Radio

“Working With Radio”

Typically, radio stations and radio news programs vary greatly from television stations in both format and staff size. The type of station format has a direct impact on the type of news that will be covered.

While most radio stations only provide news headlines and quick summary stories, almost every large radio market throughout the US now has at least one all-news or all-talk station. Unlike traditional music stations, this format usually allows for in-depth coverage of various news topics and often promotes and encourages call-in guests to discuss the issues with radio hosts. Many times, the host will also invite a guest “expert” to be on the show and therefore allow the “expert” to field the questions from callers. The following are some items to remember when dealing with this type of medium:

In all situations, it is best to remain calm and speak frankly.
Radio call-in shows tend to attract callers who are unsympathetic to industry problems. Try to keep your answers simple and understandable to the general public.
Feel free to bring along a list of the most important points that you want to make while on the air. It is very important that you do not rustle the papers at any time during the interview as radio microphones may pick up this noise.
Pay close attention to the true question that the caller is making. Do not get off-track by trying to respond to a caller’s attitude or tone of voice. Simply answer the question.
Many callers are not completely comfortable speaking on the radio and therefore their actual question may be surrounded by rhetoric or opinion phrases. It is often a good idea to rephrase the question for the remainder of the listeners prior to giving your answer.
Many listeners tune in to a broadcast in the middle or even toward the end of an interview. Be certain to answer each question completely, even if the issue has already been covered previously in the interview. If you are regularly repeating yourself, feel free to summarize previous answers by using phrases such as, “as we mentioned earlier…” or “again, I believe…”
Determine prior to the interview if anybody else has been asked to be on the show with you. If another person will also be interviewed, attempt to establish some ground rules with the host and the other guest, before the interview begins. Simply request that both sides have equal time to answer questions. Additionally, feel free to make notes while your opponent is talking so that you may tailor your answers accordingly.
Many talk-show radio hosts have built audiences and popularity around their own personalities. Often, these personalities are highly aggressive and callers appreciate the role that they play as devil’s advocate. Remain calm and try to work together with the host. Do not, however, be afraid to disagree with a statement that is incorrect.
On talk shows, repeat your best arguments often. This will help listeners to better understand the points that you are trying to make.

Some general items to remember when dealing with the radio include:

Radio news gets old very fast. While the gap is closing, often news stories are covered much earlier on radio, prior to be presented on television. Therefore, if you want your side of a story told, you may need to prompt your local station. This may include calling the news department and offering to give a telephone interview.
In many smaller stations, the news departments are not staffed after 6:00 p.m. in the evening. If you need to reach them after hours, you may need to call the direct news telephone number. Be sure to have those numbers on hand.
The news department of any station is busiest around the hour and half-hour, as well as during the morning and evening rush hour. Try not to bother them during these periods.
Radio is spontaneous. Occasionally, radio producers will call sources and ask if they would care to comment on the subject being discussed. In this situation, you may have limited time to prepare. Simply speak in a normal voice and focus on making two or three key points.

I hope that the above reminders and tips help to prepare you for your next appearance on a radio show. Remember, being honest and well prepared are the keys to appearing credible and getting your points across.

"Hints for Dealing with the Media"