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<channel><generator>iloblog 1.0</generator><title>Terrys Thoughts Feed</title><link>http://terrysthoughts.tdoyle.co.uk/</link><description></description><item><title>The Magic of Radio and Making It Work For You</title><link>http://iloapp.tdoyle.co.uk/blog/terrysthoughts?Home&amp;post=28</link><description><![CDATA[   As I progressed through my radio career I often wondered what made some radio stations sound really great and why other radio stations sounded very mundane and ordinary. It was only when I started to ask the questions of those who worked in those stations that it started to dawn on me that the process of making the station sound great was a strategy undertaken and implemented by management of those stations. The stations that weren’t sounding so good also had something in common. They had no strategy on how the station was perceived by their listeners and left the process to chance.   
   
 It is my view that radio is very special. It is intrusive, it is respected and it is valued. It is a medium that can be manipulated in ways that can really affect those who listen to it and can do so on many different levels. Let’s look at radio from a listener point of view, someone who is  not  interested in the inner workings of a station, someone who is not interested in how radio broadcasting is achieved but is only interested in the result in terms of information and entertainment. This listener is the person who believes in what we broadcasters call ‘the magic of radio’.  
     
  The Movies  
 To understand ‘the magic of radio’ you need to understand that it is a creative process. So let’s look at another industry that uses a creative process to make a product that people buy into on a worldwide basis. The movie industry is built on simple theory. The success of the industry is based on the fact that people watch movies to be entertained, have a bit of fun, to get away from their real life, to forget about their problems for a few hours. They enter a world that is not real and they   know   is not real but they go anyway. Movie experts call this ‘the willing suspension of disbelief’. Movie goers willingly leave their ordinary, analytical, cynical minds behind and enter an unreal world created by the moviemaker … why? They want to be entertained. 
   
 These movie goers are not interested in the multi-million pound process used to make the movie. They are only interested in the result of that process. They are willing to believe the story the moviemaker is telling them (willingly suspend their disbelief) while they watch the movie… why? They want to be entertained. Is it a coincidence that the two biggest movies ever in terms of creativity, TITANIC and AVATAR, were created by the same person…? James Cameron.  
   
  Create good radio  
 Radio is a creative process too and the extent of that creativity affects the perception that listeners have of your station. Listeners respond to radio in the same way as the respond to the movies. They want to be entertained and the vast majority of your listeners are willing to believe in what you do on air if you are entertaining them. This belief does not only extend to the station but it extends to individual presenters too. So why do some stations sound great and others don’t? It is down to creativity, the magic you produce on your station that allows the listener to feel good about what you do; enjoy what you do for them and how special you make them feel.  
   
 I would like to explain the difference between a station sounding great and a station sounding mundane. One area where you can have a huge impact on listeners and make money is to give them something extraordinary, something different, and something that will affect or change their lives for a short period of time. Loads of radio stations run competitions on air, tickets for this, tickets for that, win this CD, win that CD and so on. These competitions and prizes are mundane, boring and usually run at programme level as opposed to station level. They do not impact on the audience as a whole and do not get them talking about your station. Promotions must run at station level and affect the audience across all time segments and culminate in one big event on air to have the required impact and that is getting your listener talking about your station. 
     
  Sounding big  
 I ran a promotion over a month that culminated in two big on air events on week two and week four of the promotion. It was called FLY TO WORK FRIDAY. The promotion was a station event and every programme was involved. Trails were made and ran ever hour saying that instead of the usual drudge to work on Friday, 102FM will get you to work in style …by helicopter. There was also a script created for presenters who were instructed to talk about the event and mention the extras like picking the winner up in a Ferrari and taking them to the airport via the local racetrack and how they would be treated to a top class breakfast before the flight. One winner was nominated each day of week. Each winner was picked by being first on the phone when they heard a particular song that was related to flying played sometime between 6am and 6pm. The culmination of the event happened on the breakfast show live with each stage broadcast on the show throughout the morning. As far as the listener was concerned it was a two week promotion with one prize. It wasn’t until the Monday of week three that we ran trails says that it was so much fun the first time, we are going to do it all… again.  
   
 This promotion sounded fantastic on air, listeners were talking about it and took part in their droves, presenters loved it and an advertiser paid good money to be associated with it. All of this was based on the fact that the station had access to a company who had a helicopter and arranged the two flights required and also was able to have the use of a Ferrari and driver from a local enthusiast club. Now… before you say that you are a small community station and can’t do this sort of stuff, this promotion ran on a small rural station in Ireland with a single town broadcast area with a population of 21000. It was very successful in growing the stations goal of ‘being small but sounding big’. Feel free to use this promotion concept because I know it works. 
   
  Listener perception  
 The lesson for community radio in the UK is simple. While you might perceive yourself as a small station with a small geographical area to broadcast to using a low wattage transmitter, your listener does not perceive  you  the same way. The listener perception is based entirely on what they hear. If your station sounds ‘small’ then that is what listeners will perceive. That is your fault, not theirs. The fact is community radio does sounds ‘small’. This manifests itself in many ways. I understand that most operate as charities or non-profit organisations (that in itself promotes the ‘small’ perception if you allow it to). I don’t think it is necessary to trade on that status when there are better perceptions available for you to create. I believe a perception of a ‘not for profit community radio’ being the catalyst for other local charities is a much better position to achieve and would create a better listener perception of your station.  
   
 Create a good listener perception by thinking bigger, by working on your image, by working on getting the best possible promotional value from every aspect of your output. Manipulate ‘the magic of radio’ for your stations benefit…. And remember, broadcasters regardless of the reasons they broadcast for,  create  magic; it is not our job to believe in that magic.  
 ]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 07 Feb 2012 20:40:22 +0000</pubDate><category>Handy Hints for Presenters</category></item><item><title>Be Prepared</title><link>http://iloapp.tdoyle.co.uk/blog/terrysthoughts?Home&amp;post=27</link><description><![CDATA[   I have been getting lots of enquiries recently from presenters asking me about how they can improve their shows? The easiest way to improve your show is to prepare properly. While preparation is a good discipline, it also allows you to be more confident on air. Preparation is vital and is a basic presentation skill.   
   
 How many times have you listened to a presenter and hear a weather forecast that bears no relation to the weather conditions you are experiencing? How many times have you heard a presenter say something and fluffs his lines as the sudden realisation sets in that what is being promoted happened the day before? Oooops! 
   
   Mistakes   
 While it is ok to make the odd mistake, a lot of the mistakes or embarrassing moments we hear on the radio are down to one thing, lack of preparation. It is becoming very common to hear presenters, particularly on community radio stations who clearly do very little preparation. We have all seen them. They are the presenters who roll into the building five minutes before they are due on air, frantically scramble around for the latest weather forecast and shout at the presenter just finishing to get ‘into the news’ and load up the first tune. This is the very same presenter that will have to do any preparation required on air and that is simply not acceptable. Not only is it unacceptable it shows that the presenter has little regard for listeners and for the radio station. 
   
 You may say that it unfair to single out community radio presenters but it is clear to me that you are most likely to come across this sort of presenter in this new generation of stations. There are a number of reasons for this, inexperience, voluntary or unpaid status and unfortunately, these stations are sometimes run by people who are well intentioned but do not fully understand the finer points of what it means to run a radio station and more importantly have little knowledge of how to instil a ‘preparation’ culture in the presentation team. . I know one presenter who also runs a station who never turns up until two minutes before his show start time. What a bad example to his team he is! 
   
 The question I put to you as a presenter is; what can you do to improve your performance on air? The single most important thing you can do as a presenter is to prepare your show properly. It is my firm view that, from listening to community radio stations across the country, a disciplined approach to preparation would improve the quality of output no end.  
   
   How do you prepare for a show?   
 Firstly, there are certain basics that you should be doing that are accepted norms for full time professional radio presenters. The first is arriving at the station about an hour before you are due on air and use that time to become familiar with things that might affect you on your show that day. Consider what is making the news both nationally and locally and consider how you can refer to those stories in a way that is appropriate to your listeners. It is always worth it to listen to the news before you get to the station too. This will give you a feel for what people are talking about, what concerns them and how you can win them over by talking about the issues that affect them when you go on air.  
   
 This is what the Programme Controller means when he asks you to ‘be relevant’. To what extent you build your knowledge of events of a particular day is up to you but, to be  really relevant  as a presenter you need to be able to demonstrate your knowledge of that particular day on air. Being in this position before you go on air means you have prepared properly. 
   
  Housekeeping  
 Secondly, on every show there is the day to day on air business that needs to be attended to. You need to be fully aware of and understand promotions that your station is running, new community information added for broadcast, what’s happening or happened on other shows that day, what changes to the schedule, if any and who is replacing that presenter. It’s always good to check with your boss too. Is there stuff he wants you to do on air today that he hasn’t mentioned to you? It is also wise to check that if there any faults with equipment in the studio that could affect your show and so on. All of these things can have an affect on your show and you need to be aware of them in advance of you going on air. Being in this position before you go on air means you have prepared properly.  
   
   Music   
 On average, music on most community stations takes up 70% to 75% of the entire output of the station. Some stations go as far as to allow a random computer selection to become the stations music format. How wrong is that? If this is the case on your community station and this situation is based on a conscious decision made by the management of the station then I don’t have any problem in saying that this is probably the silliest, entirely stupid music formatting decision I have ever heard or likely to hear in future. So, if you are a presenter playing your own music then you must be certain that you are doing the right thing for the station. My view is simple; you should not be seeking total control of your music output. Instead you should be seeking to play your personal choice as part of (and fits with) the overall music policy decided by the management of the station. If they have no music policy and allow a free for all music policy across the station you will lose listeners. The sad thing is this so common it beggars belief.  
   
 Daytime presenters on stations with no specific clear music policy must play safe. Especially on community radio where your audience is demographically very diverse. Choose familiar well known songs, big hits and consciously work on blending these songs together. You can do so by providing connections by era, mood, tempo and genre. This is a skill and requires a good knowledge of music. You can also use time of day as a trigger for type of music and you can only do this by having a good understanding of who, what and where your listener is and what they are doing at a particular time of day. I would suggest each song you play and ask yourself if the song you choose will be enjoyed by the maximum number of listeners after all that’s why you are playing them… right? If you are playing all the songs on your show for your own pleasure then get out of radio because you will not succeed in the long term.  
   
 I have covered how you can be relevant on air just by being aware what is going on around you that day. You know what the main stories are and you have a fair idea of what your listener is talking about today because you have done the preparation. You have also arrived in time to get all the stuff you do every day updated too. You know what promotions are happening on the station; you know what the road show is promoting and why. You know that the presenter coming on after you is standing in for the regular presenter and you know that there is a CD player down and you will have to make some adjustments to how you play that three song segue because the engineers cant fix it until later. You have planned your music and you have fully considered the implication of what you might play. You understand too that you are not playing the music for your own pleasure… you are playing it for the listener to enjoy.  
   
   Four Step Prep   
 Preparation of your radio show is as much, if not more a part of being a radio presenter as is being on the air. You cannot succeed without proper preparation and you will be surprised how good you will become if you prepare properly.  
   
 If you would like to have a copy of my four step prep sheet just email  terry@tdoyle.co.uk  and I will forward you a copy free of charge.  
   
   
 ]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 07 Feb 2012 20:25:19 +0000</pubDate><category>Handy Hints for Presenters</category></item><item><title>Community Radio - Local or Parochial</title><link>http://iloapp.tdoyle.co.uk/blog/terrysthoughts?Home&amp;post=26</link><description><![CDATA[   I had a long conversation recently with a friend of mine, an experienced businessman and broadcaster who spent a few years running his own small local station just north of London. We spoke of how the radio industry has changed in the UK over the last twenty years or so. We spoke too, of the incessant drive by commercial local radio to compete nationally and how this quest is responsible for the virtual destruction of these radio stations as true  local  stations.  
   
 I do not believe these stations to be local anymore in any sense of the word. They have lost their local feel, they have lost their local values and they have lost their souls. They are better described as ‘commercial music stations’ and the only reason they still exist is to provide a dividend to the shareholder and jobs for minor celebrities, nothing else. It is no surprise then to see the lowest common denominator used when it comes to local news or local information or local involvement. It is sad to see that the extent of local involvement in their area is reduced to a few part time staff in the back of a 4x4 handing out stickers every so often, most of which will either end up on the ground or in the bin. There are other clearly evident aspects that reinforce this but it is not necessary to go into those as they have been spoken and written about endlessly. The demise of local content in commercial local radio is complete and, in my view the right to carry the word ‘local’ in any description of what they do should no longer be allowed.  
   
  An opportunity  
 Out of every disaster comes an opportunity. It is now for community radio stations to act fast. It is up to community radio to grab the opportunity that has presented itself. What concerns me is that some community programmers or presenters do not see that opportunity at all or, if they do fail to grasp the extent of that opportunity that has presented itself. That opportunity is simply defined as exploiting the fact that commercial radio is now weak in its provision of local news, information and entertainment. Community radio stations across the UK can fill this gap but do not do so.  
   
  Your product  
 I go on a lot about how your output should be treated as a product and to be successful you need to get your listeners believing in that product and getting advertisers believing in that product too. Each product we buy has a USP (unique selling proposition). Community radios’ USP is  localness  and not only that, but localness in a way only community radio can achieve. Here’s the problem,  some community stations in their attempt to be local sound parochial instead.  There are a number of identifiable factors that are evident when listening to community radio which prove this point.  
   
  Parochial  
 I believe the reason they sound parochial is down to poor management of many stations. I believe that some managers of these stations come from different business disciplines or trades and do not hold a level of knowledge that is required to manage a radio station at all…but have convinced themselves that they know best. Remember, just because you were born and live in your home town does not automatically mean you are the best person to manage the radio station in that town. I find that the opposite is often the case. 
   
 On the other hand, some are previously successful business people who bring in the necessary expertise to get the programming right and then work hard to make the stations financially viable based on a quality product. The fact that they are local to the area is secondary. A very good example of this is Harborough FM in Market Harborough, South Leicestershire. 
   
 What annoys me the most is enough entrepreneurial spirit and business acumen is shown to get the stations to air but… lack of skill in actually running the station afterwards does nothing but systematically destroy it. Why? By not learning how to properly manage the radio station...that’s why! I believe the structure of community radio stations imposed by OFCOM is difficult to manage easily and having unskilled managers in place mean some stations sound unprofessional, parochial and, yes… messy!  
   
  Energy, time, guile and knowledge  
 Community radio has many problems to solve before it is to be truly successful. But fundamentally, to be successful you need listeners and you need money. To get listeners you need a good product and to get money you need advertisers. The advertiser is buying the ears of your listener and if the listener does not exist…you have a hole below the waterline. Understand one thing if you understand nothing else. What comes out of your transmitter is vital to the success of the station and every community radio station manager should realise that... quickly. It sounds simple and it is. It is the processes you implement to build a successful radio product that takes energy, time, guile and knowledge. The very same energy, time, guile and knowledge that you needed to get a community radio licence in the first place. Congratulations for setting up your station. However, it is the second part of the process that is the most important now. That is the running your station successfully for the period of time that licence runs for. 
   
  Weak management  
 I regularly hear ‘out of control’ presentation teams taking advantage of weak management and implementing programme formats that are suspect, outdated and irrelevant to local radio at all. Before community radio existed these presenters could not get work in radio at all. (I filed their demos under B…for bin) These presenters have no experience at all but are given complete editorial control of the station while they are on air with disastrous consequences. They see the station as their plaything and use it to satisfy their misplaced ego. These presenters also seem to think that because they do not get paid that they have a right to do what they like and… get away with it and managers let them do it. This whole problem is systematically destroying a fledgling industry before it has time to fly and must not be allowed to continue.  
   
 I don’t place all the blame on these presenters; some simply have no idea how to do the job… and refuse to listen! Some firm people management, good coaching and ongoing training would solve that problem. It is the self appointed chairpersons and managers who are charged with running these stations and it is they who are to blame if community radio in the UK fails, and many are. It is my view that these people have an idealistic view of radio and also believe that simply being on air means listeners will switch on and advertisers will throw money at the station no matter what they broadcast. That is a dangerous strategy and one destined to fail.  
   
 Build your product, cherish it and protect it, control your presentation team even though you don’t pay them. Make certain they do it your way or not at all. Study your competitors and work out where they are weak and make sure you are strong in that area of format. Above all, be local… not parochial. 
   
 ]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:36:28 +0000</pubDate><category>Local Radio</category></item><item><title>Getting Your Daytime Line Up Right!</title><link>http://iloapp.tdoyle.co.uk/blog/terrysthoughts?Home&amp;post=25</link><description><![CDATA[   Understanding how and when your listener listens most is vital to the success of your community radio station. Regardless of the size of your area, it is generally accepted that the largest audience is available in the morning. So the breakfast show should be flagship show on your station.   
   
 Mid morning and afternoon shows benefit from this too and, where possible aim to maintain what the breakfast show builds. Night time is the domain of the specialist show, ideal for picking up sections of the audience that just listen then and thereby increase your listener numbers too. Weekend daytime is another big opportunity when it is possible to pick up the largest audience. Breakfast and mid morning often show the highest audience of the entire week because of the ability to listen for longer.  
   
  A Problem  
 Understanding your audience and when they listen is a big problem for community radio stations and as an industry; you should be actively trying to get a grip on this problem. How can you programme a radio station if you don’t understand how people listen in the first place? Please don’t use the usual defensive statement ‘I do it this way because I know my area is different to everywhere else’. No it is not… that is just your excuse to face the issue had on.  
     
  Listeners  
 Listeners are nice people but community radio needs to realise one thing. Listeners don’t see you as a community radio station. They don’t see you as a charity. They don’t see you as any different to any other station available to them and certainly they don’t make a decision to listen to you simply because you exist. It is   you   that sees community radio this way, not your listener. Listeners see you as just another radio station. They will listen to you only if you provide good quality local news, information and entertainment. If you don’t, they will listen to something else. The other fact that you need to be address is that you simply cannot afford to have poor quality output at a time when most people are likely to listen to you and that is during the day. That is where you earn your bread and butter.  
   
 I fully understand that community radio stations operate on a shoestring but that is no excuse for having poor quality output during the day. What I don’t understand is why community radio programmers do not deal with the problem effectively or even at all. The result is some very poor quality output, at times in the day when there is the biggest opportunity to grab and keep lots of listeners.  
   
  Shortage of funds  
 The problem is practical and twofold. Firstly, many community radio stations say they find it difficult to secure top quality presenters for day time slots simply because they do not have the money to pay professional presenters who are more likely to have the ability to secure a loyal day time following for the station. I disagree with this. Besides, I seriously question the nature of community radio generally where there is now an expectation that people should work for nothing… why?  
   
 It is fine to expect young or inexperienced presenters or aspiring journalists to work on a community station to gain the experience they need to develop a career. The community radio station that does this is doing the radio industry a great service by providing the training ground for these young people to learn. But that is not your  core  business. Your core business is local radio. Your core business is to compete with others stations and win listeners by providing good quality local news, information and entertainment. It is that simple. Remember the fact that people listen to radio all the time. Some statistics suggest forty six million people in the UK listen to radio all the time. You need to work out how you get people in your area to listen to you… all the time! 
   
  Volunteers  
 It seems to be common practice in many community stations to place volunteers with limited presentation skills in day time slots simply because they are prepared to work for free. This decision has got nothing to do with the product, this decision has nothing to do with the listener and this decision has got nothing to do with the success of the station overall. It is done for financial reasons only. That is wrong. Going forward, it may have everything to do with the poor performance of the station or the complete failure of the station eventually. If you make your programming decisions based on the fact that you cannot afford anything then expect your product to be poor. I often wonder if radio was perceived in the same way as, say the rubbish collection industry would there be as many volunteers coming forward prepared to work for nothing. Those smitten by its magic perceive radio as a glamorous industry. It is not. Those of us who have spent a lifetime in the industry know that there are loads of ropes and pulleys behind the scenes that are used to create the illusion. Being involved in radio means you are involved in creating the magic… not believing it!  
   
 So how do you change this? A programmer of any radio station is a brand manager. It is your job to build, evolve, develop and protect your product. I am confident that there are certain things you can do to make your product better and money is not one of them, although it does help. 
   
  Think big  
 First, decide what your product is. Clearly focus on it and document every aspect of that product and then set out to achieve it without compensating on quality for anyone or anything. In radio terms, define your area, define your listener (please don’t choose 25 to 55 you can’t do it) and then define what you can do to get her to listen and listen for longer. Build a brand, choose your music carefully, make sure your jingles position your station properly, invest in local news and train all your presenters to read local news. Control your presenters and coach them to be better, communicate with them, tell them what you want and how you want them to do things on air. Protect your brand by not letting your presenters run riot on air. They cannot do what the like just because you don’t pay them… right? Protect your brand by focussing on a specific sound that is clearly identifiable by your listener. Promote that brand endlessly on air and stick to promises you make on air. Make things big, make them cool, and make them attractive. Control your production values, commercials, jingles, promos. If you think it sounds ok then dump it. It has to sound brilliant before it gets on your station… right? 
   
 The fact is it is simple to do this. You just need to follow some basic immutable laws of radio broadcasting. I believe every person who is passionate about community radio can make their radio station a huge success. You just have to take a professional, big, different approach and to be honest with you …a little bit of trust in those who have done it in the past.  
   
     
  A challenge  
 I challenge any community radio station programmer that, without changing your on air team or spending money other than on some imaging, I could make your station improve its performance way beyond what it is achieving now. It will take us a year or so, possibly more to do it. Who knows, you might even make some money… Wouldn’t that be good! 
   
 If you want to take me up on this email me. We can talk the talk and then we’ll get down to the real business of walking the walk.  
 ]]></description><pubDate>Mon, 30 Jan 2012 07:34:26 +0000</pubDate><category>Local Radio</category></item><item><title>The Basic Principles of Local Broadcasting</title><link>http://iloapp.tdoyle.co.uk/blog/terrysthoughts?Home&amp;post=23</link><description><![CDATA[   Why is it that those who manage community radio stations seem to have no idea about what makes a good local station? Why is this? Well it’s because these managers simply refuse to listen. These are the very same managers who claim to know their area well and use that so-called knowledge to justify absolutely ridiculous decisions they make on a day-to-day basis. I suggest they seem to refuse to accept the basic principles of local broadcasting and I suspect the real truth lies in the fact that they don’t know the basic principles of local broadcasting at all.  
   
 What makes a great local radio station? What should you be doing to get people listening to you? These are just some of the questions community radio managers seem to avoid. Yes, I did say avoid. They speak of ‘what the community wants’ all the time and frankly is all ‘hot air’. I speak to local radio managers regularly and some do understand the concept of local radio, many clearly do not. There are those who believe they know how to broadcast locally yet try to copy those who know nothing of local radio at all.  
 
  Vested interest  
 If you want to come to some understanding of the principles of local broadcasting you first need to understand the people you want to broadcast to. You need to realise that the people who are most likely to listen to you are the people who have a vested interest in the area you broadcast to. The have a house, a mortgage, children in the local school, the have a minor interest in or follow local sport and they work locally. Some are native to the area others are not but have set up home in the area. They are probably aged 30 or over. 
 
  It’s not a complicated concept  
 There are a number of tools you use to attract an audience and the simple fact is that the music you play is extremely important in the battle to convince people to listen to you. I hear stations all the time where the music management is so poor that the results simply act as a millstone threatening the entire success of the station. 
 
 In many local radio stations the music content is at least 50% and for many more it is more like 75%. Yet the music output of local radio is major function of the station that isn’t managed at all. This is stupid, very stupid. Do not make the mistake of thinking that the local commercial station is wrong by repeating the same songs all the time (Their listeners only listen for 20 minutes or so, and in those 20 minutes they hear the ‘better music variety’ message about 4 times too and guess what, they start to believe it). Don’t do the opposite of what they do to compete because you think what they do is wrong. That is another stupid decision.  
 
 Big commercial music station like Heart and Capital are not dependent on a very small area to earn their living, you do. They have music experts and schedulers everywhere backed up by big Marketing Departments, all working to increase revenue at the minimum cost possible. They only compete nationally and music policies are aimed at achieving a big national audience. Your 50000 song playlist helps them. Yes, you and your music policy are helping them build their listener base in your area. Why would you do that? 
 
 It is vital that you manage your music, its 75% of your output, but you do not have to compete directly with the big boys. If they only play a few songs you don’t have to play thousands just to be different. Don’t ever forget that ‘more music variety’ is simply a marketing ploy and playing everything and anything on your station to combat that is exactly what they want you to do. If you do that be aware that you are helping them, yes you have to manage your music output and to do that you need to know who your target audience is (see heading ‘vested interest’) 
 
  It ain’t what you do it’s the way that you do it  
 The other area that needs to be addressed if you want to gain some credibility with your audience is your provision of local news and information. Local radio is not simply about providing local information it is about  how  you deliver news and local information in a credible and intelligent manner. I heard my local radio station provide a list of gigs that, on one occasion went on for 21 minutes. He lost me in the first 40 seconds but I tuned back in assuming he had moved on but no… he was still going!  
 
 How you deliver local information is extremely important and is the key to your success. Remember I said ‘how you deliver’ is the key. Reading out 'three in a row' lists of local information, car boot sales, local charity appeals for volunteers and so on is boring to the listener and the result is nothing gets through to the listener at all. I am a big believer in looking at the important reasons why a local event might be taking place and placing that information in front of the listener in a credible and intelligent way. Some truly local radio stations, in Ireland particularly have realised a long time ago that telling people  why  listeners should support a particular event and then providing some local details about the event itself works much better than just telling listeners what on and when. So I suggest that promoting local events individually and including why events are taking place is a much more intelligent and sophisticated way of presenting something that otherwise would be lost in a long list of other ‘stuff’ broadcast at the same time.  
 
  Community versus Local  
 Most radio stations managers have made the huge mistake of interpreting a working title used by OFCOM to distinguish that type of broadcast licence i.e. Community Radio and incorporated the word  community  into the name of the station. There is nothing to say you have to use the word community in your station name and I strongly advise against it. In radio terms it means small, mediocre and amateur and if that is the way you want to be seen then, by all means go ahead and use the word  community  in your title. I notice too that there is some correlation visible between those who choose not to use the C word in their title and the quality of the station output. I suspect that those who understand the concept seem to understand the other finer points of running a small local station successfully too. 
 
 So if you have a community radio licence and run a truly local radio station remember that you need to know how to build a local audience because you only broadcast to a very small geographic area.  
 
 I suggest some simple steps; manage your music well and make your station sound bigger that it is. Deliver local news and information in a way that makes it sound credible and intelligent and more importantly, that makes your station sound intelligent and credible. Perhaps then you can start to truly see how local radio can beat the big music stations… by understanding who your listeners are and getting your music, local news and information right for that particular audience.  
 
 Oh by the way, get rid of the C word from your station name…  
 
 
   If you would like help or advice on how to build your local radio station then get in touch and we can talk   
        
  
 ]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 24 Jan 2012 19:01:20 +0000</pubDate><category>Articles</category></item><item><title>Handy Hints - Scripts</title><link>http://iloapp.tdoyle.co.uk/blog/terrysthoughts?Home&amp;post=22</link><description><![CDATA[  I have often found that scripts placed in studios for presenters to read are not written for broadcast. Over the years I have been handed some brilliant scripts and some handwritten notes that I simply could not read at all. Not forgetting the flyer, the poster, or a news script (I remember a news editor who tried to change news scripts just seconds before I read them on air! uh oh!) Of course there is pressure to get the information out on air quickly and as the radio boss will say...  'you’re a pro… so you should be able to handle that sort of stuff'    If you are asked to broadcast information you don't understand for whatever reason  you  are  being professional  by saying you need the information in a format you can use on air. You are also  being professional  by using your skill to rewrite, change or put it in a format that allows you to do your job. The only way you can do that is to use the time while songs are playing to edit to fit your style. You are a producer as well as a presenter and ideally any prep should be done before your show but in local radio it is inevitable that you will need to sub-edit in the studio too.   Community Notices are good examples of this. Read the script, practice out loud in advance and be sure you understand what you are reading. I have to say that some information is poorly written sometimes. If you write on scripts in an attempt to make it better you may be causing problems for the next person who uses it.  If you feel a script is poorly written then scan the script and make bullet points separately instead.  What, when, where, who and most importantly, why . This minimizes the risk of mistakes and still gets the right information across. This is also a good way of helping you develop an individual presentation style.  So read, practice out loud, and if you need to change the script (not the information) then do so because you will sound better and besides... as the boss says 'you are a pro and you should be able to handle that sort of stuff...right?'  
 ]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 04 Jan 2012 08:37:24 +0000</pubDate><category>Handy Hints</category></item><item><title>Community Radio is Built on Good Content </title><link>http://iloapp.tdoyle.co.uk/blog/terrysthoughts?Home&amp;post=21</link><description><![CDATA[   I heard a comment earlier this week that was very true. That comment was a reference to the views of a community radio licensee who believes that community radio is not about the presenters on air rather, it’s all about the content. I agree wholeheartedly but I have a problem with it too. My problem is a simple one. I hear very little evidence of such a philosophy being implemented in Community Radio generally.   
 
 Let’s look at the presenters on community radio. Community radio is not about creating celebrity status for those presenters. It seems to me that is what most are after. Community radio is about creating great local content. If your reason for presenting on any radio station big or small is simply to become a celebrity then my advice to you is to think again and do so quickly. You see, Community radio is not about creating celebrities, a small level of local notoriety may be achieved as a result of some decent broadcast talent but that notoriety is usually a by-product and is always short-lived. Local radio has got nothing to do with celebrity, it never has had anything to do with celebrity and it will never be a source of celebrity… thank goodness. Listeners have very short memories and their loyalty to or relationship with any one radio presenter is fickle and best and non existent at worst. If you want proof of that just ask the presenters who were on your local station in 1988, if you can remember who they were and find the taxi firm they work for now. 
  Celebrity  
 Celebrity is for the big boys, the national broadcasters like Radio 2 and others. If that is your aspiration then it is worth realising that you need to be a celebrity  before  you get a radio show at all. Just take a look at the radio 2 schedules and see how many recently hired presenters owe their fame to careers outside of radio… quite a few! Local radio, Community Radio (call it what you will) is all about content, well presented. The ability of the management team to drive that strategy forward will lead to a successful local radio station.  
 
 Two things are required to achieve this. Firstly, you need a great programmer who knows the difference between a good local radio presenter who knows how to create good local content and the local plumber with a giant ego driven by a twisted view of what local radio should be… and who also thinks he’s Gods gift to radio. If the person responsible for content on the station can not distinguish between these two then the station will suffer badly. The second thing required is a good salesman. He needs a good product to sell and that product is, large numbers of listeners. They exist only because of the product created by the programmer builds a strong audience ... yes you’ve got it … the station content. 
  Anoraks  
 Let’s speak for a moment on the plumber/anorak/presenter. I can tell you now that these people are ruining Community Radio. Why? Because they are the ‘anoraks’ who always wanted to present on Commercial Radio or BBC local radio before Community Radio ever existed but got turned down every time when they applied to because they were simply not good enough. If they did manage to get a job they didn’t last very long. I know, I did the turning down (politely of course) but I did keep some of the demos. I listen to them now and again just to remind myself that radio presentation is a talent and no matter how some people try they will never make it onto any radio station… unless you let them.  
 
 With the advent of Community Radio, the advent of the unpaid presenter the advent of the ‘local pillar of the community’ who gets a community radio licence but knows nothing of how a radio station works, means the door is open to those who could not succeed before. I don’t blame Mr ‘Pillar’ he did everything right and fair play to him but if you are faced with a seven day schedule of at least 15 hours of live broadcasting to fill and Mr ‘Anorak’ keeps knocking on your door saying he’s the best thing since Terry Wogan landed at Heathrow and will present your Drive Show for NOTHING…well its difficult to look a gift horse in the mouth and its happening wholesale across the community network. What’s the old saying about peanuts and Monkeys? 
  Lets be positive  
 Now before you accuse me of being negative let me say that there is some great talent on Community Radio, presenters on stations who clearly realise that Community Radio is the new ‘LOCAL RADIO’. There are some stations out there that realise that ‘local’ means being a catalyst for the area rather than being a pet finding service. There are local programmers who realise that local radio is more than just asking your listeners what 73% of people do before they their brush their teeth (What I do know is 100% of your listeners don’t care). The skill lies in finding these people, training these people, nurturing these people who will go on to develop a sector of the radio industry that needs developing and needs developing now.  
 
 Will this ever happen? I believe it will not because the desire to fill airtime with unpaid, unqualified and frankly uneducated presenters is far stronger than the desire to provide a proper professional sounding local service that may cost a little more but would reap much larger financial benefits. The reason is money or more accurately, the lack of it. It’s got nothing to do with community, nothing to do with local content and nothing to do with the true values of local radio. 
  A dream  
 I did have a fantastic idea once, I toyed with the idea that I could become a consultant for Community Radio; I could bring all my management expertise, experience and broadcasting skills to bear on a little station that would see the benefit in listener numbers and revenue if they took my advice. It could take some time, probably longer than Mr ‘Pillar’ is prepared to accept but I know it will work and they could take the credit, I wouldn’t mind. Perhaps I could claim a fee based on success of the station only. Perhaps I could sit on the management committee and offer further expertise from time to time and even have a role in coaching new talent in the academies. It’ll never happen though. Why? Well the truth often offends and a cold, impartial ear on what his station broadcasts will reveal things that Mr ‘Pillar’ simply doesn’t want to hear. A misguided loyalty to those who are systematically keeping his station from real success stands between him and that success. Finally, he suffers from something that other businesspeople do not suffer from…  Mr’ Pillars’ fear of loss is far stronger than his desire for gain.   
 ]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 30 Dec 2011 17:20:55 +0000</pubDate><category>Radio</category></item><item><title>Your Position In Your Listeners Mind.</title><link>http://iloapp.tdoyle.co.uk/blog/terrysthoughts?Home&amp;post=20</link><description><![CDATA[   Quite a while back I looked in detail at the process of positioning your radio station in your listeners mind and this week I want to look at how you can manage  the positioning  process. Positioning is all about the conscious management of how your station is perceived by listeners in the area you broadcast to. I believe that most radio people understand positioning, they just don’t realise that they understand it. They haven’t yet realised that a lot of what they do to get listeners to listen is part of the process of… Positioning.   
     
 So what is ‘positioning’? Radio station positioning establishes the  competitive  reason for the listener selection of your station versus that of your competitors and the  unique position  you intend to occupy in their mind. In other words, it identifies   why   listeners should care about us in the first place.  
   
 Of course, as a manager, a programmer or a licensee you have an overall business plan that guides you over the term of the licence (you do have a plan, don’t you?) Part of that plan will include strategies defined by you to achieve everything you want to achieve. Your plan may change over time and that ok, not having a plan at all is not ok.  
   
  Part of the plan  
 One of those strategies in your plan should be all about positioning your station. If you do not have a strategy for this then it is something you should put in place right now. Having a ‘positioning’ strategy as part of your overall management plan for your radio station means you wish to have an active role in forming a favourable opinion in your listeners’ minds about your station. People will not listen to you simply because you want them to. You have to tell them you have a product, you have to tell them about the product and you must do everything you can to get them to buy into the product.  
   
 Radio everywhere, big or small, is a product and it must be thought of that way if it’s to succeed. The only difference is we have two types of customers, listeners and advertisers. It is simple and I challenge anyone to deny the fact that if you have plenty of both the station will be a huge success… agreed?  
   
 Three statements that will make you a very happy person are when your customers and listeners say 
   
 I listen to Community radio because I like the local news and information… 
 I listen to Community Radio because I like the music they play… 
 I advertise on Community Radio because I get new customers through my door… 
   
  Cluttered and confused  
 Thanks to the web, I can listen to lots of radio stations and get a good feel for how those stations are performing. The overriding feeling I get is one of lots of clutter on air and mixed messages about the product. The end result is that I don’t get a clear picture in my head about the station, I’m left undecided and somewhat confused. Now…if that is how I feel, I wonder what local listeners think?  
   
  Endearing? Irritating?   
 Community radio stations need to get away from the idea that it is ok to have loads of stuff on air every hour. Filling the station with all sorts of features and shows is  not  the way forward. Community radio is like any other radio station regardless of what industry sector it is in and the same rules apply across the board. Community Radio has got to stop thinking that you can do what you like and the listeners will stay with you… just because you are a Community Station. They will not. They expect good quality local radio and they will not listen for long if they don’t get it. Yes, it is that simple. One eminent journalist writing in a national newspaper referred to the first ten minutes of listening to his community radio station in Kent as ‘endearing’. He also went on to say that after ten minutes ‘endearing’ quickly became ‘irritating’. This is very accurate. The lesson is simple. You must get your product right and then position it correctly in your listeners mind. Do not expect the word ‘Community’ in your title or imaging to keep listeners listening if your output is poor.  
   
  Keep it simple  
 Position your station in a way that is easy to listen to (not easy listening). If you ‘love to be local’ that incorporate that in your call sign on air, your imaging, in the way you answer the phone, on your car stickers and so on. If you do road shows, then make sure you promote your position there too. Get rid of the clutter, all those different messages you have. Focus on just one clear and easily understandable message that tells listeners who you are and what you do. Your station must clearly define and develop a strong, clear, simple position that is easily understood. Only change things if you know they’re not working. Your station must  tell  its listener what its ’position’ is and use every facet of the stations output to get ‘the station position’ fixed in the listeners mind. Too many stations fail because the image the listener gets is left to chance and you cannot afford to do that. I repeat, people will not listen to you just because you are a community station. You product has to be right too.  
   
 Document your position regarding music, news and presentation style and make certain it is clearly understood by every member of the team who works in or with the station at all levels. Act on those policies and be rigid in their implementation. Consider ‘the station position’ in the listeners mind before implementing any new features or changes to general station output. 
   
  Positioning exercise  
 Try this exercise in positioning a specific part of your station output. I would like you to consider specifically why some stations play a music bed under the national and local news whenever they are broadcast. Please note that I am not saying it is a  good  or a  bad  programming element. I am simply asking why it is done.  
   
 
 Does it make the station sound better? 
 Does it make listeners listen to the News?  
 Does it add to the news bulletin as a product in itself? 
 Are you trying to cover inadequacies in the news delivery? 
 Are you trying to cover inadequacies in the news content?  
   
 What you are doing here is questioning what you do and how it is perceived by the listener. If you wish to establish a position in the listeners mind that information you supply is clear accurate and easily understood then I suggest that a music bed under the news works against establishing that ‘position’.  
   
 One of the major guiding factors when building a radio station format (product) is the conscious decision to be clear FIRST on what ‘position’ you want that radio station to be in ‘in the listeners mind’  .   In radio station terms, you should consider  ‘position’  when deciding on music played / weekend format / station ids/ promos / news / staff hired/road-shows/station liners used/ and so on. If it did not fit with where you want the station to be  ‘in the listeners mind’  you simply do not do it. 
   
 Finally, when considering position of the station in the listeners mind, it is worth remembering that is the small programming decisions, not just the big ones that secure your stations position in your listeners mind.  
   
 ]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 27 Oct 2011 11:15:44 +0100</pubDate><category>Radio</category></item><item><title>Soften the News</title><link>http://iloapp.tdoyle.co.uk/blog/terrysthoughts?Home&amp;post=18</link><description><![CDATA[   Community radio stations across the country are in a position that could jeopardise their ability to be impartial and fair in how the deal with local news generally. I have experienced this myself recently so understand the position that Community Radio Station, and in some cases individual presenters on Community Radio are placed in. I worry that I’ve had some reports from reliable resources that seem to suggest that it is an issue we, in the Community Radio Industry need talk about and resolve…now!   
   
 Let’s look at the way Community Radio is funded generally. 50% of the revenue generated by Community Radio comes from advertising and sponsorship which leaves 50% to be raised in other ways. Those ‘other ways’ sometimes include grants from the local council in the area the radio station broadcasts to. I have had reports that because those grants have been given there have been ‘approaches’ for want of a better word, by influential people asking those in authority at the station (i.e. those who hold editorial control) to ‘go easy on’ or ‘soften’ the story in some way because it does not reflect well on the public institution or body that has issued the grant to the station. I have also heard of one RSL who received funding from a retail organisation being asked to ‘soften’ a story about selling tobacco to under age customers in one of its shops.  
   
  Wrong  
 Let’s be clear, the reporting of a story in a particular way to protect a Community Radio Stations current financial status or its future financial position is very, very wrong. As a journalist, I believe in and am very aware of the integrity of my colleagues who report stories truthfully fairly and impartially. This is particularly true of my colleagues in radio generally. It is a highly respected section of the media and very rarely is found wanting when it come to the correct and proper reporting of the news either locally, nationally or internationally. I suggest to that after you read this article you spend just a very short time reading the Broadcast Codes that apply to Community Radio in the UK.  
   
  Due   Impartiality  
 Section Five of the Ofcom Broadcast code (Due Impartiality and Due Accuracy and Undue Prominence of Views and Opinions) says;   News, in whatever form, must be reported with due accuracy and presented with due impartiality. Radio stations found in breach of this are likely to be severely punished and the news editor involved would likely lose his job. 
 On the other hand, it is not that difficult to manipulate output in line with the wishes of those who supply the cash. News too is a short-lived commodity and you could just ignore the story and replace it with something else or you could ‘soften’ it by reducing it to just a line or two at most. You’re only a community station and after all what you sweep under the carpet is never noticed anyway. You are probably right; it may never be noticed... until it is. My view is simple and reflects that of my News Editor at one of the bigger stations I looked after in the dim and distant past. The first essential of News is accuracy and your reputation for fairness and reliability rests upon the accurate presentation of the facts. It does not matter what size your station is and it does not matter how many people you broadcast to it is accurate reporting of the facts that matters… nothing else. 
 So how do you stop the cloaked requests to deal with a story so as to show someone it a better light when really you are not being truthful with your listener? 
 How do you balance the fact that you might actually lose some funding simply because you didn’t bend to the wishes of those who want to bury a story that has the potential to damage their reputation? 
  Your position  
 The solution is to prepare your case in relation to fair and accurate reporting when applying for funding. It is vital that you document your moral and legal position as a broadcaster generally and include that as part of any application. I suggest you base your position on the broadcast codes and make reference to specific areas of those codes that refer to accurate and impartial reporting. I am certain that including such a document would not affect the outcome of any application but would be a clear indication from the start that you will not break the Broadcast Codes under any circumstances. 
 Another simple solution is to explain to those who wish to protect their reputation that by doing so they are asking you to risk yours. Take it from me and take it from those who have worked in radio for more than just a few years. A radio station that loses its reputation or credibility will never recover from such a loss… at worst, it that means closure and at best, a relaunch under a new name and probably under new management too.  
 ]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 19 Oct 2011 14:49:46 +0100</pubDate><category>Radio</category></item><item><title>Social Networks-The Hidden Dangers</title><link>http://iloapp.tdoyle.co.uk/blog/terrysthoughts?Home&amp;post=17</link><description><![CDATA[   It is quite a few months now since I mentioned the issue of social network sites and how they are increasingly used to promote shows on Community radio stations. Some of the content in posts I see are entirely acceptable and ‘on message’. Others simply are not. Lets look at this again in light of some more recent stuff that is still getting through your ‘editorial control’ net.  
   
 It seems to me that presenters use entries on social sites to do any number of things. Promoting an upcoming show or feature or promoting a feature elsewhere on the station you represent on air. Most of the entries I see are quite innocent, informative or funny and that's fine. The confusion happens when a personal comment you make could be seen as comment made by the station your represent and, even though you don’t see it that way, the reader does. The line between what is clearly a personal comment or one that you write as part of your job as a presenter on a radio station is so blurred it is barely visible.  
   
 Before I go any further I would like to outline the general definition of libel and it would be worth remembering for future reference. Libel is a) a false publication, as in writing, print, signs, or pictures that damages a person's reputation and b) the act of presenting such material to the public. 
   
 You cannot write and publish anything that is rude, nasty, abusive, racist or derogatory about any person. Correct me if I am wrong, I believe social network sites are public forums, the public have access to them because presenters actively use them to promote what they do on air. Other people can read comments made by the presenter including anything that may be libellous in nature even if they just see it as a personal viewpoint. 
   
 If you place a comment that represents your personal view or opinion on any of the social network sites that is offensive, derogatory or abusive about any individual in any way, you also need to be aware of the fact that it is a written statement made by you that has been placed in the public domain by you. It could be interpreted as libellous if the person who is the subject of your of your comment sees it and feels it damages his or her reputation. If you also promote your show by using the same site, you instantly make the connection between the personal comments made by you and the station you work for. Why is this? Readers of the abusive comment do not see any separation between the promotion of your show and the abusive comments made because there is no separation between them. I have seen some of those personal comments and the content is at the very least, questionable and could be interpreted as outside of the law. I am aware of one recent comment that was definitely over the line but will not refer to what it said as I could be accused of libel too.  
   
 If you are a manager of a community radio station you need to be acutely aware of the content that is associated with a show on your station. You may be very surprised at what you see and how your station is portrayed in that particular forum. I guarantee that some of what you see will not make you a very happy person.  
   
 There is the mistaken belief in community radio that social networks are the best way to promote your station. They should be part of the marketing mix but they are not the answer to selling your station locally. The amount of people who listen to community radio online is miniscule compared to those who listen locally on a radio. Funnily enough, most community radio stations will have, at some point broadcast online only and may have done so for some time. I hear stations with an ‘online promotion’ habit that is dated and simply does not apply to a community radio station broadcasting to a much wider local audience on FM.  
   
 Of course, social media has a part to play in what you do but if you want social media to be part of the station marketing mix you must manage it and not allow it to manage you. It is worth remembering that Community Radio is a social network in itself and was around long before that term was ever invented and is still one of the most powerful interactive media there is. My advice is to stop presenters using social media sites to promote themselves in an uncontrolled ways because there is no separation between what is written on behalf of your station and what is not. Your listeners can read both and believe me; all it will take is for one individual to take offence at a comment made by one of your team and you could find yourself apologising financially to OFCOM after a complaint was made and upheld.  
   
 Create instead a strong radio station identity on social networks that presenters can work within and promote on air. But it must be monitored in the same way as you are monitoring the output of your station on a daily basis. You do monitor the output of your station daily… don’t you? 
   
   
 ]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 13 Jul 2011 10:05:11 +0100</pubDate><category>Radio</category></item></channel>
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