A great producer adds value to everything by..
- Understanding the roles and character of every member of the team.
- Maintains and actively programs your monthly, weekly and daily planners
- Is a constant content hunter, looking for stories that fit the values of the team and the listener
- Reads voraciously
- Keeps a large “rolodex” address book with contact info for anyone who might suddenly be good to place on air immediately and maintains good relationships so that when something happens right now they line up the best ‘gets’
- Uses streaming recorder to monitor and edit down the radio stations and personalities who create content that might be adaptable to your situation
- Writes well, producing bits and promos that are so good they make it to the air
- “Gets” PR and knows who in local media can get you publicity, creates press releases that get you in print, online and on TV whenever you do something noteworthy
- Updates the appearance schedule, maximizing every out-of-station event
- Keeps a diary of the best ideas that occur during brainstorming sessions, on air or anytime a great concept surfaces
It’s a full time job, but if no one else is doing it and there’s no budget for this position, it’s important to bake these tasks into your personal prep and self-promotion.
3 comments:
I'm tired of telling radio companies what my skills are and what I provide to morning shows. I think I'm just going to copy and paste Jaye Albright's article. I enjoy the spotlight, but I love being the man behind curtain. Of course I believe every morning show should have a well experienced producer and let the talent concentrate on what they do. A host shouldn't have to multi task too much.
Of my 30+ years in radio, I was fortunate to have been Larry Nelson's producer for four years at KOMO-AM in the early 80s. It taught me a lot of skills that I took with me when my own on-air career took off.
The only producer I had in those three decades was Bryon Mengle, who is now living his own radio dream back in the midwest. For the majority of my time in radio, I was my own producer. No one knows what you want and how you want it done better than you.
A good producer doesn't do it all: he or she compliments your extended efforts, to take your show to a level you could never achieve by yourself.
Of my 30+ years in radio, I was fortunate to have been Larry Nelson's producer for four years at KOMO-AM in the early 80s. It taught me a lot of skills that I took with me when my own on-air career took off.
The only producer I had in those three decades was Bryon Mengle, who is now living his own radio dream back in the midwest. For the majority of my time in radio, I was my own producer. No one knows what you want and how you want it done better than you.
A good producer doesn't do it all: he or she compliments your extended efforts, to take your show to a level you could never achieve by yourself.
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