The OICB Radio & TV Career Tips Blog

What is Radio Sales?

Radio Sales can be an exciting career and can also be very rewarding monetarily when the right attitude and principles are applied.

Radio Sales are the “bread and butter” of a station’s revenue. Radio stations sell “air time” in order to play commercial spots. Commercials vary in length, but the majority are aired as :60, :30, :15 and even :05 second spots called “adlets”, and :02 second spots called “blinks.”

Radio stations can also sell “billboards.” These billboards are not the kind you see on the road, but are sponsorships such as traffic reports, weather reports, or studio naming rights that are generally :10 to :15 seconds in length.

Based upon the station you’re selling for, there are some things you should keep in mind in relation to the client.

When calling on a client, you must ask yourself if this clients needs would best be served based upon the format of your station, demographics, and other sources of NTR (Non Traditional Revenue) that your station offers.

The station you’re selling for has commercials 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There are dayparts or “time slots” that may be more advantageous than others. For example, morning drive, usually between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m., are the most expensive as far as rates go. Next would be afternoon drive, followed by mid-days, then evenings, and finally overnights and weekends.

Depending on your client’s budget, it’s best to try and spread their message across different day parts. Of course, what works best is to always let your client know that the key is frequency when trying to keep their brand in listeners' heads. Your job as a sales person is the life blood of a station. Without sales a radio or television station would be out of business.

As mentioned earlier, there are also other forms of revenue that can be sold to the client in addition to “air time,” such as remote broadcasts from a client’s location. You can also offer naming rights, such as "We are broadcasting from the Waltz Business Solutions Studios” and can set up contesting, listener events and giveaways to give added value to advertising packages. All of this will  increase the frequency that a listener will hear your client's message.

As with any career, radio sales takes time and determination to build a successful relationship with your clients. Once that is established, the only limitations you have are the ones you set for yourself.

If you're interested in media sales or would like to investigate other careers within the broadcast industry, check out our 41 Careers in Broadcasting Ebook.

For those of you who are ready to make your dream of working in broadcasting a reality, it's as easy as scheduling a tour at one of our six campus locations. 

Regular Season Reflections

This past weekend the Vernon Hills Capitals retained their title as the Great Lakes Hockey League (GLHL) Champions.

The standings in the GLHL this season had been tight. So much so, that it wasn't decided that the Capitals would retain the Magnuson Cup (awarded to the team with the best regular season record) until the final game of the season.

As it turned out, the guys were to play their last game vs. the Fox Cities Ice Dogs on the road. Knowing that the season could be decided, I made plans to travel the three hours it would take to reach Appleton Wisconsin in order to document the game and perhaps grab a few interviews.

While I was on the road, I couldn't help but reflect on everything that brought me to that moment.

It seems like only yesterday I started working at the Illinois Center for Broadcasting (ICB) and, specifically, representing the sports station, Chicagolandsportsradio.com as a producer for the Triple Threat Show.

At the time, a student named Brian Paton, approached our Education Director, Ernie Scatton, and asked about opportunities to participate in play-by-play or color commentary for hockey. At the time, we didn't offer anything like that.

One of the things I've always loved about ICB is that if a student came to us and told us that they would like an opportunity to do something, and we didn't offer what they needed, we would work to make that opportunity happen for them. That's exactly what we did for Brian Paton. We also discovered that many of our students relished that opportunity as well.

I became the Executive Producer of Chicagolandsportsradio.com's broadcasts for the Vernon Hills Capitals, an adult, semi-pro hockey league. I began to recruit student interns who would help with the broadcasts, gain valuable experience, and maybe even have a little fun.

The students were given the opportunity to gain hands on experience with nearly every aspect of the games. They handled the play-by-play and color commentary. They shot  the games and interviews with the players, and later, took the video footage and produced packages. They were even given the chance to do their own stand-ups for their demo reels.

Vincent, one of ICB's current students, told me recently how much he appreciated the freedom to be able to participate in the games. According to him, he believed that out of any opportunity offered by the school, covering the games for the Capitals offered students like him the most relevant, hands-on experience. Students gain real-world experience as well as being able to spread their own creative wings to offer insight and ideas to make the production better. For Vincent, that opportunity was invaluable.

Their work can be found on Chicagolandsportsradio.com's website for anyone to see. Their dedication has been recognized.

Vincent was responsible for shooting and editing the games. He became adept at managing deadlines, and editing "on the fly". Hockey is extremely fast paced, and being able to react quickly is crucial in our industry.

It wasn't just Vincent who has been able to take advantage of this opportunity. There are many other students who have poured themselves into the broadcasts. The pride that they take is evident in a message that I recently found on Facebook. A fan of the team that was playing against the Capitals tuned into the broadcast on Chicagolandsportsradio.com. They praised the student-lead broadcast and were amazed by how well they did.

Participation in the games has even led to opening doors to new opportunities for other students. Ian Pragovich, for example, has been recruited by station Program Director, Peter Ferreri, to call other games that Chicagolandsportsradio.com covers such as games with the Amateur Hockey Association of Illinois (AHAI) and Northern Illinois Hockey League (NIHL.)

As this year's hockey season winds down to a close, it's a great feeling to be part of something where the students take so much pride in what they do and what they've learned. March 30th to April 1st will mark the Championship Tourney and the last weekend of hockey for the 2012 season.

The students and I are eager to end the season with the best production we can. It will be a lot of fun, but I know the hard work that the students pour into our event will make it worthwhile.

If you're ready to make your dream of working in broadcasting a reality, schedule a tour to visit one of our schools today!

A Dream Realized/ 5 Minutes with a Successful Graduate

It doesn't take more than a few minutes to be infected with the enthusiam of someone who is living each day with the knowledge that they alone have the power to grab a dream and make it their reality.

We were able to check in with DaVida Branch, a Chicago graduate, to find out what her life has been like since graduation.

"The world of Broadcasting is so wonderful! The reward of putting a smile on someone's face while being yourself is unexplainable. I have been in broadcasting for quite some time now and I am glad I decided to take that step to get here. As a graduate from ICB, (class of 09). I have learned so many things and have met many great individuals along the way.

Passion goes a long way and as long as you have that you are bound to shine and enjoy it!

After graduating I knew what I wanted to do and I did it.

I have had the opportunity to work for The Softball Channel, where I met the Chicago Bandits (Jennie French). I created commercials, and even started my own television show. I also do a radio show based on my TV show called Real Talk Radio. The show airs on www.windycityunderground.com. It's tremendous fun being a radio host.

I feel as if I have unlimited opportunities, and who doesn't want that?

This business is hard work and tremendous dedication is involved. It won't always be fun and games. When it's time to work you have to put your best foot forward in order to achieve the highest level of success. It is up to YOU to determine how far you want to go. One of my favorite motivational quotes is: "The only person considered a failure is the one who didn't try" .

We wanted to ask some additional questions to find out exactly when her dream of working in broadcasting materialized.

ICB: Why is this industry your passion?

DaVida: I have always had the drive to be a people person. I started young by being involved in a lot of social activities. I always wanted to be the one in the class to dive in first when it came to addressing the class with a speech. When I looked into broadcasting I knew this would be a perfect fit for me. I wanted to be the voice for people and to encourage them to be themselves and enjoy it.
 
ICB: Why did you choose ICB?

Davida: I chose ICB because I kept hearing the ad on the radio and it felt like every time I heard it, they were talking to me! Although it took me three years, I finally enrolled and was amazed at the opportunities that lied ahead!
 
ICB: What kind of internships did you have? Did you have more than one?

DaVida: I had a very exciting internship in promotions and camera production for the Softball Channel.  I learned so much and it was hard work, but so worth it. We would go out and cover The Chicago Bandits, (Jennie French) in Elgin every weekend during the summer.  
 
ICB: Was there any special person who you felt mentored you along the way?

DaVida: I would say all of my instructors were my mentors. I would contact them outside of class with questions. I think I drove them crazy sometimes, but they were wonderful. 
 
OCB: Did you land your first job before or after graduation?

DaVida: I created my own television show, Real Talk Television, which airs on CANTV as well as Comcast 17 in the northern suburb.  My co-host is the co-founder.  We travel all over, and attend many events discussing crazy topics or whatever is requested, while interviewing people and getting their opinions.  We also host a radio ahow titled Real Talk Radio on windycityunderground.com on Wednesday nights.
 
ICB:  Aside from your favorite motivational phrase, what would be the one piece of advice you’d give anyone considering a career in broadcasting? 

DaVida: Hardwork and Dedication will take you a long way.

If you're ready to make your dream of working in broadcasting a reality, schedule a tour to visit one of our schools today!