At your radio cluster, the era of employees with specialized tasks is mostly over. When I entered the business, co-workers kept to their silos and rarely interacted with individuals in other departments. Well, if you still think the old paradigm is the rule, here is your wake-up call: It isn’t.
I supervise three different markets, and in one market, the competitor has zero employees in the programming department. The stations are all music stations where personalities have been encouraged for decades to make the artists and the songs the star. With the internet age, you can run radio stations not just from anywhere in the USA but from any location with a solid internet connection. Depending on your company’s situation, most of the air personalities could be anywhere. There is a news/talk morning host who has been hosting his show from an international locale since COVID.
News/talk stations are largely syndicated, and the local shows, which used to feature a host, producer, and board operator/phone screener, are largely a thing of the past. What does this mean? If you are a local host on a radio station, having a large ego is an invitation to unemployment.
Syndicated Hosts and the Silo Problem
The syndicated hosts are frequently in a silo and are really not engaged with their affiliates. Sean Hannity is on 700 stations. How can he remain engaged with his markets? It would be impossible and would drain energy from hosting his radio show and top-rated cable offering. Of the syndicated shows that I carry, I am in occasional contact with some of my syndicated hosts. I exchange texts with them a few times a year.
You are working at a radio station. What is your job? My theory is that a title means little. You must be excited to help wherever you can. A few years ago, the receptionist’s backup was sick, and she needed to get some lunch. I offered to pick up lunch for her, but she needed to run a quick personal errand.
So, I was receptionist for an hour. One of the members of my team walked through the door and was surprised that her boss was answering the phones. Well, here is a working lesson for any team. My title does not silo me to a specific task. If there is a need to help, you must be willing to do anything that is needed.
Be Willing to Do Any Job
So, in that cluster across town from my team that has zero programming employees, there was a remote at a big radio client that several stations were at. The competitor’s chief engineer was the representative, not an account executive. This is just embarrassing for radio.
If you are in your early 20s and radio is your calling, how do you build a career in this industry? It is called being willing to do any job in that cluster. Volunteer for any task. If there is a company initiative, be enthusiastic. I have noticed that the most successful people in the programming department are involved in the building. If there is a potluck, they are attending.
If there is a charitable initiative, the successful personality is setting up tables, chairs, and helping with anything that is needed. This is not just something that exists due to consolidation. This was the case 30 years ago when I entered this industry. Be essential.
If your team knows that they can depend on you, the boss will figure out things for you to do. The CEO of NVIDIA admitted to having a fling with a Chinese spy. I hate to tell you that Russian or Chinese honeypots or hunks are not targeting radio people for clandestine affairs. It’s kind of sad.
Be Essential to Your News/Talk Radio Audience
In news/talk radio, being essential for our audience is key. Being on the biggest story of the day is why a listener turns on your station. If you are talking about the inside story of the potential impeachment of Pete Hegseth, you are creating a smaller audience. The granular impeachment details of Hegseth are a ticket to a small and niche audience. Sure, this is a huge news story.
But is your listener willing to take to the street with thousands of others to chant in defense of Hegseth? I highly doubt it. Is your listener wanting to know your opinion and whether this is a good idea? Yes.
Now, for your podcast obligations: Have a special podcast to talk about that granular stuff that is too heady for the person driving to work or dealing with a sick kid. The podcast listener can enjoy it on demand.
Programming and Sales Must Work Together
There was a time when programming and sales rarely interacted. In today’s segmented media reality, this is not a productive way to exist. If you are in programming and there is a client in the building, be an asset. An account executive hit me up for ideas for a big client recently. She was getting ready for a big presentation that included members of the company’s digital team.
I gave her some ideas. I also asked if I could assist in that client meeting. I attended and had only a couple of things to offer, but I was there to show a commitment to the success of the proposed campaign.
Be focused on your team’s success. Your title is great, but the team’s success is important. Volunteering to be a team member wherever needed creates a strong message to everyone in your building.
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