More of this Feature • Chapter 1 • Chapter 2 • Chapter 3 • Chapter 4 • Chapter 5 • Chapter 6 • Chapter 7 • Chapter 8 • Chapter 9 • Chapter 10 • Chapter 11 • Chapter 12 • Chapter 13 • Chapter 14

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Related Resources •  Want To Work On The Radio? •  Back On The Air - And Now It's Personal •  Radio Morning Man Terminology •  So, You Wanna Work In Radio? •  Confessions of a Morning DJ •  The Radio DJ FAQ •  How Do I Break Into Radio? •  You Don't Have To Be On The Air To Be In Radio •  Be A DJ: Radio Jobs Available

For the most part, all of us in Radio who do programs that require content, acquire it from the same sources. Let's be honest: if we see or hear somebody else doing a great bit, we want to steal it! That's fine: it's a Radio tradition. But, the key to ripping off a bit is making it yours. How do you do that?

1. Rename it
2. Rewrite it
3. Re-Order it
4. Digest and Regurgitate it

Rename It

Let me give you a blatant example of why this is such an important method of making content your own. As I write this, I'm riding out a contract that has another 4 months on it. My station was sold and the new company did not like the terms of my deal. So, they relieved me of my duties (having no intention of renewing at my current salary) and my old company is paying me off to sit at home. (Just for the record, it wasn't because of ratings. My show was #1 in our target demo. It was a money issue.) Anyway, the point is: after they took my partner and I off the air, they moved the afternoon guy over to mornings and what did he do? He ripped off our most popular bit - but kept the name we used for it! That is a Radio cardinal sin - especially in a case like this where the replacement is from the same station!

Understand, it's not that our bit was very original in content, but the name was unique: “Head Up Yer Ass Headlines”. The bit was comprised of just the stupid, offbeat stories of the day that a hundred other DJs use in one way or another. What the new morning guy SHOULD have done was, at least, RENAME the bit! MAKE IT YOUR OWN! But, he didn't and the fallout was that our old listeners perceived him as a poser and a rip-off artist, as these real emails I received from listeners demonstrate:

“Today, on my way in to work, I turned on XXXX just to see how unoriginal XXXX would be.  I got to say he really sucks...His "HUYAH" are read with no feeling or humor.”

“I found out today that the "New" morning show was going to be doing a bit called 'Head up your ass headlines'. Now I am pretty sure that was featured on the morning show that the new ownership did not want. Please, XXXX, explain to me why a company would fire their morning personalities but would want to keep part of a show they did not want? This is not very original (I hope you would realize this). I feel this is a slap in the face to the listeners.”

“Jeez, when I heard about "That Bastard Radio Station" continuing HUYAH Headlines, that was just too much. Not that I listen to them anymore, I just can't bring myself to do so, but WHAT'S NEXT?”

“I just [heard] XXXX is stealing the "Head up Your Ass Headlines" starting tomarrow…..that’s original huh”

So, you can see, firsthand, how not making content your own is a real negative. That said, let's talk about the ways you DO make content your own.

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