First Radio Interview

We CAN all compete

[jimbeetle]

Wow! We were approached late last Friday evening for an interview with a local affiliate of National Public Radio. Subject: Christmas in the City.

The reporter and I conducted the interview under the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree this afternoon. Kind of stressful, considering I've stuttered for the better part of my life (The keyboard is my friend!), but an opportunity I couldn't pass up.

"Why me?" I asked at the end. The reporter explained that, basically, we had a bit more conversational style, were more personal in our approach, gave opinions, weren't as cut and dried as the big boys and, from her reading of other sections on the site, had some sense of history.

It's kind of neat: There IS a niche to compete with AOL's Digitil City and MS's Citysearch and the other big sites. It's not all a database driven listing of "this and that" that people want; they want a voice, they want opinions.

I know I'm blowing my own horn here, but nobody -- no matter how good a friend -- is going to be up at 7:00 or 7:30 on a Saturday morning to listen to the interview. Had to share it with somebody, even though my 45 minutes of digital tape will probably be cut to a minute or so.

But the site gets a credit! Can't say no to that.

Jim

P.S. A couple of shots of Tennessee sour mash does wonders for the wobbly knees that you really don't feel until the interview is over. I can talk a blue streak now, where the heck is the reporter?!?

[pshea]

Congratulations! That must have been a lot of fun! And your site is really wonderful! I've bookmarked it and look forward to using it. Very well done.

. . . make sure you have batteries in the tape recorder for Saturday morning. You wouldn't want to miss the opportunity for a .wav file . . .

[jimbeetle]

Thanks pshea,

There are two things I learned today:

1) It was harder than I thought it would be, but I got through it without a lot of visible bruises.

2) It was harder than I though it would be and I learned a lot -- I want to do it again.

Have tapes, will record.

Jim

[ScottM]

Jim,

I can relate.

Several months ago I ran for city council in our city. TV stuff, radio, newspaper interviews, etc. I've never been so scared in my life.

Fast forward to today: Co-hosted a radio program last Wednesday, wrote my own op-eds for the paper. Still a little frightened of TV, but I'll get over it. In short, I don't mind it anymore and I have fun doing it.

Practice makes perfect and the more traditional media time you get, the better you'll adjust to it.

Just like you, I love the web and that little old keyboard that makes for friends:)

Congrats and look for more of it.

Perhaps you can suggest a plug/banner ad for a local radio station in trade for an interview? It's always nice to make friends in the media. (Especially when you can beat the pants off of them in YOUR medium...hehe:)

[skibum]

Congrats jimbeetle!

Sounds very cool! With each successive interview, talk, presentation, whatever it gets easier.

[mivox]

What a great opportunity for you! Just goes to show a little character can sometimes take you further than a big ad budget. :) Congrats!

[jimbeetle]

Thanks for all the good words, especially that it gets easier. Plan to explore this a bit more, maybe pitch a couple of ideas to them. NPR stations always need cheap (free) content. And if they want banners I'll just ask "How many impressions?"

Thanks again,

Jim

[Dante_Maure]

Get a testimonial from the folks that interviewed you, and if it's flattering, have copies of the taped show available as well.

Producers are much more inclined to take a pitch seriously if it's clear that you have some air time experience and deliver well in their medium.