dated spots

[STICKBOY]

Who will be the first to run dated copy on Tuesday????
Long weekends always get somone in a pickle.

 

[Nairda]

A combination of any of today's digital systems, a semi-literate traffic director, and a production staff that knows how to label files should prevent that from happening. Whoever you are, if long weekends always get you in a pickle perhaps you should evaluate your operational procedures and make some adjustments.

 

[yonkstur]

Never mind dated spots, what about imaging that never. ever changes.
ESPN Radio, 1240AM/630M..........for example.

"Let's go batter up..........we're taking the afternoon off!!!"
"A hot dog at the ballpark is just as good as roast beef at the Ritz".
"If you think great actors are Moe, Larry and Curly".
"You the man, you the man".

It's repeated at least 6 times an hour. I'd rather listen to 12 hours of Bob Fawcett.

Yonkstur

 

[ThomasCarten]

Get some aspiring newbie for weekends and holidays, pay minimum, you won't have those problems. You'll have the right weather, the right spots, etc. Then, when personality radio comes back, you've got one or two people who know how to speak and run the gear.

 

[Nairda]

Yes

 

[warm590]

You said the magic word: PAID...nobody wants to pay a warm body any more. When I was trying to get into radio, nobody would put me on the air without any experience, and you couldn't get any experience unless you were on the air!!! I was lucky to get 2 shifts on the weekend, sat and sunday nites and could basically do what I wanted, so I did all request/ dedication, doo wop and love song features. Then the phone started ringing. When the guy who gave me the sat nite shift became gm of the station, he fired me, because I thought of this and he didn't and I made him look bad. He proceded to trade off all the advertising for restaurant trades and ran the place further into the ground and got fired himself. First time I ever got fired for doing a good job.. ???

Man I love the radio business


sorry if I strayed off topic

longing for the good old days
warm590

 

[yonkstur]

First time I ever got fired for doing a good job.

He was before his time, this is the new mantra or matrix in American business.

Yonkstur

 

[masterg]

First time I ever got fired for doing a good job.

Many of us share your pain on that one. Defying all logic and reason, it is possible to become a victim of your own success. FWIW, even WARM of 70s/early 80s was huge on trades. At one time, the GM, the GSM, and Ops Manager, all had traded vehicles. Then there was the famous WARM trade at Aldino's Manor, a restaurant many will remember, now long-gone. All managers had carte blanche on that trade and used it frequently, often taking along whatever jocks were available for lunch. There were always rumors about other trades, like the one that each sales rep had X amount of dollars a year available to trade for whatever they wanted. Don't know if it was true or not.

 

[yonkstur]

By the time I got into radio sales, trade was a thing of the past. First off, sales people were no longer paid on trade. It was an inflated number. Second, there were abuses that went down through the years. I remember sales managers banning us from even asking for a gas trade. When I talked to gas station owners about it, they told me some horror stories that essentially soured them on radio. The trades we had at 107 were for the GM and GSM vehicles, for tuxes to an event and a hotel here and there.And of course a beverage trade with the Coors people and Bud.
At Citadel, trade was closely guarded by the upper management but I think they did a lot of hotel trade because of the many sales managers they were constantly importing.
When they had their big supersales, they rewarded reps with restaurant gift certificates. One year, everybody was eating constantly at the Top of the Eighties and Whistles. The certs expired on Dec. 30th of the calender year and when I went to take my wife to Whistles for lunch on that day to use up the certificate, the place was packed with Citadel sales reps and their families. They could have held a staff meeting or family picnic!
One guy had his own seperate trade empire with Russells which he got and protected on his own. The managers couldn't get near it.
On Aldino's, the food was wonderful and Dino Pierrotti was a fine gentleman who ran the establishment. I always paid but it was worth it.
I think Howard Johnson's in Pittston, the bar there, was a traded place too.

yonkstur

 

[NigelWick]

I think the only things that weren't traded were salaries and utilities. Everything else was whored out.

 

[masterg]

I think the only things that weren't traded were salaries and utilities. Everything else was whored out.

Spoken like only one who was there could speak. Absolutely true. Believe it or not, you could trade cash dollars. Banks would trade cash for advertising(likely because they could get more bang for the buck)and it was done often during money giveaways. Travel agencies used to beg for trades, there were constant promotions involving travel. I was once in a staff meeting and mentioned that an April In Paris contest might be fun. I expected a thumbs down. Instead, there was a huge thumbs up - before the day was done, the entire package had been arranged; airfare, all accomodations in Paris, transfers, etc.
Cars for giveaways were another easy trade. They were usually handled through the regional manager of whatever Big Three you dealt with at the time. I remember well one gorgeous young lady who was a regional mananger with GM during a car giveaway - just me daydreaming here, sorry...

 

[NigelWick]

Trades were a blessing and a curse. They saved some money and got you prizes you couldn't afford otherwise. On the other hand, they added to the commercial clutter that made AM radio a tough listen.

 

[yonkstur]

AND THE WINNA FOR THIS LABOR DAY WEEKEND IS.........................
ESPN SPORTS RADIO...................
broadcasting Sunday's weathercast and Phillies game start on Monday morning and afternoon!!!!

Yonkstur