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artmorris
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Posted: Mon Apr 16th, 2007 02:16 pm |
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I posted this message in the Springfield section, but I think it applies here as well. I think a lot of people who are working the air today have never heard ANY of these rules.
I've been crituiqing an aircheck, and it dawned on me that I'm applying the 'rules of radio' that I was taught. Are these principles still applicable?
Here are some things I was taught, mostly from the "Boss Radio" formatics book, postulated by Bill Drake.
- At the top of hour (or after your top of hour newsbreak), always start the hour with an uptempo tune.
- When seguing from one song to another, always frontsell the second song. Never backsell the song that's just ending
- When transitioning from a song to a stopset, always backsell the song.
- When the mic is cracked, the first thing out of your mouth should be the calls or logo.
- The calls or logo should always be associated with music.
- Avoid 'bush league' phrasing, like "stay tuned", "Give a listen to this", or any other phrase that becomes repetitive.
- Don't talk to the listeners as if they're a group. Speak to one person at a time, as if they're across the table from you.
- Always smile. You can hear it on the air.
Of course, if you're working from the Shepherd playbook, there's also some of the following....
- Never say "here in Springfield", because "here" is wherever the listener is.
- Whatever the weather, it's always a good day to visit our sponsors.
- Don't use the word "spots", we sell "ads"
- No music or production on any commercial. It detracts from the message.
- Every ad is a little 'news story' about the advertiser.
Are any of these formatic ideas still valid, or have they changed over the years?
Art
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Buddy Dornster
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| Joined: | Sun Feb 4th, 2007 |
| Location: | Missouri USA |
| Posts: | 137 |
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Posted: Mon Apr 16th, 2007 04:42 pm |
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| Jingle out of every stopset, if you got 'em.
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JimmyJames
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| Joined: | Sat Apr 14th, 2007 |
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Posted: Wed Apr 18th, 2007 02:30 pm |
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| I'd agree with kicking off the hour with an uptempo tune. And I suppose there's validity to the idea of "here" being location neutral. On the other hand, people in my market like the local feel of our station, and even though we cover a broad area, we're plain about where we broadcast from and refer to it often.
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artmorris
Administrator
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Posted: Wed Apr 18th, 2007 04:30 pm |
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Of course, my presentation of the "Shepherd rules" was mostly tongue in cheek.
That being said, there are some of the Shepherd ideas that work really well. And, most of those were incorporated into the old Great Empire philosophy. I used to remark that KTTS was "Shepherd done with style". There were VERY local, and they made oodles of money, while having oodles of rabid listeners.
But, the upper list of formatic rules were what I was taught years and years ago. Those are the rules by which I judge on-air presentation. Almost NOBODY follows them anymore. So, are they out of date?
And, am I just out of date?
Art
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Will Sterrett
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Posted: Tue May 1st, 2007 04:32 am |
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artmorris wrote:
- At the top of hour (or after your top of hour newsbreak), always start the hour with an uptempo tune.
- When seguing from one song to another, always frontsell the second song. Never backsell the song that's just ending
- When transitioning from a song to a stopset, always backsell the song.
- When the mic is cracked, the first thing out of your mouth should be the calls or logo.
- The calls or logo should always be associated with music.
- Avoid 'bush league' phrasing, like "stay tuned", "Give a listen to this", or any other phrase that becomes repetitive.
- Don't talk to the listeners as if they're a group. Speak to one person at a time, as if they're across the table from you.
- Always smile. You can hear it on the air.
Of course, if you're working from the Shepherd playbook, there's also some of the following....
- Never say "here in Springfield", because "here" is wherever the listener is.
- Whatever the weather, it's always a good day to visit our sponsors.
- Don't use the word "spots", we sell "ads"
- No music or production on any commercial. It detracts from the message.
- Every ad is a little 'news story' about the advertiser.
Are any of these formatic ideas still valid, or have they changed over the years?
Art
1) Pretty much the same, except nowadays slower songs with strong opens are okay (perfect example is Genesis - In Too Deep. Slow cut, but it's fully established from the first note.) Also that rule applies to any time you come out of spots.
2) Totally correct.
3) Correct, but going out of style. Somebody thought backselling the song you're ending before spots kills forward momentum (which I'll never understand) but a lot of CHR's in particular are throwing this rule out.
4) Still pretty much correct. Some are experimenting with other approaches, but few are having much luck with it, and it kills them in their subsequent perceptual studies.
5) Not sure what that means, so can't comment.
6) Yep, steer clear of crutches. That's about the only thing most PD's will work with talent on anymore.
7) Yes, still in effect.
8) Going out, because smiling forces a disproportionate amount of air through the nose. The higher a person's voice, the more noticeable the nasal sound becomes.
As for the tongue-in-cheek Shepherd rules, the first one is very smart. I've contended the Shepherd strategy was great in its time, but the problem is that style of radio is easily 50 years old. The industry moved on, but that model didn't evolve. Great business, but bad radio.
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Buddy Dornster
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Posted: Wed May 9th, 2007 01:18 am |
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Here's another. (Because I keep hearing violations)
If you use an instrumental to fill up to the top of the hour, backtime it to end with the ID, and fade in, not out. Let the song say "The End."
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J ROBERTS
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Posted: Fri Jun 15th, 2007 02:32 pm |
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I remember in the 60s in Amarillo Texas where I got my start, we used the phrase coming out of a local newscast "Youve heard the news now here this", right into an uptempo song
Of course things have changed since then.
J Roberts
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