West Palm/Florida Markets

[John FL]

Except that at most companies, the person doing VT is a full time employee receiving benefits. The only difference is that person isn't chained to the console for a full shift, but instead either performs other duties (Entercom usually assigns the music director to VT the overnight shift), or VTs other stations in other markets. There are free-lance VTs, some former big market talents who offer themselves on a per-station basis. They run it as a business and build a client base that can pay better than being a full time employee.

Never underestimate the ability of an employer to cut costs. It happens in every line of work.

The reality is being a DJ at a radio station can be a very boring job. You're basically sitting there waiting for a record to end so you can do your thing. If you're at a station that is music intensive and doesn't do talk between every song, there's not much to do. There are lots of stories of DJs falling asleep while on shift. Sure, there are lots of well-paid, top personality DJs working morning drive. Typically its a group of people hosting the show. Those three people get paid a lot, but they do a lot. They play a lot less music during morning drive. They provide more information. And they do a lot more advertising and sponsorship work. As Imus once said at the end of his show: "This ends the revenue producing segment of our broadcast day." So its worth it for owners to spend money on their morning shows. The rest of the day, they'll do VT or something else.

In my own industry, I was a victim of downsizing initiatives twice. It's demoralizing. There is no doubt, the digital and technology age have forever changed the workplace and certainly that goes beyond radio. Voicetracking has certainly reduced payroll expenses overall. Yes, they may be full time employees at a radio station receiving benefits bit for on-the-air broadcasters, but there's fewer of them. As in many businesses, more is done with less.

Morning drive has also changed. 9 AM. At many music stations, the music takes center stage and gets intensive. What a person does with that extra time in not actively participating on the air says a lot. As this is a Florida board, I'll give some examples. In Jacksonville, at one the country stations, WGNE,the female co-host leaves at 9 AM heading off to a live 11AM TV show leaving the other co-host behind until 10. She's added value to her employment.

A number of years ago, Julie Guy and then co-host Evelyn Curry would do a Facebook Live feature on Miami's AC WLYF. That in itself is very effective in making connections with the audience. There has to be a willingness, desire and ability to entertain and relate to listeners. Engaging in social media aids in that endeavor big time. Yet, for the relatively few lucky folks who have on the air gigs, I'm still amazed at the number who don't participate much, or at all, in social media.

Like anything, voicetracking can have downsides too. There's vanilla/generic presentations, including programing, that don't always work because there's "inconsistencies in sound" from the vibe of the station. Earlier when I discussed the now defunct classic hits WJGH in Jacksonville, an iHeart station, they were probably required to carry syndicated programing and voice talent from their "Premium Choice" format option. Much of the programing heard, especially on the weekends, had a number of noticeable differences in titles and age of the songs. The problem was compounded in that this was done every other week. The listeners, in my view, couldn't figure the station out. It was one of many problems.

Today, I know my local classic hits station, WQOL, utilizes Premium Choice programing and talent at night, overnight, and on weekend. But that consistency in sound is there. WQOL is programed during the week similarly to what is heard on Premium Choice. That wasn't the case for WJGH which was an AC hybrid, or at least that was the plan.

Syndicated programing can work and be of value but there can be risks in just setting it and forgetting it. When the decision was made to add Delilah to Miami's AC Easy 93.1, I recall the PD wrote that the station would still program the music. Whether that's true today or not, I'm not sure, but it was a smart move to ensure syndicated programing would prove a cost savings but not cause listeners to tune out either.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

Except that at most companies, the person doing VT is a full time employee receiving benefits. The only difference is that person isn't chained to the console for a full shift, but instead either performs other duties (Entercom usually assigns the music director to VT the overnight shift), or VTs other stations in other markets. There are free-lance VTs, some former big market talents who offer themselves on a per-station basis. They run it as a business and build a client base that can pay better than being a full time employee.

Back to history for a minute. The inspiration to today's VT was satellite-delivered radio formats. In the early 90s, there were several companies offering radio stations 24/7 programming delivered by satellite. Thousands of radio stations used these services. But the hosts were generic, canned voices who never talked about local things. What if you could get someone to do custom hosting for your specific market? Once stations had digital technology, it was possible.

Before satellite distribution, stations had access to reel-to-reel formats. So the stations were automated 24-7. They'd hire operators to run the tapes, and those operators would pre-record weather, news, and other announcements on carts, to be inserted in the automation chain with the commercials. Once again, its pre-taped not live. Never underestimate the ability of an employer to cut costs. It happens in every line of work.

The reality is being a DJ at a radio station can be a very boring job. You're basically sitting there waiting for a record to end so you can do your thing. If you're at a station that is music intensive and doesn't do talk between every song, there's not much to do. There are lots of stories of DJs falling asleep while on shift. Sure, there are lots of well-paid, top personality DJs working morning drive. Typically its a group of people hosting the show. Those three people get paid a lot, but they do a lot. They play a lot less music during morning drive. They provide more information. And they do a lot more advertising and sponsorship work. As Imus once said at the end of his show: "This ends the revenue producing segment of our broadcast day." So its worth it for owners to spend money on their morning shows. The rest of the day, they'll do VT or something else.

I'm a DJ on a 50,000 Watt standalone commercial fm station.... vocietracking allows me to focus on just my show while VT'ing it, then go off and work on the website, do a little production rather then doing a live show while running between studios and tasks.. it also allows me to go home at a reasonable hour while also getting weekends and holidays off

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

In my own industry, I was a victim of downsizing initiatives twice. It's demoralizing. There is no doubt, the digital and technology age have forever changed the workplace and certainly that goes beyond radio. Voicetracking has certainly reduced payroll expenses overall. Yes, they may be full time employees at a radio station receiving benefits bit for on-the-air broadcasters, but there's fewer of them. As in many businesses, more is done with less.

Morning drive has also changed. 9 AM. At many music stations, the music takes center stage and gets intensive. What a person does with that extra time in not actively participating on the air says a lot. As this is a Florida board, I'll give some examples. In Jacksonville, at one the country stations, WGNE,the female co-host leaves at 9 AM heading off to a live 11AM TV show leaving the other co-host behind until 10. She's added value to her employment.

A number of years ago, Julie Guy and then co-host Evelyn Curry would do a Facebook Live feature on Miami's AC WLYF. That in itself is very effective in making connections with the audience. There has to be a willingness, desire and ability to entertain and relate to listeners. Engaging in social media aids in that endeavor big time. Yet, for the relatively few lucky folks who have on the air gigs, I'm still amazed at the number who don't participate much, or at all, in social media.

Like anything, voicetracking can have downsides too. There's vanilla/generic presentations, including programing, that don't always work because there's "inconsistencies in sound" from the vibe of the station. Earlier when I discussed the now defunct classic hits WJGH in Jacksonville, an iHeart station, they were probably required to carry syndicated programing and voice talent from their "Premium Choice" format option. Much of the programing heard, especially on the weekends, had a number of noticeable differences in titles and age of the songs. The problem was compounded in that this was done every other week. The listeners, in my view, couldn't figure the station out. It was one of many problems.

Today, I know my local classic hits station, WQOL, utilizes Premium Choice programing and talent at night, overnight, and on weekend. But that consistency in sound is there. WQOL is programed during the week similarly to what is heard on Premium Choice. That wasn't the case for WJGH which was an AC hybrid, or at least that was the plan.

Syndicated programing can work and be of value but there can be risks in just setting it and forgetting it. When the decision was made to add Delilah to Miami's AC Easy 93.1, I recall the PD wrote that the station would still program the music. Whether that's true today or not, I'm not sure, but it was a smart move to ensure syndicated programing would prove a cost savings but not cause listeners to tune out either.

In addition to my full time work for a local AC station in Wyoming, I'm on a 24/7 format provider as their overnight guy 7 days a week on the classic country format.. most of our stations do it right and regularly update the local info we do in voicetracks for them.... and in fact one of our stations in my format is in the top 5 in its market.

 

[gr8oldies]

I'll say. My overnight weekend shifts at a classic rocker in the late 80s were a great time to catch up on reading.

The reality is being a DJ at a radio station can be a very boring job. You're basically sitting there waiting for a record to end so you can do your thing. If you're at a station that is music intensive and doesn't do talk between every song, there's not much to do. There are lots of stories of DJs falling asleep while on shift. Sure, there are lots of well-paid, top personality DJs working morning drive. Typically its a group of people hosting the show. Those three people get paid a lot, but they do a lot. They play a lot less music during morning drive. They provide more information. And they do a lot more advertising and sponsorship work. As Imus once said at the end of his show: "This ends the revenue producing segment of our broadcast day." So its worth it for owners to spend money on their morning shows. The rest of the day, they'll do VT or something else.

 

[gr8oldies]

As it happens, I'm involved in "voice tracking" an online TV magazine show. We're a start-up company, and the air talent can't physically be live every morning, so we bulk record segments to use, while still doing our best to seem "live", including discussing upcoming local events.

 

[TheBigA]

There is no doubt, the digital and technology age have forever changed the workplace and certainly that goes beyond radio. Voicetracking has certainly reduced payroll expenses overall.

Let's talk about payroll expenses for a second. You're assuming no one gets raises. Maybe that's true, but the high-priced morning show has an agent who gets 15%, so I bet he factors in a raise every couple years. Then there are those pesky benefits. I saw where insurance has been going up 20% a year. Where does that money come from? Other expenses are going up all the time. Then you read about all that new technology. Someone has to do the website, social media, podcasts, and other stuff. Meanwhile revenues are growing by 1% a year. Tell me again about those "reduced payroll expenses."

 

[John FL]

Let's talk about payroll expenses for a second. You're assuming no one gets raises. Maybe that's true, but the high-priced morning show has an agent who gets 15%, so I bet he factors in a raise every couple years. Then there are those pesky benefits. I saw where insurance has been going up 20% a year. Where does that money come from? Other expenses are going up all the time. Then you read about all that new technology. Someone has to do the website, social media, podcasts, and other stuff. Meanwhile revenues are growing by 1% a year. Tell me again about those "reduced payroll expenses."

It took me several reads to try to figure out what you were saying. But, I do believe you've done a good job in explaining the business of radio very succinctly. Those who have not made radio a career have no reason to think about it in balance sheet terms. I'd like to digress a bit to make some points.

Especially for the baby boomer generation, radio was perceived as a fun place and not a business. It's not always easy shaking that perception. I, along with millions of kids my age, wanted to be a disc jockey. The thought of working just four hours, telling jokes, acting goofy, playing records, and being paid handsomely for it was very alluring. Reality struck when I actually visited a radio station. I've talked about this numerous times in the past so I'll be brief.

I was an Economics/Business Administration major and in one course I was tasked with writing about a successful company. I zeroed in on the American Broadcasting Company and specifically their New York City flagship radio station, WABC. So, in 1974, they were nice enough to invite me to the station which is what I really wanted. I was given an illustrated and expensive looking marketing document. This is what potential advertisers were frequently given, or so I was told. It practically wrote my entire paper so I got off pretty easy.

But, my perceptions of radio took a hit. It was like visiting an insurance agency. There were lots of admin types sitting at desks. My radio idol, Dan Ingram, wasn't even there that day. I was shown the outside of the studio but I wasn't allowed in. It was a bummer all around. From what I saw, it shattered the visions of what I had in my head.

Today and over the last 10 years at least, these boards often talk downsizing of on-air talent and with it we usually see rants about corporate greed or how the management team is more interested in their bonuses so they keep expenses low. I was guilty of that too but my position has changed. There's always more parts of a story than what we believe is the obvious. I understand the virtues of voicetracking and it's gotten better in my view too. While I would love to see most shifts covered with someone live and local, it's far better to have a voicetracker here and there then an automated and lifeless jukebox.

So, with regard to my reduced payroll comment, it was more about the elimination of live and local talent in certain dayparts such as middays, evening, and weekends with a replacement that may be syndicated, automated, or someone working multiple stations. I didn't take into account other expenses that continue to rise but just specific to what is noticed on the air. Hopefully, I didn't muddy the waters more.

 

[TheBigA]

So, with regard to my reduced payroll comment, it was more about the elimination of live and local talent in certain dayparts such as middays, evening, and weekends with a replacement that may be syndicated, automated, or someone working multuple statons. I didn't take into account other expenses that continue to rise but just specific to what is noticed on the air. Hopefully, I didn't muddy the waters more.

Every few years, one of our stations would put out a press release announcing that the top rated morning show had signed a new contract and would continue waking up at 4AM for another few years. What the press release didn't say is the additional money that went to keep the morning show was taken from other dayparts, that were going to VT. So it was a transference of money. With your business background you can understand that the budget for talent stays the same, but the number of people drawing from that budget might get reduced as salaries and benefits rise. The other part of the discussion is that advertisers want to buy the morning & afternoon drive shows, because they feel the audience is paying attention at that time. There is less interest in buying mid-days, weekends, and overnights. So you direct the expense towards the times of days that attract the advertising.

But yes, perception often differs from reality. Radio has always been a business. If you read the book Empire of the Air (there was a Ken Burns documentary based on the book), the golden age of radio in the 1930s came about because radio was an effective sales tool. Sales drives programming, because everyone wants to get paid. Radio IS fun. It's a lot more fun than doing manual labor or retail sales. I wouldn't want to do anything else. It can be glamorous if you're in the right place. But at the end of the day, you want to get paid, and the people who get paid the most are the ones who are responsible for the money in one way or another.

 

[TheBigA]

One thing I forgot to mention in the previous post is I studied the finances of iHeart and Cumulus during their bankruptcies, and neither company ever used money taken from downsizing of talent to pay down debt. The debt remained the same regardless of the staff cuts. What I saw was a redirecting of money to deal with rising expenses elsewhere. Cumulus paid down debt by selling assets such as tower land in LA and DC or several stations in NY, DC, and Atlanta. They couldn't fire or cut their way out of debt, because the salaries were no where near the size of the debt. They could fire the entire company and it wouldn't equal the size of the debt. I'm noticing that Entercom is now eliminating live mid-day shows in some markets. Critics say they'll use that money to pay down debt, but I don't expect that to happen. They'll instead use the money to invest in other areas, such as podcasts and other content creation.

 

[gr8oldies]

We bemoan iHeart firing a local personality or local staff (sometimes rightfully so) but then again, we don't know who's being hired on the digital side, where they see their growth.

One thing I forgot to mention in the previous post is I studied the finances of iHeart and Cumulus during their bankruptcies, and neither company ever used money taken from downsizing of talent to pay down debt. The debt remained the same regardless of the staff cuts. What I saw was a redirecting of money to deal with rising expenses elsewhere. Cumulus paid down debt by selling assets such as tower land in LA and DC or several stations in NY, DC, and Atlanta. They couldn't fire or cut their way out of debt, because the salaries were no where near the size of the debt. They could fire the entire company and it wouldn't equal the size of the debt. I'm noticing that Entercom is now eliminating live mid-day shows in some markets. Critics say they'll use that money to pay down debt, but I don't expect that to happen. They'll instead use the money to invest in other areas, such as podcasts and other content creation.

 

[TheBigA]

We bemoan iHeart firing a local personality or local staff (sometimes rightfully so) but then again, we don't know who's being hired on the digital side, where they see their growth.

I have some friends who work there who've been fired & rehired several times. If you don't burn bridges, you're considered a known quantity, and an easy hire.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

snip...


So, with regard to my reduced payroll comment, it was more about the elimination of live and local talent in certain dayparts such as middays, evening, and weekends with a replacement that may be syndicated, automated, or someone working multiple stations. I didn't take into account other expenses that continue to rise but just specific to what is noticed on the air. Hopefully, I didn't muddy the waters more.

i'm on several stations overight that make enough to stay on the air and pay their bills, but wouldnt be able to support live local talent overnight.. thanks to technology, barter and strength in numbers, i can do local content for these stations and talk about the same exact things a person in the studio in larned, colby or dodge city would be talking about. But some people seem to think the same exact content i deliver would somehow be infinitely more effective delivered by a live local announcer in the local studio

*Please note, these comments and observations are entirely my own and not that of anyone I work for.. I've worked in small market radio my entire career on the air but also seen the business side/books of many stations I worked for..

 

[John FL]

Thanks for the update John FL; I haven’t been in that market to listen since 2007 in the Stuart to Jupiter area; I still think of WIRK as being on 107.7 their frequency for so many years. Of course way back in 2007; the WPB market still had a full power NPR station; now more of middle and upper Palm Beach county has to rely on either streaming or if they’re lucky to be in the decent reception area of 90.7HD2 (or is it HD3?). At least the Treasure coast, although a much smaller market has WQCS 89.9.

Thank you. I'm very pleased with all the interactions this string has generated. My intent was to mainly discuss the Palm Beach radio market and connections to other Florida markets. I've welcomed a few detours we've made along the way because I think some of us probably learned a thing or two and perhaps had assumptions busted as well. That makes for an interesting discussion and I believe we've had that here. These boards are at their best when there is active participation and sharing of ideas and experiences.

I've lived in a number of places in Florida. But it was my job that brought me to every corner of the state to work on various affiliate projects. There are some great radio markets and some that are not so good. I've long believed the further south one went in Florida, the better radio got. Obviously, personal taste comes into play. But there's something to be said about bigger budgets. I've also long believed that diversity in the market makes for more interesting radio too. But do bigger markets always have the advantage?

Hubbard Broadcasting, who recently purchased a cluster in West Palm, was the motivation behind this string. While I mentioned knowing little about them, I like seeing other companies in a market besides the typical players. Different corporate values and methods of operation can shake things up sometimes. Palm Beach County is a lot different than I remember it from maybe 20 years ago but so is a lot of Florida. I love traveling there now. Overall, I would think the state represents lots of challenge to programmers. It's like the state is a moving target with people moving in and out.

I subscribe to SiriusXM mainly because commercial radio doesn't offer enough of what I like musically. But I do tune in to traditional radio too because no matter what, there's that local flavor that I do enjoy. Despite whatever we think may detract from radio, I still believe local does rule. So, to my question about bigger markets having advantages, I have to add that radio on the Treasure Coast (counties to the north of Palm Beach) is surprisingly good. It's just a Top 100 market but maybe that's where I need to be now. For big fish who want to work in a small pond, the Treasure Coast has possibilities, although probably limited. It's also a DXng paradise. I can pick up stations from all over the state.

Radio is a fascinating business. Thanks again for all the comments that reminded me of that.

 

[Alex Browne]

now more of middle and upper Palm Beach county has to rely on either streaming or if they’re lucky to be in the decent reception area of 90.7HD2 (or is it HD3?). At least the Treasure coast, although a much smaller market has WQCS 89.9.

Gentle correction: WQCS is at 88.9, not 89.9. Its signal is still strong as south as West Palm Beach (I listen to it all the way into the airport parking ramp when I fly out of PBIA).

 

[Alex Browne]

It would seem WEAT's flip to classic hits is not very well known. The various ratings sites still list WEAT-FM as an AC. There's been no TV advertising that I'm aware of either....

What's unusual is the Sunny brand has been retained after many years as being an AC.

Yes, retaining the "Sunny" brand fooled me; that sure sounds like an AC format. I, too, haven't seen any advertising, TV or otherwise. Of course, since I live on the Treasure Coast, and not in PBC, I'd be less likely to see "otherwise" advertising (e.g., billboards, print) for a station in West Palm.