I’m not talking about national programs but rather, the local shows hosted by local business people or hobbyists who have a passion for a subject and the knowledge to discuss it and answer questions.
Just how do these people get their own radio shows anyway?
Well, with a little work and prodding, you might be able to get your own radio show, too.
Show Me the Money
Although many local talk-formatted radio stations carry syndicated programming, there are many which develop local programming.
When it comes to commercial AM and FM, you should understand the primary motivation is revenue and if you can help it achieve that goal, you might be doing a radio show.
A local station can make money if a show is well received by its listeners and/or it has good ratings. Popular programming attracts advertisers and the radio station’s sales department will sell ads to various clients.
But, many stations will also run paid programming - and cash the check whether anyone is listening or not. Let's say I'm a plumber and I want to do a show on Saturdays about how to do home plumbing repairs while at the same time plugging my business. There are many stations which will sell you 30 or 60 minutes of time, especially if you agree to pay the "top of the rate card" or a premium rate.
Of course, you may not get the exact time slot you want and often, a diligent Program Director will insist that you be able to conduct a listenable show. But, if you pay a premium for your own show, the station will more than likely provide an engineer/producer so you don’t have to worry about learning the technical end of things.
Not all stations will offer paid programming to clients. It depends on many factors including market size, format, etc. But, if you go that route, think hard about whether your investment into buying radio time will pay off in increased interest in your product or services.
Make a Proposal and a Demo
Before you offer to buy radio time, try and interest a talk radio station in putting you on-the-air just because you have a compelling show idea.
Decide the focus of the show you want to do and come up with a catchy name for it. Make an outline of the type of subject matter your show will cover. If possible, make a short demonstration CD (no more than 5 minutes) of how you would sound on-the-air.
If you know someone at a radio station, maybe they will help you make the demo. If not, you can easily record one on your home computer and with free multi-track software like Audacity, you can even include some theme music and other effects.
With proposal and demo in-hand, contact your local talk radio station(s) and ask the Program Director for an appointment to go over your idea. If he asks you to mail it, then do so but make sure you follow up with a phone call.
If he repeatedly ignores you, go around him. Call the Sales Manager and pitch him the idea with possible advertisers who would love to sponsor a show like yours. Money talks and sometimes a Sales Manager can have a lot of clout.
Master of Your Own Domain
If your attempts to get your own show on-the-air locally don’t pan out, you can still always create your own Podcast and offer it to the world. A well-designed website at your own domain with a professionally produced Podcast might not only earn you some extra money with Google Ads but could possibly gain you a world-wide audience.
For more information on easily creating your own Podcasts see:
