Is there life after radio?

[firepoint525]

I'm not sure where to post this question, so I will post it here. What do you do when you've done all you can do in radio, and there is nowhere else to go? Radio and broadcasting is about the only field in which I have a significant amount of experience, and that won't get me anywhere now. Back in the early '90s, during my first sabbatical from radio, I went to paralegal school, but I quickly found that that was not for me. It seems to me that about the only ways to legally make a decent living anymore are practice law, practice medicine, or learn to sell stuff. Well, after paralegal school, I decided that law school is definitely not for me, and I never had any interest in being a doctor, so that leaves the third option: learn how to sell stuff. And I don't mean airtime, because I am convinced that the vast majority of businesses out there have no desire to advertise on radio. So what I want to do is learn how to sell stuff that people want to buy. If I can do that, I will never struggle to make a living again. I am learning how to sell on Ebay, and I recently made my first sale, only to have to refund the buyer's money because the postal service lost my package in the mail! (I insured it, but I am still out the postage and handling, and Ebay fees!)

At my last station, I did overnights for 10 years. I repeatedly got passed over for promotions, including by those who were younger than me, and had not been at the station as long as me. At the time I left, I had been there longer than anyone else. There had been sweeping changes at the station, which began a little over two years ago, which swept out the then-management. Other employees who had been there longer than me either eventually left voluntarily (maybe they read the writing on the wall), or were also swept out. I believe that my own recent removal from that station was a part of that sweep, even though I had survived the initial changes by about two years. But I had been wanting to leave for about that long anyway. I had no future there, I couldn't get off the overnight shift, and since I was getting older, it was getting increasingly hard to stay awake at night, and I couldn't sleep very well during the day. And to top it all off, I had started having to actually ask for raises. (I had gotten raises almost automatically in the past.) Since they apparently couldn't find anything else for me to do, they were actually doing me a favor by letting me go.

So my question is this: where do I go from here? I actually wouldn't mind staying in radio, if I could find a decent position somewhere. But moving is not an option. I bought my own house two years ago (and that, too, fueled my desire for change in my life), and I am happy here. I do not have to stay in a broadcasting-related field. What I want is something where I can make a decent, honest living, and be treated with respect. (Okay, that last sentence rules out radio right there! ;D) But I don't have enough experience in anything else to be marketable in any other fields. So where do former DJs go? (I should point out that I mostly programmed at my last station, and did very little on-air announcing, although I did voiceover work for them on the side.) In what other fields is my broadcasting experience "translatable"? I would like to do some freelance voiceover work. I live in the Nashville area, so it is not like I am out in the middle of nowhere, where factory work or delivering pizzas is my only option.

Okay, I've gone on long enough here. Discuss, and I will be back to read replies.

 

[bigjohnson]

so that leaves the third option: learn how to sell stuff. And I don't mean airtime, because I am convinced that the vast majority of businesses out there have no desire to advertise on radio.

Gee, don't tell any of my advertisers that! I know what you're really trying to say is nobody wants to BUY advertising. But EVERY business wants to SUCCEED. That's why I love being in radio sales. I don't try to sell my clients anything. I help them come up with a plan to achieve more success. Does it cost them money? yep. But you'd be suprised how much they are willing to spend when they start seeing the results of advertising their business on my station.

Good luck in whatever you decide to do. I do know from experience that radio is damn-near impossible to get out of your blood.

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

Been there. Done that. Got the ragged, worn-out tee shirt to prove it.

Some years ago I faced questions just like you are dealing with. I chose to leave radio for an extended period of time.

Life OUTSIDE radio can be hectic also. It has been a WILD, WILD ride for me. Once in awhile my wife and I sit down to think of the trail we have traveled and ask ourselves: "What would you do differently?" We're not sure which of the scarry things we would like to have avoided because each episode brough some new friends, some new experiences, some new travels.

For everyone facing this same struggle: get attached to some people... people who have the ability to see the big picture... people who will be mentors. You DON'T need people who agree with everthing you think, people who get made when you get mad, people who are thrilled by the same things that thrill you. You need some friends who are strong enough and smart enough to you look you in the eye from time to time and say: "That would be a stupid thing for you to do!"

I will send you a private message and an e-mail address. Let's talk about what might work for you.

You think radio is a baffling profession. Tonight I am part of a committee that will meet with a minister who has flown a thousand miles to spend 24 hours with us to see if he is a fit for our congregation... and vice versa. How would you like to be a middle of the road or slightly liberal minister.... trying to make sense out of the way church personnel matters are handled!!!!

Now, let me get my goat-herders truck and get on the road.

 

[firepoint525]

so that leaves the third option: learn how to sell stuff. And I don't mean airtime, because I am convinced that the vast majority of businesses out there have no desire to advertise on radio.

Gee, don't tell any of my advertisers that! I know what you're really trying to say is nobody wants to BUY advertising. But EVERY business wants to SUCCEED. That's why I love being in radio sales. I don't try to sell my clients anything. I help them come up with a plan to achieve more success. Does it cost them money? yep. But you'd be suprised how much they are willing to spend when they start seeing the results of advertising their business on my station.

Good luck in whatever you decide to do. I do know from experience that radio is damn-near impossible to get out of your blood.

Glad you're doing well. But what I was trying to say (and I think you got it) was that I don't think radio sales would be for me. If I had branched out into sales while I was already working on the air at a station, and had a reasonable amount of job security, then I might have thought a little differently. As it was, my "experience" with "sales" was working with a woman who managed a small AM station in Franklin, TN. I felt like she didn't really know what she was doing, and I believe she came from a journalism background. She laid me off after just two weeks, and she never filed the official paperwork on me, so it was like I never worked there anyway. I only went out on sales calls with her once during the two weeks or so I was there. Two years later, she sold the station to hispanic interests, and it has been a Spanish-language station ever since. So much for job security! :

 

[amfmxm]

I teach media (radio-TV-cable-internet) sales & programming at one of the Big Ten schools--and manage a cluster of radio stations, too. Let me share some ideas for you to consider.

Sales--any kind of sales--is not easy. Then again, jobs that ARE easy generally don't pay much--because ANYONE can do it. But radio sales is not particularly harder than any other kind of sales. In your particular case, radio advertising may be the easiest thing for you to sell--and you may be better at it than most other folks--because it's something you know a lot about. Ten years-plus, right?

Your post makes it sound like your exposure to radio sales in the past wasn't positive. That's too bad, because there are plenty of good people in radio sales. Successful radio sales people don't twist arms to get a sale... they don't mislead prospects in order to get a sale... they don't lie, cheat or steal to get a sale. Instead, great radio salespeople allow the prospect to help them see if there might be a way for radio--and your station in particular--to be of service to them. Radio sells a service--the service of telling hundreds or thousands of people about the advertiser's business. There is no risk for the advertiser--the worst thing that can happen is that hundreds or thousands of people will hear positive things about his business.

There's a lot to learn--that's why my university (and others) offer entire courses in advertising sales. Sometimes several courses. Check MTSU, TSU, Vandy--all the colleges & community colleges--and see if anybody is offering such courses.

And/or check into your local library or Border's or Barnes & Noble and look for books on the subject. Grab a cup of coffee, sit your ass down, and start learning.

Then, start talking to the market managers, general managers, or sales managers in your area--the people who can hire you. Trust me about this much. If you WANT to sell... and you have years of experience on the programming side... you have a very good chance of getting hired.

 

[firepoint525]

Excellent suggestions. It wasn't that my experience in sales wasn't positive; it wasn't really much of an experience at all. Keep in mind that it was a small AM station. Reasonably good signal, but I just felt like they were living in the media shadow of the Nashville stations.

My last station had a meeting for anyone who wanted to learn how to sell airtime to potential clients who wanted to broadcast with us, but that was the first year or so I was doing overnights there, and at that time, I still slept fairly well during the daytime.

I haven't really gone into what happened to me at my last station, partly because I didn't want to deal with it, and partly because my first message at the top of this thread was already quite long. But what happened was that with me being there alone on overnights all by myself, I was somewhat isolated from the rest of the staff. (I used to joke that I saw one former employee only once a year, at the annual staff meeting/Christmas party!) Because of this, I was often not brought up to date on policy changes at my station. And I was basically terminated for actions that went against company policy, but I did not know this because I was never informed of these changes. About one-third of what happened to me was my fault, about a third was management's fault, and about a third was just happenstance. I believe they (station ownership) wanted me out, and were looking for me to trip up just enough that they could get rid of me. Tennessee is a right-to-work state, so they really did not need any reason to can me. I really feel like my number had come up. I had somehow managed to dodge the bullet, and avoid previous attempts to fire me, but I wasn't fortunate enough to avoid getting the ax that final time.

 

[amfmxm]

Excellent suggestions. It wasn't that my experience in sales wasn't positive; it wasn't really much of an experience at all. Keep in mind that it was a small AM station. Reasonably good signal, but I just felt like they were living in the media shadow of the Nashville stations.

My last station had a meeting for anyone who wanted to learn how to sell airtime to potential clients who wanted to broadcast with us, but that was the first year or so I was doing overnights there, and at that time, I still slept fairly well during the daytime.

I haven't really gone into what happened to me at my last station, partly because I didn't want to deal with it, and partly because my first message at the top of this thread was already quite long. But what happened was that with me being there alone on overnights all by myself, I was somewhat isolated from the rest of the staff. (I used to joke that I saw one former employee only once a year, at the annual staff meeting/Christmas party!) Because of this, I was often not brought up to date on policy changes at my station. And I was basically terminated for actions that went against company policy, but I did not know this because I was never informed of these changes. About one-third of what happened to me was my fault, about a third was management's fault, and about a third was just happenstance. I believe they (station ownership) wanted me out, and were looking for me to trip up just enough that they could get rid of me. Tennessee is a right-to-work state, so they really did not need any reason to can me. I really feel like my number had come up. I had somehow managed to dodge the bullet, and avoid previous attempts to fire me, but I wasn't fortunate enough to avoid getting the ax that final time.

Never bring it up again--seriously. If something negative happened in your previous employment, just leave it there. On the other hand, take what you learned that was positive from all of those experiences and move forward. Nobody can take away the experience, and chances are that you learned a lot from hanging around all those years--even if much of it was self-taught.

Optimists are people who think that there are reasons why stuff goes wrong, so if it does, the situation can be fixed--next time. So they look forward to that "next time," and give it another/better shot. Optimism is one of the key characteristics of good salespeople. If you are blessed with that kind of personality, go for it.

If you are not an optimist--that is, if you think that life is out of your control--that your own actions are irrelevant--then you probably need to start thinking about finding work within a large organization where you can spend your time filling a role in the process--manufacturing, food service, direct mail fulfillment, that sort of thing.

Radio is too competitive for folks who don't think they can make a difference. Radio is for optimists.

 

[radiokiller]

I too am at a crossroads..all I can say is this..after banging your head against a wall for years it will begin to hurt then grow numb and eventually you'll die.

The deal is-you can only be optimistic for so long-eventually you have to be a realist or you will never gain perspective or truth in your situation..

Do what you do well..in the end it is all you have..find something you are good at..I hope I can..

 

[dbdigital]

Just to show you that there is life after radio (and TV) here are two people that, in their broadcasting day, were at the top of their profession. Pat "Paraquat" Kelly was one of the top dj's in Los Angeles when he was at KMET "The Mighty Met". Melody Rogers was a reporter and host of "Two On The Town" for KCBS in the 80's.

Ms. Rogers still does some acting and freelance on-camera talent work (commercials, etc.). Mr. Kelly left radio altogether.

But here is their main occupation now.

http://www.patandmelody.com/

Long time L.A. broadcaster, Ted Ziegenbusch, still does weekends at KOST and recently got his license as a mortgage broker (yeah, I know, but things are supposed to pick up latter half of '08 and into 2009).

So a career change is possible and maybe you can still dabble in one, like Ted and Melody, while pursuing something totally new.

db

 

[firepoint525]

Good advice. I am doing my best to leave all that behind. A recruiter basically told me that if I were to be asked about it, to simply explain what happened, and to move on quickly. In other words, not dwell on it.

A few weeks later, I was asked about it when interviewing for a job as a driver's assistant with UPS (the guy who rides in the passenger's seat when delivering packages, primarily during the holiday season). I took the recruiter's advice, and just quickly explained what happened, without dwelling on it, and without "mealy-mouthing" anyone. The interviewer told me that she would need to run a background check on me before she could tell me anything definite. (I would assume that that is standard operating procedure.) Well, she called me back the next day and told me to show up for training on Monday. So I suppose I checked out okay! ;D (I do not think for one second that my former station or their management would intentionally do anything to sabotage my chances to move on, only that they do not want me to come back to work for them again. Not to worry. I won't! Unlike some of my former coworkers, who have had two, and three, stints with that station!) The most important thing for me right now is to move on, and look forward, and not back. Moving on, and living well, are the best "revenge." I am not happy about the way things happened there, but there is not anything I can do about it now. This position (at UPS) is only part-time, and it is temporary, but I am getting generally good reviews so far from them, and I have gotten that critical first job, after being terminated from the station. (I had a temporary position in an office job (through a temp agency) that lasted a little less than two weeks, the month after leaving that station. But UPS represents my first independent hire since leaving the station.)

Meanwhile, I am now receiving stuff in the mail about signing up for 401Ks with UPS. This despite the fact that I am (supposedly) a "temporary" employee with them. (Every time I ever mentioned insurance, retirement plans, or any other benefits at my former station, they looked at me like I had two heads! : ??? )

This weekend, I am going to be attending a seminar to learn how to sell stuff online. After my experience with Ebay so far, I obviously need all the help I can get! But I feel like I am moving in the right direction.

Excellent suggestions. It wasn't that my experience in sales wasn't positive; it wasn't really much of an experience at all. Keep in mind that it was a small AM station. Reasonably good signal, but I just felt like they were living in the media shadow of the Nashville stations.

My last station had a meeting for anyone who wanted to learn how to sell airtime to potential clients who wanted to broadcast with us, but that was the first year or so I was doing overnights there, and at that time, I still slept fairly well during the daytime.

I haven't really gone into what happened to me at my last station, partly because I didn't want to deal with it, and partly because my first message at the top of this thread was already quite long. But what happened was that with me being there alone on overnights all by myself, I was somewhat isolated from the rest of the staff. (I used to joke that I saw one former employee only once a year, at the annual staff meeting/Christmas party!) Because of this, I was often not brought up to date on policy changes at my station. And I was basically terminated for actions that went against company policy, but I did not know this because I was never informed of these changes. About one-third of what happened to me was my fault, about a third was management's fault, and about a third was just happenstance. I believe they (station ownership) wanted me out, and were looking for me to trip up just enough that they could get rid of me. Tennessee is a right-to-work state, so they really did not need any reason to can me. I really feel like my number had come up. I had somehow managed to dodge the bullet, and avoid previous attempts to fire me, but I wasn't fortunate enough to avoid getting the ax that final time.

Never bring it up again--seriously. If something negative happened in your previous employment, just leave it there. On the other hand, take what you learned that was positive from all of those experiences and move forward. Nobody can take away the experience, and chances are that you learned a lot from hanging around all those years--even if much of it was self-taught.

Optimists are people who think that there are reasons why stuff goes wrong, so if it does, the situation can be fixed--next time. So they look forward to that "next time," and give it another/better shot. Optimism is one of the key characteristics of good salespeople. If you are blessed with that kind of personality, go for it.

If you are not an optimist--that is, if you think that life is out of your control--that your own actions are irrelevant--then you probably need to start thinking about finding work within a large organization where you can spend your time filling a role in the process--manufacturing, food service, direct mail fulfillment, that sort of thing.

Radio is too competitive for folks who don't think they can make a difference. Radio is for optimists.

 

[amfmxm]

I too am at a crossroads..all I can say is this..after banging your head against a wall for years it will begin to hurt then grow numb and eventually you'll die.

The deal is-you can only be optimistic for so long-eventually you have to be a realist or you will never gain perspective or truth in your situation..

Do what you do well..in the end it is all you have..find something you are good at..I hope I can..

Again, optimism is the belief that there are real-life reasons why things happen--reasons that can be addressed. And often--not always--that is the case. It's a recognition of reality, not a shield from it.

The pessimist just throws up their hands and quits. Those people don't need jobs. They need caretakers.

Don't get me wrong. Selling for a lousy radio station--or a lousy company--is, indeed, no fun. But when that happens, the optimist will go looking for a better situation. The pessimist just says "radio sucks!" and starts looking for a caretaker! (Or jobs that don't require anything of them). Same thing.

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

amfmxm: You and I have posted comments on some of the same topics from time to time, and I have come to admire what you offer. You just about lost me on this thread until I came to realize you and I have two very different definitions of what it means to be "optimistic".

This isn't a fully adequate word, but what you are describing I would call "positive attitude". There is something a spiritual or religious overtone in the way you use optimistic. I worked for 15 different broadcasters in 15 years. (At tht point I said "This is NO WAY to raise your children, so I took a 'temporary' leave of absence from the business. Said I would come back when I could own the operation.) I worked for some optimistic people who were empty shells. They were so optimistic they couldn't look at their own operation and realize it was poor product. I worked for some others who knew what they were doing. They didn't care if I was smiling or frowning, optimistic or pessimistic, cooing or snarling. Just get the job done. Put signed orders on the desk. Which I wasn't always able to do.

In getting my degree I took psychology courses until Indiana University said to me: We will not allow you credit for any more psychology courses. You can take them, but we won't count them. I think I am a reasonable observer of attitudes and results. I am not saying that you are wrong about 'optimism' but I would strongly argue that someone receiving your advice may misunderstand what you are a proponent of.

It is my opinion that a major problem with radio today is that we have too many operators who are all optimism and no reality. They survive because in the sales world optimism can rub off on some clients even though the product sucks.

Now, I need to get back to digging this ditch.

 

[amfmxm]

amfmxm: You and I have posted comments on some of the same topics from time to time, and I have come to admire what you offer. You just about lost me on this thread until I came to realize you and I have two very different definitions of what it means to be "optimistic".

This isn't a fully adequate word, but what you are describing I would call "positive attitude". There is something a spiritual or religious overtone in the way you use optimistic. I worked for 15 different broadcasters in 15 years. (At tht point I said "This is NO WAY to raise your children, so I took a 'temporary' leave of absence from the business. Said I would come back when I could own the operation.) I worked for some optimistic people who were empty shells. They were so optimistic they couldn't look at their own operation and realize it was poor product. I worked for some others who knew what they were doing. They didn't care if I was smiling or frowning, optimistic or pessimistic, cooing or snarling. Just get the job done. Put signed orders on the desk. Which I wasn't always able to do.

In getting my degree I took psychology courses until Indiana University said to me: We will not allow you credit for any more psychology courses. You can take them, but we won't count them. I think I am a reasonable observer of attitudes and results. I am not saying that you are wrong about 'optimism' but I would strongly argue that someone receiving your advice may misunderstand what you are a proponent of.

It is my opinion that a major problem with radio today is that we have too many operators who are all optimism and no reality. They survive because in the sales world optimism can rub off on some clients even though the product sucks.

Now, I need to get back to digging this ditch.

Well, we're keeping it in the Big Ten. You're a Hoosier, I'm an Illini, and I teach this broadcasting stuff as an adjunct at another one of the Big Ten universities. In fact, my definition of "optimism" is borrowed from a textbook that I use, "Media Selling" by Charles Warner & Joe Buchman.

Warner says that optimism is part of having a positive attitude. I especially like the idea that no one in sales can approach the task thinking that situations can't be changed--that's pessimism. ("Hi, Mr. Smith, you don't want to buy any advertising today, do you?").

Sales people absolutely must think that their efforts can effect change... that they can persuade someone to buy advertising even if they've never bought before.

You've got to believe that each shovel-full of dirt will help empty that ditch.

 

[amfmsw]

Wow, a great thread. Yes, radio is nearlt impossible to get out of your blood.

I began in the early '70's in engineering and LOVED it. But the stations I worked for saw engineers as necessary evils, and the staff looked down at us, until something failed. I said the hell with it, and opened my own business, working Sunday's on-air, mostly playing preachers, and I LOVED it. But it was in my blood. I got back in with both feet. This time on-air.

But to earn a living, a comfortable living to raise a family and put cash away for retirement, I knew I had to do sales. Otherwise I'd be doing weddings and reunions twice a week again forever.

I got my chance at sales at a reputable staion with a patient manager. My experience and background in radio, and my retail experience for Sears helped in uncountable ways. You can do it. I eventually got into ownership in the mid '80's, and managed to NOT lose my shirt!

I still do sale 5 days, and thoroughly enjoy working on air for 4-8 hours a week. I still do amateur radio engineering and radio restoration. It's a wonderful balance. I am most fortunate. Yep, radio's hard to get out of your blood.

But you CAN do it, just believe in yourself.

 

[dbdigital]

Wow, a great thread. Yes, radio is nearlt impossible to get out of your blood.

I began in the early '70's in engineering and LOVED it. But the stations I worked for saw engineers as necessary evils, and the staff looked down at us, until something failed. I said the hell with it, and opened my own business, working Sunday's on-air, mostly playing preachers, and I LOVED it. But it was in my blood. I got back in with both feet. This time on-air.

But to earn a living, a comfortable living to raise a family and put cash away for retirement, I knew I had to do sales. Otherwise I'd be doing weddings and reunions twice a week again forever.

I got my chance at sales at a reputable staion with a patient manager. My experience and background in radio, and my retail experience for Sears helped in uncountable ways. You can do it. I eventually got into ownership in the mid '80's, and managed to NOT lose my shirt!

I still do sale 5 days, and thoroughly enjoy working on air for 4-8 hours a week. I still do amateur radio engineering and radio restoration. It's a wonderful balance. I am most fortunate. Yep, radio's hard to get out of your blood.

But you CAN do it, just believe in yourself.

And this is the point. There is no reason why a person should be squeezed out of what they love to do. And no situation is forever. Just because you're not working in radio now, doesn't mean you won't be tomorrow.

If you can, why not sign on with ad agencies to do voice work. Perhaps a website advertising your voice and production services with mp3 files of your work might be effective. Starting a Live 365 web station or volunteering at an LPFM station would certainly help you keep your "chops up", as they say. Maybe a Part-15 AM station would be useful and appreciated in your community.

But don't give up doing what you love just because of financial obligations. Try to find a balance.

db

 

[SirRoxalot]

In short:

Yes, there is life after radio.

Do what you love. Love what you do. If it doesn't pay enough, do something else for the money, and do radio (part time) as a hobby. Either that, or go where you can get a job, suck it up, and work to improve both your skills and your position.

There are other worthwhile professions, but you have to be qualified for them. Go to school - even if it means taking out student loans, working while you go to school, and getting your degree one or two courses at a time.

 

[ruger22com]

Yes there is life after radio. But this is also why I suggest to people interested in radio to get a college degree IN SOMETHING ELSE BESIDES BROADCASTING OR MASS COM first. so they have something to fall back on. (I wish I had...I have a couple year of psychology and a quicky degree from one of the first classes in the 70's at Spec's Howard broadcast in Detroit)

Sure there is life after broadcasting, but keep yourself open to other options that interest you WHILE you are in the business.

I spent over 25 years on the air and programming, with 15 years of that in major markets. I never worked for a station where my ratings were less than top 3 in projected demos. I had a blast, made a great living, and really loved the business. But when the FCC started allowing companies like clear channel to start buying up the top stations in every market, I saw the writing on the wall.

At that time I was also getting deep into computers, building them and using some of the first music rotation packages, and when the internet started up I also started to design and build internet sites (not related to radio).

As the radio business started to take an ugly turn and the clusters started up, I took a position doing graphic design for a large hospital system. I continued on the air doing an extremely popular weekend show for a few CC stations. Then the day came (I was working for clear channel of course) when more staff cuts came and some sniveling small market new "friend of the gm" cluster program director was hired and told me as my contract was ending, that I had to let my on air partner go, and take a pay cut and no longer get a piece of remote fees sold on my show.

so what did I do? I hung up my phones, and at the end of my shift told my audience I was outta there....took my music cd's (I actually also owned the music for this 80's show I was doing)...and walked out forever...thus going into retirement from the biz. (And costing the clear channel station a big chunk of money from the remote advertiser who had signed specifically because of my show, which they could not replace quickly...my "partner" was also my wife, so she supported my decision).

Meanwhile, I had my gig doing graphic arts (which has since expanded into managing a computer system there), and one of my websites I run ( http://cheapgunparts.com ) has since been built up into a major retailer of gun parts that keeps me extremely busy (I am the president of that company too).

So is there life after radio? hell yes, and it can be a good life indeed. just find what you love to do and follow it.

p.s. over the past few years I have been offered several other on-air gigs by friends still in the industry. And while I read R&R, Inside radio, and other trades on the internet each day, I continue to live in retirement from the radio biz and will not take another gig. You have to learn to set your own goals and life priorities, and I wish you as much luck and success in your future careers as I have had!

 

[radionekkid]

I think it is o.k. to work at your hobby, which it is for most. Keep in mind that it is a "going business" and you have to treat it like that because in turn, that is the way it will treat you. Make business decisions not emotional ones. You don’t have to have degree in radio to get a job in it so another degree is good plan. Always have a plan “B”, ALWAYS! After 40 years in it I began to get tired and started transition to real estate sales where I realized what making money is all about. 10 years of that, I was set so I retired.

 

[amfmxm]

Yes there is life after radio. But this is also why I suggest to people interested in radio to get a college degree IN SOMETHING ELSE BESIDES BROADCASTING OR MASS COM first. so they have something to fall back on. (I wish I had...I have a couple year of psychology and a quicky degree from one of the first classes in the 70's at Spec's Howard broadcast in Detroit)

Sure there is life after broadcasting, but keep yourself open to other options that interest you WHILE you are in the business.

I spent over 25 years on the air and programming, with 15 years of that in major markets. I never worked for a station where my ratings were less than top 3 in projected demos. I had a blast, made a great living, and really loved the business. But when the FCC started allowing companies like clear channel to start buying up the top stations in every market, I saw the writing on the wall.

At that time I was also getting deep into computers, building them and using some of the first music rotation packages, and when the internet started up I also started to design and build internet sites (not related to radio).

As the radio business started to take an ugly turn and the clusters started up, I took a position doing graphic design for a large hospital system. I continued on the air doing an extremely popular weekend show for a few CC stations. Then the day came (I was working for clear channel of course) when more staff cuts came and some sniveling small market new "friend of the gm" cluster program director was hired and told me as my contract was ending, that I had to let my on air partner go, and take a pay cut and no longer get a piece of remote fees sold on my show.

so what did I do? I hung up my phones, and at the end of my shift told my audience I was outta there....took my music cd's (I actually also owned the music for this 80's show I was doing)...and walked out forever...thus going into retirement from the biz. (And costing the clear channel station a big chunk of money from the remote advertiser who had signed specifically because of my show, which they could not replace quickly...my "partner" was also my wife, so she supported my decision).

Meanwhile, I had my gig doing graphic arts (which has since expanded into managing a computer system there), and one of my websites I run ( http://cheapgunparts.com ) has since been built up into a major retailer of gun parts that keeps me extremely busy (I am the president of that company too).

So is there life after radio? hell yes, and it can be a good life indeed. just find what you love to do and follow it.

p.s. over the past few years I have been offered several other on-air gigs by friends still in the industry. And while I read R&R, Inside radio, and other trades on the internet each day, I continue to live in retirement from the radio biz and will not take another gig. You have to learn to set your own goals and life priorities, and I wish you as much luck and success in your future careers as I have had!

Very interesting, in all sorts of ways. You wound up as The Boss, but not in the industry you "really loved." Why not?

I did the on-air thing as a jock & news guy for 15 years, dabbling in sales all the while--eventually ending up as a PD in a large market. That helped me realize that it was better to be in a decision-making position than to be carrying out other people's decisions. Around 30 years ago, I began managing radio stations as a GM, and now manage a half-dozen. My stations perform extremely well, I make a great living, and I'm still enjoying the hell out of radio.

It sounds like you were perfectly capable of doing the same; i.e., shifting into management--as you've done--but you instead fled the industry.

My bachelor's degree & master's degree are both in Mass Communications. And I currently teach the subject at a major university. For what it's worth, our graduates continue to be hired, and I've been able to call on a great number of very successful alums now in management & ownership jobs to come into my classes as guest speakers--to deliver that specific message:

the broadcasting business is alive & well.

 

[oaktree]

Notice that to the sentence from every one of these posts comes down to "$ales."

I know ... plenty of "on air" people HATE sales, with a passion. It's not a "free pass" paycheck, it's not "glamorous," it's a grind, it's full of rejection and there are too many objections.

However, there IS life both in and out of radio if you do it right ... and these posters are all right. Here's another way to explain it ... from first hand experience and I will do it again in a minute.

First. Remove the word "Sales" from your vocabulary. It doesn't exist. I don't allow the word in my radio stations now or in the past. Ever. You can't sell "air." But ... clients can BUY one thing they can't BUY anywhere else on the planet: They can BUY TIME. And what a product TIME is. Does it work? Sure it works. There are millions of examples out there that clients know ... but no one has asked them to BUY IT because many are too busy trying, in vain, to SELL it.

People like to BUY. They hate to sell.

Second: What are you getting people to buy other than time? Simple. If I were you, I would beg, plead, bargain and whatever it took to get a morning program that sounds decent, is relatable and part of the community you serve. It could be "format" radio, it could be "personality" radio, but most of all ... it has to be radio that speaks to and WITH your community ... from YOU.

The reason: The easiest thing ... no, let me rephrase that ... the EASIST thing to get people to buy is Y-O-U. When you PARTICIPATE in the community through your radio station and through YOUR TIME on the air ... it takes not 2 months for people to know who YOU are. Go volunteer at your local Main Street Association. Find out who's who at your Chamber of Commerce. GO VISIT SPONSORS WHO ARE ON THE AIR. Ask them, very plainly, "What can I do for you to help grow your business?" PERIOD.

Go out with every salesperson on the staff. Share a commission with them and they with you. Most of all ... get people to BUY YOU.

(It used to be called, "selling yourself," but I don't use the word "sell.")

Hear a spot that sounds a bit mundane on the air and you know YOU could make it better? Go visit the client. Tell them your ideas on how you'd like to OFFER YOUR SERVICES. Then, ask if there is anything they'd like different in their radio message. When they tell you ... go to the rep and let them know ... because there's money sitting on the table for both of you.

Do SPEC SPOTS featuring YOU. Just do it. No excuses. Just DO IT. People are buying YOU. Just DO IT.

If you do nothing else, go to the GM/Sales Manager with a proposal in writing. A simple one. "I want to own the 3 or 4 hours of the morning program. To do that, I want to be involved in advertising. I would like my salary PLUS commission ... and probably a higher one, in fact, than is being paid now. (It won't cost the station a dime ... it comes out over the cost of the ad buy.)

Focus on only that daypart. Start by looking for four new sponsors. Four sponsors three times a day ... preferably in YOUR shift. (Learn about frequency and repetition.) Get a "deal" on packaging them at a good rate that will allow advertisers to do these spots at least three times a week (9 spots a week ... that's nothing.)

Produce spots WITH THEM. Be part of their ads.

You will be so busy ... and you'll make good money doing it. If you made, say 20% of a $10 spot (on collections) ... you'd make another $24 a day x 5 ... roughly $125 more a week. If you shared a commission for production ... you'd make about the same at a kick in the spot rate. "But I can do that for free," a sponsor will say. "Yes, but you can't do it with ME ... and at $2 a shot ... I'm the best advertising you can BUY." So now, you've made $250 a week more and only called on 4 clients....getting people to buy YOU.

Does it work? Yes.

Take it a step at a time, an hour at a time. Stay focused and be part of the entire process ... not a "time salesman."

And forget the labels. "Account Executive." (As I was told once by a client ... "I'm the only 'executive' here ... and keep that in mind." "Ad rep" is so boring. "Consultant" is another word for people between jobs. You're just YOU.

You're not even at a client's to "talk about W or K radio." You have the hard part. Your job is to LISTEN to the client ... that's it. Don't worry about anything but listening ... and they'll tell you what it takes to get them to BUY you. Honest.

And, yes, I am available to help anyone here because "Buying" is where it really is. Send me a message and I'll get back to you ... especially the guy wondering if there's life "after radio."

Son ... take it a step at a time. It's life. And it's good. You can only make it better.

Good luck!