HELP WANTED -- News -- Immediate Opening -- GOOD station, GOOD company

[Holland Cooke]

NEWS DIRECTOR; Arbitron market rank: 40s; heritage station, call letters you know.
Attractive market. NOT Clear Channel.

Can YOU, personally, choose and write stories that are super-relevant to Homer and Marge Diarykeeper?
Can you coach a staff of local anchors and reporters to do the same?
NOT-boring, what-it-means-to-you, "REPORTING LIVE FROM..." radio news?

Opportunity to assume some Operations Manager duties too.

FEW openings like this lately. Is it YOU?
Email resume, references, and an aircheck you're proud of to [email protected]. EOE.
Or send via USPS ExpressMail or PriorityMail -- NO FED EX -- to my address, @ www.HollandCooke.com

Tick tock.

Holland Cooke
News/Talk Specialist
McVay Media
www.HollandCooke.com

 

[fred flintstone]

Curiouser and Curiouser!

More Cooke Spam.

A blind-anonymous-stealth ad. Always risky. It's not unheard for a guy who does not know he's about to lose his job to apply for it.

One has to ask, why would a consultant place a help wanted ad, instead of a PD, HR manager or station manager? It can be dicey when an outsider does the hiring and the nominal boss has no say - or no authority. Another example of how ill-managed radio can be.

And why this ad here (and on the poster's own website), not on any of the usual radio job sites (as of a few minutes ago)? Is there a real job here? Is the poster collecting packages for his file?

Wait a second: The poster's website mentions that he also sells advice for job seekers as one of his publications. Maybe, just maybe, a post here could generate some sales for his book.
???

Homer and Marge? Sounds like an expression of contempt for the audience.

 

[Holland Cooke]

"More Cooke Spam"

Quite a zinger, from someone anonymous, with 1472 posts.

For you, the living, this mash was meant too.

HC
78 posts
http://members.aol.com/cookeh/pme06.html

 

[SaltyDog]

It is an overly harsh response to a help wanted post in my opinion. But I will also say, I have never, will never, and advise others to never apply to a blind ad. This business is small, and promises of confidentiality are broken constantly. Please recommend to your client that they mercifully fire the person in question and post this job openly. Only the desperate reply to blind ads.

 

[Holland Cooke]

RE "Only the desperate reply to blind ads."

<< It is an overly harsh response to a help wanted post in my opinion. >>

THANK YOU.
No good deed goes unpunished.
Elsewhere on this same web site, I've been damned for not-helping-along-young-talent!
Now, flames for reaching-out?
But kibbitz is business-as-usual here.

<< I will also say, I have never, will never, and advise others to never apply to a blind ad. This business is small, and promises of confidentiality are broken constantly. >>

I can't argue with that last part.
In the 10 years since The Telecom Act of 1996 triggered consolidation, it's gotten lots smaller!

<< Only the desperate reply to blind ads. >>

Not true!

Yes, some-who-reply DO seem desperate-and-dateless alrighty.
But THEY don't wait for a Help Wanted ad.
They show up anyway.

And not all of those who show up IN ADVANCE OF a posted opening are desperate.

I've always advised anyone-willing-to-listen that, if you're upwardly-mobile, the best time to meet your next boss is BEFORE there's an opening. Be "first-in," and top-of-mind, WHEN a position opens up. Smart managers build a "Farm Team" file, a short list of candidates for each position on staff.

Hey, I-wish-I-knew-then-what-I-know-now: People-who-do-what-I-do know about openings that never GET posted. Back when I was on-air, and looking to get ahead, I didn't know what "a consultant" was. 'Wish I did. 'Might've saved myself a couple years, if I'd made myself known to the right people.

<< Please recommend to your client that they mercifully fire the person in question and post this job openly.>>

In this case, "clients," plural. My post describes TWO different openings for-which client stations have asked me to refer qualified candidates.

And good news: In NEITHER case is anyone getting fired.
In both cases, openings are to fill positions from-which people resigned.
The people we're replacing are, as "The Jeffersons" theme sang, movin' on up.Which says good things about these two stations.

HC

 

[kenhawk1160]

More Cooke Spam. A blind-anonymous-stealth ad. Always risky. It's not unheard for a guy who does not know he's about to lose his job to apply for it.
One has to ask, why would a consultant place a help wanted ad, instead of a PD, HR manager or station manager? It can be dicey when an outsider does the hiring and the nominal boss has no say - or no authority. Another example of how ill-managed radio can be.

When you establish the credentials that HC (and Mike McVay) has, then you can blow your horn.

 

[Holland Cooke]

NOTE: One useful facet of radio-info.com architecture...

Whenever someone replies to a post, that thread pops-to-the-top-of its board.

In this case, that's helpful; because, as I noted, we're talking "immediate opening(s)."

<< One has to ask, why would a consultant place a help wanted ad, instead of a PD, HR manager or station manager? >>

THANK YOU FOR ASKING.
To clarify: That is not the case.
These positions have been posted, separately, by the respective stations.
But they're coming-up-empty.
So they've asked my help.
Not mysterious, just practical.
"Who can YOU recommend?" they ask.

This may not mollify festering conspiracy theorists; but y'all probably aren't candidates in any event.
So don't apply.

As a practical matter, however, these suspicious snipes ARE useful, since they keep the post at the top of the board.

 

[fred flintstone]

As of today, this board - along with several others - is sponsored.
The sponsor is one of Mr. Cooke's competitors.
Wonder how they are going to like Mr. Cooke using this board to promote himself, his consulting practice and his publications for free, while they pay?

Radio-Info Terms of Service:

(g) upload, post or otherwise transmit any unsolicited or unauthorized advertising, promotional materials, "junk mail," "spam," "chain letters," "pyramid schemes," or any other form of solicitation, except in those areas of the Service that are designated for such purpose;

(q) engage in commercial activities without enrolling in Radio-Info approved affiliate programs. This includes, but is not limited to, the following activities:

• offering for sale any products or services;
• soliciting for advertisers or sponsors;
• conducting raffles or contests that require any type of entry fee;
• displaying a sponsorship banner of any kind, including those that are generated by banner or link exchange services, with the sole exceptions of banners provided by or prior approved by Radio-Info;
• displaying banners for services that provide cash or cash-equivalent prizes to users in exchange for hyperlinks to their web sites.

 

[Holland Cooke]

Music: Theme from "Dragnet," first 4 notes only.

Fred: Why not simply "Report to moderator?"
Go ahead. Rat me out.
Show 'em where I've done what those Terms you quote prohibit.
PLEASE BE SPECIFIC.

Someone of YOUR standing here -- almost 1500 posts -- should carry a lot of weight complaining about my 81.

Good evening from Washington.

 

[fred flintstone]

Re: Music: Theme from "Dragnet," first 4 notes only.

Ah, yes. Another example of radio plagarism, also very common in radio news where former jocks lift stories from a newspaper, make a phone call, and call it "reporting." Probably just the kind of person the help wanted ad seeks.

The dum-de-dum-dum stinger ("Danger Ahead") was lifted from the score of the 1946 movie "The Killers" for the 1947 Dragnet radio show. The music publisher sued (trial was held in Superior Court, state of California, in and for the County of Los Angeles...) Dragnet composer Walter Schumann and won.

The story you have just read is true. The names were not changed to protect anybody.

 

[Holland Cooke]

"The names were not changed to protect anybody."

But Fred, why are you wary of telling us who YOU are?
With that one conspicuous exception, you don't seem to mince words.

Your unvarnished opinions about right-and-wrong sure do beg the question "says WHO?"

Much as I -- and those eventually hired for the openings I've posted above -- appreciate how your retorts keep pushing this post to the top of the board, I can't help but wonder how much more useful a dialogue we could have here if you'd show readers more respect than the consequence-free way you toss lit matches.

You take issue with this particular post -- HELP WANTED -- GOOD JOBS.
How do you think that makes you seem?

Do tell, eh?
Share your credentials.

I appreciate you spending as much time as you have visiting my web site.
Show us yours.

 

[fred flintstone]

Re: "The names were not changed to protect anybody."

But Fred, why are you wary of telling us who YOU are?

Who I am is not much of a secret.
You did not seem to have much trouble finding out about me.
My comments can stand on their own and people make up their own minds about them.
Apparently, your response to posts with which you disagree is to try and dig up information on the poster in an attempted to invalidate the poster (i.e., "disgruntled") rather than refute the substance of the post.

Get a handle.
Talk about radio and tell us what you really think.

 

[Holland Cooke]

"Who I am is not much of a secret."

Then, for those who just tuned-in, tell us AGAIN.
Even just your web site URL.

"You did not seem to have much trouble finding out about me."
Meaning???


C'mon, buck up.
Play it straight.
CONTRIBUTE to the dialogue.
Nobody loves a grouch.

And the first step on your road to rehabilitating your reputation here?
TELL US AGAIN.
Who are you?
Even just your URL.

What have you got to hide?

Thanks again for pushing this thread to the top of the board.

 

[kenhawk1160]

Holland, don't even give this guy the time of day. It's not worth it.

I live by this philosophy: "I refuse to have a battle of wits with an unarmed person!"

 

[Holland Cooke]

Funny line!

NOT-to-talk-about-Fred-like-he's-not-in-the-room...

Comparing the Views and Replies numbers on posts-he's-initiated, and posts-on-which-he's-the-most-recent-to-Reply, it seems you're not alone in your assessment. Hey, I TRIED talking sense to him.

But all-of-us who come here hoping for dialogue-more-diligent do so understanding that kibbitz is overhead, the price of admission. You're not the only one who filters it out. And I appreciate your supportive words.

As a practical matter, there's that silver lining. Our anonymous pal's retorts DO serve to keep-pushing-this-thread to-the-top-of-the-board.

AND THE GOOD NEWS IS that I've gotten a PILE of replies, many from qualified candidates. So despite -- or, oddly, BECAUSE-OF, our shy pal's gift for stimulus-response -- we did some good here. And I don't mean for that to sound so past tense. IT'S NOT TOO LATE to refer a friend...or yourself, if my Help Wanted post at the very beginning of this thread is of interest.

Special thanks to readers who aimed friends at this post. Several applicants indicated that acquaintances had brought my post on radio-info.com to their attention. I appreciate it, and will certainly return the favor when I see other Help Wanted or Situations Wanted posts here. This is a useful forum for swapping such information.

Buffoons may be more conspicuous, but there really does seem to be a community of diligent radio folks here too.

HC
www.HollandCooke.com

 

[kenhawk1160]

I hope you find a competent candidate, Holland. I'll put out my feelers here in Pittsburgh to see if there's any interest. I myself am content with my small market gig...the wife has the better job, so I'm pretty much staying put. Thanks for the invite, though.

 

[fred flintstone]

I hope you find a competent candidate, Holland. I'll put out my feelers here in Pittsburgh to see if there's any interest. I myself am content with my small market gig...the wife has the better job, so I'm pretty much staying put. Thanks for the invite, though.

The only ways to stay in radio full time are to:

• Live with your parents.
• Or have a working spouse. Their's is always the better job. I notice teachers are a popular choice for radio spouses.

Holland, I'm happy to keep bumping this thread up to the top. Not that it matters. The station has you collecting packages to keep the EEOC happy and your client(s) will hire whomever he intended to hire all along. You deal with the packages so your client doesn't have to. In general, radio job postings are already a done deal. Only the post office benefits - and, thanks to email, even they don't benefit any more.

And, Ken, this is radio news we're talking about. Nobody wants a "competent" candidate. Besides, any competent journalist goes into print. Any competent reader-presenter-producer goes to TV or public radio. Radio news jockeys calling themselves journalists is like DJs calling themselves musicians.

 

[Holland Cooke]

Fred: That's YOUR resume talkin.'

The only ways to stay in radio full time are to:

• Live with your parents.
• Or have a working spouse. Their's is always the better job. I notice teachers are a popular choice for radio spouses.

Anonymous Fred,

Speak for yourself.

You complain that I'm using this space to offer readers a crack at TWO great gigs.
THEN, in the next breath, this crybaby stuff about nobody-can-make-a-living-in-radio.
Aren't you A LITTLE embarrassed?

It would be inappropriate for younger readers here to dismiss radio as a career option, based on the surmise from your disgruntled perspective. Like any other endeavor, radio is-what-you-make-it.

AND SINCE YOU RAISED THE ISSUES...I can't resist...

RE: "Live with your parents."
MAYBE YOU DO, but my 86 year-old mom and dad live a couple hours away.
And I get up there to hug 'em every chance I get.

RE: "the working spouse" you allude to:
As for teachers, God bless 'em.
They ARE doing His work.

I got certified the last year The Commonwealth of Massachusetts issued teacher certifications "for life."
'Always figured that'd be my escape pod, if radio tanked.
AND IT MIGHT HAVE, if my comportment in the workplace was as-yours-is-here.
But so-far-so-good, lo these 37 years toiling in the radio vineyard.

Actually, "vineyard" is a poor choice of words.
The Vineyard is that-island-to-the-right, on your map.
The ocean backdrop you'll see, beyond my front lawn, at the video link below, is off Block Island.
Knock-on-wood.

Being between brides -- "the working spouse" you allude to -- I've prevailed on a limber friend to perform in the video.

The maneuver you'll see her demonstrate takes a little practice.
But YOU SHOULD TRY THIS.
Clearly you need the exercise.
You've GOT to get out of the house more.

Here goes [Real Player required]: http://hollandcooke.com/raina.rv

Good evening from Washington,
HC
www.HollandCooke.com
http://members.aol.com/cookeh/pme06.html

 

[kenhawk1160]

The only ways to stay in radio full time are to:

• Live with your parents.
• Or have a working spouse. Their's is always the better job. I notice teachers are a popular choice for radio spouses.

And, Ken, this is radio news we're talking about. Nobody wants a "competent" candidate. Besides, any competent journalist goes into print. Any competent reader-presenter-producer goes to TV or public radio. Radio news jockeys calling themselves journalists is like DJs calling themselves musicians.

Fred, I take great offense to your statement...the reason is because I have been in radio news for the past ten out of my nineteen years in the business. I regard myself as a very competent candidate because I do more than a simple rip-n-read newscast. We don't have a wire service at my station...we have our two national networks (CNN and CBS) and our state news network (Radio Pennsylvania), and the rest is all me or my news director. I still take my tape recorder to meetings, maintain a log of criminal cases coming up for trial, and if there's a major national news story going on, I usually find an angle to write a local story about. We also do special three or four part series on special interest topics.

I think I deserve that label of competency as well. I know plenty of true journalists who are in radio because they're dedicated to the profession, though they could easily make real money elsewhere.

BTW--My 'working spouse' (whom I love dearly) DOES have a teaching degree, but she also has an advanced degree in criminology...she works as an investigator for the federal government.

 

[fred flintstone]

Fred, I take great offense to your statement...the reason is because I have been in radio news for the past ten out of my nineteen years in the business. I regard myself as a very competent candidate because I do more than a simple rip-n-read newscast. We don't have a wire service at my station...we have our two national networks (CNN and CBS) and our state news network (Radio Pennsylvania), and the rest is all me or my news director. I still take my tape recorder to meetings, maintain a log of criminal cases coming up for trial, and if there's a major national news story going on, I usually find an angle to write a local story about. We also do special three or four part series on special interest topics.

I think I deserve that label of competency as well. I know plenty of true journalists who are in radio because they're dedicated to the profession, though they could easily make real money elsewhere.

BTW--My 'working spouse' (whom I love dearly) DOES have a teaching degree, but she also has an advanced degree in criminology...she works as an investigator for the federal government.

Ken, if the shoe doesn't fit - don't wear it. It sounds like you do a good deal more than most. But even at it's best, radio reporting is hit and run. Radio reporters go to meetings. But local council and board meetings are mostly pro-forma. The real work is done and the decisions are made before the first pound of the gavel. Meetings are the tip of the iceberg. Good newspaper beat reporters show up every day, working contacts, reading documents and reports, talking to minor bureaucrats and secretaries to get the how and why beneath the surface. That's reporting. Not going to a staged event to get sound. Not calling somebody who sent out a press release to get sound. Not man on the street interviews to get local sound about some national story (talk radio by sound bite). I can't speak about your work specifically. I can speak about KYW, KQV, Radio PA and various Clear Channel news clusters where radio news is rip-rewrite-get sound. Radio news people don't have time for much else, radio doesn't have time to air much else and the audience is not interested in getting more from radio than: (1) Tell me the weather so I know what to wear, (2) Tell me about the traffic jam in time to avoid it or - failing that - explain it to me so I know why I'm stuck and (3) Reassure me that the world didn't blow up while I was asleep. Beyond that, radio news is irrelevant except to people who work in it. The only exception to any of the above is long-form reporting on public radio. Otherwise, radio news is not about covering news - it's about creating the appearance of covering news.

But maybe you could raise the bar. Maybe Holland's clients would be willing to let you. I hope he puts your package at the time of the pile to give you the chance to try.