It took 4 pages, but RadioGetsResults? finally hit the nail on the head. Too many people are willing to work in radio for peanuts. And to elaborate on that point elaboration: Most station owners consider on-air and promotions staff significantly less valuable than the rest of that staff. The exceptions, in my opinion, are AM drive on-air and talk radio on-air.
What I am going to write here will sound very cynical, and for that I apologize. I consider myself a positive person, but I have seen enough to be close to completely jaded on radio.
Above all else, radio stations are businesses, in business to turn a profit for the ownership/stockholders. If you're lucky enough to work at a station run by good people, they might feel compelled to take care of the people that help them make this profit. Now more than ever, station ownership groups across the country are facing insane amounts of debt brought on by overpaying for the stations they now own. It is becoming increasingly more difficult to meet the resulting financial obligations, so they do what any business owner does in that situation: they cut expenses.
One of the casualties of those cuts is personnel. Station management tries to figure out how to do the same work with less people, and then goes about cutting staff. Like I said above, on-air and promotions are low men on the totem pole. Most stations think they can offer the same quality programming regardless of who is on the programming staff. Sellers get cut, too, but with far less ambivalance, as sellers bring in the checks.
It's been said here already, but if you really want to stay in radio, you have to prove yourself valuable and someone the station would be worse off without. It is very rare that a station owner associates those attributes to on-air staff (again, except for AM drive and talk radio staff). If you're not considered someone the station cannot afford to lose, your a perfect candidate to get cut in cost-cutting layoffs.
21st century commercial radio is not a good industry for anyone, even the managers and the stockholders are hurting. People have too many choices for their entertainment, and it's harder than ever to compell businesses to use radio to advertise.
If you're dead set on trying to get back in, though, you've got a lot of good advice here. Persistence is key. Stay current with what consumers are seeking for entertainment. Stay current with the technology that radio uses to do its work. Stay open to different opportunities that might not be the afternoon drive shift on a mid-market hot ac station. Stay positive, no matter what jaded cynics like me say.
What I am going to write here will sound very cynical, and for that I apologize. I consider myself a positive person, but I have seen enough to be close to completely jaded on radio.
Above all else, radio stations are businesses, in business to turn a profit for the ownership/stockholders. If you're lucky enough to work at a station run by good people, they might feel compelled to take care of the people that help them make this profit. Now more than ever, station ownership groups across the country are facing insane amounts of debt brought on by overpaying for the stations they now own. It is becoming increasingly more difficult to meet the resulting financial obligations, so they do what any business owner does in that situation: they cut expenses.
One of the casualties of those cuts is personnel. Station management tries to figure out how to do the same work with less people, and then goes about cutting staff. Like I said above, on-air and promotions are low men on the totem pole. Most stations think they can offer the same quality programming regardless of who is on the programming staff. Sellers get cut, too, but with far less ambivalance, as sellers bring in the checks.
It's been said here already, but if you really want to stay in radio, you have to prove yourself valuable and someone the station would be worse off without. It is very rare that a station owner associates those attributes to on-air staff (again, except for AM drive and talk radio staff). If you're not considered someone the station cannot afford to lose, your a perfect candidate to get cut in cost-cutting layoffs.
21st century commercial radio is not a good industry for anyone, even the managers and the stockholders are hurting. People have too many choices for their entertainment, and it's harder than ever to compell businesses to use radio to advertise.
If you're dead set on trying to get back in, though, you've got a lot of good advice here. Persistence is key. Stay current with what consumers are seeking for entertainment. Stay current with the technology that radio uses to do its work. Stay open to different opportunities that might not be the afternoon drive shift on a mid-market hot ac station. Stay positive, no matter what jaded cynics like me say.
