Radio Lessons From The Real World – #25 Mick Jagger

For a rock star, Mick Jagger is not much of a rock star.

Rock stars are supposed to be rampant, late night partygoers but he openly detests large gatherings and instead, craves a quiet, private life away from the spotlight.

It’s the summer of 1978, and ‘Miss You’ is topping radio playlist and sales charts all over the world, Mick is arriving at yet another shindig on London’s chic streets of Chelsea. He has arrived fashionably late and is about to do the same thing he does at every party.

Every, single, party.

His limousine drops him off at the front of the building where he pauses, smiles and greets fellow revelers, shakes hands with fans and politely stops for photographs. Then, he enters the party; makes eye contact with as many people as he can while walking directly towards the back door. Within minutes he reaches that door and exits the room, where he is met by his limousine, for the drive home.

Now imagine that same party is a talk break – a morning show break, a music show break, a talk show break. Are you a super efficient ‘Mick’ with one thought to convey, planned with the destination in site, taking the listener on a journey to that back door, focused on efficiency and word economy with that clear exit in mind before the mic is even opened?

Or are you more of a ‘Keith’? Stopping to say hello to everyone, thrilled to be at the party, mingling at the bar, staying for just one more drink, getting lost in the fun of the room and likely being escorted out after the house lights are switched on to help the cleaning crew, telling anyone who will listen that they are loved.

Audience attention spans are not what they used to be. The world is a busier place and our constant connectivity demands more bandwidth from each of us. Entertainment must evolve to this new reality and be served in bite size, easy to chew pieces. The simpler you make the consumption of your audio product the more appetizing it will become.

Keep your breaks singular in thought and tightly focused. Develop them with the necessary details but be surgically efficient, cutting the fat and have the limo meet you around the back.

About Ronnie Stanton

Aussie kid living in Canada. His office job is VP – National Brands and Programming for Corus Entertainment .  Ronnie also consults radio stations and coaches morning shows all over the world. He can be reached throughwww.ronniestanton.com