SHOULD YOU GO ON A RADIO TALK SHOW?
That depends. If you are representing a cause such as a non-profit or a levy, you need to understand the view of the host of the radio show before you go on the air with him or her.

Understand that in most cases, what keeps a radio talk-show host on the air is ratings. And what gets ratings up is controversy.

SHOW VS. NEWS
A talk show is exactly that — a “show.” It is not news. Don’t confuse the two. It is almost always to your advantage go on the news, but that is not the case with talk shows.

RON VERMIN
In the Valley, local talk show host Ron Verb, known by many detractors as “Ron Vermin,” tries to bait politicians, public officials and private-sector leaders into calling into his show with derogatory statements and comments that he knows are false.

He takes pretty much an “anti-everything” stance, so he has a small but loyal group of mostly retired working folks that he stirs up with the “everyone in office is a crook that wants your money” conspiracy theory that many angry and disappointed people are likely to agree with.

THINK FIRST
Simply put, if you have a business or non-profit organization, think carefully about going on a talk show or even responding to a talk-show host. They have much less influence than they like to think, and in most cases there is no clear advantage to participating.

Stay Tuned and Stay Smart.