www.bobwmedia.com
BEST OF SHOWS
1. Are you ready to proclaim this your best?
2. If I was looking for a morning show for my major market station ... would this be what you would want me to hear?
If you cannot say yes to both: bag it.
"Best-Of" shows are a great way for heritage talent to engage their audience over the weekend or when they are on vacation.
They can also be an embarrassment.
I was on the road this week (Monday following the 4th of July) and hear a top 10 market station's "best-of" morning show.
It was an embarrassment to the station ... to the market ... to Marconi.
Nobody edited out all of the time and weather information (from last winter!!). I don't know which worse ... hearing a chance of flurries in July ... or that it was 7:10 at 8:30.
Both were embarrassing.
The first bit I heard was with a 'b' celebrity. It wasn't all that entertaining. Plus, whenever I cannot make out the celebrity (after missing the intro), they are not big enough to be on a BO show.
The 2nd bit I heard was a recycled celebrity gossip report - way out of date.
The last bit I heard (mercifully so) was a prep-service parody song - with no set-up. It just played after a BO liner.
Again - if this material is that on which you would represent your career: so be it.
If it isn't: fix it, or don't do a BO show.
The PD is making you do one? THEN DO A GOOD ONE.
- If you are the talent, do not rely on an intern or producer to edit the bits.
- Make sure the material makes sense (no Xmas bits on Memorial Day)
- Present each bit so it makes sense. If a bit needs a re-set, record one and run it ahead of time (Hi, it's Jon and Mary ... this is the time we accidentally showed up at the wrong house for the giveaway ... ugh ... it's still hard to hear ...)
Also - don't stuff each hour with as much content during a BO show. Play more songs. Even if you have enough material to fill the usual quota: wean out the weakest stuff.
The popular "Now That's What I Call" music CD's are considered "best-of" albums. In order for a song to make the cut, it has to score top 15 or higher on the chart. (Did K-Tel do the same in the 70's?)
If you call it best of ... that is the story you are telling.
Does it fly in the 140 character world?