MASS COMMUNICATIN’ RADIO

MASS COMMUNICATIN’

Old School Radio By Rob Drieslein & Terry Tuma

While marketing pundits proclaim the miracle of social media in promoting their brands, seasoned hard-water fishing experts and Ice Team members continue to reach millions of people per week via traditional yet incredibly effective formats like print and radio. Call it “old school,” but outdoors radio in particular has the ability to draw listeners during key times, especially when anglers are en route to their fishing holes. And thanks to podcasting, even if you’re not tuned in live, almost all quality programming still is available via streaming 24/7/365.

Most media markets across the ice belt contain a radio broadcast or two focused on outdoors programming, and you can hear Clam pro “Tackle” Terry Tuma on a surprisingly high percentage of them. In a given week, he provides guest commentary on fishing (hard- and soft-water) for about 12 networks, and those interviews reach listeners across hundreds of stations per month. It’s safe to say that no other fishing professional preaches the gospel of angling to a wider angling audience than the Ice Team’s very own “Tackle” Terry or “T3” as he’s affectionately known on air.

Some might find the prospect of speaking publicly to such a massive audience nerve-racking, but Tuma has been offering fishing tips over the airwaves for decades. The National Freshwater and Minnesota Fishing halls of fame cited his experience and command of the communications media when they separately inducted him a decade ago. Give his interviews a listen, and it’s clear that Tuma is far from a bag of nerves when broadcasting – a trait he chalks up to experience and the upbeat feedback he receives at consumer show seminars across the ice belt. “I’ve heard critiques of my seminar advice or maybe something from a print article over the years, but never a disparaging word about a radio broadcast,” Tuma says. “And the volume of comments or questions related to advice I’ve provided by radio is almost overwhelming. Nothing else I do generates that amount of feedback. I probably could offer a seminar topic simply entitled, ‘T3 Answers Your Radio Questions’ because that’s mostly what I do before and after my ice seminars.”

Chris Adamson, the operations manager and sports director for KCHK Radio in New Prague, Minn., said he receives lots of local response to the ice tips Tuma provides to listeners every Tuesday. Radio gives experts like Tuma the ability to communicate up-to-date advice and fishing reports, and the public responds with questions in real time that can directly influence their fishing success (and the success of others) that same day.

“’Tackle Terry’ Tuesday is one of the most popular segments on our radio station. We have a large fishing community in our local area, and they all stop and drop everything and tune in for his fishing tips,” Adamson said. On La Crosse, Wis., WKTY Outdoors Radio, host Kevin Millard says Tuma shares his wealth of information about fishing to the microphone every time he’s on the show. His down-to-earth style and easy way of explaining things make for great conversations during each radio appearance. Listeners always leave with new tips, techniques, and ideas about catching more fish whether it’s hunting for bass or pulling up more walleyes and perch through the ice.

“I’m just like our listeners when he’s on too, learning new ways and approaches about finding success on the water. He’s one of my favorite guests who appear on the program,” Millard said of his broadcast, which also is available in podcast form.

Podcasts are simple audio files that can be “re-runs” of radio broadcasts or fresh content of varying length available for streaming that never appears on airwaves via terrestrial radio. Listeners simply download them from websites or streaming services. Many local self-produced programs reach a small audience while others have listenership in the millions. Either way, podcasts have exploded in popularity and appear here to stay. Look around your local fitness center and the volume of people

Other members of the Clam Ice Team, like Jason Mitchell, regularly participate in podcasts to promote fishing yearround. Mitchell produces his own, the JMO Podcast, available via Apple iTunes and other streaming services.

Additional Minnesota markets where you’ll hear Tuma include KDHL in Faribault, KDUZ in Hutchinson, KFAN in the Twin Cities, and the Outdoor News Radio network, which has 20 stations around the state. A now retired Outdoor News staffer, Tuma has been working with Outdoor News Radio host and company publisher Rob Drieslein on air for more than 20 years.

“We’ve taken hundreds of live calls together over the years, and I’ve never heard a listener stump Tackle with a fishing question,” Drieslein said. “There’s a lot of talk radio out there but pure give-and-take between the hosts and the listener is rare, and T3 is a master of that style. He genuinely wants to make listeners better anglers, and the audience hears that in his voice.”

Tim Lary, the sports director at KDTH Radio in Dubuque, Iowa, agrees and believes outdoors radio works best when it educates listeners. Tuma reaches an audience in three states via the broadcast and aims to provide new information week after week.

“Whether it’s sharing his weekly fishing tip or during an occasional interview on our Outdoor Journal program, listeners we serve look forward to hearing the vast wealth of fishing knowledge from this Hall of Famer,” Lary said. “’Tackle’ Terry is second to none in educating the fisherman.”

Every day across the northern United States and beyond, outdoors radio influences how modern anglers fish – from the equipment they carry afield to the tactical presentations they unfurl for multiple species. Specific programs come and go, but wherever you are in the U.S. or Canada, you probably can access quality outdoors radio chatter in your market. And if it’s not live, so-called terrestrial radio, fishing podcasts are at the fingertips of anyone who owns a laptop or smartphone.

So don’t be shy. If you’ve got a question or comment for “T3” or any Ice Team pro staffer via radio, quiz them on live radio. Your question might improve the fishing experience for yourself, everyone listening, and even the Ice Team pro this winter.