Talk Radio, Without The Radio. Or The Talk

I've been listening to some great talk radio lately. The hosts give their opinion in a concise and entertaining manner, and they get lots of callers who not only respond to the hosts but end up interacting amongst themselves as well.

But it's not talk radio. It's not radio at all.

I thought about this when I saw yet another observer write about the threat new media poses to music radio. It's surely true, as we've discussed here before, that music stations have to contend with alternatives that offer customization, narrowcasting, and music on demand. But we've always treated talk radio as different; the alternatives might involve different delivery systems like, say, podcasts or streaming, but they wouldn't necessarily be BETTER than talk radio, just time-shifted or more numerous.

Yet I find my attention to talk radio being divided, and it's not just by more stations and shows and podcasts. Some of the more spirited talk radio-style conversations seem to be happening online in Facebook, or Twitter, or Google Buzz. You know that, because, I assume, you use at least one of those; There can't be too many holdouts left. It was in looking at some of my Facebook friends posting topics and then getting 20, 30, even 40 or more responses, or watching the early adopters of Google Buzz pile on in conversations that got hundreds of users engaged in debate, that I got to thinking about what this means for talk radio's future.

See, when I was a kid, I would listen to talk radio and think, someday, I want to do THAT. I wanted to get on the air and tell everyone what I thought and argue with callers just like Bob Grant. But if I was a kid today, I wouldn't need talk radio to do that. I wouldn't even need to podcast. I'd just go on Facebook or Twitter or Buzz, say what I want to say, and let the "listeners" chime in. You can't make money that way, but that's one of the places where the conversation's going.

But I don't think those new media things will entirely replace talk radio anytime soon. For one thing, they're wildly impractical when you're behind the wheel (for now; voice recognition and transcription might change that sooner than you think). For another, there IS a difference between voice and text, especially in conveying subtext and emotion (read a transcription of, say, Rush or Beck and see whether the words alone truly convey the full impact of their shows). And nothing beats a good entertainer using sound as well as language.

On the other hand, there are things talk show hosts can learn from the new media, too. For example:

1. If people can get their points across in 140 characters or less on Twitter, you, too, can set up your topic that concisely. And you should, because on radio, you don't have a lot of time to sell a listener on your topic. The shorter you make that setup (yes, I'm now channeling Walter Sabo), the easier it is for listeners to respond. If confining it to a Twitter post helps you refine that topic, that's a good thing.

2. If something is a hot topic on social media right now, it's probably something you should be talking about on the air. It's never been easier to gauge what's top-of-mind for your listeners; just see what has them posting stuff on Twitter and Facebook and Buzz and use it. (Beware, though, of things like Twitter's trending list. If I used it right now to come up with topics, I'd be talking about #imfromsanbernardino, #honorsocietytour, #imfromlongbeach, and Eric Gagne.

3. Social media is a great way to build a loyal audience. I've told you this before, but it bears repeating: Those Facebook friends and Twitter followers are people who are motivated to listen to your show because they "know" you, if you let them. Use the social sites as an extension of your show; keep the conversation going after your show's done for the day. It's great marketing in an era when your station isn't going to spend anything to promote you.

4. Just being a standard-issue Angry Guy With A Tie doing standard-issue Angry Guy topics isn't enough when people have other places to go. It never was enough, but it's REALLY not enough now. You have to be different, you have to be unique, you have to be entertaining. It's harder to stand out when there's a lot more from which you have to stand out. It's even more imperative that you be able to answer the question, "What makes you worth a listener's time and attention?"

So, what have we learned today? Nothing you didn't already know, but it's important to understand that, much as music radio must contend with Pandora and Last.fm and iPods, talk radio is not the only place people will be kicking around the issues of the day. Your goal is to drive the conversation your way, and lead that conversation whether it's on the radio or on Facebook.

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Now, if you not only want to find out what people are talking about but want to find compelling and call-provoking stories they don't even know about yet, the place to go is All Access News-Talk-Sports' Talk Topics column. It's like having an extra producer pitching hundreds of topic ideas and kicker stories at you, like what Wal-Mart's sales drop means for the economy, several news items involving people who will undoubtedly end up on the Jerry Springer show, the disappearing cheese on Burger King's double cheeseburger, the overabundance of "green" conventions, how several states' underfunding of pension plans will become YOUR problem soon, the who-knew-and-when-did-they-know-it of the Toyota meltdown, an igloo mancave, the problem with a top diabetes medication (it stinks), a city beset by marauding teenage flash mobs, what the "Jersey Shore" cast members are doing to cash in on their fifteen minutes, and much more, including "real news" items about the economy, the Olympics, and whatever else is in the news. Also in the News-Talk-Sports section, you'll find "10 Questions With..." McVay Media news/talk consultant Holland Cooke, and on the rest of the site, you'll get the radio industry's most complete news coverage, including a lot of stories you won't find anywhere else, plus ratings, job listings, forums, and all the resources you need. It's all free. Oh, and we're on Facebook and Twitter, too, and don't forget to download the All Access iPhone and iPod Touch app.

And that's it for this week, so... oh, wait, one more thing. My wife's birthday is Sunday. Happy Birthday, Fran!

No, this isn't her present.

Perry Michael Simon
Editor
All Access News-Talk-Sports
psimon@allaccess.com
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