Thought I would throw this out to get some opinions...

Here you are a typical PD. Some live, some VTs, short staffed especially now that the holidays are here. Into your life walks an experienced, but out of work radio person sniffing for leads. You have nothing available but this guy wants to keep his foot in the door, and makes this offer...

He offers to work part time and fill in for 90 days without salary. For you the PD, you have the opportunity to have another body on hand and relieve some of the work load. For him, he gets to keep his skills current, show his stuff, and maybe be first in line for an opening.

As a PD, do you consider this offer? If you have to "sell" it to the GM, do you make the pitch? If not, why?

If any concerns that you might have are answered to your satisfaction, does it change your mind?

asking to work for no pay would cheapen you in my opinion. it reeks of desperation.

It's like someone begging you to be their friend cause they need someone. that usually turns people off. ever met one of those people that desperately want you to like them?

Besides I know where I work it would be against state laws to allow someone to work without paying minimum wage at least. You would get shot down on this legal aspect before even getting to how it makes you look.

and yes i do understand that what you really want is to keep your chops up.

If you are really serious you should offer to work for minimum wage.

Not in radio but in management.

The legal thing is one major problem as well as even though you tell the other people he is just fill in for 90 days they may still feel that there days are numbered and that he will be replacing one of them in 90 days or less. Not the best thing for morale and you know how people like to start false rumors just to stir things up!

Put him on part time if he's got good history in the radio biz and give him a mobile rig to do big event remote coverage. That way you do not have your best jocks out of the studio and your station name will get publicity and exposure at those events.

Just a thought!!!

Split the difference. Ask the GM to authorize a 45 day holiday relief position for $1000, not to exceed 125 hours/ max 15 hours per week. Pitch it as a Christmas bonus for the staff -- shifts covered, extra production/spec done, extra remotes and client visits possible.

Staff sees it as a plus. Doesn't put enough hurt on management, and has revenue upside potential for sales, your bud gets a small gig for the holidays.

I think anyone walking in the door with that story would only be presenting another problem (not any solutions) to management. I'd be real curious as to why this guy (if he's any good at all) has to resort to gimmicks to get a gig.

It comes down to (1). you need on-air help or you don't and (2). the guy is qualified or he isn't.
The details can be hammered-out after the supply/demand questions get answered.

Isin't this what Interns are for ( AKA "sticker bitches") ???

Better be careful there or one of them interns gonna super glue one-o-them stickers on your buns...buns.

Isn't this what KBOO is for?

Interns at radio stations are more like SLAVES!

>>Isn't this what KBOO is for?

Most non-com stations, whether they be college, school, public, or independent, use adult volunteers to fill some of the airtime. You might have a better chance of getting in one of those if you have a particular specialty that would complement the station's schedule, like a collection of surf music, or old country & western, etc.

Many who are out of radio still get their fame-fix from one weekly program on non-com radio.

If classical is your thing, you might try your hand at reading through the infamous WFMT (Chicago) Audition Script.

Do a contract with the guy to do his own show on barter, and pay him with avails. He can work free if he wants, or he can find some sponsors and make a few bucks. If it's reasonable, most GMs would probably go for it, especially for specialty programming, and it should be within labor laws and insurance requirements.

Find something people love to do, and they will whore themselves to do it. That has been one of the main problems with radio employment from the beginning. A few years back, a p.d. could expect to get 10 airchecks a day of guys willing to work for practically nothing. And that is exactly why most of us were paid practically nothing. Management is not stupid. "Jocks are a dime a dozen" many loved to say, and they were right. Anybody, other than an intern, who volunteers to work for free should be bitch slapped. Give our business some respect. Give yourself some respect.

Right on Wannabe! It's the same as radio advertising...Do not undervalue the product. If you have some skills, ask for a fair salary. This might change some upper management thinking, though my expectations are less than hopeful. A smaller or medium market radio station can win with quality people who have a passion and prove it everyday. Look to your employees to improve the bottom line, not look to the bottom line to get rid of employees!
I didn't study business in college, but isn't this common business sense in our industry as we segue into '07?

(sorry for the following book)

I DID study Business Admin and Management in College, and yes you would think it is common sense, but it doesn't seem to be in many segments of the business. Check out the tuition at some of the "broadcast schools" OUCH! The odd thing is that quite a few of these people come out of there, intern for a few months and wind up on the air in a mid or large market... The sad part for the listener is THEY SOUND LIKE BEGINNERS!

Now back to the original thought of the post. The other day a few of us were sitting around discussing the industry in general. One guy does AM talk for CC and was relieved that his cluster wasn't on the block of stations being sold... His main complaint is that the cluster is so short staffed that no one has time to do good production. throw down a music bed, read the copy, edit out the breaths and hit the next one....

another in the group was a guy who lost his PT job to simucasting. He is still on the inexperienced side, but does GREAT production. The conversation turned to how he would love to keep his hand in and wondered if could offer to do some PT and production work for this cluster, though they weren't hiring. He has confidence in his skills, and the idea came up that if he could get in there and show his stuff, maybe they would add him on.

He ran the idea by the Cluster OM and was dismissed without a second thought.

I remember my mother telling me years ago, if I really wanted to do something, I should offer to do it for free to show how good I was. No, I told her, If I am good enough to do it, I should be paid! Yet, I saw the point she was trying to make, and while I wouldn't advise the production guy to work for free, I also don't mistake his passion for desperation.

Along the same lines, Who loses in this whole deal? The Production guy with no outlet for his talents? The station, who needs the help, but doesn't want to pay to improve their product? The listener, who gets less than stimulating radio?

EVERYONE!

Some good thoughts in the thread so far, but it still comes down to a PD/GM/OM willing to step up and look at non traditional ways to increase the overall quality of the product. As long as those who make the decisions to run bare bones refuse to see more than plusses and minuses of the botom line they miss out on using available talents.

I see the concern with the need to control costs...
I see a solid production guy with air skills sitting when his talents could be utilized...
There doesn't seem to be a way to get those two together. That is sad for the industry as a whole, and the main reason I quit agressively pusuing my own radio dreams though still respond to one that interests me. I see myself in this production guy, I too used to try any angle to get my foot in the door.

Shortly after I moved to Tacoma in 1978, I got in the car with a box of tapes and made the rounds, I talked to Clay Huntington at KLAY, offered to do weekend overnights, or babysit the Automation at KTAC/KBRD, hit Uncle Hank at KPUY, dropped my stuff off at KDFL, drove all the way up to Bellingham, down to Centralia, but IT took four years to land something, and then it was a year of weekends at KSEA loading the automation, reading the Sunday times, and drinking coffee. Not exactly exceeding my abiities, but it WAS radio...(sort of)

We are not a patient society, and not many people have the passion to chase a career for four years (or 30) anymore. As an entertainment based medium, radio really can't afford to let passion and creativity move on to other venues.

Yes Paul, cuts are short term solutions to profitability, but long term it is the qulity of the product. Radio can be "just another option" for advertisers, and offer a stripped down narrow focus "generic" sound.

or They can offer a truly localy focused quality presentation and creates a presence in a market. The former takes no effort, but offers a certain level of return. The latter takes effort and money, but the rewards as well as the risk is so much greater!

My thought on the topic? Listen to the offer, appreciate the passion behind it rather than thinking it's out of desperation, then bring the guy on board at a minimum both in pay and length as Ms Danner suggested. If it proves beneficial, bump the pay and make them permanent. I don't see how a station loses in this deal unless the small wage is the difference between RED and BLACK. If that is the case, they have much larger problems!

Ask your HR person; it's illegal for companies to hire people to work for no compensation. Most interns have to be in school and get credit for their internship.

yes, but in most states, and independent contractor can sign an employment agreement for nominal compensation (one dollar)as long as the terms are stated and agreed to by all parties. (Business Law)

As I said, I though I would throw out this topic for discussion purposes since it came up in a conversation.

Jesus wept.

What is "the shortest verse in the bible"?

John 11:35, "Jesus wept."

Not just any job can be done by an "independent contractor." There are many federal requirements that must be met before a worker can be treated as a contractor rather than an employee. (If this weren't so, all employers would treat their workers as such, to avoid paying minimum wage, overtime and payroll taxes.) One such rule is that a contractor has complete control over how he or she does the job. This by itself would prevent most radio jobs from being done by contractors.

This is probably the most depressing thread I've ever seen on this site. And that's saying something.

I'll take bible verses for $200 Alex...

No one is dating me now, but I just know I'd be a popular girl if they took me out.

I've got it! I'll let the entire football team enjoy my "favor" just once. Then someone will beg to make me theirs, to honor and treasure me forever. Diamonds! Rubies! Bling! Oh my!

Yeah, that's the ticket!

Free samples! Free samples!

Are you sure your wife is OK with you sharing your "how we met" story here?

Did I miss something here? SOmeone lost focus.

as long as we are off topic.....

Remember 70 hour work weeks are good! Worker productivity goes WAAAAY UP between hours 44 and 68.

Roger-

Don't give anyone any ideas. Most of us already work too much as it is :-)

tdanners post is a good one, everyones wins!!! Think positive, think outside the box. I would be willing to do the same if in the long run it paid off. Who wouldn't?