Pod-Crashing Episode 47:
I once had a program director that constantly reminded us to deal with Radio Reality. He’d begin every conversation saying, “Hey! This is how it really is!” Mike put so much refocus back into my career that I began watching every level of the Broadcast game. Hey! This is how it really is!
Conan O’Brien’s conversation with actor Paul Ruben. The creator of Pee Wee Herman is having a difficult time trying to understand the concept of a podcast. The typical question, “What’s the difference between this and radio?” Conan jumps in to explain only to realize that after a year or so of doing podcasting he still can’t figure out why it’s called a podcast.
I still remember how pouty I was about the name back in 2012. I hated the term podcast. Especially since the age of iPod listening was quickly disappearing. I had just gone through the death of AM stereo and HD Radio. So much energy put into trying to reinvent the wheel only to watch it fizzle like a firecracker on a rain soaked July 4th holiday.
My good friend Nathan Richie was the first to step up and say “If you don’t like calling it a podcast then stop doing it. Start educating your listeners. It’s Listening on Demand.”
Too difficult to say. It needs a dictionary definition to go with it. Besides, when I get a phone call from a promoter about doing conversations with Gordon Lightfoot and Dennis DeYoung telling them I host fourteen Listen on Demands… they literally stop. Then ask, “A what? Do you mean a podcast?”
Hey! This is how it really is! Radio’s Rodeo Clowns can’t come walking up the dusty path and change the barrel racing rules.
When I meet up with new people and tell them I host podcasts it’s pretty much the same act over and over, “Oh! I’ve listened to a podcast once or twice. Was never impressed.” Or the virgin podcast listener’s answer is “I can’t find the time to check into a two hour rant from Joe Rogan. Is Marc Maron really that pissed off at the world?”
I’ve heard all the questions! It’s like being a podcaster turns everything into the six degrees of separation. So many listeners think we’re all in touch with each other. You know hang on the weekend. Free food at Denny’s at 3am. Then it’s back to creating new episodes on Monday.
Hey! This is how it really is! I keep in touch with a lot of podcasters. Everybody needs to be swapping notes and experiences. It’s only going to raise the bar on quality. I’m not saying we should suddenly jump into a pair of Program Director shoes. Oh hell no! The art of being a great podcaster is doing it your way.
I love checking in with new-be’s like Pete Kaliner who’s extremely fresh from the large tower but on fire with podcasting because its keeping his fans and followers locked in on the energy he generated while with a Talk station forced to clean house.
It’s not that I’m babysitting or trying to pull off a Stock Market takeover. We need to create a stronger brother and sisterhood during these extremely early steps of digital vocal dancing. How Pete lays out his political conversations fed by a need to keep it local shouldn’t sound like my conversations with Elizabeth Chelan who’s got new research on how the military is struggling with recruiting volunteers.
Texture is everything. This is how it really is!
Part of growing with your podcast is knowing what to podcast. That’s an extremely tough mountain to climb for many. I mean, here it is! Your own podcast! Got the Zoom L-8, a fancy microphone, sound proofing, great set of cans and and and… so what do you wanna talk about? Just hit record and we can wing it right?
Collaborations are a cool thing but know your game. A couple of great friends want to chum it up on a podcast. I’m always ready for any performance. But I’m a show prep junky. I never drop tracks unless I go into the episode fully prepared. Hey! This is how it really is!
My conversation with Gordon Lightfoot yesterday needed to be an all-out conversation. To get Gordon into that emotional circle of storytelling I didn’t need to sound like I was pulling questions from thin air. Great talk begins with trust. Those receiving your questions will lower their guard when you build your relationship around the thought of a couple of people that happened to cross paths at Starbucks.
Did I invent that? Oh hell no! I study the masters Stern, Rogan, Maron, Ronan Farrow, Bill Burr and the calmest of the smooth talkers Bob Pittman from Math and Magic and iHeart Media.
Hey! This is how it really is! In this age of free form thinking and speaking the squeaky wheel isn’t always going to be the bird that gets the first worm. Part of growing your podcast is know what to podcast. Knowing arrives from experiencing. Not stealing ideas but using your own skills to bring forward a sound inspired or influenced by. Conan O’Brien does a brilliant job with long form famous people talk. What kind of nightmare did he go through developing that style? He’s a television guy who was barely given six to eight minutes with his guys. Now he’s getting over and hour with Pee Wee Herman?
I’d love to see how Stern would handle a conversation after the producer on the other side says, “You’re out time is 10:09.” And the clock in front of you says its 10:06. I’ve only turned down one interview during a moment like that. I honestly said, “I love and respect this actor so much that being with him for only three minutes shows a disrespect for his presence as an artist. The universe will unite us again a different day.”
I’ve done my fair share of itty bitty teeny weanie talks and had to rely on my producing skills to create an episode that wouldn’t make the listener feel like I just wasted their time. I’m not Entertainment Tonight where they billboard that coming up next so and so and he and she and when the story lands it was only 30 seconds in length.
Hey! This is how it really is!
Alright it’s time for me to reach out to Dennis DeYoung. He’s teamed up with Julian Lennon and Jim Peterik both of whom are huge conversationalists with a solid value at bringing forward the story and experience. Two days of prep has gone into this project. My friend Allan asked if I’d go anywhere near the history of Styx. No… No need. There’s a lot more to talk about than living in the past.
So what’s the moral of the story? There’s no greater feeling then watching your analytics grow. When advertisers start researching your episodes the process gets even more exciting. Building an episode is like creating a craft beer. If you ain’t making what the bar can sell… that stack of BBQ’ed ribs are gonna sit on that grill all night. I learned that from a club owner in the 1990’s. He told me to stop playing love songs. It doesn’t sell whiskey. Tired sweaty dancers buy it up.