Dead Air!

Historical Photo:

Uncle Sam and Aunt Janie Fulbright. They worked at the Art Cloth mill in the 1930s. Uncle Sam was known for his statement: In school I heard about a very poor family on that old dirt road on which they lived. He said he was nearly grown before he learned it was his family. He later became a 'super' in the cotton mills.


In radio broadcasting the term has been around for a long time, on the radio no one likes ‘dead air.’ Disc Jockeys have told me that their biggest problem with hours on air is the personal toilet time. One of them was to announce three consecutive songs on an album, or the longest commercial they had. They all had tricks so they would not end up ‘away from the mike’ at the end of a record.

Some public speakers KNOW how to use ‘dead air’ or what we would call ‘a pause’. I have tried to analyze my favorite speakers and come to the conclusion they know just how long to pause (to let their words sink in).  Some speakers think they are supposed to fill every second of their time behind the mike, squeezing every ounce allowed them. And in my opinion end up wasting time because their message did not get across.
Some folk pause so long I want to help them. 

And then…. there is the ‘Never DEAD AIR!’

I am familiar with some people who can talk an hour straight, and the listener only has time to say, ‘Yes’ or ‘OK’ or just uh huh, every once in a while.  I remember as a kid we called them ‘motor-mouths’.

Do you know anyway to tactfully interrupt or let them know they are dominating your conversation? I honestly don’t think all of them know, that they are the only one really talking.

There are some ‘caller IDs I know I should never answer! Soo speaking to you, my friends, this clarifier. if I don't answer your phone call, it is because I am in the toilet, not because you are a motor mouth.  ;-)

Nite Shipslog

PS:  We are fortunate to have Armin and his wife Julie with us for a couple days. Armin is Shirl's hubby Jim's oldest son. It is such a joy to catch up on their lives. They have one married son and one in the USMC!
 

This was big on the race circuits in the mid 50s.