Jobs and Equality in Radio
Today, the radio industry continues to employ tens of thousands, but with all the downsizing and consolidation and the increase in new and competitive audio media, this figure has eroded and likely will continue to do so in the coming years. WBZ/WODS general manager, Ted Jordan, says, “Consolidation is causing a lack of a career path because so many middle and upper management positions have been eliminated.” Jim Robertson, vice president of Dix Communication, concurs and adds, “Consolidation has affected employment for on air positions and promotion jobs due to staffing cutbacks. However, if graduates are willing to hit the streets selling, things are better.” Since 1972, 75,000 individuals have found full-time employment in radio.
Today, opportunities for women and minorities are greater than ever. Until fairly recently, radio has been a male-dominated profession (and in some respects still is). In 1975, men in the industry outnumbered women nearly four to one. But that has changed. Now women are being hired more than ever before, and not just for office positions.
Women have made significant inroads into programming, sales, and management positions, and there is no reason to think that this trend will not continue. Ed Shane says, “Females have made exceptional inroads, especially in sales.” It will take a while,however, before an appropriate proportion of women and minorities are working in the medium. The FCC’s insistence on equal opportunity employment within the broadcast industry makes prospects good for all who are interested in broadcasting careers.
Still there is room for improvement in the participation levels of different ethnic groups in the radio industry. NAB’s former vice president for human resources, Dwight Ellis, says, “Current employment trends reported by the FCC reveal very little growth between 1980 and 1999 in Native American broadcast employment, for example. Other groups have experienced slow growth too. The NAB is committed to assisting the growth of employment and station ownership for minorities in the industry. The NAB has been a vanguard for minority progress in broadcasting. Nevertheless, more must be done.” A common misconception is that a radio station consists primarily of deejays with few other job options available. Wrong! Nothing could be farther from the truth.
Granted, deejays comprise an important part of a station’s staff, but many other employees are necessary to keep the station on the air. An average-size station in a medium market used to employ between 18 and 26 people, but today due to consolidation, a fraction of that number may be used where several stations form a cluster or radio mall, and on-air personnel may comprise most of that figure.
Stations are usually broken down into three major areas: sales, programming, and engineering. Each area, in particular the first two, requires a variety of people for positions that demand a wide schools and colleges offer courses in radio broadcasting, and most award certificates or degrees. As in most other fields today, the more credentials a job candidate possesses, the better he or she looks to a prospective employer. Perhaps no other profession weighs practical, hands-on experience as heavily as radio does. This is especially true in the on-air area. On the programming side, it is the individual’s sound that wins the job, not the degree. However, it is the formal training and education that usually contribute most directly to the quality of the sound that the program director is looking for when hiring.
In reality, only a small percentage of radio announcers have college degrees (the number is growing), but statistics have shown that those who do stand a better chance of moving into managerial positions.
Many station managers look for the college-educated person, particularly for the areas of news and sales. Before 1965, the percentage of radio personnel with college training was relatively low. But the figure increased as more and more colleges added broadcasting curricula. Thousands of communications degrees are conferred annually, thus providing the radio industry a pool of highly educated job candidates. Today, college training is a plus (if not a necessity) when searching for employment in radio. The job application or resume that lists practical experience in addition to formal training is most appealing. The majority of colleges with radio curricula have stations. These small (low-power) outlets provide the aspiring broadcaster with a golden opportunity to gain some much needed on-air experience. Some of the nation’s foremost broadcasters began their careers at college radio stations.
Many of these same schools have internship programs that provide the student with the chance to get important on-the-job training at professional stations. Again, experience is the key, and it rates high to the prospective employer. Small commercial stations often are willing to hire broadcast students to fill part-time and vacation slots. This constitutes professional experience and is an invaluable addition to the resume.
Entry-level positions in radio seldom pay well. In fact, many small-market stations pay near minimum wage. However, the experience gained at these small-budget operations more than makes up for the small salaries. The first year or two in radio constitutes the dues-paying period, a time in which a person learns the ropes. The small radio station provides inexperienced people with the chance to become involved in all facets of the business.
Rarely does a new employee perform only one function. For example, a person hired as a deejay will often prepare and deliver newscasts, write and produce commercials, and may even sell airtime. To succeed in a business as unique as radio, a person must possess many qualities, not the least of which are determination, skill, and the ability to accept and benefit from constructive criticism. A career in radio is like no other, and the rewards, both personal and financial, can be exceptional. “It’s a great business,” says Lynn Christian, former senior vice president of the Radio Advertising Bureau. “No two days are alike. I recommend it over other career opportunities.
NOTE
1. With nearly 14,000 radio stations in the United States, radio is the most available source of entertainment, companionship, and information.
2. Guglielmo Marconi is generally considered the father of radio, although David Sarnoff and Lee Deforest are likely contenders.
3. As early as 1922, the Department of Commerce set aside two frequencies for radio broadcasts. WEAF in New York and WGI in Boston aired the first commercials.
4. Today, most radio networks have been subsumed by major corporations (Disney, GE, Viacom, Westwood One).
5. Station networks, first called chain broadcasting, operated as early as 1922. Radio Corporation of America (RCA) formed the first major network in 1926, the National Broadcasting Company (NBC). Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) was formed in 1928, and Mutual Broadcasting System (MBS) followed in 1934. American Broadcasting Company (ABC), formed in 1945, became the largest and most successful radio network.
6. Early station proliferation led to overlapping signals. Signal quality decreased, as did listenership. The Radio Act of 1927 formed the Federal Radio Commission (FRC), a fivemember board authorized to issue station licenses, allocate frequency bands, assign frequencies to individual stations, and dictate station power and hours of operation. The FRC established the Standard Broadcast band (500–1500kc).
7. Radio prospered during the Depression by providing cost-free entertainment and escape from the harsh financial realities. Amos ‘n’ Andy, which made its debut in 1929, was the most popular radio show in history. President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s fireside chats began on March 12, 1933. The Communications Act of 1934 established the seven-member Federal Communications Commission (FCC).