Working with radio live on location

Live radio can through up problems at the best of times. But when you’re on location things can really go wrong, so it’s important to be prepared.  Recently we worked with three regional radio stations who broadcast live from one of Norwegian Cruise Line’s ships – Norwegian Gem.

Here are a few things we’ve learned to make live radio work for you

Good brief in, good work out – If possible spend some time with the presenters to discuss your company, product and the key messages you want to get across.  A lot of the time you will have been working with the production crew prior. These teams are so busy and cover such a wide range of topics day-to-day, there’s a good chance they might not have had the chance to gen up.

Master the soundbite – DJs appreciate having soundbites on paper that they can refer to – and this is gold if you incorporate your key messages in a non-commercial way.  Give them no more than five and keep them snappy.

Commercial won’t sell as editorial –Find ways to bring your product or service to life for listeners.  Presenters are never going to put your company name on repeat, so look for exciting, quirky ways they can paint pictures for their audience and maintain interest in the show.

Do your homework – Research the presenters and the flavour of the station – is it issues-led and serious, or off-the-wall wacky?  Match them to the right spokespeople and make sure you brief your interview subjects on their style and line of questioning, so there are no surprises.

Relax! – It’s easy to worry that the presenters may do / say something that’s not “on-brand” but if you follow the tips above, chances are you’ll be enjoying a great working relationship and they’ll want to do a fantastic job for you in return.

Casey and Kiren on board Norwegian Gem with Radio One legend Mike Read