Every once in a while, it’s healthy to step outside our own industry and ask a simple question: How hard is our job as an air talent – really?
Creating audio content doesn’t task the body like the demands of a construction worker. Nor does it require the life-or-death pressure of a heart surgeon. Certainly not the exhaustion of a first responder. While it requires unending creativity and the ability to grab attention in 7 seconds or less, it’s not “rocket surgery”. The entire environment is built to be fun.
Perspective from the Past
So when Barrett Media founder Jason Barrett wrote last month about radio’s PR problem, it got me reflecting on just how much easier it is to entertain today – versus what many would consider archaic even 25 years ago.
Jason argued that radio needs builders rather than critics. He wrote that the business needs “people with talent and passion who are focused on solutions, not individuals…doing damage from the inside out.” Why so much rancor within our ranks?
Consider this: What were we saddled with before all these wonderful digital and automated tools arrived on the scene? Those of us who came through pre-1990s radio know hard work. We hauled our own heavy equipment to remotes. And loaded our own carts with magnetic tape. We produced our commercials using razor blades and two-track reel-to-reel tape. Also, we worked overnights, holidays and weekends. Took hourly transmitter readings. And prepared our music logs with flash cards and copy paper. We waited by the phone for Arbitron to call with “early” ratings before the printed book would arrive a week later. We cleared the Associated Press wire when it jammed, missing important stories for our newscasts. My first radio job included taking out the building trash and cleaning the studio. Clearly, the physical grind has vanished, replaced by laptops, automation, A.I. and digital platforms.
The act of creating something memorable and valuable to the listener has never been easier.
What Really Constitutes Hard Work
I was sitting in an airport recently, watching travelers rush from gate to gate. Notably, I noticed a woman reviewing engineering diagrams on her laptop. She was preparing for what appeared to be a bridge inspection, flipping through pages of structural calculations and safety reports. My eyes glazed over after about thirty seconds. That’s a hard job.
A few weeks later, severe storms tore through the Midwest, leaving hundreds of thousands without electricity. Meanwhile, most of us were posting pictures of the damage or complaining that our Wi-Fi was down. In contrast, utility crews were working sixteen-hour shifts in sweltering heat, climbing poles, replacing transformers and restoring power under dangerous conditions. They slept in hotels when they could, ate whenever they had a minute and marched forward until every neighborhood had the lights on. That’s a really hard job.
Defining True Difficulty
Furthermore, consider the nurses finishing a twelve-hour Covid-fueled overnight shift, firefighters entering burning buildings, police officers responding to domestic violence calls, construction workers laying asphalt in 95-degree heat, truck drivers navigating America’s highways through snowstorms, and military personnel serving thousands of miles from home. Those are hard jobs.
Back inside an air-conditioned radio or home studio, complaints range from voice-tracking an extra market to scheduling consistent social media posts. Additionally, there’s writing for the website and producing local commercials – which are easier and quicker than ever. In fact, there was a time when we’d have to wait for the delivery of national and agency spots from the UPS driver.
The Evolving Landscape of Radio Work
Yes – workloads have increased. Downsizing has blurred job descriptions, and programmers drive content across multiple stations. Consequently, air talent now wear more hats than ever before. Everyone is time-starved and tasked with the work of two – or more – people.
Let’s take a fresh perspective of what we’re blessed to do. We work in one of the few businesses where we get paid to entertain, inform, connect and make people smile. We introduce listeners to new music. We celebrate local heroes. We help businesses grow. We raise millions for charities. Indeed, our entertainment becomes the DNA of people’s routines during their AM commute, lunch break and drive home. The podcasts that come from our shows entertain listeners while they cook, mow the grass and head to the beach.
Technology has made countless parts of the job easier. The tools have never been better.
The Reality of Our Role
It’s true that radio can be stressful. Deadlines are real. Ratings matter. Budgets are tight.
However, we’re not repairing power lines during an ice storm. We’re not performing emergency surgery. We’re not carrying eighty pounds of gear through a combat zone. We’re not pouring concrete in ninety-eight-degree heat. We’re not crawling under houses to repair broken water lines.
We create content.
We tell stories.
We play music.
We make people laugh.
So many things to appreciate.
One more thing? Radio station coffee is far better than it used to be. Trust me. That’s progress.
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Kevin Robinson is a passionate award-winning programmer, consultant and coach – with multi-formats success all over the country. He has advised numerous companies including Audacy (formerly Entercom Communications), Beasley Broadcast Group, Westwood One, Midwest Communications, Townsquare Media, Midwest Family Broadcasting Group, EG Media Group, Federated Media, Kensington Media, mediaBrew Communications, Starved Rock Media, and more. He specializes in strategic radio cluster alignment, building lean-forward tactics and talent coaching – legacy and entry-level – personalities.
Known largely as a trusted talent coach, Kevin is the only personality mentor who’s coached three different morning shows on three different brands in the same major market to the #1 position. His efforts have been recognized by The World Wide Radio Summit, Radio & Records, NAB’s Marconi, and he has coached CMA, ACM and Marconi Award-winning talent. He is also in The Zionsville High School Hall of Fame as part of the 2008 inaugural class. Kevin is an Indiana native – living near Zionsville with his wife of 39 years, Monica and can be reached at kevin@robinsonmedia.fm.