What To Say When You Have Nothing To Say

You're alone in the studio with a microphone and a show to do. The end of your show feels like it's 50 years away, because it's one of those days where you really don't have much to share. Maybe you haven't been out living life, maybe your brain's neurons aren't firing like usual. Could be any number of reasons. But you know you owe it to your audience to deliver more than station liners mixed with "that was, this is."

Here are some ideas to have handy next time one of those shows invade your life.

1. Put yourself in the shoes of your listener at that very moment. Like, if it's 11 AM, lunch is likely on their mind. Brainstorm things you could say to make a connection to their thoughts and emotions in that moment. It could be something as simple as "here's a song to help you catch your breath if you're rushing to get out on time for lunch," or it could lead you to something topical. (Caryn Cruise at 94 FM The Fish in Nashville has a document she refers to with a long list of what her target listener might be up to at any given moment.)
   
2. Hop on the Instagrams, Twitters, YouTube channels, etc. of the artists on your music log. More often than not, you'll land on great content. (Go beyond the irrelevant concert tour and release date stuff; look for what's personal and meaningful.) This is a good habit to be in when doing your daily showprep, not just for days when the well is dry.
3. Consider keeping notes on your core artists that you can refer to, and find interesting angles for them. "He's the tallest guy you'll see in the Old Church Choir. All six feet four inches of Zach Williams."
   
4. Ask yourself what the songs you're playing are about. Sometimes, the title makes it obvious. Sometimes you'll need to dig into the lyrics a bit. Then, do a quote search or google image search. Let's say you have a song about faith. Google "faith quote." You'll find a great quote to help you make an emotional connection to that song. (Bible verse searches can work too. Don't forget less is often more...lift the key line and don't sweat the rest.) On the air, it might go like "Next time you're on edge about something, let your faith be bigger than your fear. Here's Mambo Number 5 on K-Love!"
   
5. Pick a line from an upcoming song that hits home with you, and single it out as you intro or tease the song. I recently did that with "Even Louder" by Steven Malcolm. The break was something like "Listen for this line in our next song on BOOST 101.9 The bigger depression gets, the louder my praise gets. That's something I'm trying to practice today. Could help you too. Steven Malcolm, on BOOST."
   
6. Do you bank your phone calls?


- Go through and look for calls you forgot about.


- Calls so good they deserve to be recycled.


- You might find fresh angles on past topics. Just the other day, I found some calls on Halloween candy you never keep. On my show today, I'll flip that to "Halloween candy you'll never trade away."


- Sort by date and go back to roughly a year ago. You might stumble on some calls or topics that are seasonal and timely right now you totally overlooked. (If you archive your show prep notes, do the same thing.)



7. Be a thief. Just straight up pay a visit to the social media and websites of shows you love. Almost nothing in radio is original; all of it comes from somebody else. You might easily find a topic or angle that's perfect for you. Heck, even give the other show credit if you want. I've actually invited personalities I've "borrowed" from to help me jumpstart the topic on my own show. How you identify them (vaguely or specifically) needs to be handled delicately, to protect your brand and theirs. Every market and competitive situation is different, so be smart about it.
8. Brainstorm with fellow jocks in your building or in your format. You can't do this at the front of a show that's already started. But try to a few times a year, and then you'll have notes fall back on for slow show days.
9. If you have, or want to have, an interactive show but need help with some starter calls, join my free Radio Peeps Phones group on Facebook. It's by invite only. Here's how it works: you post what kind of calls you need, and fellow radio peeps ring you up. In exchange, you do the same for them when they have needs. Like the give-a-penny-take-a-penny jar at gas stations. Some shows post ahead of time and have you leave voicemails, others take calls live. It's up to you. Scanning the group posts is also a good resource for show ideas. Same concept applies: give as much, or more, than what you take. Email mikec@boost1019.com if you want into the group, and include the email you use to log into Facebook.

Slow show days and even quiet show seasons are bound to happen. Even then, with some of these ideas, you can still go home after having done a show you're proud of. Good luck!