On Monday, I didn’t have to wake up at 4am and report traffic conditions as part of my job. I’m now hosting the afternoon show and so far it’s good! I’m still getting my feet wet, but it’s weird hosting a show again. Before I became the traffic reporter/public affairs guy for the place I work, I used to be a jock (slang for DJ). But I only worked on weekends and did fill-in stints when the regular full timers were either sick or on vacation, so after all these years working part time in radio, I finally get a full time gig as a host. It’s challenging in different ways ’cause where I used to say pretty much the same thing over and over all morning long (I mean, how many ways can you really describe an accident?), I now have to “hook” listeners in a different way.
My brother and I work in the same industry and, interestingly enough, he hosts an afternoon show as well (Same time, slightly different market). Anyway, he’s been giving me tips on connecting with listeners and how to sound “less announcer-ish” on the air. It’s strange, but it seems some programmers are trying to get their jocks to sound less like jocks and more like, well, regular people. However, you still have to keep all the usual tricks you’ve accumulated as a jock to keep things “moving forward.” It’s a balance, but it seems to pay dividends in terms of ratings. Since the station I’m working for is kind of a start up station (it’s only been on the air for a couple of years) it’s still in the “building” phase. That means not a lot of people know we are here, so it’s important to try and stand out as much as possible (not in Howard Stern way), and connect with the people we’re trying to reach. It’s suburban/small market radio in the shadow of a major market (San Francisco) so getting people to stick around is not easy when there are so many other choices on the dial who are playing much of the same music as we do.
Anyway, all this is to say that I’ve been kind of lax when it comes to a bloggy presence this week. This new schedule is kind of gobbling up more time than I realized, so if I drop off the radar for a bit (and yes, I’m talking to all 15 to 20 of you who faithfully show up to see what’s up), I hope you’ll understand.
7 thoughts on “New Job/Old Job”
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Don’t worry, we all understand. A new work schedule and job will definitely leave time for adjustment!
Yay to no more 4am shift! 🙂
I’m happy for you..not having to wake up at 4 AM anymore! Enjoy your new time slot. I’ll have to check you out today 😉 no pressure. Happy V-Day!
I really have a love/hate thing with my computer at home. I posted a comment and it had a brain fart and lost all I wrote…grrrr…
Anyway, I bet it’s nice not to have to wake up at 4:00 a.m every day. I understand how life events can eat up a lot of your time and leave blogging in the dust, somewhat.
Your comment about being “less announcer-ish” and more like regular people is something that I like with radio and tv persons. For example, the 48 Hours news person, Maureen Maher, makes me crazy. Her voice inflections are so “news-like” forced that I can’t listen to her at all for fear of going insane.
Congrats my man! There’s a reason why new blogs from me don’t come online until 4pm. It’s a 4am wake-up for me, then a nap at 1:30.
Thanks all! It’s going to me an interesting ride!
Ah, eeeehhhh! No I would not understand if you drop off the radar. I mean just get up at 4 am and write you blog. Geese!!
Pretty soon you will be used to the new schedule and blogging will fit in like a puzzle piece.