Trying to get into commercial radio ....need opinions.

[thenail1]

Happy Holidays everyone.
Our dilmena is we have a local radio show with over 40 college and internet stations airing our show. Predominantly original music coupled with informative and comical banter from 5 hosts. In our 4th year we have seen an underground audience grow. 100,000 e-mails in 3 years. The thing is......it's alot of work and we do it all for free.
Our question....how does one get into commercial radio ?
We have backers , audience and experience now....but the big wigs never call or answer back. Do we need an agent , promoter ?
Thanks for the input.
CB

*** To hear a sample of our show go to www.myspace.com/therustynail ***

 

[Kyle D]

My question is, do you want to do your current show on commercial radio? If that's the case, it won't happen. No major market PD is going to put you on the air (full-time) doing a show where you showcase 'local music'. You might be able to get a weekend show, but that's about it, and again, it probably won't pay very well, especially since you're dividing it 5 ways.

If you are trying to force your current show down PD's throats, that's why you're not getting called back. I listened to a bit of what's on your website, and it wasn't a bad show. Good production, not typical radio BS banter.

If you want to get on the radio, you've got to get yourselves some demo tapes together and send them out all over the place. You have to be willing to move, make very very little money, and probably all work separately for a while. I don't think there is a market out there that would bring on a show with that many people involved in it. It's just too expensive, and your show has no 'ratings track record'. 100,000 e-mails is nice, but...

Feel free to drop me an e-mail, either thru the site here, or at [email protected].

 

[fred flintstone]

First, get a real job. If you have to, go back to school and take the courses you need for a real job. Making a living that lets you maintain an adult middle class lifestyle (not living with your parents or having a spouse with a real job) is about as likely as winning the lottery. It happens but don't count on it.

Kyle didn't mention that he's gotten out and gotten a real job (and a good one) but maintains his interest in and his love for radio with his Internet show (and occasional fill in work). He treats radio as a "hobby." So should you.

If you really have to get this show on the air, I suggest you get a brokered weekend spot. You buy the time. You control the show (PDs are notorious for telling you what to do and how to do it). And if you can line up some sponsors, you might even make money on the deal (possibly more money than you'd make as a weekend employee). Talk to the Geator, who probably makes more as an entrepreneur in radio than any station employee in town. He might give you some ideas on how to get started.

 

[Keith Thompson]

To echo Fred's advice, if you really want to get into radio make sure you have a fallback plan if things don't work out...I wish I had. Very early on, my fallback plan was to give radio a shot and if it didn't work out, I was going to go back to school and get a teaching degree. I eventually reached the point where I thought my radio career was successful and never pursued my fallback plan, but about 7 months ago I got blown out of the station I was at for almost 14 years. After getting blown out, I applied for several radio openings in the area but only got as far as an interview at one station (a much smaller station than where I was and over an hour's drive away...and apparently I wasn't close to being seriously considered). When I got blown out, I also started looking at other opportunities outside of radio but still within the media/public relations field (to go along with my experience and college degree) but never got a bite from any of the resumes I sent out. I think what my problem was, is that I spent so much time concentrating on my radio career that I became unqualified to do anything else (at least from the point of view of employers). I was applying for jobs that I felt like I can do, but there was no way for me to coherently translate my radio job skills into something that employers could understand or relate to. Unless something falls into my lap without me looking for it, I'm done with radio (as much as radio seems to be done with me) and I'm at a point in my life where I feel like I am completely starting over (which at 40, is not something that is easy to do). I just took a temp job with Amazon.com in their New Castle warehouse, simply as a means to get practical work experience and to earn a decent paycheck. It is a job that I am hoping will become permanent and if it does, I'd likely be making more money than what I was making in radio (and it is a job that will allow me the time to pursue working as a musician which is something I put on the back burner because of my radio career). I now look at the 20 years I spent in commercial radio as a complete waste of time and as a dead end career choice (especially given the corporate direction that radio has evolved into). I wish I had gotten out of radio much sooner and on my own terms, rather than having my radio career getting tossed in the dumpster.

To expand what others have said about your show...don't expect commercial radio to have an interest in what you're doing. If it is not something they think they can make a buck on, they'll have no interest in doing it. I think what you need to do is to take ownership of your internet show and try to build it there, or find some other broadcast means to get it out to the public (such as with a non-comm, low power FM or as a brokered program) where you're paying for the airtime but you're making the money from selling the show rather than the broadcast outlet.

Good luck.

 

[amfmsw]

And be assured, once you get into commercial radio, and get a paycheck, kiss your creative freedom goodbye. You will then be the chattel of management. Fred's right. But if you like charging windmills, try an indepent, local owned signal. And DON'T be fussy about AM or FM or coverage. Just get on the air and get started. You'll grow from there. Good luck.

And hey, you can always do a "listener supported" gig. Hell, PBS got rich doing beg-a-thons.

 

[oaktree]

"Our question....how does one get into commercial radio ?"

Don't. It'll break your heart...

 

[thenail1]

First , thanks for the replies....not used to getting feedback so quickly.

Sounds like some of you had some real heart breaks out there in this business. I am a businessman first....always have been. Believe me , I am not in it for the money. I own several businesses , a nightclub , and many rental properties. This is a side project/hobby that we have fun with. Basically , I am semi-retired and have time to do this. It is just once a week for a couple of hours. I call it therapy for me ( I have kids ) and we laugh every week. Plus , performing the show live in front of an audience every week is kinda a kick.
I have offered to broker it , but each station seems to have its own policy on this to prevent anyone from doing it. I believe " monopolizing " was one PD's answer to me. I am involved with major marketing companies and businesses that are willing to sponsor our show. I even offered to broker it myself and was still shot down.....that's how much I believed in this show. I bought commercial time and subbed it out with our sponsors to compensate and subsidise it for 6 months to show one station how serious we were.....to no avail.
I know it is about making money for the company and I have no problem with it. We are not looking for an everyday deal here.....shoot I would do it for free for a bigger audience and no more production weighed on me. All the hosts have professional day jobs.
We have sent out demo's and professional letter heads to commercial radio companies , but always with no response. Radio is a saturated business and a tough market to make a living. I would never get into it as a means of living. But , we have alot of fun especially for the local bands. Our show is aired in Chicago , New York , New Jersey , Delaware , Philly.....it's so many now I forget all our markets.
I am just getting weary of engineering and production. Each week I edit our 3 hour show down to one hour and mail it out to all our affiliates.......about a 3 day process. Someday we just like to perform live , concentrate on content , and leave the job there.
I thought a manager , promoter , agent , or something would be the recommendation. I guess this is over our heads. I will stop thinking ( dreaming ) we have a chance of making it on commercial radio and just have fun with it.
Thanks for the honest responses and we hope your new year is a safe and good one.

 

[fred flintstone]

Sounds like you are not doing badly right now, and mostly having fun.

Maybe you should just hire a radio geek/student to do the editing and mailing for you. Give him/her and producer credit and a few bucks and you'll all be happy.