KPLEXCOMPLEX said:
Actually doing Traffic is probably the closest thing to having job security on the air in radio.
Well said PLEX.........
There are many talented persons doing traffic. I've worked
with many over the years (and not just here in DFW). Along
with the good apples, there are the rotten scummy ones.
Some real idiots, liars, egomaniacs, backstabbers, and
total buffoons. Same as with individual stations. It's the
nature of the business, unfortunately. To swim with sharks,
you have to be a shark, whether you like it or not.
With DFW traffic and agencies, it's really not the competitive
nature, or how good of a job you do, it's whether or not you
fit in with the "in" crowd or company "mold". Dallas doesn't
like free thinkers, progressives or proactives (typical of
conservative, religious, Republican areas). In that regard,
this market is really stuck in the Dark Ages.
There is is some truth to Little1's comments as to the traffic services
hiring a bunch of newcomers. There are tons of green horns.
But the traffic services are a real good foot in the door, and get you
possibly exposed to MANY stations (not just one). And they'll
pretty much hire and keep people forever. However, in some cases
they'll let good talent go, yet retain crappy reporters, support people,
and poor management that need to be put out to pasture PERMANETLY.
And much of that management is to blame for those greenhorns.
They don't teach them how to report, ad lib, be a personality, and
not a computer monitor reading robot.
Just remember....those who know or care the least usually get put in
the highest positions. Sad, but very true.
Long story short, stability is the reason many former jocks got into the
traffic business. It was (and still is) better than being at an individual station,
with all the corporate buyouts, mergers, and here today, gone tommorow
broadcast entities.
