What Real Producers are Made of

FROM THE JUNE 2002 MORNING MOUTH:

“A true morning show producer never really gets the respect he/she deserves! In some instances, an intern is given the "producer” title. Many phone screeners are given the “producer” title. The guy that gets the coffee and newspaper every morning and then files away all the cd's is given the title, “PRODUCER.” Why? Why does the "producer” title and role have to be thought of by many as an entry-level position!? Why do some stations hire inexperienced rookies to produce a morning radio show? Why do some stations let budget stand in the way of hiring a producer? The answer is: because some people just don't get it! THEY JUST DON’T KNOW THAT A PRODUCER--a real producer-- MAKES THINGS HAPPEN. They just don't know that if they get a producer that knows the market and is well connected, that this would make his morning show hosts that much better. Surprisingly, not too many people, including managers and pds, understand this revelation. A producer is needed just as much as a host is! If you have a strong producer, you can actually build your morning show team around them!
By the way, I'm a producer!

What is a morning show producer? Every once in a while, in some trade magazine, you'll find a story on "PRODUCING A MORNING SHOW." Many times the writer isn't even close to describing what a real morning show producer should do. Nothing against any of them, but I thought it was time a producer tries to explain "THE STATE OF PRODUCING" in radio!

A morning show producer should be able to do anything that is asked of him! That really means everything! If your morning show host (or hosts) requests that they want to do a bit that needs the mayor of the city, riding on top of an elephant during rush hour traffic with 20 clowns and 10 mimes walking beside him TOMORROW morning at 7:10, then your producer should have the contacts and the "know how" to make that happen! You should believe you can get those A-LIST celebrities. Television shows aren't more special than radio shows. Why do television programs always get big time celebrities on their show? Probably because they simply knew who to ask! You'll be surprised what you can get, if you simply ask! Never say "I can't". Never take NO for an answer (the very first time). When you hear NO, it should inspire you to work to get a YES. When you talk to a contact person and they say "oh, my client doesn't do radio", just know deep down inside that the person hasn't a clue and shouldn't have that job. They are probably dumb enough for you to easily persuade them into doing your show!

The attitude of the producer should be that he or she works for the morning show hosts and nobody else! Just like a secret service agent, the morning show producer should be crazy enough to take a bullet for the hosts! The producer should shield the morning show hosts away from any and all negative and political bullshit that goes on in the station! The producer's job is to make the hosts job easy! The producer's goal is to work so hard to make the host or hosts so successful and rich that their own well-being comes second to the hosts! I honestly believe that if you work your ass off to make the hosts of the show successful and everything you do is for their own benefit, then you'll be rewarded later and everything you've done for them will pay off for you! It's just good karma! It's a GREAT FEELING to see your morning show hosts achieve awards and recognition (and hopefully good ratings) and know that you played a part in that. Hopefully, your hosts are the kind of people that will show appreciation to your producer both personally and professionally. It's natural (as the producer) to feel left out, but you need to get over it! You need to know that YOUR ROLE is to do everything behind the scenes!

A producer should have an ego, but should know how to control it! The producer should not have an ON THE AIR AGENDA TO BE A DEEJAY, but can do it if they wanted to.......If you do, that's fine, but when you're producing don't do anything selfish, like setting up segments that YOU, the producer, gets to be the "star" of the bit. Don't try to force yourself to talk on the air, just to be on the air.....There will be times when you talk more than the hosts during a morning show segment and then there will be times when you don't even talk on the air all morning long, because you're working on upcoming segments. You should be able to work on 10 different things at once, while a sales person is in your studio asking for an aircheck, and still pay attention to what is going on, on the air, so you can properly put in the right callers and add to the segment yourself. You should be masterful at the art of phone screening. A well screened phone call is just as important as a FUNNY LINE or a BIG INTERVIEW! Work in your little producer's booth or studio for the hosts and if you continue to have that work attitude of "doing it for them", then ALL YOUR PERSONAL DREAMS OF BEING SUCCESSFUL IN RADIO WILL HAPPEN. That's because you have a job that not too many people really know how to do. You're in a unique class of individuals in radio that SHOULD BE PROUD TO BE CALLED A MORNING SHOW PRODUCER!!!!!!! •