How to Be the Underdog

Jeff McHugh • October 21, 2018

In sports, films, books, TV shows and business, audiences love to root for the underdog. Some of our biggest media stars found success by presenting themselves as long-shots.

On FM radio, a theme of  The Howard Stern Show  was the threat of cancellation from station management and the FCC.

On AM radio, Rush Limbaugh proclaimed himself the lone conservative facing overwhelming odds against liberal media.

In 1983, Scott Shannon’s Morning Zoo joked about Z100’s studio location in a not-very-glamorous Secaucus, NJ swamp.

For some radio shows and podcasts, presenting yourself as the underdog can be a winning strategy. Here’s how.

  • Point out your obstacles.  Highlight that your show has fewer players, more personal quirks and flaws, or a weaker signal. If you are female, non-white or gay, audiences love a win for any disenfranchised group because you worked harder for it.
  • Create a strong enemy . Remember  Rocky  with Sylvester Stallone? A boxing nobody took on the heavyweight champ. The bigger your foe, the more audiences will root for you.
  • Avoid smack talk.  Female audiences are turned off by it. This is why you do not see late night TV foes Fallon, Colbert and Kimmel denigrating each other. Give competitors praise instead.
  • Weave the underdog theme throughout the show.  Blame on-air snafus on how your studios are not as nice as your competitors. When you stumble, mention how your superior competitor would never make such a mistake.
  • When you are #1, continue to be the underdog . The haters come out of the woodwork when anyone reaches the top. Present your show as the scrappy alternative threatened by Spotify, syndicated national shows or corporate pressure.

Photo credit: flickr.com/JeffHolt

Share this article

Recent Posts

By Randy Lane • September 29, 2026
When I start coaching a show, talents often say:“Nobody calls anymore.” Or: “Listeners in this market don’t call radio shows.” My response is, “That’s interesting, because several of our shows get more calls than they need.” The difference isn’t necessarily the market. It’s often how the show invites people into the conversation.  Airing callers and text […]
By Randy Lane • September 21, 2026
Jerry Seinfeld wrote every episode of Seinfeld longhand, on a yellow legal pad, with a blue Bic pen. He still writes that way. He’s said the flashing cursor on a screen makes him anxious, like it’s asking, “So, whaddaya got?” Why Start With Pen and Paper?Writing by hand slows you down just enough for ideas to […]
By Randy Lane • September 15, 2026
In the era of loud, fast-talking announcer DJs, my radio mentor, Todd Wallace, asked my fellow DJs and me, “Would you talk to your neighbor over the back fence like a pukey DJ or just in natural conversation?” Of course we all said we’d talk to them conversationally. Todd concluded, “Talk to listeners on air like […]
Show More