FINDING, INTERVIEWING AND SELECTING A MORNING SHOW PRODUCER

by Ross Brittain

When we needed to hire a morning how producer, we put an ad in the CBS corporate listings. We said we were looking for a producer, but it was an entry level job, because we wanted to train her.

We also sent information to broadcast schools around the area.

We sent messages out to local college stations that we were looking for a producer.

We also put the word out at different radio stations around the area that we were looking for a producer. I didn't care if we hired somebody from another station.

We got about 50 responses.

When they came in, the first thing we asked them was:

"What did you think of the morning show? Did you listen to it this morning?"

Forty of those 50 said, "Oh, I didn't hear it."

What the hell is that? You're interviewing for a show....

The ten who listened to the show had a valid comment and knew what they were talking about. So we immediately cut out 80% of the applicants.

We tested for organizational skills. When someone walks into your office with a Blackberry or one of those appointment books, that's pretty much a tip-off that they're a detail oriented person.

We had the morning team ask questions about various things they were interested in. There were general pop culture questions, and we did a "hot box round" with the final candidates.

We gave them a test of general knowledge of the geographical area, so we were sure they could relate to Philadelphia.

A producer should have read the day's paper and know the top four or five stories, for your age group, for your target demographic.

They should have the ability to use Microsoft Word. They should be able to know how to word process; they should be able to use audio software.

They have to interact well with a group. You're not looking for a loner. You can pretty much tell if somebody's sitting huddled in their seat whether or not they're going to interact well with the rest of the team.

But you need a producer who's going to interact well and can be forceful in that initial meeting.

At the follow-up interview, we asked for ideas for phone topics, thought starters, Internet polls — because we have an Internet poll that we do every day to increase traffic to the website. We asked them for three ideas for each of those.

We looked for somebody with a sense of humor, who's able to not take stuff too seriously.

Also, I believe a producer should not be interested in being on the air initially.

Now, it's one thing if you're going to put these people on the air when somebody's on vacation. But unless you're specifically looking to combine the jobs of on-air talent and producer, the producer has enough on his or her plate to do off the air.

Some people don't have the budget for that, and I understand that, but one of our criteria was that they should not be interested in being on the air. Going in, we told them this was not an on-air job. When you say that initially, you screen out a lot of people who are into it for their egos.

(Excerpted from Ross Brittain's How To Find, Hire And Train A Great Morning Show Producer.)

2008: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE ONE BLOG I ALWAYS READ

For most of the world, 2008 officially began sometime in June, when I published my very first blog post. Radio people argued over whether it's a good idea always to put music under the DJ's voice, and the Internet hasn't been the same since.

I've been sharing The Best Radio Video Ever for years now, and I recycled it as a blog posting.

Hotlining Is For Wimps took dead aim at short, insecure PDs.

A bunch of friends and I reminisced about our First Days On The Air.

I paid tribute to America's (and probably the world's) greatest living radio personality.

Ira Glass did the work for me in this posting — far better than I could.

My video camera revealed the seamy underbelly of Dick Orkin's Famous Radio Ranch.

I fessed up to a hoax I played on San Francisco listeners.

Ever meet a dumb radio station receptionist?

I have no idea who called this fax spammer.

Whoever it was, he called another representative of the same fax spamming company.

Hollywood voiceover coach Nancy Wolfson revealed her true feelings about radio people.

Voiceover Hall-of-Famer Patrick Fraley did his best to disguise his awe of me.

Don LaFontaine left us too early. Unless you saw it here, probably you never saw this video.

Everyone thinks my international travels are so glamorous. They are.

A lot of people never heard the Terry Moss production that caused the FCC to change its rules.

Ross Brittain demonstrates the true glamor of a radio star's life.

My attempt to get everyone excited about one of the coolest songs ever...Well, kind of flopped.

My 3-part series on how to react to a competitor's misleading contest seemed to amuse people.

My favorite rendition of Cream's "White Room."

Finally, one or two people shared my awe at this demonstration of How To Write A Hit Love Ballad.

All in all, I think it's fair to say that this blog has never had a finer year. And I owe it all to my dozens of loyal readers. Next year? More of the same, except for the new stuff.