Two Different Pictures

Torn Between Two Loves

As the endless summer sails on, it's time to dedicate at least one editorial to those on-air program directors and the special problems they face every day. We're going to present two different pictures and bring them both into sharp focus. These two different pictures involve two different loves -- being on-air and programming.

Recently, I took a cross-country trip that made a lot of stops. I happened to have one of those radios with a super-tuner that allows me to listen to a lot of stations. I also listened to a lot of stations online. I found myself almost screaming in disbelief, listening to mistake after mistake. Nearly each one could be classified as a common-sense programming error.

After such intense listening it become apparent to me that as the economy worsened and debt service came due, many Urban-formatted stations have understandably exhausted all possibilities to reduce station's budgets and in doing so, impaired the educational and training processes through incredible rates of attrition. Owners and GMs continually blow out programmers with experience, who've honed their skills over a period of time, and who have assimilated knowledge through programming mentors who schooled and shared their knowledge with them. Part of the reason for this is that in most cases, either the PDs were doing a full-time air shift or they were overseeing two or more stations. They were never prepared for this and most of them simply don't have time to teach or be thorough.

Secrets Of Successful Programming Jocks

If you're a programmer who also holds down a shift, here are a few secrets that can keep you in the winning column and will make life a little easier. First, you have to manage your time. As an air talent, time is finite. That means you can't solve problems or take distracting phone calls while you're on-air.

Often it can be impossible for an on-air PD to measure up to the standards he/she sets for the rest of the air staff. There is a tendency, and I was guilty of this myself, to try to accomplish everything before going home for the day. This tendency leads you to unrealistic expectations. If, at the end of a very long day, you finally go home having done a little work on each of the tasks but completed just one or none of them, you feel like a failure.

The secret: Instead of trying to tackle a hopelessly long list of goals, begin each day with a short list of tasks to accomplish - two, maybe three, at most. As much as possible, spend your time and energy on those few goals. Before leaving for the day, when you check off those two or three completed projects, you'll get a sense of achievement and pride in your work, instead of shaking your head and wondering where the time went.

The other secret for every on-air PD is when you're mic side, just be the air-personality. Wear only that hat. When someone comes to you with a problem or even a simple question, which you could easily answer, don't. Instead, give this stock answer. "I'm sorry, but right now, I'm just the dee-jay. The program director returns at three."

Honor Your Own Format, But Don't Break It

One of the worst things that can happen to an on-air PD is that he/she cannot measure up to the standards they set for the rest of the air staff. For example, you tell your jocks to do daily show prep, but you don't have time to do any prep for your own show. To prevent that, you should work an air shift your schedule can handle. That's not drive-time.

Granted, there are some exceptions. There are a scant few, well-organized, hard working jocks who can do drive-time and still program. Even though they may seemingly get away with it, one or the other is going to suffer. The biggest problem is when the GM comes in one day and promotes you to PD and asks you if you can still handle your drive-time shift. Naturally, you say, "Yes, of course." You're not going to turn down the promotion and the bread -- and you believe you can make it work. Wrong!

I strongly suggest assigning yourself a short midday shift, because even that can be a strain. Perhaps you don't need to prepare bits and features for a two-hour midday shift, but there's still no reason why you should expect to get away with not doing any show prep.

Secondly, make sure your staff understands that different shifts have different needs and requirements. The midday shift might have more restrictions on the length and number of talk breaks than drive-times. That's because the two air shifts are meant to accomplish different goals. You should assign yourself a shift that is less personality-intensive. Explain that to your staffers and also tell them what is required of that air shift and do your best to meet those requirements.

If, however, you break your own format merely because you're the boss and you think you can get away with it ... you really can't. And your lack of respect for the station's programming will spread to the rest of the staff and you will have compromised your leadership position. Even those staffers who understand will still hold your feet to the fire.

Often we find extremely conscientious on-air programmers who still spend hours attempting to figure out why their power recurrents keep scheduling at the same time every day. Then they spend four or five hours a day sitting through a GM and/or sales manager diatribe on how giving away cans of deviled ham or radial tires on the air will generate revenue and ratings. Yes, jobs are scarce, but it seems education and training are even scarcer. Something else that's becoming scarce is those decision-makers who return phone calls or answer e-mails.

There is no real defense or excuse for either of these. The fact is that we're all busy, but even busy people must take time to respond. It's part of the obligation of being a decision-maker. Sometimes PDs are too embarrassed to return calls or answer e-mails, either because they've waited so long or they don't want to own up to the fact that some of their decisions really came out of the GM's office. That's often because the PD used to simply be somebody who was "horny to play the hits."

Now they're still on the air and unfortunately, they're also programming. They're simply too afraid or embarrassed to pick up the phone and make contact with someone who can offer additional ideas. When they finally get around to returning phone calls, they offer as an excuse the fact that the manager walked in with a phone bill that weighed a few pounds and gave the order to eliminate non-essential calls.

The Promotion Stinks, But We Need The Money

Another essential thing - which programmers constantly fight against and see as non-essential-- is working sales promotions into programming. The real trick is to accomplish this without adding clutter or interfering with plans that were already made and approved.

Urban radio is at a critical juncture and as ownership caps expand, it's doubtful that the situation will improve anytime in the near future. We're going to have to deal with it: Radio is still a business ... and business is about money, not people. So the workplace will continue to shrink. More people will lose jobs as technology and new rules become prevalent courses of action.

The coming years will be tough ones for all broadcasters. The banks want out of radio. Their affair with us is just about over. However, PDs who have improved working relationships with their sales departments and GMs will have a better story to tell.

Despite the tough times and all the down talk, including new PPM fears, Urban radio will survive. We need to focus on our strengths. Our major strength is the mass-appeal nature of the format and being able to do things for clients that other formats can't or won't do.

I know many of you will hate to hear me say it, but remotes are a good example of this. Remotes show the tremendous draw of a station. Urban radio has a very active audience. They show up - and they purchase. That subsequently impresses the client and the ad agency. The aggressive Urban sales attitude can make a big difference in a tight economy. This can more than make up for and justify continued expenditures for Urban radio despite mediocre ratings. Even agencies who have been hired to pick stations that will deliver the best cost per point will concede that Urban stations that deliver can not be eliminated just because their Arbitron digits drop a little. The point for the buyers and agencies is not to continue just playing the numbers game, but rather to buy based on the station's ability to deliver customers.

"Well, I guess we'll just have to run it." Those are famous last words that just about every programmer has said, who has been forced to allow the advertisers' needs to outweigh the listeners' expectations. Often salespeople come into a meeting waving the price tag of the order like an armed nuclear device. Their no-retreat position usually results in a screaming match and irreparable interdepartmental relations.

What's the answer? First, the advertiser must be encouraged to consider and even suggest promotional tie-ins with the station. We want them to stay enthusiastic about and involved with our station. What we don't want is for a bad promotion to wind up on the air -- just because it represents new money.

If you're one of those busy programmers who think he/she doesn't have time to work out the details, think again. Remember, salespeople and sales managers get heat, too, but they can also protect you from a severe reprimand or a firing if whoever's running the station is unhappy with the loss of revenue. Most GMs came from sales, so not only are they sympathetic to sales, they can relate to an aggressive salesperson fighting for an order that is tied to a promotion.

The best approach is to take time to think the promotion through. If at all possible, find a way to make the promotion work. Explain the risks in audience loss and recognize that both parties will need to compromise to make the promotion a success. I can tell you firsthand: Sales managers have saved my job as a programmer many times by steering me in the right direction -- once they realized everything that was at stake. What busy programmers need to do is refine the promotion so it will get the best results with the listeners, without compromising the format. It can be done.

Finally, regardless of the two pictures and two loves, we have to always remember it's our future, our legacy and our career. Sharing is important. That's why I will continue to pass on to you what's been passed on to me. I remember a line one of my mentors rolled out when an opportunity presented itself for him to leave and go to work for our completion. He said, "I may have taught you everything you know, but I didn't' teach you everything I know."

Not yet, but there's always tomorrow.

Word.