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For Tim Van Horn, The Guests Are Always King

Van Horn believed program directors in radio saw his ability to improvise when he did the weather, and he always tried to answer a question directly.

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Memphis, Tennessee, is both a large city and Mayberry on steroids. 

“It seems everybody knows everyone in Memphis,’ said Tim Van Horn. 

“We’ve got more than 600,000 people living here, but you always bump into someone you know or who knows you. Whether it’s out to dinner or at a soccer match.”

Van Horn said a while back he went to a Trump rally in north Mississippi, the American Freedom Tour.

“I started talking to a 100-year-old WWII veteran. It turns out his son was my first soccer coach, who is in his 60s or 70s now. Here we are at a Trump rally, and he remembers me. He was my older brother’s coach as well. That’s what is so great about living down here. Maybe that’s why I feel so proud and happy to be here. I was born here and will probably die here. All my family and friends live in the area, so I’m emotionally invested.”

Van Horn said Memphis really is the city of Kings. You had Elvis Presley, the ‘King of Rock and Roll,’ and Jerry’ The King’ Lawler, of wrestling fame.

It’s not easy to think of Memphis and not think of Elvis. 

“He was a man of God,” Van Horn said. 

Unbeknownst to a lot of people, Elvis Presley’s gospel grounding was as strong as his roots in country and blues. He was cutting spiritual tunes as early as 1957, and he’d been singing gospel songs since boyhood.

“Elvis is a good-old southern boy from Tupelo, Mississippi,” Van Horn said. “I think it’s sad how he faded away. I don’t know if it was genetics or pain tolerance, but once he got caught up in prescription drugs, it all went downhill. He loved the ladies and boy could he belt out a tune.”

Van Horn hosts “Wake Up Memphis” weekdays on KWAM from 6:00 to 9:00 AM. He has over 25 years of radio experience and more than 15 years of television experience as a meteorologist. 

“On our show, we put a lot of sweat equity into what we do,” Van Horn said. “We have a lot of national programming. We do a lot to flip the mix. Eighty percent is going to be local discussions. National topic. Impact us in the city. People want to know what’s going on. 

He said it’s one thing to complain about something, another to bring in a guest who has lived what the show is talking about. He said an example would be booking guests from the restaurant association during the Covid lockdown. 

“Some merchants lost everything,” Van Horn said. “Just because an unelected government body insisted that customers wear a mask. We’re not a rip and read newsroom.”

Van Horn said he works hard not to be the focus or star of the show.

“I want to get people to tell their story. If I am the star, that would be a problem. The guest is the king.” (Great, another king in Memphis.)

Van Horn said he points the guest in the right direction to help shape the show. 

“Part of what I do is to push back and challenge a guest, not just sit there and nod my head at whatever they say. When people come on my show, I let them know I’m not going to toe the line for them. They also know I won’t ambush them.”

He asks real questions, regardless of political ideology. 

Van Horn was a meteorologist for quite a while. “For 15 years,” he said. “I miss the people in television, not the industry.”

He explained a lot of the information has become digital. He could see where personality and individualism on-air wasn’t as important as it once was.

“They could hire a recent college graduate for a lot less money than I’d be making. There wouldn’t be a place for me. I was a bigger number on the Excel spreadsheet.”

“I remember how exciting it was to cover severe weather, get the adrenaline going,” Van Horn said. “You need someone with experience and trust to tell you where the tornado is going, where the hail is striking when the public is in danger. You can save money on salary and move to digital, but merely going to school for a meteorology degree won’t fill those needs.”

Van Horn also loved going out into the community and talking to kids in school. He said he always got the same questions, but that didn’t matter. The kids were genuinely interested in what he had to say.

“The weathermen did that when I was a kid. It was something to pass down to the next generation. Doing the severe weather coverage built up a good deal of equity.” 

On the flip-side, he hated judging science fairs. “You could only make three kids happy; the rest didn’t like you,” Van Horn jokes. 

Van Horn figured there must be somewhere he could better utilize his presentation skills. He does miss the chance to inform people about the weather. There are other things he misses.

“I can take three minutes to answer a question I could have answered in three seconds,” Van Horn jokes.” I’m humble enough to know I can be a windbag. In talk radio, I have fewer restraints than I did on television.”

He believes there is a sense of loyalty to a radio personality. “I think people tune in to hear what I have to say on a topic. They come back to see if I’m consistent. I don’t side with people like Trump every time or a politician every time. Sometimes I’m zigging when a party line might be zagging.”

Van Horn said the state of things are generally black and white regarding the political landscape. He points out he’s nobody’s patsy.

“Much to the dismay of our local party,” he said. “I’ve called them out. I think they’re taking the conservative base for granted. I sleep better at night, knowing I was true to myself and my beliefs. I don’t pretend that everything is okay.”

Van Horn said veteran media personality Todd Starnes taught him a great lesson. ‘You must always be honest, Starnes said, rather than try to be friends with politicians.’

As his career progressed, Van Horn believed program directors in radio saw his ability to improvise when he did the weather, and he always tried to answer a question directly. He explained you always had to be ready for a joke when bantering with anchors. 

“I always try to be an active listener. I used to look at the story rundown before the weather see what they might throw at me. I didn’t want to appear like an unplugged or aloof guy. I always hated it when they presented a murder story before they tossed it to weather.”

If you’re looking for something to do in Memphis, just ask Van Horn.

“If anyone comes down here, they have to go to Memphis Zoo. It’s a great place to watch, one of the top zoos in the country. We’ve got pandas and kangaroos.”

He used to watch the television show Emergency when he was a kid. 

“I remember the actor Robert Fuller, who played Dr. Brackett on Emergency,” Van Horn recalled. “He was big in westerns.” He also liked Barney Miller. 

“It was a great cast with Hal Linden, Abe Vigoda, Max Gail.”

Van Horn’s parents were supportive of his work in the media. 

“My father was an HVAC installer,” Van Horn said. “He worked for Sears and would go around town in his blue van.” But it was his mother that ruled the roost. “She put the fear of God into me,” Van Horn said. “When it came down to it, she’d be very calm and told me I could go outside and pick the switch. Usually, my mom dolled out the punishment, but my dad was known to do it as well.”

If it was good enough for Adrian Peterson, it was good enough for the Van Horn clan. 

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BNM Writers

News is the Only Thing Missing From Election Coverage

Coverage of the election is, as we’ve discussed, still very horse-race-centric, and there’s been, of course, coverage of the various Trump court cases, but where is the coverage of exactly what the candidates plan to do if elected?

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The first thought I had when I heard NBC had hired Ronna McDaniel as a commentator for $300,000 a year was to wonder how many actual journalists they could have hired for that money. Then, I recalled that NBC had laid off dozens of news staffers just a few months ago. Then, I remembered that I had just recently written a column decrying news organizations throwing pretty much anybody on the air as a “pundit” and this….

This was worse. It’s one thing to grab some rando who happened to be a minor functionary for the Executive Branch. It’s another to hire someone whose job was to promote election denialism and pretend that her opinion is something valuable for viewers. And, yes, it’s just as ridiculous when news organizations hire former presidential press secretaries (that’s you, Jen Psaki and Sean Spicer), their very jobs were to spin everything in their bosses’ favor and now you’re going to pay them big salaries for, um, what? Because they “have a name” or you’re afraid someone else will snap them up? Why them?

The McDaniel deal lasted five days, one completely unilluminating interview, and one unexpected Chuck Todd spine-growing outburst, so it’ll all blow over soon enough. The problem is, though, the part about having fired several news staffers, and what it means in an election year on both the national and local levels. If you have the money to hire an alleged pundit – any alleged pundit – you have the money to hire reporters, and I don’t mean anchors or opinion show hosts.

Coverage of the election is, as we’ve discussed, still very horse-race-centric, and there’s been, of course, coverage of the various Trump court cases, but where is the coverage of exactly what the candidates plan to do if elected? Who’s probing Project 2025 and why isn’t it front-page, first-segment news? Who’s pressing the Biden administration on Gaza? Is anyone reporting on the candidates’ record on climate change?

Beyond prescription drug prices, is anyone digging into the broken healthcare system and demanding answers from the candidates about what they’ll do to fix it (and not letting Trump get away with “I’ll have a better plan, a beautiful plan” without a single specific detail, like they did in 2016)? Why didn’t anyone focus on, for example, the GOP candidate for governor of North Carolina and his incendiary past comments well before the primary?

Pundits are not going to do the legwork on the issues; they’ll just talk about swing states while John King and Steve Kornacki point at their touchscreen maps. We need reporting on the things that matter (and can affect that horse race, even if most people have made up their minds). It shouldn’t just be Pro Publica and scattered independent journalists doing the dirty work.

Honestly, I don’t want to hear the complaints about the quality of the candidates or how this is a rerun or any of that. (We’ll leave that to The New York Times.) We are a horribly underinformed electorate and we got the horse race we deserve. It might just be idealists like me who think that, just maybe, the news media can play a role in educating the public and bursting the bubbles and echo chambers. This country has survived and prospered for a few centuries with the press shining a light on injustice and corruption.

Now, when we need that most, they’re more concerned with what they think will bring them ratings and money (although someone will have to explain to me who thought having Ronna McDaniel as a paid commentator would draw a single viewer to NBC).

Here’s a thought: Don’t lay off reporters, especially in an election year.  Assign them to dig deep on issues that matter to the voters.

Let the pundits talk about that.

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8 Ways to Take Your Commercials From Drab to Fab

Our main source of income is derived from commercials. There are a lot of bad commercials.

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Another reason to read this column, I often add an Easter egg. We are in the advertising business. Our main source of income is derived from commercials. There are a lot of bad commercials. Frequently, clients write these ads. You can excuse it if the spots suck. But when the commercials are written by Account Executives or the production department at the station, it is kind of unforgivable.

I am going to share the most meaningless phrases in commercials.

Locally Owned and Operated

Customers do not care. If customers cared about a business being locally owned and operated, Walmart would not exist. People want service, selection, and value. They do not want to get soaked. When you purchase something, are you willing to pay 20% for a local company? If you say yes, you are wrong. People want a deal.

The Phone Number

Doing 70 down the 405, John slammed on the brakes to write down the phone number for an amazing HVAC Company. That is not how it works people. HVAC companies rarely have or should have regular customers.

Normally, your AC is out. You call the HVAC Company that you are familiar with. Radio advertising allows people to have “TOMA”: Top of Mind Awareness. There are stats that show when a company is advertising on your radio station, their website shows an increase in traffic. When you needed a service for your home, you hit Google and choose the company that you’ve heard of. It’s that simple. I actually heard a commercial asking listeners to add a businesses phone number to their contact list. That is a moronic use of advertising real estate.

Street Addresses

“Tequilaberry’s Prime Rib is located at 106 East Governors Drive in Peoria.” 

The people listening cannot process that detail. You could say “Tequilaberry’s Prime Rib is on Governors Drive just off 10th in Peoria.” That is almost digestible. That creates a picture of where it is.

Trust me, people interested in prime rib will Google you and load the address in their navigation system. Spend that precious spot time selling the experience of the restaurant.

Always Using the Company Owner/Founder in Commercials

Sometimes, it is amazing when business owners are their spokesperson. They have passion and are natural salespeople. Some business owners are terrible at speaking about their product.

When you have a business owner who is a natural promoter, they can drag listeners into their business. I once worked with a family who owned a couple of hardware stores. They spoke about the benefits of visiting their stores. It was heartfelt and real. They promised that their employees can help solve any problem in your home. If you went to that store and had a simple or complex problem, the employees helped you out.

I once worked with a man who owned a really nice flooring company.  For whatever reason, he thought that he was funny. He had spots written by him, his wife, or a kid. The ads were dreadful. They were not funny at all. Account Executives need to talk these clients out of doing commercials like this. Nothing says wacky hijinks like flooring.

Overuse of Numbers

“We have grapes at 99 cents a pound, Chuck steak at $1.99, two-for-one zucchini.”

Trust me, no one driving in city traffic can keep track of that. “The 2025 Chevy Chevette is back with 45-mpg efficiency and amazing 18-inch tires. Prices start at $19,999…  The New Chevy Silverado starts at $32,999.”

It gets really confusing fast.

WWW.

Yes, I hear commercials saying check us on the internet at “W-W-W dot business name here dot com.”

WWW is assumed and not needed anymore unless you are running a Commadore-64 with the latest floppy disc technology.

Yellow Pages Ad

“Check out our new ad in the Yellow Pages!”

OMG, no one reads those damn things anymore. Most people born after 1960 just toss those suckers in the trash. There was a time when the Yellow Pages were the largest revenue generator in advertising. Yes, a book of ads. Like Facebook, without your buddy’s political, vacation, or food posts. It was just ads. Zero content.

I had stuffed salmon tonight that I engineered myself. I would make Sydney Sweeney quite the trophy husband. Set us up. Hey, I am single. It was not that long ago that you would hear a radio ad that promoted a coupon in the Sunday paper.

Well, that copy should be deader than a doornail.

Amateur Theater

A husband and wife discussing their lawn and how she heard about Telly’s Lawn Service from her friend Stacy. 

Those commercials are obviously contrived and not interesting at all. 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Open every commercial must have an attention-grabbing opener. “Totally Jammed…  The floor covered with the guest towels. Fearing the horrific consequences of another flush…  I did the right thing. I called ABC Plumbing. Quick service, a great price, and peace of mind.”

The next time that the plunger is failing to get the desired results, the listener of that commercial will identify with the very realist scenario.

We are in the advertising business. Use radio as it was meant.

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The Lost Art of Using Sound as a Springboard

Use sound it wherever you can. All you need is a loyal, capable and willing board operator, to go along with a conscientious host.

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Jon Stewart was the first guy to do it — take a politician’s words from the news of the day or week. Search his or her entire past and find a sound byte saying the exact opposite.

It became an art form – and a great way to keep people accountable.

Most radio operations don’t have the resources necessary to consistently do something like that, but truth be told, that kind of journalism isn’t really the point of this week’s column.

It’s an example of the simple power of sound. We need to use it more within our shows. Use sound it wherever you can. All you need is a loyal, capable, and willing board operator, to go along with a conscientious host.

Speaking from experience, not doing it is lazy.

Doing it takes minimal effort and helps conversations tremendously – especially when it’s in real-time. I know. I’ve been there – missing opportunity after opportunity because I didn’t think of it, ask for help or just do it myself.

Put simply, good sound is a better springboard to a question than just a question.

Just the other day, I realized how well it works and how little I’ve been doing it.

Here’s what happened.

We have one particularly heated congressional race in our state. The Republican candidate is running for a second time after narrowly losing in 2022 in an election where Connecticut’s gubernatorial candidate from the same party got smoked, and the Republican presidential candidate lost the state as well.

This time around, there’s a struggling Democratic President with real doubts about the economy and the country’s standing in the world.

Put simply, the Democratic congressional incumbent has a massive task ahead to get re-elected.

On my show, I try to be consistently independent and be a place for both parties to appear with the expectation that the conversations will be fair and honest.

The Republican candidate came on the show earlier this month, and we went through a number of issues. Connecticut is a relatively strong Democratic stronghold, where the party controls the legislature, the Governor’s Mansion, and the entire congressional delegation.

Having said that, the largest voting block is unaffiliated, so appealing to independents is crucial for either side to win. I asked the Republican candidate twice about whether he will support Donald Trump, and both times, he equivocated. I asked the follow-up, we were on the record, so I moved on.

The following week, his opponent, the Democratic incumbent, was scheduled to appear on the show. Before her arrival, I realized the Trump Q&A should probably be replayed for her. Duh.

My producer found it, clipped it, and had it at the ready. I felt that I should have realized it sooner and not put some added strain on my partner’s morning routine. He was fine, but it definitely added unnecessary work within the show.

Lesson learned.

The sound byte worked well. I played it. She responded. We moved the story forward, and it was compelling – as you might imagine, the topic of Trump vs. Biden is pretty compelling these days.

By no means did it create a “wow” moment. That would be a little much. But it did make the show better, using the opponent’s own voice as opposed to my paraphrasing something. That lends credibility, not only to the topic but also to the show. He gave this important answer on our show, and she gave her response … on our show.

My final thought on this is that we (I) need to look for more places to utilize sound as a springboard to conversations, as opposed to simply raising the topic and discussing it. Maybe you’re already good at it and do it all the time, but this past week, I realized I need to push myself to do it more.

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