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WHERE ARE THEY? Chris Byrnes One of the most frequent questions I get asked by program directors and general managers is "where is all the up and coming talent?"
As a program director I always kept a "hot list" of up and coming talent, just in case one of my air staff was stolen away, or decided to leave. I also always reviewed any tapes and resumes that came in, as here were people who wanted to work at my radio station, and graded each one using a simple rating scale. This information was entered into a database and the tapes and resumes filed in such a way as I could easily access them. When I became a corporate PD responsible for a number of radio stations, this process became even more important, and fortunately the systems I'd developed as a young PD proved to work well as I became responsible for a dozen or more radio stations and the increased number of resumes and tapes that started coming over my desk as a result.
As I travel Canada and the USA I notice that very few radio stations have a hot list, actively seek out future stars, or have a system for grading and effectively storing applications they receive. Chances are if you walk into the PD's office and ask to see how he stores tapes and resumes, you will find a drawer or cupboard jammed with a collection of tapes with no easy way to match them to resumes. If you ask your PD to give you a list of the talent he would go after if your entire air staff resigned tomorrow would he have an answer for you?
It seems most prefer to wait until someone resigns with two weeks notice and then places an ad in the trades or on an industry web site. Now time is against you and you may not have the luxury of waiting a few weeks or months until you find the best person, and instead settle for someone who can start in a week or two. Chances are you will be inundated with applications from out of work talent or students fresh out of broadcasting school with very little experience, which may be fine if it's a non critical day-part or a smaller market.
However if you are in a major market where competition dictates that you need the best of the best in your line-up, you need talent who are at the top of their game and performing every day on the air. Sometimes you can luck out and find a great talent who happens to be "on the beach" because of corporate downsizing or one of the many other valid reasons that sometimes good broadcasters end up without a gig. Please do not get me wrong, being out of work in 2003 does not mean that you are not a good talent.
Recently I was talking with a general manager who was justifying why he had a very average sounding talent on the air in an important day-part. He told me that this person gave him no trouble, and was unlikely to ever leave or get stolen away. He finished by saying that it was hard to get people to move to his market so he was thankful for anyone who was prepared to stay. Here was a radio station prepared to accept second best which I find is a virus that eventually spreads throughout the entire radio station. Sadly radio stations will often hire a B grade talent knowing that they will always show up on time and behave, rather than hire an A grade player that is a wild card and may be difficult to manage. I also find that some PD's will hire a B grade talent because frankly they do not have the skills and experience to deal with a creative hard to handle up and coming star. These are the kind of inquisitive people who will question the PD and want to know the theory behind some of his ideas and decisions.
A few weeks later I visited a small market and was amazed at the level of energy, enthusiasm and positive attitude I encountered in the entire staff. There were several people with a year or less radio experience working in this cluster. These kids were so green that frankly they didn't know what they didn't know, but they made up for their lack of experience with a great attitude, hard work, and an eagerness to learn. That night the radio station put on a party in my honour and almost the entire staff showed up ready to have a good time. Of course there was free food and drinks which almost guarantees a good showing, but this turned out to be an amazing night as some of newest staff members started singing Karaoke. The level of talent, stage presence and charisma was both intoxicating and humbling. Here were 19-year old kids who captured and held the attention of the bar. There was no way I was this together at 19!
I'm not going to reveal the market, as I don't want to see a radio station that knows how to seek out potential stars, and then train them properly lose them too soon. Of course some will eventually move on to bigger markets and better money, but I wonder if they will ever find the same level of positive energy, team spirit and management eager to coach and train them properly? Program Directors need to take a road trip from time to time and listen to the talent in these small markets. You will be amazed at what you hear.
I block out several days a year to speak to broadcasting colleges across Canada, as this is one way I can give back a little to an industry that's been very good to me. The other reason I like speaking to students is to share some of my enthusiasm for an industry that I love working in. I really am one of those people who wake up every day and thank God that I get to work in radio for another day! Sadly all too often these students hear that there are no jobs, and no-one will hire them. Yet there are more radio stations on air today and while voice-tracking has eliminated the overnight training ground and consolidation means a smaller staff, there are still jobs out there for people who are prepared to go hunt them down.
If you really want a job in radio badly enough and can demonstrate a level of commitment, hard work and passion for this industry, someone will hire you. I always encourage new talent to identify the small markets they'd like to start out in, find out who makes the employment decisions inside those radio stations, and then creatively market to them. Persistence is always the key, as it also helps to keep your name top of mind. Attitude is everything, and a willingness to move anywhere also helps!
Jerry Chomyn program coordinator of radio broadcasting at Humber College says "program directors have to be more proactive, and not follow the path of least resistance. Too often we hear rejects from one radio station pop up on another station, sometimes in the same market. Broadcasters need to do a better job of seeking out and developing talent."
I believe program directors need to invest some time looking for young talent in one of the following places: Sitting right under their nose, probably buried deep in the pile of tapes and resumes gathering dust in the PD's office.
Working hard in a small radio station just a few hours drive from your radio station. About to graduate from one of the many good broadcasting colleges. Part of our job as broadcasters is to keep our ears open and always be looking and listening for the next great air talent, even if you have a happy stable and wonderful air staff. You never know when you will need someone. |
