So they're going give me a radio show...

Since sports have been SUSPENDED for the time being, our commercial radio station GM said -- "if you want a Saturday morning time slot, it's yours. we need some original content."

Why not?

So I've been thinking - -I only want to start out with 30 minutes, and least I can say "I'm just like every one else in the market giving you 30 minutes of quality radio a week." One guest only. A relatively big get -- for us it would be a Vince Carter type -- so it'd be worth the listener's time.

We kicked around other segments -- "People plugging stuff" as well as "A trumpster, a Black guy, a pompous media type and me shouting at each other for 30 minutes" but those didn't resonate. [That was a joke at first...]

Any suggestions? I'll listen.

 

No shouting. That's all I've got.

 

I would say no politics but it is the fluid in which we are suspended every day, whether we like it or not.

I think people are nostalgic for better times and those are not at all hard to talk about right now.

 

Two or more people talking (shouting) at the same time is unlistenable.

 

Be yourself! Try to be entertaining as well as informative, but within the constraints of your own personality. Will you be taking telephone calls, tweets, etc?

 

Spend 30 minutes a week talking about the shit going on at SJ.com.

 

On second thought... eh, maybe that’s not a good idea.

Jeff might like the additional site traffic though.

Search engine will break again.

 

Call-ins from fans or no?
I'd try and fashion it after a podcast - as conversational as possible. Always thought a podcast built around the great "what ifs" of sport - if the Tuck Rule call never happens - do the Patriots have a legacy,
My favorite one is a blown call (a touchdown that wasn't) back in the early 2000s that cost the Seahawks a playoff spot and Dennis Erickson his job, he ends up at Oregon State and leads the team to the Fiesta Bowl. Erickson's replacement in Seattle Mike Holmgren (what if he stayed in GB?)
Or if Belichick stayed longer than six hours at the Jets coach.

Ripples of history man.

 

In 30 minutes I would definitely go for conversation, rather than talking at the audience. Find an interesting guest. Tell a story.

 

No right-wing political garbage. There's already enough of that on the airwaves.

 

As someone who had done radio shows, I would do a minimum of one hour. After you get done with obligatory stuff 30 mins is actually like 23.

 

Actually, 30 minutes can feel like the blink of an eye or an eternity, depending on what subject you're talking about and if it's a monologue or you've got a talkative guest or second banana who can expound and fill in the dead air.

I think the idea of interviewing locals that are either famous alumnae of your school or just people who are very familiar with history or certain aspects of the Daytona Beach area would be an excellent way to start. Call ins with the general population are really difficult to do, mainly because you need a screener. Plus, you can easily lose control of the situation if you get a string of crank callers or obnoxious ones who don't want to stay on topic. Or worse, nobody calls because it's Saturday morning.

So ... if you haven't done much radio, there are a couple of things to consider. One, get used to hearing your voice in headphones because it sounds a lot different than "normal." That can be really off-putting when you're trying to talk and listen to your voice at the same time. I had one young hiree who actually got "stage fright" upon hearing her own voice in the vacuum of "radio noise" and quit the business because of it. Two, practice with a recorder first to eliminate any bad vocal habits you may not be aware of, like "ahs," "ums" or "you knows" or even inflections, the speed at which you talk or even your pronounciation. Those things can slip into your speech undetected but will be immediately noticable when your train of thought gets interrupted.

(I actually still slip into bad habits when doing interviews. I cringe when I'm playing back the audio because I don't realize I'm using the same phrase or dominating the conversation instead of asking the next damn question.)

One huge tip I got starting out: If you raise your eyebrows or smile while speaking, it usually gives your voice a bit brighter, happier sound. Don't exaggerate it, but if you realize your voice sounds a bit monotone or gruff, it forces the muscles in your cheeks to bring your voice up just a bit.

Now for preparation. Just like a regular one-on-one interview for a story, have a list of questions ready (and until you get comfortable, write down way more than you think you might need for 30 minutes). At the same time, you're the one who has to keep the conversation lively and on topic. You'll find yourself having to work to really listen to the guest, either to follow up on a good point or to politely interrupt if the answer gets too long or boring. Think Larry King or James Lipton.

One of the things that is actually difficult starting out is keeping track of the time without making it seem like you're clock watching. The more shows you do, the better you'll be at having a feel for how much discussion you can pack into 30 minutes. Use that last 60 seconds to recap, wrap up and don't forget to thank the guest and audience and plug your next show.

Most of all, have fun! Radio is theater of the mind and I still miss parts of it. It's humorous when people talk to me on the phone and say, "You have such a pleasant voice! You should have been in radio!"

Why, thank you! I never thought of that! (I worked really hard to make it sound natural.)