The "Kings of Radio:" How Listeners Define A Great Talent

With Cousin Brucie, one of CNN's Top 10

As reported this week in All Access, CNN posted an article on the “Kings of Radio,” their Top 10 List of “All-time Great DJs” complete with mini-bios and audio clips.

Fun? Absolutely! It’s worth clicking just to hear one of Casey Kasem’s signature teases from 1963 and Howard Stern having fun at the expense of a traffic reporter.

Of course it’s impossible to get consensus on a list like this - just read the passionate comments about the omissions - because of the personal connection that a great talent develops with listeners.

Talk to listeners about talent they perceive as stars and you often hear these qualities:

• A good sense of humor
• They connect emotionally
• Are fun, interesting, and entertaining beyond anything else that is going on at the station
• A feeling that they ‘know’ the talent as a friend or even relative
• Listeners feel ‘understood’ by the talent who sometimes act as their spokesperson
• Feel the talent is sincere, honest, open, real, genuine, and shares their life on the air
• The talent talks in an interesting way about the things listeners care about or find important or fun
• Are passionate and have opinions
• Are unique
• They surprise you (in a good way) with things they say, do, or talk about
• Are people listeners want to ‘hang out’ with
• Are active in the community, generous with their time, and are often involved in charitable efforts
• Are larger than life
• Genuinely care about their listeners, often remembering their names or even the names of their children
• Are very informed about things the audience is interested in and know ‘what’s going on’  
• Always sound like they love being on the air
• Are people that the audience will not only go out of their way to listen to, but will tell others about including why they’re a fan

These of course are the end results of always being prepared, of being curious, aware and observant, of striving for originality, of knowing what is and isn't compelling content for their listeners, of self-revelation and sharing, of assuming the role of friend or advocate, of being visible, of taking changes, of reinvention, of aggressive editing, and of living an interesting life on and off the air.

Are you now or do you see yourself becoming a top-10 talent in your market? 

Are you coaching or managing in a way that develops “kings of radio?”

I want you to say 'yes' because stars generate love, loyalty and ratings - three things that are always in demand.