I'm looking for some advice from fellow Program Directors, Operations Managers, and experienced radio personalities.
I have an afternoon jock who's been in our market for 12 years and started his radio career back in the late '80s. He's got decades of experience, knows the market, and has been doing this for a long time.
Here's my challenge: His on-air delivery needs work, and he's extremely resistant to changing his content or approach.
His afternoon breaks range anywhere from 90 seconds to 4–5 minutes. Some of them have a purpose, but others tend to ramble without much direction or payoff. I've encouraged him to tighten up his breaks, focus on stronger content, and make every time he opens the mic count.
Recently, he told me he'd like to develop a new style of radio show built around actively engaging listeners. I actually love that idea! But my question is: How do we measure whether listeners are actually engaged, rather than just assuming they are?
We're in an era where listeners have endless entertainment options, and I believe every break needs to give them a reason to keep listening.
I've also been trying to get him to think beyond traditional radio. For example, I suggested moving one of his regular on-air features to Facebook as a digital-first segment. To his credit, he did it! Unfortunately, instead of using that opportunity to tighten up his on-air content, he simply filled the available time with more unfocused talk.
I'm not trying to turn him into someone he's not. I respect his experience and want him to succeed. But I also believe that just because something worked 20 or 30 years ago doesn't necessarily mean it's effective today.
So here's where I could use some advice:
- How do you coach a veteran personality who's reluctant to change?
- What benchmarks or metrics do you use to measure listener engagement, especially in a smaller market?
- How do you help a personality recognize when a break is too long or isn't delivering value?
- Have you successfully helped a longtime jock modernize their show without stripping away their personality?
- At what point does coaching become a conversation about accountability?
I want to help him build a better afternoon show, not just tell him to talk less. I'm looking for practical ways to get him invested in improving the product.
Would love to hear what's worked (or hasn't worked) at your stations.