Podcast #003 “The Talk Radio Report”

On today’s show:

-Tips for radio hosts when asked to be on TV!
-Steve Bryant
-Industry News (Adam Carolla, Rob Milford, Chris Krok to KLIF)
-Aircheck spotlight on the amazing Chris Krok!

Download version of show #003

Show #2, The Talk Radio Report

Today:
-My cell phone rings during the show. Don’t you hate when that happens?
-Reaction to show #1
-Industry news, including a choice talk radio JOB OPENING!
-Jeff Katz
-The genius of Bill Handel KFI
-Review of The Allen Hunt Show

Downloadable version of show # 2

The Talk Radio Report Podcast #1

The first episode of “the talk radio show about talk radio”. Hosted by Dan Gaffney, this show includes:

Industry news, a recap of the Talkers Magazine New Media Seminar in NYC, “The Jesus Christ Show”, and around the dial to KFI in LA during morning drive with Bill Handel.

Play show above or download episode #001 here

Test post of portable recorder

In advance of some big changes planned for this website, here is a test post of audio from my Marantz PMD661 in my kitchen. Guest cameo from my 9 year old daughter.

Download this test audio

Telephone audio using a cheap Radio Shack phone interface.

Download test telephone audio

Listen Live

Here is a link to hear my show live:

http://radio.webstream.net/radio_player_large.cfm?stationCallSign=WGMD

For mobile devices here is the link:

http://radio.securenetsystems.net/radio_player_mobile_instructions.cfm?stationCallSign=WGMD

Twitter Tool for Talk Show Hosts

     As a radio talk show host, I’ve been experimenting with Twitter, the mini messaging/blogging/social networking web site.  In short Twitter is the free service that lets one post mini messages of 140 characters or less,  like a blog post only very short.  Other folks, (listeners) can “follow” you on Twitter and get all of your updates.  The Twitter user can also choose to follow others and receive updates (feedback from listeners).

I’m loving this as a way to further connect and interact with the audience.  I can use it as a tool to set up topics,  give “insider information” , off air comments, whatever, during the show and while I’m off the air I can update keeping myself  “top of the mind” with some of my strong supporters.    I can even say things on Twitter I might not want to say on air to make those following my posts feel they are in an inner circle if you will.  It’s been great fun, I recommend all talk hosts and producers try it!  The simplicity of using my cell phone to send a text message and then have that message  automatically go to all the listeners who follow me, plus appear automatically on my twitter page, and my radio web site page automatically using an rss feed is a beautiful thing.  Twitter has made my online communication a lot less complicated.

I have also used Twitter to follow other radio hosts who “get it”, and have been able to steal some great show topic ideas and show prep.  (Thanks Andy and Grandy!)

 

My explanation of Twitter is not as good as this short video.

 

Follow me on Twitter at
http://Twitter.com/dangaffney

Merry Christmas Talk Radio

Merry Christmas to my radio brothers and sisters.   It’s been a tough year,  as radio guru and blogger John Gorman outlines here. 

Too many very talented radio folks got the shaft this year, making me personally even more thankful to be spending my Holiday employed by one of America’s few stable, successful,  money making and yes,  fun,  radio stations.

When talking about firings, layoffs, and other employment tragedies with a friend recently,  he remarked that I should share my own unusual radio employment history on the blog.  I’m reluctant because I don’t want the talkradioreport.com to be too much about me and my life but since I am truley thankful for my life in this business,  I’ll give a brief outline:

I have worked full time six days a week bona-fide full time real radio station work for the past 26 years, and I have NEVER been unemployed!  Radio;  26 years;  never unemployed.  Wow, I’m blessed. 

Only once while working as a talk show host at WAKR in Akron, Ohio the station flipped formats and I was let go, but I was give two months severance pay, and 3 days after being fired I was working as a fill in host at WKBN in Youngstown, and over the next few weeks I filled in at WHIO in Dayton, Ohio too!   So for the duration of my “firing” I actually made double my usual pay!  Then I landed my next full time gig, and so on and so on.

I don’t quite understand why my life on the radio turned out so stable while others in the industry are caught in a whirlwind of instability and short term employment.  Again, I’m blessed…and prepared.   I hope you are prepared for the worse too,  I want you to survive and thrive should the worst happen at your radio station.

 

So that’s it.  I’m weird.

 

Peace joy and Merry Christmas.