What kind of ratings bump would justify paying jocks?

[pbf1]

Compelling thread but somewhat off the mark in my humble view.  The parameter of 40% margin applies to a group or cluster not the individual station. 

Wow...what corporation(s) do YOU work for??  Most require EACH STATION to pull its weight.

[seatacpro]

OK, backtracking here. But, the premise of adding an airstaff to JACK-FM goes against all what JACK stands for. While some, and the number is few, of the JACK affiliates have added airstaffs the basic sell is that no airstaff is needed. Thus, why they popped up like wild fires across the country. Now, Im not from the school that believes a music station can reach its full potential without a staff, but the big sell of the format is that no added costs are needed. You take a PD (even this is optional, as most clusters have an exisiting PD double up and take the reigns) and a promotions budget. Notice that most JACK's launch with, and usually keep up, a pretty big marketing campaign...wonder why? Alot more money to play with considering the lack of airstaff.

And as far as the salary thing. YIPPE KI YAY...I agree there are 1...maybe 2...talents here that make the '1-2 million' salary. That ship sailed before 1996.

And for our out of work jocks. True, some would probably take a big pay cut to hop back on the air. Or maybe not. Maybe that is why they are still off the air. Ive noticed lately that the token (aka older) jocks have almost kept themseleves out of the game because of their demands. They come from a time where talent were viable commodities to a station. Could it be that they are asking for a fair wage? Where as opposed to the newbies who will work for anything just to put Seattle on the resume. Which to that, I take off my hat to the veterans who still remember what they are worth.

[TU1]

Jack's big marketing campaign? I haven't seen a JACK TV commerical in about 2 years. That's why the ratings and sales have seen a slow decline over that time with the ocassional spike trend.

[jupiter2]

Interesting thread. The Jack in Vancouver BC had jocks from the start, but once you have branded Jack Jockless you are theoretically stuck.

I would not see investment in talent by any of the Wall Street broadcasters, other than guaranteed current winners, in the current climate.

CBS uses Jack as a flanker to protect KZOK and block KJR-FM and whatever B97 is doing this week. I agree with the professor that CLUSTERS run well when the strategy is to perform as a group, not individual stations. CBS Seattle has consistently been best at this. ENTERCOM made great strides by flipping the BUZZ to Country. That allowed KISW to flourish and gave them a flanker to KMPS with the potential to bill a lot more than the BUZZ ever could. By selling the expensive News-Talk operations back to Bonneville, Entercom cleaned up its cluster and cut costs.

Bonneville is one of those companies that doesn't kneel before Wall Street (they kneel before a Higher Power) and the folks over there couldn't be happier.

THe answer to the original post on this board is that it ain't going to happen (rehiring sitting performers) unless a PRIVATE company takes the initiative. If they did, it would be interesting but risky. Lots of great voices on the beach, but no guarantees they could deliver.

[djdan]

Well said.  I would argue that JACK can be very effective with talent.  JACK's morning show in Toronto, Vancouver, and even in San Diego do quite well.  San Diego's version of JACK was number 3 in morning drive in the 25-54 demographic in Fall.  I believe that San Diego station is also owned by a private company which speaks to your point that only private companies would really take this kind of risk.

I also agree with RProf.  Most publically owned groups take a group approach to broadcasting, which is probably wise.  If JACK hires and morning show and does well it will only hurt KZOK.  Infinity turned off the Country competitor to KMPS back in the 90's, despite growing ratings success.   KLSY did very well as an AC, but it hurt KRWM, so Sandusky flipped it to a flanking format. 

juptier is unfortunately right.  Public companies, in a time of low demand, will be cutting salaries and not hiring new talent.   Shore up your winners, automate your flankers to generate cash-flow.  When times get good again, take a risk.  Still can't figure out why broadcasting needs to do a 40% margin, whats wrong with making ten or fifteen percent on your investment.  Can't fight wall street.

[LITTLEBOYBLUE]

DJD...agree with you on the 40% thing.   But it's the mentality of both Wall Street and Venture folks to expect huge returns ... because that same brain trust sinks their money in so many investments that tank, so they put fear of God in each property that THEY better perform or else...  (In other words .. "YOU BETTER PERFORM TO MAKE UP FOR MY MISTAKES....!!!")

[djspills]

To be honest, I've never understood the JACK approach to marketing. If there is one.

[AQH]

Gone are the days when jocks could come in three minutes before their show and read the newspaper or week-old People magazine for their "show prep."   Unfortunately, that work ethic and the "what can the station give me for free" mentality still has a little life to it.

And that's one of the reasons why jocks are seen as expendable.  I'm not faulting the jocks completely, there is definitely some unfair and unwarranted dismissals that have gone on.  But the fact of the matter is that jocks need to increase their value to the station.  Look at Clear Channel for example.  They let go of their midday person at Kiss in Dallas and got Shelley Wade in New York for a fraction of what the live talent got paid.

Look at what's been going on nearly everywhere at CC and then look at KUBE.  By the national barometer of what CC is doing, Shellie Hart should be on the beach.   But she does more for the company in other areas, and she works hard at everything she does.  That's how she earns her keep, paycheck and respect.

Again, I'm not saying some hard-working people haven't got the shaft, but what Shellie does is an example of what others should be doing if they want to stay in radio.

[mammaknowsbest]

Shellie and Monti are the best examples of what airtalent in Seattle have to offer.  They work non-stop do appearances and pull their wieght in promotions music and management.  Work hard and a little ya ya girl power and you can succeed in this business and make good bucks.  Same in PDX and SF where female progammers at MVoin in PDx and Wild/Star in SF are breakin the mold and winning.  mamma is happy and proud of the ladies of West coast radio.

[LITTLEBOYBLUE]

mamma is happy and proud of the ladies of West coast radio.

On the Puget Sound Radio board (mostly Canada, ironically) there was someone who did a whole book of bio's about women in radio (and not just jocks, as I recall).  If you really ARE into the "ladies of radio" you may be interested in that read.  If you can't find the reference (or don't have the time) I will dig it out for you...