The Best Companies

"If your company is the 21st-century equivalent of the proverbial buggy-whip industry, don't fool yourself -- downsizing will only postpone, not prevent, your eventual demise."

That's Jeffrey Pfeffer, professor of organizational behavior at Stanford's Graduate School of Business, and he's spent his career studying successful businesses.

Even at the height of the economic crisis we're living through, these six companies didn't lay off one employee.

Think that statistic matters when it comes to competing for the very best talent?

Radio has always been about the quality of the talent inside the building, now more so than ever.

Now that the cost of entry into the "radio" business is virtually zero, any junior high school kid with a flair for computer science can put his own station on the "air."

So, what separates your station from his? The fact that it's owned by a company called CBS or Greater Media?

You don't really think that matters to anyone any longer, do you?

The most ridiculous part of our business is that you won't find one executive, from the Mays family to Leslie Moonves, who doesn't crow about how important "their people" are at the same time they're laying off hundreds of employees and voicetracking or using syndicated talent.

Its way past time to put up or shut up.

The evidence is very clear that billing and revenue in most markets is heading back up.

Is there one radio company out there willing to put its money where its mouth is, and actually start hiring people again?

Allow programmers to run one station, instead of two, or three, or four?

Have live, local talent in every daypart, even nights, and overnights, so you can be training the air staff of your future?

Research your music at least twice a year and pay for weekly callout?

Do a perceptual every year to find out how your market has changed and where your listeners are going?

Invest in marketing the product to bring in new listeners?

Invest in consultants who can help you make your product better?

Well, you knew I had to include that...

If you're out there, I'd sure love to tell your story.