It seems to be happening more and more frequently. We’re seeing the news almost daily. Jobs are being eliminated due to the financial challenges the parent company is facing. Primarily, Air Talent, Programmers, and Content Creators are losing their jobs.
It’s not about poor performance; it’s about eliminating cost. Legacy talent are retiring rather than taking a pay cut. Positions are eliminated, and technology is activated to share talent across multiple markets. The fear of AI is real, and there will be human carnage. It seems as if it’s not a good time to be a talent.
Responsibilities are divided and moved from position to position, increasing the workload of those who survive the cuts. Sometimes the increased workload comes with no additional money and no clear advantage beyond being recognized for taking one for the team. There is an upside in that with elimination and responsibility shifting come opportunities for others to grow and expand their knowledge. This silver lining in the storm cloud has the potential to expose individuals in a way that is beneficial to them.
The frequently acknowledged downside is that companies are eliminating the one thing that is often what is most attractive to an audience: talent.
Music services have, in many cases, taken away the enticement of music discovery. Although radio is still important in making a song a mass-appeal hit. While there are exceptions, music doesn’t necessarily make a station unique. Talent is at the core of brand building, uniqueness, companionship, community connection, and creating daily listening. Talent are a precious commodity. Yet, they’re the first to go when it comes to eliminating human resources. The crime: making too much money. The 2020s have been strange.
Programmers and Talent who’ve lost their positions often reach out for a conversation about what’s next. My immediate recommendation is to avoid posting a negative rant on social media. A future employer is likely going to check you out, and social media will be a part of their research. You may absolutely be right to be angry, but there’s no value to burning a bridge. Such public dismay creates an illusion that you’re a disgruntled employee. That could hinder a future employer from deciding in your favor.
You’ll want to control the narrative. Radio is a word-of-mouth business. Speak calmly and objectively to your network about moving on, framing the departure as an opportunity for your next career chapter rather than focusing on the position elimination. The one positive regarding job elimination from a position in media versus other industries is that the termination of talent and content creators is not unusual. Few in our industry look at someone who lost a job as a pariah.
When I speak to a discharged Programmer or Talent, I do ask about the story of their departure. I want to hear what happened, but I don’t want to hear anything that scorches the earth. My greatest interest is in asking what their ideal “Land of Oz” job would be. That gives me some insight into how I can best help them find what’s next. Encouragement is something I gladly offer. The loss of a job in one situation doesn’t mean that the candidate won’t excel in another. My personal experience is that giving someone a second chance often creates commitment to executing the job and loyalty to their employer.
If you’re an air talent, you should always have audio available to you for sharing, which could be on a public platform or you may have it in your files, and it’s okay to share your work on podcasts, YouTube, and social media. Regardless, unless you’re a nationally known personality, the potential employer will want to hear your on-air performance, and that means having a prepared, well-produced demo.
The same goes for a resume. I’ve seen some very creative resumes in my time, and while the creative gene is valuable to be shared, no one should have to work hard to decipher your career stops and accomplishments. Given today’s technology, I like those talent who have a website where their audio, video, resume, and endorsements can be found. Such a platform also screams that the candidate is tech-savvy and they live in the “today.”
One of the approaches I’ve talked about with others, and something I engage in myself, is being aware of “Radio Adjacent” opportunities. People in consumer-facing businesses, tech industries, politicians, public relations, marketing, most forms of sales, and media platforms beyond legacy media will pay for the skills that many of us have honed over the years because of radio. The talent you have may have been less than valuable to the company you’re leaving, but it may be of great value in another arena. Don’t limit yourself to one role in media.
If the local broadcast market is saturated or undergoing consolidation, look into remote voice-tracking, voiceover work, podcast production, or corporate communications. You can browse remote media and audio roles on multiple platforms. The audio opportunities for talent are significant. Being self-employed is also an option. I can point to several friends of mine whose on-air positions were eliminated, and they became podcasters. Let me rephrase that: they became very successful podcasters. Do not limit yourself to traditional opportunities.
There is no way to “Fireproof” a job, but I do know that talent that generates revenue for a station, multitasks well, and plays well with others makes it harder for a decision-maker to eliminate their position.
Work in a way that a job elimination forces a discussion before a decision; endorsements, assisting sales, doing more than has been asked of you, being a good team player, and strengthening your profile by being everywhere and being seen & heard everywhere. Those are the tangible and intangible benefits that are considered when cost-cutting comes into play.
The business is changing in a way that makes it much less attractive to some of those who yearn for a lifelong career in media. That’s disappointing. Watching our colleagues and friends lose their positions is disheartening. Losing a job because of cost-cutting isn’t a commentary on your performance. It’s upsetting. What’s most painful is that job loss impacts more than you. It affects families and changes lives. Remember, it doesn’t mean failure, and it doesn’t signal a need to give up.
I believe that a career is a part of the story of our lives. As such, it should be looked at as if it were broken into chapters. What we learn from each job (chapter) has the likelihood of increasing our knowledge, experience, and value to others. Each chapter in our lives leads to another. This is but one chapter. Keep writing your story.
