Alyssia Pacheco, W14, Pitching

Podcast Pitching Tips

I have gathered useful tips on pitching from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Their website explains how original an idea must be in order for it to be the topic of a radio podcast. There are so many radio podcast websites out there, so you need to have not just a good idea, but the best one! You need to be able to captivate the viewers’ attention simply by the title of the podcast, which derives from your topic. CBC Radio advises to choose a topic that is as original as possible. You really won’t have a successful pitch if it is on a topic which has been explored several times before. What does this mean, therefore? You will need to do your research! Try to determine what’s already out there in terms of topics, to ensure being unique (Pitch to CBC Radio).

Jill Atkinson is a Creative Director at CBC. She offers tips on her blog page which are centered around pitching for broadcasting purposes. She says to include a logline which is one brief sentence that outlines the topic and what the podcast will generally include (Atkinson). This is important to have at the very beginning of the pitch because this is what sells the idea (Atkinson). It is important to make this sentence interesting and intriguing (Atkinson). This will be the hook to your pitch and will determine whether or not you’ve captured the attention of the audience! In addition, keeping the pitch simple is the best route to take, to ensure clarity of the idea and to avoid getting off topic (Atkinson).

When pitching an idea, it is like telling a story (Bukszpan). Daniel Bukszpan, from CNBC.com shares this concept in his article he wrote on tips for pitching a podcast concept. If you think of your idea as an actual story with a problem and solution, the pitch will deliver smoothly (Bukszpan). Forget memorizing facts or other things you want to say. Simply remember what the problem is you are presenting (your topic), and the solution- how you plan on attacking it (Bukszpan). The pitch should flow effortlessly if you keep this simple equation in mind.

I have deemed these sources to be reliable ones since the advice is given by people who work for a national broadcasting corporation, who have extensive knowledge and experience in the field. CBC is a reputable company which has been in business for quite some time. They work towards creating these broadcast shows and podcasts and are successful doing so, and are therefore reliable in providing feedback in the field. Jill Atkinson holds an important position at CBC and is obviously trained in the work she does. Her tips were presented on a blog page which made me think twice initially. Any person can have their own blog spot and talk about absolutely any topic. This means it doesn’t necessarily have to be a true and accurate one. I did some background research to understand who she really was, as well as her contributions to CBC, which confirmed that this source is indeed reliable. I also opted to research on Daniel Bukszpan and came to understand that he works for CBC as a senior writer. His field of study is in marketing and has written many articles on various topics in this field. He is well-known and his work has even been published in books. These websites did pass the "CRAAP" test which helped me to decide whether or not they would be considered reliable. The website is current and professional in that it is organized to a tee. The copyright dates are recent and the websites contain links which function well. The purpose of the websites are not for endorsement or promotion of a bias or idea. Finally, the writers of the websites and blog posts are authoritative in their certifications.

I found the tips from these websites and professionals to be helpful as I prepare my pitch. I will do some research to ensure my topic is interesting and more importantly, original. I now know how to deliver the pitch in a way that will enhance it and allow for it to stay within a strict time frame. I feel more prepared and confidant having learned these tips and will be mindful of them to ensure a successful presentation.



References

Atkinson, Jill. “How to Successfully Pitch a Radio Show.” Word Press. Adlib. Web. 22, Dec. 2011.

Bukszpan, Daniel. "Top 10 Tips for Making the Perfect Pitch." Entrepreneur. CNBC., 16 Aug. 2002. Web. January 2014.

“Pitch to CBC Radio" CBC. Radio Pitch Guide, n.d. Web. 2013/2014.