Steve Pet Peeves: Volume 4

Is Steve in an ornery mood today?  Geez, I don’t think so.  I just had coffee with him this morning and he seemed fine.  Let’s ask:  “Hey Steve, anything bugging you today?  And why the hell are you talking in the third person in the blog that you write?”

When you listen to as much personality radio as I do (minimum 6-8 shows a day!), something’s gonna bug you.  That’s why I have the award-winning series Steve Pet Peeves!  It gives me a chance to share some things I hear that create a less than enjoyable listening experience.

Nothing on this list will impact the number before the decimal point.  But do enough of them and it will alter the number after the decimal point.

Here’s Volume 4 (or Volume IV if Roman numerals makes it more official):

  1. Talent who forget that every day you have listeners who don’t know who you are. I’m a new listener tuning in and have no idea who’s who.  Don’t make me work for it.  Help me by telling me.
  2. Any talent posting online a picture of themselves signing a contract extension.  Please stop.  You’re saying to the audience, “I have job security and you don’t,” which is a bad look to connect with the regular people.
  3. See #2 above – those who put next to the picture, “Well, you’re stuck with me for three more years!” Don’t be passive-aggressive.
  4. Over-explaining how a game works.  Instead of that, just play a short version of it for the audience amongst yourselves.  Doing that shows how it’s played and will grab the audience more.
  5. Spending the first two minutes explaining things to me before the actual content begins. All that process stuff is a tune out.  Because when we’re explainin’ we ain’t entertainin’.  I’m gonna trademark that line.
  6. The dreaded sports bet between shows. Your team is playing their team, so you make a bet with a show in that market.  Decades of doing this work and I have yet to see how any listener finds this entertaining (because it ain’t about them).
  7. When playing a game, asking the caller if they’re ready.  Yes, they’re ready.  They’re already on the phone and you should have prepped them to be ready before you played.
  8. Shows that go on and on about a cast member’s birthday. You know when it’s someone’s birthday in the office and they make you celebrate it?  You know how you feel?  You really don’t care, right?  The listeners feel that way, too, when you go on about yours.  Unless you have a great story with lots of drama.
  9. Talent who put the phrase “it’s your girl” or “it’s your boy” before they say their name. It’s your boy, Steve Reynolds!  Only DJs do that.
  10. Psychics.  Very 1985.  It doesn’t matter that your phones ring off the hook.  Let’s be better than 1985.

I am already working on Volume 5.  Got one?  Email me here.  If you missed previous versions, find Volume 1 here, Volume 2 here, and Volume 3 here.  I’m told once the list is complete, it’ll hang in the Smithsonian.