6 Pieces of Bad Advice

By Andy Beaubien, BPR.

HERE IS SOME BAD ADVICE

An article in the magazine Psychology Today entitled “6 Pieces of Bad Advice We Give Our Kids” inspired our friend Fred Jacobs to suggest that we often give our on-air talent bad advice. I know that this may come as a shock but read on.

Here are the six mistakes that programmers should avoid when coaching the air staff:

What we tell moderators:

Limit your talk segments to :30. Don’t risk losing a listener.

What we should be telling them:

Talk as long as you’re more entertaining than the next song.

What we tell moderators:

Don’t talk about yourself.

What we should be telling them:

Use relatable, interesting life experiences to create content and build your brand.

What we tell moderators:

The ratings are inaccurate and are unreliable.

What we should be telling them:

I’ll show you how the ratings work, and how the measurement system impacts our station and your show.

What we tell moderators:

Read the script or liner card just the way it’s written.

What we should be telling them:

Here are the basic facts – find creative and relatable ways to communicate to them with entertainment value.

What we tell moderators:

We’re not playing that song – it’s a bomb.

What we should be telling them:

We conduct music research that’s a barometer of how our audience feels about songs. Here’s how the system works, so you understand why we play and why we don’t play songs.

What we say to moderators:

We’re doing it because corporate/the consultant/the new owners are making us do it.

What we should be telling them:

We’re doing it because our team worked together to carve out this strategy. Let’s give it a chance to work.

In other words, stop treating the air talent like children but rather as adult professionals. They may not yet be fully developed in the radio arts but you can help them to reach their goals and your goals as well.

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