Paying Your Boss Instead of Yourself

Paying Your Boss Instead of Yourself

by Bob Branco

You probably think this is crazy. How can you go to work and pay the boss instead of getting a paycheck? There is one industry where this happens quite frequently, and that’s the radio industry. I know because it almost happened to me. On several occasions, I thought about doing sports talk on a local radio station because of my many years of experience on local Cable Access Television. However, I get frustrated with what the program directors require me to do.

Here’s how it works. If you have an idea for a new radio program, and believe you are qualified enough to approach the program director about being on the air for one or two hours a week, he will likely tell you that you would have to pay for the time you are on the air. It may mean that you have to raise money through corporate sponsors, or pay out of your own pocket. Imagine that. In order for you to get the radio job, you have to give money away instead of getting it. Would you want that deal? It’s quite a deal, isn’t it? You may have to do a lot of planning and research in preparation for your radio show and get nothing for it. Meanwhile, the radio station could get hundreds of dollars for the hour you are on the air, depending on their policy.

Here’s how it should work. I’m positive that the station makes lots of money in general from businesses that pay for advertising. Why can’t these program directors just pay weekly hosts? Isn’t that the American way, getting paid to do a job?

Here is a question for my readers. Am I right or wrong? Do radio stations make enough money to pay all of their radio personalities, whether they are part time or full time, or are the part-timers separate from the entire operation? In other words, does all the corporate sponsorship revenue pay the full time staff, leaving specialty hosts out in the cold? If I am right, I feel sorry for those who want to approach a radio station with a new idea for a specialty show. It’s madness!

About the Author

Bob Branco resides in New Bedford, Massachusetts, and is a self-published author of four books. He is a community organizer, tutors persons with visual impairments, and has written columns for local and international organizations. Bob’s web site is www.dvorkin.com/robertbranco/.

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