Pitching to Broadcast Media: Insider Tips On Being A Great Radio Guest
LBC's Henry Riley on radio and social media storytelling
Henry Riley not only understands the fast pace and unpredictability of live radio but he thrives in it. He has a knack for bringing clarity, relevance and energy to every story he covers or presents.
He’s seen the chaos of live radio, the calm of a well-prepped guest and everything in between. Henry advocates for good lighting, strong sound quality and guests who don’t treat every question like a TED Talk. To tell you more, over to the microphone maestro himself...
What makes a great radio guest? Bluntly, someone who improves the programme/output! Ideally someone who, whilst they may be an expert in a specific subject, can communicate both clearly and jargon-free. A great guest is someone who won’t ramble on but will give pithy, insightful and direct answers to questions. With LBC, we are always thinking of “Mrs Jones in Clapham” - the regular listener who is multitasking while listening to the radio. You have to engage her and make every story relevant to her. A guest should be tailored to a story which the particular show or presenter is likely to cover.
How can PRs prep their clients for when going on air? Any common mistakes you see? I think the best PRs we deal with will have researched the specific station or show for their clients. For example, depending on which show you are on when appearing on LBC, your interview can be anywhere between 1.5 minutes and 12 minutes. It’s vital that the guest knows that being on the breakfast show means it’ll be short and snappy! Common mistakes are often in timings. If a media outlet books a guest in for 7.40am for five minutes then definitely don’t book them in for 7.50am somewhere else! Shows notoriously run late and are unpredictable. It sounds simple but sound quality is key. If a guest is on a regular phone line that can be fine but if they are “in quality” using a microphone plugged into a computer, or even FaceTime audio, it’s more likely to be used by our sister stations in news bulletins. Instead of 3.5 million potential LBC listeners, it grows to over 30 million people who listen to a Global station (e.g. everything from Heart to Capital FM and Classic FM to Smooth!)
How has the role of radio changed in the age of podcasts and social media? Visuals! I think that’s probably the biggest change. The actual listeners to our output are definitely a priority but we are able to reach completely new audiences through social media. A guest “in vision” means there is far more chance of it going out on our website or socials. Good lighting, framing of the guest and the backdrop all helps! It’s also a crowded market and so our clips are short, snappy and engaging. People consume news differently now and we have to give people the option of watching a 30 second video. Conversely with podcasts, it allows us to have a longer form chat with a completely different audience.
How are the pressures different for you when you do live vs recorded radio? Recorded naturally is a lot more relaxed and gives us a chance to be flexible so often an answer might have to be exited out for time reasons or if it goes off topic. Often there can be a higher bar to make sure it all goes on air! In both cases though, they are very similar. We rarely tend to do pre-records, unless there is a really good reason. Often in live recordings, there’s the adrenalin of everyone (including the guest, interviewer and audience) reacting in real time!
What’s an easy way for a PR to know who to go to if they have an environment story, or a business story etc etc? The best thing to do is just to call up the news desk or to email someone in the organisation who has covered similar stories before. We’re very good at passing on messages.
Quick fire:
Best time to pitch you? First thing in the morning, or when the story is breaking/very relevant
Worst time to pitch you? About something which is “old news” or when I’m presenting/reporting!
Best place to contact you? Henry.riley@global.com
Remember folks, keep this just between us! We’re off the record.
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