Charity Remote Checklist
If you are heading out of the studio to broadcast a radiothon for St. Jude, your local charity, or at a theme park, consider this checklist as you pack your headphones.
1. Plan more. If you spend two hours a day planning a show in the studio, plan to spend four for an on-location show. If you’re at a theme park, you can send your producer down a water slide or broadcast from a ride. But pulling off that sort of content successfully means more planning to set up and execute.
2. Get an audience. Set up in a location where there will be people around. Hearing the audience’s response and the sound of activity adds a dimension of dynamics and ambiance to your show for listeners.
3. Multiple mics are a must. If you have a three-person cast, have four mics on location, so there’s one for guests. Sharing a mic can work, but it dramatically changes the dynamic of your chemistry and conversation.
4. Do the regular show, but better. Carefully plan emotional segments and slot benchmarks for fun or comedic relief. Schedule all the regular features and play interactive games with people live instead of on the phone.
5. Generate stories. Stories are the lifeblood to stimulate giving on radiothons. You can talk about what the charity does for kids or adults all day, but patients’ backstories and healing stories move the needle.
• Neuroscience states that vulnerability triggers oxytocin, the bonding and love hormone associated with trust, empathy, and emotional connection. Getting emotional stories of kids, patients, family, and care providers must be core to your content.
• As a talent, take opportunities to be vulnerable, and you’ll deepen your relationship with listeners.
6. Go short on information and long on stories. Recorded sponsorships can cover much information about the organization with minimal information from talent. Do tell stories about the fun things to do if you’re at a theme park.
7. Record and edit all interviews. Before the interview, let guests and people from the organization know that your show records and edit interviews for maximum impact on air.
8. Add audio and video to the show. Move around the facility to record audio and video on your phone. Let listeners hear the cacophony of activity at your event. Post video throughout the broadcast and save audio for upcoming shows.
9. Be chill with technical problems. Know in advance that things quickly go wrong on remote broadcasts. Insist that it gets fixed, of course, but stay calm. Your freak-out won’t help fix it and may hurt the show’s vibe. And that leads us to the tenth point…
10. Be real, be present, and have fun (at the appropriate time).
Photo by Katt Yukawa on Unsplash
