Blog

Last fall we wrote about the rising appeal of local content. The Jacobs Media Tech Survey revealed that local content’s appeal was increasing before Covid and continues to grow in 2021. Traditional tactics like identifying caller locations and trivia games like “Battle of the Burbs” and “Oregon vs. Washington” remain popular. But what are some new ways shows […]

Captivating storytelling is one of the most valuable skills you can develop to connect with an audience and advance your career. Stories are central to all forms of communication including movies, television series, podcasts, and radio shows. Think about all the competition for compelling stories on Netflix or Apple TV. Powerful stories command and hold […]

Randy Lane recently wrote about the one thing all great media presenters have in common: planning. Planning requires discipline, which is defined as “training oneself to do something in a controlled and habitual way.” That’s why Randy followed up his planning article with one on rituals. What helps a person develop rituals? A checklist. Some things are too important to rely […]

Why do we resist planning? The short answer: Because it requires work. Many shows see an idea in a prep service and just go with it. Recently, I had a coaching call with two shows in the same company and market. Both shows read the same top 10 list verbatim from a prep service. Copying an idea […]

What comes to mind when you think of the word ritual? According to Lucy Gower in “How Are Daily Rituals Different from Daily Routines?”:  Daily rituals are meaningful practices and are internally motivated. A daily ritual can provide energy and enjoyment along with efficiency and structure. A ritual is a carefully selected way of doing something that has a sense […]

Radio show producers have gone full circle. They were a luxury position in the ‘80s, a must-have in the early 2000s and back to a luxury position today. Even if you are in a big market, chances are you and your cohosts are producing the show. If you are fortunate, your producer doubles as the […]

There are some amazing personalities generating compelling radio and creating fans, but if you drive coast to coast you will find that they are the exception — at a time when FM needs to be on innovation steroids. In every challenging environment, there are opportunities. The key is understanding the situation and liberating your brainpower to […]

In a non-pandemic year, movie studios plan their blockbuster film releases for certain calendar dates. For example, the newest James Bond film No Time to Die was scheduled for November 2019, delayed to November 2020, and delayed again to late October. Why then? November is when more film fans are likely to buy tickets. Every November you […]

At the recent Morning Show Boot Camp in Chicago, one panel discussed how talent complaints are handled. Cumulus OM Atlanta and VP of Contemporary Programming, Louie Diaz shared that he screens many Bert Show complaints by responding to them himself. It was also pointed out that most complainers can be diffused by simply thanking them for their feedback. We […]

After interacting with people exclusively on Zoom or Teams for the past year, Morning Show Boot Camp in Chicago was a refreshing in-person experience. I moderated a session titled, The People and Stories Behind Some of Radios Greatest Shows.  Legendary consultant, Lee Abrams, stressed radio’s urgent need to get off auto-pilot and create a 360-degree experience. Air personalities must play [...]