Looking for a few good ideas

[butlerguy03]

WEEM 91.7 Pendleton Heights is a student-run Adult CHR that is programmed by me (the management). Students have the opportunities to DJ, run news, sports, weather, record and write PSA's and underwriting announcements and much much more. We currently broadcast almost 100 PH Arabians sports events a year and now are the proud owners of a EZ-Up tent with full logo markings and have made quite the splash at community events. Our station is gaining traction in Anderson and all the surrounding communities and now have businesses coming to us to support us AND have announcements heard by a number of people (including Ivy Tech!).

I, however, am never satisfied as an almost 30-year old who still believes in radio. I try to stay very aggressive on music to stay ahead of the Indy stations. I am looking for good ideas that may help our students sound more professional on the station.

We are running RCS PSI101 and very happy with it (despite the lightning strike that zapped us a few weeks ago), and we are looking at a better web presence.

Do you have current sounding airchecks that I can let our students hear and learn from? Most of the things sent with our textbooks is aged. Do you have programming philosophies or tips/tricks that have helped you succeed as a DJ, management or engineer in the radio community? What type of events do pop stations need to attend - what is your promotional philosophy? Do you have label contacts that my students can start talking to weekly? I am just looking to make my teaching a little fresher and our student broadcasters sound profressional.

If anything, just take a listen and tell me what you think! We currently have no DJ's on air because of the lightnin strick...new computers are set to arrive this week from RCS.

 

[Mid West Clubber]

Would you consider adding some Dance music, or maybe a Dance Program block at nights like WBDG,, or even go all out and go all dance to set you apart.. People would listen just because their is no other choice in indy.. Its gonna be hard on a school station with a limited signal to compete with all the chrs and hot acs in Indy.

 

[dfwrunner]

Would you consider adding some Dance music, or maybe a Dance Program block at nights like WBDG,, or even go all out and go all dance to set you apart.. People would listen just because their is no other choice in indy.. Its gonna be hard on a school station with a limited signal to compete with all the chrs and hot acs in Indy.

Dance has proven again and again to be a very niche format. Setting yourself apart isn't necessarily going to build a larger audience. Unfortunately, following the leader is more likely to work.

 

[Timewarp]

Putting on music for the kids who wear their pants down below their
butt might not be a bright idea. A radio station has to please those who are
paying for it. Those who have been on the business side know this.
WEEM does not seem to be in a pants down community.

 

[cold_coffee]

Pants down was cool 15 years ago. Hoosiers are so backward. And, there's nothing wrong with CHR.

 

[radioho]

Biggest problem I've come across with 'fresh' talent with high school or college station experience is that those programs tend to stroke the ego of the instructor, who tries to be 'different' and prove since listenership doesn't matter he can be 'more creative' than the standard stations.

WRONG APPROACH! Much like other classes in our high schools, the children are not being taught how the real world operates. Your station should be programmed and run like any other FOR PROFIT station that they may be applying to in the future.

Teach them HOW TO SPEAK WELL on the air, be bold and not timid.

One of the best teaching tools I'd suggest is the Howard Stern movie 'PRIVATE PARTS.' Not only hilarious, but so true in many aspects of what he had to go through. The one thing that impressed me with Stern was his humility about showing how BAD he was when he first started in the business. THATS what kids need to see, DON'T sound like you THINK you're supposed to sound like. Use your balls and be CONFIDENT!

Format for your station is for your pleasure, not for teaching. Whether it's big band, CHR, oldies, whatever, they all need to learn to get into the mic, speak up, speak well, and deliver the product with knowledge and conviction.

Your job is to get these kids ready to work in a very competitive, shrinking employment pool of communication - TEACH THEM HOW TO COMMUNICATE. The music should be the last thing you spend any amount of time with. Pick something the entire community can tune into and not be turned off and TEACH TEACH TEACH. Repetition on air is the ONLY way these kids are going to learn.

Just my two cents.

 

[butlerguy03]

Biggest problem I've come across with 'fresh' talent with high school or college station experience is that those programs tend to stroke the ego of the instructor, who tries to be 'different' and prove since listenership doesn't matter he can be 'more creative' than the standard stations.

WRONG APPROACH! Much like other classes in our high schools, the children are not being taught how the real world operates. Your station should be programmed and run like any other FOR PROFIT station that they may be applying to in the future.

Due to the skewed view of many high school and college radio stations, I have a few points:
1. My official title is "General Manager/Program Director" hired by the school corporation. Therefore, programming is important and a part of my job. I was hired, in part, on my programming ability.

2. I am a part-time teacher and payed that way. I teach the basics of radio and some television in an introductory course before the select students come over to the radio station. Our numbers have improved from 20 3 years ago when I took over to well over 70 now.

3. I, in no way, plan to compete with any commercial outlet in Indyby being "creative". However, there is a need for a more aggressive HotAC/CHR in central Indiana. Indy stations play follow the leader in most every way when it comes to breaking new music. My students love how I can break a song a month before some other stations locally - they are too conservative. Yes, I am proud of the fact that people listen to us now for breaking hits...not golds.

Teach them HOW TO SPEAK WELL on the air, be bold and not timid.

One of the best teaching tools I'd suggest is the Howard Stern movie 'PRIVATE PARTS.' Not only hilarious, but so true in many aspects of what he had to go through. The one thing that impressed me with Stern was his humility about showing how BAD he was when he first started in the business. THATS what kids need to see, DON'T sound like you THINK you're supposed to sound like. Use your balls and be CONFIDENT!

Yeah, you get a public school system to OK a Howard Stern movie.

Format for your station is for your pleasure, not for teaching.

No it's for the general listener and a great way to gain more support for the program (via listenership). And the reason why United States radio sucks is because we have a ton of PD's who don't know formatics. It's one of the most interactive topics that I have found with students. Use Ke$ha to make a point and suddenly it relates to them. Speech class doesn't even exist at our school anymore, but radio and computer classes do still.

Whether it's big band, CHR, oldies, whatever, they all need to learn to get into the mic, speak up, speak well, and deliver the product with knowledge and conviction.

Part of my job is to get students into my class. If I play oldies, I would be lucky to have 10 students interested each year. This making programming important, again.

Your job is to get these kids ready to work in a very competitive, shrinking employment pool of communication - TEACH THEM HOW TO COMMUNICATE. The music should be the last thing you spend any amount of time with. Pick something the entire community can tune into and not be turned off and TEACH TEACH TEACH. Repetition on air is the ONLY way these kids are going to learn.

Again, I am obviously a year-round employee. I worry about us on-air every second I can when I am not teaching. I am a part-time teacher and full-time General Manager/Program Director.

As far as my programming philosophy: "I play breaking hits and established hits with less urban." I wouldn't call Miranda Cosgrove, Miley Cyrus, Mike Posner and La Roux "pants down" music. I call it "Suburban Rhythmic". Believe it or not, white kids like the rhythmic sound! Oh No! Look at rock as pop music, it's all but dead. Green Day is the lead group! Still! After 20 years!

 

[Bengalsfan]

Teach them HOW TO SPEAK WELL on the air, be bold and not timid.

If anything, this is the biggest turn off for me listening to an educational station. Dispense with the "uh's" and "aah's". Know what you are going to say before you open the mic. And for the love of Mike DON'T laugh at your own jokes!

 

[reformed]

What to stress in anyone (high school or otherwise) wanting to be on the air? My opinion:

1. Have confidence in both what they're saying and how they're saying it. Under no circumstance should they use their "dj voice." Nor should they copy their favorite 45-year-old DJ... Project with confidence (and learn how to use the mic. It's your friend and it won't bite you, except during electrical storms.)
2. Figure out what the break is about and use a little creativity to get the point across. Presumably they live the music anyway, so bring what they know to the table.
3. For Pete's sake, have fun. I don't care how corporate and ridiculous radio gets, if it's not fun on a personal basis then what's the point. The anncr isn't having fun, the listener definitely won't either.

I could go on, but these are the ones that came right to mind. In my opinion you don't want to run the thing like a corporate station - let the kids learn how to do the job the way we did, in a fun creative environment. Leave it to Clear Channel, etc. to crush their spirit when they actually get into the work force. It's how God intended!

 

[skippertthomas]

I will play in dispensations.. Be gentle in the early stages and move them as they go through their High School experience to a higher level.. They become the mentors of the Freshman and so on.. Grades for me were based also on my ability to lead younger talent.. We had one advantage (Juco program).... Radio Information Service on a subcarrier.. You want to earn brownie points in suburbia and around Pendleton and Anderson, hook up an SCA authorization and local nursing homes, shut ins and even multi-language programming where students have to: read out of books, newspapers and do production at its basic, as they learn fast. Make them do news and public affairs type of work (basic and not high production) and run it on the SCA to the folks getting the federally subsidized 'box' with that MC/SC switch (main carrier/sub carrier).. Then those kids see the carrot and fight to move up the main carrier... We went from about 20 to 40 students in our AAS program and had the station go from a 10watt to 50kw FM (only mistake was they should have gone for the full 150m while they could)....We were the rave.. What did the program in (still there, but a shell of early success) was the Director was great at radio, but did not take the few hours a month for overall retention in the College.. About 40 percent of the students realized after a quarter (we were on quarters, then) that radio was much more than a DJ with an ego and would leave the program... He should have encouraged them to stay the course of completing an associates degree and not drop out of school.. Now it's a paper mill with low talent graduates.. When I was in the program, several of us went into the top 50 markets (during our careers) and most into small market or 200's to markets in the 100's... Real radio with a learning curve.. We did remotes, printed hit surveys (a out of date thing, but fun), pool parties for charities, had a sound and light show to raise money for conventions and new gadgets at the station...Paid our R&R subscriptions (Friday Morning Quarterback, etc.)... One of my fellow college djs is a PD in Chicago for a large company FM (long time standing)....

 

[butlerguy03]

Radio Information Service on a subcarrier.. You want to earn brownie points in suburbia and around Pendleton and Anderson, hook up an SCA authorization and local nursing homes, shut ins and even multi-language programming where students have to: read out of books, newspapers and do production at its basic, as they learn fast. Make them do news and public affairs type of work (basic and not high production) and run it on the SCA to the folks getting the federally subsidized 'box' with that MC/SC switch (main carrier/sub carrier).. Then those kids see the carrot and fight to move up the main carrier

Great idea, we will look into it. These are the type of things I am looking for in this post. Not "teach them to read correctly," or get rid of the "uh's". Well if you had students placed into your class that (not joking) can't tell you the difference between "your" and "you're" then uh's become the last thing you're worried about!

 

[skippertthomas]

SO true.. SCA's are cheap to obtain and you can serve fringe portions of suburbia in the country.. Pendelton is beautiful and I am sure you can create some neat program to offer a big learning curve... And then the leadership of upper-classmen can give them a sense of learning to become future PD's, Sales Managers, Production and Promotion heads..... If I could find a small school that was doing what your doin', I'd jump, sell my little station and teach as a tech position.. Would be fun 20 years and I know the whole politics of school systems (Runs in family..Teachers).... I am glad the community came through to save the station.. Paradox.. Now the community keeps their station, because they are investing in it.... That's the way it should have been all along.. New Albany High get nice local support from NHS and Floyd Central supporters..... Keep up the good work, and I would love to visit, when back home in Indiana..... May that horse on the side of the school, ride high and far (at PHS).....

 

[Bengalsfan]

Great idea, we will look into it. These are the type of things I am looking for in this post. Not "teach them to read correctly," or get rid of the "uh's". Well if you had students placed into your class that (not joking) can't tell you the difference between "your" and "you're" then uh's become the last thing you're worried about!

So if you don't teach them, who will? Why bother doing it at all unless you are going to attempt to teach them the proper way of doing things? I'm very happy that the people I was schooled under when I was a kid DJ/engineer did not have your same attitude. I'm very thankful that I have had people in my past to take the time and teach me the proper way of doing things....even if it was an inconvenience to them.

 

[radioho]

Not "teach them to read correctly," or get rid of the "uh's". Well if you had students placed into your class that (not joking) can't tell you the difference between "your" and "you're" then uh's become the last thing you're worried about!

That's evidently the same philosophy of most high school English teachers as well. There doesn't seem to be much concern in our schools today to "TEACH THEM TO READ CORRECTLY!" And since they cannot speak properly, we can't hire these kids to do anything other than push sliders.

And you have to BEG them to be in your class??? You admit that you spend every waking moment concerned about YOU 'breaking' the next big hit before the biggies so your students will be impressed - yet you won't push them to practice the BASICS?

I guess I'm just too old and don't get it. I agree with Bengals fan. I'm glad my instructors made us do it the proper way or not let us on the air.

 

[ChiefEngineer]

The system as a whole believes every student is "above average" and Indianapolis Public Schools created an ad campaign distributed state wide that noted grad rate is less than 60%. This doesn't include drop-outs. The real rate: less than half who enter 9th grade ever walk out with a diploma. The 60% figure is only for those who complete the courses, many poorly.

While the hits are fun....this is temporal. If the children see a reason to be active in the community and have the tools to do this it will outlast the latest hit. It may inspire them to do other works in the community. This is the ultimate accomplishment. Playing the hits has no intrinsic value.

Skip resounds something I heard early on about reading. I was told to read everything I could see. Cereal boxes, nespapers, etc. Seminarians use the Bible. It exudes confidence and gets rid of the "fake radio voice". Reading poorly leads to reading well if one reads enough. Many of the students who enter have segregated themselves to texting. This is communication for the Ethnocentric culture of high school students. We were scared at Ebonics...

A final note. If you are truly a radio person.... By God, teach them to sell.

 

[butlerguy03]

I understand the educational system and what basics I need to teach are being taught, I was just looking for additional and creative ideas to get students interested and more learning opportunities.

When talking about the "uh's", I was simply stating the fact that I am not only a mass media teacher, but a social studies, science, mathematics and English teacher. Getting caught up in the "uh's" would be micromanaging at this point. That's something that I hope to deal with years from now after re-establishing the radio program and getting proper funding/support for the station and program. However, I get really upset when people tell me how to run my class or classroom environments when they have never seen the actual classroom or know any of our current students.

I will point out to everyone criticizing my teaching that Pendleton Heights / WEEM radio has doubled its underwriting and community donations in 3 short years and my students have had the best two years in school history at the IASB awards. There were many years they didn't even participate.

My former students include a up-and-coming country singer, a board-op at Backyard in Muncie, several Ball State and Indiana State broadcasting students, and a top-level broadcasting student at Anderson University. I think I have done well in my few years rebuilding this radio program and want to continue the success with new and creative ideas focused on the program as a whole - beginner to on-air.


And yes, in my extra time, I love to break new music. I actually spend a lot of time at home working on it. Programming is my specialty and what I love to do.

 

[skippertthomas]

"If you are truly a radio person.... By God, teach them to sell." CE... Should be one of the '10' Commandments of Radio... I have a four year RT grad who after 7 months, is JUST NOW understanding sales...

In defense of our RT instructor at PHS.. It is not an Indy or Marion County School... My memory as a college recruiter and athletic recruiter found that their kids in southern Madison County were a little better off than the main metro county.. Problem, if they come to us with little success in the basic English classes, we have to go to 'around the problem' technics.. Such as the SCA-Read everything you can.... I see both sides of the observation.. Listening to the Dan Ingram 20th Anniversary playback on www.reelradio.com , I am blown away by Rick James (News) and ABC newscasts of my youth and young adult years.... And how the entertainment and news just said it 'the way it was' with little effort to throw and agenda through the news or programming department... Now, if I can just get ZARA to work right......... Closers and floating breaks stink...

 

[radioho]

However, I get really upset when people tell me how to run my class or classroom environments when they have never seen the actual classroom or know any of our current students.

If you have all the answers why would you even have to ask?

Of course, don't take criticism from people who actually WORK in the business and have to RETEACH what the school systems fail to do. What do we know???

Send your students on out here and we'll continue to waste our valuable time training them while you continue to win 'awards.'

 

[butlerguy03]

Well, I appreciate the ideas that were given among the criticism. I am one of the few who decided I would take a risk and teach, and I love it. However, at heart I am still a radio guy. Any professionals that would be open to discussion on current industry issues (or current based programming) and the possibility of listening to my students airchecks for additional comments, please contact me at WEEM. If you use the contact form on 917weem.org it will come directly to me. All constructive comments are appreciated.

 

[Bengalsfan]

When talking about the "uh's", I was simply stating the fact that I am not only a mass media teacher, but a social studies, science, mathematics and English teacher. Getting caught up in the "uh's" would be micromanaging at this point.

How is teaching someone the way to speak properly "micromanaging"?

That's something that I hope to deal with years from now after re-establishing the radio program and getting proper funding/support for the station and program. However, I get really upset when people tell me how to run my class or classroom environments when they have never seen the actual classroom or know any of our current students.

Then you should not have opened yourself up to criticism. You specificly asked in your first message, Do you have programming philosophies or tips/tricks that have helped you succeed as a DJ, management or engineer in the radio community? Since the responses are not what you wanted I'm willing to bet you are pretty much gonna ignore it and continue to "break the hits". Based on what you have said, it seems you are more of a frustrated programmer than educator.

My former students include a up-and-coming country singer, a board-op at Backyard in Muncie, several Ball State and Indiana State broadcasting students, and a top-level broadcasting student at Anderson University. I think I have done well in my few years rebuilding this radio program and want to continue the success with new and creative ideas focused on the program as a whole - beginner to on-air.

That's all well and good, but why don't you come back to us when one of your students has won a Marconi award, or a Peabody award or when your station wins a Crystal award. You are a "mass media teacher", correct?

Those of us who have responded with the criticism actually make a living in broadcasting as programmers, engineers and sales execs.....why would you listen to us? I have been in broadcasting since 1980, so why would my opinion matter?

We'll be the ones teaching your students the proper way of doing things while you sit back and enjoy "breaking" the hits.

And yes, in my extra time, I love to break new music. I actually spend a lot of time at home working on it. Programming is my specialty and what I love to do.

One other observation, your story seems to change slightly based on said critcism. How do you break music in your spare time? My students love how I can break a song a month before some other stations locally. And there's this, "I play breaking hits and established hits with less urban.". A programmer who cannot teach his jocks proper diction isn't a very good programmer.