Contribution by Anthony Dockrill

One of the things that surprised me recently while chatting to various radio people was that airchecks aren’t always happening regularly or in a way conducive to great radio. Airchecks aren’t just a great way to keep broadcasters at the top of their game – they’re essential for maintaining open communication pathways between programming staff and those on air.

If you’re currently on air and not getting regular airchecks, and you’re unconvinced you would benefit, read on. Equally, if it’s your job to conduct airchecks and you’re too busy or keep putting them off, this is for you too.

Senior programming staff and Content Directors should regularly conduct airchecks, and it’s
important to do them properly. Here’s what an aircheck should never be: intense or overly critical.

An aircheck is a conversation focused on improvement and connection with your presenter. Talking to some folks in the industry, it seems airchecks are sometimes approached as if the presenter is a spy working undercover and the aircheck is them being debriefed after their mission, long and exhaustive.

Another unhelpful approach is when the presenter is given a shopping list of things to fix. The result is a deflated staff member with little direction for improvement. Next time an aircheck is mentioned, they’ll want to avoid it, and the person giving the aircheck will also want to avoid what’s bound to be a tense and awkward meeting.

Here’s how to make airchecks easy and effective for everyone:

First, schedule them regularly. Whether it’s after every show or every second Thursday, consistency is key. An aircheck is a conversation and a check-in. I only listen to three mic breaks, sometimes fewer if we’re working through a complicated mic break or interview. If I hear multiple issues that could be improved, I concentrate on just two points. I pick something important and something that will be an easy fix. By your next aircheck, those two problems are likely resolved.

Because airchecks are held regularly, small incremental improvements can add up quickly. Don’t try to fix everything at once. A good aircheck should be a positive catch-up that leaves the presenter empowered to hit the air again.

If it’s your job to give an aircheck, here are two things I would never do:

1. Aircheck someone just before they’re going on air
2. Aircheck the show they’ve just finished if it wasn’t a great show

Presenters about to go on air should be focused solely on their upcoming show. If it wasn’t a great show, I would wait to aircheck that particular show and instead pick an older one to work on. The reason is that the presenter won’t have the emotional distance to hear it objectively and they’re probably still processing it themselves.

An aircheck should be an open and supportive space, which means incorporating sensitivity into how the process is conducted. It’s important to address less than great work, but do it in the right circumstances. Remove the emotion and frame it as an opportunity that will lead to improved work in the future.

If you’re a presenter and still not convinced you need an aircheck, I’d say this: presenting is your job and your career. It’s probably not a good idea to treat what you do as a black box. A good aircheck is like two cricketers talking about how they should play a yorker. It’s about better understanding your craft and it’s fundamentally about your future.

The biggest risk for great presenters is assuming they never need to tweak what they do. They’re setting themselves up to fall into repetitive patterns on air, becoming boring to their listeners without even realising it.

An aircheck could identify this before it becomes a major problem and fix it quickly.

 Anthony Dockrill is a Digital Producer at Pod Jam and the former Program Director of 2SER FM Sydney.