Talent On Loan From God…? Valerie Geller on Talk Radio

Programming WABC New York gave me a ringside seat to Rush in his early days. We were the flagship station for the Rush Limbaugh Show. At that time, Rush did a two-hour live local show in New York, followed by his two-hour national show. Later, he merged both shows into a three hour daily national program. Rush was a hardworking genuine talent – as he puts it, “on loan from God.”  


At that time, using that talent, Rush led the way for Talk radio to become the top format in the United States. Just as Rush Limbaugh changed the landscape of talk radio and may have been responsible for resurrecting AM radio in the US in the 1990s, Rush is once again the canary in the coal mine, serving as a metaphor for self-reflection by our entire industry.

THE GRASSROOTS “GAME CHANGER”

 Thanks to social networking, each listener now has the power and a platform to talk back to the media. It used to take weeks to organize a protest campaign, but now it’s instant. Customers and listeners can immediately rally online to make their displeasure with a program, product or service known. It’s had a huge impact. While talk radio advertisers enjoy the exposure that these shows and hosts offer, they don’t want to risk brand devaluation, customer anger or worse.

If you’ve been following the Limbaugh story, you’re no doubt aware that many sponsors pulled out. When I spoke with several ad reps, each reported having conversations with clients who asked that their commercials not be associated with specific controversial hosts. Clients are right to worry in this age of social media. Even a small percentage can make a big difference.

Sponsors pull out in fear of product boycotts, but the public pressure that starts it signals a larger change in consciousness. At one point, Rush gave voice in an entertaining fun way to the powerless–people who perceived that their point of view had not been heard. But now, with social media, everyone has a voice, the playing field is leveled, and one man with a microphone has less exclusive power.

HAS RUSH CHANGED?

Even if you disagreed with him, for many, listening to Rush was a guilty pleasure – before he was perceived as having political power. Politics had always been one of Rush’s passions, but he was also an interesting storyteller, he was funny and a damn good broadcaster. Whether or not people held his political point of view, Rush grew a huge listening base because he was entertaining. But as one Rush affiliate stated, “Rush gave up funny a long time ago.”

There’s an extra irony in the whole Rush debacle: In the mid ’80s on KFBK in Sacramento, Calif., Rush was originally hired to replace the controversial Morton Downey Jr., (left) who had offended many with his obnoxious name calling on-the-air. Part of the reason Rush was brought on board was to mend the wounds inflicted by Downey. It was understood that Rush would be gracious and polite to callers.

WHY IS TALK RADIO NOW LOSING AUDIENCE IN THE U.S.?

Here’s one reason: Most people are a mix of both liberal and conservative views, depending on the specific issues. These days, when people hear the term “talk radio,” many turn off at the thought of  conservatives or liberals angrily attacking each other, with “Yes/No,” “Right/Wrong,” or “Black/White,” polarizing opinions that quickly become boring. One former Limbaugh fan said, “I used to love listening to Rush. But the show has changed and I miss the fun…”

WHY THE BAD NEWS?  IT’S BRAIN SCIENCE

There’s a scientific reason behind the negative, polarizing, news and talk: People pay attention to it. Research from The Brain Resource Company shows that instinctively, human beings are hard wired to maximize safety and minimize danger. When we take in negative, threatening or conflict-driven information, our brains go on “full alert.” Conflict is the essence of drama. In Talk radio, there’s no shortage of the negative that is provided to create that conflict.

But if a host becomes a one trick pony, primarily covering one major topic or issue with one point of view, day-after-day, it gets predictable and boring. Rush used to talk about a variety of topics. Powerful radio, whatever the format, works best when there are surprises. When Talk radio informs, entertains, inspires, persuades and connects with people by covering a wide range of topics, points of view and human experiences, then it’s NOT boring and it works.

People listen to be entertained, to expand their world and to get “talkable topics.” It works best when the talk reflects the variety in life and moves organically from serious or more substantive topics to the lighter, more personal or even silly topics, depending on what’s going on in the world and what’s happening spontaneously live on-the-air. I work with talk hosts in 30 countries. This is true everywhere.

Audiences hunger for talk, but when they are not being served by commercial talk radio they’re flocking to public radio, downloading special interest podcasts and getting information from sources like the hugely popular TED talks. 

KNOWING YOUR AUDIENCE

With all of the other media and distractions that compete for attention, Talk radio still works if a host can establish a relationship with listeners based on genuine understanding and respect. 

But it’s a two way street. Now, Talk radio requires listening as well as talking. It means engaging in a two way dialogue using online and social media in addition to taking calls on-air.  When a host loses sight of who he or she is talking to, audiences let them know immediately that a line has been crossed.

Rush still has his talent on loan from God. The challenge will be not only for Rush Limbaugh, but for all of Talk radio, to listen to the audience – as well as entertain with powerful storytelling, information, humor, and surprises to deepen the connection not only with listeners who’ve remained loyal, but also to invite back those who have left.

About the Writer

Valerie Geller, president of Geller Media International Broadcast Consultants, works to help communicators become more powerful in 30 countries, including Australia, for news, talk, information and personality. Through consulting and individual coaching for news and talk talent, Geller finds and develops personalities, leads “Creating Powerful Radio” and “Communicate Powerfully” workshops and seminars for radio and TV broadcasters, internet radio and podcasters. Geller is the recipient of the Conclave’s 2010 Rockwell Lifetime Achievement Award and is the author of four books about radio including her latest from Elsevier’s Focal Press Beyond Powerful Radio – A Communicator’s Guide to the Internet Age. To contact Valerie Geller for a one-on-one coaching or consulting, appointment, or for information on the “Powerful Radio” seminars and workshops, call +1 212 580-3385

Note: This is an edited version of an article that first appeared on radio-info.com and has been republished with permission.