You may have read the story earlier this month about the 11 co-workers who won a $543 million jackpot in California. It was not revealed outside of learning they work in the financial community.
The group’s only identified spokesperson, Robert Reyes, explained to CNN this group enjoys their work and has no intention of quitting:
“We want to keep our jobs. We love that company. We love what we’ve built there. We have a good time and want to stay together.”
Who in their right minds would make that choice, opting to stay on the job despite their new-found financial independence? Who would opt to stay with their company and the privilege of working with one another?
Your airstaff.
That’s right. The results of our new survey of air personalities is being released today – AQ – and the findings are revealing. Some are expected, but others are surprising.
Among the latter, air talent point to being on the radio as fun and emotionally fulfilling. The vast majority enjoy entertaining people, and nearly four in ten say a main driver for working on the radio is they derive satisfaction from being on the team. Note that some of the more familiar trappings – money, fame, and yes, even sex, are at the bottom of this chart.
With all the research we conduct in radio – on the music, perceptions, and the other familiar measures – scant little survey work has been done with talent – about talent. In fact, our partner on the project – Talentmasters’ founder Don Anthony – believes this is the first research study of its kind that actually talks to people on the air to take their temperatures.
We conducted this survey in June with the goal of 400 in-tab interviews. We ended up with a much more robust turnout – more than 1,100 completed surveys here in the U.S. And based on its maiden presentation at Don’s Morning Show Boot Camp last week, a capacity audience enjoyed having the mirror held up – to see themselves for the first time as a community.
And in fact, that’s why MSBC was created. This year’s Chicago conference was its 30th anniversary. And a large group of us surprised Don at a local 
restaurant to celebrate the milestone. A number of people – Paul Castrovno, Mike McVay, B. J. Shea, and others – stood up to pay tribute to the guy who first brought a diverse group of talent together back in 1988. As Don explained, the first couple of conferences weren’t successful – in fact he lost more than $20,000 that first year – not a small amount of money in ’80s dollars.
Fortunatley for all of us, Don stayed with it. And in the process, he’s fostered and nurtured a community of excited, enthusiastic, and empathetic talent, eager to learn, grow their skill sets, and help one another. As I listened closely to so many thankful DJs and personalities express gratitude to Don’s support over the years, it struck me how prescient he was to build a business around most valuable resource – its talent.
Another AQ question asked our large sample about their ultimate professional goal. On top of the heap, mentioned by nearly four in ten, is the sentiment those California lottery winners expressed after winning their financial jackpots: “Being happy and working with good people regardless of market size.”
By the way, the goal a couple decades ago might have been to steadily work their way up to nabbing a major market job. In fact, the response to the statement – “Keep moving up in market size until I get to a Top 5 market” – was chosen by only 4% of respondents.
In AQ, we also learned that most air personalities – regardless of market size, daypart, and measurement methodology – feel a sense of angst and insecurity in the current broadcast radio climate. On top of that, four in ten tell us they’re never airchecked. And more often than not, many feel overlooked, ignored, or unappreciated by management.
In between sessions, a veteran morning personality walked up to me, thanked us for conducting AQ, and asked this question:
Why is that broadcast executives always point to personality as being radio’s secret sauce, but often treat air talent with ambivalence and as cogs in the machine?
I know the AQ data very well, but I had no adequate response to his question.
Air talent lack direction and attention not because programmers and ops managers don’t want to provide it. Many are simply time-deprived, overseeing multiple brands and even multiple markets, and unable to carve out the time necessary to work with talent. That’s not just a problem today, but one that will loom larger in coming years, as talent consider their options outside the broadcast platform.
One more finding I want to share with you speaks volumes about the current state of air talent discovery and growth. It turns out the nearly three-fourths of AQ respondents got their starts working nights, overnights, and weekends. Yet, when we asked these same personalities about their main role at their stations, only 14% are employed in those same “starter dayparts.”
In today’s world of radio, dominated by Wall Street headlines and quarterly results, financial pressures have all but decimated the farm team, leaving broadcasters frequently scrambling to replace or improve their talent rosters. It is truly wonderful that so many CEOs are steeering their companies toward innovative platforms such as podcasting, mobile, and voice. But let’s not forget the men and women behind the mic who create the connectivity between the medium and the audience.
AQ reinforces many of the basic tenets that have guided radio’s growth, sustainability, and uniqueness. It also outlines the steps that broadcast managers and owners should consider as they team build, reinforce, and strengthen their on-air lineups.
Radio’s most valuable resource is its personality – the key to entertainment, as well as connection with communities and audiences.
Don Anthony figured that out back in the days before the Internet, apps, and Alexa.
All these new technologies are important, of course.
But so is acknowledging and nurturing what makes radio great.
See More in Our Webinar
We’re hosting a free webinar so that everyone can see AQ, in partnership with Talentmasters. It takes place on Thursday, August 30th at 2pm ET.
A deck of key findings from AQ is also available.
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
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Hey Fred, I was one of the jocks in Dayton at the Edge when we flipped from country in 1994-5? I loved working with Stern and the rest of you.
Happy to see the talent survey results, seems spot on. (I participated.)
I do differ with you on one point. “Air talent lack direction and attention not because programmers and ops managers don’t want to provide it. Many are simply time-deprived, overseeing multiple brands and even multiple markets, and unable to carve out the time necessary to work with talent.”
A college professor once told me “Take responsibility. Don’t tell me you didn’t have time for homework. Students make time to do things they want to do like work and be with friends. Just be honest and say “I didn’t want to do it.” He thought owning the truth was powerful.
That’s what’s happening with management. It’s not that they are too busy for talent. They most likely don’t know how to coach therefore don’t want to. I’ve only met TWO in my 35 year career who knew how to help me become a better personality.
When I became a program director (two stations simultaneously), I carved out time to work with my staff, because I knew how to and wanted to make them, and my stations, better.
Programmers need to learn skills of developing talent, not just pointing out mistakes and destroying confidence. I even had one of the most well-known consultants say to my face, “How can I help you if you haven’t even been on the air yet?” I thought, uh, “How about telling me what you expect? What mood you’re looking for? What lifestyle info you think works in this format?” What an idiot!
“How to Coach 101″…. Maybe then the industry won’t swirl down the bowl.
Thanks for all you do…
Sandy Collins
Your comment reminded me of an old term seldom heard anymore but you may be just old enough to remember, the “skimmer.” Do “skimmers” (or their higher-tech counterparts) even exist anymore? I’m sure you’re right about the need for management to “own” the lack of working with air talent, but I’m also sure Fred’s point about current workloads with programmers overseeing multiple stations and markets–unheard of when you and I got into radio (in the 80’s for me)–are a major factor. Good comments, Sandy, appreciate your sharing them.
Hi David, ah the skimmer. How I miss them. I’d record my show and listen to it on the way home. Great way to see your mistakes and find places for improvement daily! They’ve gone the way of 8-tracks and dinosaurs. Now stations record the whole stream and you can log in to the site, go right to the hour and day and listen or download mp3. Sounds easy but actually a pain in the backside. I’ve not been diligent since this new tech emerged and sadly don’t have much audio from the last 10 years. Again, time is NOT on our side… you don’t feel the need… until you’re out the door.
Sandy
Sandy, this is a strong comment & I appreciate you pushing back. AQ reveals there is quite a bit of dysfunction when it comes to how talent is managed, evaluated, and nurtured. When I first got into radio, my instructor at MSU told us on the first day of class, “Time is your biggest enemy.” As a reseaercher, programmer, consultant, and business owner, I can attest to the fact that’s true.
Many people in radio today in many positions are learning (often the hard way) what that’s about. I agree with you that talent should be an awfully high priority, especially because it is so important to a station’s success. And perhaps AQ will stimulate more PDs to rethink their use of time and the ways in which the critique talent. Thanks for reading the blog and offering up a solid comment.
My first air shift began at 6 Am in 1963. since then I have been fired from many places. Worked at the most popular Top 40 station in Sacramento in the ’60s and began to realize that DJs were underpaid. So I worked in Rehabilitation counseling for 23 years and now at age 77 voice track a morning show for a Christian To 40 rock station 6 days a week – as an unpaid volunteer. I wonder if I am just addicted or an egomaniac or just enjoying what I do.
Haha! Bless you, Dr. Bauer for your great, funny comment! I also do a morning program for a national Christian radio network six days a week, thankfully for a “little” more than volunteer wages. As for whether you’re “addicted,” an “egomaniac,” or “just enjoy” what you do, all I can tell you from my experience is I’ve found they are NOT mutually exclusive! Keep on rockin’, Doc!
Yes, yes, and yes. Thanks for the comment and the story.