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Future of Radio question

C

Cincyradiokid82

Guest
I'm currently a board op at a radio station in town, have been offered a full time gig in being a web director of all three radio stations in my office.

so my question is, looking a few years ahead, could a web director have some influence of programming at a radio station as technology advances with concepts like wi-max?

my overall goal is to be a program director one day, and wondering if having a job like that would place great influence in being chosen. Or would i be going in the wrong direction of my goals?
 
Take my observations, my advice with care. I'm on the outside. My last radio job was quite a few years ago. I readily admit I have no idea how the management of the substantial station groups think and how they evaluate career paths. What I do bring to the table is some knowledge of how the rest of the world operates.

Personally, I would go for it. From where I sit today's radio station websites suck. It is possible that the only stations that will be substantial in the future are those who figure out the "holy grail" of broadcasters websites.

Radio has always been a business where a significant percentage of the radiant young faces eventually find that the grass is greener and taller in some other line of work. If that fate should come your way some day, being a hot-dog website person in some other industry could be a great opportunity.

Today we ask whether a station has a website, and is it any good. I think it is reasonable to ask the question: Five years from now will be saying- That website has their own radio station.

I am currently looking at that from the view of the small town stations. ( I still want to own one!) I don't have as many notes laying around my desk on ideas that would work in the city but I would be willing to share a few starter ideas.

"The GRCowby" [email protected]
 
Being a website director will give you valuable experience, but don't think you're going to "influence programming decisions" at this time...

Now, that could change down the road. Most of us in the business realize the value of the web, but many companies are just getting their arms around it. (For a lot of companies, we still have to convince clients that we just won't use our websites as "value added" and give away what we think is valuable advertising as a "freebie".)

In time, though, I would think any web experience would be valuable to any station...
 
He must work for CC, because they've been looking for such a position. Now with the hiring freeze, they cannot bring anyone in, so they have to move people around within the co,

No, you'll never have any influence on programming decisions that way. It will probably, though, be more valuable experience to take care of the websites than to try and get into programming.

Wanna help pick the music? Wanna have things done your way? Start an internet station. Or go to Burger King
 
Cincyradiokid82 said:
I'm currently a board op at a radio station in town, have been offered a full time gig in being a web director of all three radio stations in my office.

so my question is, looking a few years ahead, could a web director have some influence of programming at a radio station as technology advances with concepts like wi-max?

my overall goal is to be a program director one day, and wondering if having a job like that would place great influence in being chosen. Or would i be going in the wrong direction of my goals?
Click to expand...

Take the full time gig. Keep doing what you do, and doing more than you think you can when possible. It takes a long time to establish yourself in radio, but web designers are not as easily dispensable as air talent, who can get their walking papers because of a format flip or a few bad books.

While doing the websites, stay as involved as you can in as many things as you can. Programming is probably years off, so if you want it, be prepared to work your a$$ off to get it. Sadly, sometimes all you have to do is outlast the current staff until the opening you want comes along.
 
Hey KID, take WW's advice. YOU ARE MOVING IN A BETTER DIRECTION AS A FT WEB GUY. You might also keep an occasional weekend fill in gig if it is available to you. Good luck!
 
Are they going to keep you running the board during this full time web gig? If they said that you won't...do you think they are being honest? You might just end up doing more work for the same or less money just like everyone else I know in radio.

Take the job anyway, for the reasons everyone else stated. You will be branching into a field that actually has a future.
 
Cincyradiokid82 said:
I'm currently a board op at a radio station in town, have been offered a full time gig in being a web director of all three radio stations in my office.

so my question is, looking a few years ahead, could a web director have some influence of programming at a radio station as technology advances with concepts like wi-max?

my overall goal is to be a program director one day, and wondering if having a job like that would place great influence in being chosen. Or would i be going in the wrong direction of my goals?
Click to expand...

take the web gig, still do the board op on the weekends, but it won't lead to a PD job if you work for CC...those PD's will never leave. Other than 941 and kiss, the PD turnover at CC is nill.

As far as a CC hiring freeze, haven't heard that...if there is a freeze, then why were they looking for board ops about 2 weeks ago...and a 'blogger' (that turned out to be Rosencrans on Homer)...
 
As far as a CC hiring freeze, haven't heard that...if there is a freeze, then why were they looking for board ops about 2 weeks ago

I'm sure the hiring freeze doesn't include janitors either.
 
tonyincincy said:
As far as a CC hiring freeze, haven't heard that...if there is a freeze, then why were they looking for board ops about 2 weeks ago
Click to expand...



Well Tony... could be because the freeze occurred last week. ::) But to the question....Wylly Wylly is absolutely correct as are most of the posts here...TAKE THE JOB!! I am still in radio not because I am a brilliant personality ;D, but because of being capable of doing more than one thing. While I have never been at a "top" station on the air, the ability to do other things in the business is why I have survived, and it has always allowed me to continue to at least dabble on the air. Sometimes its about doing what you have to do in order to do what you want to do. Often, this makes you the last man standing when the premadonnas get the boot. In terms of influencing programming, you will likely never get the chance at a major station...just ask the PD's who have to answer to the consultant. I always remember something a colleague of mine told me (who is a PD at a major station in town). He was asked by ownership what he felt should be done in programming, and before he finished the answer was told..."I'll tell you what your gonna do".
 
tonyincincy said:
I'm sure the hiring freeze doesn't include janitors either.
Click to expand...

As a matter of fact, it does. :eek: Bain and Lee told John Hogan what to write in his "memo", and it even includes no advertising. Hmmmm. And they're selling...what?
 
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