Have you had your life flash before your eyes?
Heading to Coolangatta airport after the CBAA Conference 2024, with my niece Elizabeth driving, a teenage boy lobbed a projectile at us which hit square on the windscreen and then bounced up over the bonnet.
Lizzie pulled off onto the motorway verge and I called the police.
Just before the incident we’d honestly been talking about those moments when you were grateful you’d bought insurance. If that wasn’t serendipitous enough we’d also been talking about Brisbane radio broadcaster and conference speaker Spencer Howson, like most people surely do on car trips with loved ones.
Spencer’s session (see below) was about how your personal and local stories can create listener connection:
My niece hadn’t attended the conference, but must feel like she did as I’d told her all about it as soon as I saw her, a woman we encountered in the spa lounge had shared with us both that Spencer’s session had been her favourite, and then we’d run into Spencer and Valerie Geller (who you’ll hear more on shortly) in the foyer. She’ll have an embedded memory of him forever.
You can read more about Spencer’s illustrious radio and now academic background here, as well as register for presentation training with him, through the CMTO this Wednesday October 23rd. He also went to primary school with Kyle Sandilands, not that this is relevant to either of their careers, just an extra tidbit that certainly made the conference audience’s ears prick up.
Spencer’s session was that content; good, meaningful, surprising, fun, funny, emotive, thought inspiring content, is everywhere for audio people. But, while it is everywhere, I’ll use a quote from Valerie Geller’s opening plenary the day before that:
“If what’s going on inside your head is better than what’s coming out of the radio, then you’re stuffed.”
Don’t just use content because it’s there, but because you think it’s any or many of the above adjectives.
The boy, and his projectile, led to a further conversation between my beloved niece and I about what having teenagers was like, what would have happened if we’d died, how brave we felt about taking immediate action in any vulnerable situation and people who we felt safe around. Topics which might resonate with you too.
Spencer said at the conference that when he is air checking he expects, in any 15 minute block, some reference that makes him aware of where you live, to remind listeners that they are tuning in to their local station. Reframe national stories with a local angle, and equally, think of how a local story can have national appeal.
Some other ideas to assist with planning your show are below, and I’d like to think that I absolutely took onboard the first two:
For many radio presenters and producers reading this, the above is second nature.
But, with networked radio covering massive footprints, this was a reminder to community and regional radio that local is your super power, and there are advantages of acting as the town square in your village.
Main picture, taken by Spencer as per his suggestions above, of he and I at the 2024 CBAA Conference.
Jen Seyderhelm is a writer, editor and podcaster for Radioinfo.