What Makes A Great Program Director?

Programming a radio station is not an easy assignment. The program director (or brand director or content director -- there are so many labels for the role today) collaborates in the creation of the strategic plan and takes responsibility for its effective implementation. It's a big undertaking. Programmers have to balance the science of radio programming with the art of content creation. They have to take the station they can hear in their head and make it come alive through sound. They must recruit and develop a team of highly creative, challenging and determined individuals and make them work as a cohesive team. They have to find ways to continuously keep the radio station top of mind in a time where consumers have never had more choices and less time. They have to stay up to date with the ever changing competitive landscape (no longer just limited to terrestrial radio) and anticipate future trends. Most importantly, they have to perform under the constant pressure of needing to deliver winning ratings to the sales department.

Experienced programmers make running a radio station seem almost effortless. They seem energized by the immense challenge in front of them rather than daunted by it. What is it that these great programmers know that the rest don't?

We spent some time considering that question and came up with a list of traits and behaviors that we see in great programmers. If you want to be a better programmer, maybe this list will help you identify areas of personal development. If you are a GM looking to hire your next great programmer, maybe you will find this a useful tool for evaluating candidates.

Great programmers are...
Strategic
Decisive
Obsessive
Opportunistic
Creative
Positive
Relentless
Focused
Confident communicators
Nurtures (of talent and teams)

Great programmers know...
... what makes their station different. The station's unique offering is crystal clear to them. They know the need - or mood - their station serves.
.... that they have the same 60 minutes as their competitors to program each hour. They use that time to battle for the listener's attention, offering a consistent listening experience.
... and understand their audience. They have a clear picture of who their station is talking to.
... where their time goes. They focus on the important tasks more than the urgent tasks.
... how to sustain a "no surprises" environment for the GM.
... how to create a positive, creative, stimulating and challenging working environment.
... they can't execute the plan alone. They build great teams.
... successful talent development is building on people's strengths, not weaknesses.
... that what they keep off the air is often more important than what they put on the air.
... that taking risks is needed in the constant pursuit to innovate and evolve.
... that even the Titanic was sinkable!

Great programmers ask...
... for -- and value -- the opinion and ideas of others.
... a lot of questions. They are innately curious about everything.
... what can we do today -- this minute - to get the station noticed?
... how can I help my team learn and grow today?
... is there a way to make the station more compelling, topical, local, entertaining informative, relatable or memorable today?
... which of my talent is in the bottom 10% of the team (on and off the air), and what's the plan for improving or replacing them?
... where is my next talent hire coming from?

Great programmers don't...
... underestimate their competition.
... waste branding opportunities.
... become -- or allow their team to become -- complacent.
... stop learning and developing themselves. They stay on top of new thinking, trends, technology.
... allow the morale to be anything other than positive amongst the team.
... over-complicate things. They know the secret to success lies in simplicity.

Most importantly, great programmers know that building a memorable radio station is a marathon with no finish line -- the price of success is always more competition. It's not a job for the faint hearted.

We are sure there is more we can collectively add to this list. What do great programmers do that the rest don't? Would love to know your thoughts.