Last week, we showcased Dan Vallie’s broadcast educational initiative, which he describes as “the farm system that we in the industry have talked about needing for decades.” According to Dan, the goal is “discovering and preparing talent we can hire today who can be leaders in our industry tomorrow.”
So, this week, we wanted to focus on the results: the graduates of the National Radio Talent System – as well as the end users – the stations that hire them.
First, let’s look at some data. To date, Dan says approximately 70% of the students that complete the Institute are working in radio or a related field. And while that sounds like an impressive stat, this partial list of currently employed graduates drives the point home:
We talked with Dan about the state of talent in radio broadcasting, as well as chatting with a couple of his students, and a broadcaster who hired them.
JM: Why isn’t there a better pool of young talent available for radio today?
Dan: There is plenty of young talent available. What you’ll be surprised to hear is that young people aren’t sure how to get broadcasters’ attention. The National Radio Talent System was begun because I wanted to fill the need the industry has for young talent. In doing so, I discovered that young talent need help finding out what the industry wants and who to contact.
And there are other issues. Some industry veterans have said things like, “These young people don’t hang around the stations anymore like we did, and don’t do what it takes.” Many of them would but stations are much stricter with their internship programs, plus there are fewer all night shows and live shifts. These policies are minimizing or eliminating the opportunity for young people to hang around and learn. There is just as much young talent available today. We just need to connect with them and prepare them and help them develop.
JM: What do you say to the common belief that young people just aren’t as interested in radio today?
Dan: It’s not true. There are many that are and many more want to be once they are introduced to it. I can assure you that these kids getting into radio today are as excited about it as we were at their age. They don’t look back or talk about how radio used to be, other than out of curiosity. They look at radio as it is today, and will be tomorrow, and that is what they want to be part of.
At Appalachian State University, I teach one Mass Com activity class that typically has between 30 and 50 students each semester. The only reason to take this class is to be able to work at the college radio station. How can you look at that and say young people are not interested in radio? Maybe that doesn’t happen at every school, but there are many where it does.
JM: How are the people coming through the program different from when you were starting in the business?
Dan: First, I should say what hasn’t changed: the curiosity, the interest, the developing passion, the love of music or entertaining or informing and communicating. And yes, they even think it’s cool.
The differences are all positive. Most are well-educated and well-rounded, and today they have additional skill sets. Many graduate with both audio and video skills, particularly if their major is communications. And, of course, most have social media and digital skills. When I started I did on-air and production. These guys can do that, work in digital, produce video, and handle social media.
To gain a deeper understanding of the program’s impact on the student, we spoke with two of the graduates listed in the chart above, Joel Gillie and Hannah Matton, both of whom work for Curtis Media in Raleigh.
JM: Why are you interested in radio as a career?
Joel: I think live and local radio bit me because you are the guy that people come to when they want to know what’s going on. Radio can be such a powerful tool if you have a good connection with your audience.
Hannah: I fell in love with radio because it connects people and their community through music, morning shows and events. Radio is there when no other medium can be; through the good times and the really hard times.
JM: What was the standout moment of the program for you?
Hannah: When (Reynolds Media Group President) Steve Reynolds played an excerpt from a morning show he works with where one of the hosts had taken a day off to put her dog to sleep. Even though we couldn’t see the people, you could hear the heartbreak and sadness. It made a connection because we all have experienced a similar loss. It was amazing how I could feel sad when I didn’t even know this person.
JM: How did the program help prepare you to succeed in radio?
Joel: The connections I made and the knowledge I gained was incredible. What you learn in the institute is real world information from PDs, GMs, Sales Managers, the people who do the hiring.
JM: What advice would you give to other young people who are interested in a radio career about what to focus on?
Hannah: Go through the National Radio Talent System!!! It lets you explore all aspects of radio as well as connect to professionals. Also, do an internship that rotates through all aspects of radio to find out what you like and don’t. Finally, find a mentor. Someone who can coach you and help you grow professionally.
Joel: Get in the industry any way you can. That’s one thing you hear over and over during Kellar. One speaker said, ‘Clean the floors and take out the trash if that gets you in the door’ and it’s so true. I can’t tell you how many times just being around the office led to more work for me.
JM: What was the standout moment of the program for you?
Joel: Most people say the standout moment is the “field trip” day where we got to tour the Performance Racing Network studios with Doug Rice, the Charlotte Panthers broadcast facilities with Mick Mixon and the Charlotte Bobcats (now Charlotte Hornets) broadcast facilities with Scott Lauer. But for me the standout moments were probably the informal social hours each day after the sessions where I had a chance to talk with many of the broadcast professionals in a more relaxed and open setting.
And finally, the perspective from a broadcaster who is tasked with hiring decisions. Trip Savery is the EVP for Curtis Media, with stations throughout North Carolina. Owner Don Curtis has been a big supporter of Dan’s initiative. Curtis Media markets include Boone, the home of Appalachian State University, where the Kellar Radio Talent Institute is headquartered. Trip has hired several graduates, and we asked him to weigh in on how the program works:
JM: Why is a program like this important to the radio industry and why does Curtis Media Group support it?
Trip: Between consolidation in large markets and the changing landscape of small market radio, our industry doesn’t have the same opportunities we once had to cultivate talent. So we support the Kellar Institute by participating as guest lecturers as well as making internships and part time work available. It gives us the opportunity to get to know the students while they are still in school so we are able to place them in the right roles upon graduation.
JM: What makes graduates of the program stand out to you?
Trip: When I have been asked to guest lecture during their full immersion summer program, I am always impressed with the high engagement level of the students, the quality of their questions and their follow-up regarding internships and job openings. What they learn enables them to come out with a clear vision of how a station works and the disciplines it takes to make a station successful.
JM: Have the graduates you’ve hired become successful employees?
Trip: We currently have six Kellar graduates in a number of critical roles including our newsroom, administration, and on-air. Joel Gillie is a great example. He started with us part-time as an overnight air talent on WQDR while he was still in school, and was recently named Operations Manager of our Goldsboro cluster.
So now you know why we devoted two “Radio’s Most Innovative” posts to this great program. Innovation is often technology based, but in this case, it is an educational initiative addressing one of radio’s biggest problems and opportunities. If you’d like to connect directly with Dan about how broadcasters and companies can get involved, email him here. More information on the National Radio Talent System is available here. And if you’d like to read Part 1 of this feature, click here.
Thanks as always to Mike Stern for his writing and interviewing for this piece.
INNOVATION QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
“Fear and creativity don’t mix well.”
John E. Pepper, businessman & CEO of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
More of Radio’s Most Innovative
- Radio’s Most Innovative: WNYC Studios
- Radio’s Most Innovative: Nikki Marra’s “College Radio Road Trip”
- Radio’s Most Innovative: Zach Sang
- Radio’s Most Innovative: Andy Economos’ Selector
- Radio’s Most Innovative: Greater Public’s Doug Eichten
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Dan has certainly done an amazing job with Keller, and the list of graduates you provided boasts that. I know someone who should be added to that list, Jon Wood. He was station manager at WASU while in college but he’s now the afternoon drive host and music director for 106.9 the Light in Asheville, NC. This station has the largest signal on the East Coast and is the 12th largest in whole country. They average over 300,000 listeners. I was quite surprised to not see him on your list.
We’re sorry about the omission and thank you for mentioning Jon.