Should PD's be On the Air?

[Rhythmon]

I've often questioned the reasoning behind the Upper Management choice to allow a Program Director to do an air shift. Shouldn't programming a Major Market Station be a full time job? I can understand if this were Newport, Rhode Island or Topeka Kansas - where a PD may also answer the phones, and make sales calls But this is Seattle-Tacoma people - Market #13!

It seems that since large corps have taken over radio, they love the idea of spending less money, and that's what a programmer who has a shift can offer - a reduction in operating costs. But when did profit margins become more important than just profits? In other words - station owners are making a lot of money, yet they want to make even MORE money. Is it really worth it in the long run? Doesn't either the programming of the station, or the strength of the daypart, suffer the consequences of such a consolidating decision somewhere along the way. How can a PD be effective in making programming decisions, and guiding and encouraging talent - at the same time they're prepping for a full on-air shift? It's more than one person can/should handle - and it shows.

I can think of two situation in seattle: Kent Phillips on KPLZ & Lazlo at KNDD. And judging by their recent numbers, this hasn't been a good decision for either. Any other PD's on the air in Seattle?

Your thoughts are encouraged.

 

[SeattleRadioPro]

One you missed - KUBE PD Eric Powers does PM Drive, and last I checked, they were doing REALLY well. Plus Scott Shannon has done mornings and held down the PD job - and he was VERY successful, so your market size argument is meaningless.

I don't think being on-air impacts the ability to program - in fact I think it even improves it as the PD in directly in touch with the station and its listeners. Plus it allows them to lead by example.

Personally, I liked doing an airshift when I was PD. For me, it was a three or four hour break from meetings, people constantly at your door, memos, etc.

 

[Rhythmon]

One you missed - KUBE PD Eric Powers does PM Drive, and last I checked, they were doing REALLY well.

Yes - forgot about Powers on KUBE. But I think KUBE does so well b/c Seattle has no other competitive Rhythmic AC options to choose from (don't say KQMV is a viable alternative to KUBE please)

To my experience, Major Market PD's are so crazy-busy constantly that I don't see how they can find the time to do both effectively. For example Shawn Stewart (KMTT) removed herself from on-air upon becoming PD for this very reason (although she didn't last long - but that's not the reason why)

Personally, I liked doing an airshift when I was PD. For me, it was a three or four hour break from meetings, people constantly at your door, memos, etc.

Please explain where you found the time!?!

But you do make some good points SRP. I can see a PD being more in touch with the listener and audience by being on air - that can certainly be seen as an advantage. And of course, there will be extra-ordinary exceptions ie: Shannon

 

[radioprofessor]

I agree 100%. PD's should not be on the air, they tend to lose perspective and lack control over their own show and station. Scott Shannon at WPLJ is a perfect example of that. When controlled by a strong PD he is a strong talent. When acting in both positions (Pirate Radio and WPLJ) the results have not been good. I would agree that KUBE has no real competition, so a competitive PD is a mute point. Same can be said of the PD/Morning host at KCMS. The PD at the END is not strong as a programmer or air-talent in my humble opinion. This is a Topeka, Kansas kind of show. The ratings and airshift perform poorly. KPLZ seems to be on a bit an upswing of late compared to other HOT/AC stations nationally and certainly had success in the 90's with Phillips as PD, however, I suspect a consultant makes most of the decisions. Phillips is a defacto PD, serving more of a role of Assistant PD, spending most of his day as a radio talent and tv host. I have seen this kind of consultant/PD-Host scenario work, but usually only in short-term interim situations. I also disagree that because a PD is not on the air she/he is out of touch with listeners and air-staff. To the contrary, an off-air PD is less swayed by phones or other air-talent and has a more balanced perspective. Being a major market PD is a full-time position, more than a full-time position. The strong PD's go on sales calls, keep an eye on industry trends and stay focused on their job which is different than being an air-talent.

 

[TakeItFromMe]

Right on cowboys Air-talent make the worst PD's, having just been through a bit of that working for a PD/On-Air talent in a couple of gigs. My show had bigger ratings than the PD, how do you think that sat in our "coaching sessions" I will say Powers and Phillips have done pretty darn well. KUBE remains a pretty strong station and it takes some talent to keep a station on top, even with no competition dudes. KPLZ was a legendary station in the 90's with some big ole numbers with Phillips at the helm and on mornings and to be fair has made a pretty good turn around of late with this new format playing everything they put on a few months ago. Makes sense that it was a consultant that came to down and fixed it, but give Phillips credit for at least listening. How many PD's have ya worked for that don't listen :'( With a few exceptions I think PD should be a full-time job and not on the air. Good thread dude. ;D

 

[yoyo205]

When did Seattle become market 13? I would understand if that was the case, the Seattle/Tacoma market is growing tremendously... Radio and Records ratings are still show Seattle/Tacoma as 14 and Puerto Rico as #13

 

[LITTLEBOYBLUE]

I'm a fan of PD's doing a shift (at least) once in awhile. Mostly because it gives them a chance to "execute" their own instructions. Have seen so many cases where PD issues a set of instructions ... music dir has instructions ... promo dir has instructions ... and you end up with something like 25 things that need to fit into 6 places to put them. All because it's one perspective "on paper" and another to bring it all together and make it work. Example...PD does a clock and puts a "talk spot" in it. Promo Dir wants a particular contest to run ... Music Dir schedules a song in the sweep with cold start. Jock then has choice of stopping down mid-set (dumb) ... pissing off a PD or MD by swapping songs or breaking the clock rule, etc.

A PD wouldn't have to be on air every day to have that perspective ... but voluntarily taking a "sick person" (which in this business literally covers everyone!) shift or something once in awhile helps "test" the mechanics of the station.

Once had a staff meeting where they would say "hit this three times an hour" ... and then had PD step into the booth a little later and say "ya need to stop mentioning the ???? all the time". Okee dokee......do ya want us to back off on the 3x/hour requirement ... or DO the 3x/hour and sound like it's the only thing we know how to talk about??!!!

 

[djdan]

I think it depends on the individual. I work in several markets as an agency rep and see many jock/PD combinations. Several successful ones come to mind including Shannon in NY, Bobby R in Tucson and if I remember a Dallas station owner, was actually owner,GM, PD morning host and had a long successful run. There are many who fail in the dual role as well. In Seattle the results are mixed too. Lazlo at KNDD joins a long list of PD/Jock combinations that have not panned out here. Powers and Phillips are a different story I think. Power's station is number one 18-34 and his air-shift is number one 18-34. Phillips station is top 3 25-54 women and so is his morning show. Both stations are top billers in the market as well. Not sure how you define success but somehow I doubt Clear Channel (KUBE) or Fisher (KPLZ) are looking for an off-air PD right now.

 

[Bongwater]

Well, in this age of consolidation and job cutting, I'm surprised some PD's aren't emptying out garbage cans, scrubbing toilets and vacuuming floors on TOP of a shift AND their duties as PD.

Fact is, PD is a good job for the ego and anything less usually clashes with some folks in that position. I don't think that it's a bad thing. The closer they get to their actual listeners and regular folks on the street, the better it is. Besides, I didn't get into radio for the glamour of one day being some big shot programmer taking his tips off a s--t sheet like R&R. I got into radio to share music and news with the average folks out there and that's it. You can take me off the street, but you can't take the street out of me.

Back then, it might have been impossible, but today, people say I probably would make an excellent country radio jock. And today, I actually don't mind country music (I really like the classic stuff-I still miss KYCW-sniff!) Not that I'm a HUGE fan of today's stuff, but ya gotta love it when Tim McGraw got together with a rapper like Nelly. Or Bon Jovi earlier this year. At my age now and having worked on a few farms in Skagit County, it's not so bad.

However I still got my trusty old '65 Ford F-100 and if that clashes with your snazzy BMWs or Lexus' on either side of my damn space, well that's tough. Repairs are still a breeze and a hell of a lot cheaper now (at least compared to yours.)

Fried 'possum pecker anyone? (E-mail me for the Mystery Word [email protected] .)

Hell, when I was doing overnight board op in a small market, sometimes when we ran Larry King overnights or a Sunday morning religious show, I'd even help out the poor janitor if I had nothing else to do but sit and watch the boringly redundant VU meters. I ain't afraid to help out when I could be needed. Just slap on a Walkman radio, time it right and haul ass. Worked perfectly every time. And the fresh crisp night air to the dumpster and back can be invigorating after a few hours in the vacuum of a studio. And I never asked for anything in return from the janitor (although one night, she did compensate with some damn good weed.) And no. I smoked it when I got home.....

 

[radioprofessor]

While it is true many operations, especially in sub-50 markets tend to have the PD do mornings and take out the trash, in a major market this is not wise. Programming is a full-time job and requires time and attention. Seattle, as I have stated before, is not a very competitive market so programmer/air-talent like Powers and Phillips are able to thrive due to a weak environment. Both have been able, over a long period of time, to program successful, nationally recognized stations in their genre. I understand both make use of consultants. Both have recieved numerous programming awards. My point is that they are the exception, not the norm. The lack of talented programmers to challenge them helps. KBKS and MOVIN are very weak stations, though KBKS is on the rebound. This allows KUBE to run free. KRWM and JACK are very poor stations, which allows Phillips to increase ratings and win in coveted female demos. When KRWM was programmed by a friend of mine, Tony Coles, KPLZ had a tough time. This does not take away from the success of isolated programmers that are able to be on the air, but in a true competitive environment a Programmer needs to give 110% of their time to programming, in my humble view.

 

[mjcarter1981]

While I can't speak for top markets, in the smaller markets, I don't see anything wrong with a PD having an air shift. I do believe, however, that the best air shift for a PD is afternoons, not mornings. I think the morning show should involve much more show prep and planning than the other shifts, and the PD has more responsibilities that would prevent him/her from adequately preparing a good morning show. Just my humble opinion.

 

[Media Mogul]

There was a time a few years ago that all PDs within the Citadel organization were required to carry an airshift. This was within the past four years or so. I would highly doubt this would be the case after the ABC sellout.

 

[TowerLamp]

Carol Handley does a good job balancing a daily shift (albeit voice tracked) and her PD duties at KWJZ.

 

[Steenman]

To make the statement that Seatlle isn't a competitive market and imply that guys like Kent Phillips have an easy time of it makes me laugh (not that he needs me to defend him!) He has continued to define and redefine KPLZ through many years, constantly tweeking the format, he is master of how to allocate promotional resources and for those of you that think that it's too much work to be on air and a program director, I am laughing so hard because Phillips, in addition to those duties, also owned frequencies in other markets, consulted stations in other markets, run a research company, in addition to his TV duties and being very active in community theatre. All at the same time! I suspect with him, having his hands into so many things is what makes him as good as he is. I point this out because I don't think there is a formulaic answer here, thank god it can still depend on individuals, not consultants, to make the decision whether to work on air as a PD. Great board, really enjoy the topics, thanks for letting me chime in.

 

[KMan]

I can think of two situation in seattle: Kent Phillips on KPLZ & Lazlo at KNDD. And judging by their recent numbers, this hasn't been a good decision for either. Any other PD's on the air in Seattle?

Lazlo should not be on the air. His show is awful. It is not funny. It is not engaging. And it makes me change the channel (and I'm in the freakin demo!).

On the other hand, musically, I think KNDD is sounding really good right now. But like I've been saying on this board for a while - there isn't enough music. Five hrs of no music in the mornings, Bobby's midday show has music but has a lot of chit chat as well, Lazlo barely spins anything and as soon as the music ends you have to switch stations anyways. Harms' show in the evenings is the only one on the station with a music focus, and then turns into a Pumpkin at 10PM for another two hours of no music.

Weekends are currently the best part of The End - heavy music all day long (and really well programmed music at that).

Lazlo needs to get off of the afternoons and Loveline needs to find its way to some other station in town before the End can start picking up in numbers again.

 

[Rhythmon]

Well - to be fair Lazlo is not THAT bad is he? - let's not be cruel. And I AM enjoying the music more, lately. (I'm in the KNDD demo too) Try this: bring back Dick Rossetti (again!!) to aft. drive and this time let him roll. The man is smart, clever, funny, in touch with the demo, and he knows his music. He knows how to compile an engaging break - without talking too much - and really relates to the audience. Yet he was canned (again!!) so the new PD could have a shift on the air (with his wife no less!) Bring back Rossetti!! Harms is great too. And I also like No-Name (Bob) while I'm at it. Lots of potential at the end.

So - my point remains - a Major Market PD should not also carry an air shift. There's just too many other important things to do. And if a PD has some down time - how 'bout going on a sales call with a big client!?! Someone mentioned this earlier and it's a good point. It makes a bigger impact than you may think, to have a PD in some of those big ad-client meetings talking about positioning and targets and music choices. And a well spoken PD can totally seal the deal.

 

[CCMilesD]

Well - to be fair Lazlo is not THAT bad is he? - let's not be cruel. And I AM enjoying the music more, lately. (I'm in the KNDD demo too) Try this: bring back Dick Rossetti (again!!) to aft. drive and this time let him roll. The man is smart, clever, funny, in touch with the demo, and he knows his music. He knows how to compile an engaging break - without talking too much - and really relates to the audience. Yet he was canned (again!!) so the new PD could have a shift on the air (with his wife no less!) Bring back Rossetti!! Harms is great too. And I also like No-Name (Bob) while I'm at it. Lots of potential at the end

I'm also in the Endd's demo, and personally think that Lazlo's show is awful and doesn't fit the city. Its the only time during the day that I turn OFF KNDD and listen to iTunes while at work... It seems like a PD doing a mid-day airshift wouldn't be a bad idea, I like the idea that you could put into practice the instructions you give other talent, and stay in touch with the listener..... I had a PD once that would do fill-in work and would always come out of the time on air with a renewed prospective (usally good!) on our jobs....

But doing something like mornings, or drive-time.... your ego has to get caught in there somewhere and it would be hard to be objective, especially when you're putting on a big production show like Lazlo does.

 

[slickkicker]

PD's don't program or manage much these days. They're babysitters.

My career goal was to format and brand a station in a large market. By the late 1990's it became all too clear that local management wouldn't be afforded those opportunities. Even in markets the size of Seattle some out of town yahoo will ask you to book a room, meet at some chain waterhole, provide transportation to and from the airport and then critique your outlet from a "Texas" perspective. Yuck.

Todays PD should do a shift or at least be the fill-in person during vacations and holidays. Doing a shift in this day doesn't break a sweat outside of AMD. My last gig was live during stopsets and tracked for sweeps. I'd be in the Production studio "monitoring" my show while "multi-tasking".

Some years ago a very influential PD groused to me about how he had to run three stations while his highest profile morning man earned three times his salary. Today he might think about doing a shift and making some extra scratch.

 

[van hespen]

I remember hearing that once a pd goes off air to manage, he/she is much more expendable. Doing both jobs provides some career stability. Not that this is always the best thing for the station, however. It's the "appearance of due diligence."

 

[ambandwidth]

agreed, lazlo needs to go...
what about the hearsay of marco collins back in town? -he'll always represent what was great about the end-
now if someone in the twin towers had fortitude to bring back rosetti & marco-it'd be worth listening to
(again).If it stays as is(which it will)=intolerable.