5-30-2013
I am so proud, and lucky, to be part of one of the most exciting formats in radio, Sports Talk. SportsTalk Radio has exploded so much accross the country, that it will become more and more of a revenue vehicle for this industry. Moreso than even News/Talk. There is no question talent is a key component in whether a sports station makes it or not, however, great Sports Talk programmers are equally important.
Recently, I was speaking with a top radio executive in the Sports Talk format. He told me the pay difference between a programmer and a host in this format is so far out of wack that many PDs have a huge issue with the talent. Some of that talent is making five times more than the PDs. The PD's are the ones molding and shaping the talent, making him/her marketable to a company. That PD will never see the financial rewards the host does. Both host and PD have to be vested with each other so both are working toward the sucesss of the show. A host's success should be shared with the PD.
I know, I know, PDs have deals on sales and revenue and ratings. However with the expansion of the Sports Talk format, PDs are much more imporatnt than they have ever been.
As we worry about develpoing great talent, I worry we don't have enough programmers that understand the format. Side note here: An on-air host should never be a PD. Why? Because his/her judgement is jaded. And what if that host/PD is not pulling insane numbers? He'd be hard pressed to tell another talent what to do when his own show is tanking. No credibility. He needs to be backing you, not worrying about his own on-air successes.
I want to work with a PD that reminds me of former NBA head coach Phil Jackson, not a coach like Bill Parcells, always in your face. Phil jackson was able to take the BEST player in NBA history, Micheal Jordan, the craziest, Dennis Rodman, and one of the most modest, Scottie Pippen, and made it all work like a well-oiled machine. A great sports radio PD needs to be able to handle all types of personalisties. My vision of a great PD is a guy that can determine if a host wants to be more hands-on with his show, producing/sales/execution/getting guests. Develop those traits, don't bash them.
Everyone wants to win. Sometimes PDs and hosts get so threathend that both fail. I was so blessed to work with great PDs like Bob Agnew and Steve Versnick -- PDs who didn't want to change a host, just pull the greatest skills out of them. When I was working with Steve Versnick at WDAE, we didn't talk about content that much,but we worked so hard on PPM and the formatics of running a radio show to make it as efficient as possible.
So with the great expansion of Sports Talk radio, I will be looking forward to seeing who will be the next great Sports Talk programmers. And I'm hopeful the industry is grooming them to take this format to the next level, both in ratings and revenue.
Dan Sileo, also known as "The Bonecrusher," is a sports talk show host who has worked at KGO & KNBR-WDAE and WQAM. He can be reached at Umiam93@yahoo.com and on Twitter at @dansileoshow
Add a Comment Send This Story To A Friend
