Talent & Radio Today

[John FL]

Good posts all around. Early on I talked of talent having a diminished role. That specifically was about being on the air. To me, talent has a lot more to offer than a pleasing voice, a sense of humor and ability to communicate well in limited time. How talent is perceived (asset or liability) will depend on their boss as well as the company's overall core values.

Broadcasters are people and they are employees in a corporate environment. I don't believe they are any different than even someone like me who has been in banking all his life. We want to feel valued. We want to be motivated, not intimidated. And I believe those with better than average skill sets need to be challenged. Talent, most employees want to feel they are truly helping their team win and they are encouraged to think and not feel they will lose their job because of an insecure boss who may feel threatened that they are smarter. The right manager can make all the difference. From so many posts I read, I can only conclude many in the business of radio are simply not happy. That's not healthy for the person as well as the business. Empowerment is a wonderous thing.

The trend we are seeing, particularly among morning shows to cut back on a lot of the banter, I actually agree with. Perhaps that may surprise some of you. I'm also not sold on the merits of carrying news features on morning music programs. By time I drive to work, I already know a lot of what is going on. We are in an information age where everything is at our fingertips.

The morning shows should discuss current events but more in the style of an ET/Inside Edition than a network newscast. If anything, if news features need to be carried, I'm more for one that's very short and sweet.

Actually, even before all the current trends were in place, I truly believed our town had better than average local morning shows. On a lot of my trips downstate, I found a lot of stations in Central and South Florida that had way too many morning shows where 4-5 people would be talking loud over each other where 1-2 always had the last laugh and the last word. It made for very bad radio. I'm sure that has changed but why it took so long to figure out amazes me.

In the end, talent can have a lot of different roles way beyond what we hear. But I still believe it depends on whether you are considered a valued teammate or just one of those fixed expenses on a balance sheet.

 

[TheBigA]

In the end, talent can have a lot of different roles way beyond what we hear. But I still believe it depends on whether you are considered a valued teammate or just one of those fixed expenses on a balance sheet.

Or a third factor that has nothing to do with either of those things: What the audience wants. Right now, it's obvious that the current generation doesn't share the interest in personality hosts for music. So in a business where you're providing entertainment for an audience, what the audience wants is more important than what the employer wants.

 

[Stormychuck]

Johnjax again I agree with you, you have to take a look at it from all sides, and you've done so.

From all the Personal Messages I've received regarding all of your post and your views your well respected and have a clear understanding of the radio broadcast business, as opposed to some of the other postings we've read, and according to the PM'S I've received we're more inclined read and enjoy what you have to say, compared to let's say the "Know-it-All-Radio" types constantly showing their butts, talking down to others while they try to impress readers with just how smart they are about radio, when in fact, they know little or nothing at all about radio other then what they've just read somewhere and then, to no-ones surprise, they post as their own idea, now wow that an interesting concept huh?......I've seen it a dozen times.....

As its been indicated to me through PM'S, all of your friends will continue to read and enjoy your views and postings and weed out all of the others that make little or no sense to us.....It's just a crying shame you can't put some of them on ignore. LOL hahahahahaha......

 

[Stormychuck]

Wow interesting........

 

[pocket-radio]

John jax I'm old enough to remember the days of personality driven radio.
It was a time, a time before cable, computer or ipod. When the local DJ reigned supreme. When people believed the DJ was picking the playlist and playing every song just for me. They were like gods walking amongst mere mortals.

The Grease died because the listeners who remembered him are like 85 now. And maybe he's just not funny or cool anymore. Things change.
Oh we still have personality radio but instead of playing music they now spew political opinion. As for music jocks it's the same tired dribble.
Here's what I did this weekend? Oh let's play a content, guess who's birthday it is. Or the other extreme is jocks and station talk down to their listeners, the attitude is heres why we're great and why you need us. Some morning teams have relationships with their listeners. But let's just stop one moment because they're easily replaced by the next morning team who blows into town. For what the ratings say or what the ego wants more, radios listeners are fickle and maybe not that loyal. They mostly care about themselves! So shut up and play more music because that's what listeners of music radio mostly want. And the ratings prove that! Opening a mike isn't right anymore and if you do crack the mike open, you better have something worth saying.

Mark Ramsey said " Radio once had all the cool tools, now the listeners
have their own tools" and some are better and cooler than ours!

Things change, it just that admitting that truth means radio is losing some of it relevancy and they're aren't ready to face that fact yet.

I'm all for personality radio, but it requires talent and really understanding what your audience wants and who they're. Something more than jock-o-therapy for 3 hours every morning.

I said one morning to our untouchable morning man/team. Soon you'll be competing against a guy from his basement as the internet comes to cars. He said he'll have to be real good. As if to say I'm untouchable,
I'm a god and I'm loved by my audience. Competing against a guy with no corporate yes men to please and nothing but pure potential sounds interesting to me. Dr. Zaius: Don't look for it, Taylor. You may not like what you find.

 

[jmtillery]

compared to let's say the "Know-it-All-Radio" types constantly showing their butts, talking down to others while they try to impress readers with just how smart they are about radio

Stormy - Have you encountered very many "Know-It-All-Radio" types on here? The reason I'm asking is because a few months ago I was accused of being one of those "Know-It-All-Radio" types you briefly mentioned.

 

[Tibbs4]

Well, Mark you are a good version of knowing a lot. Stormychuck - I don't have much of a clue about anything in radio, but I do want you to know that it's good having you on here hanging out and playing. Radio, despite all the new techno junk, is still, IMO, the one man-made media creation that will hopefully always defy logic and be special.

 

[jmtillery]

Well, Mark you are a good version of knowing a lot.

I'm not sure if I should accept your comment as a compliment or if you are, instead, giving an implied meaning.

 

[Tibbs4]

Meant in the highest respect.

 

[jmtillery]

Meant in the highest respect.

Tibbs2 - Thank you! I very much appreciate your compliment.

 

[John FL]

These boards are at their best when there is an exchange of ideas. Debating the merits of those ideas are very productive. When the focus becomes more about the posters, it’s counterproductive in my opinion.

I’ve been very grateful R.I. exists. For reasons I still don’t quite understand, I find the business of radio so very fascinating to me. For a long time I was really wet behind the ears but I believed I knew more than I really did. My early postings reflected that so in a lot of ways I feel like I experienced some personal growth.

The other day someone posted an old aircheck of WAPE and over the years I heard many airchecks of the station in its AM heyday. Jacksonville has a very rich radio heritage. In many ways the old WAPE reminded me of WABC – they were that good.

When I made Jax home by the late 90’s, I came to realize the old WKQL was probably among the best oldies stations in the country. Back then, before internet streaming, I travelled a good deal for my job. We talked a lot of morning shows here and sadly many have probably now forgotten Dave & Heather. Looking back, with little tweaking, I think some of their old broadcasts would still work today – they were that good. I was always happy returning home because radio here was better than the places I visited.

Yes, things change and the public’s taste change. But I suppose what has really motivated me all this time is that I think so much of the really great radio and heritage that was Jacksonville. Today when I travel and a lot of it is by a click of a mouse, radio is better elsewhere. Just as I had done over the years with employees who had a gift, I challenged them to want to do better and I’ve taken the same approach with radio in our town.

I may stick my foot in my mouth on occasion. But I have always spoken from the heart and always posted what I truly believe. In all these years since the old Cool departed, I saw a lot of the fire go out in our market. We were capable of so much more and I guess I just took on a role to remind everyone constantly of that. It wasn’t my intent to get so serious here but I guess it’s more of saying what I truly feel.

 

[Stormychuck]

JMTILLERY, as I've mentioned before, I value your radio information input, you have a vast wealth
of knowledge as doe's Johnjax, who's comments are just as valued as yours. Any adverse comments made were in no way directed at you JMTILLERY, or Johnjax. I do apologize, As Johnjax points out these sort of comments are counter productive, sometimes things need to be said.

The "Know-it-all-Radio" types know who they are already...

 

[Tibbs4]

Man Stormychuck. I am feelin' guilty. And, FTR, I dunno much. Hope I wasn't that offensive. Not intending to be. Sometime passion and a bad sense of humor don't come out right on here. Anything I say about rob is pure fun. I hate it when he disappears from here. CCENG - well, that man deserves anything I give him grief over. LOL Wooten IS Radio to me. And on the Panhandle - WAAZ's Jimmy Whitaker and WSBZ's Mark Carter. Three totally old school, unique fine gentleman I salute. I ain't 1% of them on a good day. I am sure I am leaving off a bunch of others. Not meaning to do so.

 

[Stormychuck]

Hey Johnjax, I've read your last post and I found it interesting, which brought something to mind are there any or all or many of Jacksonville stations that stream on internet? You would know for sure, and which ones do you prefer?

Meanwhile, your right about WAPE they were the big boy's on the block many years back, you could hear them in Miami back in the 70's when the "Grease Man" was doing his thing, and I would listen on occasion, to me he was funny, a little crude but funny and very creative on-air, he always had something going on, I do remember the flap he created with alot of Jacksonville's
church goer's, Jacksonville being a Baptist Bible belt area, they were always looking to sue him
WAPE or the FCC, he was big news paper news from time to time. I hear he's back on air there and which station is he on and is he still as talented as he once was?

I have learned a lot recently, just by reading yours and and some others posted comments,
what I really find interesting are the comments regarding these new PPM'S, Personal People Meter's, I have read Arbitron's little tutorials on the PPM'S I'm sure you can offer your take on these new little goodies I guess this is the direction radio his headed.....

 

[Stormychuck]

Tibb2 dude not at all, including you, I apologize if you took that personal.

 

[jmtillery]

These boards are at their best when there is an exchange of ideas. Debating the merits of those ideas are very productive. When the focus becomes more about the posters, it’s counterproductive in my opinion.

ABSOLUTELY! That was my point as well. There are many who post and contribute on here, each with a unique and valued opinion relating to the subject matter. We don't all always view the topics in the same light, nor do we all offer the same remedies nor solutions to the same challenges. Much of our differing views has to do with how we see things - our perspectives. We don't all have the same perspective nor do we want the same end result. This is the differences in people, and having differing points of view is what makes it more challenging, interesting, educational and fun. e. g., if we pay attention to detail, we learn from each other.

 

[John FL]

John jax I'm old enough to remember the days of personality driven radio.
It was a time, a time before cable, computer or ipod. When the local DJ reigned supreme. When people believed the DJ was picking the playlist and playing every song just for me. They were like gods walking amongst mere mortals.

With our little journey into drama and I just hate drama, I’d like to circle back to Pocket-Radio’s excellent post. A very important and critical component of a radio station is the music. To me that continues to represent lost opportunity. Radio appears to not learn lessons of the past and it seems playlists are goosed and a little more effort is made when a new competitor arrives or ratings dip. Being proactive makes better business sense.

It may have been brought up in this string but I understand there is a national music. But when I talk of uniqueness of the market, I’m going beyond regional hits. The way I see it, some guy in the corporate city can come up with a tried and true format specific playlist. But it’s those on the local level and their knowledge of the market and what their competitors offer that should carry some weight in decisions.

For a specific example, if you take a song like “Sweet Home Alabama,” it may have all the right reasons for that national programmer to include it on a new station’s playlist but if the local team knows 3 other stations play it to death – well you should catch my drift. As great as some songs are – specifically unique ones to the format - attracting an audience, too much overlap doesn’t differentiate. To me, that’s not how you win.

When we speak of internet radio in the car, I believe the increased choices will see typical listeners chose what they like the most. Enough of them doing that will make impacts. For me a totally automated station will not be enough to keep me listening. For the younger crowd who never looked at the “DJ” as a god, no life radio may be fine for them. That’s why I believe certain formats play more into being more personality driven.

If I had internet radio in the car, I’m sure most of my listening would be among stations in NYC and Miami. Maybe radio of the future will be survival of the fittest. For me music variety, creativity and personality play into the stations I like the most. But then that's individual choice. It's all a numbers game but I still believe, given a choice, listeners will choose what they perceive as effort and not going through the motions.

 

[John FL]

Hey Johnjax, I've read your last post and I found it interesting, which brought something to mind are there any or all or many of Jacksonville stations that stream on internet? You would know for sure, and which ones do you prefer?

Chuck, to be honest up until recently I never listened to internet streaming of any local Jax radio station. Almost all my listening was among WCBS FM (NYC) and WMXJ (Miami). I like a lot of formats and that includes the old school stuff on urban stations. Locally we have a station known as V 101.5. In some weird, convuluted way the combination of the new Magic WPLA #1 on my car presets along with #2 WSOL gives me as close to CBS FM or even Philly's WOGL as anyone can get. As many probably already know, I was always a very big Motown fan and really I love music that has a beat and just lifts you up. For a market like Jacksonville, I never understood how the genious of Motown and all the real classic hits of the greatest era of creativity found themselves on the cutting room floor.

Probably I have the weirdest set of presets known to man. Another station you may want to check out is WQIK. While I don't like the music (country), I do like their Big Show with Boomer and Robbie Rose. Maybe weird and conveluted too but I can relate to those 2 guys and their view of this crazy world we live in.

Here's the link to the new Magic. Many from the Panhandle have been asking for this too..so here you go.

http://www.wpla.com

I'm curious what you think so send me a PM when you get a chance. John