Here are some examples of people outside of morning drive who utilize excellent show prep, and speak to their audience one-to-one, in ways other than liners and station promos.

Example #1 – Race Taylor, tracking his shift for WRRM in Cincinnati. This is from this morning’s show:

Race always pulls a piece of audio from somewhere and uses it effectively in his shows, in this case: a clip from Friends.

Example #2 – Jolana Miller, three breaks taken from her PM Drive show on KKPK in Colorado Springs:

Jolana is one of the best in the format at talking DIRECTLY to her listeners, as if she is talking to a friend on the phone, or in a bar. It’s extremely natural and conversational – never “announcery.”

Example #3 – A more energetic Race Taylor, from today’s show on WPLJ. Same techniques, but live, with a hotter music mix:

Race is always talking about “The Big Story,” whether it’s a traffic tie-up in town, an artist cancellation, or what people are chatting about on social media. He has a list of sites he visits before each shift so he feels in-the-know, from twitter feeds to insta pages, and often references them as he does here with Carrie Underwood. That’s what makes his shows come alive – it’s more than just rip-and-read off the day’s show prep!

What is displayed in these 3 cuts is not impossible for any of us to do. It may take you out of your comfort zone to pull off, but that is where success begins!