And Now the News... Here's Bobby the Board Op

[smedge2006]

We all know that local radio news has undergone a lot of downsizing. That's gotten a lot of attention. What may have flown under the radar is the diminishing skill level of those who are still doing it.

Over on the Phoenix board there's discussion of a news anchor at a major talker who pronounced the word "female" to rhyme with TAMALE.

Brian Maloney has been calling out numerous faux pas on the outsourced news heard on WRKO. Some of them filtered through his ideology, others not (like reporting the Patriots lost a game they actually won).

From hearing the writing and voices of those who remain, I sense that radio increasingly is unable to attract anyone with a background in journalism and is down to converting board ops and anyone else they can into "newspeople" -- and probably without any training.

But in an era when energies are focused on syndicated talk and national politics, does the decline in local news quality have any effect whatsoever on the declining fortunes of radio stations -- especially news-talk?

 

[jerry367]

It is pretty evident that most radio station operators take their audience for granted. They figure it doesn't matter what the wuality is, people will still listen.

THAT is a very dangerous assumption these days.

 

[NewsStud]

We all know that local radio news has undergone a lot of downsizing. That's gotten a lot of attention. What may have flown under the radar is the diminishing skill level of those who are still doing it.

Over on the Phoenix board there's discussion of a news anchor at a major talker who pronounced the word "female" to rhyme with TAMALE.

Brian Maloney has been calling out numerous faux pas on the outsourced news heard on WRKO. Some of them filtered through his ideology, others not (like reporting the Patriots lost a game they actually won).

From hearing the writing and voices of those who remain, I sense that radio increasingly is unable to attract anyone with a background in journalism and is down to converting board ops and anyone else they can into "newspeople" -- and probably without any training.

But in an era when energies are focused on syndicated talk and national politics, does the decline in local news quality have any effect whatsoever on the declining fortunes of radio stations -- especially news-talk?

The powers that be in radio today view news as filler for the top of the hour bathroom break. As long as the needle moves and it sounds like "news," then they don't care. They will do it as costless as possible. Bobby the board op doesn't cost much money.

An experienced broadcast journalist likely won't be employed because such a person would need to make more than minimum wage at their stage in life.

A good broadcast journalist who is younger and starting their career might take that board op job just to get the airtime... but will leave once a better opportunity comes along.

 

[radioheel]

The powers that be in radio today view news as filler for the top of the hour bathroom break. As long as the needle moves and it sounds like "news," then they don't care. They will do it as costless as possible. Bobby the board op doesn't cost much money.

An experienced broadcast journalist likely won't be employed because such a person would need to make more than minimum wage at their stage in life.

A good broadcast journalist who is younger and starting their career might take that board op job just to get the airtime... but will leave once a better opportunity comes along.

It's been my experience that a lot of us old guys (myself excluded) seem hesitant to properly train a lot of the younger kids for fear of them eventually replacing them. Sad, but true. Me, I never minded showing a kid a thing or two about the business. It made the entire station stronger in the long run. And yes, I eventually got ran out of the building by that same young kid! :

 

[TheBigA]

The powers that be in radio today view news as filler for the top of the hour bathroom break. As long as the needle moves and it sounds like "news," then they don't care. They will do it as costless as possible. Bobby the board op doesn't cost much money.

By the same token, even a board op, and I held that esteemed position for a year or so, should have a little professional pride. This isn't about the "powers that be." This is about individuals in the trenches taking responsibility for their work. When I was making $2.50 and hour, doing the 1AM news, I made sure I did a pre-read, got my pronunciations right, and planned it so the breaks hit exactly right. Personal pride. That's all. I knew the GM wasn't listening, nor was the PD. I just wanted to sound good. And at that point, I had no journalism training, either. No one at the station taught me pride in my work. I got that from my parents.

Take pride in what you do, and don't keep pointing the finger at someone else.

 

[NewsStud]

This isn't about the "powers that be." This is about individuals in the trenches taking responsibility for their work. When I was making $2.50 and hour, doing the 1AM news, I made sure I did a pre-read, got my pronunciations right, and planned it so the breaks hit exactly right. Personal pride. That's all. I knew the GM wasn't listening, nor was the PD. I just wanted to sound good. And at that point, I had no journalism training, either.

Not every 18-year-old kid working for minimum wage is going to sound good out of the gate. My first time on the mic was pretty horrendous. I got better with practice (as we all do). Some people in their early stages are just gonna flub no matter what, no matter how hard they try.

It could also be the the overnight board-op is forced to be on-air as a result of budget cuts... yet really has no desire to be on-air (those people do exist, by the way)

If management really desired the sound of an experienced broadcast journalist in the middle of the night, they'd budget for it. They just don't care.

No one at the station taught me pride in my work. I got that from my parents. Take pride in what you do, and don't keep pointing the finger at someone else.

Back in the day... the job was much easier. I too, was an overnight board-op/announcer. All I had to do was keep tabs on the recorded or syndicated stuff... get in and out of breaks... do some live reads and a weather forecast, etc. I had the time during the program to plan things out. I even used a calculator to figure out how long or short things needed to be. I "dead-rolled" music bed carts as breaks approached so the end of the music would time-out with the end of the break. We all did this stuff. We did it because we cared about doing a good job, even when no one was listening. But we also had the time to to plan it, rehearse it, and execute it.

Most overnight board-ops today are keeping vigil over a cluster of stations. They have to make regular checks on the other stations. Many times it means running down the hall to fix a frozen computer that took programming down, and running back to the News/Talk station in time to do that newscast. The poor board-op is probably frantically trying to cover it all. And making minimum wage.

 

[TheBigA]

If management really desired the sound of an experienced broadcast journalist in the middle of the night, they'd budget for it. They just don't care.

No. That's wrong. The person doing the work doesn't care. That's the problem, and it's not just in broadcasting. It happens to me every day in every place of business I go. As I aid, it's about personal pride in what one does, regardless of what it is, from sewer worker to Senator. At some point, a board op needs to take responsibility. And that's not management's fault. I've seen people getting six figure salaries who have no clue what they're doing. And they're pretty obnoxious about it too.

Most overnight board-ops today are keeping vigil over a cluster of stations.

No excuse. It's part of the job description. Today you go to a grocery store and there's one girl overseeing 12 self-serve registers. She's getting minimum wage too. That's just how it is. There are nurses in hospitals in charge of dozens of beds, working long hours for low wages. They're responsible for giving medication to sick people. And they screw up. I was in a hospital and a homeless guy got on to a patient area, walked into a patient's room, and robbed him, while two nurses and a supervisor were ten feet away. Who's fault is that?

I know this all sounds unrelated, but it's all part of the same problem of individuals not taking personal responsibility for what they do, and instead looking to blame "the powers that be." My point is it isn't about budgets or cutbacks. It's about pride. No amount of money or staffing can fix that problem.

 

[smedge2006]

I think BigA actually has half a point. There are people doing these jobs who genuinely don't care.

No excuse. It's part of the job description. Today you go to a grocery store and there's one girl overseeing 12 self-serve registers. She's getting minimum wage too. That's just how it is.

Which is the reason you get people who don't care. Those who do have found places where their pride and attention to duties are better rewarded. Or the ones who did care were considered "overpaid" and sent packing.

I hear from people in the business the caliber of applicants to radio stations is way down over the past 15-20 years. The "flattened" management structure gives fewer pathways up the ladder -- and seeing what's above them, overseeing xxx stations and inadequately at that, maybe they don't see that as a future. Changing all that wouldn't necessarily make those people conscientious -- but if the opportunities for pay, advancement and the future of the business were better, it might attract others who do care.

If management really desired the sound of an experienced broadcast journalist in the middle of the night, they'd budget for it. They just don't care.

These particular errors didn't happen in the middle of the night in market 250. They happened when the sun was out, in top-20 markets.

 

[TheBigA]

Changing all that wouldn't necessarily make those people conscientious -- but if the opportunities for pay, advancement and the future of the business were better, it might attract others who do care.

Working in radio is not like an office job. It's not like selling insurance or being a stock broker. You don't get hired and work your way up within the same facility, stay there for your whole life, and then retire. As long as I've been alive, radio was not like that. When I was a board op, I knew it was a short term gig, and that I'd have to go someplace else if I wanted better pay or a step up. It might even require a move to another state. That's just how it is.

As for the future of the business, that will be a function of the people in it. Opportunities are made, not created by employers. I'd say the state of the industry now is such that a few self-starters could really make a big difference.

 

[NewsStud]

Working in radio is not like an office job.

It's been turned into one.

When I was a board op, I knew it was a short term gig, and that I'd have to go someplace else if I wanted better pay or a step up. It might even require a move to another state. That's just how it is.

Different era, my friend. Those opportunities, which were few and far between even then, are even fewer now. Most of the time, Market 200 is paying the same as, and is as meagerly staffed as, market 20.

Opportunities are made, not created by employers.

Not so much anymore. If Corporate HQ doesn't budget for it in the local market, the local market manager will have no ability to reward the hard-working board-op. In fact, the hard-working board will eventually realize their hard work isn't worth it as there will never be any real reward. And unless someone quits or dies, upward mobility within that office is very, very unlikely.

It sucks to see this in action. Everything you said about working hard, taking pride in your work, and making your opportunities come alive was so true. That's what I did. I busted my butt doing all the stuff I could in order to hopefully make it into the job I wanted at a decent pay rate. I got there, but I came along right as the business we knew was being gutted out.

And now I watch those kids who want to do what I did end up in the position I described above. And it's in a top 20 market. One kid works his tail off, and sounds fantastic on the radio. He actually dared to get the flu and they told him he better not take off for being sick (and, by the way, he's part-time at 38 hours a week so he gets no benefits nor sick days.)

 

[TheBigA]

If Corporate HQ doesn't budget for it in the local market, the local market manager will have no ability to reward the hard-working board-op.

I think you're too focused on big bad corporate, and getting recognition from some big corporate honcho. None of that matters in the long run. I remember being a kid when the big CEO would come by for a visit. He'd walk by and his eyes didn't focus on anyone. That's when I knew I had to make my own breaks. I did, and haven't looked back once. The same opportunities exist right now for self-starters with drive and imagination. But if they're expecting hand-outs from corporate, they're going to be waiting a long time...regardless of the line of work they enter. Unless you're in government or the military, there is no system of advancement. So once again, Bobby Board Op needs to take what he can get from his experience, and know that he is in charge of his life, not his boss or corporate. That's how it was when I was a teenage board op, and it hasn't changed.


I understand there are a lot of people who aren't used to this kind of experience. They expect a more one-on-one experience with their employer, who takes a personal interest in what they do. I discovered when I was in college that your boss isn't always your mentor. I got better advice and mentoring from former bosses than I ever did from current ones. It's often to their advantage to keep you in your lowly position rather than help you advance. So you look at things you want to do, targets you want to achieve, and go about achieving them, regardless of corporate budgets.

 

[Bongwater]

Well, I don't know 'bout you all. But I like to work where I am appreciated.

There just isn't any "glamour" in this business. Or pride to be had for working at barely minimum wage for not even a simple "thank you".

Professional? HA! Most of the professionals this business ever had were shown the door years ago.......

 

[TheBigA]

Well, I don't know 'bout you all. But I like to work where I am appreciated.

Never a concern of mine. All I cared about was what the audience thinks. The rest doesn't matter.

 

[SeanMGilbow]

I couldn't help but notice The BigA doesn't give us any clue as to what he actually does now.

 

[TheBigA]

Here's a hint: I'm not a board op any more.

 

[SeanMGilbow]

Here's a hint: I'm not a board op any more.

Nice try. You gotta do better than that. Your credibility regarding your earlier postings may depend on it.

 

[TheBigA]

Nice try. You gotta do better than that. Your credibility regarding your earlier postings may depend on it.

Back at you. I've been baited before. I don't post for credibility. If you don't believe me, I don't care. It's your life and your career you're wasting. I never needed approval of my bosses, and therefore I don't need your approval either, especially at this point in my life.

 

[SeanMGilbow]

Nice try. You gotta do better than that. Your credibility regarding your earlier postings may depend on it.

Back at you. I've been baited before. I don't post for credibility. If you don't believe me, I don't care. It's your life and your career you're wasting. I never needed approval of my bosses, and therefore I don't need your approval either, especially at this point in my life.

I, at least, have one. And no, I don't believe you. You do not indicate that you are even associated with this industry, so why should I? Perhaps if you didn't post so often, I wouldn't be questioning who you really are.

 

[Oldbones]

There just isn't any "glamour" in this business. Or pride to be had for working at barely minimum wage for not even a simple "thank you"....

That's a cop-out, usually used by those who can't make the grade. "Pride" in the job is internal, not external. I don't think I've had a job (in any line of work, not just radio) where they "thanked" me for doing what I was paid to do. If you're one of those insecure people who need to be praised and/or thanked constantly, I think you're looking at the wrong line of work.

 

[del_griffith]

I started in the business almost 40 years ago.


Maybe the word isn't glamor, but there was something magical about being able to get behind a microphone back then that no longer exists now. I went station to station for a long time before I got to crack open a mic. I finally convinced a GM to let me work for free. A few weeks later, he started paying me. Because I wanted to be like those big names in radio that meant so much to me and my friends. To us, those people were the luckiest people on earth. Today the young people of that age don't look at radio and radio hosts with the same reverence that we did. It's simply one of many forms of entertainment delivery. And to them, it's old school.

In my day 45 rpm records dubbed to cart was the thing. Stereo was in many markets just a baby. But to us, 78 rpm records were a thing of the past. To many, far too many young people, radio and radio hosts are the 78 records of their generation.