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Working In Radio ... Close To Paradise
June 11, 2019
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. Remember the purpose of commercial radio is profit; you may be asked to perform tasks that are not to your liking, but management and programming have their reasons. Embrace change until it is changed again. Life is about evolving; if you don't like it, stop complaining and look for another job. However, realize there will be things at your new place of employment not to your liking either. You just need to learn to adjust
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Everyone gets bored with their job, even radio personalities. Having a bad day in radio is better than a good day in a lot of industries; think about that the next time you've been assigned one too many commercials to voice and produce.
Self-Motivation ...
Keep your priorities straight, no matter what happens around the station or cluster. It's about passion and realizing it's a privileged opportunity to work in the small fraternal world of broadcasting.
Raise the Bar ...
There is always room for improvement. Go with the flow, take direction, and do your best on the air. Keep in mind that that for the listener, you are the radio station. Things are changing in our industry and you need to adapt and stay ahead of the game.
The Purpose ...
Remember the purpose of commercial radio is profit; you may be asked to perform tasks that are not to your liking, but management and programming have their reasons. Embrace change until it is changed again. Life is about evolving; if you don't like it, stop complaining and look for another job. However, realize there will be things at your new place of employment not to your liking either. You just need to learn to adjust.
This TV Episode ...
Sometimes personalities operate within a bubble and forget it's not up to them to make policy. One of the funniest examples of exaggerated importance took place on the sitcom Frasier. There was an episode, "She's the Boss," that reminded me of some situations I witnessed. The new station manager suggested changes for his show; marketing, T-shirts, giveaways, bus boards, theme shows, etc. Frasier balked, "I am not changing, and there is nothing you can do to me." His new boss immediately switched him from afternoons to the overnight show.
There Is A Reason ...
I was in college and working at a commercial station in town. The staff had a lot of professional students; those who don't want to graduate because it gives them an excuse to stay in their secure environment (beer and parties). Every university and college town have professional students working in various part-time jobs as bartenders, bus drivers, apt. managers, waitresses, retail sales, and the list goes on. These students are older and take on the role of mentors to the younger students.
Professional Students & Bad Advice ...
One summer at the station, a new GM took over. Except for the engineer, sales, and the PD, everyone else was what I refer to as part-time full-time; 39 hours or less a week, just short enough not to be considered full-time. It was summertime and I was lucky enough to have my hours increased since I didn't have any classes. Things were great for me until a new GM started changing things, like redistributing hours and putting in a time clock with timecards. Our staff professional student mentors decided to protest and have everyone list themselves in the local personal ads as looking for work.
So Much For Protests ...
The air staff uprising only lasted a day; there were no meetings and except for the engineer, the GM was made aware of our symbolic protests and laid us off. The only reason he did not fire the engineer/afternoon guy was because he had wired the place in such a way that it would have cost lots of money to have someone come and figure out his handiwork out. Lesson learned: Never follow the herd, leave on your own terms, and never threaten to leave.
The Point Is ...
Working in radio is work, but it's not the kind of work our parents and grandparents did (although there are some second and third-generation broadcasters). When the boredom bug hits you, remember there are seven things you should do in this business -- mind your own business, don't gossip, stay out of cliques, follow directions, work at improving your skills, adapt, and be nice. Life is about evolving; there are no utopias, but working in radio comes close to it.
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