Town to Town Up and Down the Dial

[zoey]

People who work in radio traditionally have had a nomadic existance. This was mentioned in the theme from WKRP in Cincinnati and in the 70's hit "I am the Morning DJ on WOLD." People who worked in radio moved around a lot, sometimes up, sometimes down and most often laterally. But it seems lately that more recent entrants into radio, and college students, are adamant about staying close to home. I've seen this with young co-workers, and people I know who teach have reported this attitude in their students. How widespread is this? I know I am dealing with a fairly limited circle of people but I have to wonder if those coming into the biz are no longer willing to move, and if that is hurting them (or the biz).

Part of the problem seems to be internships. People early in their career get into major market stations and don't see the need to go out of town for experience.

Just wondering what others have observed.

 

[buster2]

> People who work in radio traditionally have had a nomadic
> existance. This was mentioned in the theme from WKRP in
> Cincinnati and in the 70's hit "I am the Morning DJ on
> WOLD." People who worked in radio moved around a lot,
> sometimes up, sometimes down and most often laterally. But
> it seems lately that more recent entrants into radio, and
> college students, are adamant about staying close to home.
> I've seen this with young co-workers, and people I know who
> teach have reported this attitude in their students. How
> widespread is this? I know I am dealing with a fairly
> limited circle of people but I have to wonder if those
> coming into the biz are no longer willing to move, and if
> that is hurting them (or the biz).
>
> Part of the problem seems to be internships. People early
> in their career get into major market stations and don't see
> the need to go out of town for experience.
>
> Just wondering what others have observed.
>

I'm out of the biz now, but I was one of the lucky ones who got out of college and worked at a small station in my hometown (Phoenix) and then moved up to another station that within time became a powerhouse talker. I wasn't very thrilled about working in a tiny market, so I was happy to be able to work at what amounted to a small-market station in a metro area and then move up. There aren't too many of those anymore, due to consolidation.

But it's also true that a lot of the small town stations are not good training ground any longer - unless you want to learn how to maintain hard drives. The "minor leagues" of radio still exist in some markets, but so many rural stations are computerized and satellite-delivered, there are fewer entry-level jobs.

It's one reason I got out of the biz. I was in news, and I was hiring 50 year old men as part-timers for 20 hours a week at $5 an hour (this is 15 years ago).
I decided I did not want to become one of them and moved to the dark side of p.r.

I guess more people would put up with a nomadic existence if they thought the future for radio was brighter.

 

[gr8oldies]

Aside from that, technology has made all the constant moves unneccesary. You can voice track from anywhere!<P ID="signature">______________
"Your right to know supersedes your right to exist"..Gary Burbank</P>

 

[FloridaBear1776]

Another factor...

The "ladder" up has been flattened by consolidation, meaning there's only WAY WAY UP at the executive level and WAY WAY DOWN at the peon level. Not much in-between, therefore, not much reason to move around.

 

[zman]

> People who work in radio traditionally have had a nomadic
> existance. This was mentioned in the theme from WKRP in
> Cincinnati and in the 70's hit "I am the Morning DJ on
> WOLD." People who worked in radio moved around a lot,
> sometimes up, sometimes down and most often laterally. But
> it seems lately that more recent entrants into radio, and
> college students, are adamant about staying close to home.
> I've seen this with young co-workers, and people I know who
> teach have reported this attitude in their students. How
> widespread is this? I know I am dealing with a fairly
> limited circle of people but I have to wonder if those
> coming into the biz are no longer willing to move, and if
> that is hurting them (or the biz).
>
> Part of the problem seems to be internships. People early
> in their career get into major market stations and don't see
> the need to go out of town for experience.
>
> Just wondering what others have observed.



I am one of those who is still at the station I started twelve years ago. I started March sixth 1994 and am still in the same building with a few more stations in the building now then there were back then. One reason I am still here is because I have friends who work in bigger markets and they don't make much more than I do and with the cost of liveing the way it is in larger markets what is the insentive to move up. I can make what I make where I live and live decently or make what I make in a larger market and have to work two more jobs to live the way I can live now. Also, My wife and I own a house, something else that is uncommon among radio people. and to make it worth wild my wife would have to find a job makeing at least what she makes now. probably much more if we were to move in to a bigger market. And most importantly I like the company I work for. I work for a company that encoureges us to relate to the listners and serve the public and it is a fun place to work. I can say I look forward to going to work every day. My wife keeps telling me she wishes she had a job like mine.
>

 

[Musicradio]

In the last 27 years, I've been back and forth over
the USA a couple of times...I have moved (including
2 or 3 times in a city) about 23 times in the first
25 years.

I'm tired of moving....really.

 

[Shawman]

> In the last 27 years, I've been back and forth over
> the USA a couple of times...I have moved (including
> 2 or 3 times in a city) about 23 times in the first
> 25 years.
>
> I'm tired of moving....really.
>

I've worked in 10 different markets over the past 20 years...My observations are that generally, people who are willing to move have an easier time increasing their pay. either by
1. moving to a new/bigger market where there is more money or
2. your current employer knows you may move, so if they want to keep you, they have to pay you more.

Many times I've heard people say "It's no fair, I should be making more". If your company knows you won't leave, then why pay you more?

 

[radionut987]

> But it's also true that a lot of the small town stations are
> not good training ground any longer - unless you want to
> learn how to maintain hard drives. The "minor leagues" of
> radio still exist in some markets, but so many rural
> stations are computerized and satellite-delivered, there are
> fewer entry-level jobs.
>

You brought up a very good point there, buster. It's sort of ironic that the so-called "hometown" radio stations are supposed to provide the future Rush Limbaugh's, Sean Hannity's, and even Tom Joyner's of the world. Yet, it's just like you said, so many of those stations are running on autopilot these days, just getting any kind of job, whether it be on the air, or behind the scenes as a board operator, is an accomplishment. Also, the competition for the few positions that do become available is so intense, that you have basically have to impress that program director or general manager from the moment he/she presses "PLAY", especially if you want to be on the air.

Any further questions?

 

[Marc0n1]

Re: Another factor...

It's true that out-of-town voicetracking has almost destroyed radio's "farm team" system of starting in a small market and moving away and upward over the years.

Even at the local level, there used to be extra employees who did overnights and weekends; now the regular full-timers voicetrack those shifts. While probably also doing production and personal appearances.

But I don't agree that radio having a few highly-paid stars and many poorly-paid grunts is a new phenomenon. I've been in the biz since the 60's and it's always been that way. A small number of people make it big while most of us slog through it and many eventually find something else. Technology has changed the process of how it shakes out, but the income distribution has always been lopsided.

> The "ladder" up has been flattened by consolidation, meaning
> there's only WAY WAY UP at the executive level and WAY WAY
> DOWN at the peon level. Not much in-between, therefore, not
> much reason to move around.
>

 

[Xnewsie]

> I know I am dealing with a fairly
> limited circle of people but I have to wonder if those
> coming into the biz are no longer willing to move, and if
> that is hurting them (or the biz).
>
I can only speak for myself, but I too wanted to stay relatively close to "home" when I finished school and got into the business. I worked a few part-time on-air gigs in my hometown before taking the plunge for full-time employment halfway across the state. That's as big of a move as I've made, always with the intent (if possible) to eventually return to my home region. I've been realistic about it, though, knowing full well that it might not happen...at least not within the forseeable future. I know that goal may have taken me out of the running for a potential gig in a Top 20 market down the road, but that really wasn't what I was aiming for anyway. Others may feel differently.

> Part of the problem seems to be internships. People early
> in their career get into major market stations and don't see
> the need to go out of town for experience.

I've heard much criticism of those who jump from an internship into a full-time slot at a big market station. I can understand why that would seem unfair to some, but some of the targets probably belong there; they've got the talent to make it. Others just happened to be in the right place at the right time. While that can mean a lot in a post-consolidation era, it's really nothing new. I took the traditional route of working at relatively small stations until better opportunities became available, even though I didn't get into radio until the the Jacors/Clear Channels of the world were building their world empires.

 

[talkers]

I think some people think that they are top 50 market material, and in a few cases this is correct. I went to a school in Columbus, Ohio, which at the time was market 34 (now 38). My internship was at a top 5 station, and got a job after my internship ended doing promotions and part time on-air. I know I got lucky getting my first job at a top 5 station in market #34. I later went down to 2 smaller cities here in Ohio to improve my on-air presentation, and came back to Columbus, and have been at the station I am with now for over 9 years, and quite happy and content here (and it's a Clear Channel station no less!). A lot of interns I have seen through here knew they were lucky getting in here, and some have gotten jobs here, but not all. I think it more depends on their professors/advisors as to what attitude they have. My advisor always told me I was lucky to get the internship I got and expecially when in college I got it (end of my freshman year), and I never forgot that, and thanked him for telling me the truth.

> People who work in radio traditionally have had a nomadic
> existance. This was mentioned in the theme from WKRP in
> Cincinnati and in the 70's hit "I am the Morning DJ on
> WOLD." People who worked in radio moved around a lot,
> sometimes up, sometimes down and most often laterally. But
> it seems lately that more recent entrants into radio, and
> college students, are adamant about staying close to home.
> I've seen this with young co-workers, and people I know who
> teach have reported this attitude in their students. How
> widespread is this? I know I am dealing with a fairly
> limited circle of people but I have to wonder if those
> coming into the biz are no longer willing to move, and if
> that is hurting them (or the biz).
>
> Part of the problem seems to be internships. People early
> in their career get into major market stations and don't see
> the need to go out of town for experience.
>
> Just wondering what others have observed.
>