connecTEN Online Magazine

Ode to the Transistor Radio

"Anytime in radio that you can reach somebody on an emotional level, you're really connecting"
Casey Kasem

Who remembers transistor radios? You know, the precursor to the boom box? I remember toting my yellow transistor to Jones Beach on Long Island, soaking in the hot sun while the Kinks, Hendrix, and Santana cut through the sweeping sounds of the surf. A teenager in the early 70s, radio was my link to cool stuff. There was the music! And the contests. And DJs who shaped our view of cool. Not to mention, the boys at the beach who stopped by the blanket because they liked your music. Radio in the day was a social experience.

It still is. In the 70s, I was typing on an IBM Selectrix and thrilled to have it. I never fathomed owning a computer. After all, the college computer bank at Stony Brook University took up an huge room on campus. I never got to go inside. We dropped off data cards which programmers picked up through a service window and later input to the mystery box. We came back a week later to collect our results.

In the late 80s, I bought my first computer, a Macintosh Performa, with 25 MB RAM. It was rockin’. My newspaper colleagues were jealous because the Mac Quadra’s we used at work had 4 only MB RAM, and I don’t think any of us knew much about the Internet. In 1992, I marveled during a tour of the room-size main-frame computer in the Town of Brookhaven offices on Long Island. AOL was still a babe in the woods. When I ventured with my ninth grader into “safe” chat rooms, I was shocked that my daughter could connect with kids in Massachusetts and group-write graphic novels. I was just beginning to sense the implications.

Although I was a full-time print journalist and filled guest spots on Meet the Press and other TV broadcasts, it hadn’t occurred to me that I would someday host a radio show or that I would eventually use the Internet to connect with people across the globe. Really? But here we are together. Pleased to meet you!

Internet radio audiences grow every day. Google, and you will find live streams on virtually every topic. Connect with podcasts from entertainers, academics and just plain folks alike. What people enjoy most about Internet Radio, I think, is the choice and control it provides. It’s always accessible, and it’s less dense with advertising than terrestrial radio. You get to focus on what you came for. You can listen to almost anything from almost anywhere. Better still, you can access it on Mobile devices. And you can share what you find. Be social.

By the way, did you catch the capital M in Mobile? I did that on purpose because Mobile is the new queen of media. People want their information on the go, and Mobile devices serve it up. They literally lighten the load and they lighten your mind, too. Just, untether yourself from the desk and head out to the beach—phone, PDA, or tablet in hand. Tune into your favorite Internet Radio station. (We hope it’s TalkNetworkRadio.com.) Here, you are just a click away from anything and everything you want to know. In the old days, my yellow Transistor Radio controlled what I heard. Sure, I could choose my station, but overall it was a passive experience. I waited to see what the DJs and newscasters had for me.

Now, when I visit TalkNetworkRadio.com, I enter a portal to the world. It links me to rich content from esteemed broadcasting colleagues and to visitors like you. It also positions me in clicking distance of every topic in the world, visual images, video, business and lifestyle content, educational material, social media, and fun stuff, too. I dig the music.

Thinking back on my days at Jones Beach, it was the cool I loved, the freedom, the sense of abandon I felt at the beach when I left all else behind. Today, I still love the cool  and the freedom of Internet Radio that takes me where I want to go 24/7. Come along for the ride. It’s pretty fresh.

By Donna Anselmo, author of McGraw-Hill’s Marketing Demystified

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT: TIPS FOR YOUR RADIO APPEARANCE

by Donna Anselmo

If you’re thinking about appearing on radio, you’re probably also wondering how to make the most of your radio interview. Here are a few tips to help you prepare:

BEFORE THE SHOW

·         Listen to past segments of the show. Get a sense of how the host conducts interviews. Learn what is important to him/her. Make sure you know what’s important to you.

·         Jot your top 3 to 10 interview points down on note cards, one point per card. Use the cards as memory joggers. Instead of writing complete sentences, prepare to speak from the heart, and let your message flow along with the interview.

·         Practice speaking in short 30-second sound bites. This will provide opportunities for the radio host to piggyback comments and ask questions.

·         Arrive early. Whether you are connecting by phone, Skype or in-person, be at your “station” about 10 minutes early. Take a deep breath, relax and prepare to “live in the moment” of your interview.

·         Keep a glass or bottle of water handy in case your throat feels dry. If you must cough or clear your throat, turn away from the phone or microphone.

·         If you are calling in to the show, use a landline whenever possible, for better reception. Turn off other phones, TVs, radios, and units that create background noise.

·         Speak right into the telephone. Stay in one location while you are on the air. Don’t walk around with the phone.

·         If you will be in the studio, you will be seated at a counter with a microphone and headset. The engineer will be in the next room. The engineer will manage sound quality and air time.

·         Find out when your show will air. Use Social Media to tell friends, clients and colleagues when to listen. Invite them to hear your live stream at

TalkNetworkRadio.com (if you are not pre-recording.)

·         Let people in your home or office know in advance when and how long you will be on the air; instruct them not to interrupt you.

DURING THE SHOW

·         Communicate in simple terms. The host has invited you because your topic is of interest and has the potential to help and/or entertain the audience. Avoid using jargon or being to salesy.

·         Listen carefully! When you hear, the host make a comment or ask a question, complete your sentence or thought quickly. The host is responsible for managing the interview and timing.

·         Smile. It will make you feel good and sound approachable.

·         Relax. Think of the interview as a conversation with the host, rather than a presentation to thousands. Concentrate on j being yourself, and your authenticity will connect with listeners.

·         Infuse energy into your voice! Standing up can boost your energy.

·         Provide contact information (website, email and/or phone number).

AFTER THE SHOW

·         Celebrate your good work! Then, Get Social! Let friends, clients and colleagues know you have been interviewed and provide them with a link. Also, mention your interview in your press kit. If you don’t have a press kit, consult with a marketing or public relations firm who can help you develop a kit, and get your message out.  

Why You Want to Tell Your Story on Internet Radio

"Those who tell the stories rule the world." --Hopi American Indian proverb

If we saved a nickel for every radio guest who was a best kept secret in their industry before realizing that radio could transmit their message to the exact audience they needed to grow their own business, we would be racking up a lot of nickels. Why? Because radio—and particularly Internet Radio—is a perfect medium for cultivating an expert persona. Once you’ve been deemed an expert, prospects and customers are more likely to take your business and your advice seriously. And, once you’ve demonstrated your subject matter expertise on the air, you are pretty much automatically credentialed as an expert.

The sad truth, however, is that many business owners and professionals are so entrenched in operating their business, they lack time to promote themselves and their brand. Whether your brand message ties to a company, product, service, person or all of the above, Internet Radio is an effective—and affordable—medium for sharing your message.

A study we just read shows that more than 72 million people in the United States listen to live streamed Internet between three and eight hours per day—up to five hours more than the average person listens to AM/FM radio. While TalkNetworkRadio.com is still fairly new, we’ve been racking up listeners by the thousands. We love tracking new listeners every day.

By the way, did you know that mobile devices now make Internet Radio readily accessible to drivers, too, and Internet streams are not limited to the local terrestrial listening areas of AM/FM broadcasts? Nope! Internet streams can reach people across the county, the state, the nation, and the world. All for the same dollar invested.

Wondering how we compare to TV? DVRs have all but eliminated attention to TV commercials, but there’s no equivalent disrupter for Internet Radio. Our listeners typically stay tuned during brief commercial broadcasts, whether listening to a live stream in the car, phone, or other device. In short, Internet Radio delivers just what you want: committed listeners, and more.

LIKE THE EVEREADY BATTERY, WE KEEP ON GOING

At Talk Network Radio, in addition to streaming, we save and archive our live broadcasts with their embedded commercials (when recorded) for 24/7 on demand listening. Better still, it’s easy to tap into new listeners by sending out links to your archived interview (podcast). Then you can “narrowcast” it by sending to the specific audience of listeners you think would be most interested. Remember, less is more!

Not sure how to “cast” your recording? Think links: Twitter, Facebook, Linked In, Google+, your own Website, blog, e-blast, or an email to special clients and prospects. Just add a link with a brief message and off you go. You also can plus this idea by asking your friends to share your podcast with their friends and colleagues, too. Before you know it, your audience will take on a life of its own, growing with each outreach. If you are really adventurous, you might place your interview on a thumb drive to hand to contacts or tie a few interviews together and distribute them as a package on a CD or other digital media of your choice. If you want more trendy media, you can package your MP3 files together for one easy download. Need help? Ask us. The sky’s (or actually, the Cloud’s) the limit!  Store your podcasts in the Cloud and they will be ready to access whenever you (or your prospects) need them.

Want to know if you are qualified to do a radio interview? If you’ve read this far, and have a topic you are passionate about, you probably are. Let us answer your questions. Or if you want to advertise your business, product or service, we’re ready to help. Email us at info@talknetworkradio.com or call 321.806.3159. 

It’s All About Diversification!

"If we cannot now end our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity."

John F. Kennedy

It’s all about diversification! At Talk Network Radio, we’ve diversified to bring you the news, music and feature stories you want, the way you want it. Why? Because today’s media consumers want to choose how they listen, where and when. With live as well as archived Internet radio—and a cool App for your convenience—we make it easy to do just that.

While Internet Radio use rocketed in recent years, a 2010 study by Station Resource Group accurately predicted the potential for streaming media on the Internet — particularly wireless —to overtake and replace the existing technology of AM and FM radio broadcasting as a method of presenting audio content to consumers.

Why is Internet Radio so popular? Unlike broadcast radio, Internet Radio offers multimodal content on the same device. You get dynamically synchronized visual enhancement via wireless Internet for a holistic multimedia experience in real time.

At TNR, we offer audio and visual content and deliver it for multiple devices because we want you to be happy when you visit us—and because we can.

The good news is people are listening! In just a few months, we’ve grown our listenership to more than 40,000 unique visitors. According to a 2015 study by Edison Research, 73 percent of Internet listeners access audio content using their smartphones, followed by desktops and laptops. Moreover, satellite and Internet radio continue to force growth and innovation in the radio industry, which took in $17 billion across platforms in 2013.

We think it’s pretty cool that Internet Radio is changing how consumers access, use and choose content. At TNR, our show hosts are streaming live broadcasts and archiving them for 24/7 consumption by visitors like you. We hope you’ll take advantage of the plethora of information continuously available on our site. Listen to our shows, read our blogs, and visit our pages in any order you like. Pick and choose what you want to hear, and also enjoy it on the device of your choice. Still haven’t downloaded our App to your smart phone, iPAD or Tablet? Try it now. It’s free.

Speaking of free, our content is totally free to you. We like it that way. We also appreciate the support of our advertisers and sponsors, who make this gift possible. When you have time, check out their Websites and learn how they can serve you, too. And, if you own a business and want to get your products, services and offers in front of our listeners, ask us for information. We’re happy to help.

WHAT DO PODCAST LISTENERS DO AFTER HEARING AN AD?

This article was recently published by Spreaker.com,  our platform supplier.    The website eMarketer analyzed the latest data (from August 2016) from the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and Edison Research and reported an analysis of what listeners do after listening ads on podcasts. Only 8% of US podcast listeners said that they had bought a product or service after hearing its ad on a podcast; instead, the majority of the podcast listeners who were polled said that they had either visited a brand’s website, considered a particular product or collected more information after hearing the ad. Moreover, podcasting is still one of the most  more engaging media: "approximately 85% tune in at least once a month, according to research from Wondery and comScore", stated the eMarketer article.

Talk Network Radio - New Advertiser's Guide

Get your message heard! 

Are you wanting to promote your brand on a popular website or radio station? Are you looking to highlight your company’s efforts? Talk Network Radio wants to support you!

Talk Network Radio is an online radio network offering quality radio shows from a wide cross section of radio show hosts. Our show hosts produce a variety of quality show content that is informative, fun to listen to and in many cases is one of a kind.

Talk Network Radio enjoys thousands of unique page views every month from our online listeners. Those visiting our website spend an average of 4.5 minutes on the site each visit. Each week thousands of new online listeners tune in from points across the globe to hear our online radio broadcast stream. This combined with our extensive reach of our iPhone and Android device apps and the strategic use of popular social media forums, Talk Network Radio offers a premium location from which to hoist your banner.

To help maintain and grow our audience, we have reached out to members of the business community for support in the form of sponsorship of our efforts or to advertise on our radio network and website. We carefully craft each client’s ad package to best suit their needs and capabilities.

The new Talk Network Radio Advertiser's Guide outlines how we can aid you and your organization gain the edge on your competitors. We offer three basic advertising packages that include advertising opportunities on both our website and radio broadcasts. Individual show and station sponsorship opportunities are also available. Please take a few minutes to review our new Advertiser's Guide. If you don’t see what fits your needs, contact us to discuss a custom advertising solution: info@TalkNetworkRadio.com or call 321-806-3159.