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A Morning Show Refresher ...
July 16, 2019
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. I've heard some in our industry talk about morning personalities needing to be authentic or the audience will know otherwise. That's true, but don't get twisted over what authentic means for an air talent. Authenticity is whatever can be consistently sold to the audience to make them believe it's who the personality is. Your authentic self is the character you've created or for some, it might really be them. Great actors never get enough credit, you hear people say, "that actor or actress is not acting, they are playing themselves" - bravo, that's a great actor/actress-and that's what a radio personality should strive for. Radio is still theater of the mind
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I have programmed or worked with numerous morning shows over the years -- inherited a crew, reassembled, and assembled a cast. Over time syndication and voicetracking has led to the erosion of many local morning shows. I'm happy to see more opportunities for local shows beginning to creep back into various formats.
Slight Hiccup ...
The one problem I have noticed is that because of syndication, there's been a generation of programmers who have not been a part of a morning/entertainment show or worked with one. This is not a knock at syndication or voicetracking, just the realities of our industry. I do not see a time where we revert to the days of numerous local morning shows; I'm just saying it's nice to see the playing field opening a bit. For those finding their way or rediscovering working with a morning show, I thought I should go over a few things.
All for One & One for All ...
Programing and advising a radio ensemble team requires patience, attention to detail, and focus on the big picture. A lot of work goes into creating and maintaining a cast of personalities to share the microphone. It takes a coordinated effort by show members to make the finished product sound natural and in sync. On the air, one family ... off the air, roles and lanes should be established.
The Magic Number ...
The number of personalities on a show should never exceed three, but there is always room for occasional role players. The trick is to realize all talk breaks don't need each cast member to talk; it's a team effort and at the end of the day, the show gets the credit. However, it's customary to have the anchor of the cast involved with every talk segment with all others playing off that person. As a show evolves. there can be variations of who does what and where in every talk segment.
Team Effort ...
The best advice I ever heard for coaching a morning show/ensemble entertainment show didn't come from radio. It came from basketball Zen Master Phil Jackson. A major portion of his team philosophy came from assistant Tex Winter's triangle offense strategy.
Jackson, "The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team." He addressed the Triangle offense, "What attracted me to it was the way it empowers players and offers each a vital role to play as well as a high level of creativity within a clear well-defined structure. For it to work, all five players must be fully engaged every second or the system will fail." That thought process speaks to the needs of radio morning/entertainment ensembles.
On Lead ...
The key to any ensemble show is the group leader who is given the responsibility to keep the team on track in the studio. Sometimes that person is the lead host/anchor of the show or a producer. The person must be objective and be the final word for what goes out over the airwaves. Backseat driving in advance or after a show should be handled by the boss during critique sessions; this could be the OM, PD, VP/Programming, Brand Manager, Format Captain, consultant or coach.
Execution of the Plan ...
As I mentioned, everyone must be on the same page; the host/anchor, the cast and the producer, and/or board op; sometimes the producer and board operator are one in the same. Much like swimmers, members of the ensemble should stay in their respective lanes to prevent verbal rambling; there is plenty of room to contribute.
Effective Talk ...
Brevity is the key. The crew should talk just long enough to get the point across. It is all about holding the attention of the listener. It's never about the number of words used, it's how well a group effort can communicate to convey a message and be compelling
On Air Presentation ...
The mornings should consist of funny, serious, personal and general observations. Everything doesn't have to be funny, but needs to be fun, informative or a combination of the two. The ensemble cast should consist of talents with the ability to display believability, realism, passion, and a connection with the listener. The goal is to wake people up and not sound like the cast is just waking up
What I Believe to Be Authentic ...
I've heard some in our industry talk about morning personalities needing to be authentic or the audience will know otherwise. That's true, but don't get twisted over what authentic means for an air talent. Authenticity is whatever can be consistently sold to the audience to make them believe it's who the personality is. Your authentic self is the character you've created or for some, it might really be them. Great actors never get enough credit, you hear people say, "that actor or actress is not acting, they are playing themselves" - bravo, that's a great actor/actress-and that's what a radio personality should strive for. Radio is still theater of the mind.
Show Prep ...
The cast needs to be in 24-hour observation mode. They need to be plugged into the audience and their lifestyles. The cast should get out and observe listeners in their natural habitats; barbershops, grocery stores, family-style restaurants, fast-food chains, schools, events, courthouses, parks, mini-service stations, malls, churches, soccer games, libraries, book stores, little league baseball games, and anywhere else the listening audience can be observed. Have them listen to what people talk about and read social media and newspapers on and off-line.
Show prep services are useful but are generalized and can't give you the edge needed to be compelling. In today's 15 second news and entertainment cycles, listeners have been exposed to the latest happenings before the morning show starts. The trick is the spin you put on everything. You can do this either within your ensemble or use phone callers and social media for the audiences take on things. Preparation is the difference between relating to the audience and being out of touch.
Moment To Moment ...
Radio is moment to moment (especially mornings), each talk set is a new experience for an incoming audience. It's an opportunity to holdover listeners in real time from the previous moment. There should be a set plan on how to execute each time before a talk set. It's no different than being in a football huddle announcing the next play. Know what is going to be said and by whom, with practice, your cast will be able to sound unrehearsed and natural. I'm not saying everything needs to be rehearsed, but it at least should be outlined. The best ad-libs are sometimes rehearsed.
Guests ...
Interviews are a feel factor; someone in the ensemble needs to be given the responsibility of giving the sign when to wrap up a short-form interview (two to three minutes). The best-case scenario for an interview is when you can divide it up into shorter segments and spread it out over several talk sets; a great way to hold over the audience. If the guest is in studio and things are going well, keep them there a little longer and work them into whatever is planned for that
morning.The Wow ...
The show's lead anchor or producer is vital to the success of executing the "Wow Factor" in every talk set segment of a morning/entertainment show. The "Wow Factor" can be applied to funny or serious; it's deciding when a segment/moment has reached a crescendo and it is time to move on to something else. It's important the boss gives a clear vision for the direction of the show; it makes it easier for the assembled cast and the producer to know their roles and what lane to stay in to create those "Wow" moments.
Making Content Only Work ...
For those without the resources or background to build a local morning/entertainment show, there are some nationally syndicated shows offering "content only." It allows stations to edit in their music playlist geared to their local target audience. Check with your syndicator to see if the shows you would like to air offer "content only" versions.
Morning/Entertainment Show Suggestions:
- Let the listeners in on the personal lives of the crew
- Reflect the lifestyle of the target audience
- Conduct interviews with timely and timeless guests
- Learn to present content without fluffy or inside humor
- Talk to the audience and not at them
- Stay in perspective character lanes\
- If you are a music station, talk about the music
- Always let the listener know the artist and title of songs
- Have fun and never take yourself too seriously
- Over-prep and observe life 24 hours a day
The Boss ...
If you can get a morning/entertainment cast to lay aside egos, take direction and stay focused, the outcome will produce ratings and profit. Dealing with the morning/entertainment cast daily is a column all by itself, I'll save that for a future column.
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