[00:00:11] Do you hear that?
[00:00:13] Can you smell that?
[00:00:15] It's that new host energy.
[00:00:18] It's fresh, like the charged air after a thunderstorm.
[00:00:24] Now pull this closure right out of the gate.
[00:00:27] I'm new at this.
[00:00:29] Well, broadcasting on talk radio anyway. Yep. And I'm saying, like, I'm still checking if the mic is on new.
[00:00:41] Still shocked that anyone pressed play knew.
[00:00:46] Which means today's episode is either brave honesty or a well documented career mistake.
[00:00:54] But I hope not, though, since I'm new, I get to say some things that veterans can't.
[00:01:04] And since I'm self aware, I also get to say some things about people like me who talk way too much because we're terrified of silence.
[00:01:19] No dead air that's been beaten to my brain since listening to radio as a child.
[00:01:27] So today we're taking some time to talk about new hosts, veteran hosts, and that intensely awkward middle space where everyone is pretending they know what they're doing from the natural state.
[00:01:47] This is Public Facing the Podcast.
[00:01:51] Hello and welcome to Public Facing the Podcast, where culture and community meet. I'm your host, Joe Holman, and I'm so glad that you come by today. This is going to be a good one.
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[00:02:48] So let's start with us.
[00:02:52] Now, I'm. I'm talking about the new people, you know, working in or around broadcast radio, myself included.
[00:03:01] And much of this also sort of cross applies to podcasting as well.
[00:03:11] And as new hosts, you know, we. We come in excited and prepared, perhaps overly caffeinated.
[00:03:20] And then we treat silence like it's a personal attack because when you're new, every pause feels like the audience is thinking, oh, wow, they let this guy have a show now. I panicked at times and forgot that listening is actually part of my job.
[00:03:47] I know.
[00:03:49] So now I'm not, I'm not casting stones here.
[00:03:54] I myself am broadcasting from a proverbial point of a glass studio.
[00:04:03] Just imagine Billy Joel's Glass Houses album cover from 1980.
[00:04:10] Yeah.
[00:04:11] Now, I've been accused in the past, when I first began podcasting, of being the new host who talked like silence was illegal, maybe even to the point of being felonious.
[00:04:27] Okay, maybe not quite that bad.
[00:04:31] Now, as new hosts, we may sometimes confuse talking with earning the mic and when the real skill is actually knowing when to get out of the way.
[00:04:45] As far as, like the rookies go, you know, we think every second ought to be filled with content just to prove that we belong. But while veterans, they think surviving this long means they don't have to change.
[00:05:07] And meanwhile, in all this, the audience has needs and they just want. Want someone who knows when to shut up, when to push back, and when to evolve.
[00:05:24] And yeah, I'm talking to myself here too, a lifelong learner.
[00:05:33] Now, let's talk about the legends, the veterans, because there's a clear and present day danger.
[00:05:42] It's the comfort trap.
[00:05:46] The veterans, you know, the broadcasters who have been here long enough to say things like back when radio mattered, which it's always encouraging, right?
[00:05:57] Man.
[00:05:59] Because veterans, they are incredibly good at radio.
[00:06:07] Incredibly good. They can fill time, hit posts, talk over music, and they do it like it owes them money.
[00:06:18] But sometimes, sometimes the. The vibe sounds a lot more like muscle memory and as opposed to curiosity.
[00:06:30] And this is where we have to get real honest with each other. Because I get why this happens.
[00:06:37] Because if. If something has worked for, say, 20 years, then changing it may actually feel like admitting you might not be perfect or to, you know, that there's a bit of a feeling of defeat.
[00:06:56] And I say that as someone who panics a bit even when, you know, an app updates. I don't want to lose my content or my, you know, my files or anything like that.
[00:07:11] But experience in this case can become a shield.
[00:07:19] And as shields defend and protect, well, shields can also block new signals, you know, the ones we really need to be able to receive.
[00:07:33] And laying down the.
[00:07:37] The smack on the truth here is that the uncomfortable truth that I'm learning in real time is that nobody is near as good as at listening as they think they are.
[00:07:56] New hosts, they're listening to respond.
[00:08:00] Veterans are listening to confirm.
[00:08:05] And the audience feels both.
[00:08:09] I've nodded to someone as they talk to me, and that essentially signals that I'm waiting for my turn. And that's not listening at all.
[00:08:21] That's politely reloading.
[00:08:26] Now, listening isn't quiet. It's active restraint.
[00:08:34] And restraint is terrifying when you're new, and it's inconvenient when you're comfortable.
[00:08:44] Now Experience can quietly turn into entitlement and instinct can quietly turn into habit.
[00:08:57] But not all habits are good ones.
[00:09:02] So it's been said that there's really nothing more terrifying than a broadcaster who says, trust me, I've been doing this since before podcasts. Well, yeah, and newspapers were doing great back then too, to a point of detriment.
[00:09:30] See, complacency is a deadly poison.
[00:09:37] Even if it's working slowly, it's still poison.
[00:09:46] And nowadays we have so many platforms out there.
[00:09:52] There are radio platforms, you know, ones like iHeartRadio, what, live365. I mean there, there's, there are many, many.
[00:10:06] And of course we have different pod podcast platforms out there. You know, we have the Spotify and Amazon Music and of course, and we've got Facebook and Instagram and Pinterest and Snapchat and you know, the list goes on and on and even all the way down to the video ones where, where we have, you know, YouTube and, and things like that.
[00:10:41] And so what I'm, what I find is that this is where things get a bit weird because I understand podcasts, obviously you are listening to public facing the podcast and I understand clips and captions like for X etc. And even algorithms, sort of.
[00:11:16] But I'm still learning to control and fine tune pacing, tone and when to shut up.
[00:11:28] Veterans, that's a whole lot another story, seriously, because veterans are incredible online and on air.
[00:11:39] But sometimes they treat digital like it's just a phase that'll pass.
[00:11:50] Which is what my elderly neighbor, a retired civil servant, said about email.
[00:11:57] So, you know, there has to be a balance.
[00:12:02] Now it's been said that a great show with no digital life disappears, forgotten.
[00:12:12] It also has been said that great digital with a bad show doesn't last.
[00:12:23] And to push it one one step clearer would be to say a great clip will not save a boring show and just like it.
[00:12:40] A great show without a digital presence is simply a well produced diary.
[00:12:51] And you know, somehow we all think that the other side has it easier.
[00:13:00] It's weird now when as I look back, you know, listening isn't passive, it's an active choice and it's an active choice to be surprised.
[00:13:16] And radio, I'm talking about good radio, like good radio done right.
[00:13:24] That has always been about reacting honestly in real time.
[00:13:33] So I'm seeing so much growth and this is the part that gives me hope because I do see growth, growth happening everywhere. Growth is bounding on both sides of this spectrum.
[00:13:48] New hosts are learning to pause and veterans are experimenting, sometimes awkwardly, very bravely, by whatever means. They are experimenting with new formats and new platforms, forms. And the ones who stand out, well, they're not defensive, far from they're curious.
[00:14:21] Which is hard because curiosity requires admitting that you don't know everything.
[00:14:30] And trust me, I'm very comfortable admitting that.
[00:14:38] Let me give you a great takeaway here.
[00:14:42] The future belongs to broadcasters who respect both the craft and the distribution, not one at the expense of the other.
[00:14:56] The future of talk radio isn't young versus old, no, it's flexibility, because the ones who last aren't necessarily the loudest or the longest tenured.
[00:15:14] They're most frequently the most adaptable and beginner energy.
[00:15:23] Plus, veteran wisdom is not a conflict.
[00:15:29] It's the very best version of talk.
[00:15:35] So I will end with this from someone who's new, learning publicly and occasionally talking too much.
[00:15:49] Come closer.
[00:15:53] If I ever stop listening, call me out.
[00:16:01] And if I ever stop changing, well, I hope I notice before you do.
[00:16:13] Because the mic, it doesn't reward confidence forever.
[00:16:18] No, it rewards attention.
[00:16:22] And right now I'm paying attention.
[00:16:28] Even when I'm nervous.
[00:16:30] Especially when I'm wrong.
[00:16:35] Thanks for listening and thanks for letting the new kid talk.
[00:16:41] You've been listening to the talk show that deep dives into issues with that shape our world.
[00:16:47] We openly welcome the conversations, testimonies and personal stories that impact the lives of so many from all locations and all walks of life.
[00:16:58] Because these stories should always be public facing, our episodes are that of a scripted yet unscripted talk show.
[00:17:09] Regardless of what you might hear during our time together, my sincere hope is that you can find truth and hope inside the stories that we share.
[00:17:22] I am so very thankful for you, my favorite listener, and I appreciate you for being a part of the public facing podcast journey and I'm hopeful that this episode has inspired you to take action in your life, to be curious and to live your life as a lifelong learner.
[00:17:43] Also, I hope this dialog has encouraged you to tighten up your broadcasting game, to help grow your delivery style, and to surf the curve of the evolution of broadcasting.
[00:17:59] I welcome your feedback on all the topics that we discuss and share here on Public Facing the Podcast.
[00:18:07] Our podcast episodes can be found at PublicFacingPod stream or wherever you get your podcasts.
[00:18:15] So tell me, how may I best serve you?
[00:18:19] You've heard my voice, now let me hear yours.
[00:18:23] Join the conversation and send me your comments, story ideas, or even to just say hello.
[00:18:30] Send me an email at hello at Public Facing Pod Stream as we close today's episode know that you are the very best part of public facing.
[00:18:45] You can connect with us on our x
[email protected] PublicFacingPod.
[00:18:51] Thanks for listening and until next time, keep things upright and public facing.
