Where are we finding Rock and Alternative Radio’s next Tom Brady? Where is the young talent going to come from? The big content stars on TikTok and IG aren’t looking to migrate to Radio. However, there are recruitable upstarts everywhere who could be next.
The NFL draft is upon us, and it’s a great reminder for Rockaholics and Alternaheads that stars of all types, including Brady, were once young before they hoisted Lombardi trophies.
- Kurt Cobain was in a CCR tribute band before Nirvana
- The Chili Peppers’ first gig, under a different name, was in front of 30 people
- KISS played for 10 people and was paid $50 by the Popcorn Club in 1973
That got me thinking, so I looked up some other greats:
- Steve Jobs dropped out of college
- J.K. Rowling’s past includes being on welfare
- George Clooney was a door-to-door salesman
In Radio, Howard Stern worked at his college station, Seacrest was an intern, Rush Limbaugh was known as “Bachelor Jeff” at Top 40, and before becoming Mr. Sportscenter and then the biggest sports personality in radio, Dan Patrick reportedly did TV stunts like painting himself blue to support the Houston Oilers.
So, ya gotta start somewhere, but WHERE? Internship programs are as common as Palm Pilots, and even then, they’re administrative or promotional. Some clusters are fortunate to have part-timers who can grow, but overall, there isn’t clear evidence of an industry plan to develop tomorrow’s talent.
Wacky morning shows may get a mild budget to hire someone named “Stink” whom they can embarrass every morning, and screeners may be allowed to utter a few thoughts at spoken word brands, but opportunities for aspiring talent are scarce.
I’m guilty of overusing comparisons between Sports and Rock Radio because they’re understandable to anyone not living on Mars. Just like big Rock bands often hand-pick their opening acts, NFL teams draft young players from the college ranks with the hopes they’ll become franchise players or faces of the league.
Not all draftees are guaranteed a roster spot, but they’ll at least get a chance to try and prove themselves. First round picks are expected to be stars, just like proven jocks in one market are expected to make an easy transition to the next. But it’s often the late-round draftees, the unknowns, that can create surprise magic.
Tom Brady was a 6th rounder – the 199th pick in 2000. That’s like the store clerks we hear saying “clean-up on aisle 6,” rapidly rising to replace Preston & Steve at WMMR. It’s not totally impossible, and we’ll never know their true potential unless they’re invited to training camp.
The latest Jacobs Media Techsurvey illustrated (again) the importance of personalities. Let this graph sink in.
Economic pressures leading to cost-cutting are understandable. But let’s cut somewhere other than the future talent pool. The long game is over if the industry’s bench is piping in the same veteran voice trackers across the nation for pennies on the dollar to do basic music shifts. Why not improve the futuristic outlook by having promising, young, inexpensive, and motivated rookies honing the craft so they can be tomorrow’s heroes?
While music is very important, the audience has also been telling Radio, year after year, that engaging personalities and shows are equally important. The Jacobs Media Techsurvey also has a fancy graph that shows the perceived benefit of “localism” is on the rise.
In short, Radio isn’t drafting new talent. Night dayparts are largely void of humans unless it’s canned by out-of-towners with “that was, this is.” The historically live midday slot is in jeopardy of becoming extinct. If this is the plan for the future, it’s like not saving money for your kids.
There are some out there trying to develop Rock’s next Tom Brady, but the pipeline isn’t what it once was. Job postings used to generate hundreds of “airchecks, ” not today.
The future CAN be very bright, though. There are a lot of talented youngsters in High School and College – soon-to-be stars – who love Rock & Alt and live the lifestyle. But the funnel has been flipped. They’re not looking at Radio as the BIG opportunity it can be. It’s up to Radio to go back to school and discover who should be next on the team of GOATS.
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Keith Cunningham is a music industry and Rock/Alternative columnist for Barrett Media and the founder of Black Box Group, a modern-modeled creative & strategic consultancy built for brands that need strategies with teeth. He’s the former Master of Mayhem at 95.5 KLOS-FM in Los Angeles for over a decade, a nationwide consultant, and has been repeatedly voted one of America’s top Program Directors and strategic thinkers. Keith has built his career by taking multi-million-dollar brands from worst to first and leading Marconi & Gracie award winners along the way. A data nerd with a rock-and-roll heart, he is an advisory council member for St. Jude fundraising, a fantasy football champion, and lover of his daughters & dogs. Reach him at keithblackboxgroup@gmail.com or on LinkedIn or X.
