Towards the end of December, I attended a Gorkana briefing with Radio 4’s Today programme.
Today is a fantastic PR Target as it is agenda setting and very well listened to. It acts as a billboard to other media as to what the key stories of the day will be. The show has a constant appetite for guests and stories range from highbrow to very quirky. Today covered a fun story on the anniversary of a Port for me last year. Here’s a bit more about Today and some top tips to get on the programme…..
Today is an influential, early morning news and current affairs programme which broadcasts weekdays between 6-9 am and on Saturdays from 7-9 am. It is the most popular programme on Radio 4 and reaches more than seven million listeners a week. It consists of regular news bulletins, high-profile political interviews, in-depth reports and daily scripted slot Thought for the Day, which offers a religious perspective on a current affairs issue.
Here’s Simon and Dominic’s top tips for a great piece on Today:
- They are happy to receive potential news or stories over phone or through email
- They have a constant need for guests, particularly CEOs of major corporations.
- Business news has grown in importance
- Over-preparation does not make for a good interview……..Dominic O’Connell said: “The radio is amazingly good at communicating bulls**t.” With the aid of some audio examples from the programme this year, he advised interviewees to stay away from overly-prepared content, such as press releases, or a list of key messages, and said the best guests let their personality come across. O’Connell also advised that CEOs know relevant facts and numbers before coming on air and that they provide direct answers to the questions they are asked.
- Tone is key……….when asked what type of content they look for, the Today Programme’s business team is reluctant to rule anything out. O’Connell said: “To me everything is interesting.” Hamer added: “There is no magic formula about what’s going to work. The key is tone.” In relation to guests, O’Connell agreed: “I like people who are interesting and tell their story well.”
Contacts:
dominic.o’connell@bbc.co.uk