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When it comes to hiring or building a morning show, most stations start looking for the “silver bullet”, a pre-existing morning team that is very successful in their market, blows you away in an aircheck, and is not under contract. Station managers don’t spend nearly as much time, energy, or budget in seeking what is often the most essential ingredient in a morning show’s success: The producer!

Too often, stations spend big bucks on the talent and forget about the supporting cast. A good producer can be the difference between a profitable investment in talent and a disaster. In fact, many high profile morning shows now have an assistant producer, or two!
Finding an all-star producer, like Star 100.7’s Tommy Sablan, is actually more difficult than finding entertaining talent. Don’t get me wrong. It’s hard to find a morning show. There are few great ones, and even fewer available great ones. And even the best producer can’t turn average talent into a great morning show.But once the personalities are in place, you must find a competent producer to unlock their potential. Leaving the air talent to their own devices is like an NFL team signing Bret Favre to a new contract and letting all the receivers go!

Most personalities and managers know they need a producer, but really don’t know what they are looking for, or how to evaluate what they have. They tend to find someone who makes them feel good, which is important, but not as important as someone who makes them sound good. They end up with someone who prints out show prep, answers phones/emails and makes coffee.

A producer’s role will vary from show to show. The perfect “fit” is someone who provides direction, leadership and a set of skills that complement those of the personality. If a show is set up properly, and you understand the role of the talent on the air, the traits that are needed will be quite apparent and a search for the right producer will be much easier.

A great producer has many positive traits, but the most important thing to look for is attitude. You’re looking for someone who prides themselves on the show’s success. Their job is to turn the air talent into celebrities in the market. I’ve seen too many shows fail because the producer is actually envious of the attention showered upon the hosts of the show. This is a role of a servant, willing to take a back seat and let the talent be the star. Their sense of achievement and success comes when the talent receives recognition.

Producing a morning show is a management position. Instead of looking for someone who desires their own show someday, look for someone who could become a program director someday! A producer has to understand the station’s programming goals and how the morning show fits into the station’s overall strategy for success. He or she must work endlessly to serve those station goals, while remaining loyal to the morning show. At Star 100.7, I like to refer to Tommy as the “Program Director of the Jeff & Jer Show”. I trust him to be my on-the-field coach and balance the goals of the station with the creativity of the show. He has earned the respect and trust of both the personalities on the show and management.

Most producers are incredibly detail-oriented. This helps relieve the talent of the burden of having to think about anything except entertaining the audience. The producer lays it all out there and makes it easy for the talent to be a star. Producers know what is important to the listener, and figure out how to help the talent present their material in an entertaining manner. Producers always should have a sense of having one ball in the air.

On a bad or slow day, they are a cheerleader, helping bring the mood of the studio up and making the talent forget about any distractions. The next day may require a completely different approach. Either way, they are flexible versatile in their approach. Basic Skills Required of a Producer

There are some things that are “nice to haves” in a producer. Many skills that make a show work are arbitrary and some shortcomings can be overcome by distributing responsibilities among other show members.

There are other elements that are “must-haves” if the producer is to help the talent reach its’ potential. Organization is the most basic element. Producers always have a lot of balls in the air at one time. Answering to the PD, working with promotions, dealing with sales, screening,, phone calls, keeping track of the flow of the show, directing the talent requires that the producer be able to multi-task and keep track of every little detail.

Execution is also central to effectiveness. Once the show is organized, it has to be put together in a smooth, well-planned (and seemingly spontaneous) show. The producer has to follow through and be flexible enough to react to unplanned situations without losing sight of the end result. Seizing the moment, and understanding what works, is crucial.

The producer must also act as the show’s “editor”. Face it, talent thinks that the more they talk, the better the show. It’s the producer’s job to keep them moving. A producer provides perspective from the listener’s point of view. The editor directs the talent to keep the elements at a manageable level. Usually, less is more, and it’s the producer’s job to make sure that less is achieved.

Questions for Hiring a Producer
Whenever a new producer is considered for a station, it’s important to project how they “fit” into the show and interact with the personalities and the programmer. Can you get along? Is there a good foundation for a working partnership?

My best advice to a PD is that when investigating a new producer, watch carefully for subtle signs, and trust your instincts. Every veteran PD can tell you stories about mistakes they’ve made convincing themselves that a prospective employee would work, and “settling” on something that is less than ideal. You can’t go strictly by “the book”. There’s more to this business than science. It’s an art. It’s a feel.
When you ask typical interview questions, you’ll get the typical responses. “Yes, I’m a team player. Yes, I take direction well. Yes, I work well with others. Yes, I believe that protecting the license is important”.

Ask a lot of open-ended questions. Then, shut up and listen. Let them talk. Look for consistent answers. Listen for honesty. Don’t ask the standard interview questions. You want to measure their thought process, and how well they think on their feet. Look for intelligence. How well do they understand themselves? How well do they understand the business? How well do they understand their own success? Determine how well they understand their role in the show.

Producer Interview Questionnaire
There is no right or wrong answer to any interview questions. It is a place to start helping to determine if there is a good “match” between employer and talent. Also remember it’s just a starting point. You can come up with dozens more.

1. What is your greatest success? What was the key to success? Who made it happen?

2. What is your biggest failure? What could have been done to prevent it? Who was responsible for it?

3. What do you like most in a boss or supervisor? What drives you nuts about them?

4. How do you feel about critiques? How often do you meet with management?

5. What job did you like best in your career and why?

6. If you were producing a show that was going on the air in a market and competing with your current show, what would you do to attract listeners away, and command market share?

7. What was your most successful morning show promotion ever? What made it work? Would you do it again? How would it be better next time?

8. What is the best bit you’ve done this month?

9. What is the worst bit you’ve done in the past month?

10. What are the three best topics to have fun with right now?

What have you done with them recently?

Finding an effective producer is a god-send for program directors and personalities alike. Her or she must be able to balance the personality and creativity of the morning talent and formatic, strategic interests of the PD. That’s sometimes a delicate balance and difficult to navigate.

Tracy Johnson is VP/GM/PD of KFMB AM & FM (Star 100.7) in San Diego.

Reach him at
www.tjohnsonmedia.com or at tjohnson@kfmb.com