I WISH I KNEW Chris Byrnes During the NAB in San Francisco I talked with some of the best radio programmers and radio people in the business. I asked each one to tell me the one thing they wished they knew when they started, and here’s what they had to say: (some names left out by request)
Be Consistent: Casey Kasem told me that when he was a jock, he was consistently bad, each and every day, but it worked because people knew what to expect when they tuned in. Casey of course got better, but says he always tries to be consistent. The other gem he said shared with me is there are two ways to make it, the hard way and the easy way. So always treat people the way you’d like to be treated.
Have A Life Outside of Radio: Gary Owens told me the key to his happiness was to make time for your friends and family. This is a 24/7 business, and can be all consuming. You probably have moved to a market to get the perfect job, and it’s easy to socialize with just the people at the radio station. This will distort your view of the community, and will provide little satisfaction. Join a club or take up a sport so you mix with people outside the station and become involved in the community.
Get the Music Right: Music makes up 75% of most hours on a radio station, so make sure you get it right. Spend the time to ensure the music software is fine tuned and humming. Get the rules right, and read the daily log reports the software produces, so you can fine tune and make it better. Check each hour for artist separation, core artists and mood. Edit the log to get the flow perfect.
Airchecking: Meet weekly with each talent, and daily with your morning show. Sometimes you’ll just talk, you may do a break-by-break analysis of a show, or have them sit in your chair, operate the tape and have them tell you what was good or bad about the show. You need to listen to the tape before the meeting and find both the good and the bad. When you offer comments, be specific and always be open to feedback.
Don’t Be Afraid To Fail: Dr Don Rose said that things started to happen for him when he decided to take a risk and wasn’t afraid the make a mistake. The key is to learn from your mistakes. Unless you are superman, you will not always get it right. Mistakes that you learn from are worth it. Make sure you admit your mistakes and move on.
Time Management: Time will always be your biggest enemy. You probably look after a number of radio stations, and there will always be 15 hours work a day to be done. Develop a system that works, and stick to it. Create a "To do List" and priorities it before you start each day. Then attack these tasks one at a time, and don’t be afraid to delegate.
Never Hotline: If you have to call a jock to interrupt his show, it better be important. Never call to discipline a jock unless they are committing such a violation of station policy that to allow them to continue would endanger to license or well being of the station. I’ve only over called a hotline three times in my life, and once I drove to the station and replaced the talent.
Keep the Big Guy Informed: General Managers and owners hate surprises. Create a simple weekly report to keep them informed. They’ll appreciate being kept in the loop, and should they spot a problem, you’ll get to hear about it early, before it blows into a major problem. Remember the golden rule, he who has the gold makes the rules!
Answer All Resumes: Even if you send a form letter, thanking them for the application. Listen to every tape that comes across your desk, and have a system to rate and track the good ones. You never know when you’ll need someone.
Communicate Clearly: We’re in the communication business, but how many times do you hear staff say they don’t know what’s going on at the radio station. Develop a system to keep everyone informed and work it.
Hear the Radio Station In Your Head: The great programmers can describe in detail to you how their radio station works, and why it’s so good. They can hear every aspect of it in their head, and more importantly can communicate how it sounds, with such passion and excitement that you cannot help but want to be involved.
It: This is the “X” factor, the thing that’s hardest to describe. But if you don’t know what it is, you don’t have it. This is a quote from Lee Abraham’s and he clearly has it.
Catch Your Jocks Doing It Right: The most powerful thing you will ever do, as a PD is to compliment a talent for doing a great bit. Say "thank you" and give an example of the good work they are doing. When they do something truly outstanding put it in writing. Be specific, and explain why the job they are doing is outstanding. To say thank-you takes a few seconds, but the results are powerful.
Keep Your Resume Up To Date: Radio is always changing, and at some point in your career you will get let go. Often it happens for reasons outside your control. When it happens you need to be prepared. Having a great resume, references, ratings success stories, and a tape is a great start. These can become difficult if not impossible to gather once you’ve lost your gig. Also you will finally get to learn who your real friends are, when you become an ex-PD.
Network: Make time each month to connect with others in the industry. Develop a list of "Movers and shakers" and keep in contact via e-mail, phone and in person. You’ll learn important stuff about the industry; the community and from time to time you’ll pick up ideas that can help you or the radio station.
Listen To the Station: Even though you are busy, you need to take time to closely listen to your radio station. This means being away from the station for a day, where you have no phone calls, no interruptions. Trade out a hotel room and record the station from 6am – 7pm, and listen to every break. This takes time, but you will get a better understanding of how your product sounds. You cannot do this at the station, because the phone rings, the General Manager wants you, or someone else needs just a moment of your time.
Know Your Weak Areas: No PD is perfect in every area. So identify your weak areas, and then employ people who are strong in the areas that you are weak in. If you are not good at writing promo spots, employ someone who is.
Upgrade Your Skills: You need to keep current with the latest technology and systems in our business. So take a course, attend a seminar from time to time to keep upgrading your skill set. Rick Dees of KIIS FM in Los Angeles "reinvents" himself every two years to keep ahead of the game. He knows the importance of this. Most General Managers will help you to achieve your goals, providing they can see the benefit to the company. |