The Lack Of A Talent Pool

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Jacob's Media released "Where Are Radio's Green Banana's?" this week, an article aimed at pointing out that new talent needs to be developed in every sector of the media business...

"if you attended Coachella this past weekend in Indio, California, chances are you saw some really big names – Beyoncé, Eminem, and David Byrne.  You also saw bands that weren’t anywhere near this well-known and popular a year ago – Greta Van Fleet comes to mind.  They’re a huge draw today, and a great reason to make the trek and pay the dough to spend time in the great outdoors with thousands of your closest friends.

And that was Alan’s point.  It’s easy to book a festival with big brand rock stars.  As long as you pull up the train cars loaded with cash, anything’s possible.  And in fact, big festivals like Bonnaroo, Lolapalooza, and Coachella have had to do just that.  But most attendees are also hoping to see and hear “the next big thing” – the bubbling under, unknown treasure that just might break through.

Alan points out the art and intution that goes into booking a show like Coachella many months in advance, hoping the lineup comes together when spring rolls around.  It’s tough to predict who will be hot, who will fizzle, and who will end up being the buzz band of the weekend.

My son was on hand for Coachella this year, working with a video crew.  That provided him with great access (when he had a little off-time) to the performers.  He sent me a short video of one of my favorite performers, David Byrne.  It’s interesting to see the Talking Heads’ brilliant front man sporting a head of shocking white hair.  But even New Wave bands age.

And that’s another reason why it’s essential for the lifeblood of a multi-day festival like Coachella to bring in the most appealing heritage acts, while continuing a focus on what’s around the corner.

At Coachella, new bands earn their chops off the main stage, at side stages called Yuma and Sonora.  This is where emerging acts go to get exposed and discovered.

Simply put, most radio stations – commercial and public – don’t have “succession plans.”  And for the lifeblood of the industry, that’s not a good thing.  Radio’s “second stages” – the overnight and weekend dayparts – have all but disappeared, making it especially challenging to discover the next John Boy & Billy or Matty Siegel.

And yet, many radio companies are investing in the future, especially on the digital side of the street.  We have long been proponents of the industry bolstering its staff and skill sets in areas that include video production, social media, podcasts, and the other crafts that are so critical to building strong, integrated media brands.  At the NAB last week, it was common to see new digital managers and execs who have taken on integral roles in their companies.  In a rapidly changing tech environment, this is a good thing.

But the “mothership” – the radio stations themselves – are supported by their community roots, their local orientations, and the strength and appeal of their personalities.  But like the music industry, talent needs to be replenished by new DJs, cutting edge shows, and entertaining hosts we don’t even know about.  They’re out there, but radio’s ability to discover and nurture them have diminished greatly as voicetracking has become the economically scalable savings plans that most companies simply can’t resist.

So, what about radio establishing its version of the “second stage” – HD2 channels set aside by every broadcaster in markets that run a cluster of stations?  Having a talent incubator down the hall – perhaps a series of two-hour shows throughout the day – could give young, aspiring talent the chance to earn their chops, while giving the programmers in the building exposure to a whole new talent pool."

I was lucky enough to get in the Radio business because "I had a decent voice and I could talk under pressure".  I was actually recruited by a night jock that was one of my friends and told me I should apply,  he introduced me to the station manager and that Fall I started a career in Media at KBTO in Bottineau, North Dakota and later moved onto other stations and other duties.  I feel fortunate that they saw something in me and nurtured it.  I later had an engineer who nurtured my news reporting and gathering skills that resulted in leading the state's Broadcast Association and garnering 13 News & Public Affairs awards for the stations.  I also really appreciated someone taking the time to nurture skills in sales, exposing me to what they knew and helping me find ways to develop my own style and skill set.  Be the next nurturer in your organization!