I am not sure what to do, so i am asking you for advice.
Currently, among other jobs, i am working/volunteering at the local radio station doing breakfast radio every weekday. I also do at least one night shift a week for them. Everyone else that hosts a three or more hour show gets paid for there time, not much just an incentive.
I have been doing it since december last year and I only ever signed a contract for up untill christmas 06 as a trial period to see how I went, i have never recieved any feed back from that trial period.
I feel i am not included as part of the station, they have only just now started to advertise the fact that i am hosting breakfast, 4 months after i started. They have lunches and meetings without notifying me and whenever i get mail from them it is addressed to my brother… :s
I dont get paid and whenever i ask they say they cannot afford to, even though we are bosting the biggest sales since the station started, with more sponsors then ever and we can afford to shop around for a new six figure sum broadcasting van.
the manager promises to help me with creating air checks and always says he will go through all this stuff with me, but whenever i ask it is always “sure will, come in tommorow and we will go through it”
I havn’t exactly had much experience in this sorta thing and am not sure on how they generaly work, but i am missing out on other work that i could be being paid for.
John, i have already considered doing that, in order to find out how much i am really worth to them. but i cant really leave the station with 3 hours of dead air everymorning. ratings would plummet.
i have tried talking to my manager (as i said) and he always just fobs me off.
Try telling them that unless you have an agreement in ? days you’re not showing up for work anymore. Same thing as John suggested only they have a bit of time to get a contract together (or find someone else :().
Get even with him/her. Tell them how much hard work and reliability you put in the company and what would happen if you leave. Tell him your negotiations or you will have to leave. Unless your happy with your environment??
Are there any competitor stations in your area that you could approach?
If your current place has earned you sufficient experience (and I’m guessing it has) and if you’ve done wonders for your current station’s ratings then a rival may at least be prepared to offer you some money. You never know until you ask. You might get an offer that blows your mind. Although you may not want to move stations, a confirmed rival bid may be what you need to put your manager’s arse into gear and give you a wage. If he doesn’t come through then you have a clear choice that will satisfy your own question of priority: An unpaid job at a station you want to be at vs. a paid job at a less desirable location.
I say that you should let your manager that unless you don’t have an agreement within one week (or a few days, whatever you think is a good amount of time) that you’re leaving.
What are your ratings?
Are they as good as those being paid or better?
Is this your career path? If so is this part of the education?
Radio generally pays little, so nothing isn’t much less.
If this isn’t your career path, find another job that will get you exposure or experience in that field. Although doing a radio show is fun, if you really have no interest in that as a career, and need to be doing something with that time to earn money, it may be time to move on. Let the station manager know that you need to be making money with that time, and will be looking for work that pays. If he knows of anything to let you know. He will get the message. Then start looking and be prepared to walk. If they value your show they will find the money. Almost like magic. If they don’t, don’t make it mean anything. It was just time to move on to the next stage of life.
Growing up my family owened 6 radio stations. I wanted to go into radio so bad my teeth hurt. I started my own DJ business for local functions weddings, dances etc… That paid really well, but when it came to actually working at a station, the pay was awful. No benefits and no contract. Until you have years in radio, and get into a large market, there is little to offer. There are a lot of people who are willing to do anything to break into the market, even work for free. So there is no need to pay well. In large markets were radio is highly competitive there is a need for good talent, and they get paid well if they bring listeners and generate ad revenue. If you are generating ad revenue, they will likely pay you or loose you and regret it later.
Sounds like your contract expired in December and you are no longer employed by them. Your current arrangement is that you voluntarily come in and perform for them and they are under no obligation to compensate you for it. If they want you to remain, the power is in your hands.
Howdy Tom,
Maybe you could tell them that you have been offered ‘morning-fill’ work at k-mart which pays, however, you enjoy doing the radio and would like to stay.
If you let them know you are considering leaving for paid work they may change their tone a bit and see that if you left they are screwed!
Anyway, just a suggestion.
Jono
I think they are basically thinking that you are so loyal to the show that you will stay whether or not they pay you or not. You should tell them that if you don’t get payed or aren’t shown more appreciation (this sounds like what you seem to be wanting) then you will leave. You have to be serious about it though, if you just tell them that and don’t give them a deadline they will probably just hold on for a while, then if and when you do leave they will say they didn’t think you would leave. So go and say look, I have been working here long enough to be payed, I want to work on a solid contract and working here as a volunteer just isn’t working out, I will give you one week to solve this with me before I leave.
Without something along those lines I don’t know how seriously they will take you.
Just asking casualy won’t really get you very far in the business world unless you are good enough friends with the person dishing out the paychecks or are in a position of power or influence.
Wow! You media mogul, you! Was this the early years of FOX?
tobaggonist,
It’s true, some radio stations have lifelong dee jays who never get paid, who even lug in their OWN records to do their shows. They do it for prestige, recognition, an audience, freebies, announce the small bands (who your show promotes) at their concerts, so you get backstage and get to hang with musicians you admire, get the leftover groupies, etc etc etc.
These benefits alone are worth more than gold, so be careful what you’re giving up. Raffle off a unicycle from Unicycle.com, make $$ for yourself and the station.
In radio, there is a period where you do work for nothing but the glint in your eye and the fire in your belly.
The length of that period pretty much depends on you and your ability to function within your environment.
If you’re in a small town with only one radio station, you’re pretty screwed. If there is a more active market, you can move around and negotiate your way into other shows and stations.
The other option is to go out and find a sponsor for your show who will then also pay you a salary to present ‘their’ show.
You may want to discuss that option with the station manager.
One wheely you have the best point so far. when i get to the station, it is straight on to uni.com before i even collect the weather fax.
I have decided to stick with it and as of next week i am going to fully prepare my show, everything is going to be thought through. all the talk breaks will be organised. I will show them what i can do, finish a full six months (i have four weeks left) and then go to the manager. I have at least one full aircheck for every month i have been on air, i can show him my improvment.
GILD, i understand what you mean about being pretty screwed with only the one radio station. There is no way for me to find out what i am doing is worth. Its either what they are going to give me or nothing. I am currently trying to arrange a sponsorship but my manger drew the line at them paying me anything
Billy, you are right, those benifits are worth more than Gold. I have met more musicians than i know what to do with. hanging out with bands is some of the best time hanging out that i have had. My most memorable moment would have to be hanging a slash with the drummer and the guitarist from BodyJar and spending 2 hours backstage with something for kate, trying to find chicks for one of the guitarists to pick up with.
I am just going to cherish what i have at the moment. I guess it is either this… or nothing and i choose this
i will just have to work on being accepted as part of the ‘gang’ i will be invited to one of the friday lunches eventually, mark my word.
Thankyou everyone for your help. Especially one wheely with the last little comment that may have not even ment to be serious.
its not that i am bogus… The current station likes what i do and i am heaps better than the last breakfast host (so the listeners tell me) its just that the actuall station community is not accepting me as one of them.
as for another station. The next station is about 3 and a half hours drive away and they are a large commercial station. Moving to there would be more than a challenge.
i am thinking of moving all together, if it wasn’t for my girlfriend i would have about a month ago. But i dont want to loose her
Keep it up, and next year the bands will be finding girls for YOU! Everytime you show up at a club, tell them who you are and get in for free, offer to get on stage and introduce the band.
When bands are coming to town, play them more on your station and talk up the upcoming concert, and tell your listeners to tell the clubs they heard about the concert (and sometimes even the band) from you. You might even work out something like If you mention you heard about the concert from me here at the WPLJ Morning Zoo–what is the name of your show, anyway?–they’ll give you a free CD of their latest song (or something cheap that your audience might want). That just lets the ticket seller know what a powerful influence you are.
Your plan sounds good. Can I hear your show on-line? Is it archived?
