Every Picture Tells a Story and a talented Sports Radio talk show host knows how to turn every segment into a story.
What exactly does that mean? Simply that every segment is approached like a story. It is self-contained with a starting point - a hook that captures the attention of the audience - and a pay-off/conclusion. Sandwiched in-between are compelling details that draw the audience into the show.
Too often hosts go into a segment without knowing what they want to do, where they want to go and what the pay-off is. A listener is investing his/her time and wants a pay-off! How would an audience react if a comedian went on stage not knowing what he or she was going to do? The comedian would be out of work quickly! Or how about a movie director working without a script? Or a writer that does not have a plot to the story. The book becomes just a series of meaningless sentences that may sound good but goes no where!
A more common term for knowing what you want to do is preparation! Being prepared does not mean spontaneity is removed. In fact when a host is prepared there is more spontaneity. That is because the host is concentrating on the delivery and the audience rather than having to create content. It eliminates the need to fill the next segment mentality.
The host must still create the show. Beware of a common trap ….. crutches! The two most prevalent are relying on callers and/or guests to bring content to the show. Callers and guests or news makers as some prefer to call them are just platforms for the host to create the show. Callers can definitely add a lot to a segment and even help ’tell the story. And getting good callers requires heavy screening. However, relying on callers to create a strong segment is a mistake. If the host is compelling, it will spark reaction from listeners creating good callers. Again it is driven by the host.
Guests must be relevant and have something to offer. Always ask, “Why are they on the air? And avoid relying on the guest to create a compelling segment. One out of five hundred guests are compelling and entertaining. It is the other 499 that will kill the show