Job Opening

[eggman961]

I realize I'm opening myself up (again) to rants and personal attacks by fine folks who don't know a thing about the company I work for, but. Here goes.

We're looking for a news anchor here at IRN, the Information Radio Network here in Memphis. Must have on-air experience, if you've got experience AS a newscaster, great. If not, apply anyway, just come up with a NEWS DEMO, please.

Send to [email protected] immediately.

 

[littlebigradio]

You'll get no attacks for ridicule from me. It would help if a person had some idea of what the job might pay.....probably based on experience I know...but how 'bout just a range. Hourly wage? straight salary? It might be a way for a young fella or gal to break into the business.

 

[MemBirdman]

I realize I'm opening myself up (again) to rants and personal attacks by fine folks who don't know a thing about the company I work for, but. Here goes.

We're looking for a news anchor here at IRN, the Information Radio Network here in Memphis. Must have on-air experience, if you've got experience AS a newscaster, great. If not, apply anyway, just come up with a NEWS DEMO, please.

Send to [email protected] immediately.

Jerry Janowski

Joshua Stark

Our former fearless moderator (?), Steve West

Know nothing?

 

[eggman961]

Hi Littlebig, I could tell you the salary, but that's not really my place. Feel free to drop Chuck a note along with your stuff, and ask him. He's pretty upfront about that kind of thing and I'm sure he'll let you know.

As for Birdman - huh?

 

[MemBirdman]

Just naming off former employees, sorry...

I know about the company.

 

[buzz_fiddlesticks]

Welcome back to the trough. Guess those sack boy trainees didn't quite work out. It's really hard to retrain folks who still have years of "remember the bread goes on top" running through their heads.

Is the reason that you are not willing to take out the customary newspaper classified ad because you are concerned about competition from those "money for blood donors" ads? If so, perhaps you can just contact Interstate Blood Bank and ask for referrals of folks who have already hit their 2 pint a week max.

On the plus side, for those currently on food stamps, the extra income isn't likely to reduce their present allotment.

And as usual, to the "lucky candidate," let us all know how it works out and tell the folks not to rent out your old room too quick.

 

[robgrayson]

I realize there are lots of folks with big cushy jobs doing just fine in the current situation, but within the limits of Radio-Info's rules concerning such, I would say if you have a paying gig available, post the sucker. I hear from folks on the other end of the scale now and then who don't feel that they are "too good" for such opportunities, and would be interested in hearing what you have to offer.

 

[MemBirdman]

I realize there are lots of folks with big cushy jobs doing just fine in the current situation, but within the limits of Radio-Info's rules concerning such, I would say if you have a paying gig available, post the sucker. I hear from folks on the other end of the scale now and then who don't feel that they are "too good" for such opportunities, and would be interested in hearing what you have to offer.

Agreed. I think the caustic nature of the boar membership gets to be too much sometimes.

 

[Tynosaur]

I imagine if those of you who are looking for rocks thought about the first job you had - in radio or just a horse-holder at Madame Or's house, you might at least allow a business to post an opportunity for an entry-level person to try their hand at something other than self-gratification. (We'll leave that up to you to handle.)

Maybe the biz has gone down the tubes since you started, but if ain't gonna get any better unless people keep giving it a try with hope and energy. Take a break and wish 'em well.

 

[Danoinark]

I imagine if those of you who are looking for rocks thought about the first job you had - in radio

Had to guffaw a bit Allan....mine was playing a side of an easy listening lp as I mowed the grass around the station and tower. ;D

Dan

 

[radiosaur]

Hey, he's asking for experience. I got no probelms with that. If on air experience means using the headset at McD's, then that's a different story.

 

[littlebigradio]

Hi Littlebig, I could tell you the salary, but that's not really my place. Feel free to drop Chuck a note along with your stuff, and ask him. He's pretty upfront about that kind of thing and I'm sure he'll let you know.

As for Birdman - huh?

Was there something in my post that implied that I was personally interested in the position? That wasn't my intent

 

[buzz_fiddlesticks]

Nobody wants to "shoot down" the next Rick Dees or his contemporary counterpart. However, given the state of radio, and the future of the industry, there really isn't much chance for anyone becoming the next Rick Dees or even achieving a fraction of that level of success today. This business has entered an era of decline and fragmentation that nobody could ever have even envisioned back during the 'golden age' of radio (which virtually ended with the 1980's deregulation sweep).

Today's radio really allows no room for folks to shine, even if they exhibit real talent. Rigid corporations, tight generic formats, and heavy politics are nearly impenetrable roadblocks. Back "in the day" you could find independently owned and small company stations that were hungry and would try something novel and edgy in an effort to beat the competition. Now, there is no need for novelty when one or two companies own 90% or more of the dial. They would only be competing with themselves. Their logic is, "well, if listeners don't like this format they'll just tune to one of our sister stations and we'll capture them on those books." There is little incentive to cultivate talent or creativity (or even ALLOW it) with that type of thinking.

It's a tough judgement call to discourage a career-minded young person from going into this business. Sure, there is that ever so slight possibility you might be discouraging the "next Rick Dees," but that likelihood is so incredibly remote--and the years of potential floundering so costly in the long term--you can't help but want to steer them elsewhere.

Radio is very easy to get caught up in. At first, there is an illusory feeling that you are connected to the pulse of the universe, and that is a heady thing. It is hard to give up, even when comfronted with a lousy work schedule and marginal pay. You sacrifice time and stable income in a vague sense that everything will somehow come together on its own and you'll end up "in your proper place" at the top. But it doesn't work that way. Talent does not always (in fact, statistically, seldom) rises to the top automatically. The clock spins round and round and suddenly you find you've gone through years of calendars, only to realize that it's a good thing you married someone with a steady job and solid 401k plan. I don't recall encountering anyone who regretted transitioning out of radio after they'd had time to get settled elsewhere. It is typically a relief.

To the radio newcomers here, most of the long-time radio folks on this board came through during a different time when radio was a more viable "free standing" career. For many decades it was really quite an industry. Those here who are still working in the business today most likely planned ahead and prepared well back during the good days, and many of them diversified into side businesses.

I really wouldn't expect many young people to be discouraged no matter what is said here regardless, because that's the way life is. Everyone hopes to be the exception to the rule. My best advice is to watch the calendar and monitor the outgo of time in your life as closely as you would your checkbook.

 

[robgrayson]

Aha... you've tipped your hand... YOU ARE MY WIFE!

But actually, as far as radio as a career and being the "the next Rick Dees" and so forth... I was an panelist at career day at U of M years ago at the behest of Dr McDowell. My advice then was to avoid putting much hope in a "traditional" radio career, and that was in the early stages of consolidation. I notice I wasn't asked back.

 

[MemBirdman]

Aha... you've tipped your hand... YOU ARE MY WIFE!

But actually, as far as radio as a career and being the "the next Rick Dees" and so forth... I was an panelist at career day at U of M years ago at the behest of Dr McDowell. My advice then was to avoid putting much hope in a "traditional" radio career, and that was in the early stages of consolidation. I notice I wasn't asked back.

*pours out some of his 40*

What you just said there was well and good, Buzz. I agree with it, but there's a point of overkill in cynicism and your initial post hit it.

 

[buzz_fiddlesticks]

Aha... you've tipped your hand... YOU ARE MY WIFE!

But actually, as far as radio as a career and being the "the next Rick Dees" and so forth... I was an panelist at career day at U of M years ago at the behest of Dr McDowell. My advice then was to avoid putting much hope in a "traditional" radio career, and that was in the early stages of consolidation. I notice I wasn't asked back.

*pours out some of his 40*

What you just said there was well and good, Buzz. I agree with it, but there's a point of overkill in cynicism and your initial post hit it.

Actually Bird, I was going by an old recipe and I thought it said "2 cups" of cynicism when it must have been only 1. I guess I should have balanced it out by doubling the portion of "cold hard reality" before I put it in the oven.

 

[Tynosaur]

It's surprising none of us old foofs have seen fit to mention the "back in the day before the day" history of radio. I'd say it's because we aren't old enough.

Radio from the mid-30s through the late 50s was a whole lot like it is today. Though ownership was on a local level, the programming was network, delivered over phone lines. Remember your betters speaking of the Red and the Blue networks and CBS and NBC and Mutual and others. Back then if you weren't host of a morning show, folksy and damned good, you were just another board op with a hand on a pot bringing in network programming throughout the day and evening. Little or no local news was done - maybe someone reading the newspaper on the air (sans attribution, I'm sure).

Music at night often came from band remotes through network hookups and most stations shut down at local sunset or midnight, allowing the clear channels to roll across the miles from Del Rio or Pittsburgh or a few other locales.

Other than the changes in local ownership, I can't see much difference in programming origination back then and now. The exception was due mainly to the advent of rock 'n roll, imho. It's arrival in the mid-50s, along with race music, brought about the so-called "Golden Era" of radio more than any other programming factor. Rick Dees wouldn't have made it if he had been playing Percy Faith and Andy Williams, would he?

Give it a think and let's get some comment flowing about this in these slow days of August.

 

[buzz_fiddlesticks]

That's certainly a good point. Content control has come (in some ways) full circle in terms of big ownership. And yeah, Percy Faith would certainly not have been Rick Dees' ticket...so he hit the right window.

I guess in many ways we are still lucky to have local terrestrial radio.

The biggest threat to radio viability these days is audience fragmentation (with numerous competing choices, including satellite, internet, etc). Years ago I bought a shortwave and marvelled at how nifty it was to pick up the BBC. Now, you can pick up thousands of stations via internet and satellite. Imagine how that slices up the audience pie and shoots down revenue at the local level.

This reality has pushed out a lot of the smaller outfits (mom and pops) because they can't afford to spend a lot on local product. They either gravitate even more fully toward rebroadcasting network feeds, or they sell out to one of the big "station collectors" out there. And we all know those big organizations like to leverage resources across their multiple stations--meaning using a lot of the same staff and content across all their properties. That really genericizes our media.

The real price we are paying is in local and regional content. It's still out there of course--check the internet--but of a much lesser quality.

I cursed deregulation for years because it not only gutted an industry, it took away a wide swath of local programming. On the other hand, with today's satellite and internet options, those small outlets may never have been able to continue paying the bills. So who knows--perhaps multiple ownership has, in the end, kept a lot of dial positions from going dark.

 

[Danoinark]

Jeeeez, I miss the days ...

ds

 

[drpickle]

Im 40 years old and I will send you an aircheck with a news demo. Im in PA but will relocate at the drop of a hat. I hope to be offered benefits and a pay in the range of 20-25 K. That's all I require. So stay tuned for that tape. You may also hear me tommorrow at 5 eastern on Sunny 1100 WGPA immediately following the IRN/USA News. I do Classic Country from 5:05 to 6 and then a variety of mostly oldies with a few newer songs thrown in. Listen online at www.wgpasunny1100.com. If you like what you hear then call me at the station or pm me on this site. Thank You.