What Goes Around Comes Around

Karma. Yin and Yang. Payback. Whatever you want to call it, in this industry, it is very real. There is almost a spiritual side to broadcasting when you look at things in the big picture. Maybe it's because of the opportunity you are given to connect with others on a daily basis. Maybe it's because you have the opportunity to make a difference in the community by holding an event or bringing some issue to light. Maybe it's because you can affect the moods of those listening - bringing either joy, sadness, or comfort to their day.

Being in radio is a special gift, no matter how you look at it. What goes on inside the studio when done right, is artwork at it's very best. Many in upper management seem to have forgotten that, and this includes Program Directors and Operations Directors too. One of the big ways that this magic, this artwork can be killed is by how the air staff is treated OUTSIDE the studio door. Sure, there are lots of stresses; make sure the logs are done, the promos are cut, the affidavits are done right, that sales is happy, that plans are underway in plenty of time for the "next big promotion." However, there is no excuse not to treat your people well.

An acquaintance of mine just lost her job this past week. From first impressions, she was a very likable person. Always had a smile on her face, and always seemed to have an open door. It turns out that most of that was a sham. Instead of taking care of business, she was shopping online. Instead of planning the next big thing, she was looking for others to blame. Most of all, instead of treating her people like the professionals they were, she treated them worse than a dog at the city pound.

Always be kind to the part time kid, to the afternoon guy going through a divorce, to the mid day woman whose son is walking the line trying to stay out of jail. These professionals have their own lives too, and they deal with and do their best to put on a good show for the audience. If you're not careful, Karma will come back and bite you square in the ass someday. Who knows, one day that part time kid you pissed off because you didn't like the t-shirt he was wearing might just be the GM you're interviewing for a job with. Treat your people well, and most of the other headaches will solve themselves.

The Great Oz or Things I Know Now That No One Told Me

I have been in this business since dirt and things have changed SO much - some good, a lot bad. Usually you have a "wise aunt or uncle" that you bond with who will show you the ropes and help you avoid the pitfalls. But, what if no such person presents themself? Well, "Uncle Jim" has put together a list of things learned that are more true than not throughoug a near 2 decade career in radio. Comments and additions are welcome, and I think this list will serve everyone from newbie to seasoned vet:

BROADWAY'S LIST OF RADIO REALITIES

1. There will always be better paying jobs. The guy in the drive-thru makes more than you will.
2. People who are lazy and miss a lot of work are usually in management.
3. Sales Managers more often than not, hire by their zipper.
4. Negotiate your salary up front - if you ever get a raise, it will be an accounting error.
5. Yes, the GM can look at porn. No, you may not, unless you are in his office.
6. When your boss says you are the next to be promoted, that is generally a lie.
7. Station vehicles are often used for moving.
8. Embrace today's buzz words. There will be more tomorrow.
9. She might be stupid, but she has boobs and a vagina - that excuses a lot.
10. Almost all of the on air staff have had sex in the studio. Repeatedly.
11. Voice tracking a part of your shift or another shift is just part of the business. Deal with it.
12. Sales people will tell you one thing and do something else. They lie to everyone, that's what makes them successful.
13. Do not go to work when you are sick. It will spread like wildfire to everyone.
14. Women will do almost anything for concert tickets or even a t-shirt.
15. Drinking after the Christmas parade is expected.
16. Small towns are the most friendly.
17. Real radio is in the small town markets, look for a place that is not rated and that's where to apply.
18. Ratings are the devil. The system is antiquated and sales should sell by personal relationships and not numbers.
19. You will get fired.
20. The hotter she sounds on the phone, the uglier she is in person.

Some will see this list as highly offensive. It is not meant to be. It is meant to be a guide to common sense in an industry that has portions that no longer remember what common sense is. To be able to entertain, to touch the soul of another person just through your words or actions, is priceless and it is a true talent. The rest, is just what you have to deal with outside the studio door.