It’s been touted as the most anticipated debate this election season. The first Presidential debate of 2024 was a Hail Mary toss for CNN, yet they landed short of the end zone.

It’s the earliest debate ever held. Neither candidate is technically on the ballot in any state (because they are not yet the nominees of their party). It is also the re-match most people in America did not want and the media is failing in it’s duty to be the fourth estate.

In the first debate where mics of nonspeakers would be muted, it was not surprising both candidates had multiple clipped answers. It’s good because it showed that their audio technician is human but it also showed they muted mics equally and without prejudice.

What was ridiculous was both Biden (46) and Trump (45) stepping over each other on 46’s golf handicap. This would have been a perfect opportunity for Dana Bash or Jake Tapper to step in and get the two elderly statesmen back on track. Yet, this is one of the many examples of the pair failing at their moderator duties.

The first three follow-up questions were all to Trump. In fact, 45 was asked the same question significantly more than Biden. It’s not from Trump lacking an answer and Biden providing perfectly coherent responses. It’s from a failure of their journalistic duty.

The point where Bash failed was when she asked “If [Trump] will accept the results of this election?” 45 answered that question the first and third time she asked it. However, if she had been listening, Bash would have heard the first time Trump answered it. This gives left-leaning outlets a chance to say he didn’t answer the question fully. It also provides them an opportunity to praise Bash for “pressuring” Trump.

Conversely, Tapper missed two opportunities to pressure Trump on key issues (likely because his answers could have picked up some moderate left voters). The first: If Palestine should be a recognized country. The second: What would [Trump] do to make child care more affordable?

There were several instances where Biden did not answer a question, fully, completely, or coherently. However, instead of asking the same question again — like they did with Trump — they asked a follow-up question. To Tapper and Bash’s credit, they both noted when each candidate had time left and asked a second question (provided the candidate answered the first question to their liking).

While both moderators tried to “refocus” Trump on certain questions, neither of them tried to refocus Biden when he did not answer (or stumbled through a response).

A most notable failure? Tapper began asking a question (moving on from the January 6th topic) when Biden raised his finger asking for rebuttal time. No, Jake! This showed your bias. You began asking a question. This means it’s time to move on. Not allow Biden to rebut Trump. This is Tapper handing the debate over to Biden and not maintaining control.

Speaking of moving on, CNN (and all other outlets) need to move on from having commercial breaks. It is ironic and symbolic because it shows how the Presidential race has become more of a commercial enterprise than a public service (which is what our Founding Fathers intended our government to be: public service). Other outlets could have seized the opportunity to review the debate.

All the major outlets aired (their own, not simulcast) commercials during the break. The only people to benefit from the commercial breaks were media suits. It’s a sad day for journalism when what should be a service provided to the American public was manipulated into a profit machine for large corporations.

However, there was one major failure of CNN which came before the debate. In 1992, Ross Perot (I) joined President George H.W. Bush (R), and then-Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton (D), on the debate stage. It marked the first time ever three people had shared the stage for a Presidential debate. True American politics at work. This is what our system was designed for.

Yet, independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was nowhere to be found on this debate stage. While CNN claims he did not meet the qualifications to participate, his campaign says neither did the other candidates (because neither is technically on the ballot as they have not yet been nominated by their party).

In May, the Kennedy campaign filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission but to no avail. It’s ironic the debate that takes place on Ross Perot’s birthday is not allowing a third-party candidate to participate. Kennedy instead held a real-time debate on X.

Biased “journalist” media outlets have lost integrity and self-respect. Plus drinking games and bets on which President would poop their pants on live tv first. Yes, the 2024 Presidential debate featured exactly what the other 99% of Americans feared: evidence that we are hopeless to the broken system and biased outlets that used to make our Democratic Republic so great.

Regardless of who wins in November (I hope it’s none of the above), we Americas and the American Media need to put our bias aside and unify as a country, something CNN moderators Dana Bash and Jake Tapper did not do. Supporting the President — regardless of party — is extremely important because if the President fails so does the country. We need a media outlet to unify the country. CNN is not said outlet.

Last Friday, I wrote about the critical need for news/talk radio stations to reduce on-air clutter and give audiences a reason to listen more often and for longer periods. We arrived at the best solution, the only solution really: drastically cut the spot load. I mean cut it in half or more.

Now that we’ve agreed to give your listeners and clients a premium product with greater personal service by reducing your content-killing spot and promo load from 24 minutes to 12, what will you do with all that extra time? This is the perfect opportunity to reexamine your program content in detail with a mind toward cutting out anything that’s not an audience grabber. Without putting too fine a point on it, let the dog wag the tail again.

I did my first news anchor shift in 1976 and nearly nothing has changed in the 48 years since. We had network news straight up at the top of the hour, traffic reports every ten minutes, weather at scheduled times, and sports and business news reports also at specific times. Radio programming was managed by the hour, minutes, and seconds.

In 50+ years, the only thing that has changed in all-news radio is the size of the spot load. It’s the radio equivalent of the fabled Great Pacific garbage patch.

No, I’m not saying your clients are garbage but asking your listeners to wait through five or six-minute commercial breaks four or five times an hour is unrealistic, trashy radio and frankly, you’re ripping off your paying customers.

The problem is the clock, the 60-minute hour. That’s what causes the trouble, isn’t it? Everything we do has to fit into 60 minutes.

Why?

Let’s dump the clock. I’m serious. Let’s stop thinking in terms of sound hours illustrated by analog clocks, circles with pie charts, dots, and numbers. Except when you need to be someplace or do something at a specific time what difference does it make? Clocks are just tools but in radio, the clock is a prison. We still do everything in circles, starting at the top and returning there sixty minutes later so that we can start all over again.

Technology has advanced. We can program our very specific personal needs each day. Why can’t radio people jump into the 21st Century and realize that listeners no longer need us to pack their lunches and make sure they catch the school bus on time?

When’s the last time you as a listener punched a station preset in time to catch Traffic on the Fives? And when was the last time the shotgun approach to radio traffic reports gave you any useful information that Google Maps or Waze couldn’t deliver instantly, with real-time details on traffic conditions at your precise location and the best current route to your destination? Never. Radio has never been able to do that.

Back in the good old days traffic reporters were personalities, part of the show. In the best major and medium market stations they flew in airplanes and helicopters, able to describe the tie-ups, alternate routes, crash sites, fires, police activity, and everything else they were seeing. It didn’t usually pertain to your personal location but it was descriptive theater of the mind from a friendly, familiar voice.

Now we have voices from a Los Angeles studio reporting traffic in Salt Lake City, though the reporter has never even been there and can’t pronounce some of the street names correctly.

As a news anchor or talk host preparing for your on-air toss to traffic you know that your L.A.-based reporter has no time to listen and chat with you on the air. She/he is also filing for three other stations in drastically different markets. They don’t even hear your show and may not know your name.

Besides, most of those traffic reports were recorded ten minutes ago. We don’t tell listeners that, of course.

Dump scheduled traffic. Seriously, you’re trying to maintain a useless old-school illusion for your audience. You’re being the Great Oz behind the curtain.

When the big traffic-related stuff happens your newsroom editor or producer can interrupt with the breaking information: “A big rig has crashed at the Hollywood split, 101 to the 134 interchange. Check the News 1280 traffic map for exits and alternates.”

The News 1280 traffic map? Sure, why not? Link your live stream to a real-time traffic map provider. It’s right there on the commuter’s in-dash screen and won’t interrupt the radio show for listeners miles away.

So, that gets rid of another six minutes of tedious, unnecessary, and largely useless information clogging up your content. What else?

Ah, yes. Business and sports reports.

I’ve never understood the point of doing business reports that sound to most people like yodeling cattle auctioneers. People who want that information have far better sources than your radio station. And, sports? If you’re in a market that has its own local or regional sports station, leave the details to them. When there’s big sports or money news that you can’t ignore, stick it in a newscast or make it a segment.

That goes for weather, too, depending on your market and the time of year. Here in North Texas, we get tornados and baseball-sized hail in spring and autumn. That’s worth talking about in detail but usually, “sunny and hot through the weekend” says it all.

Now, we get to the fun part. What do we do with all this newly created extra air time? More news? Maybe, if it’s a busy news day. Longer stories? On less busy news days you can take a little more time with those fascinating, complicated tales now that you don’t have to break for traffic and six minutes of spots. But longer stories in general? Nope. The point is, extra time is extra. You shouldn’t stretch news to get to the next formatted break. Nothing should be predetermined in length.

Why do we still draw pictures of “sound hours” that map out three and five-minute newscasts, spot breaks, and whatnot, specifically down to the minute? That’s exactly what we’re trying to get away from. Somedays your air talents need seven minutes to tell compelling stories, other times 30 seconds works. You’re paying them to have the judgment, talent, and craft to deliver the goods, not to watch the clock.

Do what radio does better than any other medium: Entertain me. Help me like you. Don’t BS me.

I’m not saying anything you haven’t heard a million times. People want a human connection with radio. We want the company of other real people we can relate to, laugh with, and who share our annoyances. We have countless varied and questionable sources of news and information. You only have one morning team and I really like them. I trust them. Give me more of that, people talking about the news and life itself. Give me something to think about and a reason to smile.

Technology is taking us to a new level of creative efficiency but it will never – trust me on this – it will never replace us. It will never have a heart and a soul.

For God’s sake, give me people radio again.

Retooling your news/talk radio show this summer is a worthy pursuit. Ok, I am not a fan of tossing the baby out with the bathwater, but this is the perfect time of year to try things. This is especially true if your show is on top of the ratings and revenue. I am going to give you some tools that you may find helpful. 

If your show is working well, it is very easy to ignore signs of fraying. Tiger Woods, when he was just destroying the competition, changed his swing at least three times in his career. Why? I am guessing that Tiger found his swing inefficient. He tried new things. Tiger hired coaches. It was his desire to be better.

Are you trying to get better? When was the last time that you were airchecked? If your Program Director is not great at coaching, or you have adopted all of his/her suggestions and don’t feel like the show is fresh, you may need another coach.

If you work for a large broadcast radio company, ask for a critique from another program director in the company. Always go through your PD. Don’t go to a format captain without the PD’s permission. If you work for a smaller company that does not have the resources to coach you, find a PD who has either retired or is on the beach. Offer to pay that program director a couple of hundred dollars. That PD may waive the fee to do the coaching. Don’t expect anything for free.

You may learn a lot from the interaction. Over the years, I have coached many hosts. I remember being in with a talent who was not cooperating on a point to improve his show. I asked a simple question: when you follow my advice, what happens? He thought for a moment and said, “It works.” I retorted, “So why are you so suborn?” He followed my advice and improved his already very good show. Change your swing.

Your program director is invested in your success. They get bonuses from high ratings. Likely, your deal has some ratings bonuses attached. If you get bonuses, the program director gets extra money as well. Believe in them. If you have a new program director, there is a reason why that individual was hired. Listen to them. Showing buy-in is better for you and better for the station long-term.

Evaluate special features. I have heard hosts defend horrific segments that they have done for five years. The host will say that the listeners expect and love the segment. Really? I have had a talk show host move on and have never received a comment about how a segment is missed. The listeners will miss the personality but never the bit, theme, or feature. Don’t marry your career to a feature that has no legs.

I find that hosts who have been in a market/station for a long time will keep adding on things. It’s like hosts have become hoarders of bits. Shed things. Less is more. Remember my first commandment: The worst lie that you can ever tell is the lie that you tell yourself. I can’t answer that for you. Are you telling the person in the mirror the truth?

Change can be scary. But there is always room for change and improvement. You must adapt. Humanity has always been adaptable while also being creatures of habit. Human nature also states that being able to adapt is usually connected with the impulse for survival.

If you have not changed your show in years, I suggest you carefully evaluate what you are doing. The competitive environment that radio and quite frankly all media is experiencing necessitates an honest review of your presentation, content, and execution.

How is your theme song? Has it worn out its welcome? Is your bumper music from 40 years ago? Is your monologue tight? Are you telling stories? What is your glue for the listener? Are you welcoming new people to the party or is it a slowly diminishing insider’s club? Have you ever been invited to join the Lion’s Club or those rascally Rotarians?

A lot of these community organizations are dying out. It is not because the groups are not doing great work for our society and world. They are dying because they became an exclusive club. The members became older. The group became insular. I have a hobby and I drove to a meeting once of people who enjoy the same pastime that I do. I didn’t know anyone. The club members were very good friends of each other. I could not have a conversation with anyone. These individuals never introduced themselves to me. I felt like I was an outsider.

Is your show like this? Are you inviting new people to the party? I recently moved to a new area. I am like many radio people: an introvert unless I am performing. It can feel like you’re an alien if you have attended community events and social gatherings. Don’t make new listeners feel unwelcome.

Your show is a living breathing entity. It is a community. Every area needs to grow. Sometimes a building needs to be knocked down to create a better way for the community to be connected. What buildings do you need to smash?