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 forms of stimulation.

QUESTION: What’s better- guest interviews or lots of calls?

PACKER: Given a choice, quality callers interacting with a well prepped talk host is what most listeners prefer. But that assumes that there are plenty of calls, the quality of the calls are outstanding, the host is a super personality and the show’s content is on target.

QUESTION: Are “regular” callers a good thing or a problem?

PACKER: Other than the 2 or 3 that are really colorful sidekicks to the show, “regulars” can be deadly. If the same people are allowed on too often, the show begins to sound like a small daily meeting of the same people talking about the same things over and over. The show’s surprise factor vanishes. The program becomes too predictable. The host and the regulars may be entertaining themselves but the listeners will be gone.

QUESTION: How important is it to hire strong producers-what do you say to stations that rely on interns and call screeners to produce their shows?

PACKER: First, a talk host who’s serious about pleasing the listeners and generating ratings will want to control the day-to-day programming of his/her show. The host will rely on producers, interns and screeners to support programming objectives.

A host who thinks doing a show means just walking into the station and waiting to be handed a script and spoon fed information shouldn’t have the job. Put the screener, intern and producer on the air!

QUESTION: Who in talk radio deserves more respect/credit than he or she gets?

PACKER: Great Call Screeners and Board Operators deserve a standing ovation daily! The screener is your instant music director who delivers the hits to the talk host. The quality of calls can make or break a show. The person running the board is like the conductor of an orchestra who blends all the pieces of the show together into one harmonious sound. Great board operators program the show, minute-by-minute. They know how to seize the moment and air just the right audio clip, music or sound effect to add color and sizzle and make the talk host sound great.

QUESTION: What’s more important to the success of a show or station, formatics or raw talent?

PACKER: In talk radio, without talent, all the formatics in the world will not generate competitive ratings. A manager quickly finds out how important it is to keep talent happy when a station loses a host and searches for a replacement. Finding, developing, and grooming a talk celebrity is a long difficult job. Sure hosts have their eccentricities and can be difficult, but those types are usually the most talented. The role of programming and formatics is to help the talent maximize their ratings potential. Back them up with a well trained support team and make sure they have the tools to win.

Bottom Line: Respect, cherish, love your talent, just like your kids. Remember, you’re paying your talk hosts to express their opinions. The good ones will kick up dust and stir up controversy. So, protect them from the negative feedback you may get about them from other station personnel, angry listeners, clients, etc. Support their efforts and do everything you can to help them win.

—-Michael Packer – Packer Smart Talk Tips — March 2009

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