The Industry

Radiotrip: Audio Search!

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 22:07:22 -0700

Hey radio peeps (yes, people still say that), how has it been going?! Nice weather? Got to love small talk, right? Do you think there should be some more punctuation in these first couple sentences?

I wanted to post a quick little blurby thing because I am on the hunt for some more audio to post!…

Radiotrip: Catch Up Game!

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 22:07:05 -0700

Radiotrip: Catch Up Game!:

radiotrip:

Want to play a game?… That sounds creepy, at least when I read it back in my “serial killer” voice. What? You don’t do that? ANYWAYS! What a crazy couple weeks since getting back from the trip and for me it’s been all about playing the catch up game and I think it is time to bring you back up to…

radiotrip: We did it! Holy Aunt Jemima, what a journey. We...

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 22:06:46 -0700

radiotrip:

We did it! Holy Aunt Jemima, what a journey. We still have a ton of other footage, pictures and other stuff to post, but I wanted to take a second to thank everyone who helped us out on our nearly 11,000km Radiotrip!

I can’t even begin to tell you how enthused I am right now to strive and push even harder to break into this business. After meeting, what I’m thinking is close to 125+ radio professionals, I’m stoked to get going. If I met you along the way, I can guarantee that you helped energize me. Thanks for taking the time to meet with us, share your wisdom (and a few horror stories), thanks for introducing us to your teams and most importantly taking a step to help showcase what eager and passionate broadcasters can do!

You are all awesome and you better believe that I will be staying in touch… I mean it… you are going to be sick of me, so you might as well just hire me now!

-Mitch
@mitchhawes/@radiotripcanada
mitchhawes@radiotripcanada.com

P.S. I love this video, because after 19 days on the road Gabrielle didn’t understand where the camera was on my phone… this amuses me, not sure why!

Radiotrip: Follower Question!

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 22:06:28 -0700

Radiotrip: Follower Question!:

radiotrip:

I got an email a couple days ago, but due to the overwhelming feeling of clean laundry and my own bed, I semi-sort-of forgot about it. However, in the nature of keeping the trip alive I thought I would take a quick second to answer it.

The question was…

“How did you guys meet if you went to…

radiotrip: Ian March - Bell Media in Ottawa We were lucky...

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 22:06:02 -0700

radiotrip:

Ian March - Bell Media in Ottawa

We were lucky enough to spend an afternoon in Ottawa with Ian from Bell Media. We had a lot of questions, some not so easy, but he was very patient with us! Thanks Ian! In this video he talks about the importance of “forward thinking”, the changes and cutbacks in the Industry, and what we need to do to secure it’s future… from risk-taking to creating Apps!

Enjoy
Gabrielle and Mitch

Our RadioViz.com Interview!

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 22:05:39 -0700

Our RadioViz.com Interview!:

radiotrip:

So our little iPhone videos may be quick and easy to do from the road, but this is a legit interview we did with the lovely people from Radioviz.com. We are the feature of the week and if you like what you see, check out the programming section for a couple more clips.

Big thanks to both Bob Magee and Richard Maxwell, it was definitely the most indepth interview we have had! Keep up the amazing work.

-Mitch
mitchhawes@radiotripcanada.com

radiotrip: We stopped by the morning show on Wired 96.3 in...

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 22:05:21 -0700

radiotrip:

We stopped by the morning show on Wired 96.3 in Saskatoon to chat with Ryder. He was such a great laid back dude with some good advice. Check out his opinions on how to break into the industry and how to decide where you want to work! (Follow Ryder on Twitter @Ryderfm) and check out the station. It’s the first one like it we’ve seen, where they have a Top 40/Hot AC format with a rock/modern rock vibe for the talk breaks. It works really well and hits two huge demographics. Nice job guys!

Thanks for chatting with us!

-Gabrielle and Mitch

radiotrip: Challenge: Stompin’ Tom Connors Mix Tape Thanks to...

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 22:04:25 -0700

radiotrip:

Challenge: Stompin’ Tom Connors Mix Tape

Thanks to Clorisa Simpson (@_Clore_) for making us crazy on a 14hour drive. It truly was a challenge to make it through the drive, but we did it, and we are stronger because of it (and have a whole section of brain dedicated to Stompin Tom lyrics… great)

Stay tuned for the REAL performance of Little Wawa, in front of the goose.

-Gabrielle

radiotrip: An Airdrie Gem! We rolled into Airdrie, Alberta this...

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 22:03:56 -0700

radiotrip:

An Airdrie Gem!

We rolled into Airdrie, Alberta this evening without any plans for where we were going to lay our heads. Luckily, we found a Motel… and it is beautiful! We take you on a tour of the luxurious room.

Also, we wanted to let you all know that we have all sorts of videos, audio and other posts that we have all saved up and we are dying to share it with you, but we keep getting really horrible wifi. However, we have been able to upload little videos like this one and some other stuff directly from our phones and easily on Twitter (@radiotripcanada) so make sure to take a look for content there.

-Mitch and Gabrielle

radiotrip: Day 2 - We Take Kelowna! Had a blast today. Here’s a...

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 22:03:40 -0700

radiotrip:

Day 2 - We Take Kelowna!

Had a blast today. Here’s a quick recap!!

Thank you to everyone we met with today: Nesta from The Juice, David from K963, Ian from Sun FM (and of course we’ll be meeting with Troy tomorrow at Q103) Tweet them, Facebook them, check out their sites… They are all so awesome!

It’s off to Calgary tomorrow.. calagary.. calgry. Ugh.

Goodnight!

-Gabrielle and Mitch

radiotrip: Remember that time when we were hanging out in the...

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 22:03:06 -0700

radiotrip:

Remember that time when we were hanging out in the ferry lineup on our way to Kelowna? No? Well, that’s embarassing, maybe this video will help. This is our official Radiotrip launch if you will.

Quick update. We are now in Kelowna hanging out in a Starbucks, being all hipster-like using their wi-fi to blog… we are living the dream! We just wrapped up our first interview of the day with Nesta Matthews at 103.9 The Juice and we will post that stuff later on this afternoon, possibly from a different Starbucks.

Enjoy

Mitch and Gabrielle
www.radiotripcanada.com
www.twitter.com/radiotripcanada

radiotrip: I love my Mazda 3… it’s my baby. I’ve only had it...

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 22:02:44 -0700

radiotrip:

I love my Mazda 3… it’s my baby. I’ve only had it for a couple months and we are about to do a lot of quality bonding time. However, before I even think about letting Gabrielle drive my baby across the country, I had to conduct a road test.

This is how it all turned out… looks like I might be doing more of the driving ;)

-Mitch
www.radiotripcanada.com
mitchhawes@radiotripcanada.com
www.twitter.com/radiotripcanada

radiotrip: Wow what a day! We just finished our pre-radiotrip...

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 22:01:47 -0700

radiotrip:

Wow what a day! We just finished our pre-radiotrip adventure in Vancouver and it was so much fun! We started the day talking with the first years at BCIT who are running Evolution 107.9. It was great to share our trip with them and connect with people face to face for the first time. (It felt good to use our new business cards too.) After asking questions and answering a few ourselves we made some new friends who are excited to follow along with Radiotrip. Lots of fun thanks BCIT!

After BCIT we made our way to 100.5 The Peak to meet with Assistant Program Director and On-Air Talent Tamara Stanners. It turns out she was the most uplifting, passionate, lovely lady; it was a truly motivating way to launch this project. We asked Tamara a lot of questions about the industry, the way it’s changing, and what employers are looking for. Then, to our surprise and delight, Tamara said, “You guys want to go on air?” Yup! We think we played it pretty cool as we dove for a mic. She did a quick live interview with us and within about 6 minutes we had 12 new followers on Twitter. (We’ll post the audio as soon as we get a copy!)The support keeps growing and so does our appreciation and excitement. After that she took us around The Peak and introduced us to a lot of friendly people. We had a great talk with James Sutton, the Music Director and another amazing on-air personality. He was so dynamic and open to sharing some great stories with us.

As you know, we are making a full audio documentary with the information we gather, but we want to promote each station as we come through, so this video just has a few good tips for tackling the job search. Thank you to Tamara, James and the rest of the amazing family that is The Peak.

Connect with Tamara, James and The Peak online via Twitter:
@Tamarastanners
@JamesBWSutton
@ThePeak

6 more days until the official Radiotrip!

-Gabrielle and Mitch
@radiotripcanada

radiotrip: Well, well, well! Gabrielle posted a wicked vlog...

Sat, 16 Apr 2011 10:33:54 -0700

radiotrip:

Well, well, well! Gabrielle posted a wicked vlog last night and it was all deep and personal which is awesome… then I re-watched my last vlog and all I saw was me creepily (is that a word?) holding a picture of Gabrielle. I would like to change that!

This is just a quick vlog about an assortment of things on my mind regarding this RadioTrip and a little background of how I got here. Let me just say, I have another 10 minutes of footage because, clearly I like talking to myself way to much, but I’ll save that for the next entry.

While you are reading this… please note that TODAY Gabrielle officially completed her post-secondary schooling! AMAZING! She was nice enough to invite me a long and I felt like a super proud parent! Just saying, you should totally send her a “Congrats” via twitter (@gabriellekind) or just post something nice in the comments below.

Long video, long write up ENOUGH MITCH!

Fin.

Mitch

Get in touch with us!
Twitter: @mitchhawes/@radiotripcanada
Email: radiotrip.canada@gmail.com

What can I say… it’s called cross-promotion!

Mitch

radiotrip: Brace yourself for a couple minutes of pure awesome…...

Tue, 12 Apr 2011 21:22:05 -0700

radiotrip:

Brace yourself for a couple minutes of pure awesome… okay it might be mostly awesome with some fantastic mixed in for a little flavour but you get the idea. It’s been decided. Gabrielle and I are packing up the car and hitting the road for a 20 day cross country (Canada) radio road trip. However, it’s more then just that but you’ll have to watch the video for the details.

We have mapped out the route, we’ve spent countless hours doodling on pieces of paper and more importantly we have a long list of names we don’t want to call our project. Keep checking back to this blog as we continue on our journey for updates, schedules, polls, contests and hopefully even some prizes!

-Mitch & Gabrielle

This is my new side project! I’m super excited about it. I have never gone on a road trip before, besides Disneyland which doesn’t count. Make sure to follow that blog too (Radiotrip) and of course on Twitter as well @radiotripcanada. Also, if you’re a radio pro and want to participate in this project let me know! The idea is that we are going to try and meet as many radio people as possible and interview them, so that by the end of the trip we will have a documentary!

I’ll keep ya posted!

-Mitch

Project: Radio Roadtrip?!

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 09:55:30 -0700

So the name hasn’t been decided yet, but it’s definitely happening. My friend Gabrielle and myself are packing up the car and booking it 4,472 km one way all the way to Toronto (at least). The goal? To make a radio documentary about what it takes for two radio grads to break into the industry… the runner up goal- to get a full time job.

This whole idea spawned from the fact that both Gabrielle and I are having a hard time finding full time jobs in radio, competing with the hundreds of other people applying for the same jobs. It is frustrating, but at the same time, exactly what I was told all about prior to graduating. This project is how we are going to separate ourselves from the competition and there are 3 main stages to this project:

Documentary
Website/Social Media
Adventure

Throughout the 20 days that we have mapped out we are going to bring all the equipment we need to make a documentary. As we travel from province to province the idea is to meet up with as many different people from as many different stations to interview them for this doc, and help us get our foot in the door at the same time.

Then we got thinking of “what the hell are we going to do with ourselves for 12+ hours in the car at a time?”. This prompted the website/social media spin. These days EVERY radio station (or at least the ones worth working at) are putting a big spin on social media. Facebook, twitter, foursquare… the list goes on and on. So we want to be able to showcase our talents. As we drive we are going to vlog (video blog), blog, tweet and anything else we can, to promote our trip, to entice people to follow our journey and hopefully get some interviews for the documentary.

Lastly and probably the most exciting part is just the adventure. Even if we don’t get a single call (which, we decided isn’t going to happen), we are traveling across the country! We are fulfilling the requirements of graduation… a post-grad road trip! It’s going to be a ton of fun.

Now that you know the idea… we need your help.

If you are working in the radio industry in Canada and want to participate in this project, let me know and we will try our best to stop by and meet up with you. Or, if you just have some contacts of people you think would be interested that is just as valuable.

If you aren’t working in the radio biz, then I hope this interests you enough to follow along with us on our trip. We will post the website and all the links as they are made, but there is something you can help us out with right now! We NEED a name for this project! So if you can think of a snappy/clever name leave it in the comments.

Like I said before, we are also going to be vlogging as we go and we already put up our first video…

TAKE A LOOK

If you have any suggestions, feedback, comments or whatever, send me an email to mitch@theradioindustry.com and I will 100%, get back to you!

8,944 km in 20 days! Yup, it’s going to be a good time!

Mitch

Back to Basics

Tue, 29 Mar 2011 13:53:06 -0700

I can’t remember the last time I updated you all about what’s going on with me in the radio business. The past posts have been all about music, or funny videos I’ve come across, but I think it is time to get back to where this blog started from… my personal journey into the radio business. Let’s catch up…

Where were we? Well, frankly I think the last “personal” post was back when I got the job I have now as the community cruiser. I guess I got a little busy with the actual work thing. I’m sure you know how it is… you kind of get carried away and start to feel like this:

However, at the same time, that is exactly what I asked for.

So life got away from me for a little bit and I have to say I don’t understand how it’s almost been an entire year since I graduated college… SCARY! Almost a full year of the “real world” that I have heard legends about since elementary school and I have to say I’m really starting to feel like an adult now…

I have a loan and a RRSP?! I make bank appointments now. My 8 year old self would ~~punch~~ use his words and a big bowl of candy to try and snap me out of this… but like I said… I’m an ‘adult’ now. Not to be confused with ‘Adult’ (a capital ‘a’ comes with another 10 years).

*Side Note* I’m getting side-tracked by the fact that my sister’s boyfriend is insisting on self-teaching himself the harmonica, which I am now learning is the runner up for the world’s most annoying sound…behind Fran Drescher’s laugh. Where am I going with this?

I’m at an interesting cross roads with my career already and like I said, it’s only been less then a year. My job as the community cruiser is a lot of fun, but the downside comes with the ‘part-time’ portion of my title. I’ll be honest, I knew I would have to pay my dues coming straight out of college, but I did think that I would be in a full time position by now. HOWEVER, I do believe, and I will try to not get all guru-like, that everything happens for a reason… I am just waiting for that reason to show itself.

It is no secret that I have applied to a couple positions recently. In fact if you are reading this entry because you saw it on my resume… you should give me a call. Let’s do lunch. Heck, I’ll seriously fly out to just meet with you. Seriously. Anyways, like with any application, the worst part comes right after you press ‘send’ and realize you misspelled your own name (only happened once, but I didn’t get the job because of it… at least that’s the conclusion I came too)… and then the part where you just wait/hope for a response. What a pain in the butt.

This is the dialogue that happens between my logical and irrational side:

Logical: Program Directors are very busy people, s/he probably hasn’t had the chance to even look at the email yet… it’s only been 3 minutes.

Irrational: That’s ridiculous, everyone carries a blackberry or iPhone these days, they got my email and deleted it because I had a typo… now I’ll never get a job at that station. I’ll end up a high school guidance counselor where all the students believe they are smarter/more talented then me. And every year I’ll get to watch another bunch of students take off and reach their goals all while I’m stuck in a cubicle beside the school nurse with an alarmingly large stash of cat memorabilia including the stereotypical “Hang in There” cat-on-a-clothesline poster. They hated me.

Logical: Alright it’s been 2 days. That’s okay, maybe they are away at a conference, or have a bunch of meetings. Besides, the deadline isn’t for another week so I won’t know until then anyways.

Irrational: This is it. It’s over, I’m finished. They listened to my demo, hated it, emailed it to everyone they knew so that they could collectively laugh at it while sitting next to their fireplaces, using my resume to heat their house. They all posted my resume package online where everyone in the radio industry can read it, and use it as a training tool for their big-shot management team as an example of the worst application in history… I wonder if McDonald’s is hiring.

This dialogue continues until: 1) I receive a response. 2) I read on the radio blogs that someone else was hired 3) I pass out from over analyzing the situation or 4) I create a brain diversion using a highly scientific method of cryogenics… also known as brain freeze (ice cream is the easiest/most delicious method).

I am in this process now… and I have to say it is sucky… but it all comes with the “aspiring broadcaster” badge that I try to wear proudly.

With that said, it’s not really “catching up” if I’m the only one talking. How’s life treating you? How’s the weather? That rash healing okay?

I’ll talk to you in a couple days!

Mitch

2011 Flower Count Correspondent I wanted to share this little...

Thu, 17 Mar 2011 13:59:24 -0700

2011 Flower Count Correspondent

I wanted to share this little mash up with you. A couple weeks ago the annual Flower Count took place in Victoria. Basically the idea is that the city is embracing Spring… and what better way then by counting flowers. I was sent on assignment by the JACK FM morning show to help count the flowers and this is what happened.

I’m still suffering from the pollen… does anyone have any Claritin? I would like to be Claritin clear now!

Mitch

Minor Problemo!

Mon, 14 Mar 2011 23:12:19 -0700

Hey Team,

It’s been awhile, but if you follow me on Twitter (@mitchhawes) you will have heard that my external hard drive crashed… and with it I lost all of my music, SFX and all the other stuff that I had for the blog. However… I am working on rebuilding my library so if you have any music beds, SFX or what not to contribute just let me know. I am hoping to have another audio segment up soonish because I want to start to lean toward more talking. Opinions, hot button issues etc., of course with some sure shots mixed in as well. So you can look for that soon!

I hope all of you are doing well.

What topics do you think I should cover in the next addition of “The Industry Podcast”?

-Mitch

P.S. I might have gone overboard with the ‘…’ in this post… I semi-apologize…semi.

Part ll: Todd Palmer - Promotions Coordinator Ocean 98.5/103.1 JACK FM

Fri, 04 Mar 2011 13:00:07 -0800

The following post is a continuation from yesterdays article from Todd Palmer, the Promotions Coordinator for Ocean 98.5 and 103.1 JACK FM in Victoria. He has one of the most creative brains out there, so if you haven’t already, make sure to read the first half of his write up which includes a not-so-funny-then-but-funny-now story about an inflatable pig. Click Here to Read Part One.

We left off yesterday with Todd talking about his top 3 notable moments so far in his promotion career. With that in mind, Todd shares some very insightful advice.

Now that you’ve been enlightened on the beginning of my absurd radio career here’s some advice on promotions:

1. Do it big and do it different: Obviously, you don’t always get the opportunity to give away a house, as most week to week promos will be minor. But when you do get a chance to whip together a major promo, make it big and make it different! Be grandiose, this is your chance to get attention from your listeners, the public, and other media. Plus, nothing feels better than when you create something awesome for people to thoroughly enjoy.

2. When the sh*t hits the fan, get out the rags and bleach: Oh it’s going to happen. You will mess up and mess up bad (remember the pig?). If not, you’re a cyborg from the planet of Perfecticus. Don’t worry when a promo goes bad. Think critically and rationally. Find solutions that are opportune and effective. Make sure you communicate with your listeners. Maybe don’t tell them that “the promo is gone to sh*t and I’m going to cry.” Just take the time and initiative to keep them informed so they don’t have to become concerned or ask you questions. If the issue is huge, you may need to come clean and pull the plug.

3. Here’s a real left hand turn - Get your social media game on point: I know I didn’t even remotely cover this topic but that doesn’t matter. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and blogs are making it easier and cheaper to communicate with and engage your listeners. Social Media has given the consumer/listener a voice and trust me, they’re using it and speaking loud! Make sure you are engaging your communities and offering them something of value. Social Media is not going away so make sure you are involved.

4. Always have a backup plan: Need I say more?

Advice for you Mitch: The radio game is changing man. Corporations are looking to run leaner. The days of the privately owned heritage stations ruling the roost are leaving as measurement systems like the PPM evolve in markets. Ipods, podcasting, internet radio, and satellite radio are trying to strike down traditional radio. Schools are pumping graduates out of radio programs when there are clearly not enough positions to accommodate. It’s becoming tougher and tougher to break into the industry and when you do, there’s a ton of people waiting in line who think they can do your job and do it better and might even do it cheaper (if that’s possible). It’s coming to the point where you need to be able to promote, VT a show, program the station, and maybe even sell a few remotes. That being said; stay focussed, stay passionate, and stay positive. The experience will come and success will follow. You’re on the right path Mitch. Seriously, you’re doing everything you should be for someone just entering the radio industry.

For anyone else looking to get some more insight on the world of promotions, you should read my blog: The Promo Report

Todd Palmer

Promotions Coordinator

Ocean 98.5/103.1 JACK FM

I’ll give you a minute to let all of that soak in.

If ever there was some serious advice, it is here. I believe Todd is right on point and not just because he’s my supervisor! Do it Big and Do it Different. This has been the motto that has been running through my head since I started my radio training. In fact my end goal for my career is to own a station where this is painted on the walls. Yes, you can do the same thing the competition is doing because it is safe or you can throw your audience a curve ball and do something that has never be done before. Whether that is programming or in Todd’s case, promotions.

The other solid point that was pointed out is that it is getting harder and harder to break into the industry. I think I’m living proof of that. Grades are great in school, but unfortunately nothing beats real world experience. To add to the point, make yourself invaluable. Get a hand in every department. It’s working for me so far. In the 8 months since I’ve been with JACK FM I’ve done all sorts of promotions work, I filled in for a producer for almost a month, I’ve covered reception, I’ve operated the board, I’ve helped to create and edit videos… the list goes on and on and what can go wrong with that?

I want to spend a moment to thank Todd for taking the time to share his story and insights into the radio industry. Again if you want to read more about radio promotions or follow Todd in a non-stalkerish way you can check out his blog: The Promo Report and find him on Twitter: @TPalms

Thanks again,

Mitch