Swimming In The Talent Pool

With PPM paranoia sweeping the radio nation, air talent is being squeezed as never before. Every word ... every second ... is now being scrutinized and second-guessed.

While I think this reaction is absurd, as I indicated in my blog posting, PPM and Stop Sets, it is reality, so we have to deal with it.

We can't argue "why," so we have to figure out "how."

If you're working at a station where the extent of your talent is confined to reading pre-scripted liners, it's time to move on before you're replaced by someone who will work for a lot less than you by voicetracking.

Trust me: If most consolidated companies could figure out how to outsource your job to India or China, they would.

It's not only esthetics; your content today is a matter of your survival as talent in an industry largely run by investment bankers with a factory mentality.

So, understanding that you're under the gun, managed by people with very itchy trigger fingers, how do you find a way to make an emotional connection with your listeners several times an hour?

That is the purpose of our conversation here.

And it's only a conversation if you will share your insights and feedback with those drawn to the topic.

Consider it a once-a-week brainstorming session, a five-minute investment in making you indispensable.

If you're a Program Director, VP/Programming or GM, is your mind so closed that you can't question your own beliefs and policies? Is the idea of trying a different path so frightening you just can't imagine walking away from the crowd?

I hope not, because our industry is really at a crossroads right now. We need leadership as almost never before. And if you're so afraid of failure that you're unwilling to entertain the notion that there might be a better way, you're only playing defense in an era where offense is the game-changer.

So, up for the challenge? If so, I'll see you here next week, swimming in the talent pool.