Radio is still the “go-to” medium when communities are in trouble, and the tragic flooding in Southern Alberta is no exception. Here’s what some stations are doing.
In Lethbridge, B-93.3 is offering tips for farmers returning to flooded land. In addition, they are helping spread the word with regards to a fundraising concert.
In Calgary, CJAY has up-to-date information available on their website.
Also in Calgary, X92.9 is linking to the Red Cross site for donations.
And in Medicine Hat, My 96 has a list of all the fundraising events taking place in that community.
The three Golden West stations in High River were forced to evacuate and moved to their sister station in Okotoks and were able to continue to broadcast urgent news and information. Golden West plans to build new studios in High River.
In Calgary, the three Corus stations were forced out of their Eu Claire studios which are located right next to the Bow River. And while their two music stations, Country 105 & Q107, got audio back on the air, it took a little longer for audio to return to the AM station, 77NewsTalk. When it did return, it was a simulcast 630 CHED from Edmonton. This is the second time within a year the station was off the air for an extended period of time. Last year in July, a fire in the Shaw building put the Corus stations off the air.
The CBC in Calgary were also forced to evacuate, but quickly set up a makeshift newsroom at SAIT Polytechnic.
I was recently contacted by a young broadcaster, who had just landed his first full time job at one of our client stations. His was eager to meet me and asked if I could give him some advice on how to be successful in the radio business. I shared with him some advice that I wished someone had told me when I was starting out in this industry some 34 years ago.
Research your new employer: You probably did some research in order to land the job in the first place. But now you need to dig deeper and learn as much as possible about the company that you will be working for. Find out who the key executives are, the goals of the company and their vision for the future. It may also be helpful to know who their competition is as well. The reason for doing this research is to try and be on the same page as the company when you walk through the door on the first day. Be sure to check that your information is correct, as this will help you become integrated into the team more quickly. Here is an example of why it is important that all the staff are operating from the same playbook: I was at a station several months ago and found that each member of the on-air staff had a different impression of who the station’s target listeners were. We quickly corrected this and the ratings are now improving because they all understand who they need to be talking to and the type of content that relates to this target audience.
Ask good questions: You should never be afraid to ask questions at work. More often than not, others around you will be thinking about the same questions. Ask important people any sensible, relevant question, for their opinion, or advice, then make sure they know who you are, and maintain your contact so they remember you. Often, when you ask a well-crafted, intelligent question it will cause people to think more profoundly. When someone thinks more deeply than before, new ideas, new answers and new possibilities emerge. But as a new member of the team it is important you ask questions so you are clear on the expectations of your employer or supervisor.
Be positive: Before you arrive at work each day give yourself a little pep talk and remind yourself about the power of being positive. Frankly, there are too many negative people in the world as it is. Just imagine what we could accomplish every week, every month, and every year if we were exclusively positive? Being positive is a choice you can make that will connect you to the best possibilities. Being positive forces you to also be positively creative. When things are difficult, do you really want to make them even more difficult by being negative? Choose instead to realistically see the situation for what it is, and then to be positive about moving forward from it. Eventually, somebody is going to change things for the better, and it might as well be you. Think and see and do from a positive perspective and create good, meaningful value. By being positive you are being more effective. Motivational speaker Ralph Marston says, “Make the choice to be positive, and truly make the world a better place.”
Always go the extra mile: It’s hard to believe, but not every person in the work force actually does this! So get out of bed earlier and get to work sooner, stay a little later and find ways to go that extra distance to make a difference. This also means saying yes and helping out wherever possible. Volunteer to do as much as possible around the station and develop a reputation as being the most helpful person on any radio station you work on. This will be noticed and appreciated. Outside of work say yes to something you would normally turn down. Try different food, different music, going to a movie you’d normally avoid. So many people go through life and work convinced that there is only one path open to them. That makes it true, because they never try anything else, but the world is a huge, glorious experiment, not a set of rules to be followed and boxes to the checked. How much you are willing to join in that experiment is up to you. The closer you stick to the same script, the less you will discover about what might be even better. What holds most people back is fear of losing what they already have, however imperfect it might be. Just remember that you are in control of the experiment. You can try a little change as easily as a huge one. And if it doesn’t work, you can always go back and try again. Saying no is the real risk, because it closes the door forever on anything different.
Get involved in the local community: This is easy to say but can be hard to do especially if you have moved across the country for your first job. You are unlikely to know many people, you will be unfamiliar with the area and may not know where to start. I was told many years ago that it is always easier to teach an interesting person how to do radio than to teach someone who has been to radio school how to be interesting. So moving to a new area and getting involved is always easier for an interesting person because chances are they will already have developed interests and hobbies. They can seek out those organizations they have belonged to previously or be adventurous and try something completely new. All too often, young people move to a new community and miss the importance of getting involved in that community and miss the opportunity to meet new people and do interesting things. I encourage new broadcasters to find interests and activities beyond the radio station and the staff at the station. Not only will you quickly become integrated into the community, you will make new friends and find your time in that community more enjoyable. Perhaps this will not be your final stop on the road to fame and fortune, but I promise you it will make your time in that city a lot more enjoyable. It may also help you land a job in a bigger market as most employers will be eager to employ someone who is an interesting person who does interesting things with their free time. If you do not get involved in the community then you are a tourist and you are less likely to enjoy your time in this city.
Get to know your colleagues: It’s easy to sit at your desk or booth and dive into your daily tasks. In any office, no matter the size, the relationship with your co-workers is crucial to a successful and productive environment. Simple questions are always best to begin with—where do they like to go on vacation? What are their hobbies? Where did they purchase that great pair of shoes they’re wearing? Ask questions to break the ice. Remember, real friendships take time to develop, so don’t expect them to happen instantly. The goal is to set up opportunities to meet and interact with co-workers that give friendships a chance to develop naturally. It’s also important to respect the culture of your organization. Some workplaces are more or less oriented towards socializing than others. Research by the Gallup Organization found that people who said they had a “best friend” at work were more engaged in their jobs than people without a best friend at work. Another study of employees in a large telecommunications company found that workers who frequently do favours for co-workers and get lots of favours in return, were more productive than people who did not exchange favours with co-workers. One way to get to know co-workers is to participate in work-related social events. You can also join a workplace committee that will expose you to new people or participate in workplace volunteer and fundraising efforts.
Get a mentor: At any point in your career, it’s important to have a mentor. Reach out to men or women who are at a point in their careers at which you’d like to be in the future. Or, be brave and contact an individual you admire via email or phone because their words of advice often can make a real difference. Without an experienced mentor to calibrate your experiences, you’ll learn at a much slower rate and the process may be less enjoyable.
Network: Make time to speak to other colleagues in your building, your market as well as in other markets. You never know who you’ll meet! Author Adam Small said, “Networking is the single most powerful marketing tactic to accelerate and sustain success for any individual or organization!” Ask any senior executive, politician, community leader or successful salesperson which single skill or habit helped them excel in their career – and chances are most will respond with one simple word… networking. Ultimately, it’s not about who you know… but WHO KNOWS YOU! Make the effort to attend the regional broadcast conventions and annual industry events such as Canadian Music Week or the NAB, and pay for it if have to. The investment will be well worth it I promise.
Listen more than you talk: This is so important in the first few weeks when the learning curve will be rather steep, and what may be second nature to those around you is totally foreign to you. Soak up information about how the organization works, and the reasons why, before you offer “helpful” alternatives. When we listen more than we talk, the payoff can be huge. It’s worth the effort. It was Stephen R. Covey who said, “Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.”
Take mistakes seriously: You are going to make mistakes along the way and that is part of the learning process. But there is nothing more frustrating than an employee who made a mistake and doesn’t seem to think it’s a big deal. When you make a mistake, immediately take responsibility for it, figure out how you’re going to fix it, and make it clear that you understand its seriousness. Responses like “my bad” or worse, no response at all, signal that you don’t take work seriously. Learn from your mistakes and in time you will look back and laugh at them.
Take notes: Your boss expects you to remember the specific instructions you were given—and that includes nuances, not just the overarching idea. For most people, that means taking notes. And while a good manager is happy to answer questions, he or she may not be if the questions are ones she already answered when you weren’t bothering to pay attention. So carry a note book or tablet or put notes in your smart phone, but take good notes and review them from time to time. The disciples you learnt in school and university for taking notes need to carry over to your first job and beyond.
Dress to Impress: The way you dress says a lot about you. Therefore, it is important to always show up at work dressed appropriately. Depending on the organization, this is likely to be business casual or business professional. You are better to be overdressed than underdressed and this gets noticed. Recently, I was visiting a client station and was introduced to an intern who was on summer vacation from university. This young man is taking a journalism degree and was eager to work inside a radio station to get some practical experience. He was well groomed, dressed in a suit and looked very confident and professional. What really impressed me beyond his clothing was his attitude. He was very polite, professional and eager to learn. I think he will be a star of tomorrow and someone who is worth watching.
Don’t steal from your employer: This is pretty obvious, but you also need to remember that when you’re at work, you should focus 100 percent on your work. There’s no quicker way to make a bad impression than to be spotted on Facebook, sending personal emails or shopping on-line when you should be working.
Don’t become part of a workplace clique: As much as you might like some coworkers, you should maintain professional boundaries. Don’t get drawn into gossiping, and don’t take on other people’s workplace battles just because you consider them friends. Too many young workers have harmed their own careers by focusing on chitchat over work, or by deciding to dislike the boss just because a co-worker does.
Be reliable: This means doing what you say you’re going to do and by when you say you’re going to do it. Being a person of your word will establish you as someone reliable and trustworthy, someone who is on top of their game. This also means being on time and being ready to work hard.
Pay attention to the culture: This is hugely important, and when new employees don’t do it, they come across as tone-deaf. Observe how others act and you’ll pick up a ton of information about cultural expectations. Are people compulsively on time for meetings? Do they take a real lunch break or eat at their desks? What hours do most people work? Is there a lot of chitchat during the day, or do people stay focused? Do people primarily use email to communicate or do they talk in person? While you don’t need to become someone you’re not, you do want to try to roughly fit into cultural parameters.
Be open to learning: You probably learned lots of theory in the classroom, but there is a real difference between the classroom and the work place. College gave you theory; work is going to give something entirely different, so stay humble and realize your first job is going to be largely about learning. And please avoid using the words, “At broadcast school we did it this way.”
Keep upgrading your skills: Take an online course or take a course at a local college. This always looks good to a future employer. I know of one announcer who took a computer course at a local community college because his keyboard or general computer skills where weak. That got this person the job over others when they applied to a larger market.
Thank people who help you: When your boss or another co-worker takes the time to help you with something, give them a sincere thank you. People who feel appreciated are more likely to go out of their way for you again. If you don’t seem to care, they probably won’t bother again.
Have fun: You will spend a lot of hours at work over the course of your working career and as the old adage goes “find a job you love and you’ll never work another day in your life.” So remember to have some fun along the way and do your part to bring some levity and enjoyment to those around you. After all this is a great industry to work in.
Conclusion: Some of these points mentioned above are things I have learned myself over the years, heard other people say, or perhaps I have read somewhere and liked it, so I do not profess that these are all my ideas by any means. But I hope they may help some and cause others to think about what they could do differently to progress in their career. This is a great industry to be working in, and today there at 675 commercial stations in Canada with 6 new FM licenses being granted in the past year. There are over 10,000 people working in radio with an average salary of $67,000 including benefits. There will be more stations licensed by the CRTC over the next 12 months so this should mean more jobs for young broadcasters. If, as you read this, you think of other ideas that you feel might be helpful, please send me your suggestions and I will be happy to add them to the article on our website and credit you. The goal is to help those who are starting out in the business or those that might be looking for some ideas on how to get re-motivated.
July 1-31 “Cell Phone Courtesy Month”: To encourage cell phone users to be more respectful of their surroundings and those around them. Call Jacqueline Whitmore, Etiquette Expert 561-586-9026, email info@etiquetteexpert.com. Web: www.etiquetteexpert.com.
July 1-31 “International Blondie and Deborah Harry Month”: Celebrates the band Blondie and its lead singer, Deborah Harry and their contributions to popular music. Call Allan Metz 417-873-7483. email ametz@drury.edu. Web www.blondiebook.com.
July 1-31 “International Zine Month”: An annual celebration of all zines, self-publishing and small press culture. For info, email brianscanzine@gmail.com. See www.internationalzinemonth.wordpress.com.
July 1-31 “Women’s Motorcycle Month”: Dedicated to honouring women who ride, co-ride, or wish they could ride motorcycles. Call Sylvia Henderson 301-260-1538. email Sylvia@springboardtraining.com. Web: www.springboardtraining.com.
July 1 “Canada Day”: Formerly known as Dominion Day. Commemorates the confederation of Upper and Lower Canada and some of the Maritime Provinces into the Dominion of Canada in 1867.
July 1 “Halfway Point of 2011”: At noon, July 1, 2013, 182½ days of the year will have elapsed and 182½ days will remain before Jan 1, 2014.
July 1-8 “Nova Scotia International Tattoo”: Military and civilian performers in bands, singing, dancing, marching, gymnastics and comedy. Call 902-420-1114 or 800-563-1114, email info@nstattoo.ca. Web www.nstattoo.ca.
July 3-Aug 11 “Dog Days”: Hottest days of the year in Northern Hemisphere.
July 3-7 “The North American Tournament”: Spruce Meadows, Calgary, AB. Show jumping tournament featuring the Spruce Meadows North American Championships. Call 403-974-4200, or see www.sprucemeadows.com.
July 3-14 “RBC Royal Bank Bluesfest”: Lebreton Flats, Ottawa, ON. 20th annual. Enjoy blues, gospel, roots, world and popular music in the heart of Canada’s national capital. Call 613-247-1188. email info@ottawabluesfest.ca. Web: www.ottawabluesfest.ca.
July 4 “Independence Day”: The United States commemorates adoption of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress. The nation’s birthday. Legal holiday in all states and territories.
July 5-14 “Calgary Stampede”: Calgary, AB. One of the world’s largest rodeos, plus an agricultural fair, entertainment, parade and carnival. Call 403-261-0101. web: www.calgarystampede.com.
July 6 “Take Your Webmaster to Lunch Day”: Keep the person running your website happy by making sure he or she is well fed. It makes your webmaster feel loved and gives him or her the energy to fix all the typos that you have on your site.
July 6-7 “Abbotsford Berrybeat Festival”: Abbotsford, BC. Heralds the height of the Raspberry Capital of Canada’s berry season. Call 604-850-6547. email adba@telus.net. Web: www.downtownabbotsford.com.
July 7 “Tell The Truth Day”: Today, everyone is challenged to go one whole day without telling a lie or saying anything misleading or dishonest. For info, call Teens Express 301-856-3687 or email programs@teensexpress.org.
July 7 “Father-Daughter Take A Walk Together Day”: A special time in the summer for fathers and daughters of all ages to spend time together in the beautiful weather. Call Janet Dellaria 906-852-3539.
July 8-14 “Nude Recreation Week”: Why not go barefoot all over? Give nude recreation a try by attending special events at a clothing-optional beach, campground or resort near you. Call The Naturist Society 920-426-5009, email naturist@naturistsociety.com. See www.naturistsociety.com.
July 13 “Gruntled Workers Day”: There’s so much news about disgruntled workers that today’s the day for gruntled workers to unite! Drive to a fast-food restaurant and say, “Thanks, your service is fast, have a nice day.” Call Thomas & Ruth Roy 717-279-0184, email info@wellcat.com. Web: www.wellcat.com.
July 15 “Global Hug Your Kids Day”: A day set aside to encourage parents to hug their kids. For info call Michelle Nichols 775-303-8201 or email hugs@HugYourKidsDay.com.
July 20 “National Parks Day”: A national event showcasing parks and historic sites in every province and territory in Canada. See www.parksday.ca.
July 22 “Pied Piper of Hamilin: Anniversary – Maybe”: July 22, 1376. According to legend, the German town of Hamelin, plagued with rats, bargained with a piper who promised to, and did, pipe the rats out of town and into the Weser River. Refused payment for his work, the piper then piped the children out of town and into a hole in a hill, never to be seen again.
July 22 “Spooner’s Day (William Spooner Birth Anniversary)”: A day named for the Reverend William Archibald Spooner, whose frequent slips of the tongue led to coinage of the term spoonerism to describe them. A day to remember the scholarly man whose accidental transpositions gave us blushing crow (for crushing blow), tons of soil (for sons of toil), queer old dean (for dear old queen), swell foop (for fell swoop) and half-warmed fish (for half-formed wish).
July 23 “Gorgeous Grandma Day”: The “senior citizen” label can no longer describe a feeble, antiquated person who is treasured only as a volunteer or a babysitter. Indeed, the majority are far from powerless, sickly or frail. Call Alice Solomon 561-498-3543. email GGalice@gorgeousgrandma.com. Web: www.gorgeousgrandma.com.
July 24 “Cousins Day”: A day to celebrate, honour and appreciate our cousins. For info call Claudia Evart 212-779-2227, email cevart1@earthlink.net.
July 26 “One Voice”: A synchronized reading of the Universal Peace Covenant by people on all continents at 1pm (CDT). For info, email peace@som.org. See www.peacedome.org.
July 27 “Walk On Stilts Day”: A day to walk on stilts, providing a chance to develop self-confidence through mastery of balance and coordination. Call Bill “Stretch” Coleman 303-922-4655. email stretch@stiltwalker.com. Web: www.stiltwalker.com.
July 28 “Parents’ Day”: To pay tribute to the men and women across the country whose devotion as parents strengthens our society and forms the foundation for a bright future.
Bell Media has been given the green light by the federal broadcast regulator for its $3-billion acquisition of Astral Media, clearing the way for the communications giant to build a large footprint in Quebec after its first attempt was rejected last fall.
The approval by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission gives Bell permission to buy Astral’s 84 radio stations 25 specialty TV services, including some of the country’s most popular channels such as The Movie Network and Family Channel. To soothe fears of market dominance, Bell has already agreed to sell Astral’s stakes in 12 specialty channels and 10 English-language radio stations.
Read more here.
A popular Calgary-based talk radio host says his tenure with Corus radio has come to an abrupt halt following his criticism of management during Monday morning’s broadcast.
In a Tuesday morning tweet from the @rutherfordshow account, Dave Rutherford confirmed his departure from Corus radio.
“I have just been taken off the air on Corus radio. Message: don’t criticize management”
Read more here.
CBC stays on top in Vancouver this time around, but CKNW closed the gap and leap-frogged QM-FM into second spot. QM, on the other hand, turned in one of their softest books in a while. Their share fell almost 3 full points. The Beat was flat, but still managed to switch places with Virgin in the CHR wars as the latter station dropped .8 of a share. JRfm remains consistent with the Pattison-owned Country station steady in 6th. Also of note was the strong showing by Team 1040 as they took advantage of the Canucks shortened season.
Terms
Share – Within a central market area, the estimated total hours tuned to that station expressed as a percentage of total hours tuned to Total Encoded Radio.
Cume (000) – Expressed in thousands, this is the total number of people who were exposed to the stations for at least one minute during the analyzed period.
Average Daily Universe – The average daily universe for the analyzed period. The universe is expressed as daily averages because it changes slightly daily as the intab changes.
Now! continues its dominance in Edmonton. It’s been remarkably consistent and is still slowly amassing more and more listeners. CHED is flat and stays in 2nd. Capital is back up after a slightly soft winter showing. The Bear softened almost a full share, but managed to hold on to their number 4 ranking. CBC showed strength in the latest window and jumped up to 5th from 8th. The other surprise was Up! going down from 5th to 8th.
Terms
Share – Within a central market area, the estimated total hours tuned to that station expressed as a percentage of total hours tuned to Total Encoded Radio.
Cume (000) – Expressed in thousands, this is the total number of people who were exposed to the stations for at least one minute during the analyzed period.
Average Daily Universe – The average daily universe for the analyzed period. The universe is expressed as daily averages because it changes slightly daily as the intab changes.
Country 105 continues its winning ways and even increased its share slightly from the previous book. CBC is up a notch. News/talk/sports, AM 770, was down and slipped to 3rd in the market. Lite was also soft, but hung on to 4th. Q-107 and Jack both climbed in the rankings thanks to a softer than usual showing by CJAY. Up! was up over a half share and that was good enough to see them climb two spots to 11th. Conversely, Kool was down a share and two ranks.
Terms
Share – Within a central market area, the estimated total hours tuned to that station expressed as a percentage of total hours tuned to Total Encoded Radio.
Cume (000) – Expressed in thousands, this is the total number of people who were exposed to the stations for at least one minute during the analyzed period.
Average Daily Universe – The average daily universe for the analyzed period. The universe is expressed as daily averages because it changes slightly daily as the intab changes.
CHFI is predictably down from the halcyon heights they achieved last time out, but they are still sitting comfortably on top with an almost 2 share gap between them and 2nd. That number 2 station continues to be CHUM FM who showed great growth. They picked up almost 2 shares from winter. CBC remains strong in 3rd. 680 News stays in 4th, but the number 5 and 6 stations trade places with Q-107 besting Virgin. Other highlights include the Edge up 3 spots after a very disappointing last book. Z103.5 moves up 2 spots, while Jazz drops a couple.
Terms
Share – Within a central market area, the estimated total hours tuned to that station expressed as a percentage of total hours tuned to Total Encoded Radio.
Cume (000) – Expressed in thousands, this is the total number of people who were exposed to the stations for at least one minute during the analyzed period.
Average Daily Universe – The average daily universe for the analyzed period. The universe is expressed as daily averages because it changes slightly daily as the intab changes.
CJAD resumes it stranglehold on the market. The Beat showed that their winter results were no fluke. They remain in 2nd and are virtually flat book to book. Virgin bounced back nicely after a poor showing in the last ratings. They added almost 2 full shares and remain in 3rd. CHOM is the picture of consistency with yet another book in the 13’s. The remainder of Montreal was fairly static.
Terms
Share – Within a central market area, the estimated total hours tuned to that station expressed as a percentage of total hours tuned to Total Encoded Radio.
Cume (000) – Expressed in thousands, this is the total number of people who were exposed to the stations for at least one minute during the analyzed period.
Average Daily Universe – The average daily universe for the analyzed period. The universe is expressed as daily averages because it changes slightly daily as the intab changes.