10 Ways that prove your fav radio presenter is the real deal
• Talk is cheap. True
• Everybody talks, but not everyone can speak. True
• Radio business is not an all comers affair. True. True. True.
• Radio is not rocket-science, anyone can do it. False!
I fell under the misfortune of working with someone who was always fond of using the previous phrase. In the person’s reasoning, there wasn’t anything too difficult in being a radio presenter. Any jack on the street with a good voice and anything to say could do it. It wasn’t rocket science! Well, if that were to be true, then radio studios would not have need of doors!
Anybody and everybody could walk in and say what they like. If we were to go by the thought-pattern of that fellow, then we could also apply same in other fields also like Engineering, Medicine, Law, Architecture, Accountancy and the likes. Just anybody could do it, just skip all the schooling bullshit and start attaching Dr, Barr, Arch, Surv, Engr, Gen before your name and strut about like a peacock! There’s a name for that, it’s called Quackery by law its criminal. Just the same way quacks are eventually uncovered by their incompetence in the field they go to mimic and duplicitously plunder for selfish gain.
Quacks are also found in the creative sector of which radio falls, unfortunately, when discovered the negating effects don’t just affect them only, but touches all around them also. From my experience as a broadcaster and trainer of broadcasters, I have noticed the plethora of so-called Radio OAPs building voluminously and filling every and any space where microphone, a console and transmitter are switched on and active, house within what people may regard as a radio station. And that's Sad
Many people are in this business for different reasons, some are for good; others are mostly selfish; others don’t know what they are into it for even after a decade of practicing while others were forced into it by circumstance. You may not know which is which just by listening to them, but eventually somehow you will know! Radio is not just lived on the mic, it is also lived off it. This article doesn’t list 10 things that prove he/she is a good radio presenter BEFORE they get into the business, it rather helps you the reader rate the already existing presenters on the radio station you listen to constantly. Then and only then can you know if you are hooked to the genuine article or a celebrated quack. Here are 10 things to prove that your favorite radio OAP (On Air Personality/Presenter) is the real deal
1.Knowledge: What does he/she know? How well do they know it? Somehow it is innate in everyone to spot quickly a person knowledgeable in a subject without even studying it. A good presenter is a voracious reader, a studious researcher - always gathering facts and information everywhere because we in radio believe NO KNOWLEDGE IS WASTED. I always teach my broadcasting students to understand that a good presenter knows a little about everything, and please note I said a little not everything about everything. No data or fact is beneath him/her neither is the channel through which it came. It could be from a Nursery School book or the bumper sticker of a Keke NAPEP or during the discussions at the convergence of shoemakers. A knowledgeable presenter is one that plans effectively and it is obvious in his/her presentation. Such a presenter is not overly chatty, easily ruffled or disorganized. He/she is arranged, calm and always sounds confident and strong. If your favorite OAP is not constantly rotated to moderate sessions/discussions on different subject matter asides his/her strength area, then there’s a problem. If you don’t learn something new from what they say EVERY TIME they are on air, then find someone else to listen to!
2.Versatility: How flexible is he/she? During my interviews with a lot of would-be presenters, I am fond of dummying them with the question “what kind of programmes do you think you can do best?”99.999% fail this question because no good presenter functions in Mono mode. It’s common to hear them pick areas like Hip/Hop in the Afternoons, Entertainment, Gossip & Fashion (mostly girls) and the Agony-Hour belt which in my opinion is the most abused and by far the laziest and most hopeless segment in radio broadcast, because somehow everybody who anchors the belt feels they are the best counsellors (by the way, if you are a Night Anchor handling that belt, please be advised to stop giving love or life advice to people except you are a licensed counsellor and you are required to do so, and lest I forget, there are sensitive subject matters that should not be openly discussed on air for Christ sake!) and most of those who call in to these groundless shows just do so because they love to hear their voices! A good presenter can function well when placed in the Morning time, Afternoon or Night belt with the requisite moods and carriage. The same goes for different kinds of programmes! From political to religious to sports to social, a good presenter can give at least a 60% grade performance of him/herself at any given time! News Reading included!
3.Spontaneity: Is your favorite presenter impulsive? Does he/she come out with a concept every time that pleasantly throws you off balance? Can you dictate the next thing he/she will say? Is he or she a radio conformist? Presenting only as the so-called House Style permits? Once on radio, I played Boney M’s Best Christmas Album….. In August! The whole place went avid! Confusion everywhere because nobody expected it! I got calls from listeners commending me but playfully chiding me about my trick giving people a heart attack. But that was spontaneous and people loved it. Sometimes, I could switch from one accent to another to pass a message or play a comic skit to soften the nerves of the listeners or go on the streets myself and broadcast remotely from any location. That’s spontaneity! Is your favorite presenter spontaneous? Can you predict what and how they are going to say and how they will say it or what songs they will play? If your favorite presenter can’t shake things up once in a while, then find someone who will!
4.Balance: How stable is your favorite presenter’s presentation? Broadcasting has a lot to do with connection; being able to link two different occurrences seamlessly. Every good radio presenter has to learn how to balance things out, how to play music for a while and perhaps mix with some conversation. How to effectively manage callers during a call-in programme and tell a story from two sides without sounding prejudiced. A good presenter is balanced in mind also because the mind has a lot to do with your delivery. I have worked with a colleague once who got wind of his father’s sudden death while we were together on air, despite this he maintained his tone, pitch and verve until after the show when he sped off to take care of business. I have also encountered presenters who don’t show up for work simply because it’s that time of the month or because they have emotional issues. The listeners don’t know about your body mechanics or even your emotional status, neither do they care. If you can’t balance the activities in your life, you can’t balance radio shikena!
5. Communication: Do you understand them perfectly? It goes back to Point 1 on knowledge! If you don’t know what to say or have nothing to say, you will tattle ceaselessly with nothing tangible eventually said. Everyone has that one presenter that doesn’t just flow… they just mutter superfluous statements they have no real idea about perhaps information lifted from the internet and not effectively internalized. Some others use overly garrulous grammar to make them sound learned or more cranially advanced and as a way to elicit reverence. Those ones; I pity. Standard radio broadcast practices require the use of simple, easy to understand statements to win your audience and nothing more. Whatever programme style, language or flow is expected to pass that message should be used. Communication should not be mistaken for the sweetness or deepness of the presenter’s voice, even if he/she croaks like a frog and passes the message, then that’s ok. If your favorite presenter makes a statement and takes 10 minutes explaining it, then there’s something amiss….and trust me when I say- it is not spiritual!
6. Consistency: How long have they been on this? Yes, Change is inevitable. Change is necessary, but on radio Consistency is key. Listeners may listen to whoever appears on their radio set at any given belt, but they would trust and believe any presenter that has stayed consistent to a particular standard or presentation level. For instance, presenters who anchor Political programmes on radio and have presented same for upwards of 7-10 years are more likely to mold the opinions of listeners based on the duration and steadiness they have shown over time. Listeners are as committed to a programme or station as much as the presenter is. Radio broadcasting to the listener is akin to wine tasting; the older the better.
7. Humor: Can they lighten the mood? While growing up back then in Radio Nigeria Port Harcourt, a junior programmes intern was presenting a recorded programme and what fascinated me was the manner in which she attacked her words, her style was husky, forcefully masculine and exaggeratedly grey. When she was done, I proceeded to present mine in a calm, a bit playful and suave a whiff of humor and when I was done, she was bewildered and sought to know if the Boss will permit my style as she had heard that all kinds of presentation must be done with a serious approach. Not necessarily true. The addition of humor (not inevitably Comedy) is to relax the atmosphere and soothe the nerves of the listener. Saying something funny without trying to become totally slapstick and becoming overly excessive may be good content for the presenter. Perhaps airing a comic audio during the show, inviting a good comedian periodically to add spice and keep it mature. Don’t cross the line; club jokes aren’t studio jokes
8. Charisma & Style: What’s their SWAG like, what is their radio character? Here is where the real problem is. A lot of radio presenters today haven’t created their own unique style of presentation. What they have is a terrible photocopy of another OAP’s style. It’s obvious in their mannerisms on air, the annoying corrupted-American-mixed-with-Nigerian-Accent slur which constantly battles with the constantly irritating and utterly incoherent speech laced with abundance of “Rs” ending every word like Hellrr, thRs IRs thR bRest ShR oRn RadiR. Others feel that fast-talking radio presentation makes them sound more “Radiolike” as others feel a high pitch nose-centric speech pattern is suitable for female OAPs and a deep, baritone is appropriate for the males. Hogwash! It is very difficult to find radio presenters create their own unique styles and stick with it and that’s not good for the industry.
When I first started working in Enugu, a hot competing radio brand then was my friend and colleague who handled a vernacular show called Nna Mhen. The show was so hot at the time, almost everyone was tuned to it on its airing days. As it increased in popularity, several young fellas approached me proposing to start a show on radio that in their own thinking would beat Nna Mhen hands down! Even the styles they intended bringing into their presentation was a corrupted version of his. I said No- and gained enemies later. LOL. I rephrase the saying of a wise philosopher who said “Charisma may get you a job, character will keep you in it” Words to the wise. Selah!
9.Eloquence: Don’t get me started on speaking on radio! Asides radio comics and vernacular programmes here in Nigeria, 77% of English-speaking OAPs today bungle English Language with reckless abandon. I know all too well that the common speaking standard in most radio stations is Queen’s English, and if there are a few others who adopt American-styled English; many will hopelessly fail at it. Good presenters are eloquent! As a matter of fact, it is well known that listeners frequently pick on word pronunciations used by presenters regarding them as the true standard. But quite honestly, there’s a lot of bad English in circulation today, common among them on words like DEVELOPMENT which some ignorant OAP will pronounce DI-VE-LOWPMENT instead of DIVELOPMENT. Eloquence is a great challenge on radio today, but if you have studied your favorite OAP’s pronunciation of words, names and places and they are on point, then you are in luck. Just as a test, have them pronounce words like Britain, Paris, Lieutenant, Development and Restaurant.
10. Preparedness: There are many other attributes I would have chosen for Number 10,but I strongly feel Preparedness covers it all. One quote has stuck with me for years and will do so to my generations unborn. It says “It is better to PREPARE & PREVENT than to REPAIR & REPENT”. I ALWAYS tell my students, Broadcast Presentation like any other task requires ample preparation and in this business, Preparation is 99%, Presentation is 1%. A good presenter prepares him/herself thoroughly before presenting what they have. Time must be spent in the cooking because there’s not much time allotted to eating. If your favorite presenter is 100% today, it’s because he/she is preparing 500% or someone is preparing him/her. It’s all about the preparation, though you may not know how much they prepare. But after they are done, if you learn something crucial, then they did their homework.
• Everybody talks, but not everyone can speak. True
• Radio business is not an all comers affair. True. True. True.
• Radio is not rocket-science, anyone can do it. False!
Anybody and everybody could walk in and say what they like. If we were to go by the thought-pattern of that fellow, then we could also apply same in other fields also like Engineering, Medicine, Law, Architecture, Accountancy and the likes. Just anybody could do it, just skip all the schooling bullshit and start attaching Dr, Barr, Arch, Surv, Engr, Gen before your name and strut about like a peacock! There’s a name for that, it’s called Quackery by law its criminal. Just the same way quacks are eventually uncovered by their incompetence in the field they go to mimic and duplicitously plunder for selfish gain.
Quacks are also found in the creative sector of which radio falls, unfortunately, when discovered the negating effects don’t just affect them only, but touches all around them also. From my experience as a broadcaster and trainer of broadcasters, I have noticed the plethora of so-called Radio OAPs building voluminously and filling every and any space where microphone, a console and transmitter are switched on and active, house within what people may regard as a radio station. And that's Sad
Many people are in this business for different reasons, some are for good; others are mostly selfish; others don’t know what they are into it for even after a decade of practicing while others were forced into it by circumstance. You may not know which is which just by listening to them, but eventually somehow you will know! Radio is not just lived on the mic, it is also lived off it. This article doesn’t list 10 things that prove he/she is a good radio presenter BEFORE they get into the business, it rather helps you the reader rate the already existing presenters on the radio station you listen to constantly. Then and only then can you know if you are hooked to the genuine article or a celebrated quack. Here are 10 things to prove that your favorite radio OAP (On Air Personality/Presenter) is the real deal
1.Knowledge: What does he/she know? How well do they know it? Somehow it is innate in everyone to spot quickly a person knowledgeable in a subject without even studying it. A good presenter is a voracious reader, a studious researcher - always gathering facts and information everywhere because we in radio believe NO KNOWLEDGE IS WASTED. I always teach my broadcasting students to understand that a good presenter knows a little about everything, and please note I said a little not everything about everything. No data or fact is beneath him/her neither is the channel through which it came. It could be from a Nursery School book or the bumper sticker of a Keke NAPEP or during the discussions at the convergence of shoemakers. A knowledgeable presenter is one that plans effectively and it is obvious in his/her presentation. Such a presenter is not overly chatty, easily ruffled or disorganized. He/she is arranged, calm and always sounds confident and strong. If your favorite OAP is not constantly rotated to moderate sessions/discussions on different subject matter asides his/her strength area, then there’s a problem. If you don’t learn something new from what they say EVERY TIME they are on air, then find someone else to listen to!
2.Versatility: How flexible is he/she? During my interviews with a lot of would-be presenters, I am fond of dummying them with the question “what kind of programmes do you think you can do best?”99.999% fail this question because no good presenter functions in Mono mode. It’s common to hear them pick areas like Hip/Hop in the Afternoons, Entertainment, Gossip & Fashion (mostly girls) and the Agony-Hour belt which in my opinion is the most abused and by far the laziest and most hopeless segment in radio broadcast, because somehow everybody who anchors the belt feels they are the best counsellors (by the way, if you are a Night Anchor handling that belt, please be advised to stop giving love or life advice to people except you are a licensed counsellor and you are required to do so, and lest I forget, there are sensitive subject matters that should not be openly discussed on air for Christ sake!) and most of those who call in to these groundless shows just do so because they love to hear their voices! A good presenter can function well when placed in the Morning time, Afternoon or Night belt with the requisite moods and carriage. The same goes for different kinds of programmes! From political to religious to sports to social, a good presenter can give at least a 60% grade performance of him/herself at any given time! News Reading included!
3.Spontaneity: Is your favorite presenter impulsive? Does he/she come out with a concept every time that pleasantly throws you off balance? Can you dictate the next thing he/she will say? Is he or she a radio conformist? Presenting only as the so-called House Style permits? Once on radio, I played Boney M’s Best Christmas Album….. In August! The whole place went avid! Confusion everywhere because nobody expected it! I got calls from listeners commending me but playfully chiding me about my trick giving people a heart attack. But that was spontaneous and people loved it. Sometimes, I could switch from one accent to another to pass a message or play a comic skit to soften the nerves of the listeners or go on the streets myself and broadcast remotely from any location. That’s spontaneity! Is your favorite presenter spontaneous? Can you predict what and how they are going to say and how they will say it or what songs they will play? If your favorite presenter can’t shake things up once in a while, then find someone who will!
4.Balance: How stable is your favorite presenter’s presentation? Broadcasting has a lot to do with connection; being able to link two different occurrences seamlessly. Every good radio presenter has to learn how to balance things out, how to play music for a while and perhaps mix with some conversation. How to effectively manage callers during a call-in programme and tell a story from two sides without sounding prejudiced. A good presenter is balanced in mind also because the mind has a lot to do with your delivery. I have worked with a colleague once who got wind of his father’s sudden death while we were together on air, despite this he maintained his tone, pitch and verve until after the show when he sped off to take care of business. I have also encountered presenters who don’t show up for work simply because it’s that time of the month or because they have emotional issues. The listeners don’t know about your body mechanics or even your emotional status, neither do they care. If you can’t balance the activities in your life, you can’t balance radio shikena!
5. Communication: Do you understand them perfectly? It goes back to Point 1 on knowledge! If you don’t know what to say or have nothing to say, you will tattle ceaselessly with nothing tangible eventually said. Everyone has that one presenter that doesn’t just flow… they just mutter superfluous statements they have no real idea about perhaps information lifted from the internet and not effectively internalized. Some others use overly garrulous grammar to make them sound learned or more cranially advanced and as a way to elicit reverence. Those ones; I pity. Standard radio broadcast practices require the use of simple, easy to understand statements to win your audience and nothing more. Whatever programme style, language or flow is expected to pass that message should be used. Communication should not be mistaken for the sweetness or deepness of the presenter’s voice, even if he/she croaks like a frog and passes the message, then that’s ok. If your favorite presenter makes a statement and takes 10 minutes explaining it, then there’s something amiss….and trust me when I say- it is not spiritual!
6. Consistency: How long have they been on this? Yes, Change is inevitable. Change is necessary, but on radio Consistency is key. Listeners may listen to whoever appears on their radio set at any given belt, but they would trust and believe any presenter that has stayed consistent to a particular standard or presentation level. For instance, presenters who anchor Political programmes on radio and have presented same for upwards of 7-10 years are more likely to mold the opinions of listeners based on the duration and steadiness they have shown over time. Listeners are as committed to a programme or station as much as the presenter is. Radio broadcasting to the listener is akin to wine tasting; the older the better.
7. Humor: Can they lighten the mood? While growing up back then in Radio Nigeria Port Harcourt, a junior programmes intern was presenting a recorded programme and what fascinated me was the manner in which she attacked her words, her style was husky, forcefully masculine and exaggeratedly grey. When she was done, I proceeded to present mine in a calm, a bit playful and suave a whiff of humor and when I was done, she was bewildered and sought to know if the Boss will permit my style as she had heard that all kinds of presentation must be done with a serious approach. Not necessarily true. The addition of humor (not inevitably Comedy) is to relax the atmosphere and soothe the nerves of the listener. Saying something funny without trying to become totally slapstick and becoming overly excessive may be good content for the presenter. Perhaps airing a comic audio during the show, inviting a good comedian periodically to add spice and keep it mature. Don’t cross the line; club jokes aren’t studio jokes
8. Charisma & Style: What’s their SWAG like, what is their radio character? Here is where the real problem is. A lot of radio presenters today haven’t created their own unique style of presentation. What they have is a terrible photocopy of another OAP’s style. It’s obvious in their mannerisms on air, the annoying corrupted-American-mixed-with-Nigerian-Accent slur which constantly battles with the constantly irritating and utterly incoherent speech laced with abundance of “Rs” ending every word like Hellrr, thRs IRs thR bRest ShR oRn RadiR. Others feel that fast-talking radio presentation makes them sound more “Radiolike” as others feel a high pitch nose-centric speech pattern is suitable for female OAPs and a deep, baritone is appropriate for the males. Hogwash! It is very difficult to find radio presenters create their own unique styles and stick with it and that’s not good for the industry.
When I first started working in Enugu, a hot competing radio brand then was my friend and colleague who handled a vernacular show called Nna Mhen. The show was so hot at the time, almost everyone was tuned to it on its airing days. As it increased in popularity, several young fellas approached me proposing to start a show on radio that in their own thinking would beat Nna Mhen hands down! Even the styles they intended bringing into their presentation was a corrupted version of his. I said No- and gained enemies later. LOL. I rephrase the saying of a wise philosopher who said “Charisma may get you a job, character will keep you in it” Words to the wise. Selah!
9.Eloquence: Don’t get me started on speaking on radio! Asides radio comics and vernacular programmes here in Nigeria, 77% of English-speaking OAPs today bungle English Language with reckless abandon. I know all too well that the common speaking standard in most radio stations is Queen’s English, and if there are a few others who adopt American-styled English; many will hopelessly fail at it. Good presenters are eloquent! As a matter of fact, it is well known that listeners frequently pick on word pronunciations used by presenters regarding them as the true standard. But quite honestly, there’s a lot of bad English in circulation today, common among them on words like DEVELOPMENT which some ignorant OAP will pronounce DI-VE-LOWPMENT instead of DIVELOPMENT. Eloquence is a great challenge on radio today, but if you have studied your favorite OAP’s pronunciation of words, names and places and they are on point, then you are in luck. Just as a test, have them pronounce words like Britain, Paris, Lieutenant, Development and Restaurant.
10. Preparedness: There are many other attributes I would have chosen for Number 10,but I strongly feel Preparedness covers it all. One quote has stuck with me for years and will do so to my generations unborn. It says “It is better to PREPARE & PREVENT than to REPAIR & REPENT”. I ALWAYS tell my students, Broadcast Presentation like any other task requires ample preparation and in this business, Preparation is 99%, Presentation is 1%. A good presenter prepares him/herself thoroughly before presenting what they have. Time must be spent in the cooking because there’s not much time allotted to eating. If your favorite presenter is 100% today, it’s because he/she is preparing 500% or someone is preparing him/her. It’s all about the preparation, though you may not know how much they prepare. But after they are done, if you learn something crucial, then they did their homework.
Absolutely the truth, i'm soooo proud I learned and gleaned from my great teacher-Supersam, you're the best teacher and boss, don't mind the haters and keep shining #wisewords. I love you Egbon mi.
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