Okay, these are sincere questions from a "radio-outsider." a) How do you know if you are "successful" in radio? b) does anyone ever achieve success in radio and maintain healthy family relationships? c) What's it like to work in a career where even your co-workers are your competition?
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Radio - The Good Life?
- Thread starter Main_Street
- Start date
Interesting over 92 viewings of this post but no responses. Or maybe I should take my answers from your silence? 
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PaulBWalkerJr
Guest
I think success is measured by alot of different things.
To some people, it's making lots of money, getting the best ratings possible and being "famous" and having everyone know who you are.
To others, it's making enough money to pay the bills and have enough left over at the end of the month. It's not about the ratings, but about the service to your community and knowing that your listeners enjoy your show and like YOU for YOU.. not 'cuse you're a radio jock.
It's possible to maintain success in radio and have a healthy family relationship. However, those close to you need to understand Why you love radio and understand your career for a healthy relationship. I once dated someone who DID NOT support my career whatsoever and insisted that I look for work in that one Metro Area or forget about it. The phrase, "If you have to choose between me and radio... you obviously shouldn't be with me" came up often. No wonder I'm not dating that person anymore
Although I haven't lived with my parents in 5 years, they are entirely supportive of my career and it makes them happy to see me happy.
As for working in a career where co-workers are your competition, well... it all depends on how well you know each other among other things. Some radio people, if they are truly friends.... work is work and ratings are ratings. That stuff gets left at the studio and off the air, they are just regular people.
To some people, it's making lots of money, getting the best ratings possible and being "famous" and having everyone know who you are.
To others, it's making enough money to pay the bills and have enough left over at the end of the month. It's not about the ratings, but about the service to your community and knowing that your listeners enjoy your show and like YOU for YOU.. not 'cuse you're a radio jock.
It's possible to maintain success in radio and have a healthy family relationship. However, those close to you need to understand Why you love radio and understand your career for a healthy relationship. I once dated someone who DID NOT support my career whatsoever and insisted that I look for work in that one Metro Area or forget about it. The phrase, "If you have to choose between me and radio... you obviously shouldn't be with me" came up often. No wonder I'm not dating that person anymore
Although I haven't lived with my parents in 5 years, they are entirely supportive of my career and it makes them happy to see me happy.
As for working in a career where co-workers are your competition, well... it all depends on how well you know each other among other things. Some radio people, if they are truly friends.... work is work and ratings are ratings. That stuff gets left at the studio and off the air, they are just regular people.
Thank you for your honesty. I guess I just haven't observed the same things. It's like allaccess.com's updates that list several deaths every day but rarely does anyone retire under a good situation. I've been told "Radio eats it's own". Anyone out there with some years (20+) in the business that can offer their opinion or experience?
I don't quite have 20, but I am pushing 15 years. Let's put it this way... I've gotten out of rado twice during my career, and have kept coming back. It is something you do strictly for love of the business. If you go in thinking that you are going to make a ton of money, radio is probably not going to work out for you. There is money to be made, but it's mostly in sales. On-air money comes if you are a top personality in a large or major market. The rest of us do it for the love of it. I work primarily in promotions and marketing, which gives me some experience to move into another industry, which has happened. The on-air portion of my job is strictly for the enjoyment of that aspect. As Paul said, some people consider success in terms of money, some people consider it in terms of being "famous." Personally, it actually makes me a little uncomfortable when people know who I am. Especially if they come up to you and say something like "I know you from your website." I consider success in that we work as a team to turn out the best product possible... both for our listners and our advertisers (despite what many people on this board think.... radio IS a business). I consider it a success when one of my young interns is able to work their way up the ladder and get their first chance at doing something on a part-time basis, whether it be an air-shift or a board-op job. You never know where those things are going to lead. I get tired of people thinking that they are owed something because they interned for a couple of months. I consider it successful when thise interns have busted their butts to make an impression and are considered for those openings because it's the way I started out many years ago, and I like to think that I and the people I have worked with have taught them well.
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PaulBWalkerJr
Guest
radiopromoguy said:
You said it very well...it's kinda weird when people know who I am, off air. They come up to me like I'm a celebrity, which is odd.. as that's not how I view myself.
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BroadcastAmericaRadio
Guest
The business is rough on relationships. Radio stations are like "sink holes" and people are known to be at a station well in excess of their working hours. Wives, lovers etc who are not also in the business are usually not prepared for that level of committment and interest in something that they view as a "job".
So it sounds like success in radio requires that Radio be placed in the spot of first priority and "love" of the individual. Correct?! A spouse would definitely need to understand how to play second fiddle. Can anyone give evidence that such dedication can result in great rewards? It seems that those I've met that used to be in the business display the grumpy ol' man attitude and are pretty pestimestic about life in general. I know that this whole discussion sounds pretty deep. I'm just very interested in understanding the pull of such a demanding career. I get the need for some for fame, and for others for wealth, but I don't see Radio delivering on either of those except for a very elite set of people (i.e. Stern) and then I'm not sure if it's worth it.
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tjthedj
Guest
I got interested in radio at age 12. I got my first radio job at age 14. By the time I was 23 I owned a station purchased weith a $25,000 down payment.
At 26 I owned 2 stations. Married at 27. Station 3 came at age 30, and 4 at age 31. Then found and sold a few frequencies.
At age 35 a doctor visited my office and bought all of the properties for over a million dollars.
Then I helped a friend sell his stations and earned a nice commission.
On my 37th birthday my wife baby daughter and I took a YEAR vacation.
Then, I (by a friends recommendation) got into the funeral business selling pre-arrangements, (and doing some radio on the side) went to school 5 years and became a Catholic Deacon.
Today I'm a (very happy) chaplain with a very fat bank account (called security) at a 100 bed nursing home. Money is not a problem.
I lived my dream and got out when "the getting was good." I'm happily dreaming about other things now.
At 26 I owned 2 stations. Married at 27. Station 3 came at age 30, and 4 at age 31. Then found and sold a few frequencies.
At age 35 a doctor visited my office and bought all of the properties for over a million dollars.
Then I helped a friend sell his stations and earned a nice commission.
On my 37th birthday my wife baby daughter and I took a YEAR vacation.
Then, I (by a friends recommendation) got into the funeral business selling pre-arrangements, (and doing some radio on the side) went to school 5 years and became a Catholic Deacon.
Today I'm a (very happy) chaplain with a very fat bank account (called security) at a 100 bed nursing home. Money is not a problem.
I lived my dream and got out when "the getting was good." I'm happily dreaming about other things now.
Wow! Amazing story. Sounds like Radio was a stepping-stone to the rest of your life. Do you think that such trip is still possible in this day of big corporations running most stations?
Okay, these are sincere questions from a "radio-outsider." a) How do you know if you are "successful" in radio? b) does anyone ever achieve success in radio and maintain healthy family relationships? c) What's it like to work in a career where even your co-workers are your competition?
a) There's no standard measure of success. If you still love some part-time small market gig that pays relatively little and is one aspect of a full and happy life, who's to say your connection with radio is not a success?
b) Job pressures take their toll in all professions, especially these days. At the end of the day, or your working years, few regret that they didn't spend more time at the office. Decide when you're done paying certain dues and proving something to yourself or others. An insecure person torn by personal conflict won't find the answers burying themselves in their work.
c) In a business that's not very manpower intensive, it's easy to feel like you're in someone else's way or vice versa. Whether you're managing people or interacting with co-workers, what goes around does come around. People at the same company inside the same building often get so lost in the small stuff they forget they're really on the same side. Howard Stern is one of radio's greats not because of his paycheck, but because he actually got choked up on "60 Minutes" talking about how he doesn't express his profound appreciation enough to the staff he works with.
a) There's no standard measure of success. If you still love some part-time small market gig that pays relatively little and is one aspect of a full and happy life, who's to say your connection with radio is not a success?
b) Job pressures take their toll in all professions, especially these days. At the end of the day, or your working years, few regret that they didn't spend more time at the office. Decide when you're done paying certain dues and proving something to yourself or others. An insecure person torn by personal conflict won't find the answers burying themselves in their work.
c) In a business that's not very manpower intensive, it's easy to feel like you're in someone else's way or vice versa. Whether you're managing people or interacting with co-workers, what goes around does come around. People at the same company inside the same building often get so lost in the small stuff they forget they're really on the same side. Howard Stern is one of radio's greats not because of his paycheck, but because he actually got choked up on "60 Minutes" talking about how he doesn't express his profound appreciation enough to the staff he works with.
I also notice that the happiest people don't base their whole identity on what they do, even though other people like to label us that way. If the career thing doesn't work out, they often move on to something else. Too many radio people have mistakenly thought their skills were limited to radio. It ain't so. Some non-radio background can be the best perspective on dealing with a crazy business.
Hi Main_Street - thanks for making us THINK about what we do. I've been doing radio since 1977. Here's my spin:
Success is relative. Like any other business. And it depends on what your measure of success is. Jocks who move from city to city their whole careers - shaking up thier family and lives - may be successful because they're earning good money (a liability these days). But I'd question the price of their "success". On the other hand, if you're pulling enough $$ to keep you comfortable in an inexpensive midwestern town, and you're happy, then you're successful too.
I'm still madly in love with the girl I met 20 years ago - we've been married for 11 years, and now have a baby girl. I used to work 15 hour days, and it was a strain on the relationship, but we always made time and got through it with no problem. One thing that's helped is NOT moving - I've always worked in CT or MA. Turned down many offers across the country, and have spent most of my career in Boston. We're living pretty large, so I guess I've achieved "success" and maintained a somewhat balanced, healthy life.
I've never seen it that way - my co-workers are friends and allies that can help open opportunities and get you gigs. Many are now lifelong friends. People I've worked with who are secretive and guarded tend to miss out on a lot of goodwill, as the radio community is a brotherhood. Just look at this message board! If you're good at what you do, have confidence in yourself, and a positive attitude - you'll have nothing to worry about from your co-workers.
But management is a different story. The recent layoffs from Clear Channel - sacking 20 year vets, then posting an opening for their job (WKSS) is a clear sign that the priority is cheap labor. The corporate mantra now is "work even harder, shut up about money, and maybe you won't get laid off." It's sad to see competent people who've worked hard for decades, possibly poured their heart and soul into a station, get shown the door simply because they earn more than management NOW wants to pay. That's your reward.
For that reason, I recommend NOT pursuing a career in radio until the industry stabilizes.
Success is relative. Like any other business. And it depends on what your measure of success is. Jocks who move from city to city their whole careers - shaking up thier family and lives - may be successful because they're earning good money (a liability these days). But I'd question the price of their "success". On the other hand, if you're pulling enough $$ to keep you comfortable in an inexpensive midwestern town, and you're happy, then you're successful too.
I'm still madly in love with the girl I met 20 years ago - we've been married for 11 years, and now have a baby girl. I used to work 15 hour days, and it was a strain on the relationship, but we always made time and got through it with no problem. One thing that's helped is NOT moving - I've always worked in CT or MA. Turned down many offers across the country, and have spent most of my career in Boston. We're living pretty large, so I guess I've achieved "success" and maintained a somewhat balanced, healthy life.
I've never seen it that way - my co-workers are friends and allies that can help open opportunities and get you gigs. Many are now lifelong friends. People I've worked with who are secretive and guarded tend to miss out on a lot of goodwill, as the radio community is a brotherhood. Just look at this message board! If you're good at what you do, have confidence in yourself, and a positive attitude - you'll have nothing to worry about from your co-workers.
But management is a different story. The recent layoffs from Clear Channel - sacking 20 year vets, then posting an opening for their job (WKSS) is a clear sign that the priority is cheap labor. The corporate mantra now is "work even harder, shut up about money, and maybe you won't get laid off." It's sad to see competent people who've worked hard for decades, possibly poured their heart and soul into a station, get shown the door simply because they earn more than management NOW wants to pay. That's your reward.
For that reason, I recommend NOT pursuing a career in radio until the industry stabilizes.
Will the industry stabilize??
Thank you, Signpost. I think you made some very helpful suggestions that have helped with your success. Making the sacrifice to stay within the area would be a huge benefit to your personal relationships. Families tend to need stability. Would you say this is becoming more difficult to do when so much of the industry is controlled by large corporations that like to rotate their people (i.e. Clear Channel) for the sake of budgetary concerns? Did you ever have a backup plan? Which brings up another good question.
What other career choices are there for long-term radio people? I know it would depend upon the talents and skills of the individual, but are there any careers that become the logical alternatives?
What other career choices are there for long-term radio people? I know it would depend upon the talents and skills of the individual, but are there any careers that become the logical alternatives?
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tjthedj
Guest
Careers? Holding up currency exchanges comes to mind.
But seriously, it's the nature of the business to be "unstable" - unless you can be an owner.
Other careers? I would think anything involving sales (if that's your bag), insurance, public relations, anything dealing with the public, ministry, teaching (depending on your education),maybe something music related all could be spin-offs. I was very successful selling funeral pre-arrangements. It's was a great job.
I know a guy who bought a few laundromats and another who opened a very successful pizza place.
But seriously, it's the nature of the business to be "unstable" - unless you can be an owner.
Other careers? I would think anything involving sales (if that's your bag), insurance, public relations, anything dealing with the public, ministry, teaching (depending on your education),maybe something music related all could be spin-offs. I was very successful selling funeral pre-arrangements. It's was a great job.
I know a guy who bought a few laundromats and another who opened a very successful pizza place.
J
jiminCT
Guest
Local personality radio was what many consider to be the golden age of radio...is largely gone. The Marty McGillicuddies of corporate radio cant see the forest through the trees and realize that LOCAL CONTENT is what makes a station unique and will keep people listening. Bob Steele comes to mind here...obviously a very unique talent. Most people in corporate radio see the peripherals and view radio as a commodity..and are willing to cut corners (syndicated radio) to achieve their porduct. Good radio requires effort...LOCALLY.
STRONG local product always sells. Additonally, local DJs added to music with their knowledge of artists (glory days of NYC-FM rock radio)...that important. Making a connection with your audience. Most of the CT stations have none of that...just sanitized going-through-the-motion radio.
STRONG local product always sells. Additonally, local DJs added to music with their knowledge of artists (glory days of NYC-FM rock radio)...that important. Making a connection with your audience. Most of the CT stations have none of that...just sanitized going-through-the-motion radio.
PLR and CC are live and loclal. They play music I like to listen to. I used to watch Bob Steele on saturday mornings on Channel 20. That was great! We had a black and white television back then and Channel 20 was thew only one that came in and it had wrestling on it! I wish I could have a job on the radio. They only work 4 or 5 hours a day and make good money. That's the good life!
Ok, time for a quick education. Unless your working one of the "drive" shifts, which is the morning show or afternoon show, you aren't making good money. Midday's usually are given to the music director, so the money there isn't horrible. You would be surprised how many of your local evening and overnights jocks have other full time employment to supplement thier radio income. It's been said many times before and bears repeating, people go into the business for the love of it, knowing that there isn't a boatlaod of money to be made
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