Where is all the talent hiding?!
It’s extremely interesting to understand where all the talent is today, yes the industry has become smaller in terms of roles available to a certain extent but that also is just the way of the future. Nothing stays the same forever and instead of sitting back thinking “Why” and stamping our feet, or sitting on websites sending spiteful comment after spiteful comment we need to look to the future. There are MORE ways these days to get noticed and work in radio than ever before! The Podcast, internet radio, VLOGS, Blogs, Social media channels, Instragram stories, Facebook content. WOW, almost too much opportunity! So much content, so much incredible amazing talent out there, but no one really seems keen to get in front of the right people these days do they? I still hear “How do I get noticed”?
Is it because we don’t know how to communicate anymore?! I’ve been a content director for just over 2 years in Brisbane and maybe this is because I’m not a big familiar name or face in terms of people searching for feedback or get noticed but I hardly ever receive emails from announcers / content makers / podcast people. It’s strange as whenever I attend radio events people always complain that they aren’t being noticed, or nothing is working for them. When did you last send out an aircheck I ask…… Crickets SFX……. Exactly!
If you don’t market yourself, you won’t be heard. Just like my point earlier that there are more channels than ever before, it’s an audio Disneyland out there right now…. So that makes it even harder to be seen if you don’t reach out and market yourself. Plus by the way, if you send one aircheck per year to someone… that’s like waving to someone on a coffee run once a year and hoping he remembers your name & what you coffee order is…. I’m sorry but you don’t really exist yet!
So with that above, I’m asking all the fresh, excited and next generation of talent….. When was the last aircheck you sent? I will never (on purpose) not reply to every email I receive from anyone asking for an aircheck / help in the industry! I know a stack of other CD’s right now in radio looking for people in the industry for development shows, podcast ideas or all of the above and if you expect them to find you by driving through your town and catching your one talk break or searching through apple podcasts for a show we haven’t heard of…. Then you’ll be out of luck!
Yes some of the people do get lucky and get discovered through word of mouth and that’s amazing. Yes there will be people making radio that are reality TV stars or people with status but that’s also because they have put a big flag in front of their name saying choose me (Be it sometimes in very interesting and weird ways). Rather than saying, god no one has the chance to make it anymore, really try! Within SCA we’ve had a stack of new talent getting the chance to succeed. “Those Two Girls” out of Brisbane were discovered through video’s and events they were doing and caught the eye of Gemma our Head of Content. Danny Lakey worked his way up from regional radio to land a national network gig based in Sydney. Collective Noun did late nights on a station for 4 years and now are national! We also have a stack of new development shows and plans for creating new and exciting shows and we need people with talent…. Is that you?
Email…. Email…. .Email…. REPEAT.
No better time to start then now!
Mathew.eggleston@sca.com.au
Or just email me and tell me how wrong I really am haha… I’ll take the good the bad and the ugly and I’ll always respond.
