Thursday, April 8, 2010

WHY CAN'T WE BE FRIENDS?








Why do morning show players want to kill each other? Why can't we be friends? The battle for morning show position and acceptance on a staff, management and listener level is intense. With the ending of many major market morning shows, the implementation of syndicated shows and company channels, Paranoia mean destroyer. Morning shows need to follow a simple path - Engagement with the audience - Social Media representation - Community-based interactions and by gum, they need to like each other and work to preserve the brand and don't sweat the small stuff. Most of the time they are concerned with areas of the radio station and the programming, when they shouldn't be. Upset over the remote rotation, why the have to voice track a 6th day, ya da ya da. 

In my career I have seen them at each other's throats.Been in the middle of it so many times. When they talk to the programmer or manager together, they are so gracious and accommodating and when you talk to them individually, the want to bury each other like Uma Thurman in KILL BILL. Remember this kind of behavior will only promote ill-feelings for everyone involved. 


I have met so few morning hosts with a real demeanor, that strive for the station and not themselves.  Usually the problem in relating to each other comes from a lack of communication they have between each other. I don't know how many times I've played therapist for morning show members. They want to out do and out shine each other to the point there is so much internal struggle. The goal of the morning show is to be external and localize, be topical and interact with the listeners. The days of this being all locked up inside the station are over. We need to be fresh, caring, out-going, motivated and aimed at the listener. Morning show partners need to get along and if they can't work out their differences, programming and managers need to step in with HR and find a resolution to the problem. 

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