Aircheck styles

[Frank72]

Hey PD's and air talent - what style of critique do you give or receive?

PD's:
Do you prefer listening to the audio and making notes before the meeting?
Do you just wing it?
Do you give talent notes or a copy of the critique?
Outside morning, weekly?
Morning show (besides daily meetings) - whole show or just an hour?

Yes, a lot of questions but there are many different styles. Just curious to know what PD's are doing, what works, what doesn't, etc.

 

[story@11]

I think that listening to the tape with the talent is the best way to do it. Offer not only direction but positive feedback too. Jocks are very sensitive types. I once had one of the most recognized radio talents in the country in tears simply because I told him that his wife had a tune out high pitched squeal type voice and he couldn't have her on the air anymore.

As a jock relish in the positive feedback but also be able to handle direction which at times may pinch a bit.

I don't think notes are necessary unless you are making a file for the jock. Critiques should be somewhat informal.

I also think that if your morning show is on track then you should not meet with them on a daily basis.

Limit meetings to 45 minutes max. Your show has been up since 3:30 (probably - depending on when they start).

 

[whit979]

You must be positive, but more important than that, you must make the talent feel involved in the process. Ask questions. Ask why they did certain things that might be negatives. Ask how they feel about their show, individual segments, whatever. Ask what they need in order to improve. Listen genuinely and make note of what they say. You're not obligated to do anything your talent suggests...the important thing is that you make the talent feel as if they are actively participating in decision making. This builds trust between programmer and talent, and adds to the credibility of the programmer. Beware of lectures. Many a programmer have lost legitimacy among talent by taking this route in meetings. Talent (and this is especially true of programmers who have their own air shifts) will start nit-picking your own style in their minds, leading them to discount what you say if you take a hard-line approach.

Personally I listen to the audio prior to the meeting and make a *short* list of notes. I'm talking like, no more than what you could fit on a Post-It note. That's another thing -- avoid sitting down with a notebook (or other large piece of paper) in hand. More than anything, this goes to the talent's mental perception of the meeting. I try to pick three topics and stay on those during the meeting. Any more than that and you are going to be doing yourself harm because it will be an overload for the talent.

I record talent airchecks on my own computer and try to make a 5 to 10 minute composite of recent breaks. This is for a music show, not a talk show (obviously you would need much more content in that instance). For your morning show I would go with bi-weekly or weekly meetings, unless your morning show is comprised of fairly inexperienced talent. Remember that above everybody else, your morning team are the anchors of your station. They are the people who I would want to be the most interactive with in my meetings.

Remember to keep the talent involved and end on a high note, offering an open-door policy regarding any questions or assistance they might need.

 

[nightfly61]

Anyone ever aircheck a voicetrack?
I had a p.d once that, if at most once a YEAR airchecked us & when he did it was mostly "well here's how I would have done it" or "If it were me I would have said it this way". BUT YOU'RE NOT ME DUDE!

 

[franksandhotdogs]

Hey PD's and air talent - what style of critique do you give or receive?

PD's:
Do you prefer listening to the audio and making notes before the meeting?
Do you just wing it?
Do you give talent notes or a copy of the critique?
Outside morning, weekly?
Morning show (besides daily meetings) - whole show or just an hour?

Yes, a lot of questions but there are many different styles. Just curious to know what PD's are doing, what works, what doesn't, etc.

Basically, I do what whit does.  I listen to the audio prior (and listen to it with the talent at the session), write some notes (for topics in the session) on a Post-it and do sessions bi-weekly.  I try not to do too many topics so it doesn't get too long.

I once worked where the GM wouldn't pay for aircheck sessions (because the company was run by bean counters) so the PD did most of it on paper monthly.

I'm not a fan of having young jocks listen to a compilation of classic airchecks of major market jocks, because it's so easy to get caught up in the hype of trying too hard to be something you're not.  Once you know how to talk then learn how to inject your own personality into it.  I cant even tell you how many times I heard a bit on a aircheck of Tone. E Fly, Kane, Billy the Kid, JJ Kincaid, Cubby Bryant, Scotty Davis, etc., or somewhere else, and then I hear an aircheck of a small market jock with the same bit (which isn't necessarily a bad thing...but it's important to be yourself and create your own vibe - that's how they got where they are).

 

[ruger22com]

When I worked in small/medium markets, I tried to TEACH the jocks, not critique them.....show them what they were doing wrong, and make them understand how the listener would react to it, and how they could relate more to the listener to keep him/her tuned in longer.
Thank god that by the time I hit the top ten markets, I was working with people who had climbed the ladder to the top and had very few things that needing work...because they, and myself (I usually did middays) ALWAYS airchecked EVERY show....then listened to it on the way home in the car...and again, on the way into work the next day. If you do that everyday and listen to your competition too every day...there is little need for a critique session.