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	Using Talk-back Radio
	Presbyterian Church of Australia in the State of New South Wales

It is the nature of the radio medium that listeners are able to work at other tasks while tuned in to their favourite radio programs. It remains on as a background to work and listeners ‘tune themselves in’ when something comes on that attracts their attention, perhaps a particular piece of music, a news item or a subject that grabs their interest.

One of the most effective ways of reaching large numbers of people with your cause is by the means of talk-back radio. The two great advantages are that there is a large audience that actually regards your opinions as entertainment, and a medium that welcomes the presentation of your views to the public ear .

It does not require influence, a budget or great media skills – only sincere belief, a knowledge of your subject and a telephone. The following are a few tips.

Keep to your subject	Choose one topic to talk about and argue your case concisely. Stay with specifics. Dismiss from the start any idea that you must argue your whole case in the three minutes or so that you have available. Present yourself as a thoughtful person with worthwhile content to add to the argument
Choose the right time	It is essential that your contribution is made during the right debate. You are unlikely to get much of a hearing on the subject of, for example, family values if the debate on radio has turned to tax reform. If you are a regular talk-back radio listener, you will probably be aware of who is to be a guest on a presenter’s program, what the topic is and when the public response is invited
Stay calm and courteous	Within limits, public reaction is what talk-back radio is all about. Strong feelings and even the occasional ‘ratbag’ response is the spice in the program. However loss of control, absence of mutual courtesy or personal attacks on another person will be cut off quickly. They are embarrassing and offensive. Most of all they present the arguments of the speaker in a bad light.
Prepare your argument	Pay attention to the discussion going on over the airwaves. Have a piece of paper handy to jot down the arguments being presented so that you can address them, in either support or rebuttal, as part of your contribution. Most of all, have the points you want to make written down in concise and unambiguous form. On average, you can expect to be on line for only 30 seconds. That’s about 75 words. If you can have all your arguments contained within those 75 words you will be guaranteed a hearing. This also applies if you can get a 30 second news spot on local TV. It is particularly important in that the spot if often repeated. Be sincere and truthful and talk only on matters that you know about.
Keep a glass of water on hand	It is natural to be nervous. Indeed a little adrenaline can boost your performance. However your mouth can easily become dry. Take a sip from time to time. It follows that a visit to the toilet before you make your call avoids the possibility of awkward urges while you are waiting your turn or speaking.
Start your talk with confidence	Be ready when your turn comes. Know how you are going to begin. You may consider something similar to one of the examples below. “I’d like to take you (or an earlier speaker) up on a point you (or he /she) made …” “I want to raise a point about …” “I’d like to talk about an experience I had …” "I want to bring up the subject of ..."