Sista Big Bones - On Air

Thurs, 02//09/2017 Special Guest

Arethia Cowden... talk show host, tv personality and food specialist...

A radio talk show host is someone who works for a radio station or hosts an internet show. Programs could also include live or recorded guest interviews and feedback from the listening audience, so the host needs to be able to encourage people to share their thoughts and opinions while still retaining control over the show.  

Step one: Ignore anybody who tries to tell you how to be a talk show host This is fundamentally a solo business and the more you try to be like someone else, or the more closely you follow the consultants and the bosses, the less effective you will be.

Somewhere, down deep, you either have it or you don’t, and the key to your success will be being true to yourself. Likewise, the key to the continued success of the form will be the quality and variety of rising hosts. The great weakness of talk radio today is that it all sounds the same. There are those who are copying Rush, and there are those who are currying favor with the bosses, and neither group is doing much to build audience.

The structure of talk radio also contributes to making it very homogenous. There is a tiny handful of radio and syndication companies, and they are led by a very small number of men whose views are repeated like gospel across their hundreds of stations.

Because you don’t do shows for bosses, you do shows for listeners. And though the bosses own the station and sign your check, your real relationship is with the listener.

Step two: Focus on listeners Know your audience, be your audience, respect your audience. And love your audience.

By Bob Lonsberry