metroneck said:
Is it just me, or is every talent (on or off air), discussed on this board, always on the edge of some major syndication deal? It seems very odd that have beens in DFW market start working on 'syndication' after they've been relieved of their duties on a major stick!....
But these guys (pugs, BDH, Russ, Greggo, etc) that are off the air, or barely on always have syndication claims around them. Podcasting on the internet from your house is NOT commerical radio syndication. Buying time on two stations to promote your wears in NOT syndication, it's called mass marketing.....
I'm tired of these radio guys talking noise about a bunch of nothing.
So what would you have them do? Roll over and play dead? Accept your notion that they are "has beens" and just quit trying? Go around and tearfully tell everybody how miserable they are? Beg everybody for pity?
I am not familiar with any of the people you mention (I have zero interest in sports and dislike modern type music so I never even listen to about 98% of stations out there no matter how talented the personalities might be) but my guess is that they are simply trying to make the best of a bad situation and a tough period for radio in general by making an attempt to keep their names out there and remain "in the game" to whatever degree they are in a position to do so. Exactly what else are they supposed to do if they wish to remain in radio and work towards eventually picking up where they left off?
Of course there is a difference between podcasting from one's house and traditional commercial radio. But it is at least
something productive a person can do to remain busy and connected with his old fan base that costs next to nothing beyond the equipment most of which he probably already has. And, in this day and age, podcasting is probably more prestigious and perceived as less of a step backward for a major market talent than going home and doing the 5:00 AM fishing report on K-BUG in rural Bugtussle.
Nobody wants to listen to or will buy into anything that even remotely sounds like failure and despair. So you have to always be "doing something" and be able to tell the world and prospective employers that you have plans for a future that you are actively working towards. And you can only do the best you can with what you have. If the only means that they have open to them at the moment are the Internet and purchased time - well, at least they are
trying, aren't they?
Of course what they are doing involves a certain amount of "puffery." But isn't that pretty much true for most of radio - even for successful stations and personalities? In the entertainment world in general, image is almost always grander than the reality.
And what they are doing is certainly not something that is unprecedented or unique to radio. Observe that highly successful corporate executives explain gaps on their resume by saying that they were doing "consulting work." You sure as heck aren't going to see on a high powered executive's resume the 6 month gig he did giving high pressure sales pitches for manufactured homes at Larry's Mobile Home City in order to make a few ends meet. But, if during that time, the former executive drew on his background and helped Larry come up with a better marketing plan and advised him on how to better use technology to streamline and cut costs on administrative functions, then he can honestly say that he provided "consulting services."
Prospective employers aren't stupid - they know what "consulting work" usually means. They also understand that gaps in resumes are not uncommon for higher paying executive jobs which do not exactly exist in the same quantity as entry level positions at McDonalds. "Consulting work" is pretty much a way of saying that one stayed busy and did what one had to on a temporary basis in order to pay the bills. Obviously if the consulting work was so lucrative, the person wouldn't be interviewing for another position in the first place.
I suspect that the people you mention are doing the exact same thing. They are trying to stay busy and visible while they prepare for the next viable opportunity to come along. I find it kind of odd that anyone would wish to impugn someone who finds himself in such a situation.
