I was reading the Citadel thread and although tempted, thought best to stay away from it. For some reason however, that thread inspired thoughts about better times: Like when there was a live jock who followed you. You might even have the liberty to do a short cross-over. Not necessarily one of those classic "Danny and Joey Crossovers" (the stuff any self-respecting jock or wannabee looked forward to hearing) but a "whatayougonna play tonight" type of thing. Short and purposeful. These days you hand off to Mr. AudioVault, Johnny Prophet or (as some of us 'affectionately' called him) Mr. Scott. If you were a morning guy, as you drove in the all-night jock was doing his/her best 'final hour warm-up' (and you listened to him/her) to either impress you (hoping you were late so he/she could do a few live breaks in AM drive) or just trying to show you that he/she was on his/her game after five or six hours of the all night show, ready to do middays or PM drive if the slot ever opened-up. If you were the all night jock, you hung out, hoping maybe you'd get a chance to contribute to the first few breaks of the morning show... maybe you wrote some bits or recorded a few character-voice wild tracks. For the morning guy/team, the coffee was freshly brewed, the morning paper was ready to go, your carts were pulled and your headphones were on the counter, all set up. Okay, "20** update," if you were the morning guy your drop-in page was set up on the automation screen, your show-prep web page was up and you were logged onto the traffic website. These days, the morning guy at most medium and some major market FMs walks into a studio that more resembles a kilowatt daytimer in Penn Yann: Lights off, monitors down, studio empty. Crickets. The only procedure that's missing is pressing the "Plate On" button and firing the sign on cart, GF (Grey Fidelipac.) No need to chastise me. It's 2010 and like so many here, I'm fully aware of the times, state of the craft, the business and the economy (why not just one broadcasting company, AM-FM-TV-satellite-Internet-flash drive.) Just thought I'd freshen things up a bit. Savor the day!
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Show Prep 2010
- Thread starter JustPastBuffalo
- Start date
;D
nuff said
That's all
nuff said
That's all
You said it Jim, last station I worked for was in market #25 100KW blow torch FM A/C and most of the weekend not a soul in the studio, auto pilot all the way, request lines busied out.
After I left I hear they went to 6 hour airshifts in all dayparts, even morning drive. Overnights still get ignored just Otto Mation doing his thing. I hear it was because the Auto-Vault kept messing up!
...and so it goes 3 jocks waiting for their 90 seconds of allowed talk, each hour, mostly weather and PSA's oh and check out website!
After I left I hear they went to 6 hour airshifts in all dayparts, even morning drive. Overnights still get ignored just Otto Mation doing his thing. I hear it was because the Auto-Vault kept messing up!
...and so it goes 3 jocks waiting for their 90 seconds of allowed talk, each hour, mostly weather and PSA's oh and check out website!
I see the same thing on TV with the local newscasters. They have no idea what preceded them or what's coming up next. Context, people, context! Get in the game! They make it sound like the only thing people tune in for is their newscast, then the station shuts down and goes to sleep. That's bad programming. At the end of the late news, they just promo the 5AM news. As if people up at 11:30 will wake up at 5AM to watch the news. At least Jay Leno tapes a promo for affiliates to run during the 11 PM news. If it wasn't for that, we'd have no idea what's coming up. Maybe that's what's needed for radio. Programming CAN be integrated if people make the effort. Say what you will about the web page, but the ones I see are better integrated than the air signal, because the person doing the page makes the effort to put it all together. Sure it was easier when they were all in the same building. Those days are gone, just as they're gone for TV. So let's not forget basic programming just because it's not all in front of us.
I always remember that scene in American Graffiti, where the teenagers go to the radio station hoping to talk to the DJ. They go to a cinderblock shack in the middle of nowhere, and have no idea they're talking to Wolfman Jack. Because they imagined something different. The listeners don't know or care that the building is empty most of the day. They only know what they hear. If there IS live & local talent, they need to hear the station from the listeners point of view. That's what I mean by "get in the game."
I always remember that scene in American Graffiti, where the teenagers go to the radio station hoping to talk to the DJ. They go to a cinderblock shack in the middle of nowhere, and have no idea they're talking to Wolfman Jack. Because they imagined something different. The listeners don't know or care that the building is empty most of the day. They only know what they hear. If there IS live & local talent, they need to hear the station from the listeners point of view. That's what I mean by "get in the game."
Pretty hard to "get in the game" when, as Mike Sheridan says, you get "90 seconds of allowed talk, each hour, mostly weather and PSA's oh and check out website!"
I'm not looking for "Wolfman Jack" type access to the airwaves, but more live talkovers, fewer pre-produced liners, and some "unscripted" breaks would help immensely.
I'm not looking for "Wolfman Jack" type access to the airwaves, but more live talkovers, fewer pre-produced liners, and some "unscripted" breaks would help immensely.
If the website has constantly updated, interesting posts from all live dayparts (and ours does), recycling - and driving web traffic - becomes easier. Talent should be familiar enough with site content that they can relate it to the listener in an entertaining way. All web posts should drive people back to the on-air product.
What I appreciate about the current age of radio is the ability to get up in the morning, wander over to my computer and get my show prep before breakfast. With a few clicks I can download it, edit it and be familiar with what I'll be doing without taking two hours at the station to do so. Plus I'm not paying anywhere from $10 - $100/month for snail-mailed prep that may or may not have any relevance to our listeners.
What I appreciate about the current age of radio is the ability to get up in the morning, wander over to my computer and get my show prep before breakfast. With a few clicks I can download it, edit it and be familiar with what I'll be doing without taking two hours at the station to do so. Plus I'm not paying anywhere from $10 - $100/month for snail-mailed prep that may or may not have any relevance to our listeners.
OH...this thread was going in such a POSITIVE direction. There was alot to digest. And then this:
I can say I do the same thing...so your SPECIAL how? Now...I can also say your listeners do the same thing, so your SPECIAL how?
(oh how I dislike being the devil's advocate, but some might say I've survived because of it ???)
That probably won't be all....
HDBG
(Disclaimer: By 8:00am I know everything you're gonna tell me as a listener)
I can say I do the same thing...so your SPECIAL how? Now...I can also say your listeners do the same thing, so your SPECIAL how?
(oh how I dislike being the devil's advocate, but some might say I've survived because of it ???)
That probably won't be all....
HDBG
(Disclaimer: By 8:00am I know everything you're gonna tell me as a listener)
heydaybegone said:
1Maybe not.
What the hell, I'll take the bait. There's a big difference between a guy who has all the tools and the professional who has the same tools and knows how to properly apply and use them. (You can buy a basin wrench at Valu, ah, but can you properly use it, grasshopper?) So, it's all about packaging the information, relating it to your target listener and getting them to be "part of the show."
Easier said than done, to be sure. But this is where a good (live, local) air personality makes all the difference. The difference between scheduling/playing a bumper like, "The Legends of Motown... Lazer Woosh... Marvin Gaye" into Can I Get A Witness; and hearing the song set up by a talent employing a creative, informative, compelling frontsell and/or backsell, or a tightly edited phoner from a listener.
Same with information. If you're just spewing, you will get beat by 8 a.m. by Google News, Drudge, Huffington, The Buffalo News, The Onion, ObscureStore, Channel 2, 4 or 7, CNN, Morning Joe or any number of websites. And even if you do get beat, the difference is how the information is packaged (or re-packaged), how you as an air talent, involve the local listener. There will be other interpretations and opinions. If nothing else HDBG, you've stirred the pot... in a good way, I hope.
Touche' Jim..... (and I expected anything less ;D)
Hook, line & sinker (must have been good bait!!)
Thanks for the detailed back up!! Now my follow-up :
)
As far as stirring the pot...always in a good way...unless it's not.
HDBG
Hook, line & sinker (must have been good bait!!)
Thanks for the detailed back up!! Now my follow-up :
Show me the talent!! Somewhere in the past couple of decades...the genes became extinct. Those that can do it are...and those that think they can do it, continue to think they are doing it. (Viagra has LESS problems after 4 hours........oops
)As far as stirring the pot...always in a good way...unless it's not.
HDBG
JimPastrick said:
Excellent points all Jim. And I'll take the challenge HDBG:
People are tuning in and out all thru the day. And I think it's a good bet most of them haven't taken the time to catch up on the latest news about their favorite artists (I'm in Country where P1s are always interested in hearing the latest poop about the music and stars). And even if they have, they haven't heard my spin on it. Or they haven't heard the audio of the artist talking about it. As far as "watercooler" stuff goes, a lot of the time it's stuff they've already heard but again, I'm putting my spin on it, or maybe discussing it with a listener in a well-edited phoner over an intro.
Show ya the talent? Actually, coming thru Buffalo last Sunday afternoon my wife and I were surprised to hear what sounded like a live human being on 'YRK. A 40 or 50-something gentleman, he got a little wordy at times (like my PD's never accused me of that before!) but I found him personable and relatable, plus he knew the music and showed interest in it. Most importantly, it sounded like he was riding along with us, talking to us instead of reading liner cards. We had him on from LeRoy to just east of Erie when 'YRK faded out for good. Around the Ripley tool booths, my wife mentioned what a pleasant surprise it was to hear someone like this guy (who never gave his name afaik) on a Sunday afternoon.
TheBigA said:
A you don't get it, they don't want it, no ad libs no interesting/informative takes, just read the card as written and get the music on. All the while the insipid produced imaging sells you on the benefits of listening to the station in a very unentertaining way. I think they got more airtime then the live jock.
chas108 said:
Nice to hear this is going on somewhere!
TheBigA said:
Which may be the reason that WYRK is kickin' ass and takin' names, while several other stations are languishing. Those of us in the market know who they are.
I'm creating rain...and there's a parade...go figure
Is there such a "personality" in existence? Those that can "do it" are gainfully employed (recognized talent-having fun), while the other wanna-be's continue cue-carding and calling themselves personalities. (nope..not naming names!! sorry!!)
The sun will come out tomorrow....... ;D
That's all
HDBG
PS - I'm not disputing the "corporate" dictation of format here...mearly re-iterating that it is a lost art (covered on several other threads)
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