"We’ve got a hundred years out here, a hundred years on this planet, bro, and we can have a utopia. We can love each other. But the rules gotta be fair."- Kayne West
I previously worked for a local radio station, which I was very excited about in the beginng, although I was warned about how my time there would go,I was still enthused at the idea. I was in my spring semester and I was audit to graduate less than two months later, I wanted this job as I had high hopes.As I worked to get everything in order for graduation I begin getting anxiety about what my next job would be, would it be in my field and would I enjoy it or catch the short end of the stick as most grads do.The word entry level really doesn't exist with companies that are willing to pay you, a real wage, that you can sort of live off of, I knew it would be tough. I knew I wanted to go into radio broadcasting as that is where my interest lie with Journalism. I loved everything about radio and one Sunday at church the opportunity was presented.
I had been attending a church on campus for some time as it was just what I needed as a student. Not only was it close but convenient and with people I could relate to. Another attendee, Tyler had heard me speak about my passion for radio and as we were having lunch one afternoon she reached out to me with the opportunity to work at a radio station.She was moving to another stat,e as she had found another job, making her position open at WRS. This seemed like a blessing, literally my prayers had been answered.We chatted a bit about the opening and I was greatly interested,we exchanged emails and within a few days she sent me some more information along with an application to fill out. I did so, got an interview and was hired.
Being careful of what you pray for, it is just as important as praying. Being specific in prayer is as well.
Things moved quickly and I was excited as I was getting closer to graduation and could use a real job in my field. I was able to go through a few training days with Tyler and on the first night is when the conversation went a different way.As she showed me around and we got through the training, she began to tell me more about the job in itself, the people and work place. First thing she said was this would not be the place to grow, there wouldn't be many opportunities for advancement. Another thing she said was while my position would not bring advancement opportunities, it will be high priority to others in a less pleasing way. Lastly, she told me she had been fired before and then re-employed a few months later,at this point I was more than confused. One, why was she telling me this and two was she looking to scare me away or help the company fill an open position. Either way or answer, I stuck it out and showed up the rest of the week for training. By the time she was getting ready to leave the state for her new position, I was getting started in what I still sought to be an amazing opportunity.
All of the things in my head were "This was an open position in my field, sort of doing what I planned. It is perfect entry level position, I can grow, I'm not her. I won't get fired, why would I get fired, I do my work I go above and beyond. I'm really over qualified"All reasonable thoughts, right.
The first year wasn't so bad but most things she said quickly became reality. To begin, let me state, I am not here to bash but speak the truth, my truth and sometimes the truth isn't sugar coated with shit. I learned a few things in master control and it kept my interest as I am very into technology and programming, so I was glad to have some hands on with all the different boards and studio equipment. It wasn't until I realized I wouldn't be doing more than "watching" the board, even with a degree in journalism working for a radio station.The things is, anyone with programming or functioning computer skills can be taught master control. I wanted to do more for the station as I knew I could and I expressed this and nothing happened, it almost seemed to always be put on hold.
For example, we had a news section as most stations do, we shared mainly local and some national news. In the news department, there stood one man, interviewing,reporting, editing and loading the content onto our websites as well as recording slots for the on-air News spots. Worse part, it wasn't until he had been there over 20 years that he received the title of News Director and that was a whole year after I had been working there, talk about delayed promotions. Not only was he the only man on the job ( until about summer of last year when they hired an extra hand, seems it was easier to hire someone new then to raise my pay and offer me more hours) he didn't have any equipment. Not even a smart phone, how he did it in todays world, couldn't tell you but he ate, slept and lived in his cubicle,I really hope his benefits are great.
Sure we could say I wasn't working hard enough accept my main job was to sit, watch each monitor and listen to the radio, boring but the least bit hard. I wanted to be a part of the action, I wanted to have a voice, I wanted to help the news guy but it never happened.The main problem here in radio was the abuse of talent and the misuse of talent. I felt daily the station was draining me from my full potential but getting into a radio station is difficult and most of the time, unless you have 2 or more years, you have to work your way in. I thought about leaving a few times but I have a hard time quitting things I'm committed to even when I am not getting what I deserve out the deal.
It almost felt as though there would be hope for the new year (2016) as I attended the companies holiday party. My sole reason for attending the event was to meet some new faces and network with some people who may be able to help me further my career in radio. I did that, accept my supervisor decided to show up last minute. apparently he had another event to host before,which in his defense was work related.As I made my moves and introduced myself to people who work at other branches, our sister stations, I finally landed in the face of the CEO's and Company managers. I had great conversation, it was when my supervisor all of a sudden had great things to say about me, things changed. All I could think was" you have never spoken with me personally, you don't know me, this is all new for you" but I let him go with his flow. I was vocal, I told them all my ideas and how I could contribute to the new year and the company's long term goals. My boss egged me on and it all seemed like the new year would be that.
It was nothing more than hype, either to make him look like he cared or him to butter my confidence but it was all a hoas. We were given log-in information for our site but no permissions to do much and a few months later I was fired. I was called in the office and told none of the weekend ads had played, when I asked "How was that possible and what actually aired in those spots" (Looking to ensure my mistake) the response was " I don't know" and that was it. In that moment I knew I wasn't going to fight for this. The issue here is, there is always someone in Master control, it is a 24 hr position, if no ads played it would mean, no one caught the issue and there was either dead air or something else in its place playing.I only worked Sunday night far as weekends, so I would have been the last to catch the error, had there been one. The real red flag that it was time was that it took them over a week to realize the ads didn't air and decide who's fault it was, when ads are checked every Monday morning for the weekend.I wasn't there to argue so I said ok and handed over my key, what would I have fought for anyway, I wasn't personally making progress. At that point I had two years experience to add to my resume as I could have spent many more months in the same position and eventually quitting anyway.
I was hesitant to write about this as I didn't want to bash the company nor really touch the topic. I did this to address the truth and what Kayne sort of meant by "Fuck radio". As he states "I know it’s a lot of real n****s working at radio, real people, real programming directors with wives and kids that love music, that can’t play what they want to play because they’ve been paid to play that bullshit over and over and over." In more nicer words, In radio there are a ton of talented people who are being underpaid and forced to accept the short end of the stick with hopes they will rise, this is entertainment as a whole. Most people are pressures to play what a company feels the community wants to hear or simple filling spots with syndicated shows instead of your local broadcasters who really know what the people want. Change isn't easily accepted, at least not at the station I worked for, where senior positions are secured even when they suck and new voices aren't heard simply for the fear of losing their spot. Working under impermissible conditions, long hours, minimum wage, minimum to no equipment or out of date.
It's stuck within a time when everything is growing rapidly and because radio feels it will never go away, which is true except with podcast becoming more popular and new platforms for everyday people to build their own networks, local companies like WRS could die out. It is a digital world and they are living in the past, as far as the up to date stations, they will stick around but will fall victim to the stagnant movement of radio's idea that "we have to play whats paid" instead of we need to air what the people want to hear as a whole. Meaning stepping outside the norm and allowing new shows and voices to be heard.!
"Sometimes, we be playing the politics too much and forget who we are just to win. F*ck winning. F*ck looking cool. F*ck looking cool. F*ck being cool. F*ck all that, bruh! I’ve been sitting here to give y’all my truth even at the risk of my own life. Even at the risk of my own success, my own career. I’ve been sitting here to give y’all the truth."- Kayne West
