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Bah Hum-Bird, The Turkeys Are Here ...
November 22, 2022
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Being an air personality or programmer requires constant observation. It's easy to get caught up in a radio bubble and lose touch with reality. Getting out among people will keep you grounded. The holidays are one of the best times to do so.
My Form of Relaxing …
Those on-air hours for air personalities are like meditation during the holidays. There are few if any office staff; just you, the mic and the listeners. The perfect time to relax and maybe even get creative. There was a bit I once did on the evening before Thanksgiving Day that stretched out over my four-hour shift. The premise was turkeys organizing and disguising themselves as non-turkeys trying to escape the last-minute gobble shoppers.I Got Permission...
After I explained what I wanted to do on-air, my PD told me to go for it. His instructions were no talk-set longer than 30 seconds, have fun, and be word efficient. I went in one of the production rooms and recorded my character, Mr. Tom Tur-Kay, a spokesperson who occasionally dropped in a gobble between words. A turkey disguised as a nervous human who jumped at loud noises, especially anything sounding like a gunshot.Gobbled It Up ...
Ah, theater of the mind. As soon as I got on air and started the bit, I got calls from parents whose young children seemed to understand it was a turkey trying to avoid the carving knife. It unexpectedly turned into a family event. The parents would put their little ones on the phone who would then ask to talk to Mr. Tom Tur-Kay. I recorded Tom Tur-Kay and my voice on separate channels and edited the segments into a conversation between us. But with the kids I had to do the Tom Tur-Kay voice live over the phone. That was a twist that I hadn’t expected, but it was fun.Stay Grounded ...
I have never had the opportunity to repeat the Mr. Tom Tur-Kay bit ever again. However, the experience taught me that the holidays are a great time to get away from the station and interact with listeners. I'm talking about getting out and being a part of the crowd and not as an air personality.Holiday Mingling Opportunities:
- School events for family, friends, and neighbors; lots of holiday plays and activities
- Shopping malls are a good place to observe and hear things.
- Barber or beauty shops to hear what people are talking about.
- Check social media, or a local newspaper for holiday fairs and events.
- Take a part-time retail job and interact with the public.
- Go on a listening expedition at a Starbucks.
- Fast-food places and small restaurants are filled with people.
- Find a Local Nonprofit that needs volunteers during the holidays.
Back To Basics ...
Sometimes it’s just fun to be one of the guys. The holidays are the perfect time to engage your audience in a different way. So, go enjoy and just be. -
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