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ASKING FOR HELP

L

loves radio 2

Guest
A young man I go to church with recently graduated from APSU with a degree in Mass Com and wants to be a disc jockey. I didn't know what to tell him today as radio has changed drastically since I got into it in the mid 60's. I am out of it now and most of the people I got to know well in the business are either dead or retired.

Can any of you tell me how I can help him get his foot in the door? Or with all the voice tracking/automation today, is he persuing a career that no longer exists?

Thanks guys and gals.
 
The “Disk Jockey” part is very hard. He could do the “Club DJ” and make better money than at a lot local stations. There is always some demand for a “Shock Jock” and Stand UP Comedy might be the route. Once again if he is good at it he will make more money than working radio, if he can stand the traveling. He might try getting a job with a local cable company, TV or Ad Agency doing and or writing commercials. Some cable companies even do local news in some rural areas. Or do the local access “Wayne’s’ World” on a cable system. I would also give serious thought to starting his own Internet Radio Station.
 
loves radio 2 said:
A young man I go to church with recently graduated from APSU with a degree in Mass Com and wants to be a disc jockey. I didn't know what to tell him today as radio has changed drastically since I got into it in the mid 60's.
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I commend you for taking this young man under you arm and giving him some support.

I guess there are tons of us out here who wouldn't know what advice to offer if we had that conversation with a young person.

There are always going to be a FEW openings here and there. Maybe the person you are mentoring will find one of those by being diligent. But the story doesn't end there. He has a probability of doing what you did and what I did and what a lot of other have done: Participate in the business of broadcasting a few years and then reach a point there getting out is the thing to do.

I think the best thing you can do for him TODAY and make him aware of that possibility, and walk him through the question: Will you be ready for that transition day? Can you even contemplate what you will expect from life once you have had your broadcasting days and it is time to move on? Is there another degree you need to obtain between now and then? If so, only look for jobs in locations where you can pursue that added education. (I spent too many years in small, local markets where there was no opportunity to take night classes at a local college.)

For someone fresh out of college, trying to contemplate life at age 30, 40 or 50 is a bit impossible. With a mentor like you to hold his nose to the grindstone, maybe he can start forming a future "bucket list". Then maybe he will also be ready to figure out what he wants to do at age 23 or so.

It may be radio. It may not.
 
I was in the business for 40 years when I discovered there is no onger a market for what I do. At least in a market that pays anything. That's why Chuck Johnson and I joined forces to service small markets. There is still some actual radio being done there
 
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