Capital Investment

Investing in the future is a 50/50 deal, and I don't feel that radio, as an industry, is doing its part. Investment these days seems to mean technology or gimmick formats when it should mean investing in people. And if radio is hell bent on technology, then radio needs to invest in the web. Radio needs web designers more than it needs HD, because 95% of radio websites are an embarrassment. And radio needs real content for those websites.

Listeners don't give a rats ass about HD, but they sure do love to talk about Britney's big bald head. Why? That's easy. People love people, and people love to hate people too.

I could write a book about the ways radio isn't doing its part in terms of investment in the future - but that won't do you any good, so instead, I'll talk about you.

YOUR career is your obligation and no one else's. Invest in yourself. Do whatever it takes to excel, even if it means spending your own money on equipment or cutting voicework for free for a small market station so you can build a portfolio.

I've seen jocks buy their own mics and portable recorders so they could interview people on the streets for bits for their shows. I've also seen other jocks say "WTF? Why should *I* have to pay for that shit?" You shouldn't. But if you don't have access to the tools you need and your station won't provide them, you can either send mp3 demos with a note saying "this is what I'd do if I had access to what I need" or you can invest in yourself and send demos that show why you are a future superstar.

I'll use myself as an example. I thought about getting into consulting, so I picked up a station in a small but rated market, and I consulted them on the side for free for two years. We flattened the market, by the way. In the end, I decided I didn't want to build the business, so I moved on. The timing was easy... the PD was really talented but had an attitude. He wanted more money to go with the station's huge numbers, and his mouth got him fired. He should have used the success at that station as a launching pad. He should have kept working there on the cheap until he landed a better gig - and he would have, because the station had become phenomenal.

You've got to invest in yourself.

Speaking of investing in yourself... this past January, I intended to write a series of posts called "The Year Of The Demo," but sadly, life got in the way and I never got around to it. The Year Of The Demo was going to be an approach to building the best possible demo while you have a gig, and then putting the pieces in place for marketing it - and thus, marketing yourself. Hopefully, I'll eventually get around to writing all of that out. In the meantime, here's a thought:

Do you have a website yet? Get one while you have a gig so that when the day comes that you unexpectedly find yourself out of work, you've got everything in place. This is especially important if you're working your way up the ladder. The website should be a place to show off what you're doing on the air. Not for the sake of finding a job (in other words, you don't want to make your current PD think you're looking)... instead, build your site for the sake of having an online portfolio. Post airchecks, post bits... post whatever it is you do that makes you special. And by all means, do it when you're not looking for a gig, because looking for a new gig can be a full time job unto itself.

Yes indeed... invest in yourself. You're not only the best you you've got... you're the only you you've got. And you're worth it.