Talent development v. "executing the format"

[captainrexk]

I'm not going to take a side here, at least not for now. However, I just want to hear from anyone involved in radio because this is more for gaining perception rather than bolstering one side of an issue or the other.

Here goes: what role should a Program Director take when it comes to working with their staff? Should the PD work more in developing talent or should they focus on "executing the format?" Can the 2 co-exsist with the knowledge that the talent could possibly up and leave the station at some point in time? I see PDs posting job ads looking for jocks that "think out of the box" and "aren't glorified liner card readers." Yet it seems jocks end up doing what's scripted (or at least the main selling points). Do jocks take it upon themselves to develop their own talents? I know the more talented jocks can take a script and put it into their own style, and ad-lib along the lines of their format, target audience, etc. But I also know of PDs who'll call the hotline when they, or someone else from the station, hears something that they don't like or isn't in line with what the PD wants on the air.

So, are PDs really interested in developing their jocks, or making sure they "fall in line"? Do jocks who want to move along in their careers have to fo it on their own?

As I said, this is merely opinion and not for choosing one side over the other. And, I'd also like to get a sampling from those who may not work in radio, but fields related to it as well.

As Mills Lane would say, "...let's get it on!"

 

[Radio_Realist]

> And, I'd also like to get a sampling
> from those who may not work in radio, but fields related to
> it as well.

One of the things they teach you in Business School when you earn your MBA is that developing your human resources to make them more valuable to you is just as important as making any other resource more valuable. From a business perspective, improving an employee to make him more productive is no different from improving a welding machine to produce better output. Both should improve your bottom line.

The key is measuring how much it costs to improve your asset, human or otherwise, compared to how much more revenue it will produce for you.

That's a very general answer, but I think it applies to radio the same as other industries.

 

[Tanner_Boyle]

We are able to put our own spin on format elements up to a point (say it in your own way using as few words as possible, no more than 22 seconds per break, etc.), but when it comes down to it, we are nothing but glorified liner card readers. Our "talent developement" consists of the PD trying to conform his/her air staff to the latest whims of upper management.

 

[shilton]

> I'm not going to take a side here, at least not for now.
> However, I just want to hear from anyone involved in radio
> because this is more for gaining perception rather than
> bolstering one side of an issue or the other.
>
> Here goes: what role should a Program Director take when it
> comes to working with their staff? Should the PD work more
> in developing talent or should they focus on "executing the
> format?" Can the 2 co-exsist with the knowledge that the
> talent could possibly up and leave the station at some point
> in time? I see PDs posting job ads looking for jocks that
> "think out of the box" and "aren't glorified liner card
> readers." Yet it seems jocks end up doing what's scripted
> (or at least the main selling points). Do jocks take it
> upon themselves to develop their own talents? I know the
> more talented jocks can take a script and put it into their
> own style, and ad-lib along the lines of their format,
> target audience, etc. But I also know of PDs who'll call
> the hotline when they, or someone else from the station,
> hears something that they don't like or isn't in line with
> what the PD wants on the air.
>
> So, are PDs really interested in developing their jocks, or
> making sure they "fall in line"? Do jocks who want to move
> along in their careers have to fo it on their own?
>
> As I said, this is merely opinion and not for choosing one
> side over the other. And, I'd also like to get a sampling
> from those who may not work in radio, but fields related to
> it as well.
>
> As Mills Lane would say, "...let's get it on!"
>
The best PD's I ever worked with knew that they HAD to focus on BOTH aspects of the job, as good jocks are PART of executing the format. The key is to help them develop and as they develop, KEEPING THEM HAPPY ENOUGH to make them WANT to stay with you.

Sadly today, very few PD's spend much if any time on the air staff at all and yes, you are right...there are fewer talents out there today and many more card readers. I guess that is a by-product of consolidation, as more and more PD's are watching more than 1 stick at a time and just do not have the resources to watch over all their airstaff 24-7 as it used to be.

 

[OldiesCat]

Talent development

The two MUST co-exist. The better the Programmer is at helping their talent develop the better they'll execute the vision for the station.

If all a PD is interested in is having their talent "fall into line", they'll only get a decent sounding station, at best. Tentative and very liner card-ish. When you get talent to the point where they're doing their best not to make a mistake, average is the best you'll get from them.

>
> Here goes: what role should a Program Director take when it
> comes to working with their staff? Should the PD work more
> in developing talent or should they focus on "executing the
> format?" Can the 2 co-exsist with the knowledge that the
> talent could possibly up and leave the station at some point
> in time? I see PDs posting job ads looking for jocks that
> "think out of the box" and "aren't glorified liner card
> readers." Yet it seems jocks end up doing what's scripted
> (or at least the main selling points). Do jocks take it
> upon themselves to develop their own talents? I know the
> more talented jocks can take a script and put it into their
> own style, and ad-lib along the lines of their format,
> target audience, etc. But I also know of PDs who'll call
> the hotline when they, or someone else from the station,
> hears something that they don't like or isn't in line with
> what the PD wants on the air.
>
> So, are PDs really interested in developing their jocks, or
> making sure they "fall in line"? Do jocks who want to move
> along in their careers have to fo it on their own?
>
> As I said, this is merely opinion and not for choosing one
> side over the other. And, I'd also like to get a sampling
> from those who may not work in radio, but fields related to
> it as well.
>
> As Mills Lane would say, "...let's get it on!"
>

 

[FreddyE1977]

> > And, I'd also like to get a sampling
> > from those who may not work in radio, but fields related
> to
> > it as well.
>
> One of the things they teach you in Business School when you
> earn your MBA is that developing your human resources to
> make them more valuable to you is just as important as
> making any other resource more valuable. From a business
> perspective, improving an employee to make him more
> productive is no different from improving a welding machine
> to produce better output. Both should improve your bottom
> line.
>
> The key is measuring how much it costs to improve your
> asset, human or otherwise, compared to how much more revenue
> it will produce for you.
>
> That's a very general answer, but I think it applies to
> radio the same as other industries.
>

I would agree that is very true in a lot of industries, but does not always seem to be the case in radio. Develop your talent enough, and the next thing you know it is making excessive monetary demands and stomping out the door to Sirius. It's just my uninformed/amateur outsider's opinion, but many PD's seem to prefer the "Johnny Williams" model from what I see.

Radio is not the only instance though....I have worked in several industries where "developing your human capital" was a lip-service only exercise.

 

[Radio_Realist]

> I would agree that is very true in a lot of industries, but
> does not always seem to be the case in radio. Develop your
> talent enough, and the next thing you know it is making
> excessive monetary demands and stomping out the door to
> Sirius. It's just my uninformed/amateur outsider's opinion,
> but many PD's seem to prefer the "Johnny Williams" model
> from what I see.
>
> Radio is not the only instance though....I have worked in
> several industries where "developing your human capital" was
> a lip-service only exercise.

From what I've seen personally and read about in the business press, it seems the more isolated an industry is, the less experience in other industries that the major players have, the less likely they are to understand and/or follow good management practices. The simple fact is that radio is usually an entry position into media in general, or into other industries. You encounter a lot of very successful ex-radio people in a wide range of industries, but you encounter few senior radio executives who have moved to radio from a successful career in television, motion pictures, the recording industry, etc.