One of the most common complaints from radio stations is that their staffs are stretched too thin. Everyone has to wear too many hats. There is simply "too much to do." Not enough time. Here are steps to take to save your station's money and your staff's sanity.
With the internet age, there are myriads of ways to outsource much of the work in your station. These steps will save you money and lighten your staff's load.
1) Commit to doing MUCH less production. Of course this starts with an overall review of projects that a station commits to. BUT, here is what happens. Stations commit to doing WAY too much (the norm.) Then the quality level of spots and promos goes out the door. After a while the station no longer cares.
I would rather see a station produced 3 or 4 REALLY outstanding spots/ promos or features each month, then 20 or 30- because they "have to" because of over commitment. When I took upon a consulting job to overhaul the programming at one station, I announced that it was the "year of 'no!.'" We were going to start saying NO to everything so we could give more quality production to fewer events. That station now sounds better, the staff is less stressed and income has increased.
1) Commit to doing MUCH less production. Of course this starts with an overall review of projects that a station commits to. BUT, here is what happens. Stations commit to doing WAY too much (the norm.) Then the quality level of spots and promos goes out the door. After a while the station no longer cares.
I would rather see a station produced 3 or 4 REALLY outstanding spots/ promos or features each month, then 20 or 30- because they "have to" because of over commitment. When I took upon a consulting job to overhaul the programming at one station, I announced that it was the "year of 'no!.'" We were going to start saying NO to everything so we could give more quality production to fewer events. That station now sounds better, the staff is less stressed and income has increased.
2) Stop doing all your own imaging and promo production.
Like the Model T: Henry Ford didn't invent the car, he just found that building one from scratch was very inefficient. Many Christian radio stations need to learn this lesson.
For example: most of your imaging can be outsourced for less money than paying your staff. These days, unless you have a REALLY big budget to do everything in house, you need to OUTSOURCE some of your production so that you will have LESS to do so with MORE quality!
Like the Model T: Henry Ford didn't invent the car, he just found that building one from scratch was very inefficient. Many Christian radio stations need to learn this lesson.
For example: most of your imaging can be outsourced for less money than paying your staff. These days, unless you have a REALLY big budget to do everything in house, you need to OUTSOURCE some of your production so that you will have LESS to do so with MORE quality!
3) The "virtual production room."
An emerging trend: Stations are discovering that your entire production department can be outsourced. And it will cost LESS than what it costs your station to have your own in-house production department.
If this is too big of a leap for you, at the very least, have one of these "auxillary production departments" handy for emergency overflows. (for help in this area, contact our Voice and Production Depot department.
-Rick McConnell
(Articles provided by Rick McConnell. Starting in Christian Radio in 1978, he has been doing voice overs since 1986 through his company, Monumental Studios in Denver Colorado. Find out more about the Imaging Package called "Airshow", Voice and Production Depot and more, by CLICKING HERE)
An emerging trend: Stations are discovering that your entire production department can be outsourced. And it will cost LESS than what it costs your station to have your own in-house production department.
If this is too big of a leap for you, at the very least, have one of these "auxillary production departments" handy for emergency overflows. (for help in this area, contact our Voice and Production Depot department.
-Rick McConnell
(Articles provided by Rick McConnell. Starting in Christian Radio in 1978, he has been doing voice overs since 1986 through his company, Monumental Studios in Denver Colorado. Find out more about the Imaging Package called "Airshow", Voice and Production Depot and more, by CLICKING HERE)
