Kick-Ass Audio Breaks

There is, somewhere in your market, a radio station that is an expert at giving their listeners the news.  While most listeners wake up and want to know what’s going on in the world, the purpose of the newscast is less to inform people than it is to define who you are.  The listeners want your take on the day’s topics (that honesty is character definition).  You want them waking up wondering what you think about whatever is big that morning.  This is why perspective is so critical when talking about a story.  What’s yours?  What work do you do to figure that out before the news story is done on your show?  What also helps a newscast is, when applicable, a sense of humor is shown.  If the audience cares about a story, they already know most, if not all, of what you’re about to tell them.  Ryno and Tracy, KYGO, Denver newscaster Chuck Clark is here telling the audience what they already know the morning after – that the Broncos beat the Patriots.  But listen to this very short clip how he created humor to make it sticky.

Story-telling is the most powerful thing a show can do with its content.  Charlie Sheen announces that he is HIV positive.  What resulted is Karson and Kennedy, MIX 104.1, Boston hearing from a listener who is also HIV positive from her former boyfriend.  Personalizing your content, telling immensely powerful, first-person stories, is great radio.  We talk all the time with shows about not handling stories like this on the surface (sharing facts as you know them – which anyone can do), but digging very deep, sharing with listeners how this affects you and being honest enough with your fans on your take on the story is a terrific way to define your character.  The listener in this audio clip emailed the show to share her story (resulting in her coming on the program) because she feels like she knows the cast and trusts them.  When big stories happen, you want the audience to wonder your take, to tune in because you go miles deep to explore things, and because you’ll be vulnerable enough with them to connect in very personal ways.