I’ve been thinking about the headline of this column lately. I’m sure many of you reading this will have differing opinions on it. As we examine the issue, remember that the answer changes from market to market, company to company, and individual to individual. I’m going to do my best to share my thoughts as someone who has not only done the job but led nearly twenty programming searches over the past eight years.
I’ll start with the positives about the job.
The program director is involved in all aspects of the business. There’s a chance to work across promotions, digital and sales, with play-by-play partners, and interact with different people, while monitoring the brand’s growth. You’re given access to a budget and trusted to make smart decisions on behalf of the company. That allows you to grow as a professional. Knowing your voice matters when key decisions are made also makes you feel that you’re valued by your bosses. Being able to earn time with corporate executives and share your vision is another plus.
Leading and helping people, being creative, giving someone a career start or important promotion, and connecting with listeners to learn how they view your brand are other benefits. You can see the progression or lack thereof from your staff based on how they respond to your direction. You’re able to make personnel moves, add key contributors to improve coverage, and introduce fun promotions and imaging to excite your fans and on-air staff.
If you enjoy being strategic and challenged, programming will keep you interested. You can implement things on the air and see what sticks. You’re given access to data, and trusted to use it to shape future decisions. That knowledge allows you to guide your team to the right type of content, promotions, events, etc.. By setting them up for success, you gain trust. Most people in radio want to win and they’ll listen if you can show them how to do it.
Another positive is the compensation. Program directors are usually paid more than other behind the scenes roles. Making money in radio usually requires working in management, sales or on-air. There are exceptions for producers, board ops, social media assistant’s, etc. but the financial upside is usually solid for a programmer. The larger the market, the better the chances of making a better living.
Now let’s look at the other side.
Getting big ideas implemented on the air has become harder. There are brands 3 weeks out from the Super Bowl that still don’t know their plans. That’s nuts. When I led stations, I had a calendar ready for the entire year. Every feature on every show was detailed for sales to know when it occurred and what came with it. Major promotions were known in advance and then discussed with the programming staff in monthly meetings. If a local story broke and required a change, we pivoted, and did so quickly.
The amount of time is takes to capitalize on opportunities and do something big has sucked the life out of some creative people. It’s also cost brands opportunities to generate interest and revenue. There’s also too much reliance on continuing past promotions or events because they were previously sold. Sports media’s top digital outlets react quickly to opportunities, which used to be radio’s super power. Why we’ve given that up and made it harder to execute I’ve yet to understand.
Next, programmers today are often overshadowed by general managers. That makes sense if a GM has strong programming acumen like Chris Oliviero, Mike Thomas or Ryan Hatch. Most though aren’t built that way. Go look at the press releases that stations send out announcing programming moves. The PD’s name is often missing. The PD may be part of the process but group decisions happen more frequently now. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Not every PD should have free reign and top managers should be part of decisions that affect multiple departments. However, some PD’s deserve more say based on track record and ability.
How much the GM respects and understands the PD role is another issue. In recent months, a top 10 market GM said ‘there isn’t much for a PD to do in our building’. That’s what someone says when they don’t know, value or understand the position. It’s a case of I’ll pick the lineup, the talent will host the shows and you do whatever. They essentially view the PD as a middle manager except that’s not what a strong program director provides. Making it worse, this is a city where the PD oversees multiple stations. But again, there’s not much to do there.
The final issue involves what’s asked and expected of PD’s in 2024. The abundance of tasks that have little to do with creativity and staff development continue to rise. People don’t take PD jobs expecting to get rich. They also don’t pursue them because they love building clocks, attending promotions meetings, filling out timesheets and affidavits or assisting engineering or HR. They do it because they want to be creative, work with shows, put their stamp on a brand, and compete. When the fun parts of the job get replaced by office work, talented people leave.
I know of one situation a few years ago where two candidates interviewed for a job and learned that they’d be tasked with managing 4 sports radio brands in two cities and serving as a co-host of a 4-hour afternoon show. The position paid under 50K. This was in a top 50 market. How do you expect anyone to effectively manage 4 radio stations let alone do it while spending 20-hours on-air each week? This won’t surprise you, both candidates turned down the job. The station had to promote a person from within who wasn’t ready for the role.
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There are pros and cons to every job. Plenty still see the value of being a program director. Others find it less appealing. Those opinions are mostly shared though by people with prior experience. What about interest from younger professionals? Do they desire to lead sports radio stations? If so, why are they less active pursuing opportunities and landing them?
A lot of the answers to this question will depend on who you ask and where they work. Some companies still value the role, others don’t. Quarter to quarter thinking and stress over debt has unfortunately created more focus on executing than creating/building. That approach doesn’t excite, attract or retain talented people. It also makes others rising through the ranks question how far they can go with your company.
Once or twice per year I’m asked to consider a PD role. I appreciate the interest but the answer is always no. I loved the job and am proud of what I did but I’ve since built two strong brands and a successful business. I get the benefits of programming BSM and BNM while helping stations, companies, and people that I like working with. I wouldn’t trade that for anything.
Since I’m not chasing a job and still work with groups nationwide, I’m going to share three pearls of wisdom for aspiring and existing programmers. Use it as you wish.
First, learn to look at your brand through a business lens. Many focus on content, ratings, brand awareness, and serving listeners but don’t know the local business climate. Challenge your general manager to teach you. Spend time with your Sales Manager to learn what the financial wins and losses are. You can even explore spending time with clients or talking to executives in other fields. Knowledge is available everywhere if you look for it. When you see and understand the full picture, it makes you a stronger executive.
Secondly, every single PD should be making time to develop future brand leaders. You’re a coach. They hired you to make people better. If you possess those qualities, use them to assure the company has future options. That reflects well on you and shows your team that you’re invested in their growth. This business is going to be in tough shape in a decade if we don’t groom future leaders. It starts with inspiring others to pursue the same path you did, and then showing them how it’s done.
My last piece of advice, stop using ratings to justify your success. I know great PDs who were ranked 25th, and others who earned industry accolades despite not meeting with talent or shows for more than 3 years. Your numbers reflect what exists on a screen based on what Nielsen reports. But few have physical proof that shows how people behave when they listen, view or read your content. You’re offering blind faith to an imperfect system.
For years I’ve called it Programming For Ghosts. We’re in an era of multiplatform content and brand building. Not every PD knows how their audience consumes them. You should know your podcast, YouTube, streaming, website, social media, radio, and newsletter stories, not just your radio ratings report. You then use that information to showcase your brand’s impact and explain how it benefits clients and staff.
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Thumbs Up:
Michael Kay, 98.7 ESPN New York: After learning Doc Rivers was exiting ESPN to become the new head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, Michael took the network to task. It’d have been easy to avoid the topic and the internal noise but Kay was honest with the audience and his co-hosts. He questioned how CNN could scoop ESPN on the Rivers news, why Doc’s agreement didn’t have a clause in it preventing this issue, and acknowledged that the new booth wasn’t crisp and certainly wasn’t on par with what existed previously with Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson. ESPN management and PR may not have loved it but Kay spoke from the heart and said what many were thinking.
DraftKings: Adding Marie Donoghue to the network’s executive team makes the company instantly stronger. The expected new marketing partnership with Barstool Sports is also smart. With former ESPN talents like the Golic’s on board, a partnership in place with Meadowlark Media, and a management team featuring former ESPN execs Stacie McCollum and Len Mead, DK is positioning itself for future success. The impact may not be felt today or tomorrow but long-term growth requires patience, strategy and skill. DK is making sure they’re built to win.
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Thumbs Down:
Vince McMahon: WWE’s former owner and longtime mastermind has left his position as executive chairman with TKO Group Holdings following allegations of sex trafficking, rape, defecation and more against a woman named Janel Grant. If you read the lawsuit and what’s been shared online, you’re likely going to be repulsed by what McMahon is accused of. I’m not an attorney nor familiar with the entire case, but for Vince’s sake, he better have evidence that proves the allegations are false. His public image and life’s work are on the verge of extinction similar to what happened to Joe Paterno’s legacy at Penn State.
If you abuse power, make bad decisions, and hurt people, there are large consequences. If guilty, this is what Vince will be remembered for, which is a shame but very much deserved. Unfortunately, those involved with the WWE who had nothing to do with this mess now have to deal with a PR nightmare based on Vince’s alleged actions.
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BSM Summit Update:
More than thirty executives, programmers, talent and researcher experts have been announced for the 2024 BSM Summit in New York City, and there’s more still to come. If you haven’t bought a ticket or reserved your hotel room, log on to BSMSummit.com. The deadline to book a room is Tuesday February 13th. It will not be extended past that. If you want to save money on your stay and be in the room for the show, handle it before time expires.
We ran a number of Summit ticket contests this week to give folks a chance to attend for free. The winners are: Natalie Marsh of Lotus Las Vegas, Mike Paterson of Mid-West Family Broadcasting, Ken Selvaggi of Union Broadcasting Louisville, Kraig Riley of 93.7 The Fan, Parker Hillis of Sports Radio 610, and Jim Irizarry of Mid-West Family South Bend. College students who have won tickets include Emma Bigg and Beau Dragone of Hofstra University, and Julian Tiburcio of Manhattan University. I have two free tickets left for advertising/media buying professionals. First come, first served. Just email me.
Last week we announced Angelo Cataldi and Steve Cohen as award winners. Still to come are the Mark Chernoff and Champions Award recipients. I hope to announce those next week. In the meantime, I’m thrilled to reveal Jomboy Media COO Courtney Hirsch will join us for the first time. Also participating are WFNZ Program Director Jeff Rickard and SKOR North Director of Content Phil Mackey. The full agenda will be released at the end of February.
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BSM Top 20 Update:
The votes are in. My thanks to the 60 programmers and executives who submitted feedback for the BSM Top 20 of 2023. The results will be released next week. The six day series recognizes the Top 20 National Sports Radio Shows, and Local Sports Radio Stations, Program Directors, Morning Shows, Midday Shows, and Afternoon Shows in both major and mid sized markets. A huge thank you to Steve Stone Voiceovers for supporting the series and sports radio’s best.
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Super Bowl Week in Las Vegas:
I’ll be in Las Vegas Monday-Wednesday February 5-7 along with BSM’s Derek Futterman. I’ll be on radio row promoting the Top 20 and visiting partners and familiar faces. Derek will be working on our Day Spent With series which includes spending time with Fox Sports Radio and VSiN. He’s also spending a day prior to the Vegas trip with Jim and Dawn Cutler for a peak into the day in the life of a voice artist. The Day Spent With series will run each Friday in February and March.
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Black History Month on BNM:
Public radio week was difficult to execute but we got it done. My thanks to our team and all who made time for them. Now we turn our focus to February and producing special coverage for Black History month. Krystina Alarcon Carroll and Garrett Searight will be writing 8 features during the month showcasing some of the best black broadcasters on-air and behind the scenes. Look for content to run on Monday’s and Friday’s on BNM starting this Friday February 2nd.
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If you have a question or comment you’d like addressed in a future column, please send it to JBarrett@sportsradiopd.com. Press releases, interview requests and news tips can also be passed along here. Thanks for reading!
Jason Barrett is the President and Founder of Barrett Media since the company was created in September 2015. Prior to its arrival, JB served as a sports radio programmer, launching brands such as 95.7 The Game in San Francisco, and 101 ESPN in St. Louis. He also spent time programming SportsTalk 950 in Philadelphia, 590 The Fan KFNS in St. Louis, and ESPN 1340/1390 in Poughkeepsie, NY. Jason also worked on-air and behind the scenes in local radio at 101.5 WPDH, WTBQ 1110AM, and WPYX 106.5. He also spent two years on the national stage, producing radio shows for ESPN Radio in Bristol, CT. Among them included the Dan Patrick Show, and GameNight.
You can find JB on Twitter @SportsRadioPD. He’s also reachable by email at Jason@BarrettMedia.com.
