content is, of course, your local paper. Every on-air personality should be reading the local section of the paper every time it comes out, scanning for interesting or funny occurrences. Anything you respond to emotionally is potentially worthy of Sharing with your listener.
Why is Local Content so important? Because your listener relates most readily to things which affect his or her own life, or which he’s experienced personally. And, because without it, they might as well replace you with the satellite.
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.
