With all the demands and time constraints on programmers these days, it can be difficult to find the chance to sit down and aircheck with talent. For this week’s Programming To Win column, Jacobs Media’s Keith Cunningham has created a list of tips on how to conduct a productive aircheck session.

Keith Cunningham

Keith Cunningham

By Keith Cunningham, Jacobs Media Talent Development & Alternative/Rock Specialist

Airchecking at many stations has become a lost art. These one-on-one sessions represent a critical piece in the overall programming process and largely determine whether or not a show or DJ will progress.
Assuming compelling personalities have been cast and the appropriate mindset, show vision, structure and prep routine is in place, here are some tips on how to conduct a productive aircheck session.

  • Understanding the Psychology of Talent

          Before the critique beings, first understand the mindset of the DJ. Air talent are paid entertainers– whether music intensive or content-focused – and they go on-stage/on the air every day and put it on the line. This daily pressure would take a toll on any human being, and it leads most DJs to having some degree of natural insecurity.
The best remedy is to provide frequent and positive feedback about what’s working. If all a DJ hears is what’s going wrong (or nothing at all), we’ll have a psychological mess on our hands. Consider that athletes have coaches, actors have directors and producers, musicians can read the crowd, and comedians gauge laughs (and hecklers). DJs are generally stuck in a room with no windows. Often, the only feedback they get are from their friends, subjective groupies on Facebook and Twitter, and haters-of-all-things on the request lines.

  • The Best Conversation Starts With Good Listening

          A PD should never do an aircheck session without first listening to the show beforehand, to get a firm grasp on what needs to be discussed. As a programmer, this is your version of prep.

  • Use Time To Your Advantage

          Unless aircheck sessions are happening regularly, avoid using “yesterday’s show” in the session. Audio from a week ago will give the DJ a much more objective ear, as they’ll have forgotten much of what they’re about to hear. And they’ll be listening to their show like a regular listener does – with fresh ears.

  • Let the DJ Talk First

          When listening to breaks with talent – when the audio stops – always let them go first. This step allows them to own their breaks, explain themselves, and it completely changes the dynamic of the meeting. Thus, it’s not all about “the PD vs. the DJ” or what you think. Air talent can be their own toughest critics and they’ll likely hear many of the same positives or negatives that you do when listening back to a show.  Some programmers will ask talent to assign letter grades to each segment, thus providing them with insight into self-evaluation, as well as the “gap” between how the DJ hears it – and how you do.

  • Multiple Breaks

          Two or three breaks do not make a full show, so when meeting with talent, set aside an hour and listen to a lot of audio. Listen to as many breaks as you can so a fair and thorough assessment can be made. It’s also smart to let the DJ pick some of the audio, so they have more of a say in the process.

  • Prioritize Thoughts

          It’s easy to look for the negatives or fall into old radio trappings – forward momentum, you forgot the liner, it was too inside, the call letters weren’t at the top – that stuff is just BLAH, BLAH, BLAH to talent and should be left for the end.
It’s like speaking Chinese to a Russian. Appropriately prioritize and itemize feedback with talent in this order:

1. Overall Entertainment Value
2. Evidence of Prep
3. Content Treatment
4. Formatics/Fundamentals

  • Short ‘To-Do’ Lists

          There may numerous things a DJ or show needs to work on, but don’t overwhelm talent with a long list of things to fix. Keep ‘to-do’ lists to one or two items so talent isn’t in a cold sweat every time they crack the mic worrying about a long list of things. Aircheck sessions can make a show worse if talent feels paralyzed afterwards. Be sure to hand this short ‘to-do’ list to talent and ask them to bring it back for the next aircheck session, so progress can be tracked. (Chances are they weren’t taking notes.)

  • Look in the Mirror & Get Honest

          When all is said and done, it’s time for managers to take a look in the mirror. There are generally one or two reasons why a DJ or show isn’t improving. Either the DJ is miscast, isn’t that good in the first place (not everyone is cut out to be a star on the air), or there’s a coaching issue. Therefore, two things need to be present at every station.

1. Goals and Accountability: If the DJ continues to make the same mistakes over and over, he or she needs to be held accountable. The same goes for the manager or talent coach. If the coach is cancelling meetings, changing his mind, or giving bad advice, maybe the PD is part of the problem.
2. Consistent Contact: Check in with talent every day and hold an official aircheck session at least once a week.  While a PD may have many duties in today’s climate, nothing is more important than what’s coming out of the speakers. Do not set a precedent for minimal contact and oversight.

  • Create A Vibe

          Lastly, the best airstaffs work in buildings where there’s a creative, fun atmosphere and an undeniable team mentality.  It’s a PD’s job to keep the building alive and creative – and this extends to aircheck sessions.  If the energy and fun is sucked out of the halls each day by a negative, doom and gloom boss, chances are that mood will find its way onto the air in various ways.  Working hard to insulate talent from “outside factors” is part of the programmer’s job to ensure optimal results.

          Let me know how these coaching tips work out for you: keithcunningham@jacobsmedia.com


Jacobs Media’s Keith Cunningham is an accomplished programmer, consultant, and talent coach. Since 2005, Keith has worked closely with the company’s Active Rock and Alternative stations, providing spot-on talent consultation to many personality-driven radio shows. Keith Cunningham is the AM Show and Talent Development Specialist for Jacobs Media. Reach him at keith@jacobsmedia.com.