How
Adding a ME Producer Changes the Job of the Host: A Few Questions to Ask
More and more stations are adding
producers to their morning team, and the MEGS sm staff favors this move. But there
is plenty of work to do before the producer joins your staff. Defining roles,
dividing workloads and setting specific expectations are all important to
maximize this positive addition to our station teams. Here are some questions
to ask:
One of the main advantages of adding
a producer is to focus the content delivered by the host.
- Does your host know how to work collaboratively and
take direction?
- Does your host have rehearsal skills?
- If not, who will teach him/her how to make the most of
the new support being added?
A producer can help improve the
quality of your local news content. But who does what?
- If your station does two-ways, will the producer book
the conversation and stay out of the way, or will he/she suggest
questions, edit and prepare for air?
- How many news stories should your producer be able to
update?
- What is the editorial process?
Setting
clear guidelines for who does what will head off the potential for conflict and
friction.
What duties should stay with the
host and what should become part of the producer's responsibility? For example:
- A host may want to maintain control of weather
information so he/she can personalize what is usually a partly ad-libbed
element.
- A producer might write and pull audio for forward
promos, and make sure program promos are "in the stack" for the
host to use at the right time.
There is no single set of answers.
What's most important is to make sure both producer and host are clear on their
responsibilities for the program and can work well together.