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Radio Stations Promotions

O

Otis B. Driftwood

Guest
Why do you think some radio clusters NEVER have ANY promotions? I know in my market...out of the 3 big clusters...only ONE ever has ANY PROMOTIONS going on. If I was working for one of those OTHER clusters...I would be tearing my hair out over NOT having anything to PROMOTE on air. I just don't get it.
 
Sounds to me like

those stations have managers and programmers with no imagination. It takes a lot of imagination and energy to come up with regular promotions and execute them in ways that benefit everybody involved and leave everybody smiling.
 
It just amazes me that these MANAGERS/PROGRAMMERS still have jobs.
 
Just like voice-tracking and automation, it's a sign of the times. Most stations in smaller markets have neither the manpower or budget to do fun promotions. Unless a client steps up the plate and donates the farm, it simply ain't happenin'. Plus, those 1 or 2 programming employees make the same $$$ for a 40 hour week as they do for a 50 hour week. Screw it! Go play golf.
 
I worked at a couple of stations in Lufkin and Nacogdoches back in the 80s, and they always had some kind of promotion going. Most of the time it was an all-day or half-day Saturday remote from a store or car dealership or you-name-it.

And you're wrong if you think small market DJ's have any say in whether they work them or not. We were expected to be there with bells on, smiling, happy and glad-handing, and it didn't matter that we didn't get overtime pay for it.

The station made money by helping a sponsor make money.

We were expected to be happy that we had a job with a station that was making money, and in east Texas, that really is something to be happy about. But, if I had ever decided to play golf instead of working a Saturday remote I would have been looking for a job on Monday. That's life in small market radio.
 
I am in a small market in south texas and we always have some kind of promotion going on. We have 2 major "station sponsored' promotions per year...plus our summer give-a-ways...water parks, tx state aq. museums ets...., not to mentions TONS of give-a-ways to concerts at area venues. All it take is great communication between the sales and promotions dept. to come up with win/win ideas.
 
That's precisely the point I made four or five postings back. Show me a station that hardly ever does promotions, and I'll show you a station manager, PD, and sales manager with zero imagination. I'll also show you a station that's probably living hand-to-mouth in monthly revenue.
 
Yep, Yep. That's why I have always called "independently owned" radio home. Local control is normally better for the employees, the listeners and the clients! IMHO ;)
 
I know in my market that the stations across town give away their remotes. Its just amazing to me that someone, anyone in those buildings doesnt say "WHAT THE HELL!" There are so many things that those stations could do, for FREE, that would bring people out. However, they don't. But! Thats good for us and really....thats ALL that matters.
 
"We were expected to be happy that we had a job with a station that was making money, and in east Texas that really is something to be happy about..."

Hey Filio... "Back in the Day" I worked at some of those same stations... I remember the side pot we had going as to whether or not the checks would "bounce" this week. So working at a station that made money was definitely something to be proud of.

The GM walked into the control room one day one said, "Hey Sandman, I have enough money to pay either you or Chase this week. You've been here longer, so who's it gonna be?" We paid Chase and I used some trade for some stuff.

But you know what? We had fun and learned and we were fighting for our "lives" everyday. Don't get me wrong, I don't miss the days of bouncing paychecks and skipped paydays, never getting the commission owed to you... But I remember them fondly as an education that I could have never gotten at SFA!
 
You'll appreciate this Sandy. I worked in the Lufkin-Nacogdoches market back in the 80s, and one of our biggest advertisers was a guy who owned several furniture stores in that area. Lon Matthews was the east Texas version of Mattress Mac, because he insisted on doing his own commercials. He has a very thick east Texas accent, and I would often hear some of my snobby acquaintances making fun of him and wondering why the radio stations let him on the air.

My response to the snobs was always the same. I said "Lon Matthews spends a lot of money at my radio station and he can do anything he wants. My family and I give thanks every night for the roof over our heads and the food on our table, and we pray for Lon Matthews' continued good health and prosperity."

I had the very good fortune of working for a radio station that was well managed and always made money, and never had to deal with bouncing paychecks, but I had friends up there who weren't so fortunate.
 
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