HOW’S THE WEATHER? Greg Diamond - ByrnesMedia I’m under-whelmed when most jocks talk about the weather. I’ve been meaning to write that for a while. Before I explain, though, understand that this is not a topic I want to blow out of proportion and I’m also not referring to news people. This only concerns jock execution. Now…
You’re sitting at a table when someone walks up and asks you what it’s like out. Do you answer with:
Unless you happen to be a TV meteorologist, I trust your answer was “b”. So then, why is it normal to abandon everyday speech when talking about the weather on the air?
I suspect research indicating how very important the topic is to the listener has contributed to morphing this service element into an often-times exercise in technical one-upmanship. TV has also played a large role in altering what we believe people’s expectations of a forecast should be, but using television as a guide is a clear mistake given the differing manner in which the two media are used. So then, with this being the present standard on most stations (I have a mountain of airchecks, plus two ears to back up that assertion), does that really mean it’s the most effective or even correct approach? Not in my mind.
You may have an airstaff of “announcers”, but in reality we want them to be “communicators,” with the former talking largely at the listener and the latter speaking with them. Most programmers do a pretty good job directing talent in this area, but unfortunately, that’s not often the case when it comes to the weather. Again, this is probably due to the fact that more formalized forecasts are the norm. Regardless, unless we change our mindsets, we can’t expect the jocks to alter their performance.
The following is a break I transcribed a couple of months back. It’s typical of what you often hear:
At first glance, there isn’t anything terribly wrong with what the jock said, but when placed in the context of a break that was relaxed, communicative and flowing, a disconnect was apparent between this part of the break and the rest. It’s as if the talent shifted gears and went from being a personality to a quasi-newsreader. To be fair, this person actually did a better job of keeping his delivery more consistent than many other jocks I’ve heard.
In addition to the tone of the delivery, the break also contained the redundancies and non-conversational phrases that are all-too-common when talking about the weather. For instance:
I could continue with the nit-picking, but to do so blurs the point – why not give the weather in a manner that you would if talking to a friend. In this case it would probably be something like:
The main reason weather is “stiffer” sounding is because it is being read – plain and simple. The quickest way to get your staff sounding more natural in this area is to have them read over the prepared forecast a few times at the start of their shift and then just throw it away - literally. This will force them to relate the day’s conditions instead of just “reading the weather.”
Getting rid of the clutter also gives the jock room to “colour” the forecast with a local tie or possibly a lifestyle connection. Announcers should be encouraged to look for a benefit they can pass along to the listener. For instance, saying something like, “Leave those expensive Italian pumps in the closet,” on a day when it will be slushy gives the audience something useable above just the nuts and bolts of the forecast.
Another point to ponder is how far in the future a weather break should reach. Does it make sense for a morning show to look well past that particular afternoon? In reality, the listener’s primary concern will be that day’s conditions, so unless you are approaching the weekend the break doesn’t need to examine further than 12 to 18 hours.
I mentioned earlier the importance placed on weather by the listener, but this is a daypart-specific point. In mornings, frequent weather breaks and temp checks are needed. A person’s short listening window, coupled with the desire for the information, dictates the higher frequency. Outside of mornings, though, we may actually place undue emphasis on this element. It’s not uncommon to hear a forecast 2 to 4 times an hour in other dayparts, but is this because the need truly exists or are we doing this more for sponsorship avail purposes? You may want to dig into this with listeners and find out more clearly how much is enough for your station.
Now, pardon me while I cover all the bases – if a major storm rolls in, tell your jocks to keep the paper in front of them. Radio has proven conclusively to be the principal source of information when the weather goes bad… or just about anything else, for that matter. The Southern California wildfires were the latest (and admittedly extreme) example with alternative station, KBZT, actually handing over its frequency to cross-town NPR affiliate, KPBS, when their transmitter was destroyed, at a time when the demand for information was at its highest. In short, provide the message more often than not in such circumstances.
In conclusion, you may want to give these points some thought the next time you’re asked “How’s the weather?” |