6-26-2013
I was taught one of the best lessons in radio years ago by Rush Limbaugh. After hearing my morning sports radio show, Rush asked me why I take so many phone calls. I said, "My show is about the listener and their responses to my topics." He actually started laughing at me. I have to tell you I was very upset, to say the least, that my approach to radio, in Rush's eyes, was flawed. He asked me, "Would you ever let an amateur run your radio show?" I said of course not. He said, "Then why let a caller?" I've never forgotten that lesson. I was one of those fools who believed the response of the caller was more important than the response of the listener. I used to actually count callers when I first started in radio some 20-plus years ago.
Any host who turns his show over to callers or a guest host cannot carry a radio show to save his life. I love the approach Rush has to his show. It's a privilege to come on his show. Most sports talk hosts in America today will open up the lines and invite the most hated person in radio to his show...MIKE IN MIAMI...The guy who calls a host's show every day and every other show on the station.
Chronic callers are brutal, especially in sports talk. They drive other listeners away from a station. Caller-driven radio is bad radio. Stop doing it. Here's an example of bringing chronic callers to your station. "What is your favorite Miami drink?" Really? All you're doing is hiding the fact you have very little content and you're not prepared to deliever what PPM wants, compelling content to your listeners. I love to drink but I would never offer that up as a talking point on my show. It only leads to chronic callers and that's bad radio.
Are callers good for a radio station? Yes, but to a point. Trades, deaths, championships. Absolutely. You want listener reaction to those topics. Give the listener the feeling they are part of that title run. But doing every day is how you invite chronic callers. They are like bums you see panhandling for cash on street corners in every city. If your host has great content and can carry segment to segment, you will not need a host who trolls for calls or asks, "What is your favorite sports movie?"
We have come so far in sports talk radio. I used to do those weak topics to generate callers when all I had to do was talk and people have always been attracted to my views. If you are a PD today and you ever hear a host throw topics out to generate calls, you need to ask yourself if that's the type of station you're looking to program.
Dan Sileo, also known as "The Bonecrusher," is a sports talk show host who has worked at KGO & KNBR-WDAE and WQAM. He can be reached at Umiam93@yahoo.com and on Twitter at @dansileoshow
(6/28/2013 6:10:26 AM)
John...Thats what MAKES RUSH AWESOME..He is Original!!...Ur right...If U can't deliever content and lean on ur callers than u sound just like the 98% of the host in America!!..UR not Original..U HAVE NOTHING!!
(6/27/2013 8:39:18 AM)
This isn't brilliant commentary at all! First, Rush is the exception. Not the rule. Comparing yourself to Rush is ridiculous. Secondly, callers are like spice. Your radio show is just a bland talking head uttering the same opinion over and over and the trying to validate that opinion over and over. Callers add the flavor that make the show listenable.
Now, you do have a point about the same callers dragging a show down, but that is where you need a strong call screen.
(6/26/2013 9:03:46 AM)
I couldn't agree with you more. WQAM in Miami has this ex-con CutlerRidge Laz call in all day from his warehouse job throwing out his felonious opinions. Makes for LAME radio.
(6/26/2013 8:57:02 AM)
Some talk shows just have callers on agreeing and venting on a certain topic. When they get a caller that disagrees, then the radio wrestling match starts with yelling back and forth till the host hangs up. These hosts are the liberal baiters. I am not a liberal but disagreed with a host recently. I wrote an email, he read it,then called me an angry liberal with no sense of humor. I wrote back, told him he was wrong and I am a comedy writer. No response. I stopped listening to that show.
(6/26/2013 12:15:03 AM)
This is brilliant commentary.
Throwing callers on the air is a form of pandering. It also demonstrates that the host is unprepared with content and/or has no formidable guests lined-up who can carry the topic. Callers may get the impression they are participating. Listeners are just tolerating it - barely.
Even when listeners/callers-in are pre-screened, the likelihood the calls will go sideways are very high indeed. Too high.
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