Hit the road, Jack

[Arp2]

...which is why smart stations have (unrecognizable) people of their own check IDs and re-qualify the folks who show up for the test. Something not right, out they go.

And let me clarify that the re-screening is best done in a way that does not match the way the recruiter was given to qualify them the first time. That makes it harder for a recruiter to sneak its own "pros" or "regulars" in.

Besides, what incentive does the recruiter have to be dishonest and cheat the station that hired it? If the company does an excellent, honest job, it's going to get used over and over and over. If it tries to weasel its way through one, it's done, may not get all its pay, and certainly won't get any in the future. If you're running a recruiting company, for crying out loud, be honest! Although we certainly prefer a "perfect," as-agreed-upon sample, we can help deal with lack thereof if we know about it in advance or as soon as it's recognized.


(Oh, and let me mention that your recruiter and your researcher may be different people/companies....if that helps the above make more sense.)

[Big Media]

[Lester]

Besides, what incentive does the recruiter have to be dishonest and cheat the station that hired it? If the company does an excellent, honest job, it's going to get used over and over and over. If it tries to weasel its way through one, it's done, may not get all its pay, and certainly won't get any in the future. If you're running a recruiting company, for crying out loud, be honest! Although we certainly prefer a "perfect," as-agreed-upon sample, we can help deal with lack thereof if we know about it in advance or as soon as it's recognized.

Simple. In this age of Do-Not-Call lists and general hatred of telemarketers, it's not as easy to get someone to answer these days. Now get someone to answer the phone, be between the age of x and x, listen to music within genre Y, and be of gender Z.

And then hope that they're not too tired to show up the night of the test.

I've been called twice, and been "walked through" or at least nudged in the direction the caller was looking for. I've got a few co-workers that have done the same thing. It's not as sterile as you think it is.

[Hoosier Daddy]

You're confirming my belief -- you're not getting what you want, so you're blaming the industry and its more typical consumers.

And you're confirming mine:

Arp is either a consultant or a corporate programmer who makes his livelihood in making radio a "paint by numbers" exercise for each splinter format. A bean counter in the programming department, so to speak, where everything done must relate to a quantifiable number and scientific principle or it's out.

Something that can quickly be put in place by local or mid-level corporate suits that have little radio programming experience or actual talent. Something generic, that will fulfull the minimum expectations of the format, but will never set the world on fire.

McRadio.

And this has nothing to do with me. Everything I have stated has been echoed time and again by listeners across the country. But you guys are smarter and have pre-packaged excuses for why everyone else is wrong.

[The People's DJ]

I can end this with a few words.

Want your own station.

With your own playlist.


BUY A FUCKIN' IPOD!

[304live]

they bring their friends in because

1) you make 50 to 150 dollars for 2 or 3 hours of "work"

2) their friends like making 50 to 150 basically free extra dollars



who gives a crap about the company that hired you..... who really gives a crap about the bs company that is paying you 10 dollars an hour to recruit people to be in these things..... the manager that makes 40 or 50 thousand a year might care.... but the actual person doing the recruiting doesnt care

[Zak Tyler]

LOL....

[Arp2]

Arp is either a consultant or a corporate programmer who makes his livelihood in making radio a "paint by numbers" exercise for each splinter format. A bean counter in the programming department, so to speak, where everything done must relate to a quantifiable number and scientific principle or it's out.

Something that can quickly be put in place by local or mid-level corporate suits that have little radio programming experience or actual talent. Something generic, that will fulfull the minimum expectations of the format, but will never set the world on fire.

How well you don't know me.

I love entertainment, companionship, and relationship. I love a radio station that can make one feel like laughing, celebrating, hugging someone, crying at how touched someone feels, and crying at how happy someone is. I love a radio station that makes one feel a part of a community and, specifically, his or her local community.

But really knowing the listeners is where it all starts. You can't make radio like I just talked about without really knowing the listener. You simply must settle those basics first, and asking them about them is where to begin.

Otherwise, you have a programmer who winds up doing what he thinks is "good"...which is what you, evidently, would do. You think you know what's "good" and "right"....we know we know nothing for sure and actually ask!

What wild, backwards, 180-degrees-out-of-phase ideas you people have about research!

And this has nothing to do with me. Everything I have stated has been echoed time and again by listeners across the country.

How could you possibly know? You couldn't. The only thing you can answer is, "internet message boards." Well, while a few hyperactive, freakishly motivated "listeners" may show up on boards and raise a fuss, normal listeners are going about normal people's lives, aren't even aware such places exist, and couldn't care less that they do. Again, if you're believing what you read on the internet, you're getting dumber, not smarter. You're becoming convinced of a false reality very much akin to the "black helicopter" crowd.

But you guys are smarter and have pre-packaged excuses for why everyone else is wrong.

Nooo....you guys are "smarter" and have pre-packaged excuses for why every radio outlet is wrong! Again, we assume we're dumb, so we ask thousands of listeners every year....you assume you know it all and ask either no one or only the like-minded...or, worse, you ask leading questions that friends and loved ones answer the way you want them to just to get you off the subject that they couldn't care less about.

Us -- thousands of real people
You -- fingers of freaks

[Arp2]

In this age of Do-Not-Call lists and general hatred of telemarketers, it's not as easy to get someone to answer these days.

True, but "Do Not Call" doesn't apply to research.

Now get someone to answer the phone, be between the age of x and x, listen to music within genre Y, and be of gender Z.

And then hope that they're not too tired to show up the night of the test.

...which is why you spot-check "successes" and then make reminder contacts leading up to the event.

I've been called twice, and been "walked through" or at least nudged in the direction the caller was looking for. I've got a few co-workers that have done the same thing. It's not as sterile as you think it is.

That's sad to hear.

I've been called a number of times in the last six months, luckily talking my way into Nielsen TV, two radio companies' surveys (a website strategic for one and music callout for the other), and Scarborough. Now, of those, I really didn't belong in only the callout, and I tried to get myself punted several times. That's told me that either that owner or its fielding company is a serious screw-up.

Heh...they've called me a half-dozen times already and called me again just a half-hour ago! How many times do I have to answer "unfamiliar" or tell 'em I hate the core artists and titles of the format before they bump me out of a sample I never should have been in??

[Arp2]

they bring their friends in because

1) you make 50 to 150 dollars for 2 or 3 hours of "work"

2) their friends like making 50 to 150 basically free extra dollars

It's kinda hard to bring in 22 year-old guys from some zip code when you're wanting 35-48 year-old women from other zip codes.

"They" are getting fired.

who gives a crap about the company that hired you.....

Uh.....considering that that company has the money you want and need,...um, you do?

who really gives a crap about the bs company that is paying you 10 dollars an hour to recruit people to be in these things.....

The employee better. Why would the employee come ask for and take the job with that kind of mindset?

the actual person doing the recruiting doesnt care

Then the actual person doing the recruiting is getting fired and maybe even sued. Why would the person come ask for and take the job with that kind of attitude?

I find this fascinating....it tells me a lot about why the hip-hop community has the reputation that it does. Thanks for sharing.

[thedjfromtheuk]

It's good that Oldies or someting else is back, and the we don't give a dam about what the listener wants has gone.

I know there will never be work for me at WV Radio. I hope it opens the door to local radio again.


Freddie Belmont
thedjfromtheuk
Former 107.3 FM DJ

[thedjfromtheuk]

Let me know if you hear of any radio jobs going.

Thanks

Freddie

[Hoosier Daddy]

Obviously a hot-button issue with Arp.

Light him up and watch him go ...

[304live]

hip hop community?


what does working a job you dont like just because you need a job have to do with the hip hop community?


and i wasnt aware that hooking your friends up with easy money was a "hip hop community" type of thing.... i figured thats what people in every "community" did.....


Quote:
who gives a crap about the company that hired you.....

Uh.....considering that that company has the money you want and need,...um, you do?

...................................
actually the person that is doing the recruiting is an employee of the company that needs the money.... you know how awesome and hard to get those call this whole list of people and convince them that they need to come in and listen to these songs or tell us which mouth wash tastes the best or which detergent smells the most like flowers jobs are....




Quote:
who really gives a crap about the bs company that is paying you 10 dollars an hour to recruit people to be in these things.....

The employee better. Why would the employee come ask for and take the job with that kind of mindset?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

lets see...... i need a job..... bad..... they are hiring..... now....... not too hard to figure out that while im in college or waiting on this american idol try out to work out that i can work this shitty job or over hear at telespectrum trying to sell magazines to old ladies.... or wait even better taking in bound calls at ticketmaster.... awesome..... woo hoo!!!!




Quote:
the actual person doing the recruiting doesnt care

Then the actual person doing the recruiting is getting fired and maybe even sued. Why would the person come ask for and take the job with that kind of attitude?

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

why would they get fired? shit i know people from every zip code in the kanawha valley..... im sure i could rig anything i wanted with my friends or their parents or cousins and you'd never know......




you really have a distorted sense of whats going on in the world.... your probebly one of those people that beleive the survey's high school kids take about drug use...... yeah, they dont fabricate answers on those do the.....

[Jay Nunley]

We get into this discussion once in awhile on the board. I think it's healthy. I won't go into one of my elongated diatribes. I'll just lay out a couple of things and give you a short opinion.

Every time I've seen good research ignored or forgotten I've seen ratings go down.

Every time I've seen bad research used or good research used improperly I've seen ratings go down.

Every time I've seen good research used too much (used as if it were the be all and end all of radio programming) I've seen the ratings go up, level off, and then slowly deteriorate.

We are currently asking listeners to give us their "perfect playlist" of ten songs. Once a month we spend an entire weekend doing nothing but playing this user generated lists. 83% of the songs submitted are primary gold titles that we already play constantly. 10% are secondary gold titles that we play a little less constantly. 4% are tertiary/depth tracks we rarely play. 3% are songs that we do not play, have never played, and would never play. The songs most of us would think the audience has to be totally sick of show up more than anything else. One example is AC/DC's "Back In Black". It shows up on damn near 50% of these lists. We give the audience an opportunity to totally control the programming and they ask for what we are already giving them and have been giving them for years. This is comforting. It means the research is working and that we are doing a good job of truly knowing our audience.

Now the short opinion part...

Show me a competitor that uses nothing but "gut" and "ear" and I will kill him with just a little bit of good research.

Show me a competitor that uses research only and ignores "gut" and "ear" and I will slowly eat away at him and eventually beat him.

[304live]

how can you tell when its good research and how can you tell when its bad?

[Jay Nunley]

You look into the research company's methodology and execution to make sure it is solid and above board. You make sure they aren't cutting corners and that they are getting you a clean sample from the target audience.

There are hundreds of example of bad research. My all time favorite research mistake was a company that brought in a totally random group that ended up being mostly 40 year old women who pretty much hated rock music. These were people who would never listen to any rock station or any kind. Why the hell would I give a shit which Aerosmith songs they liked best?

[304live]

what happened to you running for gov. of wv?



i seriously would vote for you

[Hoosier Daddy]

i seriously would vote for you

Megadittos.

I'd move back to West Virginia.

[fearpeddler]

what happened to you running for gov. of wv?



i seriously would vote for you

nunley's not crooked enough to hold political office... nuff said.. hehe I'd vote for him too..