Wendy Wants To Get Fired...

PART ONE

PART TWO

HEARING ABOUT this was one thing...but actually HEARING IT gave a brand new perspective to the situation. I'm speechless...

Wondering Where's Wendy?

Since no one seems to be talking about it, I will.  If you've been wondering where Wendy is, she's been suspended from her radio show. Apparently, Wendy couldn't wait to celebrate her great ratings with her husband Kevin and former co-host 'Charlemagne Tha God' and decided to invite them both up to the radio station while she was on air. Her husband Kevin had been recently banned from WBLS as a result of an explosive lawsuit involving Wendy's former talent booker, Nicole Spence.  Charlemagne, who has recently been given his own morning show in Philly, was fired recently as a result of 'budget cuts'. In spite of both circumstances, all three were heard on the air a few days ago, as if none of the above had ever happened.

Wendy had an extremely successful test run with her nationally syndicated TV show a few months back resulting in a renewal for a full 2009 run.

A few questions:

What the hell was Wendy thinking when she let her husband into the studio and on the mic?

Why would Charlemagne want to start some shit right before he embarks on his opportunity of a lifetime?

Radio is Wendy's heart and soul...but is she ready to cut it all loose for that TV money?

How many program directors across America really want her to get fired anyway?

Random Ramblings:

I love Wendy because she has accomplished so much in her career. Anyone as ambitious as me would understand and respect her gangsta.

I hate her because she is a mean, nasty, self absorbed witch who refuses to pay it forward. She has disrespected me on several occasions...and she doesn't even know me.  Yet and still..I'm happy for her.

I had to laugh when I heard about the circumstance behind her suspension though. She aint scared of none of youse.

By George...I Think He's Got It!

"...Remember black and white TV? Color came along, and now only those that WANT a black and white TV have one. Remember boradcast (sic) networks on TV? Cable brought the big 3 down. They still have not quite recovered, but the money is too big to just go away.

Remember good radio? Upbeat, positive, local and interactive? Well, computers, Ipods and the internet came along, and the industry has not countered. It cannot. It is full of linear thinking, INSIDE the box executing, "talent" and "management", and will falter because there is no true leadership. 

The fact is, radio will NEVER be what is WAS, and may not be much more than what it is at any point in the future. Mass programming syndication and the general flooding of the talent pool has made it impossible for really talented people to excel, or even be able to work long anough to learn their craft. After all, who can survive on $15K a year?"

-Voxianguy

Sidebar - Different wording, same message.  (Click HERE)

Critique Me Please

click to view larger

I was digging through the crates and I found this today. It reminded me of the ambition that I once had. At one point, my drive literally drove all of my friends away. They called me crazy. I dedicated almost 80% of my day towards researching the industry. Finding out who's who. My network game was tiiiiight. I have no regrets. In a little under 10 years, I was able to maneuver through some of the top radio markets in the country. Most importantly, I was able to go from $6 dollar an hour to a six figure salary in 9.4 years. I was humble yet hungry.

The above image is a snapshot of something that I created called it a critique sheet. I mailed them to Program Directors across the country along with my audition cassette tape. I simply asked various people in the industry to review my tape and them critique it. I included a self-addressed stamped envelope (this was before e-mail & MP3s) to try to make it easier for them to respond. It was also a way to introduce myself in a non traditional way. Unfortunately, I rarely received a response. I remember being so angry as most PDs wouldn't give me the time of day. Furthermore, a bitch was broke and I had wasted postage and perfectly good cassette tapes on some of these assholes.

I thought it would be cool to share some of the results from mailing these packages to some of the industry's alleged finest.

Terri Avery - Never mailed the critique sheet back. I called to follow up and her response was, "I usually charge people to critique them". >>enter a WTF face here<< >

Russ Parr - Actually responded. Showered me with compliments. Insisted that I would make it 'BIG' one day.  

Steve Hegwood- Ignored me in the worst way.

Vinnie Brown - Ignored me in a WORSER way.

Helen Little - Ignored my critique sheet..but eventually responded to my phone calls...but would never hire me.

Lisa Lisa (formerly of WKYS in Washington DC) - Crickets.

Lorenzo 'ICED TEA' Thomas - More crickets.

Toya Beasley (formerly of WRKS, NY) - Ignored me.

Tracy Cloerty (formerly of WQHT, NY) - Ignored critique sheet...but eventually met her personally. She told me that she only hired 'stars'.  >>there goes my self esteem<<

Tony Gray (consultant) - Ignored me but eventually responded. Gave me a lot of empty promises.

There are probably more...but I'm gonna head for bed now.  

SIDEBAR - I actually received a phone call today from a potential employer!  Being unemployed for so long has definitely done some damage because I wasn't even excited when the phone rang.  My heart told me that it was going to be about some bullshit.  And it ended up being exactly that..Bullshit. 

Radio Is Dead..Dead...Dead...

I think that our fundamental belief is that for us growth is a way of life and we have to grow at all times.
~Muskesh Ambani

If you aint growing, evolving, expanding or improving, you're dead.

~Me

And this my friends, is my assessment of the state of radio. Radio has actually been on life support for the past 10 years...and I have finally come to the realization that radio is dead. This reality check may very well change my life.

I will NEVER forget the anger that I felt when I heard Alfred Liggins say (with my own two ears) that he didn't think that radio stations should waste money on building or maintaining websites. This was back in 1995. I sat in that conference room in complete and total awe. No one understood why I sat there with my mouth wide open in a no-his-dumb-ass-did-not-just-say that kind of way. Perhaps I'm just an overly-sensitive type of chick...but I was livid. I hate closed minded individuals. I really do. I remember being infatuated with the internet back then..and although I never had formal training, I loved surfing, discovering new websites and I even tried to self educate myself on HTML so that I could eventually attempt to build a website. It was fascinating to be able to instantly access information within seconds. I saw HUGE opportunity for a medium such as radio to capitialize. But here I am, with my $9.00 an hour makin' azz, listening to this self made millionaire COO say out loud that it's a waste of time and money to invest in a internet presence for the station that I was working for.

It's hard to explain...but I've been frustrated my entire career. I love radio…but the people who are in charge have made me hate radio. I've never been the type of radio personality simply to do my shift..and simply go home. I always, always attempted to come up with ways to make my show more successful, more compelling, more interesting and more relatable. I have been faced with more opposition than not. At my last job, I was adamant about doing an interactive hour with my listeners once a week via webcam. That was my way of attempting to connect with my audience. Deep down inside, I felt that I could actually change the way radio was being done. The station could have monetized the opportunity as well. I got into a HUGE argument with management because they refused to allow me to do it. Their reasoning for not allowing me to do it was RIDICULOUS. I fought and fought...and eventually lost. That argument created a stressful relationship between me and 'them' from that day forward. Like I said earlier, I hate closed minded people...and my hate erupted like Mount St Helens that day.

Unfortunately, Al isn't the only idiot out here who failed to comprehend that in order to keep radio as a relevant medium for music, information and entertainment – you must evolve it. Radio has REFUSED to respond to a wide variety of demands that have been put in place for the past 10 years. They refused to grow during the internet explosion. They wouldn’t listen. And now the consequence is death. Perhaps radio won’t become extinct, but it will certainly become irrelevant. I’ve read at least a dozen different articles last week about internet radio listening. The numbers are amazing. They had a 10 year headstart to figure it out…but they chose to sit back. And now they’re all blaming the diminishing radio revenues on the economy…but it’s bullshit. Don’t believe the hype. Radio is dead. And they killed it. So now they struggle to stay afloat by cheapening it by hiring kids off the street with no experience and by syndicating every daypart imaginable.

And so, here lies radio. He lived an amazing life…but got sick, refused to grow and eventually gave up the will to live. May God rest his poor soul.

Maybe God hasn’t allowed me to obtain my next radio job because terrestrial radio isn’t where I belong anymore. I am talented and the world is about to become my oyster. I need to define where my opportunities are and then I must learn how to exploit them. I know it’s going to be frustrating…especially when I need money so badly..but today I am making the choice not to give up because when you give up…you can’t grow. And when you don’t grow, you die. I’m not dead yet bitches.

Free Help Needed!

And now for your viewing pleasure, another WTF job listing:

We've assembled a station that is gaining attention, and we're looking for talent to fill the schedule. Whether you're experienced and looking to try something new or starting out looking to build a resume and aircheck, all are welcome.

We need to be clear -- this is an unpaid opportunity. If you're interested, contact us ASAP -- jobs@radiogotham.com

Sidebar - I had a serious revelation today. This revelation may change the way I've been blogging - - FOREVER. To be continued...

Clear Channel Theatrics

Look what I found! An old issue of Radio Ink Magazine dated September 29, 2003. Funny, aint it?

And speaking of comic relief, remember when Chris Rock said in one of his stand up performances that he hates when niggas start wanting credit for something that they're SUPPOSED to do? And I quote...

"A nigga will say some shit like I take care of my kids! You're SUPPOSED to..you dumb muthafukka!"

Well...I immediately thought of Chris Rock after I read the following story yesterday:

Clear Channel Radio launched a new initiative to improve program quality at the company’s radio stations nationwide.

Clear Channel has ownership of five Dallas stations — KDGE-FM (102.1); KDMX-FM (102.9); KEGL-FM (97.1); KHKS-FM (106.1); and KZPS-FM (93.5).

The plan involves improving quality at each station’s day parts — the blocks of time stations use to sell broadcast advertising. Day parts are typically broken up into the 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. morning drive-time segment, the 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. mid-day segment, the 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. afternoon drive-time segment, the 7 p.m. to midnight segment and midnight to 6 a.m. late-night segment.

Managers will have the latitude to choose content and talent for their stations as a way to generate more audience and ultimately advertising dollars.

“Our programming objective is to increase audience size and engagement across all day parts and all platforms,” says John Hogan, president and CEO of Clear Channel Radio. “At the same time, we face a particularly difficult economy that makes it extremely challenging for some local stations to invest in developing the highest-quality programming and talent. Despite the difficult economy, we see enormous long-term opportunity in investing in things that immediately improve the competitive situation of our stations.”

Now mind you, I read this article on nearly half a dozen radio industry websites. This means that somewhere deep down in the heart of Texas sits a publicist who is getting paid to paint a beautiful picture of Clear Channel's effort to survive the depression despite these awful economic times. They have distributed this press release announcing Clear Channel's 'new' initiative for all of the world to see. Awwwwwww! Isn't that special?

Kevin Ross over at Radio Facts.Com is impressed. He says:

"...For the most part, I’m impressed. I really like the local initiaitves to host more PSAs, community involvement and rewarding local, lesser known jocks reward initiatives for bringing results."

"Even more impressive is the company’s commitment to local artists and playing their music and having local boards in every market. Moreover their commitment and understanding of the importance of online promotion and audience are impressive."

I say:

"I hate when niggas start wanting credit for something that they're SUPPOSED to do. Clear Channel - You suck."

When Radio Gets Messy

There seems to be a disturbing pattern occurring nationwide. Radio companies are hiring inexperienced on air personalities because they are cost efficient. But as Judge Milian from the People's Court always says, "The cheap come out expensive". I wonder how many listeners turned the radio off during this agonizing minute and 16 seconds of fuckery.

Take a listen to the above audio. Apparently, Shauna simply didn't know better and the inexperienced programmer who hired her didn't bother to be specific before instructing her to read the lottery numbers for the day.

Pure comedy at it's finest in my humble opinion.

PS- My check arrived in the mail yesterday. My mortgage is 16 days late.

Today's Sermon

"...It pains me to say this but almost everyone on-the-air is mentally disturbed in one way or another. It may be slight - possibly even undetectable to the human ear - but the only reason anyone chooses to work in a business that chews you up and spits you out like the Slap Chop is because they have a brain defect. Nothing else explains why a human being would want to subject themselves to such pressure and competition.

Many don’t do it for money. They’re on the radio either because their ego is bigger than Rush Limbaugh’s formerly nicotine-stained jockey shorts or they are suffering from a personality disorder which they feel can only be treated by subjecting the rest of us to their neurotic nuances. They crave adulation and adoration and are attracted to fame – even if it means working the overnight weekend shift on AM 1030 in Cow Nuts, Iowa. They are the "weirdo-wacko-wannabes". (By the way: that’s a medical term.)..."

-Corey Dietz

As of 11:39AM this morning, payroll still refuses to pick up the phone. I'm officially freaked out. Like seriously. This doesn't feel right.

WE Are The Ones To Blame

There are TONS of reasons why radio corporations don't respect 'THE RADIO PERSONALITY' anymore. The main reason is because, we (the radio personality) have personally invited them to devalue our craft. I've said it a million times - and I'll say it again. This mess is our fault.

The following has actually happened to me:

McDonalds decided to purchase advertising with the company that owned the radio station that I was working for. This company owned 5 stations in my city. McDonalds bought advertising on all 5 stations. As a part of their advertising campaign, one of the stations (which targeted white folk between the ages of 18-34) in the cluster offered the air talent $6,000 to do a couple of live commercials, a few pre recorded commercials and a couple of live 2 hour appearances at a couple of local McDonalds over the course of 3 months. They asked me do to the EXACT SAME amount of work - - but not for $6000 - not for $3000 - but for $450 and a few free cheeseburgers a few times of week.

please take a second to take all of this in

My radio station ranked top 5 in the market...my show was #2 in the targeted demo while the other station was a much lower rated radio station. In other words, they sucked. I innocently inquired about the low talent fee in comparision to my counterpart. I don't remember what they told me - - but it wasn't impressive and I politely declined the offer. The salesperson then made the exact offer to another air personality at my station - and she (with little to no hesitation) accepted the free cheeseburgers.

I also remember being asked to do an endorsement for free a few years after this incident. I professionally & politely declined....and so they approached the BOARD OP to read the commerical. He did. Didn't get paid and yet he was happy as hell. Why? Because his voice was now being heard on the public airwaves. He probably felt that this was he chance to break into the BIG TIME.

Now please don't get me wrong....I've always subscribed to the belief that folk should do what they gotta do in order to get ahead as long as it's moral. Making the sacrifice of doing something for free or low pay at the shot of getting that full time gig is simply a part of the game. Who am I to tell that streetteamer or board op not to voice that commerical? In their minds, that may be their big break! But at the same time - look what this has done to our profession! It has become common practice for companies to take advantage of young, eager talent. In the end, cheap labor always wins!

This is why I have never had a problem telling people how much I made as an on air talent or how much I made to host a club. Deep down inside, I thought that if I made it known that I was paid $1000 to appear at a club - that there would be NO WAY that someone else would do it for $150. But my fellow brothers and sisters in radio have proven me wrong. It's every man/woman for himself. This selfish behavior has destroyed us singlehandedly. This eagerness has cheapened us. And yes, it's OUR FAULT.

PS- As of 3:07 EST, still no check. Payroll refuses to answer the phone.

Still No Paycheck...Summmabitch

My check didn't arrive today either. I haven't gone postal and most likely, I won't. (Contrary to my last blog entry, although I may seem a little off my rocker, I'm not that damn crazy) But as I sit here looking through the jobs on Craigs List, Entertainment Careers.Net and All Access, I am ALSO thinking about how much I can relate to Angela Bassett's character in Waiting To Exhale. As I previously mentioned, I'm not going to go postal, shave my head or hit the bottle or the crackpipe - - but I can sincerely appreciate the rage and nerve that Angela Bassett exhibited in that movie.

My career situation is parallel to Angela's situation. She gave everything to her husband and after being left alone and absolutely betrayed, her hurt was transcribed into anger. Being able to blog about the bullshit that radio has left me is my way of getting over it.

So with that I say, thank you for allowing me to vent. Being in radio for 10+ years has given me a unique appreciation for listeners - - but in this case, readers. I want this blog to not only serve as an outlet for me to vent - - but most importantly, I want it to be a source of education. I want people to know what REALLY goes on behind the walls of a radio station. I want other people in the industry to realize that they are not alone....

If I disappear, just know that my cable/internet bill did not get paid. Internet access will be the first thing to go if my check doesn't get here soon.

Oh yeah....One more thing...

*note to self* Never play with matches....

On The Verge Of Going Postal...

Yes...I lost my six figure year salary over a year ago...but I am extremely grateful for a part time industry gig which gives me $1900 per month. (a little less than 23k per year) My mortgage is $1700 and my other bills exceed $200 per month...but without the part time job, I'd have nothing. So believe me, a sista is blessed.

BUT...

I usually receive my check on or about the 30th of each month. Well...today is Apr 10...and I STILL DON'T HAVE MY CHECK! The mortgage was due on the first so as of today, it is 10 days late. But wait...that's not all. I called corporate to try to find out the status of my check...and I can't get a live person on the phone! An 'automated' operator answers the phone and insists that I hold if I would like to speak to a live person. I hold...and then it simply repeats the please hold message.

Would it be wrong to say that I now understand why folk go postal? This shit is out of control.
My bank account is at an all time low. $372.06. I didn't go anywhere today because I don't want to use any unnecessary gas. I'm already thinking about how to slip out of church service on Sunday during offering. I am falling apart.

CBS Radio Joins The Pimp Game

Jacked from Radio-Info.Com:

CBS Radio is now offering clients live spots on the internet at which are being offered at a "premium price”! But the CBS market manager tells the talent that there’s no extra money for the personalities who actually voice them. One reader says, “currently, we get money for live-read endorsements on-air. But with the stream – not going to happen.” He calls it "disappointing....but maybe that's the new way of doing business, when revenues are down 15-20%."


See what I mean? The pimp game is getting strong in the radio game.

• The client benefits GREATLY by purchasing internet spots at a fantastic rate, having their products and services promoted WORLDWIDE and they will receive a professionally voiced commercial by the talent which will air LIVE (live spots tend to sound a little better because they sound more conversational than a prerecorded commercial)

* The company benefits by obviously selling the airtime and collecting the check

* The account executive benefits by closing the deal and by collecting their commission

* The client, CBS and the Account Executive will all benefit financially...

* But the air talent gets pimped. The air talent, the individual who will actually be responsible for connecting the listener with the product or service, is virtually being FORCED to voice the commercial live at no additional compensation.

Most of the talent who are approached to do these 'live spots' will feel obligated to do them in fear of losing their jobs.

Aint that something?

Awwwww...Poor, Poor Radio....

Although this blog was/is designed for radio industry folk, I realize that there are a lot of people who may not necessarily be familiar with the radio game. (and for that I'm grateful!) So before I go on my latest rant, allow me to give a brief lesson. (get comfortable)

THE BREAKDOWN
Arbitron is a research company that collects listener data on radio audiences. Arbitron conducts a series of surveys and then they market this information to radio companies. The data that they collect is interpreted into ratings. These ratings estimate how many people listen to each station. In turn, the radio stations use the ratings to determine how much they can charge for advertising in any given city.

For example....if you wanted to advertise on a radio station that is Arbitron rated # 1, ad prices will be far more expensive than a station that is rated #20. The more popular the station - the more expensive it will be to advertise. Think Superbowl. Millions of people watch and therefore advertising during the game will cost a pretty penny.

PPM
Whew. Ok....A couple of years ago, Arbitron developed a 'more modern' way to collect data called PPM which stands for Portable People Meter. It's a device that is worn like a pager and it detects hidden audio tones within a station or network's audio stream, logging each time it finds such a signal. It's SUPPOSED to be accurate than the old way that they used to collect data. While driving on the highway, it can detect what radio stations are being played in SEVERAL cars opposed to just what may be playing on your car radio.

THE PROBLEM

A lot of black radio stations have been screaming bloody murder about PPM because they claim that this new technology is full of flaws that have and will undercount minority audiences, doing damage to the amount of advertising that minority stations can sell. In other words, they aint giving folk in urban areas the PPM device.

WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY
An FCC advisory committee has asked the commission to investigate Arbitron’s PPM measurement system to determine whether the system is having, or will have, a detrimental effect upon stations targeting minority audiences. In other words, the gub'ment is getting involved to make ensure that radio stations that target Black & Hispanic folk get a fair shot at the ratings game. If something isn't done about these inconsistencies, urban radio could potentially go out of business! (GASP!)

MY TAKE

Let's see. Radio companies are pimping the HELL out of talent. (see my other posts) They are underpaying people, they have devalued the 'on air talent', and will get an intern or receptionist to voice a commercial JUST TO AVOID having to pay a talent fee. I know of a TON of instances where sales people make a deal with a client...then pocket the talent fee while getting the radio personality to do something for free or at a reduced fee. There's a lot of bullshit that goes on behind the scenes at a radio station...and I won't get into it now but - can I be sympathetic for these poor, poor companies that aren't getting a 'fair' shake at being accurately rated? Hell no. Would you feel sorry for someone who has done you wrong - AND continuously getting away with murder day after day after day? No pity from me. Screw y'all.

Radio Ramblings...

* If you're a first time reader of this blog, a follower/subscriber, or if you're simply passing through - thank you for checking me out! I genuinely appreciate it. If the tone of my posts seem more negative than positive, well - they are. I'm an angry, bitter, broke bitch. I will continue to use this blog as a form of release. Welcome to my world.

* Nina Chantele, a very talented and deserving on air talent from Chicago was recently named 1/3 of 'THE MORNING RIOT', WGCI's brand new local morning show. The crazy part is, she will continue to host her midday show on WKSC. My estimation is that she probably working 8 plus hours on air. Should I send her congratulatory flowers or should I fly to Chi-town to punch her in the throat for allowing Clear Channel to pimp her? (but seriously...I'm really happy for her....but damn)

* Mister Cee @ Hot 97 is the most SLEPT ON radio DJ of ALL TIME. He's the ONLY reason why I would ever turn on a radio again. Which reminds me...why doesn't Hot 97 stream so that I can hear him everyday?

* About 2 years ago, Raqiyah Mays was a struggling part time talent begging for ANYBODY to give her a shot at a full time opportunity. Now she can be heard from 12AM-10AM Monday thru Friday on WRKS. She even works on Saturday. Raqiyah, don't be surprised if they ask you to do the GMs laundry next. Don't forget to separate the reds. (da'fuck is wrong with you?)

* Where in the hell is the union and are they being paid off?

* Where's Maria More?

* Whatever happened to Melissa Summers?

* Does Cathy Hughes sleep well at night?

* Does Ricky Smiley truly have a following?

* I have applied for 172 jobs over the past year. From gas station attendant to radio station general manager...no one has responded.

* After being rejected for Medicaid and literally bursting into tears right in the office, this lady slipped me her business card and told me that she would help me reapply. Apparently, she works for Medicaid. She insisted that she would get me approved because "all I have to do is lie".

* I wonder when will karma catch up with Elroy Smith? Does he still have a love affair with R Kelly?

* I hated Miss Jones on the radio...but now that she's gone, I miss her.

* Where's KJ Holiday?

* I used to have a ton of friends in the industry. Now that I'm unemployed, I just realized that I have NO friends.

* I heard that Crazy Howard McGee, formerly of WGCI is managing a Harold's Chicken restaurant in Chicago. How about I'm not mad at him.

* I wonder how much Michael Baisden is making?

* According to some random study, internet radio listening is at an all time high. Perhaps it's time to explore my options?

* My bank account just hit the under $1000 mark. I'm seriously in trouble.

Joke Of The Day

Rock AC In Need Of Out-Of-Market Voicetracker

We're a Rock AC station in search of a midday voice tracker. Females STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY. Pay is $200/month for 5 weekly shows, each show 6 hours in length (around 36 tracks per show). Perfect candidate will have experience in an Active Rock environment, but will know how to deliver the format in a Top 40 fashion.


The above is another ACTUAL listing that I found over at AllAccess.com. This one is so ridiculous, I couldn't have made this up. I decided to do some basic math on their generous salary offer.

$200 per month for 5 weekly shows, 6 hours in length equating to 36 tracks per show.

720 tracks per month. 8640 tracks per year. That's $2,400 per year. That's less than $50 per week. Less than $10 PER SHOW. That's somewhere between $1.60 and $1.70 per hour.

The travesty is not the listing itself....but that someone out there somewhere is actually going to take the job! Un-freakin'-belivable.

The Apocalypse Is Coming....or is it here already?

I thought I had seen...I mean, HEARD it all.

Comedians like Steve Harvey, Mo'nique, Ricky Smiley and possibly DL Hughley

Singers like Al B Sure, Keith Sweat, Yolanda Adams & Donnie McClurkin

Authors like Michael Baisden & Michael Eric Dyson

Athletes like John Salley

AND NOW......(drumroll please)

ACTORS???

Ladies and Gentlemen...this shit is OFFICIALLY out of control. Seriously. Ok...maybe this is an April Fools joke.  Yeah....that's it.  April Fools...Motherfukka....