The first of September has always seemed to me, to be the end of Summer. Course, we didn’t have much of a Summer, with only about two weeks worth of Summer heat this year – comfortable, sure, but certainly not beach weather. So here it is, a mere 42 degrees at 4am – it’s not even Labor Day… and I’m wondering if Summer was this cold, will Winter be awful?

Change gears now. I read a lot of blogs… Mel Phillips, Jerry Del Colliano and others. Course, those two are my favorites – perhaps its the way they write. Anyhow, I got to thinking the other day that perhaps we’re not giving radio the chance… the positive spin it needs. When even those inside the medium say radio’s doomed and blame corporate policy, its a pretty bleak picture. But did we paint that picture ourselves? I remember someone telling me that radio is what you make of it. You’ll always have a place of SOME kind, if you train yourself to be good at more than one thing.

What things? Well, here’s a few suggestions from the Steve West School of Broadcasting…

Production. Be a production wiz! Try creating liners for your station at home or in the production room when its empty. Maybe try some imaging. Heck, present it to your PD – he might even like it, use it, and save the station some money. You see production that needs doing? Ask the Production Director (or your PD) if you can do some of it.

News. Learn how to write good news copy, how to properly get leads (got a scanner?), and how to follow up on them. Keep a digital recorder on you at all times, you never know when you might need it. Ask to fill in when the News guy is out. At very least, record a sample newscast that you’ll have available so that if a news position comes open at least you’ll have something to show a prospective employer.

Volunteer your time. Okay, so you think that’s beneath you. You graduated long ago from the street team. Well, it sure looks good if you’ve done some high profile volunteer work for your city. C’mon. Think. I’m sure there’s something you can do and attach your name (and your station’s name) to. Think future resume… Most stations still worth a damn do care if a new on air personality is willing to make a positive, visible impact on their community of license.

Notice I did NOT mention opening a Facebook or Twitter page. My feeling on this is that whatever negative or embarassing comments someone in your chain of friends or followers posts will inevitably show up on your page even if you’ve been a good little poster and kept it friendly and rated G. Sure, we’ve all seen help wanted ads on All Access and elsewhere that say the PD wants to see your Facebook page… but unless you’re applying for Ryan Seacrest’s job why do you really need that headache? If your demo tape and qualifications are good enough, your personality upbeat enough and your salary requirements not somewhere off the deep end, you should have no problem getting hired (well, in an ideal world) without the benefits and liabilities of Facebook, Myspace or Twitter. Let CNN tweet. The’re good at it.

NETWORK. Need I say more? Most good radio jobs are acquired via word of mouth from inside than those applying in the help wanted ads (many of which were posted simply to comply with EEO rules – they already have the person they want to hire picked. Sad but often true).

Now, these other things… just a bit of advise from someone who spent much of his life in radio, so, I didn’t just fall off the apple cart.

Never, EVER publicly say something negative about the company you work for. You might get away with that at 7-11 or whatever widget factory you work in, but in radio… managers are sooooo sensitive to negative press. Remember, when this gig is over, you might someday need that company to get you another job.

Never, EVER denigrate a fellow jock, member of the opposite sex or otherwise. This is a biggie. There are still so many stereotypes, and in radio, I’ve found out, so much drama. Stay out of the drama. You don’t need it.

It doesn’t matter what format you’re in. Be yourself and in public, you LOVE the music your station plays. Live the part, even if you can’t stand Brittany Spears or the four millionth Michael Jackson track this week, smile and tell the world how much you love it!! It’s YOUR station. Take ownership of it during your shift, and every time you meet someone who talks about or works at your station.

If you’re not following these rules, beware!! Your behind is open for everyone to see. These things can only help you, not hurt your career.

If, despite you following the above rules, and despite all your efforts, your employer is determined to take you off the payroll, perhaps its time to freelance. Voiceovers, cyber jocking… well, the world is endless. Desperate for an idea? Email me and I’ll discuss some different ways to do radio, get paid for it, and never have to leave your home. No, it ain’t radio the way we’ve known it.. but when radio resembled what we got into it for, the internet was either in its infancy or didn’t exist yet. So think about that!