Each break you do is an “egg”. But ALL the breaks during an hour (or your show as a whole) are an omelet.

The point is, this break should stand as a break, but it should also be part of some sense of what today is like. A mood, if nothing else.

If you’re just doing isolated breaks, there’s no “story” that day. To be great, your show should be an ongoing saga of your experiences with things that are also part of the listener’s life. Who wouldn’t rather have an omelet than just one tired little egg?

– – – – – – –
Tommy Kramer
Talent Coach
214-632-3090 (mobile)
e-mail: coachtommykramer@gmail.com
Member, Texas Radio Hall of Fame
© 2023 by Tommy Kramer. All rights reserved.

Imagine going to a fancy restaurant where the server is just perfect. He’s taking your order, but he’s also helping you with a little opinion, making sure you get the dressing you like on your salad…whatever.

And then all of a sudden, the floor show comes on, and he goes down and he’s the performer! He makes you laugh and do stuff, and he’s interesting. It’s the same guy.

That’s your job.
(In a team show, it’s easy. One’s the server; the other’s the performer. And those roles can switch.)

That’s what you are. Whether as a solo or part of a team, we need to serve the needs of the listener AND entertain him/her.

It’s really boring to hear shows where only one of those roles is present.

– – – – – – –
Tommy Kramer
Talent Coach
214-632-3090 (mobile)
e-mail: coachtommykramer@gmail.com
Member, Texas Radio Hall of Fame
© 2023 by Tommy Kramer. All rights reserved.

Recently, my brilliant friend and associate John Frost wrote a column that struck gold. While he was specifically addressing Contemporary Christian Music stations, I believe his points resonate with every format. Here’s part of what John said:

When you think about the people that have had the greatest influence on your life, I reckon you’d say they were GIVERS.

I wonder, then, why so many Christian radio stations are perceived to be TAKERS, always asking their listeners to give them something. In fact, there are some managers or staff whose voice is not heard on the air unless they have their hand out.

This is one example of why John is a great Consultant, particularly skilled in foundational “big picture” Strategy.
But I’m a talent coach, and I drill deeply into exactly how to express Strategy on the air.

Here’s what I sent to John after reading his tip:

My thought would be that the language of the station should be considered in everything we do. Is it an invitation or an order? Do you want my input (as a caller), or do you just want me to do your show for you? Is the Imaging just about the station, or is it about us (as listeners) too?

This is all part of getting to the complete thought, instead of settling for an incomplete one.

Sadly, the incomplete thought is where most stations reside. In my on-air and Programming career, whenever I worked against a station that didn’t really even consider a strategy like John wrote about, I just thought of them as ‘dead men walking’. EVERYTHING you do on the air should be born out of a solid Strategy. If it isn’t, why are you doing it?

And if you don’t know how to put your strategy on the air (hint: it’s not more liners saying “the best of the 80s, 90s, and today”), you need some help.

– – – – – – –
Tommy Kramer
Talent Coach
214-632-3090 (mobile)
e-mail: coachtommykramer@gmail.com
Member, Texas Radio Hall of Fame
© 2023 by Tommy Kramer. All rights reserved.

Here’s a question for you: When’s the last time you did something nonsensical on the air?

I love radio, but most stations I hear nowadays are SO BORING. A bunch of people reading crap off a computer screen. Where’s the creativity in that?

Howard Clark, one of my first and greatest mentors, used to build in goofiness to his show. Howard would quote the lyrics of a song, for instance, like “I never felt more like singin’ the blues” – over a completely different song!

Howard once came out of “Bridge Over Troubled Water” with “…the amazing Funkel brothers, Simon and Gar…”

After starting a song on the wrong speed (back when we used turntables to play records), Howard would simply say, “Every move…carefully planned” as he slowly reset the speed.

Howard personified that ingredient of my never quite knowing what he would say when the mic opened. A reason to listen more closely. And people did.

SURPRISE someone today. Surprise yourself. Take a chance. Jump into the pool without checking to see if there’s any water. People will notice.

– – – – – – –
Tommy Kramer
Talent Coach
214-632-3090 (mobile)
e-mail: coachtommykramer@gmail.com
Member, Texas Radio Hall of Fame
© 2022 by Tommy Kramer. All rights reserved.

It’s absolutely stunning to see how few people listen to their own air work.

Back when dinosaurs roamed the Earth, we had “skimmer” cassettes that started recording when the mic went on, and then stopped recording when the mic went off. It was a ‘given’ that I’d take the cassette of that day’s show and listen to it as I drove home from work.

It’s even easier now. You can do it on your phone by just logging into the system.
But very few people do. More than once, I’ve asked someone how often they listen to their show, and all I get at first is a blank stare. Some people NEVER listen to themselves! And as a result, ancient, boring habits remain on the air, the spirit of “How could I have done this better?” doesn’t even exist, and the talent stands still in terms of development.

It’s why I use audio in almost every session, because if you won’t listen to your show without being prompted to do so, I make sure that you hear what I believe you need to hear – both things that need work (or need to be jettisoned entirely) and things that are really good. (Pointing out what you do best is a huge part of my coaching process.)

So, after reading this, some questions:
Is this tip going to make anything different?
Or are you just going to keep on believing that everything’s okay? (Your PD may feel differently.)
And finally, if you don’t care enough to listen to yourself, why should anyone else?

– – – – – – –
Tommy Kramer
Talent Coach
214-632-3090 (mobile)
e-mail: coachtommykramer@gmail.com
Member, Texas Radio Hall of Fame
© 2022 by Tommy Kramer. All rights reserved.

To a degree, acting is part of what we do. I talk a lot about this in coaching sessions, and give an example of a bad actor versus a good actor:

The bad actor “shades” toward the desk as he talks, knowing that the phone is going to ring.
The good actor just says what he has to say, and the stupid phone interrupts him.

When you’re on the radio, the “visual” is created by the listener. But what you say and the way you sound paints the picture, too. Be more than just “a voice saying words” or reading something off a computer screen. Give me something genuine.

– – – – – – –
Tommy Kramer
Talent Coach
214-632-3090 (mobile)
e-mail: coachtommykramer@gmail.com
Member, Texas Radio Hall of Fame
© 2022 by Tommy Kramer. All rights reserved.