Brian McColl
               PugetSoundRadio.com
               Tuesday May 27th, 2008


Every Second Counts.

Here’s a dilemma you may come across during your on air life. Possibly you have to deal with it every day as part of your format, or maybe it’s just something that pops up now and then.

You have fifteen seconds to perform your link. No more.
You have to get your message, your personality, your elements and your sell across in that short space of time.
It could be that you work on a CHR format where this is the norm, or you could just have a fifteen second intro that needs to be used, or possibly fifteen seconds to fill before you kick in the next feature.

How do you use that short amount of time to deliver the perfect message?
Well, as you know from being in radio – fifteen seconds can actually be a pretty good chunk of time.
I’m sure you have looked at the time remaining on a song and thought, “Fifteen seconds? I’ve loads of time”!
Most presenters won’t be intimidated by a deadline like that.
Most prepared presenters, that is.
That’s what it all comes down to – Being prepared.
Now, I’m not talking about Prep, here (that’s a totally different article which ran on PSR last week)!
What I mean by being prepared is just that.
Being ready.
Knowing what you are about to do next. Knowing how to handle the next link and what it is you want to do with it.
Most ‘outsiders’ reckon that working on a CHR format must be a pretty easy life. You play five songs in a row and then speak for fifteen seconds, before playing another five songs. Piece of cake!
Well, if you work (or have worked) that format, then you will know that it can be one of the most difficult jobs on radio.
It is a real skill to be able to relate, communicate and create a response in a listener in that short amount of time.
Also, the ability to concentrate your mind over such a span of time can be draining. It’s a real temptation to go for a wander around the halls during your five-song sweep, or pick up the paper and have a read, or surf the net on your studio computer. Fifteen minutes (or more) of music to just sit there and wait?


So, how do the great CHR jocks do it?
Focus and Self-Editing, that’s how.
All the great CHR jocks are masters of the Self-Edit.

By Self-Edit, I don’t mean that they write out a script and literally edit the words they don’t need before delivering their link (more of that later). What I do mean is that they know instinctively what to say and, more importantly, what not to say.
It might sound a little silly, but what you don’t say is actually more important in a short link than what you do say.
If you’re not used to the concept of Self-Editing, then I suggest you become familiar with it.
At first you will need to write out your links. The twist here is that you write them out after your show!
Let me explain my thinking on this one.
Self-Editing encompasses three of the great Basic radio principles: Word Economy, One Element per Link and Out Cue.
With these links, you simply don’t have the time to hang around. You need to get straight to the point and finish on a high.
One slip and your link has lost its impact.
One Pause and you will start to wander off and lose your way.
Both of these will destroy your link.

Let’s take a look at a fictional link. We’ll say that you want to talk up the vocals to a Justin Timberlake song. It’s got a fifteen second intro (handily enough)!
Your plan is to do a link about the fact that Justin Timberlake is coming to town next month and that your radio station is giving away VIP tickets to the show all day tomorrow.
The details are:
‘Starting at 6:20 with Bill and Ben in the Morning, you need to listen out for the Cue to Call. When you hear it, you then need to be lucky caller nine on the studio line 123-4567. You will then go into the daily draw for tickets. That draw takes place at 5:20 pm on the Drive Time Show. If you win, you then have ninety-five minutes to call the station back to claim your VIP Tickets. Call back in the allotted time and you win the tickets’. Simple!

Now, if you were to give all of that info out in that order, you would end up walking over poor old Justin’s vocals. He’d be singing away and you’d still be giving out the phone number!!
Which is where the Self-Edit comes into place.
You may think this is all very basic. That’s great. It means you know all about the art of Self-Edit…but are you using it every day with every link? Sometimes we need to be reminded of the basics in order to affect them properly.
If this is a new concept to you, then I have some good news: once you begin Self-Editing, you will never look back.

Here’s where your five-song sweep comes in really handy for you. It gives you fifteen minutes to make sure that you have prepared yourself properly for the next link. You won’t have time to wander around making coffee or read the paper. You’ll be working away on your link.

Without Self-Edit your link will go something like this:
“XYZ-FM, I’m Billy Bland. Really looking forward to seeing Justin Timberlake in concert next month at the Such-and-Such Arena. We have a chance for you to win VIP tickets to the concert starting tomorrow morning with Bill and Ben. They will give you the cue to call, sometime after 6:20. If you’re lucky caller nine on this number – 123…” Ooops. Looks like Justin has started singing already!!


You know the book ‘The Secret’? Well, in radio we have many many format secrets! One of these is the secret of Self-Editing.
Here’s the Golden Rule when it comes to Self-Editing (the secret)!
Only say what is relevant at that particular moment.

What does the listener need to know at that particular moment?

Here are the basic elements:
* Justin Timberlake is coming to town.
* XYZ-FM will give you VIP tickets to the show.
* Listen in tomorrow morning for all of the details.
That’s it!

Nothing about the phone number, or luck caller nine, or going into a draw, or listening again at 5:20, or having ninety five minutes to call back.
They are all important elements for sure. But not right now.
You have fifteen seconds! Work it!

“XYZ-FM, I’m Billy Bland. This guy is coming to town next month and you can win VIP tickets to go see him live! Bill and Ben will tell you more after 6:20 tomorrow morning. It’s Justin Timberlake on XYZ-FM”.

This link comes in at under fifteen seconds, which is fine. That extra little bit of time allows you to put emphasis on key words as you see fit. It also means you don’t have to rush your words out. This way, each word counts.
You have just delivered the basics and done it by using Word Economy, One Element and a relevant Out Cue.

So when do I write all of this down?
Well, here’s what I suggest:
When you have finished a gig, pull up the audio on your monitor and take a listen to your links. Don’t just listen though…take it all in. Be aware of where you rushed your words or forced your thoughts or panicked.
This is where you write out your links. Literally write them out.
Then take a look back at the words you have written. These are the words you decided to use on air. There’s no escaping them once they are written out in front of you. They’re staring right back at you.
Decide which words were not necessary. Which ones could your link have done without. Which words dragged you back or made you lose your train of thought.
After a (short) while, you will get pretty tired of doing this. That’s a good sign. It means you are beginning to develop the skill of Self-Editing and are on the road to mastering it.

Soon you will be kicking those fifteen-second links to touch as a matter of course and wondering what the big deal is!

Have a great gig,

Brian.

brian@bmacmedia.com

http://www.bmacmedia.com


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