by Jay Trachman
The Fresno Bee ran a short feature by a woman who says she’s adopted “the five basic writing rules of the news journalist” in her marriage. I thought it was clever the way she interpreted these rules, and it inspired me to do the same for us air-talents. So, here’s her writing, with my interpretations…
“Accept WHO we are (respect the spouse’s own identity).” Who are we, the air talents? Not “stars,” not voices from Olympus, not the center of our listener’s lives. We’re friends and neighbors, and fairly ordinary people who just have a flair for reading out loud, and — with any luck — for observing the world and Sharing our responses to it with others.
“Accept WHAT we are (respect the spouse’s environment and heredity).” What we are is a business. Our product is not really music, information and personality, even though we like to think of it that way. No, our product is “ears” — listeners’ ears — which our sales people can take and sell to clients. Our environment is the businessman’s environment: we’re here to make a profit. Anything you or I do which increases that profit is good. Anything we do that hinders it or shrinks it is bad.
Because we think of ourselves as performers, yet we work in a business environment, sometimes our artistic goals clash with the station’s business goals. We have to play commercials voiced by clients pitching their own products, who don’t belong on the air. The boss probably knows it, too — but how much do we really hurt the programming by slipping a few in there, which mean substantial amounts of extra revenue for the station? We also have to play songs we hate — because the research shows that’s what our listeners want to hear… And show up at remotes when we’d rather be doing other things — because that’s one more tool the sales people have for landing clients. (Naturally, talent should always be paid extra for personal appearances.)
I suspect most owners and managers would love nothing more than to turn us each loose and let us do our thing, happily and individually. However, history shows that in order to garner the greatest number of ears to sell, talent has to be harnessed and molded to a set pattern. It’s nothing personal — it’s just a means of insuring that this business we work for will be profitable.
“Accept WHEN we are (respect the spouse’s ‘ups’ and ‘downs’ and try to meet his or her needs).” For radio, I’ll offer a completely different interpretation… Unlike newspapers, magazines, movies or videos, radio exists only in the present. Matter of fact, this innate characteristic of our medium can also be one of our greatest strengths. Sadly, we ignore it all too often.
Ask yourself: what happened on my show today that could not have occurred any other day? “News, weather, sports, traffic,” you say. Yes — all informational features. But what was there to put you and your relationship with the listener in the “here & now?” “I commented on the weather,” you say. Well and good. So does everybody else. Did you do anything that linked you to the present that all the other jocks in town aren’t doing? Did you respond to any items in today’s local news? Did you mention any events that are going on in town today? Did you relate something you saw on the way to work today? WHEN we are is “right now.” When you reflect your awareness of that, you enhance your image as a friend and neighbor.
“Accept WHERE we are (respect efforts of the spouse in building a mature, loving relationship).” Again, I’ll re-interpret. Where we are is in our community, and the same test applies as for “When.” What did you say today, other than informational items, that ties your show to the “neighborhood” you serve?
“Accept WHY we are (respect and love each other regardless of what makes the other tick).” Here’s why we are: to keep people from feeling “alone.” To provide a low level of stimulation — be it music, chatter or information — that makes a listener feel like he or she is hooked into something, and ideally, with someone. We are not there to entertain — although that’s certainly one of our functions. We’re not there to inform — although we’re expected to do that, too. We’re there to create the illusion that the listener is not alone, while he or she is doing something else. We’re companions; we’re friends; we’re a buzz in the background.
What we almost never are is a center of attention. That should shape our attitudes when we do content, commercials or anything else. Most people aren’t paying close attention. If we’re doing a rap, it needs to be brief and appealing to the emotions of the listener — and even then, many won’t hear it.
Like a good spouse, our principal role is support, not domination. People come to us when they need the things we offer, and blend us into the background when they don’t. What are you offering to your listener, that he or she needs and will respond to, today?
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.
