Tis the season to be right-sized, fa la la la la, la la la la! Sing along with me. But what if it were the other way around? What if radio and audio talent were making the decisions about their future? What if talent had the option to enter…wait for it…The Portal?
The NCAA college football transfer portal opened a few weeks ago. As of this writing, more than 3,300 athletes have entered their names into the database to be considered as transfers to another college football program. After you finish reading this column, you can track the portal via this link to see how the numbers have increased.
It’s Christmas week, so let’s keep the fun fantasy stories going. There’s a new presidential administration coming to town next month. Government jobs and appointments will change. One of those jobs is the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for the leadership of this regulatory board is current FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, replacing Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworsel.
THERE’S A NEW LEADER, AND HE LIKES RAP
Carr has an agenda and is working through the holidays to ensure his vision for the FCC is ready to execute starting January 21st. Here’s what you don’t know. The commission is creating a radio/audio portal. RAP is the acronym.
Like the NCAA, talent will notify their current employer of their intention to enter the portal to transfer their skills to another radio station or content provider. The employer will have 48 hours to enter the talent into the database. Once in the portal, other employers (those who pay into the system, of course) can contact the talent to discuss options for transferring their skills and employment to another company.
Technological advances have reduced the need for talent to move to another market, so moving costs are never involved in the decision. Oh, along with the RAP, the FCC will reduce syndication to one show per station. This will create more of a need for on-air shifts at individual stations. The owners will respond by extending the shifts to twice the standard time. Anticipating that move, the FCC will require the Nielsen daypart designation (6A-10A, 10A-3P, 3P-7P, 7P-12M, 12M-6A) for the on-air shifts occupied daily by different talents. I told you this was fantasy…mixed with some heresy.
Under this new portal system, talent can quickly move their craft to a different brand and market. They’ll have a better chance of moving from Overnights in Paducah to Afternoon Drive in Omaha because the Omaha talent got picked up in the portal by Los Angeles.
However, it doesn’t favor only the talent. Owners can find someone in this fantasy portal much faster than the current system of job applications and interviews. Oh, one other point. A talent can continue a career in this beloved field of entertainment and human connection and companionship. But, like college sports, there’s a period of eligibility: four years, with exceptions. Each on-air shift at the radio station or audio outlet has a four-year eligibility. A talent could cycle through all five dayparts and make a 20-year career at one station.
Back to reality. Cheering for a college sports program as a fan has always been about your connection to the program because of proximity, family tradition, experience at a game, or education at the school. We’re fans of a team first, then the players and the coaches. Your team may have one of the best QBs in the school’s history, but if the team is 2-10 on the season, you’ll remember the disappointing season more than the star player.
In the radio portal system, brand strength would be more important than ever. A station could lose its star player after a year of service. I know what you’re thinking. That happens now. Yes, but it would happen more often in the RAP system.
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER WITH OR WITHOUT “RAP”:
Is your brand strong enough to withstand the rapid changes of talent moves? Is the music and on-air presentation so good that you’ll continue to win with different players every few years?
Is your coaching staff executing the strategy and vision so the players understand “our” system and what it means for “our” season?
Is your marketing and promotion focused on the benefits to the audience? As a football fan, if I go to a game in Tuscaloosa or Ann Arbor, I expect to be entertained by the home team winning.
When you lose a good player in the RAP system (and you will), can you replace that talent with someone who isn’t as good as the one you lost but will improve because of your brand strength and coaching system?
With or without a talent portal system, brand strength and vision are the keys to allowing amazing talent to make your brand even stronger season after season.
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Ron Harrell is a columnist for Barrett Media. He founded Harrell Media Group, specializing in radio and audio brand consultation, fractional management, and talent coaching. He has worked in every role on the Programming and Branding side during his career, becoming management and executive-focused in the post-Telecom Act era. Ron has held leadership roles for media groups such as ABC/Citadel, CBS Radio, Chancellor Media, Cumulus Media, Hope Media Group, Hubbard Broadcasting, and WAY Media.
Interested parties are invited to learn more about his company Harrell Media Group and reach out by email at Ron@HarrellMediaGroup.com.
