Exciting Radio gigs

[musicsweep]

When was the last time you worked for a station that was lauching a new product, or really promoting the daylights out of itself...with emphasis being placed on a good programming product, high airstaff morale, and success on the streets.

Sadly, this would have described my first on-air gig at KJ 103 In Nacogdoches from 1998-1999. Most stations I have worked for since seem to have been in "survival" mode, meaning conservative programming, letting sales dictate programming, and almost total automation.


Although KWRD-AM Henderson was a cool gig until MRS Ventures bought it.

 

[Musicradio]

Hey,
I just a brand new broadcast studio....that's
a high point for me!

 

[Kent]

> When was the last time you worked for a station that was
> lauching a new product, or really promoting the daylights
> out of itself...with emphasis being placed on a good
> programming product, high airstaff morale, and success on
> the streets.

KOQL 106.1 Columbia, MO right after flipping to CHR (from oldies) on September 18, 2001. It wasn't actually a new station so much as it was a flea-power station out of Jefferson City moving to the Columbia office and a full class C1 stick and bringing a fresh new attitude. Within our first two weeks on-air, we were in the competition's face every chance we got! They did a remote at a Hardee's, and we showed up in the station van, ordered from the drive thru and sat in the parking lot eating our lunch! The entire staff consisted of people who got along well and hung out together outside of work. In our third book, we had beaten the competition and ended up the #1 station in the market 12+! The competition has never recovered. Unfortunately, my tenure ended there on a very bad note with a fairly new manager forcing me out for personal, rather than business, reasons after the station (and its sister stations) got sold to Cumulus. However, I mostly remember the good and how much fun I had during the three years I was there rather than my last six weeks there. I ended up with a good job in the area that gave me a $10,000 pay raise and still count many of the people there as my friends. I got a job with the competition that Q-106.1 killed part-time, and many of my friends from Q joined me due to dissatisfaction with the new regime. However, I was laid off from that job and now do weekends at a smaller station at the Lake of the Ozarks. It's every bit as much fun, but more due to the antiquated nature of the equipment and the PD who is willing to work around my schedule, especially with a busy full-time job.

> Sadly, this would have described my first on-air gig at KJ
> 103 In Nacogdoches from 1998-1999. Most stations I have
> worked for since seem to have been in "survival" mode,
> meaning conservative programming, letting sales dictate
> programming, and almost total automation.

I think most stations are in survival mode and most have been for a long time. After all, an upstart isn't going to knock off an established station on its own merits very often. Most of the stations are aware of this. So, the result is complacency on part of the heritage station and, often, resignation to being the #2 station in its format on the competition. Although Q was able to knock off the heritage CHR, the PD there was as responsible for Q's success as we were.

 

[nuzguy]

> > When was the last time you worked for a station that was
> > lauching a new product, or really promoting the daylights
> > out of itself...with emphasis being placed on a good
> > programming product, high airstaff morale, and success on
> > the streets.
>
> KOQL 106.1 Columbia, MO right after flipping to CHR (from
> oldies) on September 18, 2001. It wasn't actually a new
> station so much as it was a flea-power station out of
> Jefferson City moving to the Columbia office and a full
> class C1 stick and bringing a fresh new attitude. Within
> our first two weeks on-air, we were in the competition's
> face every chance we got! They did a remote at a Hardee's,
> and we showed up in the station van, ordered from the drive
> thru and sat in the parking lot eating our lunch! The
> entire staff consisted of people who got along well and hung
> out together outside of work. In our third book, we had
> beaten the competition and ended up the #1 station in the
> market 12+! The competition has never recovered.
> Unfortunately, my tenure ended there on a very bad note with
> a fairly new manager forcing me out for personal, rather
> than business, reasons after the station (and its sister
> stations) got sold to Cumulus. However, I mostly remember
> the good and how much fun I had during the three years I was
> there rather than my last six weeks there. I ended up with
> a good job in the area that gave me a $10,000 pay raise and
> still count many of the people there as my friends. I got a
> job with the competition that Q-106.1 killed part-time, and
> many of my friends from Q joined me due to dissatisfaction
> with the new regime. However, I was laid off from that job
> and now do weekends at a smaller station at the Lake of the
> Ozarks. It's every bit as much fun, but more due to the
> antiquated nature of the equipment and the PD who is willing
> to work around my schedule, especially with a busy full-time
> job.
>
> > Sadly, this would have described my first on-air gig at KJ
>
> > 103 In Nacogdoches from 1998-1999. Most stations I have
> > worked for since seem to have been in "survival" mode,
> > meaning conservative programming, letting sales dictate
> > programming, and almost total automation.
>
> I think most stations are in survival mode and most have
> been for a long time. After all, an upstart isn't going to
> knock off an established station on its own merits very
> often. Most of the stations are aware of this. So, the
> result is complacency on part of the heritage station and,
> often, resignation to being the #2 station in its format on
> the competition. Although Q was able to knock off the
> heritage CHR, the PD there was as responsible for Q's
> success as we were.
>
It's good that you're able to accentuate the positive. The fairly new manager you mentioned may be the same person who came out of Cbia about that time and landed in East Texas for an abortive attempt at station management. He was a fan of ruling by personal likes and dislikes, and lasted but a short time. If he's the one you were forced to deal with, my sympathy.

 

[Kent]

> It's good that you're able to accentuate the positive.

Thanks for the good words! I honestly learned a lot from the experience, and I can say that six miserable weeks can't undo three years of some of the most fun I've ever had. I'm grateful to everyone who got me in the door and gave me a chance to get into music radio. Previously, almost all of my experience had been news.

> The
> fairly new manager you mentioned may be the same person who
> came out of Cbia about that time and landed in East Texas
> for an abortive attempt at station management. He was a fan
> of ruling by personal likes and dislikes, and lasted but a
> short time. If he's the one you were forced to deal with,
> my sympathy.

He's actually still with the company but no longer as a manager. He's just an air talent now. When I say he was new, I mean he was new to the cluster, not new to management. He was a PD in Seattle for several years as well as in Nashville and Houston. I was actually really excited to get a chance to work with him when I heard he was coming on board. After all, it's not everyday that you get a chance to work with a major market PD when you're in market #255! However, I was quickly disappointed both in his qualities as a human being and as a manager. One of his first actions was to fire two newsmen, mostly because he disliked them. However, he ran into trouble with the PD because she wanted to keep them both on staff. So, he fired them when she was on vacation without her consultation. She was really upset about it, but it didn't matter much because he demoted her almost immediately after she got back and then fired her a few months later. He was fired as OM at the end of 2004, largely because he either canned or ran off pretty much all of his knowledgeable support staff, only to be hired back as an air talent about six months later when the cluster was in a pinch for staff. He promoted me right before the sale only to turn around and cut my airtime to almost zero while doing everything with my work schedule that he promised he wouldn't do. I think we all have stories about people like this, and I take a lot of satisfaction in that I have moved up in the world in the last two years while he has moved down!

 

[nuzguy]

> > It's good that you're able to accentuate the positive.
>
> Thanks for the good words! I honestly learned a lot from
> the experience, and I can say that six miserable weeks can't
> undo three years of some of the most fun I've ever had. I'm
> grateful to everyone who got me in the door and gave me a
> chance to get into music radio. Previously, almost all of
> my experience had been news.
>
> > The
> > fairly new manager you mentioned may be the same person
> who
> > came out of Cbia about that time and landed in East Texas
> > for an abortive attempt at station management. He was a
> fan
> > of ruling by personal likes and dislikes, and lasted but a
>
> > short time. If he's the one you were forced to deal with,
>
> > my sympathy.
>
> He's actually still with the company but no longer as a
> manager. He's just an air talent now. When I say he was
> new, I mean he was new to the cluster, not new to
> management. He was a PD in Seattle for several years as
> well as in Nashville and Houston. I was actually really
> excited to get a chance to work with him when I heard he was
> coming on board. After all, it's not everyday that you get
> a chance to work with a major market PD when you're in
> market #255! However, I was quickly disappointed both in
> his qualities as a human being and as a manager. One of his
> first actions was to fire two newsmen, mostly because he
> disliked them. However, he ran into trouble with the PD
> because she wanted to keep them both on staff. So, he fired
> them when she was on vacation without her consultation. She
> was really upset about it, but it didn't matter much because
> he demoted her almost immediately after she got back and
> then fired her a few months later. He was fired as OM at
> the end of 2004, largely because he either canned or ran off
> pretty much all of his knowledgeable support staff, only to
> be hired back as an air talent about six months later when
> the cluster was in a pinch for staff. He promoted me right
> before the sale only to turn around and cut my airtime to
> almost zero while doing everything with my work schedule
> that he promised he wouldn't do. I think we all have
> stories about people like this, and I take a lot of
> satisfaction in that I have moved up in the world in the
> last two years while he has moved down!
>
Definitely, then, not the same person. But the behavior patterns are very similar--as if I think these two are the only ones in similar positions who act this way.

Good observations you make.

 

[KPLEXCOMPLEX]

> > > It's good that you're able to accentuate the positive.
>
> >
> > Thanks for the good words! I honestly learned a lot from
> > the experience, and I can say that six miserable weeks
> can't
> > undo three years of some of the most fun I've ever had.
> I'm
> > grateful to everyone who got me in the door and gave me a
> > chance to get into music radio. Previously, almost all of
>
> > my experience had been news.
> >
> > > The
> > > fairly new manager you mentioned may be the same person
> > who
> > > came out of Cbia about that time and landed in East
> Texas
> > > for an abortive attempt at station management. He was a
>
> > fan
> > > of ruling by personal likes and dislikes, and lasted but
> a
> >
> > > short time. If he's the one you were forced to deal
> with,
> >
> > > my sympathy.
> >
> > He's actually still with the company but no longer as a
> > manager. He's just an air talent now. When I say he was
> > new, I mean he was new to the cluster, not new to
> > management. He was a PD in Seattle for several years as
> > well as in Nashville and Houston. I was actually really
> > excited to get a chance to work with him when I heard he
> was
> > coming on board. After all, it's not everyday that you
> get
> > a chance to work with a major market PD when you're in
> > market #255! However, I was quickly disappointed both in
> > his qualities as a human being and as a manager. One of
> his
> > first actions was to fire two newsmen, mostly because he
> > disliked them. However, he ran into trouble with the PD
> > because she wanted to keep them both on staff. So, he
> fired
> > them when she was on vacation without her consultation.
> She
> > was really upset about it, but it didn't matter much
> because
> > he demoted her almost immediately after she got back and
> > then fired her a few months later. He was fired as OM at
> > the end of 2004, largely because he either canned or ran
> off
> > pretty much all of his knowledgeable support staff, only
> to
> > be hired back as an air talent about six months later when
>
> > the cluster was in a pinch for staff. He promoted me
> right
> > before the sale only to turn around and cut my airtime to
> > almost zero while doing everything with my work schedule
> > that he promised he wouldn't do. I think we all have
> > stories about people like this, and I take a lot of
> > satisfaction in that I have moved up in the world in the
> > last two years while he has moved down!
> >
> Definitely, then, not the same person. But the behavior
> patterns are very similar--as if I think these two are the
> only ones in similar positions who act this way.
>
> Good observations you make.
>
You guys have described EastTexas Broadcasting out of Mount Pleasant. The PD lives for the "freebies"from Billy Bob's and recording artists,beer ,etc. He scuttled the Mnt Pleasant station to a lousy internet Waitt network. The OM is the same,its sales,not talent,(if any are left)women on call.Yup a class outfit to work for. For the record I ALMOST went to work there but I did my research.

 

[Garrett]

Most stations I have
> worked for since seem to have been in "survival" mode,
> meaning conservative programming, letting sales dictate
> programming, and almost total automation.

So, I see you've worked for Z102...
LOL

 

[nuzguy]

> > > > It's good that you're able to accentuate the positive.
>
> >
> > >
> > > Thanks for the good words! I honestly learned a lot
> from
> > > the experience, and I can say that six miserable weeks
> > can't
> > > undo three years of some of the most fun I've ever had.
>
> > I'm
> > > grateful to everyone who got me in the door and gave me
> a
> > > chance to get into music radio. Previously, almost all
> of
> >
> > > my experience had been news.
> > >
> > > > The
> > > > fairly new manager you mentioned may be the same
> person
> > > who
> > > > came out of Cbia about that time and landed in East
> > Texas
> > > > for an abortive attempt at station management. He was
> a
> >
> > > fan
> > > > of ruling by personal likes and dislikes, and lasted
> but
> > a
> > >
> > > > short time. If he's the one you were forced to deal
> > with,
> > >
> > > > my sympathy.
> > >
> > > He's actually still with the company but no longer as a
> > > manager. He's just an air talent now. When I say he
> was
> > > new, I mean he was new to the cluster, not new to
> > > management. He was a PD in Seattle for several years as
>
> > > well as in Nashville and Houston. I was actually really
>
> > > excited to get a chance to work with him when I heard he
>
> > was
> > > coming on board. After all, it's not everyday that you
> > get
> > > a chance to work with a major market PD when you're in
> > > market #255! However, I was quickly disappointed both
> in
> > > his qualities as a human being and as a manager. One of
>
> > his
> > > first actions was to fire two newsmen, mostly because he
>
> > > disliked them. However, he ran into trouble with the PD
>
> > > because she wanted to keep them both on staff. So, he
> > fired
> > > them when she was on vacation without her consultation.
>
> > She
> > > was really upset about it, but it didn't matter much
> > because
> > > he demoted her almost immediately after she got back and
>
> > > then fired her a few months later. He was fired as OM
> at
> > > the end of 2004, largely because he either canned or ran
>
> > off
> > > pretty much all of his knowledgeable support staff, only
>
> > to
> > > be hired back as an air talent about six months later
> when
> >
> > > the cluster was in a pinch for staff. He promoted me
> > right
> > > before the sale only to turn around and cut my airtime
> to
> > > almost zero while doing everything with my work schedule
>
> > > that he promised he wouldn't do. I think we all have
> > > stories about people like this, and I take a lot of
> > > satisfaction in that I have moved up in the world in the
>
> > > last two years while he has moved down!
> > >
> > Definitely, then, not the same person. But the behavior
> > patterns are very similar--as if I think these two are the
>
> > only ones in similar positions who act this way.
> >
> > Good observations you make.
> >
> You guys have described EastTexas Broadcasting out of Mount
> Pleasant. The PD lives for the "freebies"from Billy Bob's
> and recording artists,beer ,etc. He scuttled the Mnt
> Pleasant station to a lousy internet Waitt network. The OM
> is the same,its sales,not talent,(if any are left)women on
> call.Yup a class outfit to work for. For the record I ALMOST
> went to work there but I did my research.
>
Good way to dodge the bullet. The TUA (thumb up a**) style of management as all know is everywhere, and my geographic frame of reference centered about 70 miles south of Mount Pleasant. Isn't MP the location of the infamous station which had no indoor restroom. The little announcers' room and jock lounge was a one holer out back. Users probably had to supply their own
lime--BYOL.

 

[KPLEXCOMPLEX]

> > >
> > You guys have described EastTexas Broadcasting out of
> Mount
> > Pleasant. The PD lives for the "freebies"from Billy Bob's
> > and recording artists,beer ,etc. He scuttled the Mnt
> > Pleasant station to a lousy internet Waitt network. The OM
>
> > is the same,its sales,not talent,(if any are left)women on
>
> > call.Yup a class outfit to work for. For the record I
> ALMOST
> > went to work there but I did my research.
> >
> Good way to dodge the bullet. The TUA (thumb up a**) style
> of management as all know is everywhere, and my geographic
> frame of reference centered about 70 miles south of Mount
> Pleasant. Isn't MP the location of the infamous station
> which had no indoor restroom. The little announcers' room
> and jock lounge was a one holer out back. Users probably had
> to supply their own
> lime--BYOL.
>
oh Yeah,but when they decided to praise the sales staff they moved a port a potty indoors.. A colleague who worked there said the morning show person,when desiring a raise,"raised their profile" to the Pd and Om and often got it..literally. The person is a newlywed but the other is working in Austin. So when the significant other had to go south,"they " went north but not far.

 

[scottm1025]

You're just a brand new broadcast studio??? WHAT???

lol

I'd fall asleep sitting down that low..

> Hey,
> I just a brand new broadcast studio....that's
> a high point for me!
>