Hello all,

I'm a mid twenty's radio lifer from Duluth MN who is moving into the Portland/Salem/Eugene/Bend region and I'd like some advise about what companies are good to work for.

My story: I started out part time on air when I was 18, moved into production/creative, was CD/Prod Manager for 3 years, transitioned into sales two years ago and am perfectly content to stay where I'm at...However my ex-wife is moving with my kids to your neighborhood and damn-it I'm gonna be around my kids.

The move will take place in roughly six months so any market area insight you can give me would be greatly appreciated. Like your thoughts on who has the best jocks, who has the most stable company, which has the best production, do any of them allow platform selling, I see the 12+ numbers but what stations perform best 25-54? And I'll listen to any other comments/suggestions you might have.

I'd call the stations directly and speak to the various Sales Managers but experience tells me that they probably wouldn't give me a realistic picture of the market.

I know it goes against every fiber of your being for a programming person to help a sales person...but I was a broke jock not too long ago and I can still taste the Taco Johns I'd eat 5 times per week because that's what I could get for free.

Thank you in advance.

Carl

Well, since nobody's answered...

Here's the list of who owns what:

http://pdxradio.com/whoowns.htm

You'll see the majority of PDX radio is owned by Entercom, CC, CBS or Salem. You probably already know what it's like to work for any of those companies or can research that from where you are now.

KXL and Jammin' are owned by Paul Allen's Rose City Radio. KPAM and KKAD are owned by Pamplin Broadcasting (who also owns the Portland Trubune). Opinions on working for these companies vary by employee.

Check out current openings on the OAB's website: http://theoab.org

Good Luck!

Rob Patterson

I'd suggest retaining an attorney and getting something in place to forbid your ex from moving the children away from you. That's hogwash!

check out the thread from September 18th

"Moving to Portland from Seattle" - some interesting stuff there about the radio market.

>>>"I'd suggest retaining an attorney and getting something in place to forbid your ex from moving the children away from you. That's hogwash!"

Forcing him to move from Duluth to Portland. She should get an prize.

I suggest learning how to spell PORTLAND as well.

Deane, I didn't think of it that way. I couldn't think of any better place in the country than Portland.

Carl, as you can see, you're not going to get a lot of straight answers here to your questions about platform selling and 25/54.

You seem awfully young to be calling yourself a radio lifer. Your situation requires what you say you want to avoid, namely, a head-on approach to the sales managers. Work the phones, it's what sales people do. Better yet, get here, and pound pavement. If GSM's won't give you a realistic picture, what makes you think that a message board populated largely by board-ops and trolls will do any better?

Instead, sack up, sell yourself, show your cross-platform stuff, show that you're a leader and you can provide solutions, not problems. And good luck. Oregon's heaven, but you have to work at it to get here.

Better yet, find another industry, one that has growth potential.

I heard Cheap Channel is looking for janitors. Somebody needs to dust the cobwebs off the microphones.

Justin: You need microphones to VT and record spots. I go along with what Eastwood said.

Go here and on the left hand side of the page where it says job categories, choose radio. You'll find several job listings by Clear Channel. Third one down is for Account Executive. So, if you don't mind working for Cheap Channel, there's a possibility for you.

I'll bet you the Mic Button in the Smooth Jazz button has never been touched. Free of DNA,fingerprints ect. So pathetic that they have one of the nicest studios in portland, Yet it is a ghost town.

My suggestion would be that as soon as you get into the area, you volunteer for an on-air shift at either KBOO or KMHD, to get some local color into your aircheck. Both are non-profit NPR stations, staffed by volunteers. KBOO is the easiest, because they are located relatively close in, and their eclectic format will allow you to do pretty much anything you want. KMHD is a more professional-sounding station, and broadcasts in a jazz format. The disadvantages are that it will be harder to get a regular shift, and the studio is located at the extreme east edge of the metro area. Good Luck!

I never heard of Protland! Where is that exactly?

>>I never heard of Protland! Where is that exactly?<<

Right near Vancuover. Or Slaem.

C'mon, people - give the OP a break. You mean to say all of you NEVER make typos? Uh-huh.

i used to work in duluth, who were you working for??

Duluth to Portland. You might be moving here for personal family reasons, but give it a year and you'll never go back. Having lived in the midwest and the northwest, I can tell you there is no comparison. The northwest wins. (However, radio jobs are tougher to get...mainly due to what I just wrote.)

But.......housing in the midwest is dirt cheap.

The downside is there are no jobs! so if you don't need work, Ohio Michigan Indiana Iowa is the place to live!

By 1lossir on Friday, October 27, 2006 - 4:16 pm:
>>I never heard of Protland! Where is that exactly?<<

Right near Vancuover. Or Slaem.

C'mon, people - give the OP a break. You mean to say all of you NEVER make typos? Uh-huh.



Just having fun!

>>Just having fun!<<

Sorry, Wayne for the misinterpretation.

That's the danger with message boards. Senses of humor can't be communicated without emoticons.

One thing we just can't have here is a sense of humor! Especially in the political forum.

Go to Eugene and talk to Churchill Media.