On Air: Fastrack into Radio

By Malcolm Russell

The author, Malcolm Russell, has fifty years experience as a professional radio and television broadcaster and now is Managing Director of the Broadcast Development Group. The company is contracted to provide on-air skills and coaching to several international broadcasters (both terrestrial and on satellite) and works only with professionals already employed in the field.
This book is designed to assist those anxious to enter the field and who normally fall outside the scope of the company's activities. It is also designed to assist those whose careers may have stalled for lack of coaching and training. It is designed as an easy (and often amusing) read in the same style as "What they didn't teach you at Harvard Business School"

• Language: English
• Publisher: Malcolm Russell
• Release date: Nov 5, 2012
• ISBN: 9780620549523

Malcolm Russell

First experience in Radio and Television was at age 16 and then went on to a professional career in the field, initially on air and then in management. Took a six year break to sail a home built yacht with his late wife and (then) four year old daughter, covering some 40 000 miles in the process. Writer, film-maker and broadcast trainer consulting to a number of broadcast operations, most notably DSTV's SuperSport where he handles training and coaching of all on-air presenters and commentators. Founder and MD of the Broadcast Development Group.

Book preview

On Air - Fastrack into Radio

by Malcolm Russell

Published by ShalvaPub at Smashwords

Copyright Malcolm Russell 2012

Smashwords Edition 2013

License Notes

This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 - How to win the Audition

Chapter 2 - Audiences: who and when are they there?

Chapter 3 - Building an audience

Chapter 4 - The Station Ident.

Chapter 5 - Your good friend Mike

Chapter 6 - Psyching up

Chapter 7 - The time

Chapter 8 - Self-op Studios

Chapter 9 - The News - Content and the Read

Chapter 10 - The News - Style

Chapter 11 - The Music Mix and ‘the clock’ (Pop stations)

Chapter 12 - Delivery - Pace vs Speed

Chapter 13 - Snoopy!

Chapter 14 - Talk (or ‘issue’) Radio

Chapter 15 - Staying sharp

Chapter 16 - The broadcast day

Chapter 17 - Interviewing

Chapter 18 - Competitions and Promotions

Chapter 19 - Audience Profiling

Addendum 1 - The Hard Yards

Addendum 2- The audition and what to expect.

Foreword

Don't let anyone tell you that you can't do it. Because you can make a career in professional radio.

It’s a crazy business. Where else do you GO! on the red light?

So what to do, what to say, how to get up and running fast! From winning the audition to building an audience, shaping the program, reading the news, handling talk, driving the compelling interview...it’s all here.

But it takes more than just talent. It needs a real understanding of technique and tactics. This book will introduce you to the skills that make the difference between being a talented amateur and being a talented professional. And which would you rather be? Sure, you can battle on and learn the hard way. Or you can capitalize on the hard-knocks other people took as they learnt the ropes and built the hopes!

This covers all the stuff many broadcasters learn slowly by osmosis - or miss entirely. They are the poorer for it because they usually become tired, dispirited hacks. They never understand why they can't climb the ladder to becoming true professionals.

So if you are determined to make a career in broadcasting (or stalled and wondering why,) then this book is for you. It starts right at the beginning and reveals the practical secrets to make it work for you. Not only does it tell you ‘how’ to do it, but ‘why’ it works.

If you aren't walking On Air then you probably aren't working On Air.

Here you'll discover how to do both - and that's a promise! So let’s get started...

*****

Home

Chapter 1

How to win the Audition

Your friends say you have a great voice but you just can't get that big 'break'. It’s been one audition - and rejection - after another and you are fed up. What do 'they' know that you don't? You'd like an insider's view on how Station Managers choose their talent and what they look for. You want the secret to getting the gig and then what to do when you've got it.

That is precisely what this chapter is all about. Some tough (and perhaps surprising) talk about how it all works. Let’s start with a tough question with a really tough answer. Because it freaks me.

I could never understand why people who were patently ‘wrong’ for our station tried to get a job on air with us. Surely they would‘ve checked us out before wasting their time – and ours? So that could be at the heart of it. Right time, wrong place, bad news.

But that is as much bad news as you'll get from me in this book. All the rest aims upwards. This is broadcasting from the inside from someone with 50 years in radio and television with some seriously big international operations. Today I work with highly professional broadcasters to find, train, coach and mentor their top talent. And no - I don't train people before they have already secured a professional gig so… sorry! But crack the audition and we could well meet up… In the meantime I'll not only show you the ropes but give you the solid reasons why these techniques work.

To mix metaphors It’s not Rocket Surgery! Here is Rule number one through 100... You won't have a chance of winning unless you are pitching at a station that is looking for someone exactly like you. If you aren't the right person then chill - it’s not your 'fault'.

Is there a way to tell if you are right for the station you are auditioning for? Is there any way to prepare to give yourself a head-and-shoulders-above-the-rest chance?

Yes to both questions. But first I’m going to assume that you’ve done the hard yards. You’ve built yourself a ‘mini-studio’ at home, maybe in your study or garage, and you’ve recorded yourself repeatedly? You've listened back, tried again (because invariably you hate the first tries!) and you’ve read everything you can lay your hands on about communications? You’ve boned up on music, sport, current affairs and you’ve listened diligently to the station you’re auditioning for? You know exactly where you want to fit in and the way you’ll build the listenership?

If you said yes