What Others Are
Saying About
The Talk Radio Guest Book: How
To Be The Perfect Talk Radio Guest
"Dave Congalton has been conducting on air interviews with a wide variety of guests ranging from experienced authors and 'experts' in various fields to local, regional and national activists to local, state and national politicians. In that time he's labored through the 'who booked this clown' interviews to the 'PLEASE, come back on the show SOON' interviews. If you want to secure an interview spot on talk radio, wouldn't you rather know the 'Do's and Don'ts' of A) getting scheduled and B) making it an interview worth airing? Then take the time to take good advice from someone with the experience you need."
—Phil Strider, Veteran Radio Broadcaster and Syndicated Programmer
"Make your life, as well as the lives of your talk show host and audience, easier and more riveting! Read Dave Congalton's and Deborah Bayles' new book, The Talk Radio Guest Book: How To Be The Perfect Talk Radio Guest. As both a former radio talk show host and having been a frequent guest on Dave's and Deborah's shows, I can tell you, they GET IT! Highly recommended!"
—Dr. Larry Lachman, former host of the FamilyAnimal Show, KAZU-90.3 FM
"Dave Congalton is both an educated and excellent radio talk show host. He presents a fascinating talk show because he makes every effort to broadcast both sides of controversial issues. He juggles callers and guest comments brilliantly."
—Conni Gordon, former managing
features editor, RKO Radio Networks in
New York and former
community affairs director, KFRC Radio in San Francisco
"As a frequent guest on Dave's popular radio show, I can whole-heartedly endorse his genial, informed and polished approach. So it's no surprise his new book is a must-have primer for anyone interested in the do's and don'ts of the talk radio interview."
—Dennis Palumbo, psychotherapist and mystery author of Fever Dream
"The best talk radio hosts always make the interviewee sound interesting, even when they are not. Dave Congalton is a master of this art."
—Robert Scarola, Co-Host "Cuisine Scene-Chicago" WGN-720AM
"Dave's ebook with Deborah Bayles should be required reading for every guest and, in fact, every talk show host—no matter how many times you've been on the air on a talk show. So many guests forget the 'basics' and can come off sounding so boring. Read this book ... and learn the answers from a pro. As a successful talk show host, I can tell you that it took years of listening to Dave to come close to the success and respect he's gained from his audience AND, most of all, his guests. Don't just read this tome ... memorize it. You, as a guest, will be much better because of it."
—Joe Benson, Internet Radio Networks, San Luis Obispo, CA
The
Talk Radio Guest Book:
How
to Be the Perfect Talk Radio Guest
by
Dave Congalton
and
Deborah Bayles
Foreword by Jeff Bliss
Smashwords Edition
* * * * *
Copyright © 2011 Dave Congalton and Deborah Bayles
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of these authors.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: How Popular Is Talk Radio?
Chapter 3: Establishing Yourself—Laying the Groundwork
Chapter 4: Meet the Talk Radio Team
Chapter 5: Contacting a Radio Show
Chapter 6: Scheduling a Radio Interview
Chapter 7: Being Interviewed on the Radio
Chapter 8: After the Interview
Chapter 9: The Future—Beyond Borders
APPENDIX: Interview with Dave Congalton
You want to be on the radio. Perhaps you have a book to sell, a cause to promote, or you just want to establish yourself as an expert or pundit on the issues of the day. We understand. You think that you would make a great guest on a radio talk show.
The good news is that talk radio, whether in New York or Yuma, Arizona, is always on the hunt for smart, articulate guests who can get to the point and light up those phones.
Our purpose is simple: We want to help you reach your goal, drawing on our own combined experience of more than 20 years behind the microphone, by giving useful pointers and easy-to-understand advice about being a successful talk radio guest. This is not rocket science, folks. Still, it is amazing how often potential or first-time guests display a lack of common courtesy (or common sense) in approaching talk radio.
We will be concise and to-the-point in covering the fundamentals of the talk radio experience, helping you become the best guest you can be (and hopefully be invited back).
So slip on those headphones, bring the microphone in just a bit closer, and watch for the red light. Here we go.
Dave Congalton
Deborah Bayles
San
Luis Obispo
California
No matter how much I prepare, or how well I think I know the subject at hand, there’s always that instant when I hear "the click" (when the microphone or telephone is connected to the show—live) that the primitive “fight or flight” instinct kicks in.
In that instant, my brain is usually consumed by two thoughts: 1.) I’m going to run away. Right now. I’m going to bolt out of the studio and run. Run like the wind. Run down the street, screaming like a little schoolgirl. And I’ll just pretend this never happened; or, 2.) I’m going to stay put. I’m going to give it my all. I’m going to show these people! (Sometimes a third option, "place a pizza order!" pops up but I typically manage to tack away from that.)
For the record, I have never taken Approach No. 1 when it comes to media appearances. That’s not to say it doesn’t creep into my mind—and it does, each and every time I’m about to go on the air—but my view has been that if you run away, you’re probably not going to be invited back for a second interview.
Just a guess.
I like making media appearances. It’s usually a lot of fun—particularly on radio. Television is a great medium, but for all its wonderful bells and whistles, it’s not one that encourages conversation, or thoughtfulness. After all, radio makes you conjure up your own images. It makes your brain work, connecting dots that TV conveniently does for you. Without spiraling into a debate on radio vs. TV, let me just say that radio is a great place to be if you’ve got a story to tell because it lets you—not the visuals—paint pictures for the audience.
And that takes me to one of the most important aspects of being an interviewee, one that when I tacitly realized it made me a better guest (which has since been verified by an independent testing laboratory—OK, a lab didn’t prove that...). What I learned that helped make my appearances better is to remember that we—the host, the guest, callers—are telling a story. Sometimes, they are told by just one or two voices. Sometimes it is a multitude of voices. Regardless, the best interviews/shows unfold in all the ways that the best stories do.
OK, when it comes to imparting "wisdom," I’ll start and end with the aforementioned bits. Heck, you’ve got the rest of this book to learn from some pretty smart people about what it takes to be a good guest.
I’m not saying I’m a good guest. I’ve had some great appearances and I’ve had some shows that one day—say, 10,000 years into the future—archaeologists will discover in a digital archive and declare, "This was where civilization went south." In other words: abject failures. What I have done that few others in/around media have done, however, is play all the positions: I’ve hosted and co-hosted national and local shows; been a correspondent; done research and co-produced; been a guest (solo and on panels); and as a PR guy, placed experts on shows.
All this to say, I’ve seen a lot of the business—from college radio and TV stations, to the biggest broadcast networks in the world. I’ve been interviewed by some of the warmest, most down-to-earth, informed and gracious people you could ever hope to meet...and I’ve been ambushed, shouted-down and humiliated (live and on the air!). All this to say, I think I’ve got a pretty good idea of what works and what doesn’t. It would be terrific if I could say I always manage to tap into “what works” every time I’m on the air, but I don’t. Let’s just say I’m a work-in-progress (this probably helps account for part of that "flight" instinct that kicks in every time I hear that show-opening "click").
I wish I could leave you with a story or two that really illustrates what I am talking about here—something from my own collection of the good, the bad and the ugly. Everyone who has been around a broadcast studio has a collection of these stories. I’ve seen people who you’d never expect to shine, immediately become eligible for the Radio Guest Hall of Fame (located somewhere in North Dakota, I believe). And I’ve seen so-called experts, people who are household names, metaphorically push the throttle all the way in and augur into the ground at supersonic speed.
The truth is, every appearance brings a new tale...and that’s part of the attraction of "doing media"—no two opportunities and no two results are the same. It’s exciting that way.
It’s also addicting, which is probably somehow tied to the neurochemicals that fire off in the brain tied to "flight or fight" reactions. There’s nothing quite as scary as the possibility of failure...unless that failure is going to happen in front of multitudes of people who are listening to your expertise and opinion (just writing that has me breaking out in a cold sweat and looking for the exits). But there’s also nothing quite like having a great conversation with a host and telling a story that helps make the lives of others better.
Trust me, it’s a much better feeling than you get if you bolt out of the studio and run down the street, screaming like a little schoolgirl.
If you’re going to or want to be part of the wonderful world of broadcasting (by being a talk show guest), pay close attention to what you read in the following chapters. Dave Congalton and Deborah Bayles know what they’re talking about—they have a wealth of knowledge and professional experience behind their words.
Being a radio show guest might sound easy, but it’s not—especially if you don’t know what you’re doing. Heed the authors’ words and I guarantee you’ll not only get your story across to more people, but you’ll do it in a way that effectively expresses your ideas to the right people at the right time and in the right manner. Heck, if you follow their directions, you might even get invited back a second or third time to "do some more radio!"
What’s more, I guarantee that if you follow their advice, you’ll have a more fulfilling and fun experience. (Failure to do what they say, however, results in some sort of multi-generational curse...but that's a different story.)
* * * * *
Jeff Bliss resides in Northern California. Co-host of the nationally syndicated John Batchelor Radio Show, Jeff frequently appears on other local and regional programs. His writing and photography have appeared in publications such as Forbes, Sports Illustrated, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle and Surfer. Jeff is on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/JCBliss. He blogs at http://theblissindex.blogspot.com/.
Chapter 1: How Popular Is Talk Radio?
The short answer is very popular. According to the Pew Project for Excellence in Journalism, nearly 50 million Americans get their news primarily from talk radio icons like Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity. The number of radio station in the U.S. that carry at least some talk shows grew from 1,370 in 2009 to 2,056 in 2010.
Do the math. That’s more than twice the collective audience for the three TV network evening news shows combined, more than five times the audience of the three network Sunday news shows, nearly seven times the combined audience for cable news shows, nearly 10 times the audience for NPR’s “Morning Edition” and “All Things Considered” and 16 times the audience for Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert.
In terms of demographics, the talk radio audience is largely male, typically over the age of 35, ideologically conservative, although not necessarily Republican. Talkers magazine put the party breakdown at 23 percent Republican, 14 percent Democratic, and a majority, 58 percent, independent.
Nearly 65 percent of the talk radio audience is male. Roughly 35 percent of the listeners fall between the ages of 25 and 44, though the format skews older and typically has a large following among seniors. Fully 66 percent of news/talk listeners are white, 32 percent have a college degree or above, and 58 percent make $50,000 or more, according to Talkers Magazine. They are likely to use the Internet and own their own homes.
Rule of thumb over time: The older a person becomes, the more he or she will use media for information instead of entertainment.
Talk radio certainly benefits from our car culture, especially during morning and evening commutes, the so-called “drive time” of broadcasting when listening is at its highest. Those long commute times create a captive audience for talk radio listeners who want to know what is happening while they’re stuck in traffic.
Different audiences come to talk radio. Research suggests that 42 percent of radio listeners listen in their cars, 37 percent at home, and 21 percent at work. People who listen via the Internet tend to be more educated and wealthier. However, as one expert suggests, regardless of how people listen, there is a common motivation drawing them, “There is an element that carries through talk programming in all media. People are looking for a community of like minds.”
If you doubt the influence of talk radio, we suggest two words: Charlie Sheen. The TV actor’s bizarro meltdown that played out over the early part of 2011 has become indelibly etched on our popular culture. What was fueling the Sheen meltdown? According to public relations expert Marsha Friedman, it was talk radio.