Morning Shows need focus

I have been concentrating lately on morning shows and have found most wanting in the same areas.  No matter the market size.

The biggest issue has been the inability to stay focused on one topic and to present that topic in a concise yet complete manner.  It sounds to me like the topic is planned but the execution is not.  Knowing what you’re going to talk about is just half of the job.  

Larry Morrow,  a good teacher for morning shows, also points out that, “once you’ve decided on your topic you have to plan how you’re going to get into it, who is going to take the lead and how do you exit.”

I have heard our morning shows get into bits and then completely forget about the clock.   We have a few morning shows that are primarily talk where the music compliments the discussion but on many of our shows it is the other way around. 

When the morning show is music based, not all music but 8-10 songs per hour, please remind your morning shows that the listener has made the determination to listen based on the music genre and that their content is very important but not at the expense of the music.

Planning content is simple.  What is going to be on the listener’s mind throughout the day?  You should be the person that provides them that information so that they can be informed at work or with their friends and family.  Compelling and entertaining should also be concise.

Is the listener involved in the topic both thematically and on the air?   Is the team having fun? Both in the studio, on the air and with the listener?  Does the show sound spontaneous and are their production elements?  Do the hand offs sound clunky?

Are we getting the basics in 8-10 times per hour?  Is the morning show promoting forward on their show, the rest of the day and tomorrow morning?  Is the position of the station, the musical position part of the morning show too?

Just a few things to think about.