Don Anthony

1. The recovery is coming, and you need to be ready for it.  Consultant Mike McVay opened the event with this bit of wisdom.  Yes, things are currently tough.  But radio and the talk format are still powerful media channels.  They will rise again. When?  Two years?  Longer?  Opinions vary.  Regardless, you need to be investing in yourself so you are well-positioned to take advantage of the improved situation.  Hone your radio skills, develop new tools, build your personal brand.  As McVay noted, those who are constantly learning and growing will always do best because “it’s hard to hit a moving target.”

2. Be yourself.  Authenticity is key.  Every successful talk personality is different from every other successful talk personality.  Get to know yourself, and create a show based on your one-of-a-kind awesomeness.

3. It’s more than just talking.  Yes, compelling content is crucial to success, but so is your presentation.  Formatics matter!  Radio is a craft.  That’s why music personalities have an advantage over non-radio folks in the battle for talk host jobs.  The jocks understand the critical basics of radio.

4. Talk radio is more than just politics.  True,  conserva-talk dominates the format at present.  But that trend will run its course.  As radio recovers, and talk continues to spread on the FM dial, we will see more and more non-political talk stations.  The recent surge in sport-talk outlets is an early sign of that trend.

5. Podcasting and Internet radio are indeed legitimate ways to break into broadcast radio.

6.  The rise of the  Personal People Meter ratings system puts even more pressure on talk hosts to be compelling at all times.  Now more than ever, you must be great on a good day and good on a bad day.

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