Why Didn't I Think of That Sooner?!!

NEW YORK, NY - Feb. 6, 2010 - Outside New York City, there are very few well-paying radio jobs. In each market the size of Nashville (others would be St. Louis, Oklahoma City, Sacramento), there's probably only one or two people making any money. Everybody else is scraping along money-wise. Probably around $30,000 to $40,000.

Well this is New York City! And radio is alive and well here. And not only traditional over-the-air radio. This is the digital age and there's a lot of activity.

I hadn't seriously considered it until I had a telephone chat with a longtime media friend from Channel 4 in Nashville who now works in TV out on Long Island. During our conversation, some major light bulbs came on.

He asked how my job hunt was going with the cable TV news networks. I said it wasn't. Hadn't gotten any response from applying online to their HR departments.

Then one of us, I forget who, said, "What about doing radio work for the financial news networks?"

Well yes! What about radio indeed. I began my broadcasting life in radio in Oklahoma and always loved it. And if age is a factor, no one knows how old you really are. He mentioned that one of the big financial media companies (the one founded by New York City's current mayor) had a big radio presence.

I did not know their radio presence was that big. It's huge!

Then I asked, I wonder about Newsweek. Or the New York Times. Or CNBC. Or NPR.

Turns out there are at least 20 financial shows on either radio or satellite or podcasts. And every one of them has anchors and writers and interviewers. Just happens that's what I do. And I do it very well!

That was mid-afternoon Friday. Within the next 30 minutes, I did some creative Googling and got the names of the decision-makers at two of the radio networks and quickly fired off e-mails. "What does it get to show up on your radar?" I asked, after pointing out my 15-plus years in media.

I immediately got answers back. I mean within 5 minutes! "Send your resume and voice demo to me."

You better believe I did exactly that!

I'm assuming that fewer people are vying for the radio jobs because (a) they're young and don't know what radio is, or (b) they don't know how to do radio, or (c) they're going after the high-glitz TV jobs.

Or maybe (d) like me they didn't think of it.

For whatever reason, I'm now a man on a mission! I'll be firing off more letters on Monday to the remaining 18 that I haven't contacted yet.

And it was only during my conversation with my friend that it all came into focus.

It just underscores the value of supportive friends. Why surround yourself with naysayers who say you're too old or there's a job freeze or media companies are laying people off?

Pshaw! Don't listen to that nonsense. Full speed ahead!

Copyright 2010 James C. Lewis