By Holland Cooke
Consultant
Running a successful radio station, hosting a show, or producing a podcast is a lot like hosting Thanksgiving dinner. You need a plan. You need to deliver something satisfying to a crowd with varying tastes. And most of all – if you get it right – you’ll have leftovers you can turn into even more value long after the main event.
The Menu is the Strategy. You don’t just “wing it” on Thanksgiving. Same goes for your content. Who are you serving? What do they expect? Your content calendar is your shopping list. Your team is your kitchen crew. And if you’re still deciding what’s on the menu the morning of, don’t expect rave reviews.
Timing is the Secret Sauce. Get the turkey in too late, and the sides suffer. Hit “record” without a clear rundown, and the show flounders. Publish an episode at the wrong time? Lost in the noise. Stations, shows, and podcasts are all about flow and timing. Great pacing, clean execution, smart transitions. Just like the perfect meal, everything needs to hit the table hot and in the right order.
The Turkey is your Centerpiece. For a station, it’s your format or your tentpole talent. For a show, it’s the host or the day’s big segment. For a podcast, it might be your story structure or your featured guest. Nail the turkey, and people forgive a few lumpy mashed potatoes. Miss it – bland, dry, underwhelming – and no one remembers the green bean casserole.
The Sides are the Supporting Elements. News, weather, traffic, and imaging turn a decent meal into a memorable one. Great intros, tight sound design, and a well-timed punchline make your core content shine.
Different Tastes, One Table. Uncle Edgar wants deep-fried turkey. Your cousin’s vegan. Grandma’s still mad you skipped the marshmallows on the yams. Your audience is just as varied – P1 loyalists, casual browsers, podcast subscribers who never miss a week. You can’t be everything to everyone, but you can build a spread that makes multiple types of listeners feel seen. Know your audience segments. Serve accordingly.
Table Setting = Delivery Platform. Whether it’s FM, a podcast app, a smart speaker, or a website, presentation matters. Is the user experience smooth? Is the stream clean? Is the podcast art appealing? Are your links working? A cold plate on fine china is still cold. Don’t let great content get lost in clunky delivery.
Leftovers = Repurposing. You spent all that time prepping and recording. Don’t just serve it once. Chop up segments for social. Turn interviews into blog posts. Republish as “Best Of” content. Archive it smartly so people can find it later.
Leftover content, when handled right, can fuel long term engagement. Don’t throw away anything tasty just because the initial serving is over.
Thanksgiving reminds us that people crave connection, comfort, and a sense of occasion. So does your audience, whether they tune in live, stream on demand, or binge your podcast during a road trip.
So, plan well. Deliver hot. Serve generously. And whatever you do, don’t forget the gravy.
Happy Thanksgiving. Pass the ratings.
Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke and connect on LinkedIn