Where Are Your Pants?

Getting experience in radio includes the good with bad. A lot of the bad comes from a lack of common sense, no life experience, poor judgement, or a lack of radio IQ. You can't' learn everything by sitting in meetings; some things you have to learn through experience. Radio, as in life, is a series of moments where everything is not black and white.

Too Hot ...

To illustrate my point, one of my favorite stories involves authorized guests. It was a hot summer Saturday morning, made even hotter because the station's air conditioning was out. It broke down the previous night during my 6-10p shift. It was uncomfortably warm when I got off the air. I had a headache and was sweating so much that there was no way I could do my assigned production. The good news: None of it started until Monday morning. I called the production director to let him know the situation and he said, "Fine ... as long as you get it done."

"Where Are Your Clothes?"

I got to the station around 9a the next morning and the station was like a hothouse. Before I headed to the production room, I went to the studio to see if my fellow air talent had any news on the status of the broken air conditioner. I opened the studio door and there he was, sitting in the chair stripped down to his underwear with a hand fan aimed strategically. I just started laughing and so did he. Then as we both settled down, the studio door swung open and there was the GM with his daughter and several members of her Girl Scout troop in shock at the sight of a grown man sitting in his underwear, but he did have his headphones around his neck and shoes on. No one said a word until the air talent said, "Hi ladies, is this your first time at a radio station?"

Always Check ...

The GM quickly regrouped, closed the door, and in less than five minutes came back to the studio; we thought for sure he was going to lose it. Instead, he apologized and explained he had promised his daughter and some of her troop a tour of the station. He then said he understood the situation and could not believe how hot it was. He wanted to know how long the air conditioning had been out. I told him it happened last night while I was on and that I had called the engineers to let them know. Before he left the studio, he got a big smile and said, "The next time I come on a weekend, I'll call the hotline first before heading up."

The Lesson ...

Although it's one of my funnier moments in radio, it also taught me to think about visitors and all that could happen -- funny, good, or bad. If you have a legitimate reason for a guest, get approval in advance for their visit. Also, double down! Warn folks ahead of time in the various departments -- especially the after-business hours people. You wouldn't want your guest to experience what those young ladies did in my story. Always keep in mind: A radio station is a place of business and in the current legal and social climate, be aware of the potential consequences for unauthorized guests.

Avoid Unauthorized Studio Visitors Because:

• It's distracting; you've got a show to do.
• If something goes missing, it could trace back to you.
• An underage guest could lead to legal issues from accusations.
• Other air personnel might be at risk from those with dubious agendas.
• Equipment damage; a spilled Coke or coffee could do serious damage
• Something inadvertently could be said over a live mic.
• A well-wishing fan might be a spy from another radio company on a mission.
• That cute girl or good-looking guy might be a stalker.