Here’s what I heard: 

One host interviewed a woman who had had to evacuate. The call even had some humor – she had forgotten her husband’s toiletries bag and her daughter’s favorite stuffed animal. It was a human perspective before they got into the “numbers” – acreage, number of structures lost, wind speed, etc. Was it a fake caller? It might well have been.

Another host intro’ed his break with a warm handshake. “Thanks for spending time with us. I hope you’re finding comfort listening to us this morning…” Then they did news and he closed the break teasing the 8 a.m. press conference, promoting their sister station for real time news updates. His out was, “Be careful out there, we’ll be here for you.”  

This same host’s next break went right into a call with a listener who had been sent home from work because the power was out. She described the scene outside and commented on never seeing anything like it in her whole life in LA. He then promoted his Instagram account for a photo from the station’s balcony, and invited listeners to tag the morning show on their fire-related pictures, so “…we can move it out to a larger audience!” 

Entertainment reports were hit and miss. One was focused solely on the fires, staying on brand without being tone-deaf– James Woods’ home destroyed; Steve Guttenberg’s efforts to help neighbors evacuate; Los Angeles Kings’ hockey game canceled, etc. By contrast, another station’s report discussed a new TV series based on the Shia LaBoeuf movie, Holes. 

A few notes for your emergency plan: 

Does your emergency plan remind hosts to contact the PD immediately to discuss protocol? Every disaster or tragic news story is unique.

Does your emergency plan include previewing imaging pieces? One show ran a few imaging pieces “[Name of show!] I love it!” that felt out of sync with the mood of the city. Imaging doesn’t have to be morose, but should be neutral during serious moments. 

Does your emergency plan include canceling all pre-scheduled social posts? Where other stations were posting pictures, school closings and go-bag checklists, one station ran a snarky prescheduled Instagram post unrelated to the fire.

Does your emergency plan include reviewing the liner schedule? One show ran a liner for a contest happening tomorrow morning. As apocalyptic as Los Angeles felt, it sounded odd to be promoting something without connecting it to the news cycle, like “This is a crazy day… we’ve got some relief for you tomorrow morning at 8 with…” 

Could syndicated shows go local only or have more local breaks on days like today? One syndicated show, while local as much as they could be, sounded grossly out of touch during national content segments. 

Does your emergency plan include reviewing the music log? I didn’t hear any misfires in this area, but at times, there are particular songs that are not appropriate for certain news stories. In addition, because music is so connective and powerful, there may be a song or two that is not on the log that would sound perfect in the mix. 

Two final thoughts: 

The biggest challenge for media people is living your life on two levels. The news is shocking and you are worried for your family and home. AND, you’re also thinking about what your audience needs and what they expect from your brand. Remember, whenever they turn on the radio, they’re hiring you to do a job. They come to you for a reason. 

Secondly, someone once said “90% of radio is keeping people company, but 10% is keeping people safe.” When news is breaking, be intentional about what you’re offering –  how much information your audience needs to be safe, and how you can keep them company.

Whatever you do, don’t do business as usual.

The post Greetings From The Apocalypse first appeared on CMB.

The post Greetings From The Apocalypse appeared first on CMB.

This is unsustainable. 

Or is it? I write about showing up. So what I’m pondering this week is:  How can I help people show up for a busy, high-pressure day in a way that keeps them from burning out? 

Facts about humans and energy: 

• You have finite time, and also finite energy 
• Multi-tasking is a myth
• Giving 100% effort is almost always less effective than giving a solid 85%

So we all need to protect the energy stores we have. What does that look like? 

• Take big breaks. Those vacation days won’t take themselves.
• Take small breaks. Schedule fun things to look forward to. Cat nap. Step outside.
• Take a break before you hit your limit. 

AND, it’s time to reevaluate how we measure the quality of our work given your new workload. 

• For everyone, do A+ work on the stuff that matters. B+ everything else. 
• For perfectionists: I used to be you. Remember, your B+ is other people’s A+. When it’s good enough, move on.
• For imposter syndromers: I see you too. Doubt slows you down. Be decisive and move on. 
• Shore up your weaknesses. Where you feel you need more expertise, find a mentor.

Plot twist: Have you ever felt too tired to do something fun, but then you go and are glad you did? We might think doing nothing when we get home is just what we need. And that can be true. AND, if you add into your life something you are passionate about – a hobby, passion, philanthropy – you will find that have more energy. 

Jumping between projects, emails, texts, alerts turns your brain to mush. This may be next to impossible in our business. Look for small ways to reduce distraction. 

• Decide first thing what the important, impactful items on your to-do list are. Do those. 
• Don’t send an email when you can go talk to the person. 
• Do email in batches when your brain needs a break from more focused work. 
• Hot Take from my husband, VP/Programming Chris Ebbott: If it’s not important, ignore it.
• Turn off unnecessary notifications on your phone. 
• Reduce unnecessary phone use in meetings. 

Consider these adjustments in your office culture: 

• Science has proven that back-to-back meetings fry your brain. Build in a 10-minute buffer. Bonus points for fresh air or a short walk.

Ask for help fiercely protecting productive time windows. Is a sales meeting you’re required to attend scheduled when you meet with your morning show? Is a staff meeting scheduled during crucial show-prep time?

The post How to Thrive in Radio Without Burning Out first appeared on CMB.

The post How to Thrive in Radio Without Burning Out appeared first on CMB.

After a short term replacement, KROQ put together a new team, Klein & Ally. 

As a coach, I wanted to give them a chance, but as a listener, I was going through my own stages of morning show transition grief. 

1. Anger: I can’t listen to the new show. I’m still mad at how the company handled the departure. 
2. Frustration: I miss my routine. I try the new show but I don’t like the new lead. I find him too cynical, too east-coast sounding. I don’t know the cohost. So I never listen for long. 
3. Bargaining: Hmm, I kind of like their ADD News, a conversational update on local and pop culture news. The segment is timely, local and at times, funny. And I start to feel that they are SoCal people. When I hear this bit is coming up next, I don’t change the station.  
4. Acceptance: Last week, they are giving away Killers tickets with a contest called “Mr. Brightside.” The team surprises Klein with the idea. He has to be positive (Mr. Brightside) about everything. As soon as he says anything negative, the first caller gets the tickets.

A light bulb goes off for me. Klein knows he’s negative yet he’s in balance with the other players who make fun of him for being jaded. Each player tries to break him, by playing country music, etc. but he stays positive (which sounds weird). It’s only when Ally tells a long story about her musical theater middle school experience that he finally snaps. It was laugh-out-loud funny. 

The listener texts that immediately came in demonstrate that they are also in on the joke. They feel his pain; they tease him; they tease Ally. The volume and organic tone of the texts made me think they were real, not made up. 

5. Affinity: I finally get the show. I like them. I know them better and stick around not just for content but also for personal stories and conversations. I know Klein is married with two young daughters who are often on the show. Ally is a cheapskate. Vanessa, the phone screener, once worked for NASA.

This is how connection is built, one day at a time, one segment at a time, with consistently well prepped shows and clear characters. Not overnight but eventually. The process takes patience from higher-ups and white knuckles from the team itself to hold on. 

If you’re a new show, lean on interesting and engaging information that is relevant to your audience while staying on brand for your style of humor. They will come to know you by your opinions on topical stories. And be clear on your character definition so listeners can “get” you. Be true to who you are. Embrace your flaws and most importantly, be able to laugh at yourself. 

Keep showing up!

The post The Evolution of a Show P1 first appeared on CMB.

The post The Evolution of a Show P1 appeared first on CMB.

Here’s what you can do:

Drop any vocabulary or phrasing that is not natural for you. This includes radio crutches like “coming up next hour…” Hot take: I’d throw “family four-pack” in there as well. 

If your friends say “You sound different on the radio” you’re putting on a voice or character. An upbeat, conversational delivery works best for most formats. 

Paraphrase any story or liner into your voice. Use bullet points rather than full sentences so that you hold eye contact with the listener. 

Support station initiatives through the lens of “What’s in it for the listener?”  Replace “I” and “we” with “you.” e.g. “Another chance for you to get rid of that Christmas debt…” is better than “We’ll be paying someone’s bills in 20 minutes…” 

Give yourself ample time to prep your show. If people listen to your show for an hour, will they know what market you’re in or what day it is? Be as local / topical as possible, throughout the show.

If there’s a big topic for the format, hit your “A” content with a fresh angle two or even three times. If your team made the playoffs, no one will complain that you’re talking about it too much.  

Map out hours to have a consistent balance between station content, music content (for contemporary stations) and the topical/local/organic content that you want to talk about. 

Define your character by getting crystal clear on the 1-2 things that make you, you. Are you a pop culture fanatic? The overworked mom? As you approach content, use your character definition to find your angle. 

If you’re talking about the same pop culture story the morning show hit every hour, you have to tell them something they don’t know or offer a new perspective. Use your character, and the internet, to dig deeper. 

Use callers to talk about contests and topical content. Call texters back, mine contest players for reaction on other topics and get some ringers. Caveat: Avoid phone topics outside of morning drive. A scheduled feature – Two o’clock text-off / Tuesday text poll – work to generate interaction within the constraints of the more-music format. 

Shorter breaks means you have to make every word count.

Never throw away an opportunity to connect. Say hi to a listener, root for your home team, tease content or front-sell music in a creative way to add content to even the shortest talk segment. 

Put yourself into your show, not every break but at least hourly. Start with “If you’re like me and can’t wait for the Winter Olympics,…” Add an aside to the middle, “Breaking news on the Olympics front from Beijing – my personal favorite is the snowboarding!  – …” or at the end as the payoff…[story in two lines]…I tear up during the Olympics commercials! Help me!” In just a few seconds, we get a human presence. 

What are your listeners doing? Ask every caller. Not everyone is at their desk. Some may be headed to the gym, working as an Uber driver, taking a kid to soccer practice. Knowing what people are doing will help you tailor your message.

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The post How To Bring Middays To Life first appeared on CMB.

The post How To Bring Middays To Life appeared first on CMB.