What does a PD do all day?

[icycool7227]

I want to know what in the world do program directors do all day that they are so busy to not return people's phone calls about stuff. And if they are that busy then why don't hire extra help? I have not heard from a PD in 3 days. Another one I contacted several months ago who handled the website for a small market station didn't contact me back at all. I really find it hard to believe that people at small market stations don't have time for phone calls. So what really does a PD do in a day's work from start to finish? I'd like to know.

 

[davideduardo]

I want to know what in the world do program directors do all day that they are so busy to not return people's phone calls about stuff. And if they are that busy then why don't hire extra help? I have not heard from a PD in 3 days. Another one I contacted several months ago who handled the website for a small market station didn't contact me back at all. I really find it hard to believe that people at small market stations don't have time for phone calls. So what really does a PD do in a day's work from start to finish? I'd like to know.

Among the PDs responsibilities...

Protect the license. Train all staff in FCC rules about indecency, technical operation, payola, plugola, contesting, record keeping, liability and other issues airstaff needs to know.
Meet with sales to help get revenue, and with every seller who wants a promotion, give away or tie in.
Schedule talent for remotes and appearances
Handle time cards, vacations, emergency fill, production schedules and often promotion staff schedules and duties.
Aircheck each on air person at least once a week.
Be available to do fill-ins themselves if they are not doing a regular airshift... most medium maket PDs have a 4 to 5 hour airshift daily.
Check music reports and other info about new music, check national research and airplay data for signs of songs that are stiffing.
Dub new songs onto the digital storage system.
Do the daily music log, three before the weekend, four before holidays. That means generate, edit and load the data into the digital storage system for play.
Write promos, and often produce them too.
Voice spots and do some other production duties.
Do some remotes and appearances.
Attend staff meetings, and likely all sales meetings.
Do budgets and budget reviews with manager and the accounting person.

Well, I am up to about 60 hours a week, and I'm not through. Note that I did not include "talk to unsolicited job applicants" in my list.
Monitor the competition, and also listen to out of market stations in similar formats.

 

[musicsweep]

I really find it hard to believe that people at small market stations don't have time for phone calls.

Actually, some of your small market PDs are the busiest in the industry. The smaller the market, the more hats an employee has to wear. Depending on how small the market, the PD in question probably does the morning show, then production, sales (in some cases, becoming more common than you think), live remotes, music scheduling, programming automation, and in some cases, making the coffee. With a day that starts at 4 a.m., can you blame the guy for wanting to go home by 5 p.m.?

 

[rickradio]

Among the PDs responsibilities...

Protect the license. Train all staff in FCC rules about indecency, technical operation, payola, plugola, contesting, record keeping, liability and other issues airstaff needs to know.
Meet with sales to help get revenue, and with every seller who wants a promotion, give away or tie in.
Schedule talent for remotes and appearances
Handle time cards, vacations, emergency fill, production schedules and often promotion staff schedules and duties.
Aircheck each on air person at least once a week.
Be available to do fill-ins themselves if they are not doing a regular airshift... most medium maket PDs have a 4 to 5 hour airshift daily.
Check music reports and other info about new music, check national research and airplay data for signs of songs that are stiffing.
Dub new songs onto the digital storage system.
Do the daily music log, three before the weekend, four before holidays. That means generate, edit and load the data into the digital storage system for play.
Write promos, and often produce them too.
Voice spots and do some other production duties.
Do some remotes and appearances.
Attend staff meetings, and likely all sales meetings.
Do budgets and budget reviews with manager and the accounting person.

Well, I am up to about 60 hours a week, and I'm not through. Note that I did not include "talk to unsolicited job applicants" in my list.
Monitor the competition, and also listen to out of market stations in similar formats.

Now you know why I never sought the PD gig. I kinda liked the 30-40 hour work week. Even though it meant less money. The headache didn't come close to being worth it. David hits the nail on the head here, icy

And if they are that busy then why don't (they) hire extra help?

Simple, icy. Money doesn't grow on trees.

I have not heard from a PD in 3 days.

Three days? Is that all? First, be grateful if you even get a response. Even a "thanks for your interest in employment opportunities with Garbage 106" letter is more than most people get. Usually, you're just ignored.

I submitted a tape (yes, I know...this dates me) and resume to a PD once, and it was over a YEAR before he called me, icy.

With a day that starts at 4 a.m., can you blame the guy for wanting to go home by 5 p.m.?

Or earlier if he can. Musicsweep hits THIS nail on the head. In fact, dovetailing with musicsweep's post,

I really find it hard to believe that people at small market stations don't have time for phone calls.

...the smaller the market, the LESS staff you have to handle day-to-day operations. I know of one station where the traffic director pulled an airshift. At another station, the chief engineer was the late evening jock. In fact, it was a condition of his hiring because there was no one else to do it.

Only when they need someone to do what you're offering will the PD pull your stuff, look at it, listen to your aircheck, and THEN decide if he even wants to talk to you. If he thinks you're too inexperienced, your airwork is rough and doesn't have time to play "coach" with you, forget about hearing from him. Chances are, his plate is way too full to have time for that and needs someone he can train and throw on the air that weekend. PDs are under no obligation to respond to whom David rightly described as "unsolicited job applicants." It's up to YOU to keep trying.

 

[Prais]

Icy asked, "So what really does a PD do in a day's work from start to finish? I'd like to know."

Um......
smell bad
Smoke and drink
swear like a sailor when the mic is off
leave pizza boxes in the studio
fart often and grunt after
flirt with the "fepeople"
scratch
surf for porn
mispronounce local town names
steal cd's from the station
make long distance phone calls on the station's line
make bad jokes on the air about the manager's wife using her real first name
Drink alot of Dr. Pepper
mispronounce English words like "jewelry" and "meteorology"
.....and that's just the FIRST hour!

O, and put the manager's daughter's Pekingese puppy (named "Puffy") in a DRAWER in the newsroom during the top of the hour newscast.

This was one ACTUAL pd I worked for in Chicago a long time ago.

PS David E is correct.

 

[icycool7227]

You've got it wrong here. I wasn't contacting this PD for seeking employment. I was contacting him to find out why 100.3 The X stopped streaming and if he could aircheck the station for me. I'm pretty sure the reason was because of royalty rates being so expensive.

Among the PDs responsibilities...

Protect the license. Train all staff in FCC rules about indecency, technical operation, payola, plugola, contesting, record keeping, liability and other issues airstaff needs to know.
Meet with sales to help get revenue, and with every seller who wants a promotion, give away or tie in.
Schedule talent for remotes and appearances
Handle time cards, vacations, emergency fill, production schedules and often promotion staff schedules and duties.
Aircheck each on air person at least once a week.
Be available to do fill-ins themselves if they are not doing a regular airshift... most medium maket PDs have a 4 to 5 hour airshift daily.
Check music reports and other info about new music, check national research and airplay data for signs of songs that are stiffing.
Dub new songs onto the digital storage system.
Do the daily music log, three before the weekend, four before holidays. That means generate, edit and load the data into the digital storage system for play.
Write promos, and often produce them too.
Voice spots and do some other production duties.
Do some remotes and appearances.
Attend staff meetings, and likely all sales meetings.
Do budgets and budget reviews with manager and the accounting person.

Well, I am up to about 60 hours a week, and I'm not through. Note that I did not include "talk to unsolicited job applicants" in my list.
Monitor the competition, and also listen to out of market stations in similar formats.

Now you know why I never sought the PD gig. I kinda liked the 30-40 hour work week. Even though it meant less money. The headache didn't come close to being worth it. David hits the nail on the head here, icy

And if they are that busy then why don't (they) hire extra help?

Simple, icy. Money doesn't grow on trees.

I have not heard from a PD in 3 days.

Three days? Is that all? First, be grateful if you even get a response. Even a "thanks for your interest in employment opportunities with Garbage 106" letter is more than most people get. Usually, you're just ignored.

I submitted a tape (yes, I know...this dates me) and resume to a PD once, and it was over a YEAR before he called me, icy.

With a day that starts at 4 a.m., can you blame the guy for wanting to go home by 5 p.m.?

Or earlier if he can. Musicsweep hits THIS nail on the head. In fact, dovetailing with musicsweep's post,

I really find it hard to believe that people at small market stations don't have time for phone calls.

...the smaller the market, the LESS staff you have to handle day-to-day operations. I know of one station where the traffic director pulled an airshift. At another station, the chief engineer was the late evening jock. In fact, it was a condition of his hiring because there was no one else to do it.

Only when they need someone to do what you're offering will the PD pull your stuff, look at it, listen to your aircheck, and THEN decide if he even wants to talk to you. If he thinks you're too inexperienced, your airwork is rough and doesn't have time to play "coach" with you, forget about hearing from him. Chances are, his plate is way too full to have time for that and needs someone he can train and throw on the air that weekend. PDs are under no obligation to respond to whom David rightly described as "unsolicited job applicants." It's up to YOU to keep trying.

 

[Prais]

That is NOT what you asked for in the original post.

 

[davideduardo]

That is NOT what you asked for in the original post.

This is why, also, someone with no radio experience, no training and no understanding is not going to either get through to the PD or get a job in radio. For the moment, his major challenge seems to be getting a driver license.

 

[oldiesfan6479]

You've got it wrong here. I wasn't contacting this PD for seeking employment. I was contacting him to find out why 100.3 The X stopped streaming and if he could aircheck the station for me.

Would you like that 'scoped? :

 

[Sgeirk]

Program directors do airshifts, coach their air talent, deal with technical and engineering issues, website updating, podcast uploading, streaming issues, paperwork out the wazoo, music scheduling, log merging, deal with promotions...some, depending on market size might even double as an in-house IT person. It all depends.

Then, you take that "PD" and multiply the number of stations he's in charge of...that's what they do all day. And if someone doesn't return your call try an e-mail. Being a PD isn't being the "top jock" on the airstaff...there's a LOT more to it these days. and if you don't get a call returned, there's probably a reason...try an e-mail.

And I can tell you why W___-FM or K___-FM stopped streaming.... it's because you don't pay for it, they do...and their revenues are down, they might make little or no money off it...in fact, it might easily COST THEM..... so they pulled the plug. Simple answer.

 

[Greedy Kilowatt]

I used to lie around in my management hammock all day.

 

[RadioStarOne]

I know a few PD's that still do that right now!