Morning Show Prep Advice

Morning show content is a tricky business. There are time restrictions that require each word to be weighed. If the material doesn't hit the core audience's interests, it's a sure miss. If the talent isn't interested in the content, it will usually fall short. This week's focus: Sculpting the morning show's content.

Know Your Target

We know that listeners do not exist in a vacuum where non-format items escape their interest or attention. The big BUT: your chances of scoring a real hit are better with material that targets your life group. A Sports or Rock host can talk about chick flick movies, but in a totally different way from an AC talent. Hip-Hop probably escapes the understanding of adults who listen to country or classic hits. Which demos really care about Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears, Perez Hilton, or the Hollywood flavor of the day? Choose material that offers the greatest connective tissue with your target listener.

Edit for Morning Radio

Think in seconds to make your point. The science is clear: The first few seconds will determine whether you continue to hold the listener. Otherwise, they may tune out or fire up their blow dryer ... and you lose. After a catchy opening line, hit the salient facts (one or two) and close the bit. Save the longer time spans for those special moments that hit emotional buttons.

Placement for Audience Cycles

Many talents think listeners are with them for an entire shift; an hour is more accurate - if you're really good. Thus, your major promotion or event needs multiple mentions. We suggest that program directors use the recycling figures for the morning show to illustrate how many different "audiences" exist each day. Looking at actual tune-in times in ratings software is an even more graphic depiction of how listeners come and go each morning. This evidence will also support more effective and frequent teases.

Amp Up Your Morning Show

Improve the planning, presentation and sound of your morning show. The Lund Morning Show Guide has all the tools your star talents need to grow and sound better. The Morning Show Daytimer daily prep form and hourly planner outlines every planning element for the show. We provide 50 top Morning Show Benchmarks and audience interactives. Localism and Relatability Checklists help talents and the PD focus on the listener, local market, and target life-group. And the Morning Show Guide includes 25 Morning Show Essentials. E-mail John@lundradio.com for the Morning Show Guide ... it really helps the sound and execution of your morning drive.