Lately I have been saddened, angered and alarmed all in one shot.
I keep reading about all the people being fired at so many radio
stations that I can't help feeling this way. Whole air staffs at some
stations are being let go and in some cases not replaced.
Some of this can be attributed to cost cutting to make the bottom
line look better. Clear Channel seems to be an example of this
prior to their LBO. In other cases it could just be getting rid of an
expensive DJ and hiring a younger and cheaper replacement.
With all this going on why would anybody go into the business? I
have been asked by young people about getting into radio and I
have given a standard answer: Go to college and minor in
communications and major in something else you like, that way
you always have something to fall back on.
If we don't straighten out our industry we will lose lots of fine
talent to others and eventually we may have about a couple of
dozen people voice tracking all the staions in the U.S. (I guess
that's one way to raise the pay scale). And the same thing will
happen to the technical staff. Where will we find all the engineers
we will need? I don't know what these people are thinking. Do
they figure since Ipods are so popular and that they don't have
DJ's so we don't need them either? or is it something else? I can
tell you why Ipods are so popular, It's because they're commercial
free and their music. Not because of no DJ's. A good DJ can
become a friend even though they're not seen. They reach out
and touch us. A cold radio station touches no one.
Mike Dane
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2 comments:
iPods cannot give you up to date traffic and weather information. A lonely person cannot call their mp3 player when they need someone to talk to and disguise it as a song request. Unfortunately, all the points you are making are correct.
Perhaps radio the way alot of us remember, is going the way of easy listening music.
You hit the nail right on the head.
I entered this F.U.'ed business late in like in '01. Now it's '07; I'm 39 years old, and STILL stuck as a board op!!
When people ask me why I got into this business, I make a comment regarding possible temporary insanity!!
Danny Parrack
(BoredOp0930)
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