Telling stories for Radio
Main Points made in the interviews.
Richard Fidler
- Initially was in TV and learnt the differences from TV and radio. Realised that radio is much more intimate, you’re not just looking at TV box, it is human interaction. You have to keep the listener in on the conversation and not box them out.
- Subjects are often relaxed during the interview because they have been prepared before the actual interview
- You can’t just relentlessly probe the subject or they will clam up and not want to talk to you. It is sometimes good to tease them or make them laugh to make them appear more human.
- Uses techniques to draw information out from callers such as conversational tone, friendliness and doesn’t put himself above the listener
I particularly like the analogy he used that it is like a party and each new speaker is a guest at the party that you have to introduce to other members.
Both of them said that their most memorable moment were when the people they were interviewing revealed something more than expected. Sometime they didn’t realize they were on radio or that they guests remember something for the first. Richard Fidler also stated the silence shouldn’t be understand estimated and that in fact it is powerful technique used to help the subject reflect on their experience.
People now consume their media in new ways, but radio has maintained. Why?
- Public radio is thriving, grabbing new techniques to be part of the new media such as podcasts, twitter.
- Sending out stuff on twitter and receiving things on twitter, adapting well to the new social media
- It is because people are time poor and that it is very human, strong way connecting with other human beings
- Steve Austin thinks radio in Australia has gotten better and more real
Wisdom for journalist students?
- Be Worldly, opened minded, keep asking questions
- Expose yourself to thoughts that you may not agree with, expand your world view as much as possible
- If you really want something don’t give up because more often than not it is the struggle that gives you more character.
Steve Austin
- Learnt that the way you speak on radio and your enunciation does matter and is different to they way you normally speak. Since you are trying to communicate to a large group of people you have to speak differently and try and break the barrier between you and the listener
- Talking on radio is not about thinking about yourself and what the audience wants to hear, basically its not about you but about the listener.
- The human voice and ear are in this perfect relationship and people can tell when someone is lying on the radio more than TV because you don’t have the visuals to distract you
- You need to give people the chance to say their issues and you must change to have empathy for them.
- His technique for talk back is to not make the questions too complicated and one of the best ways to get callers is talk about issues that really frustrate people.
- According to him a good story is based on being human and looking for emotional responses to issues and go from there. You also have to learn to listen because it is one of the best ways to show respect to the guest and they generally respond well to that courtesy.
Important point that Austin made is that you should never do anything on radio that you wouldn’t do in real life
Richard Fidler
- Got into radio by accident
- Accidently in TV
- Got a call to fill in for someone on radio
- Had to dissemble a lot from TV work
When you first went into radio what did you need to learn?
- First thing radio is very different media from tv
- Can translate them to both each
- Work completely different from each
- Radio Much more intimate
- TV you watch from a distance – high impact media
- Often you are multi-tasking with radio – driving the car, doing stuff at work
- Voice doesn’t come at you but is more like it is in your head
- Important to feel included in the conversation and to be a facilitator of that as a presenter
- You could be having a good interview but it may be a closed interview and not keep the listener involved
- Must keep the listener in on the conversation
You have two different shows, conversations, what type of show is it? What elements of the show set it up from other programs?
- Conventional interview is using around 7 minutes long but Conversations is an hour, with the one guest sometimes 2
- Biographical in nature, most are well known but the better guests are often unknown
- Human story and a story about ideas
- Whether the story will sustain for an hour?
- He has to be generally interested in the story to make it last
Is there a point in the interview when you can relax?
- 90% of the time he is confident it will work before it will start
- Producer is good
- A lot of preparation has been done before the interview and the person has been run through what is going to happen and the questions that are going to be asked in the interview so they feel more relaxed
- They are in a place where they trust the program
The key is for the subject to feel safe so they can reveal parts?
- If you relentlessly probe them they clam up and don’t feel open to talk, they have no obligation to talk
- You can sometime tease the guest and make them laugh
- Sometime when the experienced the go to the stories they have told a million time and try get them to laugh to they seem more like a human being and can talk more relaxed
Any memorable guest or moments?
- Sometimes moment when guests remember thing for the first time
- Adam Gilchrest
o When the ball comes towards with that speed is your mind thinking or just some instinctive process
o And then from this he told a story about an out of body experience and he realized it was the first time he thought about it
- It is a privileged to be part of this, when someone thinks or realizes something for the first time. Respect it by keeping his mouth shout
- He doesn’t really say that much and gives the subject a lot of space and freedom just to talk, only interjects when they get off track or just sort of lose themselves
- Sometimes in recollections of something truly dreadful your first instinct is to comfort them but there isn’t your position and just give them the space to get themselves together, in doing do they master that movement
- This silence that lets the subject reflect, is prompt and technique, he moves back from the microphone and body language tells them to take them time and not add pressure
- Silence is powerful and revealing, don’t underestimate the silence
Afternoons – different show, what’s it like?
- a point in the time when the people have already had a lot of news updates etc.
- Around about one o’clock people are ready for something different, to have something a little more fun
- Look at something with a different angle, more humor
You encourage viewers to talk about and participate, what are the challenges of have viewers call up talk back?
- People are filtered through the producers
- Listeners really car about the ABC getting it right
What are your techniques to get draw out information from callers
- The tone with how you bring them own the air is important
- Have to be friendly
- Doesn’t put himself above his listeners
- Would rather be a facilitator
- Sees it like a party and a caller is a new guests you have to introduce them to everyone else at the party
What are your listening habits?
- Doesn’t listening to as much radio because he didn’t drive to work
- Admires his college likes Kelly programs
- Steve’s evening shows, really good with bring the listener on to the radio with them
- Everyone works every hard with trying conditions
- Listens to more podcast than he does radio
How people now consume their media, but radio has maintained. Why?
- Public radio is thriving, grabbing new techniques to be part of the new media such as podcasts, twitter.
- Sending out stuff on twitter and receiving things on twitter, adapting well to the new social media
Often work in studio on your own, how do you maintain warmth, energy and empathy for an audience and subject that you can’t see?
- Has a picture of the audience that is him and his wife just after they had kids so they listen to the local radio to be clued in because now they cant go as much and then now they can have something to talk about
- Both older and younger people still do want to know what is going on
- People who want remain contemporary
- They really want to be useful and give them something
- A sense of public service which what keeps him happy
Wisdom for journalist students?
- Read the paper
- Worldly
- Be opened minded, keep ask questions
- Expose yourself to thoughts that you may not agree with
- Expand your world view as much as possible
Steve Austin
- Riding a bike and concerned with what he was going to do with his life
- Faint idea that he wanted to race motorcycle
- Though that if he didn’t get his act together he wouldn’t do anything
- Spent 5 years kissing butt to radio people
- Volunteered do graveyard shifts on radio 4zzz fm
- Learn that your enunciation does matter
- Still be yourself but because you are trying to communicate you have to be different talking, want to break the barrier between you and the listener
Creating Pictures with words?
- Radio is the theatre of the mind
What did you have to learn to switch from community radio to a public broadcast?
- When young, had conservative parents, wasn’t allowed to listen to rock n roll so listened to parliament
- So listening to politics it helps
- Had vision of ABC but when he went there it wasn’t it
- He knew it was professional and serious
- Initially leaned to the left but realized it was closed minded and that it only really represented his views and not really the viewers
- Not being right or wrong
- Thinking about himself to thinking about what the audience wanted
- Became not about him but about the listeners
What style of show is the evening show?
- Unique style of show
- Developed different from other ABC shows.
- At night competitors are television
- Designed as a three hour shift
- Start with far bit of talk back with issues that people want to get off their chests, current issues of the day and possible issues for the next day
- Realized that most people of the listening network are going home at this time
- Second hour is pure entertainment
- Get a panel of funny or interesting people and talk about things
- Final our is all about interesting
- Slower more relaxed, so people have time to listen
- Intimate, personal issues
Audience?
- Incredibly diverse and broad
- Night time audience very different in ages
- Tends to be more men than women
- Women very protective of their time, so designed a panel program for them at this time on Thursday night
What are the challenges for different styles?
- Depends on what you what to get out of the subject
- The human voice and hear are in this perfect relationship and people can tell when someone is lying on the radio more than TV because you don’t have the visuals to distract you
Up close and personal – at what point do you realize that is going to sustain the length?
- Get a gut feeling,
- Try and reward their trust
- If you have agreed not to talk about something he doesn’t
- Give them their own chance to say their issues
- Need to change your voice to empathize with them
- Don’t do anything on radio that you wouldn’t do it in real life
Talk back – how do you prompt people to pick up the phone?
- Ask questions – provocative questions
- Put out simple question like do you agree?
- Less complicated questions get faster responses
- Frustration is good thing to get people involved or respond
- Make it easy on the listener
What do you think makes a good story?
- Being human
- We are emotional creatures, not rational
- He looks for emotional responses to things
- An opinion isn’t wrong
- Human beings are emotional creatures and are usually driven by life experiences
- You have to talk less and listen more in
- If you want to show someone respect, listening, it implies respect and people respond well to the courtesy
Do you listen to radio?
- Listen to news radio for quick news
- Listens to podcasts
Many Changes in media, but radio has kept its audience, why?
- It is because people are time poor
- Very human, strong way connecting with other human beings
- Thinks radio in Australia has gotten better and more real
Any tips?
- If you are not naturally talented don’t give up
- If you really want it don’t ever give up
- You may even become a more interesting person with a few knockbacks
Any memorable moments?
- When some reveal something of themselves personally when they have forgotten they are on radio
- Let them speak and show them respect
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