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WBLM weekend/part timers

O

OldPort

Guest
So I passed out the other day, and when I came to, I was at Kmart. When the sound of the Blue Light Special guy on Scotts products and Miracle-Gro came over the loudspeaker, I had an epiphany: this guy should call ol' Herb for a job!

Seeing as how when I tuned in some of WBLMs (admittedly pretty good) A to Z over the past month, the weekenders didn't seem quite up to the task. For instance, seems to me this kid Chris has been there for quite some time (couple years?) and yet still sounds like he's feeling around the college radio studio, trying to find a clue. God bless him for trying, but nobody's giving him any constructive criticism over there. Either they don't care, haven't noticed, or, worse yet, they believe that "amateurish purity" is what makes "Blimpville" special here in 2010.

I'm not hating so much as lamenting that there is no longer a place for "new talent" in the biz as the "old farts" don't care to develop new talent, as they've fearful one of them is going to take their "phoney baloney job" one of these days (apologies to Mel Brooks).

Anyhow, Herb, if you're reading, I don't have much on-air experience as most Blimpsters, but I know my way around a record collection, and I'll trade you one weekend shift a week for a couple of bottles of Grittys and a couple of used newspapers for warmth this winter.

Cheers,
Old Port Wino
 
The mentality of many is the following:

M-F 6a-7p matters. Its when we make money. So all effort is focused on making the station its absolute best during this time.

Nights, overnights, and weekends on many stations no longer get the attention they used to.

I think the major reason for this is that most PDs these days are responsible for more than one station. With two, sometimes three products to be concerned about, your attention has to go where the money is. And the money is 6a-7p M-F

It's not right. But it's the way it is in many places.
 
Yup, that is the way it is in radio. When I worked overnights/weekends on WKIT I got constructive criticism maybe 3 times in the 8 years I was there, and most of that was about the songs I picked. In Portland at the Saga group I did weekend/overnight voicetracking on WYNZ, Coast 93.1 and WCLZ and only got criticism once from "Gary the K", the MD for Big Hits, but he got laid off soon after. I would e-mail airchecks often to the PDs asking for pointers often and never got any response.

Sometimes I would talk on-air way too long or about something not appropriate for the format just to see if anyone would notice. They never did.
 
This thread confuses me. Serious question: What does the PD in a small market have to do all day if he's not talking to the on-air talent?
 
Nova, you are so right. Nights, overnights, weekends are throw-aways. PDs don't pay any attention to them at all. I worked PT at Saga for a bit and of the two stations I worked for there, the only person that gave me any direction and help with my on air performance was Gary the K, the 2 PDs could care less. It was so frustrating.
And Wil,l your question is a good one. Answer is probably...they do as much as they have to to keep their jobs.
 
Nights, overnights and weekends should be a training gound for future talent, but now is a wasteland of crappy sydicated shows along with weekday talent VT'ing.
 
Will said:
This thread confuses me. Serious question: What does the PD in a small market have to do all day if he's not talking to the on-air talent?
Click to expand...

I can't speak for the PD in question, but what about overseeing promotions, doing an air shift, scheduling music, making music decisions, working on digital and social networking platforms, production, imaging, monitoring the competition, morning show meetings, department head meetings, promotions meetings, staff meetings...and that's just the beginning.
 
In this modern era where voice tracking is the norm outside Morning Drive, it wouldn't break the piggy bank to have the front line announcing staff cover the weekend shifts. I believe there's some consideration being paid to the weekend board opps, who have to be there anyway, to develop their chops on-air. And I think that's commendable. What really stinks is the fact they're simply being hung out to dry, with no coaching, mentoring, support or even critiquing. God forbid the local PD's should ever have to do the mundane work of talent development. Isn't that what corporate HQ and the consultants are paid to do? I mean besides standing by while the industry as a whole slowly goes down the toilet.
 
I have to admit, my ego was bruised when an ex-girlfriend recently confused me for BLM weekend staff. That said, I think it's great they're letting part timers "fly the blimp".

And why waste time coaching? Despite comments here to the contrary, I found PRG to be a wonderful, receptive place to build my "talent", but alas, all those coaching sessions with the boss were a waste: there's little need for another voice in this market-- even one who is good at ProTools and Enco/MediaTouch. I'll be out in the trenches putting that communication degree to work....
 
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