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I NEED ADVICE...WHAT EXACTLY IS A PROGRAM DIRECTOR ?

N

newsradiopd

Guest
Hello,

I am seeking advice.

I work in a unusual situation at work, or so it seems to me.

Here is my situation:

I was promoted to a little over a year ago and am the Program Director for a
AM news-talk station in a small-midsize market.

The ranks are owner, general manager, program director-(me) then ONE board operator.

That is our staff.

Our Monday - Friday programming shed is:

6-9a - Local Morning Show - Our morning show consists of 2 men in their early 60's.
Both host's were given thier positions through their personal friendship or relationship
with the owner of the station.

One host has 2 years total radio experience.
The other host has 3 months total radio experience.

Each have "real" full time jobs outside of the station.

I could easily over look those facts if they were good on the air. They are not.
And it is apparent because of the above mentioned facts.

Personally, I like our morning show host's but from a program director viewpoint
I don't think they are good radio.

In addition to program director of the station, I also produce, call-screen and board op
for the morning show.

9-11a - The Glenn Beck Program - In my opinion, the best there is right now. I feel
fortunate to have this show on our station.

11-1p - Local Sports Talk Show - This show focus's on the local university's
sports program's. This university is an NCAA Division 1 Top 25 ranked school in at least
football and basketball. The subject of this show is constantly hot topic.

Both host's are men, mid 30's - early 40's and each have 2 years total radio expeirence.
However, what they lack in radio experience they make up
for in subject knowledge.

Host's also have full time jobs outside of the station.

I like this show. One, because it's local and two because it is good.
In addition to the subject, both host's have good, strong energy and respectfully
different personalties which blend nicely and they are informative and entertaining.

Despite their inexperience, both are very coachable and continue to get better on air.

With all that being said, I do hear the show struggle at times as if the host's are reaching.

From a program director viewpoint, I feel this show should be 1 hour, not 2 hours.

The show would then sound much tighter and the host's would sound smooth
and polished.


1-2p - Local Agriculture Show - Experienced, young host does good job with show subject.
Host is an actual full time farmer.
From a program director viewpoint, it does not sound good at 1 o' clock in the
afternoon. Then add that it is coming out of a sports talk show and leading into
Dr. Laura.

2-5p - Dr. Laura Schlessinger - From a program director viewpoint,
If the radio industry dealt talent like pro sports teams do, I would trade Dr. Laura. Talkers magazine ranks her 4th in the country, she draws
Unfortunately, Dr. Laura has not done anything for us in the ratings.
However, she has 8 million listeners per week, but, they are mostly female.
Our demo is males 25-54 or males 34-65. Dr. Laura does fit nicely and delivers
for some news-talk stations, she just hasn't for us.

5-7p - The Radio Factor w/ Bill O'Reilly - Personally, I am not a fan of O'Reilly.
From a program director viewpoint, I am.

7-9p - John Gibson Show - FOX News radio syndicated and required program

9-10p - Local news simulcast from TV.

10-12mid - Alan Colmes Show - same as John Gibson

As you can see, our main affiliate is Fox News radio explaining almost 50 % of
the station's progamming. And as a program director I like that and am very fine
with that.

However, I feel even on paper the station looks like a programming train wreck.

From a program director viewpoint, I think our local morning show is killing us,
the local sports show is an hour too long and the local ag show is out of place.

In addition I feel our entire program schedule is out of place.

So, as the program director of this station, I have found what I feel are glaring reasons
as to why we continue to get pounded by the competition.

I have expressed my opinion of our station programming as the station program director
to both the general manager and the owner. And continue to do so.

Example, The Neal Boortz Show had been calling me for months to pick them up in
this market. I am familiar with Boortz. I take this to the general manager and the
owner and suggest we pick this show up and both shoot it down as both did not even
know who "this Neal Boortz guy is".

Well, 2 weeks ago, guess who picked up the Neal Boortz Show ?

Yes, our cross-town rivals.

I have been in radio since 1992. My career has been small-mid size markets.
All my years have been on-air only, with the exception of this last year when
I was also named PD of this station.

My on-air ratings have always been at the top or was the top of whichever station I
am at. And more importantly, my shows generated real revenue for the stations I
worked.

I came in this business on the tail end of when radio was great. I was fortunate
enough to learn from some great and true talent and programmers.

I feel I have worked hard, learned and honed my craft nicely and continue to strive
to do so on a daily basis.

And I feel proud of what I have accomplished in this great business thus far.

While I had never previously been a PD, I do have about 9 years alone in the news/sports
talk formats as host. This is why I believe the owner of my current station promoted me
to PD.

Ah, yes, PD. What exactly is a radio Program Director ?

Based on the PD's I have worked for, a program director oversees and decides
any and all station programming, syndicated or local, including show's, bits,
station promo's, music, etc, that will air on the station.

Program Directors will oversee or assist production directors in regards to client spots
and station imaging.

Program Directors will also sit in sales meetings and assist station sales reps if needed.

PD's will oversee or assist promotion directors with promotional ideas and station
promotions.

PD' assit the engineer in regards to the technical aspect of the station.

PD's will manage or assist with thier station budget.

PD's also set the staff schedule.

Those are the main responsibilities of a radio Program Director as I have seen through
the years.

Those are the responsibilities I thought I would be taking on when I accepted this
position and signed a contract with the standard non-compete.

Currently, I can not get any program decisions or promotional ideas approved by the
general manager or owner.

I can not get a web site approved ! We are the only station in the market without a
web site or web presence.

I can not get approval to hire a sufficient staff. I'm not looking to hire an army.

At this point, the only input to the station I have had as the program director is the
station imaging and production.

My contract has incentives based on our ratings.

I can feel the pressure from the owner to improve the ratings.

I more than anyone want to improve the ratings by beating that other station.

But, I feel I am not being given the proper opportunity or tools to realisticly achieve
that goal and my incentives.

I am so freakin' stressed out anymore ! My left arm and shoulder are killing me for no
apparant reason. I hardly eat or sleep.

Has anyone else ever been in a situation or worked at a station like this ?

What did you do to resolve it ?

Does anyone know if I can void my contract based on the company not giving me
a fair chance to achieve my incentives ?

Is there a basic "program director" salary I am entitled ? I am sure I am not getting it
if there is.

Any suggestions anyone ?

 
It's not unusual for owners to deny program directors the right to program their stations.

A prime example: Rick Buckley at WOR in New York City.

If you're that unhappy, I'd look for another job.

And the plural of host is hosts, not "host's."
 
It sounds like your GM and owners want a PD because they heard somewhere that every station should have one, but they really don't know what one is.

You should move the ag show to 5-6 AM since farmers will be up at that hour and they may be able to get some useful information from it. That is, if you have an ag show at all. I'm guessing most farmers these days work for big corporations and even if they don't they can get a lot of what they need (commodities prices, weather, etc) via the internet.

The AM show is your prime real estate, as you know. Nice guys who suck on the air won't cut it. Fire them and put on someone else.

Of course, when you do that you will incur the wrath of the owner and probably get fired yourself which means...

You should get severance pay and paid for your unused vacation time, and you will be free to get a job at a place where you have more decision-making power than you have now.

Oh, by the way, keep the sports show at two hours (if you stick around at all). One-hour is not long enough for hosts to develop topics and generate some calls, controversy, etc. If these guys really know so much about the subject, listeners will probably forgive them a few bumps in the on-air presentation.

Salary? All over the map, but it sounds like you're probably getting jobbed.
 
Suggestion: if I were you, and I were as unhappy with my circumstance as you seem to be, I think I'd go to the GM and ask him or her to provide you with a "Job Description" so that you have a clear understanding what your boss thinks your responsibilities are. It will also open the door to a frank discussion, should you choose to have one, about your concerns. If you already have a formal "Job Description," and you feel you're not being allowed to do the things you're responsible for, then potentially that opens the door to a discussion. But as the previous poster noted, do so with your eyes open, knowing that your supervisors probably have no intention of ceding that authority to you.
 
That schedule is really hard to work with. I would see if you could add Laura Ingraham because she is entertaining and I think your listeners would come to love her.
 
I was in this situation about 20 years ago. I went asking for a job description too. One week later I was canned.

You've got to know who your working for. If ratings are their main objective (with the revenue that will follow), write out a plan on what you think needs to be done to improve the station. I agree on the Ag show, should be 5a-6a. Leave the sports show alone, sounds like it's your best local product.

Do you have someone ready to fill in for the morning guys? Are you capable of doing it? Are you willing to do it? If not, then you better have someone ready to do it.

If you go to the owner/gm with a detailed plan and why you think it will work and they still shoot you down, then it's time to move on. Your not happy and that won't change if your not programming the way you feel you can win with.

Dr Laura needs to go. If the target is men, find shows that men like. What shows are available from a syndication stand point? Savage? Boortz is gone, so Im guessing Rush and Hannity are as well. You have Beck already. Is he a ratings draw? If so, look at Mancow, he has somewhat the same style and appeal.

From my view, the PD sets the tone for the station. Image, sound, lineup etc. If it's not your product, then you can'tbe a PD of it. Some may disagree but it's the way I've worked in the past. Good luck
 
Your male audience appears to fall into one of more of the following categories: farmers, working guys, sports buffs and gun owners.

I'd say you should consider Ed Schultz as a replacement for Dr. Laura. He, like Boortz, is syndicated by Jones.

And if O'Reilly's show is, as rumored, on the outs, consider Stephanie Miller as a nice round of comic relief. Also syndicated by Jones.

Yes, we are talking counterprogramming here. But these are left-of-center talkers with extensive experience under their belt behind a microphone, as opposed to many of the hosts that were on another network which shall remain nameless.
 
I find it interesting that the thread is all about "What is a PD," and yet a number of you are trying to do his job for him instead of encouraging him to become empowered to do the job himself. His question was how to resolve his conflicts over the difference between title, responsibility and authority.
 
Shoot From Hip said:
I find it interesting that the thread is all about "What is a PD," and yet a number of you are trying to do his job for him instead of encouraging him to become empowered to do the job himself. His question was how to resolve his conflicts over the difference between title, responsibility and authority.
Click to expand...

Sorry, Hip, but I read the question quite differently. And I wasn't about to tell him to look into pursuing a different career.

Which is what I would have said if I were to take your approach to the question.

If I knew when I pursued a radio career what would happen to this industry over the last two decades, I would have taken a different career path in college.

Not that I am hurting. I have more than 13 years of service with my current employer, where I am in customer service. My annual income is nearly $42,000, and I have absolutely no debt.

I have no desire to do anyone's job. I feel bad for this guy that he is perhaps finding out some harsh realities about the business in what should be the prime of his career. I'm hoping it isn't too late in his life to consider a change, if for no other reason than that his job could literally kill him.
 
I don't recall ever suggesting he pursue a different career...but it appears that's what you're suggesting in the last graph of your most recent response. I simply suggested he needed to determine if this was the right job (in radio) for him to get the satisfaction he's looking for. He was complaining that he didn't have the authority to go with the title; I proposed he have a sit down with his boss and determine what responsibilities he does have, and then to decide for himself whether the combination of power and title matched up with his personal career goals. Based on what he described:

Currently, I can not get any program decisions or promotional ideas approved by the
general manager or owner. I can not get a web site approved! I can not get approval to hire a sufficient staff. At this point, the only input to the station I have had as the program director is the station imaging and production.

...it simply seemed to me we needed to stay focused on what's really going on with his job.
 
It sounds like you should apply at the competition. Nobody in your type of situation with no control of your fate should put themselves though all that.

This is still a great business. Don't let this situation get you down. Go somewhere else and be happy.
 
I know a program director who earned the title in 1974, and by 2007 was up to $18,000 per year in salary.

Hardest working guy I've ever met. But he makes peanuts. He also loves his job and working with radio people and listeners.
 
Maybe you should move Chick Talk to the mornings. Also, maybe develop other shows with the the "Talk" in the name of the show, it's really good for branding. Maybe you should have a show called Talk Talk and the hosts just talk about whatever they want. It could be lightning in a bottle bro.
 
buster2 said:
Of course, when you do that you will incur the wrath of the owner and probably get fired yourself which means...

You should get severance pay and paid for your unused vacation time, and you will be free to get a job at a place where you have more decision-making power than you have now.
Click to expand...

Severance pay? Vacation time? This is four-employee small market RADIO. I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't even take taxes out!
 
BROTHER, from your own description about your left arm and shoulder hurting "for no apparent reason" the next thing you gotta do is see a Dr. for an EKG and get your heart checked. That's a classic sign of possible heart trouble.

After you get the results from any tests, you can make your choices about what's next for you in this business.

Consider how much "good stress" you could actually enjoy by being a talent/host on-the-air again.

Best of Luck.
 
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