Why Your Morning Show Sucks

By Mark Ramsey, Nova Marketing Group Inc 858 490-8881 The original article appeared in Radio Ink magazine Much has been written and said lately regarding Howard Sterns marital split and his ensuing search for a girlfriend. This sad state of affairs has been credited with spiking Howards ratings to record levels. But if you fail to read between the lines, you may miss a much more profound truth that is as applicable to your stations morning show as it is to Howard Sterns. Howards ordeal, you see, is what a writer would call a dramatic arc. Its a journey, a story with a beginning, a middle and an end. In the beginning, Howard announced his separation. Now, in the middle, the sex search is on. In the end, Howard will wind up on a date and-knowing him as any listener does-in a relationship. Beginning, middle, end. It is a story covering many months. Why dont X-Files favorites Mulder and Scully hop into bed? Because that would end their arc; it would finish the story. The dramatic tension between the characters would evaporate, and so would the audience. Recently, Mulder finally found his missing sister, effectively ending one mini-arc. When your arc ends (or its welcome wears out), you need a new one. These ancient rules of drama apply every bit as much to your morning show, too. The problem with the average morning shows is that theyre about moments, not stories. Moments are fint stunts during ratings periods (e.g., The X-Files Cops episode), but their impact is ephemeral-here today, gone tomorrow. Similarly, we in radio have the obsessive drive to be topical-its all about whats hot NOW. Theres no past, no future, just now. In other words, theres no story, no arc to draw the audience and emotionally involve them until that arc ends. Theres no direction, no momentum, no exploration of new territory. One day blends into the next. Thats what makes it stale. I think Its fair to say staleness is the single greatest problem facing even the most popular and enduring morning show. The story is old; it has stalled. Now what? Stale is not something at which to throw new benchmarks. Its something for which you open a new chapter. Whats so fresh about TVs Friends over the past year or so? Why, Chandler and Monicas relationship, of course. Its a new story-a new arc-and it carries the show in a new, fresh direction when previous stories and arcs had ended. Letterman was in a stale rut until his unfortunate heart condition effectively ended one arc in time for his return to the show to kickoff another. Is there any question Letterman will be forever different now? Youre going to tune in to find out, arent you? What are your arcs?