Ronald T. Robinson
There are numbers of communicative strategies I have been applying on-air and in spots over the years, one of which was more recently described as the ?Y-Bomb?. A few more were implied in my original article for Radio Ink (?I Can't Listen To You Anymore!?) while many others have yet to be divulged or discussed.
Readers will be forgiven for making a reasonable request were they to ask for some evidence that the learning and application of these techniques might be worthwhile.
From the first days of my gradual application of the techniques - after having already been in the biz for the previous 16 years - I was able to gradually move my day-part (PM Drive) from 8-shares to 18 to 20-shares. This was my experience at two stations and for about ten years. Later, as Radio became more self-destructive, it became obvious I could no longer continue tolerating being witness to Radio gutting itself; my friends and colleagues being thrown out into the street and my own participation being suppressed by more and longer music sweeps, along with the harsh implementation of other unsubstantiated, Draconian, programming dogma.
These outcomes, in my view, came as a result of the thinking and behaviors of so many fearful, erratic, abusive, incompetent, but always sincere managers. That, and the docile compliance of the Radio Herd was another factor. And no, I?m not bitter. The more appropriate (and healthier) position may be one of: righteous indignation.
After a frustrated resignation, I turned my attention from on-air work to applying these same techniques to the creation of Radio commercials through my own agency. Plus, I had been studying for many years to do personal counseling ? a field where precise communications are essential ? and was preparing to complete the final certification work.
Now, astute readers might consider paying a little closer, squinty-eyed attention to the following points as they will be elements resulting in edicts shortly (right after this!?): During those ten years of spectacular, dig me, ratings-results, not one of the management corps of the two stations for whom I toiled or my colleagues or audience-members ever, ever made a comment that I might be doing something differently. If anything, I was accused only of having a somewhat unique ?style?. Indeed, management was blissfully unaware of the processes I was applying. (That?s how subtle this ?advanced communications?-stuff can be! Edict: Confound everybody ? every time.)
Meanwhile, many months after I had left the air and still a bit twitchy, I had occasion to lunch with the GM of the local Lite-Rock outfit. We discussed the dismal books the station had been generating - #8 in women and #12 in men - and it was suggested that a gaping hole was there for me to lean way over for a lookee-see and into which I might throw myself. So, I explained to him that in this exercise and with his agreement, I would be hoeing my own rows ? a practice which included maurading across and through the Holy Format. We cut our deal, shook hands and I wandered off wondering if this enterprise wasn?t as much about me building an ego-trap of my own design. (That fleeting thought quickly flittered away.)
Being in the same market, I was completely familiar with what this station was doing and had strong suspicions about how it was failing. Meanwhile, the week before I arrived to do PM Drive, a change had been made ? a new PD had been hired. I rambled into the station the weekend before pulling my first shift to learn the board and where the Jock-lounge (there was none), parking (there was none) kitchen and washrooms were located and ambled into the Control Room where my suspicions were confirmed. I was confronted with a perfect, stunning representation of the very virus that was infecting the entire operation. There on the wall, directly in front of the on-air Talent, was a massive poster of a young woman in her late 20?s ? 30-somethings, elegantly dressed, confidently posing by the open door of her BMW and with her substantial, stately, gated and finely landscaped brick town-home in the background. Underneath, in bold, exquisite script were the words: ?She Is Our Listener?!
Yes, I appreciate that She Who Would Be Served was, indeed, the station?s target audience. They stated as much and I am satisfied they got to her, too - and many others like her. They were, after all, talking directly ?to? her, playing her sweetly non-aggressive, ?femmy? songs and deferring to her perceived needs, tastes and Values. The station was so submissive to this fantasy-listener that the girl-Talent was attempting to be her new BFF while the boy-Talent were falling all over each other to be the greater non-assertive, compliant wimp. The difficulty embedded in the strategy, however, was that, in pandering to and patronizing HER, this (only alleged) Individual, they were also, in the process, blowing off the rest of their targeted and untargeted, but still potential audience! ?Narrowcasting? ? writ large! So submissive to HER was the on-air presentation that if ?Mistress SHE? ever showed up at the station, it could have been in spiky boots, full leathers and sporting a riding crop!
Anyway, I got down to work while the Morning Show-folk began developing reported extreme levels of paranoia about their own job security. The Creative Department ? all women - would, from time-to-time, sneak into the CR and flash me. I love this business! The A -rockers from down the hall were giving me those hand-signs that are a part of the joy of working with and being accepted by peers. Meanwhile the newbie-PD, who had been told of a ?free lancer? roaming the studios, took to hiding out and writing up long, gas passing, inter-office missives we referred to as: ?Talent Motivation? and taking part in even longer head-to-head lunchtime binges with the GM.
About three months into the process, the PD invited me out for a Friday lunch and while I was snorgling up some fine pasta, he asked what I was doing on-the-air. With time at a premium and my internal, ?imminent attack pending?-alarm clanging in my skull, I still gave him - as an (admitted) ego-driven response - a single example: the thinnest, thumbnail description and explanation of the ?Y-Bomb?. The Canadian flag is red and white. He vacillated rapidly between those two colors, but said nothing. ?Mistake!? I thought to myself; burped and headed back to do the show.
Monday morning, I was called into the office and the PD, from well behind his desk, handed me my very own pink slip along with the standard explanation that ?things weren?t working out?. The GM had already left the building. Edicts: Handshakes can be useful. Get it on paper anyway. And, oh yeah: Pay attention to ?imminent attack pending?-alarms.
Eight hours later, on that same Monday night, ?The Book? was released to the stations. While the rest of the day-parts had remained frozen, Afternoon Drive had gone from #8-women to #1-women and from #12-men to #1-men. Three months! Ninety days!
Note: This was the first time I walked into a new, already-toxic environment with a fully developed skill-set. Hence, the Edict: Application of ?advanced communications?-material has short and long-term benefits.
The station was up for sale anyway and there was no way in which local management was going to backtrack and munch crow on this one. Sales staff got word of the travesty, lost their confidence in the company and some immediately started packing up their goal-cards. The station, meanwhile and by the next Book, had collapsed back on to its former numbers, was eventually sold to a bigger, corporate outfit and people moved on.
In my other life as a still-training, wannabe Counsellor, I had already learned the following, of which this episode is a prime example and which continues to be rampant in much of Radio.
Edict: Many people treasure maintaining ?Control? far more than enjoying ?Success?? and at any cost.
Ronald T. Robinson has been involved in Canadian Radio since the '60s as a performer, writer and coach and has trained and certified as a personal counsellor. Ron makes the assertion that the most important communicative aspects of broadcasting, as they relate to Talent and Creative, have yet to be addressed. Check out his website www.voicetalentguy.com
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