Doug Kellett’s Building Blocks for an entertaining and informative talk show:

© Doug Kellett 2006

1. Be Personality driven and topical. Show prep is the key to out distancing the competition to get to the topics that "scoop" the competition.

2. Be Fun but have strong content. Content is every thing in talk radio but the content must be presented in a unique and entertaining way.

3. Give a unique perspective. Give the listener something he cannot get on any other station. How? By digging to find the nugget in an issue that others will not do. Give a reason to listen to what Doug Kellett thinks rather than any one else on the radio. This is done through personality, show prep and topic selection.

4. Be First. Don't rehash yesterday's talk topics....start fresh and set the agenda for the day. If there is nothing new to say about a topic that others haven't said, move on.

5. Use good production value. Go the extra mile to get the "sound bite" to illustrate a point or use "bits" or other production elements to give the show a unique sound. I like to surround the show with slick imaging and self deprecating humor so that the show is "warm" to the audience.

6. Stay on issues that have the most mass appeal. When people are watching American Idol, don't try to give them a white paper on Social Security.

7. Always look for the unique and fresh approach. Talk show hosts many times get in a "rut." I believe in constantly pursuing new and entertaining ways to tell a story. Realizing that almost every thing in life can be made into a good talk show and topic.

8. Out work the competition. You'll never lose to the competition because you didn't work harder than they do.

9. Get the show involved. I like to use the other media to get the show publicity. I've written weekly columns for the Denver Post and the Columbus(GA.) Forum. My shows have often been covered by TV for their news value. Consider cable TV and writing columns in suburban newspapers as a way to increase name recognition. In addition, look for opportunities that have both ratings and revenue potential to get the show on location.

10. Be ready to go newsradio at a moments notice. If the story warrants it, drop the topic and get to the important stuff.

I believe that these 10 elements plus many others will give us the best chance to compete strongly against any talk competition in the market. We have a great opportunity to set the agenda for the listener. In addition, the potential for ratings improvement and station revenue is enormous. Ratings improvement, live endorsements, remotes, and special shows for special events should all increase revenue on the station.