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Market Managers

R

Radio Babe

So my hubby asks me a great question the other day...How do the current GM/market managers keep THEIR jobs?...

When are THEY ever held accountable for the bad ratings/sales?
 
Radio Babe said:
So my hubby asks me a great question the other day...How do the current GM/market managers keep THEIR jobs?...

When are THEY ever held accountable for the bad ratings/sales?
Click to expand...

They keep their jobs by operating their stations/clusters profitably, meeting the revenue and cash flow (operating profit) goals set for them by the company. That's also how they get paid.

They're held accountable every week, every month, every quarter and every year. Bad ratings hurt sales, and lousy sales make it hard to meet cash flow goals.Which means they take a cut in pay.

Fun gig, eh?
 
That's a little rough. Talk to the folks at Hall. They're pretty happy with Bill Baldwin, and in fact, pretty happy in general. Nobody anticipated this lousy economy. Lots of talented folks on the outside looking in. Those that are still fortunate to still be in better realize their day could be tomorrow. And expect to do more. And be cheerful about it. At least, pretend to be. No place for crybabies now. Never was.
 
Radio Babe said:
Thanks for your radio-nomics lesson...

I still say not a one of them can find there ass with both hands!
Click to expand...

Wow, you're being pretty rough on the guy you work for--I've always thought he was a nice guy, and I know he's kept you and your hubby well-fed.

But, more to the point, radio is one of those great businesses that rewards great performance with upward mobility. If you believe that you can do a better job than most market managers, go for it! Advancing to that level usually requires building a track record of extraordinary success in sales, and then sales management and station/general management. Earning an MBA helps (it helps assure the employer that you really understand how business works), but it's not required. But if you can add the programming expertise and record of on-air success that you've already achieved to your sales and management success, you're golden! (It also helps if you're technically savvy--so you can tell when your engineer is lying to you--but, again, that's just icing).

So, how old are you? 45? Hey, you've got 30 more years to work. So you might as well be the boss. There are some real advantages to being the boss. And, look, somebody's got to do it--it might as well be you!

America is a great place. The Land of Opportunity! Good luck!
 
Radio Babe said:
Thanks for your radio-nomics lesson...

I still say not a one of them can find there ass with both hands!
Click to expand...

But they probably know the difference between THEIR and THERE.... ;)
 
Just for the record JackandCoke..you are delusional...an MBA... for Gm's in radio?...People in the biz are laughing at you!...
 
Doesn't Clear Channel have a Market Manager that's actually out of the market running their clusters in Harrisburg, or am I wrong about that.
 
I thought I read somewhere where CC has imported a market manager from Ohio to run both the Allentown and properties in Central PA.
 
Radio Babe said:
Just for the record JackandCoke..you are delusional...an MBA... for Gm's in radio?...People in the biz are laughing at you!...
Click to expand...

Actually, they tend not to laugh all that much. They're usually too busy paying attention. Then again, I'm one of those radio executives with an MBA.

I don't want to pick on you. And certainly don't want to make you :'(.

But here's reality. For general managers and market managers who have been in those positions for many years, the successful track records that helped them achieve that level, and their continued success, outweigh any kind of educational credential. For those aspiring to become a GM/MM, an MBA or master's degree in a related field (HR, communications, organizational leadership) could be very important. We are already at a point where employers in all industries consider a bachelor's degree to be the equivalent of the high school diploma of 20 years ago--a basic requirement for general employment. For management and executive-level careers an advanced degree is becoming the required credential.

Part of the reason is that master's programs--and MBA programs in particular--have become so commonplace, and nearly all are designed for the working adult--with evening classes. Just in the Harrisburg region alone, you can earn an MBA at PSU-Harrisburg, University of Phoenix-Hbg and Shippensburg University. Online programs are everywhere now, including an online bachelor's degree from Drexel University through HAAC. A young woman who does mid-days (yes, a jock!!!) at one of my radio stations earned her BA completely online and will finish her master's degree--completely online--this coming Spring. The university where she's enrolled, a fully-accredited long-established (real) university, has announced a new online doctorate program beginning next year--and she wants to go ahead and earn her Ph.D.

Yeah, in radio.

Now, look, if you're happy doing what you're doing and earning what you're earning, you are under no obligation to pursue any further education or--for that matter--make any effort to lead a more productive or more fulfilling life. But, if you do, higher education may be a key.

Even in radio.
 
It ultimately comes down to this: You are in charge of your own life. We are all given the same 24 hours everyday. You can choose to cry about your current situation and long for the past of Susquehanna Radio or you can follow the lead of the midday jock that Jack&Coke described..Take the steps necessary to better your situation. I don't have any idea who that person is but she gets the tip of the hat from me.
 
And a tip of the hat from me. You make your own future, good or bad. Everyone is expendible in this business. From the receptionist to the air staff to the General Manager or Market Manager. You had better realize that. It is those who think radio, or a particular station will fail without their presence are the ones who usually end up out the door and yes whining on this site.
 
MM with MBA's are not all that uncommon in today's business environment. After all and Masters of Business Admin can get you a whole host of great paying jobs outside of radio, which is where the opportunity seems to be. If MM's were that important in today's broadcasting industry, they would have one for Hbg and Allentown seperately. Obviously CC seems to think one those markets does not warrant the salary.
 
mook said:
Radio Babe said:
Thanks for your radio-nomics lesson...

I still say not a one of them can find there ass with both hands!
Click to expand...

But they probably know the difference between THEIR and THERE.... ;)
Click to expand...

Or LOSE and LOOSE!
 
jharmon said:
MM with MBA's are not all that uncommon in today's business environment. After all and Masters of Business Admin can get you a whole host of great paying jobs outside of radio, which is where the opportunity seems to be. If MM's were that important in today's broadcasting industry, they would have one for Hbg and Allentown seperately. Obviously CC seems to think one those markets does not warrant the salary.
Click to expand...

CC has always worked on the theory that people at the local level--not just Market Managers, but people in general--are not all that important, because they have all the answers in San Antonio.

But in this particular case, at this particular time, the Harrisburg/Allentown decision seems to have more to do with facing a life-and-death cash crisis in a few months. The private equity firms that own Clear Channel pissed off their banks a couple years ago when they bought CC, and now the banks are telling them to go screw themselves. Thus, early next year Clear Channel will likely default on the loans keeping them afloat, so now they're trying to sqeeze every penny they can in every market they have.

Whacking Market Managers is the quickest way to save lots-o-pennies in one fell swoop. As one charming CEO said to me years ago "Thanks for building this station into such a great success, but that job is done. Now I can turn your paycheck into instant profit. Nothing personal."

And it's nothing exclusive to radio. It's just business.
 
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