On June 20, Radio Ink will release one of its most popular lists of the year, The 100 Most Influential Women in Radio. One of the 100 very talented women to make the list in 2016 is Sarah Frazier. Frazier is the Market Manager for CBS Radio in Houston. She’s been in radio for 18 years and took over running the Houston market for CBS Radio in 2012. Why has she become so successful at running a market? What advice does she have for others hoping to achieve success in radio? Let’s find out…
RI: Exactly what are you responsible for on a daily basis?
Frazier: Our mission in Houston is to “be an indispensable part of the Houston community by providing local content, entertainment, and charity work.” Therefore, my daily job is to manage us to that mission, making sure we are a resource for relevant local information as well as a way to get involved and participate in local charities and organizations that help create a better Houston. No other medium does local better than radio. From a quantitative standpoint, my job is to grow revenue and ratings regardless of market conditions. I do this through working with my program directors, business partners, sports teams, and clients. Finally, and most importantly, I eliminate as many roadblocks as I can for the 150 very
talented people we employ so they can enjoy their workplace environment, grow in their careers, and support their families.
RI: What is it about you that you believe makes you successful and influential?
Frazier: I try to lead from the front; there’s nothing that I ask our people to do that I am not out doing myself. I set a quick pace and an aggressive agenda for my days. I try to always be positive and see the glass half full in every situation. People have told me I’m always calm, and that’s by design. It’s like a flight attendant on an airplane: If the flight attendants are calm, the passengers are calm. If they go sit down, that’s when everybody panics. As the market manager you’ve got to stay standing up and you have to stay calm, regardless of the turbulence. Hopefully that creates a positive environment that makes our employees lives better.
three years
RI: What advice can you offer readers on how to be successful today in radio?
Frazier: Slow down and take time to ask questions of your audience. If you’re on-air, talk to the listeners that call in to your show and talk to the listeners that you see at events. Ask them what they like and don’t like about you and your competition. Ask them what they want to hear, what content they find compelling. I love to talk to listeners who are at the station to pick up tickets they won; they’re a treasure trove of information. If you’re in sales, make sure you start off every meeting by asking questions about your client. Ask them what keeps them up at night, what results they’re trying to drive, and how you can help. We’re all so busy that we forget to take the time to listen.
RI: What steps should or can they take to advance and head toward achieving their goals?
- Make sure you set your goals each year. Take time at the beginning of the year to literally write them down and document them. Having them in your head isn’t good enough.
- Take the time to review them periodically. Goals aren’t something you can set and then forget about; you have to review them and track your progress. It will keep you in line.
- Tell your boss what your goals are. If your boss doesn’t know what you want to achieve, they can’t possibly help you get there. If you’re particularly ambitious, your boss needs to know that. Don’t assume they know you want to run the company someday; you have to tell them.
RI: What do you want to see radio do better?
Frazier: Be proud of radio. We get so hung up in the delivery system (over-the-air vs. digital) that we’re not talking enough about all the great content that we deliver every day. Millions of people wake up every day listening to a radio morning show. Thousands of artists are discovered each year through radio airplay. Hundreds of businesses grow exponentially each year by advertising on the radio. We raise millions of dollars for local charities every year. We’re a constant connection to your local community no matter where you are in the world through the Radio.com app. It’s pretty amazing, and we should be very proud.
Reach out to Sarah and congratulate her on a job well done in Houston at [email protected]
