“Paramount Layoffs Are Just the Beginning — Don’t Panic, Prepare: The Media Reset Is Here.”

Own Yourself

Paramount is in the process of laying off 1,000 workers. If you don’t own it, you can’t control it.
If you don’t know what it feels like to lose a job in radio or TV, you haven’t been baptized.

The uncertainty of where your family’s daily bread will come from is real. I’ve lived it. I’ve had cars repossessed, been in court threatened with eviction, lost syndication deals, let go at the height of my radio career — and made it through. You will too.

Media is a high-risk, high-reward business. Sometimes moving to a new city isn’t what you expect. When you find yourself losing a good salaried job that’s hard to come by in this economy, you need someone you trust in the game to be a sounding board.

Take a deep breath. Surround yourself with silence so you can hear yourself think — and go to work creating what you’d like to see next.

I remember when I got fired in Dallas. I had just bought a new home and the furniture was being delivered the day they let me go. Yes, that was a day.

I panicked. I’d been there two years, things were looking up — and in an instant, it was over.

I want you to find someone to help you unravel what you’re going through. You have to let go of the pain of disappointment and shake that monkey off your back quick, because it will ride you if you don’t keep your definite chief aim out front.

Don’t take being fired personal.
It’s just one person’s opinion. That person didn’t start your career — and they sure won’t end it.

There’s nothing wrong with feeling sad for a moment, but don’t let a firing or layoff destroy your attitude. This is just a derailment.

Put the train back on the tracks and keep moving. Learn to accept what you cannot control. Worry about what you can — and that is your effort.

This is also a chance to do for self.
Be independent. Create a micro-media business. Make money with your talent. Be mobile. Create your own daily schedule. Own yourself.

Stop being beholden to someone over you as a boss. To hell with that life. Live free — create the life you want.

With today’s technology and with what you know, you can earn more and be happy creating art on your own terms.

I looked poverty in the face and worked through my fear of lack.
I let go of the salary I used to make and embraced creating my own.

Stop doubting yourself.
I’ve done it for CBS Radio, iHeart, Infinity Radio, and many others in my 41 years in broadcasting — and have made them millions.

Why don’t you think you can make some income for yourself?

Having a boss is played out — especially with today’s technology. Go collaborate with friends in the industry and create.

Don’t be so quick to run back into the dragon’s mouth so he can burn you again.

Do for self or suffer the consequences.
Spend some quiet time with yourself and figure it out.

That’s my advice.

Paramount Article:https://www.poynter.org/commentary/2025/paramount-cbs-news-layoffs-david-ellison/

The Voices That Will Win in This Era

The voices that will win in this era are the ones that feel alive and vulnerable—the ones who can win the affection of their listeners.

How do you use technology to penetrate the hearts of humans? The digital world gives you more ways to fake connection, but people still crave something real. They want a presence in their lives that feels genuine.

The vibration and texture of a human voice cannot be replaced. The soul is ancient—it feels what’s real.

Every person carries a frequency. So remember: as the future belongs to the digital, the soul will always belong to the human.

Top Performing Radio Shows Are Diligent About Show Prep

Your only job, five days a week, is to challenge yourself to deliver remarkable content — the kind that makes your listeners attach themselves to your vibe. Preparation is the difference-maker. When you’re prepared, your audience will not only grow… they’ll endear themselves to you and stick around.

Take a topic everyone is talking about and go three to five layers deeper. Find the angle nobody else sees. No Surface talk!— anybody can do that. The real value is down in the layers.

And please — don’t ever let “Well, we’ll just have to wait and see…” come out of your mouth. Tell them what you think. Tell them how you believe things will turn out. Lay out the next steps. Be proactive. Don’t be lazy with your opinion. That’s what they tune in for — your mind.

Read and research more than anybody else out here. Make it your business to know more so you can say more — with depth, and conviction. Surface dwellers are mediocre parrots. Don’t you dare be one of them. Do the work that separates you from average talent.

Think like a world-class athlete. NFL players spend the offseason and every single week studying the playbook, conditioning their bodies, working in silence to perform in front of millions. You must apply that same mindset to researching and prepp
ing your show.

You’re building yourself into a world-class personality.
That’s the goal — and it should be the only goal.

Transparency Is a Superpower Most Broadcasters Fear

Having the courage to let go of what you think the audience wants you to say — and giving yourself permission to be yourself and be transparent — will make you an endeared person to your audience. I believe this is the main ingredient in storytelling that makes you interesting and intriguing.
This is what bonds us together as humans.

There is nothing more powerful than connecting without self-editing and second-guessing whether you should say something or hide it. As a matter of fact, the thing that you feel like hiding is the thing that you should say — this is what touches people. Most people are terrified of undressing themselves before the world. We must practice losing our fear of the judgment of other people, which will free us from limiting our expression of who we really are.

This is what makes us different and extraordinary. It helps us make a big impact in our marketplace and makes us memorable for generations. These are the ingredients of generational talent — where people remember you decades after you’ve exited off the airwaves.

Fake Laughs Are Not Funny — And Listeners Know It

There’s a big difference between being funny and trying to be funny — and between genuine laughter and manufacturing laughs.

How many shows have you heard where there’s always that one person faintly laughing in the background… as if every single word spoken is a punchline worthy of a comedy outburst? Forced laughter isn’t funny. It’s uncomfortable.

Dr. Jerry Boulding  taught me something powerful:
You only need to make people think, laugh, or chuckle — not all three at once.

Every moment on the mic does not require a gut-busting laugh. If you’re swinging for the comedic fences every time you talk, you’re going to strike out a lot with your audience.

Just be your natural self.

Your truth…
Your lived experience…
Your personal stories…
—that’s where real connection and real humor live.

Trust me: your life up to this point has been incredibly interesting. If you start sharing what you’ve actually lived, people will find themselves thinking, laughing, and nodding in recognition. That’s the sweet spot where common experiences and comedy meet. You don't have to force it.

So here’s the bottom line:

Stop trying to be funny.
Just be you.

That’s where the magic is.

Netflix is adding video podcasts

Netflix is adding video podcasts, marking ‘a new chapter for podcasting’

"Netflix dominates paid TV streaming, and now it’s coming for podcasts next. Netflix and Spotify have announced a new partnership that will bring a variety of Spotify’s video podcasts to Netflix.

Netflix is getting a curated selection of Spotify video podcasts soon

From Netflix’s press release:

In a new wide-ranging deal, video for The Bill Simmons Podcast as well as The Ringer’s NFL, NBA, Fantasy Football, and F1 shows will live on Spotify and Netflix. But these sports titles are just the start: Pop culture series like The Rewatchables and Dissect, as well as true crime pods such as Conspiracy Theories, are also part of this pact. The video podcasts will be available in the US in early 2026, with other markets to follow."

Our Take: Netflix understands that a substantial portion of its audience streams its content on a cellphone. While the vast majority stream Netflix content on TV, a growing chunk of the audience does so regularly on their mobile devices. Adding video podcasting to their roster is a testimony to where Netflix thinks audiences are headed (mobile – if they are not there already). 

On any commercial flight, look around at your fellow passengers and at least one will be paying half attention to a video podcast of some sort. 

Read more on 9to5mac.com

Listening Is a Form of Love

 

There is something about your vibe that attracts people — enough for them to give you some of their time that they can never get back. It’s a sacred exchange of currency, hoping for an equal exchange of value.

You know, people are really disappointed when their time is wasted. This is why the love of what you do must be rooted in thoughtful preparation.

It’s really disrespectful when you don’t prepare to talk to your audience. People can tell when you care about what you do — it shows in your work. The more you show your audience that it’s important to you to deliver quality content, the more they will lend you their ears.

You don’t just get to have an audience — you must earn the right to have one. To be listened to faithfully every day by someone is an act of love for what you bring into their lives.

"Get to the Point: It's More Important Today Than Ever"

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Precision Communication — Always

Less is more. Statements that come from the heart are like arrows. Speak straight words without all the jargon that makes you sound smart — you’re wasting time.

Smart communication means speaking from your soul. If you practice this, you’ll hit home runs every time you talk to your audience.

Get to the Point

It’s more important today than ever before.
The person who can say the most in the fewest words is the winner.

How many distractions are there in the world right now that prevent people from listening to us?
Once I’ve got you locked in, I’ve got to keep you with me.

Now add to that — we’re separated by a phone call or text notification every minute.
I’ve got to be just as important as that phone call.

I don’t want to waste time with too many unimportant
details.
I want to make impact statements in our time together.

Trim the fat in all your conversations.
Get to the point as fun and colorful as you can.

Just practice today — and you’ll see people enjoy hearing what you have to say.

Study people. See how long it takes them to make their point.
Then do the opposite.

“Your Experience Is Someone Else’s Breakthrough”

Share What You Know with Others

The value you give to others is a special gift. When you share your lived experience in the business world and what you’ve had to overcome, it helps someone else.

So many times, people assume that those who may have a bigger name than you know more than you. Keep in mind, some of the best coaches were not the best players. They know the game, but their lack of skill level may have relegated them to third string their whole athletic career.

People who have great insight make the best coaches. People who can explain the nuances and intricacies of high-level performance are the great instructors of our industry. Good teachers can paint a picture and unravel things you are making more complex than they have to be.

You must never shy away from getting better. You must be humble and listen. If you are the type of person who cannot be critiqued, then you will eventually run into a brick wall.

Always share what you know when given the opportunity. Stop trying to monetize everyone you meet. Just provide value and the opportunities will come.

When people know that you know what you’re talking about — and they trust you — that’s when the magic happens.

Trust the process of giving value to others. Remember, what you send out always comes right back to you.

Your Legacy Isn’t Over: Why the Digital Age Needs Radio Legends

What Makes a Legacy Radio Personality?

• Longevity & Consistency – Decades on-air, often 20 years or more, maintaining a voice people trust and recognize.
  
  

• Cultural Impact – Helping shape the sound, conversations, and identity of a city, region, or even the nation.
  
  

• Audience Loyalty – Building multigenerational
  followings. People grew up with you, and their children know your name or voice.
  
  

  

• Recognition & Respect – Halls of fame, industry awards, or simply being regarded as a trailblazer who opened doors for others.
  
  

• Community Role – Tied into civic life, championing causes, hosting events, mentoring, and being “the voice” of a city.
  
  

• Signature Style – A unique delivery, humor, storytelling, or interviewing style that no one else can duplicate.
  
  

• Industry Influence – Training and inspiring the next wave of broadcasters, setting trends, and carrying radio’s DNA into other media.
  
  

The Next Chapter

Everything you’ve done that made you a legacy is exactly what makes you dangerous in this new digital age. You know how to connect. You know how to tell stories. You know how to build community. All digital does is give you a bigger stage.

So don’t stop. Don’t retreat. Don’t just look back on the “glory days.” You’ve got more in you. Legacy is built by those who keep innovating.

This is your moment. Let’s go build.

What Good Comes From Dimming the Light You Were Given?

 So many people are walking around dimming their light — shrinking themselves in their chosen profession — because they’re afraid of how others might see them. Afraid of judgment. Afraid of standing out.

But to give up the life you’re meant to live just because you fear what another created being thinks of you? That’s ridiculous.

Right now is all you have. Not tomorrow. Not next week. This very moment is your only guarantee of life. None of us control how long we will live. 

We don’t talk enough about the prison of other people’s opinions. That fear must be conquered if you ever want to live free — truly free, truly happy, truly fulfilled.

Don’t deny your soul its right to full expression. Too many people have died never knowing themselves.

As long as you’re breathing, you still have time to live without regret. Study yourself. Correct your thinking. Spend time alone and write down your real thoughts — not the ones shaped by fear or comparison.

Get clear on what you truly want, and untangle the false ideas that have kept you hostage. Because if you don’t save yourself, nobody else is going to do it. If your personal ambition is important to you, don't run from this. Run to it and figure it out NOW! Don't let peoples self hate be reflected on you!

The Truth About “Off the Cuff”

Great radio and great podcasts never just happen.

That’s the illusion.

Every quick joke that sounds spontaneous was likely tested and tweaked.
Every clean transition was imagined first. Then Rehearsed several times before it aired. That's prep work.
Every guest segment that hits on time? That’s planning.

I’ve seen it too many times. Folks who “wing it” usually learn the hard way. The difference between a show people remember and one they tolerate is always preparation.

Speak and Teach On What You Know For Sure

 When you speak and teach what you truly love, you never have to worry about being tripped up. Nobody can shake you when you stand on what you know and what’s rooted in your heart.

The moment you try to communicate something you don’t really understand, or worse, something that isn’t in you, you leave yourself wide open. You can be exposed in a debate, embarrassed in a casual conversation, or caught contradicting yourself. That’s the price of speaking from the surface instead of from the soul.

Too many people grab a headline and try to run with it like they’re experts. But if someone who has actually studied that subject or lived it walks in the room, they will reveal how shallow you are. That lesson is hard but necessary: you must get out of the habit of being a surface dweller.

Trust me—there is always somebody in the audience who knows more than you. In fact, in life, there will always be someone who has walked deeper into a subject than you have. That’s not a threat; that’s reality.

The mistake comes when you pretend to be what you’re not. When you pontificate as if you’re the authority on something you’ve barely scratched the surface on, and you not only risk being challenged—you risk losing credibility.

So here’s the charge: speak only from what you know, what you’ve lived, and what you love. Speak from the depth of your experience and your passion. Just speak on what you are passionate about! Simple.

Because when you teach and speak from that place, your words will always stand. And you’ll never have to pay the penalty of being shallow.

Being A Go Along To Get Along Person Is the Fastest Road to Being Mediocre

 

Stop trying to please everybody. Agreeable people rarely create real impact because they’re too busy playing the role of an annoying, go along to get along person.

If you want to build something meaningful, you’ve got to stop watering down your truth. Say what you actually believe. Then wait and see what happens.

The hard reality is that whatever happens as a result of you being truthful is the best thing that could happen. Because truth is divine. It exposes what’s real, cuts off what’s fake, and draws the right people to you while pushing the wrong ones away.

It’s not a mistake to tell the truth. The mistake is believing that being agreeable will protect you. It won’t. You’re going to face consequences either way — telling the truth or telling a lie. The difference is this: when truth is on your side, you can stand tall. Lies crumble. Truth endures.

So let go of the outcome. Stop trying to manage how people respond. Your only job is to speak the truth and stand on it. Everything else will take care of itself. Please give me your thoughts. Leave a comment

How is Black Culture Being Represented, Supported, and Elevated on the Radio?

Right there in your own city, how are Black people being represented and portrayed? What media can you point to in your city that makes you proud of the way they represent Black people? Can you count on their messaging to be in line with the time and with what must be done to lift our people from the grave of ignorance we are buried in?

I personally believe we must work as hard as we can to replace what is being offered to Black people as entertainment. We have garbage targeted to our children that is keeping us wallowing in the pigpen, eating from the slop
white-owned media pedals to us with Black faces as the front men and women helping to create and promote a decadent culture being passed off as Black culture.

Because we do not own and control distribution, we are held captive by the wishes of what a white boss wants to release for public consumption. We are at war to create what we need for our people. We need broadcasters and podcasters who are fearless and are not concerned with corporate dictates that make them accomplices to the destruction of our present generation of Black youth.

The divergence has been happening at a slow pace, but now it must come alive more boldly and fearlessly. You must remove yourself from that madness if you really want to see your people free. If you want to see them live in their righteousness and God-like powers to take over the planet and make a new world, then it’s TIME!

Please leave your comments

"What If Every Show Was a One-Shot Deal?"

You Should Treat Every Show Like It’s Your Last

IMAGINE if your show was a one-shot deal. After each broadcast, you had to sit in an office while a panel of people judged your entire performance—from the moment you arrived at the station until the second your show ended.

They would critique everything: how you got in and out of breaks, the timing of your points, the quality of your content, and how you engaged the listeners. They’d analyze your teases, your attitude, whether your material was excellent, just good, mediocre, or flat-out poorly developed.

If you work with an ensemble, they’d evaluate how you distribute mic time. Are you a mic hog? Do you barely speak on your own show? Or worse, are you letting someone else drive the ship while you sit back?

If that kind of accountability were real, most people would put on their absolute best performance every single day. But you don’t need a physical panel. You should carry that panel in your mind every time you prepare for your show. In the midst of your show, you have to ask yourself, am I doing my best?

I’ve seen too many people take for granted the opportunity to be on air. If you’re not aiming to truly shine on the big stage, then why are you even doing this? Being on the air and being good at it takes thought, preparation, and work.

Don’t take the privilege of having a mic in front of people lightly. Sometimes, you only get one shot to make it count.

On Air Supremacy: You Must Dominate Every Day

Here are some of my rules:

1. Set Yourself apart in content creation

2. Have strong opinions that come from the heart

3. Produce unduplicatable content

4. Don’t be afraid to be naked before your audience

5. Avoid speaking generally

6. Learn how to detest cowardice in yourself

7. Get rid of crutches

8. Get your facts straight 

9. Don’t hold back, you only get one shot

10. Be the one who’s not afraid to speak truth in a crowd

      11. Be original. Be who you are.

      12. Don’t be afraid to shine within the group in the control room. If they are weak, that’s not your problem

      13. Give more thought to how you really want to say something