Why Sign Up For Planet Reynolds?
Anyone who works with me will quickly learn that I’m not usually a fan of “lists” for on-air bits (no lists of birthdays, please).
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But here, I’m breaking my own rule, as I give you the top 10 reasons to subscribe to Planet Reynolds, my monthly newsletter. Cue the David Letterman music . . .
10 It’s FREE.
9 This newsletter will help change your approach to developing compelling content—for the better.
8 You’ll start thinking more creatively AND strategically—automatically. Yes, even in your sleep!
7 You’ll gain a new and deeper appreciation for your listeners’ needs—and how your team can meet them.
6 You’ll start to live and breathe my mantra: be FAIR to be GREAT. (FAIR stands for Funny, Authentic, Innovative, Relatable. Read more about it here.)
5 You’ll find new ways to talk strategy with your talent—ways that will make sense to them.
4 It’s also GREEN. (No trees will be harmed in the making of this newsletter.)
3 Regular practice of my strategic approach will help turn listeners into your BIGGEST fans (and not the scary kind, although some will still send you listener food).
2 Rumor has it that regular reading of this newsletter could result in a slimmer build and better sleep!
1 You’re guaranteed to laugh, learn, and laugh some more.
The Comfort of the Familiar. The Danger of the Routine.
I’m bored with my iPhone. My Apple Watch is meh. I could take or leave my iPad. That behavior concerns Apple. So, every year, always in September and October, they address that to keep us fans happy. They don’t want people like me to head to Best Buy, pick up a Samsung device, and make […]
A.I.: Artificial Intimacy?
I recently bought a Fit Bit Air. It’s a gadget that goes around your wrist and monitors your vitals. In Google’s Health app, which syncs the data, you get three free months of their A.I. which interacts with your numbers to coach you to goals you set. Over the last few months, Google’s A.I. health […]
Good Golly, the Folly of Losing Miss Dolly
Didja hear that Dolly Parton died a couple of weeks ago? Of course you did. Everyone did. Her family released the news and it owned pop culture for several days. I enjoyed the back-and-forth between people believing radio did a good job with it and those who feel we missed the mark. From my listening, […]
“No” Is a Complete Sentence
Several years ago, when Hubbard wanted to transition mornings on the iconic The Drive in Chicago, they asked me to help identify and launch a show. It was a bit of a needle-thread because the daypart had been driven almost solely on music images. But Hubbard knows how to build media brands, so they were […]
My Love Letter to Valentine
Valentine, Nebraska is a town of just 2,640 people. It’s surrounded by bison in Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge, home to Nebraska’s highest waterfall, receives 38-inches of snow a year, has a median home value around $149,000, and is just 2.6 square miles. Mike and Kim Burge own KVSH 940AM in Valentine. I met them […]
Dig Deep, Be Original
If one of radio’s superpowers is connecting with the audience, let’s talk about how that grows over time. Traditionally, we look at character development in a very linear fashion. Steve’s married; Steve has dogs; Steve is an NC State fan. For new shows, this is a safe place to start. Minus a formed relationship with […]
Radio’s Culture Wars and the Big Bleed Out
In the 90s when I programmed WRAL-FM, there were some seminal learning moments that have stuck with me for decades. Things that shaped how I coach talent today. Let me share one of them. Raleigh-based Capitol Broadcasting was a progressive media company. The owner, Jim Goodmon, believed in several core things which is why the […]
I Need This Job: The Creativity Killer
Tuesday, June 16, 2026, approximately 1:15pm. I’m in the middle of a creative talent coaching session with a show then a cast member lays this on me: “I’ll do it because I need this job.” It was a gut punch to hear. They weren’t moving forward with an idea because it was sound, strategic, entertaining, […]
The Day My City Wept
The Carolina Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup and there’s a vibe shift in my hometown of Raleigh, NC we should never lose. People are smiling at strangers. Car horns aren’t expressing frustration, they’re celebrating. Social media isn’t filled with arguments. People are weeping with happiness, and radio needs to create that local pride every day. […]
Donald Trump and the Attention Economy: Steal from Him to Stay Top-of-Mind
Several years ago, I was invited to attend a gathering of Hubbard programmers. Traditionally when programmers of any company gather, it’s time to learn. One of the teachers that day, besides me, was Fred Jacobs. Fred gives a great presentation and something he said that day has stayed with me for years: Donald Trump would […]
Steve Wants to Sell You a Horse
It was the Monday after the Kentucky Derby many moons ago. My on-air partner and I decided we needed to use that topic for content on the show. So, we hatched this brilliant idea to call the McDonalds up the road from the station, claiming we were the owners of the horse that came in […]
The Personal is Universal
My girlfriend is out of town on an extended business trip, and I have the place to myself. She’s expecting me to keep the house clean. So far, I’d get an F. My neighbor borrowed my lawnmower two weeks ago and still hasn’t returned it. I’m scared to ask him for it back. I’m going […]
Radio’s Forgotten Superpower (Hey NAB – Read This and Give Me a Call?)
Your fans are driving to work, listening to you, and having fun. In the quiet, darker moments, what feeling might they be experiencing? We hear much about a loneliness epidemic in society. It impacts us all, whether we wish to openly acknowledge it or not. Loneliness is a public health crisis and no longer a […]
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 […]
What Great Talent Want More than Anything Else
We’re at the end of another thrilling March Madness. The elite survive and move on in the tournament. I’m captured by something Duke’s iconic Coach K said while on the Pat McAfee Show: “Greatness wants to be coached.” He said this when asked what it was like to coach basketball’s elite: Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, […]