This is a guest post of Jordan Cooper of NotAProBlog.com. His bio appears at the end of this post.
In radio and television, broadcast delay refers to the practice of intentionally delaying broadcast of live material. Typically used in the case of unexpected profanity, it’s also commonly employed for other undesirable glitches such as technical problems, coughing fits or downright blooper reel worthy moments. Enacted as a compromise between the corporate suits who manage the bottom line and the creative types who inhabit the airwaves, this 7 second delay allows them to work within a system that respects both their needs and alleviates their fears.
The same systematic process occurs within all of us inside our brains. Whether it be the stroke of a key, the shift of a pen or the words that flow out of your mouth, we’re always censoring ourselves in some regards. The output is never as pure as the original thought. Either knowingly or unknowingly, our brain is conducting an ongoing battle between creativity and rationalization.
Notice the difference in your speech when hanging out with friends and family as opposed to business associates. Don’t you feel truly more like “you” in the first case, but seem to be playing of a toned down version of “you” in the latter? This is broadcast delay at work.
It’s this involuntary self-censorship that separates your ultimate truth from the output you give to the world. Closely resembling self-doubt, it mimics this behavior as it eats away at your confidence level. As you start second guessing every step in the creative process of your art, eventually it erodes your brain to the point in which these neural connections fail to fire any longer.
Don’t give in to this delay. Fight against it by always trusting your instincts. They’re usually correct.
In radio and television, the corporate suits that control the airwaves err on the side of safety. For the sake of their advertisers and their bottom line, their job depends upon the rationalization of their efforts. To deviate means risk, and their role doesn’t reward it.
As the broadcast delay embraced as a necessary buffer in their minds, they may continue to play it safe with impunity. This doesn’t make them subservient to their fears, but fails in allowing them to reach a level of creativity that others otherwise would.
The on-air talent, on the other hand, are the bastions of the creative process. Doing their job effectively depends on the virtual lack of all rational thought and unmitigated devotion to the “moment”. To deviate means compromise and homogenization, yet their role does indeed reward risk and polarizing behavior substantially.
In this instance, the broadcast delay is a distraction, an obstacle, a shield. It’s the safety net of a tight rope walker, although the best in any field creatively work without a fail-safe whatsoever. This safeguard essentially robs those of the uncontrolled facets of the ”moment”, the very aspect that fuels the output of their brilliance.
Eliminating the 7 second delay in your brain brings you closer to finding your unique voice. It allows your mind to be open to infinite possibilities, tangents of thought and roads that no one has ever traveled. Along the way there may be bumps, mistakes made and apologies given, but the risk will be rewarded much more fruitfully than toeing the common line and playing for a stalemate.
So make that choice now. Are you a corporate suit or an on-air personality?
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Jordan Cooper is a professional stand-up comedian with 15 years performance experience. He currently teaches aspiring comedy writers how to unlock their creativity at the Underground Comedy School in Louisville, Kentucky. You may also visit his personal blog or follow him on Twitter @NotAProBlog
