Slow death

[Ron_Mexico]

It should come as no surprise that Forbes Magazine is reporting that radio ranks among the worst for job growth in the 21 st century. They cite technology and consolidation as the main culprit. Radio is still showing a 5 percent decline in jobs, well after the original slash and burning that went on in the late 90's during the advent of computer automation and heavy syndication. This should do a lot to convince young people to become broadcasters.

When will major companies learn that lack of investment into talented and creative people leads to lackluster, bland programming. Radio listenership is not down, because of the ipod or the internet, listenership is down because of the lack of entertaining programming. Entertain me, and I'll be there no matter what form of media.

It would be interesting to see if radio listenership has dropped in recent years in correlation with the elimination of jobs and high priced talent. Should radio die, the companies will only have themselves to blame. For now though we continue to support these mediums and justify their bottom line.

Unfortunately, this ugly trend will likely spread to Televison that has abandoned creative shows for reality TV, where you can pay cast members next to nothing and barely hire any writers (Yes, reality TV is scripted to a certain degree, and does require writers who work for non union wages). It's unfortunate that comglomerates put so little value on creativity.

http://fmqb.com/goout.asp?u=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21311274/

 

[Radknowski]

The most direct way to make money in radio is to become a sales pimp. It's not an easy life, but if you build, steal or inherit a good account list, you can do six figures. You'll have to work like a dog the first few years, but it can be done. There are some marginal players who are making mid 50's, so if you're diligent, have some smarts and treat clients and co-workers with respect and appreciation, six figures is not out of the question after about five years. Sales can suck the life out of you, kill your car and run through a marriage or two, but it's the only way you'll be appreciated in the business.

Management looks at jocks as little more than an appendage or an annoyance. Most GM's wish they could run their stations like Fickle or Jack. GM's get paid on the bottom line, performance and cash flow. They love people who bring in the money and hate the people who cost them money. This may sound harsh, but it's the stone cold truth.

 

[Mike Sheridan]

I don't know if things have changed but at the last station I worked for (a soft A/C at the time) full time the sales staff was 95% female. The turnover rate in sales was very high. Ratings were good so I don't know what the problem was.

I hate to paint a negitive picture but I don't see radio as a good career choice for anyone. No job security and very little money, not anything new but it's getting worse.

 

[SirRoxalot]

Chinese Solution

Corporate CEO's seem unaware - or don't care - that they are executioners, killing radio by the slow, torturous process known as "the death of a thousand cuts".

 

[The Voice of Reason]

Corporate greed is the culprit for the demise of radio. The ‘suits’ figure why spend money hiring or keeping top-notch talent when they can farm out personalities through voice-tracking or automation. Local news; as the Sopranos would say…..forgetaboutit! Many radio stations news departments consist of some Ted Baxter-type reading out of the morning newspaper, or they throw a switch and let some Barbie and Ken read the news from an anchor desk at a local TV station. The mentality from management is why care what’s on the air between morning and afternoon drive, just keep playing the same 300 songs, or plug in some right-wing blowhart spewing his/her opinion. As for radio in the evenings, there is a lost cause. The mentality that prevails in radio today is someday going to bite that industry in the ass because communication majors right out of college have no interest in working for radio. There is no money or jobs in that field. What’s left is an aging group of veterans who are just hanging in there because they either can’t find better-paying jobs or they are waiting for the magic age of 62 when those Social Security checks start arriving in the mail. Even seasoned veterans are being shown the front door and replaced by Mr. Otto Mation, or someone willing to work for 20k a year. All this talk of IOBC improving the quality of AM is amusing when one thinks about it. The ‘suits’ spend millions on improving a signal nobody listens too but will cut jobs just to improve their bottom line. The bottom has fallen out of radio; it’s now in a free-fall.

 

[Mike Sheridan]

Yep all true. Nobody cares as long as the spots run.

As for news, Metro Networks (traffic) did the local cast for morning drive where I used to work. Most of the traffic shops aren't usually the highest paying.

I wish it was as easy as waiting for 62. Most will only have Social Security and that's not enough to retire on.

 

[Element9]

And there's more encouraging news, as if people in the third circle of hell didn't already know it:

Radio a "worst job for the 21st Century." The U.S. Labor Department says radio will be among the slowest-growing industries in the coming decade. Government economists say consolidation and technology breakthroughs will lead to 5% fewer radio announcers by 2015. Among the "negatives" for radio work - shift work and low pay, with the median salary for a radio employee about $11 an hour.

Now go take on the day.

-9-

 

[Mark Giardina]

What saddens me is seeing radio go from a viable and enjoyable business over three decades and has ended up for the most part being just a money-making tool for some huge corporation.

To think back when I started in Rochester there were 8 stations that had 24 hour a day local news operations staffed with talented and dedicated people. Today only two radio stations in Rochester bother to carry local news and most of that news consists of reporting on news conferences, homicides, fires and car accidents. What ever happened to investigative journalism?

One would think that with the advent of the internet that personality radio would be popular, especially for people who work and can stream audio at their computers while also performing their daily duties. Instead after 9 am local personality radio virtually dries up and is replaced by god knows what.

There was a time when one could turn on WBBF, WAXC, or WHAM and hear not only your favorite announcers all day and night, but also some good tunes. It truly is a shame we can’t turn the hands of the clock back to the “good old days.” But unfortunately, with the exception of a ‘few’ stations that are locally owned and operated by radio professionals, that isn’t going to happen.

I hate to see the state of radio in five or ten years from now. That’s about the time the current on-air staff will either be retiring or forced out the door because they make too much money. Then what? As someone who worked in radio news for 30 years I am appalled what comes across as being local news coverage. What is even more of a tragedy is the lack of young people trying to break into the radio business. But then again who can blame them for seeking careers in other professions?

A word of warning, even for the die-hard fans of public radio. People are not going to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars getting a college degree only to be offered some low-ball salary just to be on the air. My generation might have worked for pennies, but at least we had the opportunity for advancement. These new broadcasters don’t, unless they decide to go into sales, or management.

 

[alw]

Please excuse me while I go open a vein.......

 

[SirRoxalot]

Vein Appeal

Please excuse me while I go open a vein.......

Hey, don't waste that blood. Go to one of the blood banks that pays, donate, and take that $10.00. Now, tune in to your favorite public broadcasting beg-a-thon and pledge that money!

 

[jefflaurence]

Yeeesh..this is grim..as I posted on the tampa board:

One has to wonder if this is becoming a "non industry" like blacksmithing and typesetters. The technology has become the entertainment. With rare exceptions we have gone backwards to the point that we started with the same show on hundreds of stations coast to coast and worldwide..and with mini-networks, and voicetracking (itself a mini network) the industry has eroded itself to a non-profession.

A successful pizzeria makes a GREAT pizza with GREAT HOME MADE CRUST. It is known as the BEST IN THAT TOWN..one day another cook comes in and uses a little less pepperoni ..a few less mushrooms..thins out the sauce a little and nobody notices. Soon a new manager comes in and says that the same number of people will buy the pizza if they take off a few more ingredients..and they do. it works for awhile but..another owner from a major pizza chain comes in and uses the same premade crust that he uses in another town where he owns sevearal pizza shops, and a new younger cook comes in and decides that they don't need as much cheese on it and cuts back on the sauce even more..fewer people buy the pizza but that's okay because it costs SO much less to make, and the pizzeria can make MORE money. After awhile there are no more people coming in to buy the pizza because they found other things they like to eat. One day the pizza place sees thier errors after being dumped by the chain, and returns to the original recipe. But nobody cares anymore. They found other things they like better. Today the pizza place is a parking lot.

 

[oaktree]

And as fun and, generally, affordable as Internet radio is ... you don't seriously think the "job market" will be any better there, do you?

Secondly, it's the devil in the details ... anyone have any ideas on how to pay people, the electric bill, buy equipment (takes money,) pay the rent on tower space and studio building without advertising? (And, so far, about 8 units an hour is a minimum to do it,) while still convincing advertisers that radio is a "best buy?"

Who the heck do you think pays for this stuff? Listener donations? No ... because that model doesn't work, either ...

So, we don't like corporate greed, don't want "profit" because spots are a "turnoff" but you don't want advertising, either. Oh, maybe a station's web site will pay the freight. No, that doesn't work.

Radio is doomed without compelling content that co$t$ dollars. It's not created for free ... and there's not a whole lot of compelling content that people are willing to pay for, it seems, these days.

And even satellite at $13 a month isn't making money with NO spots and 14-million subscribers a month.

Incidentally, take a look at some of the ridiculous sat channel numbers and see how a cume of 200 people for "original" programming not on terrestrial radio will pay the bills.

So, if not money, what? And should broadcasters just reach down deep and spend on what they won't get a return? Don't think that model will work, either ... Radio is not free.

 

[Mike Sheridan]

And there's more encouraging news, as if people in the third circle of hell didn't already know it:

Radio a "worst job for the 21st Century." The U.S. Labor Department says radio will be among the slowest-growing industries in the coming decade. Government economists say consolidation and technology breakthroughs will lead to 5% fewer radio announcers by 2015. Among the "negatives" for radio work - shift work and low pay, with the median salary for a radio employee about $11 an hour.

Now go take on the day.

-9-

Even that doesn't tell the whole story. Voicetracking I was making $10 an hour. The content we did was so little it only took an hour to do everything for a 5 hour shift. That incuded inserting the breaks, voicing them and checking the pre recorded sweepers to make sure they didn't step on the vocals. The old PD allowed us to put down 3 hours for a shift even though we could do it in an hour. After he left the deal got changed and we were told that if it takes an hour you get paid for an hour. So I would end up making $10 to VT a 5 hour shift. Not even enough money for gas at todays prices so I said goodbye.

Radio as a career is over.

 

[Radknowski]

Today the pizza place is a parking lot.

Your pizza joint analogy was priceless, Jeff. So, I'm nominating you for Board Laureate Of The Month, October. (Sorry Rox.)

We've seen (and heard) so many AM radio stations that have been run into the ground like a '65 Plymouth Valiant. Yet, there are men and women like Bob Savage-WYSL, Dick Greene-WLVL, Lou Schriver-WXRL and Dan Fischer-WBTA who make small market radio work quite well.

Why can't some of the barons of broadcasting devise a plan that would make stations like KB work in tandem with their co-owned market leaders?

Going back to your pizza joint analogy, the only thing that might make that pizza worse would be imported cheese from China. "Try our new lead topping pizza... ummmmm deliscious!"

 

[SirRoxalot]

Your pizza joint analogy was priceless, Jeff. So, I'm nominating you for Board Laureate Of The Month, October. (Sorry Rox.)

I'll gladly hand my ivy wreath over to Mr. Laurence. Please don't chop it up and use it as pizza topping, Jeff.

 

[rockerdude]

guess we can all thank Bush for allowing "the suits' to kill radio ...maybe HE should give up a vein instead of watching everyone else bleed to death !

 

[cee]

Insert Quote
guess we can all thank Bush for allowing "the suits' to kill radio ...maybe HE should give up a vein instead of watching everyone else bleed to death !

I'm normally the last person in the world to defend our truly loathsome current Commander in Chief...but it was the Telcom Act of '96 that started(or really speeded up) the whole thing and that was signed into law by Bill Clinton. If Bush, his Dad, Bob Dole or any other republican president or candidate from recent years were president in 1996, they would no doubt have also signed this bill. The day Clinton signed the Telcom Act, I read in Inside Radio that he wasn't really in favor of it, but didn't feel that strong against it to have Congress(controlled by republicans at the time) overide his veto. Too bad he didn't at least have a little more backbone like Harry Truman did when he vetoed the Taft Hartley Act(knowing full well congress would overide that veto...they did). But whatever, money talks and congress and the White House listen. And the NAB has lots green stuff at their disposal.

 

[SirRoxalot]

Dude!

guess we can all thank Bush for allowing "the suits' to kill radio ...maybe HE should give up a vein instead of watching everyone else bleed to death !

Dude, you must be a youngster. This has been going on a lot longer than the Bush administration. In fact, the Communications Act of 1996 - in the midst of the Clinton administration - reset the FCC rules to solidify large corporate's grip on the broadcasting industry.

It's a much more complicated issue than that. There are issues of free speech, economics, governmental control / interference in commerce (depending on your point of view), etc. involved in the discussion. Your simplistic Bush bash is like a blaming it on "the man". Oh, wait, is "the man" still around? Or is that just a "That '70s Show" reference?

In any event, this is not the forum for political discussion. Try "FCC Policy Debate", "Take It Outside", or "Off the Air" for that discussion. I'm sure that you'll find a full range of opinions there.

 

[rockerdude]

yikes...thanks for the enlightenment guys...however I do think throwing politics into the mix is fitting since it sounds like the government has a huge impact on the future of our media. I like to think of myself as a youngster and I appreciate responses from you "older' folks. lol

 

[NeedsMoreCowbell]

While we all agree that robust radio growth isn't in the forecast, let me once again be a broken record and reiterate that radio isn't going anywhere. Will thousands of young broadcasters get high paying jobs in radio this year straight out of college? No. But neither will the consolidation trend continue unabated, and that makes me hopeful for the future.

As people cast their lots for the assets of Clear Channel, that means more opportunity for mom and pop operations to rejuvenate this business at a grass roots level. Small town broadcasting is coming back, mark my words, and radio will emerge a leaner, stronger, more creative industry.

Radio is going to continue to be a vital part of people's lives for a very long time - wish I could say the same for the newspaper industry!