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What Difference Do PD's make Anymore?

R

Ready for air

Not long ago strong PD's existed in Atlanta radio who motivated and trained talent, who had the clout to keep sales people away from messing with the product, who actually made all key decisions and were respected by management as the final word on the product. Stations with huge images had PDs who were also air talent who understood talent, and made all key marketing decisions. Other than Pete Spriggs at WSB AM who in this town really runs his station. PD's seem to have to ask corporate or a consultant about everything. Most guys with an Ops title are the least creative in the building but don't seem to know it:they are mechanics to a now mechanical business. A PD can't make a recommendation that's not questioned by everybody. Many pd's have no clout to even defend a talent and see talent as someone filling a shift. Talent is an expense not an asset in their eyes. Look at how Atlanta talent has been disreguarded and treated this year.

Millions were invested in Steve and Vikki for example and instead of reinventing them, they discard them. Real original. Nobody could help McKee invent himself and Moby, the Regular Guys, randy & Spiff, to name a few aren't hired because a PD is out of his league trying to communicate with them or so it seems. If they don't respect the talent or know how to grow talent, let the sales department put on anything it wants and can't even select which new cuts to add to the playlist, what good are they anymore? Are PD's a dying breed or are we so used to mediocre nobody else sees this?
 
This is actually a good topic. It's true, PD's don't have ANY say so anymore. PD's hire weekenders... that's about it. They schedule music that consultants deem playable. They answer to the OM who answers to the GM who answers to the regional manager who answers to the Senior Regional manager and so on...

Someone mentioned Dan Bowen has control at Star. You think Dan hired the morning crew from Indy on his own?

Leslie can't do squat without answering to Rob Roberts

Chris Williams didn't hire Giant Brian without 4/5 people ok'ing it.

Michelle Engel had a little say so about the product at Dave. Not sure how much Mike Wheeler will have.

Once again BIG CORPS have ruined radio. How is a SRVP supposed to make decisions in markets he doesn't know about? Stinks!!!

WAR XM / SIRIUS merger. At least you have options with satellite.
 
I'm seriously not looking to bash PDs but their job seems to have been hijacked by corporations. Do corporations not respect the PD because I don't see evidence that more people making a PD's decision has given us better decisions.
.
I am frustrated that execs make key decisions but if there is a bad book the PD is one blamed and fired. But day to day they are second guessed and usually just do what they are told. Why?
If you're a jock do you feel your PD has got your back or would he sell you out in two seconds if corporate said "let's voice this shift." Why are they intimidated to be yes men instead of leaders?
Seems like in this market everytime a quote is made about a stations programming, it's the GM wanting his name in the paper. What's going on out there. It's like the PD gets no respect and they used to be guiding light, the visionary, and the final word.
 
AWESOME topic, and I wondered how long it would take for the white-hot, cost-slashing corporate eyes to start eyeballing PD's...who, now that the talent has been dumped, split up or devalued, have made themselves the new low dogs on the totem poles.

No real say, no real power, no real influence, and since they're just suits now instead of former jocks and entertainers, they have no real area of expertise and are just vulnerable mid-level managers with huge targets on their backs.
 
Gotta add my 2 cents here: One might ask how does this affect the listener? Because the VP/GM now programs the station. What's his experience in such things? Nil. Oh, he may have been doing it this way for a long time, but it doesn't mean he's good at it. Those who do program know that it takes a certain creative flair to juggle all the elements that make a stations' sound, and you simply can not do it and manage a radio station too. They live in a bubble and are far removed from the lifestyle of the audience, so how can he possibly relate to them? Programming is an art and you wil be hard pressed to find a situation where a smart GM has found someone who knows his craft and steps back to let him work his magic (thereby making him look good in the process).
 
Great topic. Have been out of radio now for 10+ years, but can clearly see out of the biz that today's PD is no more than a message boy/gal in most cases doing the grunt work no one else wants to. In my day (now that sounds funny), the PD was the life line of the station. The leader. The mentor. The reason you wanted to join a station. Radio...a by gone era in almost all aspects.
 
How things have changed for the PD from the 60s/70s/80s/early 90s. Back then, if sales said they wanted to give out cans of paint on the morning show, the PD would shove said cans of paint up the sale person's orifice. Nowadays, when the GSM or AE tell the PD that cans of paint must be given away on the morning show, the sales-whipped PD says "What day and what time?"
 
kzewdude said:
How things have changed for the PD from the 60s/70s/80s/early 90s. Back then, if sales said they wanted to give out cans of paint on the morning show, the PD would shove said cans of paint up the sale person's orifice. Nowadays, when the GSM or AE tell the PD that cans of paint must be given away on the morning show, the sales-whipped PD says "What day and what time?"
Click to expand...

Terrestrial radio really does stink these days! Which regional manager will see it's time for change and do something about the state of radio. Will it EVER recover?
 
Ready for air said:
If you're a jock do you feel your PD has got your back or would he sell you out in two seconds if corporate said "let's voice this shift." Why are they intimidated to be yes men instead of leaders?
Click to expand...

It's best for talent to assume these days that no one has their back, because no one does. That's why so many shows end, even Steve and Vikki, on a sour note. Those two should have been celebrated, and McCoy re-teamed. He's not my taste, but he's a good man and a recognizable brand name in the community. Instead he was discarded and one could sense the bitterness.

This will change as the competition matures, and radio owners will have a tough time competing with just jukeboxes. They deserve every bit of the economic ruin their current business model will bring.
 
Great topic. This is not just the case in ATL, but all over. As a PD/OM in the Cincinnati Market, I am at fortunate to work for a stand alone, (although network affilliated) so while I don't program the music, I do make marketing and localism decisions, and at least when I hear no, its not in a memo from across the country, or from a consultant, so I can argue my case. That being said, the biggest issue for all radio is that ownership does not want to put out a product that the listener wants to hear, but rather just posess an avenue for revenue at the lowest possible cost. The good part in this is that time is tight for this type of management/ownership. Satellite, IPod, and the Internet will force terrestrial radio back to offering compelling content or die. Given the millions of dollars, and overvaluation associated with stations, (as high as 14 times revenue) death is not an option. Those PD's who posess the market knowledge, and creativity to deliver it will be worth a fortune, because there are very few being trained to do such things in today's climate.
 
You give PDs too much credit. Steve & Vicki became the powerhouse they were because of an excellent and stable management team that included an amazing marketing guy that made sure they owned every major event and fundraiser in Atlanta. Star had shares of 8.1 and 8.3 and was bigger than life for most of the 90's due to his vision and creativity. He stood up to the sales and said no, then convinced them of better ideas that worked. Yes, Steve & Vicki are terrific talents, and yes, they had talented leadership. The big difference was that they could sound bigger and badder than anyone else and you had to listen.

Alan Hennes
Rest in Peace
We miss you....

PDs need to walk away from their Selector screens and think bigger.
Market Managers need to hire great marketing minds again and spend some money on outstanding ideas.
It takes a team, and it takes fresh ideas. That's what's missing.
 
kzewdude said:
How things have changed for the PD from the 60s/70s/80s/early 90s. Back then, if sales said they wanted to give out cans of paint on the morning show, the PD would shove said cans of paint up the sale person's orifice. Nowadays, when the GSM or AE tell the PD that cans of paint must be given away on the morning show, the sales-whipped PD says "What day and what time?"
Click to expand...

Granted, my experience has been in smaller markets, but I've seen just the opposite. Any prizes you had to give away were either record company freebies, or whatever junk the sales dept was able to trade out. The last 8-10 years have seen prizes someone actually might want to win (or cash).
 
Inside your radio said:
Michelle Engel had a little say so about the product at Dave. Not sure how much Mike Wheeler will have.
Click to expand...

To quote John McLaughlin - "WRONG!" Michelle's fingerprints were all over DAVE-FM during her three-year destruction. Need proof? When was the last time DAVE-FM played Widespread Panic? The day before she left. Michelle used to have weekely meetings with Mara Davis about toning down her personality(?). BTW, Mara is the top rated and most known person on DAVE-FM and was recently voted the top personality in Atlanta by Creative Loafing readers. I can see why Michelle would want to tone that down. She took the numbers lower and lower by playing music that appealed to a small audience - herself.

When I am PD, I will have a great deal of say about the station.
 
Never knew her but have a great deal of respect for her now that I know she was trying to tone down Mara Davis.
 
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