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Creating A Cast For A Show ...
April 5, 2022
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The first commercial job I took after college, was in Amarillo, TX. I was low man on the totem pole among a cast of characters that included a full-time air talent/part-time fireman, a tobacco chewing morning personality who used the studio trash can as a spittoon, a PM-drive guy who wore surgical gloves to do production, and a part-time talent/full-time funeral home embalmer. Experiences like that have led me to a lifetime of learning about and working with air talent.
Good News …
I'm happy to see more opportunities for local shows beginning to creep back into various formats. 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.Team Concept ...
The best advice I ever heard for coaching a morning show/entertainment ensemble came from former NBA basketball coach Phil Jackson. I think his 11 championship rings as a coach qualifies him as an authority on building team chemistry.Jackson said, "The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team. What attracted me to the Triangle Offense was the way it empowers players and offers each a vital role to play as well at 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 same thought process speaks to the needs of radio morning/entertainment ensembles.
What It Takes ...
Programing and advising a radio or any audio platform 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. The on-air roles and lanes for each team member need to be established. The listener or viewer should witness one big happy family.My Two Cents ...
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 when all is said and done, the show gets the credit. The only team member that needs to be involved in each talk set is the designated show anchor. As a show evolves. there can be variations of who does what and where in every talk segment.Three Necessary Qualities:
- Connection -You want people who connect with the target audience.
- Authenticity -Talents who can sell the character they portray on and off the air.
- Social Media & Digital Savvy -You need a multi-media talent or talents that can help with the other platforms the station uses to reach an audience.
The Constant Grind ...
A sports reporter once asked Major League Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Greg Maddox, "How do you repeat your mechanics?" Maddox told him, "I throw a lot." Just like in sports, it takes lots of practice for an entertainment ensemble on radio, or any audio platform, to do well. -
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