Keys question

[Jordan]

Back in the mid '90's I was gung- ho to leave the northeast and head down to Florida..I flew down to the Keys (paid my own way, what a dumbass!!), interviewed , and was offered a midday position at the

 

[Jordan]

Let's try this again....I was offered middays at Pik'N 102.5..I thought all was great with the world...Doing radio in the Keys,I was gonna be happier than a pig in sh*t...Oh by the way, it paid $7.00 dollars an hour.. Once that info was dropped on me, (yeah, I know I should have inquired before I flew down, but when you're dying to land a gig.....) I obviously had to decline..Can anybody survive anywhere in the Keys on 7 bucks an hour? Now I see that Vox radio has an ad on allaccess looking for talent.Actually is stated that they "re-opened" the search, which made me think that once the person they had lined up found out the pay, the ran screaming Hmmmmmmmmm, do I dare try this again?...Anyone have a clue as to what kind of pay jocks are getting in Key West?..Is it enough to survive on, or would I have to get 2 part-time jobs and sell crack on the side just to make ends meet?.. I realize it's a small radio market, but the area itself certainly isn't an inexpensive place to live...Sure, they can pay me in sunshine, but it's funny how my Discover card doesn't accept sunshine as payment...How do jocks make it work down there? So I sent my stuff , all excited, telling myself if they call, this time I'm going no matter what......But then reality kicked in and I started thinking, what if it's still 7 bucks an hour?...Ok, maybe 14 years later they've bumped it up to 10 bucks an hour . And I can't imagine them helping with the move.... Anybody on these boards ever work in the keys? Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Is the pay any better than it was in '94?.. I guess I'm hoping that things have improved greatly down in the Keys cuz I'm just dying to get out of the northeast.Unfortunately, the realist in me tells me I should just move on and look elsewhere. Anybody? Buehler?

 

[Radio-X]

Let's try this again....I was offered middays at Pik'N 102.5..I thought all was great with the world...Doing radio in the Keys,I was gonna be happier than a pig in sh*t...Oh by the way, it paid $7.00 dollars an hour.. Once that info was dropped on me, (yeah, I know I should have inquired before I flew down, but when you're dying to land a gig.....) I obviously had to decline..Can anybody survive anywhere in the Keys on 7 bucks an hour? Now I see that Vox radio has an ad on allaccess looking for talent.Actually is stated that they "re-opened" the search, which made me think that once the person they had lined up found out the pay, the ran screaming Hmmmmmmmmm, do I dare try this again?...Anyone have a clue as to what kind of pay jocks are getting in Key West?..Is it enough to survive on, or would I have to get 2 part-time jobs and sell crack on the side just to make ends meet?.. I realize it's a small radio market, but the area itself certainly isn't an inexpensive place to live...Sure, they can pay me in sunshine, but it's funny how my Discover card doesn't accept sunshine as payment...How do jocks make it work down there? So I sent my stuff , all excited, telling myself if they call, this time I'm going no matter what......But then reality kicked in and I started thinking, what if it's still 7 bucks an hour?...Ok, maybe 14 years later they've bumped it up to 10 bucks an hour . And I can't imagine them helping with the move.... Anybody on these boards ever work in the keys? Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Is the pay any better than it was in '94?.. I guess I'm hoping that things have improved greatly down in the Keys cuz I'm just dying to get out of the northeast.Unfortunately, the realist in me tells me I should just move on and look elsewhere. Anybody? Buehler?

Anderson? Anderson? Buehler? Buehler?

Yeah...radio in the Keys is NOT a breadwinning job. I would guess pay is $10-14/hour for the same position today. Even though Keys radio is market #270 something, the cost of living is right up there with NYC. Problem is, as you found out, Keys radio pays at market #270 something. You might need to sling drinks or drive a tour bus on the side to eke out a living...but hey! I'm doing it here in Hilton Head, SC...it could be much worse!

Radio-X

 

[Bored Op]

I'm a long-time radio jock, engineer, programmer... you name it, I've done it in radio. I got mixed up with a company doing a TV startup in The Keys and it was the most miserable project I've ever taken on. I'm a Florida native, but things in The Keys are, how you say, different.

I found that if you're a tourist and you spend all of your time on Duval Street, you're probably going to have a blast. Living there and dealing with the outrageous expense of EVERYTHING (they were paying me pretty decent, by the way), the rather large homeless problem and just overall rude people was all I could take. I walked in after 2 months, handed them my keys, pointed my car in the opposite direction and never looked back. I thought it was a disgusting place. And did I mention I'm a Florida native?

As far as radio goes, I know of a few CC jocks that do have additional jobs. Maybe jocking in a club, tending bar, and yeah, maybe dealing crack - whatever - you're gonna need it to pay the bills.

I've been told that since I didn't survive The Keys, I "just didn't get it." Problem was, I didn't see anything worth "getting."

 

[Groove1670]

Hmmm..You must of interviewed right after I left. Unless you are in sales or management. Second job is a must unless you are wealthy.