(By Randy Lane) Last week, I answered some frequently asked questions about morning shows. Well, here are some more relating to that critical daypart.
Q: When should a morning show begin and end?
A: Start the show by 5 a.m., or at least 5:30, either live or running best of content. Repurposed A-level content between 5-6 a.m. gives the show a strong lead-in.
Don’t allow competitors and local television morning shows to get the jump on your show. Many TV morning shows start as early as 4 and 4:30. They are driven by audio so viewers can get ready for their day without being glued to the screen.
High-ratings performance shows will help the station’s ratings by staying on until 10 a.m. New shows, and shows still under-performing the station average, are better going into more music at 8:30 or 9:00 to accommodate the surge of at-work listening at those times. Established personality brands like Ellen K at KOST Los Angeles stay on the air with more music until 10.
Q: What is the most effective way to promote a morning show in other dayparts?
A: Most stations run brief dry-voice promos in other dayparts, teasing something coming up on the next morning’s show. However, it must be a killer tease to get listeners to remember to tune in the next morning. Unless something big is coming up the next morning, the only value in this type of imaging is branding the show name.
- Hearing is believing. Promos with brief excerpts featuring priceless moments from the show will entice non-P1 listeners to listen to the show or try the show again. Avoid the trap of always running an excerpt from that day’s show. It’s more impactful to run an outstanding clip from a month ago than a B-level clip of that morning’s show.
- Character promos that feature an entertaining excerpt of show players dramatically speeds up the time it typically takes listeners to become familiar with a character. Here’s an example from the syndicated Bert Show.
Q: As the program director, how often should I meet with the show?
New shows benefit from daily sessions until the show is flowing smoothly. Meet weekly to review content with established shows. Check in daily to say hello, mention a great segment, or to follow up with anything pending.
Long daily meetings take up too much of everyone’s time, and they’re counterproductive because they don’t give the show time to implement and refine the coaching points.
Randy Lane launched his media talent coaching and personal brand development company in 1996. He can be contacted by phone at 805-497-7177 or email at [email protected].
