Jock Shouts - what's the POINT?

Every air personality knows the thrill of the first radio station you worked at where they bought you a jingle with seven Dallas singers shouting your name over the intro of a station shotgun.

I certainly don't want to deny any jock that personal step upward in their self-esteem, but if you happen to have your own jock shout, please stop for a moment before you play it on the air again and think about it from a listener perspective.

You're listening to one of your favorite songs. Then, the station segues into another of your favorites by one of the superstar artists of the format. Between the two songs, out of nowhere, comes a group of singers shouting a name that you're unfamiliar with and which means nothing to you. It might have made more sense if they had shouted the name of the star singing that second song.

Please: if you have a jock shout or a jingle with your name in it, do something memorable and compelling before you play it so that the jingle links your great content with your brand, your name.

A great way to use a jingle with a shout of your name is as a punctuator of a tightly-edited listener interaction phone call that showcases your values and character.

Dittos with a 'show intro.' After a newscast, and before the first song of the next segment if you want to play something that sets up up your show - please at the very least say something before the intro or after it up the intro of the song that pays off immediately for who you are. No one is so intrigued by the mere mention of a name they don't know to wait patiently through one or two songs to find out who that person is..

People don't listen to the radio for contests, teasers and benchmarks. They want music and information, or at the very least fun and companionship. Link your name with something SALIENT to the target listener, please.

Immediately, not three to five minutes later.