Thompson & Bob: thanks for the kind words; I'm with you, I consider this a place to exchange ideas, good, bad and ugly. I'd LIKE to think something I say here helps, or at least makes people think through what they do. If not, it cost me a little time to post it and you even less time to read it... like we say about people being able to turn the station, if people don't like my posts they certainly don't have to read them. (I understand there's talk about allowing you to ignore users on this board... I think that's a GREAT idea, and would allow anybody who wanted to shut out my blather, to do so.)
BITTERLIKE YOU: I'm going to give a serious answer to your smart-ankle question, because I doubt I'm the only person who feels this way.
I
am a PD, as you mentioned, at my "low-budg website." It is a job that can only be part time and costs me instead of paying me for my time. It's a lot of fun, even though (because?) I can do things there I would NEVER do on the air if I were PD of a terrestrial station. As G Thompson said, I have been PD before, and took a job at half the pay across town because of the balderdash involved. One of my heroes who shall go unnamed has said he wouldn't accept a PD position no matter how much money they offered him, and that's what I found out in my position: there are things I WON'T do for money.
The problem isn't PDs, the problem isn't the staff, it is the money... what I mean is, corporate has to answer to share holders who really don't care what you think might make money down the road, what is good for the community, or what feels like a good risk to your "gut;" they want a return on their investment, and they want it NOW.
As a result, corporate tells PDs what to do to cut costs (maximize revenue), and then holds PDs responsible for their decisions and how it affects the ROI. In other words, PDs have responsibility, but not control. This is happening around the country, not just here it Tulsa... it's EVERYWHERE. It puts talented people in difficult positions... and occasionally allows corporate to put complete idiots in the PD position and have them be successful by corporate standards because they're basically puppets. (We ALL likely know one or two of these...)
There are degrees of this control, of course, and there are some pleasant exceptions in town. Everybody wants to make money, but look at Shamrock as one company who seems to let their PDs actually program. KXOJ may be similar; it's been too long since I've been there, but since this is "home" for the company it seems more likely more decisions are made locally. Rhenda may also be more like that as well, I'm not that familiar with their setup either. Then you have KCFO-AM 970, KRVT-AM 1270, AM 1340 (KJMU?), and KXTD-AM 1530, none of which are making a killing but would likely be a LOT of fun to take the helm of.
Most stations don't want me to be their PD any more than I want to PD for them. I want to stand or fall based on my station's performance. Don't give me a checklist of things to make sure my "appearance" is good, watch and see if I generate an audience and income! If I don't, cut me loose.
There's not a publicly traded company in town that would risk their property on an unproven jock like me... not one. If I could fit into their straightjacket and them take the blame if their ideas don't work, then I'd be their man. Otherwise, forget it.
...I am curious as to what I would do on this board besides sideline QB every other company's decisions? What should I be posting? I'm not aware of being the most bitter, most attacking, or the person most talking down radio on this board by a long shot... is my vision that blurry? Or is it that you just wish I would shut up?
As far as sideline QB-ing my OWN decisions... do you REALLY want that? I figure me telling you everything that's wrong about my internet station would make for rather boring reading. Certainly if you want the list, I'll be happy to get it to you, but if I knew a way to change what's not right with it I would have done it. A lot of it is time, which I don't have right now... so check back in 5 years.
And yes, the website design stinks, that's because I built it myself in Notepad and I haven't learned CSS yet which would greatly ease my work on it... there's that time issue again. So the site blows and the stream blows... but it's better than nothing and as I said it's a lot of fun (wait'll you hear what we do for Halloween!).
I do love radio, you're right, and always have... and thank you for saying I'm a smart guy. I don't know if I'm smart or if I've just been lucky enough to work for and with some really smart people. My 2nd PD taught me 10 years' worth of jock knowledge and experience in two years... my growth under him was amazing... and that was just one station. I've always loved shooting the breeze with those who have been where and done what I can only dream about... I hope I've picked up some of their good advice along the way. If I have good ideas, you can likely blame those I listened to growing up and those I've worked for & with!
I'll repeat that there is NOT a company who would "hire me in a minute." In fact, it's been a challenge even to find jock work in this town... if I had been willing to move, perhaps I would have had better luck, but I've gotten an awful lot of "I love your work, we just don't have anything right now." After a while, you start wondering if the compliments from co-workers and listeners were just people being nice, and you start checking how much a garbage collector makes (more than a jock, I think).
My desire, my hope now is to simply be a jock. That's why I got into this business, it's what I love most. Tell me what to do on the air, I'll go do it. Realistically, I don't expect any station to let me do what I would want to do if I was PD, or APD, and I don't have much of a desire to do much of anything else in radio... management is just not in my blood. There was a time I thought it was, but broken promises and attached strings (and lies, and backstabbing, and...) beat that out of me. If a maverick local station offered me the chance to "pilot the ship," or even an APD or MD position with a good PD above me opened up, sure I'd look at it... I'm not holding my breath, though.
"All of my brilliance?" Should that be a serious statement, please see above, re, my mentors. I'd love to be calling the shots, but that's not what companies want.
I HAVE worked quite a few formats, and have been pretty darn successful in most of them. I've enjoyed some of them a lot more than others, though!
I'm also sure I would do better at programming some that others, although your good programmer depends on research and listener feedback (and advice from others in the biz) so most "mainstream" formats seem workable to me. As far as jocking, apparently I lean more AC than top 40 or rock... your musical tastes obviously have no impact on where you sound best on the air.
My current work situation, although not as much money or the hours I would prefer, is the best of many worlds: a stable station, format and company I can believe in, co-workers I enjoy working with and who encourage me to do better every day, a GREAT boss, and work I truly enjoy doing. What more could I ask for?
My wife is extremely jealous!
My apologies for the position
you find
yourself in. I wish you could enjoy your job like I enjoy
mine. 8)
