Here come the holidays and as program director you are stretched thin with a long to-do list to complete as you wrap up the year. Believe me, “been there, done that”! So I want to give you a little break and help you launch the New Year in a stronger position.
In the spirit […]

In Talk Radio, TSL, the amount of time spent listening by the audience is critical. And the good news is that growing a talk show by increasing TSL doesn’t need to cost a dime! However, trying to attract new listeners (new Cume) can mean investing a lot of marketing dollars that most stations just don’t […]

Did you see the silly waste of ink from some pundit in the UK blathering that “right-leaning talk’s audience is dying off”? Talk about looking stupid by writing a newspaper column before he’s done his homework! Read the following. Then we’ll take a breath and respond with some facts…
“There’s really only one rule in talk […]

Differentiation is critical for establishing and maintaining your station’s niche. One easy way to reinforce how your station is different from the competition and sell the unique benefits you offer is through liners.
Just remember: Promise only what you can deliver. NEVER use a liner that does not match what you actually do on air. It’s […]

As Yogi Berra said, “It ain’t over till it’s over”. About a month ago Radio America’s Roger Hedgecock sounded the alarm on censorship plots being hatched in Washington. The response was incredible. Americans - right, left and center - are angry and want to fight censorship!
It remains to be seen whether this will be […]

QUESTION: What’s the most common mistake you hear talent making on the air?
PACKER: When a talent falls into a rut. When the surprise factor is gone and the listener can predict what will happen tomorrow on the show, the host is in trouble. The thrill is gone. The listener becomes desensitized and searches for other […]

In the spirit of the holidays, during the month of December, Radio America and I are offering you free access to a programming tool you can share with anyone interested in Talk Radio Excellence. Available free this month are the Packer Smart Talk online training sessions that cover the format basics of creating, producing, and […]

In its long climb to the top of the format charts, the number of stations involved in some form of News/Talk, Talk or Sports/Talk has mushroomed from around fifty in 1979 to well over one thousand six hundred today! Some are successful, some are not.
In reviewing the management styles of the most successful stations, […]