What is a crutch word? According to the people with big brains...a crutch word is essentially a placeholder, something we say or sometimes even write when we can’t think of the right word to accurately describe what we want to convey. But we will need to Namibianise this definition and say that a crutch word in today’s context is that one annoying word or sentence someone constantly repeats in all instances. Basically, it’s a terrible habit! A habit abused by radio presenters in Namibia!

There are a few crutch words the majority of radio presenters across the board use. I will highlight these crutch words/sentences. In no particular order...Radio presenters in Namibia have turned the radio term ‘Time check’ into a very annoying crutch phrase. It’s a term one should in normal circumstances reserve for prep and not necessarily for on-air use. Take a moment and just explore different ways you can creatively announce the time on your show as an individual brand. ‘Time check’ is so 19v**tsek radio, it’s lazy and honestly devoid of any effort.  

Another favourite crutch word or sentence that radio presenters in Namibia tend to abuse? ‘Let’s pay some bills’ or ‘Time to pay some bills’...usually in reference to adverts. Honestly, I don’t even understand the rationale or science behind announcing an ad break. The aim of radio broadcasting is to keep a listener glued to your frequency for as long as possible. Research shows that the average person zones out when adverts come on. 

‘Time to pay some bills’ does the exact opposite of what radio is trying to achieve. Announcing an ad break does not really play into your hands. Announcing an ad break weakens the impact an advert is supposed to have and when at the end of the day a client sees no visible or tangible evidence of returns after having advertised with that certain radio station and opts not to renew the contract, we wonder why. It affects the bottom line. It’s a crutch sentence that affects the whole industry. Dear radio presenters...please stop announcing an ad break.

Forward sell what you will do on the show in the next 15 minutes or 30 minutes. Forward sell the music or something. But leave the adverts alone. Yes, there is a technique one can go about amplifying and highlighting an advert...but honestly, that technique is reserved for a radio presenter that has the creative ingenuity for the craft and its sciences. But for now...just leave the adverts alone togoba.    

One last crutch word/sentence... ‘Caller you are live’. I cringe thinking about this one. I die for a few seconds every time a radio presenter in Namibia says that. This usually happens when answering a call on air. ‘Caller you are live’...again is 19v**tsek radio. No one answers a call like that in normal circumstances. 

You don’t even answer your personal calls like that. Why do you think it’s ok to do that to someone on radio? Radio is supposed to be a companion. A friend. Someone that one can talk to and can listen to. Do not call your listener a ‘caller’. For someone to make an effort to unlock their phone, dial just to be met with ‘caller you are live’ is just terrible. Please take a moment and explore different ways you can creatively greet a listener when they call. 

There are more crutch words/sentences. I know there’s also a few that come to your mind. ‘It’s your boy/girl’..etc. Man, there are a lot. Tweet it using the hashtag #IndustryLoop. 

Let’s improve the quality of our work on-air asb? Dankie amae. 

Until the next Loop, we say #GMTM

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