Linking and Trailing
Link Structure
You have learnt some basic content that you should be including in your show’s clock hour and of course the main content is the music itself.
Most new presenters will begin the presenter journey in Leighton Buzz Radio by presenting our Buzzing Music Mix. This is our pre-built playlist of hit music from different decades. The first question we are usually asked is can I add my own music. The quick answer is no, not at this stage (more on that later). As with all major stations the music is pre-decided for the presenters, your job is to create excitement and anticipation for this music. You can’t do this for every song but nor should you dismiss it as just another track. You may have heard it every day for weeks but remember our 15 minute listener.
As part of being a presenter a great new habit is to become a link addict – perhaps collector would be a healthier term – listen to other stations whenever you get the chance and start to notice how the presenters are creating their links.
More on Link Structure
Here is Kate Cocker on the basics of structuring a link.
Inspiration
Nothing is duller than just saying ‘I love this song’. You’ve got to get to the why. Set up that song as if it’s been handpicked for that day. Make it feel special – as though you’re hearing it for the very first time
Paul Kaye : Radio Secrets by David Lloyd
Teasing and Trailing
We’ve talked about a listener only being with us for 15 minutes. The next important job in building a show is teasing and trailing. Simply this is the way we give a listener a reason to stay for another 15 minutes. It can be as simple as saying “coming up after the news, in my opinion the best song Take That ever did’, but it can be a tease to content you have put together, the answer to a question or survey, or even a fellow presenter coming up on the station after your show.
To summarise, when building your show you will divide your clock hour into segments. You can build your segments around the essential housekeeping and stationality which will guide the listener to where they are, you do this by carefully structuring your links and you keep the listener tuned in by teasing and trailing.
Next watch the final video from Kate Cocker on Teasing and Trailing
Training Task 3
Training Task 3
It’s time to put it all together and try structuring a few links that includes housekeeping and teasing and trailing before introducing the next song.
Stage 1 Review
Stage 1 Review
Congratulations on getting this far, it is now time to schedule a video call to review your progress and ask any questions about what you have just learned.
Your trainer will listen to your practice hour to see how you have got on. Don’t panic, no-one is expecting you to be a perfect presenter; this is a great opportunity to hear some tips and tricks and to make sure you are okay before you head to the next stage of your training.