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Lets take a quick look

First off I want to thank some of you for your awesome responses to my introductory posts. I suppose there are good points to all of them, I did quite possibly say some things that were quite rash in my reasoning. Look at it this way for a moment, in my OPINION (notice the stress on that word) this is how it is... Being a radio jock should be a hobby, when it becomes a "job" to you, time to find something else. Your job should be your hobby, it should be fun to you, you should love doing it, when it seems like work no matter what you make you will be underpaid. If it spawns bitterness towards the ones who do love it enough to consider it a hobby, find out what its going to take to keep you satisfied and do what it takes to reach that goal. To those of you who want to get into the buisness, take it from me, its not that difficult. For starters you have to loose the mindsetting that you ARE going to play what you want to play, and that you ARE going to change the station. Every station coordinator and manager has a stack of demo's where jock hopefulls show their stuff, so they have plenty of options. Its your job to show that manager why you are better than the rest, and its not a degree from whatever school that shows that, its the passion you potray when going into that station. Like anything else you have to start at the bottom and move up. If that means working for an AM station with 500 watts of power, so be it, its all experience, and experience will take you where you want to go. To those of you who don't make enough, look into the other aspects of radio, such as sales, news, and management. Make it a point to show the boss that you are indisposable, and do that by taking the stride to learn all sides of the box. Once you are indisposable you'll make what you deserve. Come on people we are all in the same boat here, we all make low salaries, and we all work hours that we don't really want to work. I ask you to look back to when you first decided that you wanted to do radio. Was it because you loved it, or you saw green? To the XM radio users, XM was a wonderful idea, you have more of a say so because you pay their bills for them. Our (FM and AM radio) sponsers pay our bills, and we have to keep them happy. As I have said this is only my opinion and keep that in mind as you slaughter me in your responses. I could go on for hours on my views as to how it works, but I'm sure you all have heard it before. Good day to you, simplyme (just another nobody in a sea of nothingness with a passion for what I do)
 
> Being a radio jock should be a hobby,

If you're running an LPFM out of your basement, that's probably true.
Otherwise ... bzzt, wrong answer.

There aren't too many employers, radio or otherwise, that are willing to PAY people to treat their JOB like a hobby. Nor should there be.

You've clearly got a load of idealism but your posts indicate a distinct lack of understanding of how the world works, or how radio works, or how any business (including radio) should work. That really doesn't provoke "bitterness" as much as it produces a good bit of eye-rolling & chuckling. If you feel scorned, perhaps it's time to consider whether that might have something to do with how far off-base your comments are.
 
> You've clearly got a load of idealism but your posts
> indicate a distinct lack of understanding of how the world
> works, or how radio works, or how any business (including
> radio) should work.



enlighten me please (not ment to be sarcastic, just interested in your point of view)
 
Try this....
Re-read his post.... but every time he says "hobby" replace it with "something you love doing".... every time he says "job" replace it with "just a job". Don't take him apart just because he says it his way.
Give me people that love being in radio... that don't want to come to the stations each day to just "do a job". I'll take someone with a little less natural talent that loves being there over someone with more natural talent that is just doing a job anyday.
DJ... you keep that attitude... keep lovin it... and someday you'll be a lot more than simply a dj!
joe



> > Being a radio jock should be a hobby,
>
> If you're running an LPFM out of your basement, that's
> probably true.
> Otherwise ... bzzt, wrong answer.
>
> There aren't too many employers, radio or otherwise, that
> are willing to PAY people to treat their JOB like a hobby.
> Nor should there be.
>
> You've clearly got a load of idealism but your posts
> indicate a distinct lack of understanding of how the world
> works, or how radio works, or how any business (including
> radio) should work. That really doesn't provoke
> "bitterness" as much as it produces a good bit of
> eye-rolling & chuckling. If you feel scorned, perhaps it's
> time to consider whether that might have something to do
> with how far off-base your comments are.
>
 
That's actually a good way to look at it, Joe. I have to give simplydj credit...he's not your average run-of-the-mill angry poster...who comes here, embarasses himself by making stupid points...this guy is actually well spoken, and speaks his mind in a very intelligent way. Like him or not, he's got that going for him.

Oh, and by the way...(a bit of sucking up, forgive me): Joe Pedicino is a real class act. I really admire his work (and his knowledge of wrestling) and have for many years now. Nice to hear from you Joe!

> Try this....
> Re-read his post.... but every time he says "hobby" replace
> it with "something you love doing".... every time he says
> "job" replace it with "just a job". Don't take him apart
> just because he says it his way.
> Give me people that love being in radio... that don't want
> to come to the stations each day to just "do a job". I'll
> take someone with a little less natural talent that loves
> being there over someone with more natural talent that is
> just doing a job anyday.
> DJ... you keep that attitude... keep lovin it... and someday
> you'll be a lot more than simply a dj!
> joe
<P ID="signature">______________
Don't sweat the petty stuff, and don't pet the sweaty stuff.</P>
 
Joe, you've got valid points ... but I think you're giving too much credit to the thought behind the post, or more specifically, to the mindset behind the post.

Nothing I've seen from this poster leads me to believe that the lightbulb has gone on yet, not truly. I'm talking about the lightbulb that goes on when you realize that radio isn't just a game, or a party, or a hobby, or something "really cool" ... that it's also a craft, a profession, an actual honest-to- goodness career, that there's actual _work_ involved in being a professional.

Over my years on the station side, I saw far too many of the former & not near enough of the latter, and sadly not nearly enough of the former that evolved into the latter.

I come away from each of the posts feeling like radio is his avocation instead of his vocation, hence the different reaction we have to the post I guess -- we seem to be getting a very different vibe. {shrug} That happens, different readings of the same thing, time will tell I guess.

On a totally different topic, while I'm posting to you anyway & since someone else in the thread already mentioned it -- count me among those who remembers your pro wrestling work pretty well & still think highly of it.

I've avoided bringing up that subject several times in the past mostly because I didn't know how you felt about that era now, but since it was already mentioned I figured I'd go ahead & at least say that much (hoping it isn't a taboo topic).
 
> Nothing I've seen from this poster leads me to believe that
> the lightbulb has gone on yet, not truly. I'm talking about
> the lightbulb that goes on when you realize that radio isn't
> just a game, or a party, or a hobby, or something "really
> cool" ... that it's also a craft, a profession, an actual
> honest-to- goodness career, that there's actual _work_
> involved in being a professional.


I'm with you. It's fine to be enthusiastic about your work but I've seen dozens of "newbies" come blowing in with all these great ideas, ready to turn the industry on its head and show us all how it's really done. Then, when they realize the limitations we're all faced with in the "real" world and how much grunt work is involved, they suddenly lose that enthusiasm and they're off to the next fad on their list.
 
Yeah---I agree! Those enthusiastic young people really annoy me too!

They come in all "eager", with a "love of radio"..and a "desire to do well" and "do things better" and to "try out new ideas". Hmph. They should really leave this business to us SEASONED PROS. Why just look how well we're doing over at WGST. No new ideas needed here, thank you very much!

Really who needs these newbies! I'm very happy working in a business filled with "REAL PROFESSIONALS"...you know....old, lazy, grizzled, angry, defeated, grumpy, has-been curmudgeons like us who are stitting on our fat asses waiting out the clock to cash in our pensions.


Who's with me?



> > Nothing I've seen from this poster leads me to believe
> that
> > the lightbulb has gone on yet, not truly. I'm talking
> about
> > the lightbulb that goes on when you realize that radio
> isn't
> > just a game, or a party, or a hobby, or something "really
> > cool" ... that it's also a craft, a profession, an actual
> > honest-to- goodness career, that there's actual _work_
> > involved in being a professional.
>
>
> I'm with you. It's fine to be enthusiastic about your work
> but I've seen dozens of "newbies" come blowing in with all
> these great ideas, ready to turn the industry on its head
> and show us all how it's really done. Then, when they
> realize the limitations we're all faced with in the "real"
> world and how much grunt work is involved, they suddenly
> lose that enthusiasm and they're off to the next fad on
> their list.
>
 
> Really who needs these newbies! I'm very happy working in a
> business filled with "REAL PROFESSIONALS"...you know....old,
> lazy, grizzled, angry, defeated, grumpy, has-been
> curmudgeons like us who are stitting on our fat asses
> waiting out the clock to cash in our pensions.

Looks like you made an assumption that definitely wasn't included in my earlier take -- namely, you seem to be assuming that "radio professionals" are making the bulk of critical decisions in radio these days.

I don't believe that's the case in a lot of situations, so the failures of radio aren't exactly all attributable to the people I was talking about earlier.
 
Well said...after all, Joe Pedicino knows...
Rick

> Try this....
> Re-read his post.... but every time he says "hobby" replace
> it with "something you love doing".... every time he says
> "job" replace it with "just a job". Don't take him apart
> just because he says it his way.
> Give me people that love being in radio... that don't want
> to come to the stations each day to just "do a job". I'll
> take someone with a little less natural talent that loves
> being there over someone with more natural talent that is
> just doing a job anyday.
> DJ... you keep that attitude... keep lovin it... and someday
> you'll be a lot more than simply a dj!
> joe
>
>
>
> > > Being a radio jock should be a hobby,
> >
> > If you're running an LPFM out of your basement, that's
> > probably true.
> > Otherwise ... bzzt, wrong answer.
> >
> > There aren't too many employers, radio or otherwise, that
> > are willing to PAY people to treat their JOB like a hobby.
>
> > Nor should there be.
> >
> > You've clearly got a load of idealism but your posts
> > indicate a distinct lack of understanding of how the world
>
> > works, or how radio works, or how any business (including
> > radio) should work. That really doesn't provoke
> > "bitterness" as much as it produces a good bit of
> > eye-rolling & chuckling. If you feel scorned, perhaps
> it's
> > time to consider whether that might have something to do
> > with how far off-base your comments are.
> >
>
 
Joe, I know this is off the topic, but I just wanted to echo the sentiments expressed by a few others in this thread. I really enjoyed your wrestling show on TV here back in the day. I was a kid at the time, but I remember convincing my parents to let me stay up until about 2-3AM on more than a few occasions just so I could watch the show and if I couldn't stay up that late, I'd record it and watch it the next day. You did a great job on that show and I really miss the show and the way wrestling was back then with all of the different promotions from different parts of the country.

Anyways, I just thought I'd tell you how much I appreciated the fine work you did covering wrestling. Hope everything is going well for you.





> Try this....
> Re-read his post.... but every time he says "hobby" replace
> it with "something you love doing".... every time he says
> "job" replace it with "just a job". Don't take him apart
> just because he says it his way.
> Give me people that love being in radio... that don't want
> to come to the stations each day to just "do a job". I'll
> take someone with a little less natural talent that loves
> being there over someone with more natural talent that is
> just doing a job anyday.
> DJ... you keep that attitude... keep lovin it... and someday
> you'll be a lot more than simply a dj!
> joe
>
>
>
> > > Being a radio jock should be a hobby,
> >
> > If you're running an LPFM out of your basement, that's
> > probably true.
> > Otherwise ... bzzt, wrong answer.
> >
> > There aren't too many employers, radio or otherwise, that
> > are willing to PAY people to treat their JOB like a hobby.
>
> > Nor should there be.
> >
> > You've clearly got a load of idealism but your posts
> > indicate a distinct lack of understanding of how the world
>
> > works, or how radio works, or how any business (including
> > radio) should work. That really doesn't provoke
> > "bitterness" as much as it produces a good bit of
> > eye-rolling & chuckling. If you feel scorned, perhaps
> it's
> > time to consider whether that might have something to do
> > with how far off-base your comments are.
> >
>
 
> They come in all "eager", with a "love of radio"..and a
> "desire to do well" and "do things better" and to "try out
> new ideas". Hmph. They should really leave this business to
> us SEASONED PROS. Why just look how well we're doing over at
> WGST. No new ideas needed here, thank you very much!
>
> Really who needs these newbies! I'm very happy working in a
> business filled with "REAL PROFESSIONALS"...you know....old,
> lazy, grizzled, angry, defeated, grumpy, has-been
> curmudgeons like us who are stitting on our fat asses
> waiting out the clock to cash in our pensions.

Speak for yourself, my sarcastic curmudgeon. If you're any of the above, why are you stealing paychecks from your employer? Go find another job.

I guess I never realized that being "young and eager," "loving radio" and having "a desire to do well" somehow qualifies you to run a radio station! Heaven forbid someone should take the time to actually learn the business, before declaring him-or-herself to be an authority on it. To paraphrase an old saying, "the road to financial ruin is paved with good intentions."

As for WGST, sure...all you're missing over there is enthusiasm! All you need to do is to bring in some youngsters with grand ideas and a can-do spirit and you'll have Neal Boortz eating your dust in no time! In fact, why don't we see if Marc Morgan, David Meszaros and the other young whippersnappers at White Columns will send you some of their wild-n-crazy ideas? Those kids are cooking up something new, every week!

There is definitely a place in radio for the young and inexperienced. But telling everyone else how to do it as not that place.

Two final points:

1) Where the heck are you working that you get a pension, anyway?
2) The remark about my ample rear-end was totally uncalled for. I'll expect an apology.

Cheers.
 
Full Of Crap

Sorry, but what I just read is ridiculous.

Radio is not a hobby, it is an art and a profession.

No program director (and that's what they are called BTW) is going to let a young kid or a guy with no experience come into a station and just start making changes. Especially not in a top ten market.
 
Re: Full Of Crap

Who said anything about making changes? I'm not interested in running anybody's station. I just graduated as Valedictorian from ABI and I even know that I haven't learned even the half of what the radio lifestyle is actually like. If a PD was burning then I wouldn't recommend that he put himself out. As far as I go in the business right now, the janitor knows more than I do. That's a realistic point of view. Keep your optimism in your head and your realism in your mouth. I'm not trying to run my trap about stuff that I know nothing about yet and get people angry at me. At broadcast school they teach you how to do the job, but you have to find out for yourself how to BE the job...if that makes any sense...that's a tough thing to do and it's what I'm going thru now...so I'm open to anyone's opinions. You guys know more than I do, so instead of shooting my mouth off like some other people on this board, it might be more beneficial to read more than you post, simplydj. I'm not saying that you don't know your stuff, I'm sure you do, but going on internet message boards and telling people how they should view their jobs probably isn't the best idea. But then again, I'm still learning my lessons, I just wanted to my two cents in on this one to see what you guys think.
--Upton--

> Sorry, but what I just read is ridiculous.
>
> Radio is not a hobby, it is an art and a profession.
>
> No program director (and that's what they are called BTW) is
> going to let a young kid or a guy with no experience come
> into a station and just start making changes. Especially not
> in a top ten market.
>
<P ID="signature">______________
"It's cuz I'm Irish!"</P>
 
Re: Full Of Crap

Valedictorian of ABI ...

LMAO

I'm sorry ... you make alot of great points, but I wouldn't go touting that ...

Fly low and do whatever they want you to do for your first few years. Learn from vets and don't run your mouth off about things you don't know. That's how you get in ... Upton seems to have the right idea.

You can have the ideas ... but you have to play ball until you can get enough experience under your belt to know whether or not they will work ... and get yourself into a position where they are taken seriously.
 
Re: Full Of Crap

> Valedictorian of ABI ...
>
> LMAO
>

HA!! Hey, there are worse things... :)<P ID="signature">______________
Don't sweat the petty stuff, and don't pet the sweaty stuff.</P>
 
Re: valid points all over

everything said after my post makes sense. lets focus on the true and false areas of the thread... yep, I'm new to this world. yep, I should have just took my own advice and kept quite. yep, my idealism could possibly be my "downfall". yep, kids all enjoy flappin the jaw. now... false, i don't want to take over the station (I thought I made that clear when I stated that you wouldn't get a start in radio with that mindsetting). false, newbies don't belong among "Seasoned pro's", who the hell is supposed to take over when you leave and start a cross country road trip with the grandkids. Simply enough, I want to learn, I have the ambition to learn, and the drive to be the best, in every aspect of my life. I come here to LEARN, but as I said, its barely ever that something educational comes across the boards. I have however learned one thing, if being in radio is going to take my passion for being great, and turn it into just a job, or just another boring career that I go to each and every day because I have to not because I want to, well folks, you're right I am in the wrong profession. After reading over the majority of the posts in the 20+ pages on this board, it seems to me that everyone in every single station is doing wrong. their decisions are wrong, their playlists are wrong, their ownership is the devil, and their MANAGEMENT stinks... so how are we making money? how are buisness's still sponsering our shows? If we all are that horrible... how the hell does radio still exist??? but ya know, you're right, I'm ignorant.... but I have to say one more thing, I have learned so much more over the last 2 days of posts than I have over the span of time I have been reading. Thanks for enlightening me to how radio works guys...
 
First off.... thanks to all of you for your kind words about my pro wrestling days! No, it's not taboo... I loved those days... but after 12 years of traveling all over creation, we just couldn't take it anymore.
Now... a funny story about my wrestling career that just happens to fit this thread! I was in sales. Had never done TV on air. I got hired by TV36 to help develop a retail sales staff. After TWO MONTHS I was sitting in my sales managers office when the PD came in complaining about his Saturday AM wrestling show not doing well. I said to him "it's because you're running the wrong show and at the wrong time". You can imagine the look I got! Then he said "ok... you've been in TV for two whole months... why don't you tell me what I'm doing wrong... after all I've only been in the business for 30 years!" Being shy as I am, I told him... show out of memphis about only memphis, and you're running it at 9am on Sat. Wrestling fans are probably still sleeping at 9am on Saturday!" He listened... we talked... and the result was that a month later we introduced "SuperStars of Wrestling" at 8pm on Saturday night, right after WTBS's two hour wrestling show ended at 8pm. In the first rating book after that, we were the highest rated regularly scheduled show on TV36. and as they say, the rest is history!
Now... my point is that SOMETIMES we need to listen to people that haven't been in the business forever. They may actually have some new insight or a different view that makes sense. That doesn't mean you act on everything they say.. you just listen. Experience gives us the insight to know good ideas from bad... we just have to be open-minded enough to hear them to begin with.
BTW... I re-read his post that started all this... I can't find where he says he wants to take over the station. Just where he says learn everything you can, do the best you can, show your boss you are invaluable to him, and love what you do. Anybody want to explain the bad part of that to me?
Joe





> > Being a radio jock should be a hobby,
>
> If you're running an LPFM out of your basement, that's
> probably true.
> Otherwise ... bzzt, wrong answer.
>
> There aren't too many employers, radio or otherwise, that
> are willing to PAY people to treat their JOB like a hobby.
> Nor should there be.
>
> You've clearly got a load of idealism but your posts
> indicate a distinct lack of understanding of how the world
> works, or how radio works, or how any business (including
> radio) should work. That really doesn't provoke
> "bitterness" as much as it produces a good bit of
> eye-rolling & chuckling. If you feel scorned, perhaps it's
> time to consider whether that might have something to do
> with how far off-base your comments are.
>
 
> BTW... I re-read his post that started all this... I can't
> find where he says he wants to take over the station.


I can't speak for everybody on that one, but I _think_ what happened to at least one or two others is what happened to me on my first read - things sort of ran together & it was read wrong.

I suspect the part where that's coming from is toward the beginning. What he actually says is that you need to _loose_ that sort of mindset. With the lack of paragraphs as the post displays (at least for me), that section was one I had to read twice before getting what he actually said there.
 
> > You've clearly got a load of idealism but your posts
> > indicate a distinct lack of understanding of how the world
>
> > works, or how radio works, or how any business (including
> > radio) should work.
>
>
>
> enlighten me please (not ment to be sarcastic, just
> interested in your point of view)
>
I have one question only. ABI? What happened to the days of getting
your feet wet so to say, as in taking a intrest in radio, hanging out
at your fave station, then being told, find a small market , then
finding out what that means, and what it is, then gaining a job there
by hanging out, and emptying trash, and putting things in order, as in records,
carts , e.t.c. and then graduating up to the board, this was my start in the
biz, broadcasting school? Whats that? Sorry, just wanted to say nothing wrong
with it, but geez, when I got into radio, broadcasting school, was looked upon
as a waste of money and time. If you had what it took to get into the old biz,
then you were in, if not , you kept trying.
 
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