WINNER PLAYBACK

OK radio professionals... if you are still playing back the entire conversation between yourself and a contest winner, then you need to go back to broadcasting school or learn how to use Shortcut or Adobe Audition!  How very UNentertaining and not interesting is it to hear a caller ask if he/she can pick up the prizes at your station and then the jock gives the address along with a parting "thanks for listening..."?!?!?!  

Editing should be your favorite thing when you are on the air on a music station.  You have the chance for every interaction with every caller to be perfect: perfectly timed and delivered!  If you don't like it when your voice cracked when you were reading the client's tag, then you can go back and re-do it!  Imagine if Tom Brady could call for a re-do after throwing an interception!!! The Pats would have won the Super Bowl!  You can win the Super Bowl of radio (i.e. your local Arbitron ratings) if you EDIT YOUR CALLERS!  Obviously, if you are doing a live talk show or a live morning show, this bit of advice doesn't apply (but please keep your finger on the dump button, it could save your job and the PD a trip to the doctor to have his ulcers repaired!).

Try your best to be perfect... every break, every day!  You are a professional: it's expected!!!

If you are perfect 99% of the time, then when you do mess up (even if it's a big flub) you'll get a break from your PD and even more importantly... from your listeners!!!