Monday Memo: Entitled? Or Enabling?
By Holland Cooke
Consultant
Those are the two consultant buzzwords that hosts I coach are hearing in their sleep. And a couple more “E” words: Empathy and Empower.
“The Greatest Generation” led the way
My dad spent 3+ years half a world away during World War II and when he and the rest of “our boys” came marching home, the world we grew up in was set in motion. After all the sacrifices those years asked, life was good again, better than ever for my parents, children of the Great Depression.
Our grandfatherly president – a war hero general – built us an Interstate Highway System, and Dinah Shore sang, “See the USA in a Chevrolet.” The G.I. Bill helped vets through college, and low-interest mortgages fueled a housing boom. Life was good in the leafy cul de sac, where 78.3 million people my age were born. 65-some million of us are still around, wearing progressive lenses and comfortable shoes, insured by Medicare and collecting Social Security.
Now, it’s our turn
Like that two-front war we survived in the 1940s, we are again doubly challenged.
- COVID knocked the world off-balance. Those now indignantly second-guessing a better-safe-than-sorry shutdown don’t seem to recall freezer trucks as makeshift morgues. We chuckle as Zoom tells workers to come back to the office, but labor unions are flexing their muscle in this full employment economy. That’ll happen when a virus subtracts a million Americans WHILE Boomers retire, and others reassess and subsist on the gig economy. The New Normal isn’t.
- Anger as the new joy. And it’s not all Trump’s fault. He didn’t invent grievance and resentment. He just made it popular; and soreheads one-up each other in social media that seems like consequence-free venting, until the next gun nut opens fire.
Listeners are wondering “What NEXT???”
Eggs are down, gas is up again (since last month, though down almost 20% in a year). Tornadoes, floods, scorching heat, baseball-size hail, devastating wildfires… all of which raise prices. We shoot down China’s spy balloon, and their (and Russia’s) war ships loiter off Alaska. Trump! Hunter! 2024! After all the fuss about vaccines, polio resurfaces in New York and leprosy (!) cases are rising in Florida. No wonder Barbie is breaking box office records.
Is the appeal of solutions not obvious? More useful than argument? While everyone is coping, are we offering noise? Or news-you-can-use?
I’m cautioning any talker willing to listen… to listen. “Enabling” dialogue is the-opposite-of “entitled” monologue. Empower listeners, by letting them weigh-in. Empower them with access to guests whose advice they value. Three-way talk like that enables them (and enables them to quote you).
Your empathy is a gift.
Holland Cooke (HollandCooke.com) is a consultant working at the intersection of broadcasting and the Internet. He is the author of “Spot-On: Commercial Copy Points That Earned The Benjamins,” a FREE download; and “Multiply Your Podcast Subscribers, Without Buying Clicks,” available from Talkers books. Follow HC on Twitter @HollandCooke
audiences and deepen NHPR’s relationship with existing users. She will supervise NHPR’s digital team, programming team, and marketing efforts. Lin comments, “I’m thrilled to join this ambitious team to lead audience strategy at NHPR. I deeply believe in the mission of public media and am passionate about journalism as a means to inform communities, spark civic engagement and enrich our quality of life.” She most recently served with Solutions Journalism Network in which she worked with newsrooms across the US managing editorial and audience engagement initiatives as collaborations manager.
37-year career in journalism, during which he broke barriers and uplifted young sports writers. Parker says, “There’s nothing better than being honored by your own people, your peers, so this is very special to me. I want to thank my family, my friends, all the people who have supported me throughout the years, all my mentees – they fuel me, they inspire me every day. How I got here is that plenty of people helped me along the way, and that’s what it’s all about.” Premiere Networks president Julie Talbott says, “We couldn’t be more proud of Rob. He truly deserves this recognition for his trailblazing career in sports journalism, and for his continuing efforts to elevate and mentor the next generation.”
hosts of the 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm program, effective Monday (8/14). They have been the interim hosts since February. Additionally, Jake Skorheim has assumed hosting duties for the evening program “KIRO Nights.” Skorheim was the producer for the Dori Monson show from 2009 through 2016. Bonneville Seattle director of news and talk 
programming Bryan Buckalew says, “I’m thrilled about these new shows, and I hope our audience will be too. Listeners can expect dynamic conversations based on the top news stories of the day, keeping our community informed and entertained. Jack and Spike have good chemistry and a keen sense of humor. They do a great job of blending informative discussions with lighthearted banter. In an era marked by divisiveness, Jack and Spike emphasize common ground over polarizing debates. Their show demonstrates the power of dissecting complex issues rather than simply magnifying superficial differences.” Buckalew adds, “I couldn’t be more excited to have Jake back in the building. He is thoughtful, creative, and has a great sense of humor. I look forward to listening as Jake develops his distinct voice and builds an audience across a diverse range of digital platforms.”
What happens when the world-wide leader is for sale? When they stopped spanning the globe 25 years ago, I thought the budget cut would help the leader. I could still hear the great Jim McKay describing the agony as Vinko Bogataj rolled down that ski slope in utter defeat. There were so many different images of the thrill of victory, but for most of the 37 seasons of “Wide World of Sports,” the agony of defeat was forever connected to that helpless Yugoslavian skier.
She was the agent I enjoyed working with most over three decades I was an active real estate investor. We remain good friends, and her technique informs the work I do coaching agents – and attorneys and financial advisors and other professionals – who host ask-the-expert radio shows.
court under the COVID-19 Consumer Protection Act for peddling false information about the COVID pandemic in order to sell supplements and vitamins. The trial was set to begin on August 21 before Nepute and prosecutors agreed to pay an $80,000 fine and refrain from marketing his vitamin products as effective preventatives against COVID-19. Nepute and Quickwork LLC – a company in which he is part owner – were targeted by federal officials after Nepute claimed on his “Real Talk with Dr. Eric Nepute” program that vitamin D and zinc supplements could prevent or cure COVID-19. Nepute signed a consent order in 2021 agreeing not to disseminate information that his supplements could prevent COVID but in 2022 he caught the government’s attention for saying vitamins were more beneficial than the COVID vaccine. 
apologize for the pain I caused WUSA sports reporter Sharla McBride. As has been reported, I insensitively used the terms ‘Barbie,’ ‘Barbie girl,’ and ‘chick’ when talking about Ms. McBride, a fellow broadcaster who I did not know or recognize when she walked by our broadcast position. My attempts to be humorous and topical backfired, and I needlessly deprecated a professional colleague… I have reached out to Ms. McBride to apologize. When she feels ready, I hope that we can have a conversation and that I will have the opportunity to reiterate my apology to her in person. I hope that Ms. McBride and the listeners who heard me will forgive me. I am better than this, and I promise to demonstrate that going forward.”
HALF of all radio stations in the United States lose money – at least they did back in 1991. The NAB used to put out an annual report revealing how many radio stations were profitable. Usually half the stations in America lost money. Since consolidation, the NAB stopped putting out that report. It is reasonable to believe that far, far fewer stations lose money today. Shared costs, real estate, technical economies due to digital equipment versus analog all indicate that there must be fewer money-losing properties.
living in the state of Nevada. The native Iowan was beloved by WHO Radio listeners and colleagues. He was known nationally for his thought-provoking talk show and on-air debates, but also for sharing information about local severe weather and other urgent news relevant to his listeners. Mickelson was known for tackling serious topics but was equally appreciated by his devoted listeners for providing much joy and humor with his infectious laughter.” iHeartMedia Des Moines market president Joel McCrea adds, “Jan Mickelson was the best at his craft. He was always prepared and knew how to get you to listen to the radio. If you disagreed with him, he would take your call first because he wanted a spirited conversation. All of us at WHO miss Jan Mickelson.”
No, this isn’t about college football or New Year’s Eve. Wait, maybe it is.
(7/28) and terminated his employment on Saturday. iHeartMedia issued the following statement: “After an internal review, Don Geronimo is no longer an employee of WBIG. We take matters of this nature very seriously and this behavior does not align with our core values.” McBride commented to ESPN, “When I heard the comments made about me on the radio show, I felt incredibly insulted and embarrassed. In my 17 years as a professional journalist, I have never been disrespected in such a blatant manner while trying to do my job. Their words were sexist and misogynistic. No woman should experience this in the workplace, and I appreciate the Commanders’ swift response in handling this matter.” For his part, Geronimo stated via social media, “At this time I will not be providing comment on the events of the last few days. I am consulting with my advisers as to my options moving forward, including an accurate reflection of the situation.” 
Fellow longtime, long-ago DJs: You know what I’m talking about. And it’s a life sentence, eh?
Amazing fact: In ancient times, from 1962-1972, the highest-paid on-air talent in New York City was “an overnight guy.” He was paid salary plus sales response. I’m talking about Long John Nebel on WOR, WNBC, then WMCA. Long John’s live reads moved product because his audience was captive. One-to-one his listeners were attached to their radios in the truck cab, night watchman’s building lobby, parents pacing with their babies, students cramming. His background was not in radio; he was a skilled auctioneer. Obviously, the same listeners exist today – and are anxious for someone to talk to them. Check out this old clip of Nebel in action: 
Edward R. Murrow Award for her investigative reporting on Baltimore’s 911 system and has been the recipient of multiple Chesapeake AP Awards. She comments, “I am excited to be a full-time member of this legendary news station. I am looking forward to working alongside Shawn Anderson, with his years of experience, as we give listeners the most up-to-date and accurate information they need to make informed decisions as they go about their day.” WTOP director of news and programming Julia Ziegler states, “From the day Anne started at WTOP, I have loved her passion for storytelling. Anne puts our listeners first and is always thinking about how she can help them understand what is going on in their worlds. Our listeners are in great hands with Shawn and Anne each afternoon.”