CRS In Action: Cultivating The Farm Team

CRS 2017

COUNTRY RADIO SEMINAR (CRS) 2017 took a look at recruiting and coaching talent in TODAY's (2/24) morning panel, "Cultivating The Farm Team: Sources of New Talent." Moderated by ALBRIGHT & O'MALLEY & BRENNER's BECKY BRENNER, the panelists included NATIONAL RADIO TALENT SYSTEM President DAN VALLIE; BRYAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION/BRYAN, TX VP/GM BEN DOWNS; iHEARTMEDIA Dir./Talent Development TONY BANKS; and CAP CITY COMMUNICATIONS/FRANKFORT, KY personality LIZ ROZENGARD.

The panel discussed the opportunities currently being presented by NATIONAL RADIO TALENT SYSTEM's (NRTS) NATIONAL RADIO TALENT INSTITUTE, which is a 10 day course study for college students, recent graduates, and current part-time radio employes. The NRTS offers up to 25 students the opportunity to learn from current broadcast professionals in an environment that teaches on-air work, marketing, branding, sales, production, and various other facets of the radio broadcast industry. These students must apply for the NRTS and be accepted before going through the coursework. Every student attends every class -- there are no breakout sessions -- and at the conclusion of the program, each student is certified by the RAB as a Radio Marketing Professional. ROZENGARD, a recent graduate of the program, has turned the experience into a job, now hosting Middays for CAP CITY COMMUNICATIONS AC WSTV/FRANKFORT, KY as well as handling weekends for sister Country stations WFKY and WVKY/FRANKFORT, KY. "If you want in radio, get in!" said ROZENGARD, who interned prior to applying for the NRTS. "Get the experience."

The panel also discussed non-traditional forms of sourcing talent, including DOWNS' own project, which took his company's existing HD2 station and left it in the hands of the broadcasting students at TEXAS A&M. The students run the station as a commercial entity, and monies raised from the sale of commercial spots are used to fun tents, shirts, banners, and other needed or wanted equipment for the station -- just like a traditional broadcast entity. The students run every facet of the station, with the exception of sending out billing, which is handled by the BRYAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION/BRYAN, TX. "I want it to be done legally!" quipped DOWNS. His emphasis is on training the next generation of broadcasters to be live and local. "Going live is taking an announcer and yanking the net out from under them," explained DOWNS. "It's two different skill sets."

BANKS also emphasized the importance of training new talent to be live on the air. "I don't want us breeding an industry of trackers," said BANKS. He also recommended looking to social media to find those with a passion for broadcasting. Citing the RADIO SISTERHOOD (@RadioSisters) on TWITTER, BANKS said there is a deep pool of emerging, talented women who are mentoring each other and lifting one another to the next level via social platforms. Exploring those pools and keeping an eye on emerging talent is an excellent source to visit when you feel the talent well is running dry.

Once you find a great talent, how do you keep them? "The most important thing you can give to your air talent is your time," said BANKS. DOWNS agreed, and encouraged attendees to find their personalities' preferred form of communication and use it to praise them. "You will be a stronger manager if you catch people doing something right," said DOWNS. ROSZENGARD agreed that keeping talent is not always possible, since many are looking to move up in market size, but the key to keeping great talent is to nurture them and offer opportunities to advance within the current market.

In all, the panelists feel there are still many young people looking to enter the world of radio and be "bit by the bug," but the means of finding and cultivating that talent is ever-shifting. "It's good to see that our industry is looking to help fill the talent pool," iHEARTMEDIA Country KXKT/OMAHA PD HOSS MICHAELS told ALL ACCESS following the panel. "This is the first I've heard of the NATIONAL RADIO TALENT INSTITUTE, and it sounds like a wonderful program where I can go to find future talent. It's cool! I know if I were still in college, I would go immediately and apply. What a wonderful opportunity for those seeking a career, as well as for those of us looking to fill the positions!"

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