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Tommy Kramer has spent over 35 years in radio as an on-air talent, Programmer, and Talent Coach, and has worked with over 100 stations in all formats, specializing in coaching morning team shows. He was elected to the Texas Radio Hall of Fame in 2003. Contact
Tommy Kramer Coaching Tips The oddest thing seems to be happening both on TV and in radio these days. The phony, insincere, pukey deejay delivery is rearing its ugly head ... (read more - Tip #1) A lot of Program Directors, in trying to coach an Air Talent, jump too quickly to the second phase of coaching -- getting an aircheck, playing samples of "things done wrong," and making the process an uneasy one for the Talent right off the bat. No "foreplay." (read more - Tip #2) Think of how many times you’ve heard an Air Talent say--more often than not, with the sound of rustling paper or a page turning in the background--"I was reading an article in this magazine yesterday," or "I saw in the paper this morning that...." My problem with this sort of thing is ... (read more - Tip #3) I once put up a sign on the Control Room door that said: "I just got into town. I got into the car, turned the radio on, and hit the 'scan' button. It landed on your station. I don't know what station it is, what the format is, what the dial position is, or who you are. You have thirty seconds." I base everything I coach on "first time" listening (read more - Tip #4) You hear often that someone is "funny." "He's so funny." "I love to listen to his show because it's funny." But is it "funny," or is it "fun" that we're talking about? There is a difference, from a performance and planning point of view. "Funny" is certainly "fun," but "fun" doesn't necessarily have to be "funny." The Andy Griffith Show was a great example of being both (read more - Tip #5)
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"Teams: Pass the Ball" Tommy Kramer Coaching Tip #6 (listen to the MP3 audio version of #6 by clicking here) Think about how many Morning Teams you’ve heard that have a decent energy level, but they just don’t seem to move very efficiently. Frankly, in many situations, the decision to have a Team Show in the morning overrides whether or not a qualified team is available, or whether the PD has the proper techniques for coaching them. If you find yourself thinking, “They just take too long” or “They’re good, but they just talk too much,” here’s a tip to help coordinate them fast: When the subject changes, the person speaking changes. Often what you hear is something like this: It’s the “Ned and Nancy Show.” · A song ends, and Ned comes out of it with the station’s name, backsells the artist and title, gives a time check, his and Nancy’s names, and a quick weather. · Nancy has nothing left to do, so she says “Right…” · Ned then throws it to the Traffic guy. One partner doing everything, the other with nothing to do. To the PD, the break seems long and “talky,” so he tells them to move FASTER. So then, the next day, it doesn't seem as long, but it feels rushed and unnatural. …or it seems like Ned is hogging the mic, so the PD jumps him for it, and the next show is filled with unnatural pauses as he tries to allow her more space, or with both of them going on too long. But when you get next to the idea of “passing the ball” back and forth, you get this… …the song ends; he does the station’s name, and maybe the backsell; she does the time and temp, and throws it to Traffic. (him, her) …or she comes out of the song with the calls and backsell, he gives their names, time and temp, then she throws it to Traffic. (her, him, her) …or he does the basics, then she starts a concert plug, or begins whatever non-formatic content they’ve scheduled. (he does “info,” she starts Content) You get the idea. There are all sorts of variations that keep one person from doing everything, and leaving the other person out in space with nothing to do. If you try it, you’ll be amazed at how crisp everything gets, and how equal the mic time seems. “Passing the ball,” like a great basketball team running a fast break down the court, will break up the typical radio log jam and allow the elements to flow forward seamlessly. The only thing you have to watch is falling into a rut where each person is doing the same element every time. (I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard the girl partner of a team always seem to do the weather, for instance.) This “pass the ball back and forth” technique will give you consistency, but not predictability, a huge factor in creating powerful radio. © 2007 Tommy Kramer
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