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8 Ways Podcasts Differ From Radio

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On the surface, podcasts and radio broadcasts are similar. People speak into a microphone with guests and send the audio out to an audience. When you dig a bit deeper though, radio and podcasts could not be more different.

Captive vs. Passive Listening

I spent the better part of two decades as a radio personality, wanting to believe my audience was hanging on every word. Honestly, this was a pipe dream. Think about how you listen to the radio in the car, where most listening occurs. If someone is sitting next to you, you’re probably more engaged in your conversation. If you’re alone, you are frantically pushing presets until you find a song (or morning show topic) you like.  With podcasts, however, a listener has gone to the trouble to specifically download (or stream) your content. They have an active interest in what you have to say. True, they may be at the gym, in the car, or at their desk, but you’ve got much more of their attention than a typical radio show.

On-Demand vs. Appointment Listening

Traditional radio is consumed on the radio station’s schedule. Stations and personalities are taught to “set appointments” for listeners to tune in at certain times for contests or certain morning show features, also known as benchmarks. Ever wonder why radio stations always do things at :05, :20, :35, or :50 past the hour? It’s a way to attract listeners in the middle of the “quarter hour” – think of a clock as a pie split into quarters.

We live in an on-demand world, though. We watch television shows on DVR, we read news articles on our time, and we watch videos when we want. So while radio has to battle the archaic model of dictating consumers’ schedules, podcasts are available when listeners want to consume the content, right there on their phone, tablet, or computer.

For example, I spend about 45 minutes walking my dog in the morning. Before we leave the house, I download two podcast episodes. I’m a Boston native so I grab the 15-minute NBC Sports Boston Breakfast Pod, as well as the latest 30 minute of The Daily from the New York Times, an in-depth look at one of the key news stories of the day. I listen on my morning dog walk, whether it’s 7am, or 9:25am.

Broadcasting vs. Narrow Focus

Radio broadcasters have specific, broad demographics they must hit. This might mean 18-34 year old males, or 25-54 year old females. High ratings in those demographics translate to sales opportunities. Because radio hosts must appeal to these large groups, they often have to be all things to all people. For example, when I worked in the Top 40 (Pop) format, I would have to balance my show between local news, celebrity gossip, funny phone calls, and promoting station events.

Podcasting is different -you are targeting a niche audience. I’ve worked on podcasts that targeted Detroit sports fans, Jewish pop culture aficionados, and those looking for activities in the Detroit Arts and Entertainment scene. You can focus on a geographic area, a particular interest, or a group of hobbyists. The key is that you have to offer something unique in your podcast that listeners won’t find anywhere else.

Time and Content Constraints

When you’re a morning radio or talk show host, everything has to fit into a specific window. An hour only has 60 minutes, with a certain number of those minutes dedicated to commercials, traffic, weather, and other static content. When you’re out of time, you’re out of time.  This is even more extreme for music DJ’s, who may only have a 15-20 second window to speak over the intro of a song before the artist’s vocal begins.

Also, hosts must adhere to FCC content guidelines.  There are a number of words you can’t say on the air, and you can’t be overly sexual. Violation of these rules can lead to listener complaints, fines, and even a loss of the station’s FCC license. Without that license, you cannot broadcast on FM or AM.

Podcasters have much more freedom in these areas. There is no time limit on a podcast. If you have a great guest or compelling topic, you can run with it until you feel you’ve done your due diligence.  If the content keeps your listeners’ interest, they will stick with your show. Even longer podcasts (over an hour) are showing promising retention rates. Unlike a radio show that keeps going with or without you, a podcast can be paused and resumed the next time you’re in the car, or after that meeting at work.  For example, in my 2015 sedan, if I’m listening to a podcast via Bluetooth when I turn the car off, the podcast will resume within a few seconds of me restarting the engine.

While podcasts do have the freedom to air explicit content, hosts should be very careful in this area. Know your audience and know how much of an appetite they have for foul language and/or sexual content. For example, the hosts of the wildly successful Pod Save America are former Obama staffers who are incensed by the actions of the Trump administration. And while I agree with them on many points, I find the number of “F-bombs” in their show very off-putting. Another key point: Apple Podcasts (formerly iTunes) is still the dominant podcast platform. If your show has explicit language, you must mark it as such when uploading your content. If you don’t, and a listener reports you, Apple could delist your show, crushing your potential audience and download numbers.

Music Royalties

Radio stations pay rights fees to publishing organizations such as ASCAP, BMI, and SEASAC to air (and stream) the music of artists and other composers. This is, at present, not an option for podcasts. As a result, you may not use copyrighted music or content (even snippets) in your show. This could result in delisting of your show, or worse, a lawsuit.

In the Ether vs Online Forever

We’ve all heard the cautionary tales of social media. Once you put something on the Internet, it’s there forever. Even if you delete a tweet or a snap, someone can always screen-shot it for perpetuity. Radio broadcasts go over the air (literally) and are gone. Podcasts can stay online forever. The advantage here is that as long as your shows stay online, you never know who may hear it, and if it could go viral. I’ve heard of shows that are years old suddenly catching fire because the right influencer stumbled upon and shared it.

Monetization

While revenue for radio stations has dropped over the last several years, they are still making money. Very few podcasts are. Podcast listening is expected to grow 85% in 2018, and revenue will eventually follow, but the business model isn’t there yet. Podcasts still have to overcome the fact that many people don’t know HOW to listen, and that’s hurting growth. What’s important for a business to remember is this: While you may not see a direct ROI on your podcast, a podcast gives you a chance to build brand awareness and spend time with your business’s most passionate customers. Podcasts CAN make money, but it often takes years, hard work, and a little bit of luck. To hear one such success story, check out my interview with Lauren Levine, co-host of The Margarita Confessionals, an award-winning show out of Charlotte, North Carolina.

Barrier to Entry

It’s not easy to get a radio job. In this world of corporate consolidation, it’s just as hard to keep one. From 2006-2017, I was laid off from radio stations due to budget cuts three times. And each time, it took several months (and usually a cross-country move) to find my next opportunity. Many stations no longer have full staffs. For example, when I ran a station in New Orleans, I was the only full-time employee of the station. Corporate mandated that I run several national shows, and I shared internal resources with the other stations in the building.  There are fewer jobs available now than ever before.

Conversely, anyone can do a podcast. In concept, you could by a cheap mic, plug it into your phone or computer, and upload it to Apple Podcasts.  And if you’re doing it as a hobby for your friends to listen to, great. To build a successful podcast, however, you’ll need to invest in microphones and recording equipment or renting studio space.  This can range in cost from several hundred to several thousand dollars, depending on your budget. That’s why I’ve started helping people create, record, edit, and publish podcasts.  For more information on how I can get you set up, feel free to contact me.

For a few more perspectives on the differences between radio and podcasting, check out these links:

Podcasts Are Different From Radio Shows…and It Matters

Radio: Co: Difference Between Live Radio and Podcasts

Quora: Difference Between Radio and A Podcast

 

I'm now a Cord Cutter – How I Ditched Cable

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My wife and I have become cord cutters. We cancelled our cable subscription and will now get all programming by OTT, or “over the top” media via Internet.
Many people have thought about cutting the cord from Comcast, Cox, AT&T, or whomever your cable provider is. The process can be intimidating, so let me take you through what I’ve found, and hopefully I can answer your cord-cutting questions.
Why? This is pretty simple – cable and internet can typically cost a combined $200 or so per month. If you can cut that in half, or even by a third, why not?
Who? There are may ways to get your favorite programming through services like Netflix, Hulu, Apple, and the apps for the individual networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox). Some cable channels like ESPN and BRAVO have their own apps, but many require a cable subscription. We looked at the services that provide most cable channels (and our local ones). The website cutcabletoday.com was a great resource for comparing AT&T’s DirecTV Now, Sling, Fubo, and Playstation Vue.  They vary in terms of budget-friendliness, sports programming, DVR, and more.
Where? We have three televisions in our house, in the living room, the bedroom, and the front room where the treadmill is. If we are being honest, that last one isn’t used very much. We have an Amazon Fire TV (from our wedding registry – thanks Uncle Ricky!) and an older Apple TV. Unfortunately, the Apple TV was too old (needs to be 4th generation or newer) to run the new apps. So we bought an Amazon Fire TV stick for around $40. You just need TV’s with HDMI inputs, or even a newer app-friendly Smart TV.
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What? We currently have a cable and internet subscription through AT&T U-Verse. Our choices here in suburban Michigan are that, Comcast (whose customer service has burned my wife one too many times), and WOW, as in “Wow, this knockoff internet and cable seems sketchy.” My two year promotional period was ending, and my rate was going to go up to about $200 for 25 MBPS Internet and their U200 TV package, which includes 360 channels. Of course, 300 of those channels we don’t watch. Of course you can “bundle” packages if you want to go to AT&T for your cell phone (we have Verizon) or home security (we have ADT), because they want a monopoly on your home. Furthermore, the quality of U-verse television was beginning to drop. AT&T wants to stop supporting it and get everyone over to DirecTV. We don’t want a dish on our roof.
After comparing the options (most let you try the service for a week free of charge), we figured we would simplify things and stick with AT&T and their DirecTV Now package. There’s no dish required, it’s all OTT (over the top, Internet based), and we already have an AT&T account. We tried DirecTV Now for a few days, but my wife really missed having a DVR.
Next we tried PlayStation Vue, which actually does not require a PlayStation console. We’re very happy with it. Like DirecTV Now, it had all four of our local Detroit channels and local news (this may be different for you if you live in a small town). And like the other service, we had all of our cable networks covered – TNT, TBS, Bravo, Travel Channel, Food Network, TLC, and HGTV for her, CNN and ESPN for me. What sold us on Vue, however, was that it was better than a DVR. Granted you have to retrain your brain for the guide as the channels go across (you can set your favorites), and the times go down the grid. But you can choose “My Shows” and they are stored in the cloud. There is no space limit – though the catch is they only get saved for 28 days. Let’s be honest though – if you haven’t watched something 28 days after it aired, you’re probably not going to. In addition to the DVR however, most popular shows have a CU in the guide – standing for “Catch Up.” If there’s a show or special you wanted to see but didn’t DVR, no worries – you can go back and watch it on demand for up to 48 hours after it airs. Yes, the guide lets you go BACK…IN…TIME!
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Naturally, the cable company had to be difficult on my way out. To stream live TV, you really need 40-50 MBPS Internet Speed. I had 25, and would occasionally have some buffering. So I upgraded my speed from 25 to 50, assuming my $40/month would become $50/month. Not so fast.
The costs I was looking at were the BUNDLE prices. When I lopped the cable off my account, the web prices went up. Turns out my $50 for Internet was really $70. I did a quick comparison to Comcast, who charges you a monthly equipment fee among others. Deciding I didn’t want to deal with an install and complete equipment overhaul, I bit the bullet and kept AT&T. But I can handle the extra $20 for the web when you look at this television bill from BEFORE my promotional rate expired:
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Yes, there are a few “kinks” in our new system. The Amazon Fire device and Playstation Vue app aren’t as intuitive and responsive as a standard cable remote. You can integrate Alexa, but I haven’t figured out that piece of it yet. The remote is small and easy to lose, but you can download an app and turn your phone into an identical one. There may be a bit of lag time on live sports, which will hurt with texts and social media, but I’m not going to worry about that, at least until football season. And finally, when you open Amazon or Vue, you get a pop-up with a viewing suggestion based on previous activity. While a minor annoyance, it takes all of 2 seconds to click “No Thanks.”
PlayStation Vue, like most other OTT services, offer a free 5-7 day trial period, during which you can cancel at no charge. Find the package that’s right for you, and try it. See if you can deal with a few minor inconveniences, and decide if it’s worth the cost savings. To go from $200 a month to $120, we decided it was worth it.
 

WJPZ Banquet 33: Not Even the 1,000 Watt Flamethrower Could Melt All The Snow

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“You know, I talk to about 3 people from college. I never understood why you were always in contact with so many Syracuse people. Now that I’ve come to Banquet Weekend, I get it. What you have here is so special. It’s a big family, and they welcomed me right in.”

That’s what my then-girlfriend and now-wife Ellen told me when I brought her to Syracuse three years ago for the annual reunion banquet of WJPZ, my old college radio station. For those who aren’t familiar, “college radio station” is an accurate representation of who’s in charge, but not how it’s run or what it sounds like.
Z89 is a Top 40 Radio Station that competes in the Syracuse market, and is completely run by Syracuse University students. It’s been called “The Greatest Media Classroom,” and I learned more in my time there than I ever did in a lecture hall. I learned radio, management and people skills, and I went from being a homesick freshman in 1998 to having to be dragged off campus teary-eyed in 2002. 75% of the friends I made in Syracuse I made at that radio station.  5 of the 7 people in this picture from 2001-2002 came back this weekend.
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Anyone who went to Syracuse or spent any time in Upstate/Central New York knows how dicey the weather can be. And Banquet 2018 turned out to be an all-timer.
I was originally scheduled to fly to the great white north from Detroit on Friday afternoon, but as fate would have it, I was laid off on Monday. This gave me some flexibility in my travel plans. With a big storm hitting Michigan Thursday afternoon, and a FOOT of the heavy wet stuff hitting the ‘Cuse on Friday, I was able to hop in the car and embark on my 415 mile international drive – departing Metro Detroit Thursday at 10am, thankfully.
When I crossed the Canadian border back into New York, I got a funny look from the Customs and Border Patrol agent. Apparently the combination of Patriots front license plate, Syracuse shirt, and Michigan rear plate had him befuddled, until he ran my passport and discovered I was born in Massachusetts. He then proceeded (remember this is Buffalo Bills country) to tell me how awful Patriots fans are, how we are cheaters, and how Tom Brady is NOT the greatest quarterback ever.
Rather than reveal my internal monologue of “Are you bleeping kicking me right now? Let me into my own country!” I smiled wryly and said, “I know better than to argue with you. You have a badge.”
Some friendly debated ensued, as I realized I was only at mile 240 of 415.  Finally I said, “You know, this is like politics. I’m not gonna convince you, and you’re not gonna convince me.” He laughed, I told him I’d learned the valuable lesson to take the Patriots plate off my car the next time I cross in Buffalo, and I was on my way.
While my five minutes of annoyance became a funny story, several compatriots dealt with travel nightmares. A fellow Detroit alumnus was lied to by Delta, and put on 3 flights before being ultimately cancelled and having to go home after sleeping (or not sleeping) on the floor at Detroit Metro Airport. Ironically, the final flight he was booked on was my original Friday departure – that was cancelled.
Meanwhile another distinguished alum was traveling in with her daughter from Houston.  A different alum did a better job of rerouting her than Delta, and got her through Minneapolis, although her two bags went from Minny to New York and Atlanta respectively.  But her determination to get to the 315 speaks to just how important this weekend is to all of us.
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This was the first time I’d made the early Thursday arrival, and it made for a cozy night at Faegan’s Pub with a small but wonderful group.
Friday got off to a shocking start. Syracuse cancelled classes and all on campus activities, following an overnight of heavy, weight snow.  This is a school that cancelled classes once from 1870-1993.  In my time there from 1998-2002, we cancelled once for a microburst (Welcome Freshmen!) and classes were optional as the horrific events of September 11, 2001 unfolded.
Unfortunately, the cancellation of non-essential campus activities meant the same fate for the seminars we’d prepared for the students. This included one I’d worked on with fellow alumnus Lauren Levine on “The Do’s and Don’t s of Podcasting.”  Students were also disappointed, so we made the presentation available by email.
The silver lining through the snowstorm meant a free afternoon and a 3.5 hour nap for my old bones, which ended up being a key factor in surviving the rest of the weekend.  Friday night was the typical trip to Varsity Pizza, where I got to hear, “Jag, your wings are ready.”
Varsity Pizza Syracuse University Wings
Due to the snow, Varsity closed at 7:30, which meant an early arrival at Faegan’s. We continued our weekend tour of beers, though nothing can match getting your name on a plaque for completing all 45 libations over the course of Tuesdays in a semester.
Our weekend as spectators continued, as we watched the participants of a private party attempt at “Orange Crate Brewing Company” across the street try to navigate the accumulated snow in heels that were longer than their dresses.  It was a night of networking, reminiscing, and laughs.
Saturday morning started with our annual alumni meeting, and some inspiring words from the station’s current student general manager, Kerri McAneney.  The station is in great shape, now broadcasting at 1,000 watts (it was competitive at 100 watts), and poised for a great future.
Next up was the home basketball game against Clemson, with the Orange needing a win and a run in next week’s ACC Tournament to have a shot at March Madness. The game featured a painful first half, but an epic finish:

 
Next was the event itself, Banquet 33. It featured an inspiringly honest speech from Jubal Flagg, host of the syndicated Brooke and Jubal morning show. He concluded with a confession that he always wanted to go to Syracuse but couldn’t get in.  So he made himself an honorary diploma.
As always, it was a night of radio, laughter, and family. One of my mentors at the station, Miami’s Mike Kruz, was able to return for the first time in many years.
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We knew going in that it would be a smaller-than-usual group this year. We also knew, however, that would mean more interaction among alumni and more networking for the students. It did. And I speak for all alumni when I say that I hope the students reach out and ask for our help in any way possible.
If you’ve heard Mike in Miami, or Ralphie Aversa in New York City, or Rich Davis on SiriusXM (including afternoons on Pop 2K, one of my favorites), or seen Scott MacFarlane on NBC Washington DC…know that they (among many, many others) all started at WJPZ.
Oh, one final thing. We started a new tradition this year. Given that Syracuse’s colors are Orange and BLUE, this seemed appropriate.
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RADIO!
 
 

Review: Detroit's new Little Caesars Arena

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After quite a bit of hype, Detroit’s new hockey/basketball/concert/entertainment venue, Little Caesar’s Arena, opened this fall. The reviews were mostly positive, discussing wide concourses, great food and beverage selections, and incredible sight lines. There were only a few knocks on Little Caesars Arena, or “LCA.” The seats were very steep, it’s more of a hockey arena than a basketball arena, and the venue seemed empty during the action due to team struggles and the vastness of amenities.
I had been to the famous Joe Louis Arena a few times, and I enjoyed the character of an old hockey barn a year older than me. It actually reminded me, slightly, of the old Boston Garden I grew up with, with few amenities and great sight lines.  I had also been to several basketball games and concerts at The Palace of Auburn Hills out here in the suburbs. I loved that the arena was close to our house, but there was no public transport to get there, and basketball games were largely empty. And despite being revolutionary at the time of its construction, I was disappointed with the acoustics when I saw Adele.  Adele was outstanding, but even SHE had to fight some of the acoustics at The Palace.
As the schedules would work out, I made my first two trips to the new arena in a span of 4 days – as my Celtics visited Sunday afternoon, followed by my Bruins Wednesday night.  Let’s review, chronologically.
I was a bit concerned about parking on a cold Sunday afternoon, so I reserved parking ahead of time, in a lot a few blocks away, through an app called ParkWhiz.  For $20, it seemed quite reasonable.  We were disappointed, however, in the fact that there was no designated area to cross Woodward Avenue north of the arena.

Detroit Pistons Little Caesar’s Arena Detroit
Basketball panorama for pistons at LCA

The venue itself was gorgeous. We made a lap around the lower bowl’s concessions area.  The staff was extremely friendly, and I ended up settling on a Gentleman Jack and coke from the Jack Daniels cocktail stand. There was a plethora of Michigan Brews, although I was a bit disappointed to see that Goose Island had a stand.  I found it surprising that the Ilitch family would sell real estate to a beer so closely associated with Chicago, the Wings’ biggest rival.
The food selection was great – we bypassed Kid Rock’s grill, but I did grab a giant Little Caesars slice (at $6 it was the cheapest food item I could find).  My wife grabbed some chicken tacos that were solid.  And we split the mini donuts and dipping sauce, that were as tasty as they look.
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Mini donuts at Little Caesars Arena

We splurged for some solid seats to see the Celtics (my wife went to a ton of C’s games growing up). For about $100 each, we were just beyond the hockey boards, with a great view.

Pistons Celtics Detroit Little Caesar’s Arena Basketball
Detroit Pistons Basketball court at Little Caesar’s Arena

The first thing we noticed was the incredible sound system in the arena. I’m actually a bit embarrassed to say it wasn’t me, the 15 year radio veteran, that noticed it first. It was actually Ellen.  We quickly decided we need to see a concert at the new LCA.
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The giant scoreboard was equally impressive and informative. The inner “layer” was great for those in lower seats. During the game, there was a running display of every player on the court and the number of fouls he had. Very impressive. While Little Caesars Arena is more of a hockey venue, it’s just fine for a basketball game.
That leads us to the ice later in the week..
Wednesday night saw 7 inches of snow that started midday and came down hard and fast during the afternoon commute. Combine that with a struggling/rebuilding Red Wings team and we knew we wouldn’t have a large crowd. But we piled into the 4×4 and headed downtown. This time we parked in the Fox Garage for a reasonable $25, and didn’t have a bad walk to the arena, from a couple blocks south.
This time, I was planning on dinner, and an item I’d mentally bookmarked on Sunday.
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The menu board described this monstrosity as a “1/2 lb Bacon Wrapped Pub Dog, with crispy salami, white cheddar, pepper jack, mustard, and a pickled egg.” It took a good 10-15 minutes for the (friendly) staff to make this, and I had to eat it on a nearby table.  There was no way I was going to eat this in an arena seat even with a cup holder. I got through about 2/3 of it, before it completely fell apart. The egg was a nice addition. The entree was a novelty, but not something I’d get on the regular (unless I found a good cardiologist).
We then headed up to the second level, with more solid food offerings, and eventually to our seats.  We paid $40 each for tickets at the top, top, top of the arena – super steep but great views once we got settled.
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In fact, I suggested to my buddy that we move down into the empty seats, but he wanted to stay put because we had such a great view of the action!
I would also be remiss to not give credit to arena organist Lance Luce – who did a phenomenal job all night, including getting the crowd in the holiday spirit.

 
The Wings outplayed the Bruins but managed to give up a late game-tying goal, allowing Boston to force overtime. I made a quick bathroom run, forgetting how short the break is between the third period and OT. I came back into the section during play, and as luck would have it, the Bruins game-winner 30 seconds in. So, I saw it, but not from my actual seats.
We left the arena, and it took us awhile to get out of the Fox Garage (as we were on level 5). All in all, it was about a 30 minute wait. It felt longer due to the late game and weather, but it wasn’t bad.
This criticism of Little Caesars Arena is fair; LCA is better suited to hockey than basketball. It FEELS like a hockey rink. That’s not surprising, given that the Ilitch family (who owns the pizza chain, Tigers, and Wings) built it for hockey. The Pistons were convinced to move downtown after the arena was designed. The “Bad Boys” have a beautiful new home, but it is indeed more suited to be home to Hockeytown.
Finally, there was some discussion as to what the preferred nickname of Little Caesars Arena would be.  There was the “Dough Joe,” the “Pizza-rena,” the “Pizza Pizza Rena Rena.” I also enjoyed “The D Brief” podcast co-host Mike Geeter’s suggestion of “The HARA” – the Hot And Ready Arena. In the end, most sports journalists in town seem to be going with the simple, yet boring “LCA.” I guess that will stick.
Under any name, the arena is beautiful, with great sight lines, sound, video, amenities, food, and drink. It’s state of the art, and will only enhance the amazingly revitalized downtown of Detroit.

How I Networked My Way to A Job in 100 Days

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Unemployment is brutal. Between bouts of frustration and self-doubt, you have to check in with the state, and fulfill their tedious requirements for applying to jobs. I have a spreadsheet with over 100 jobs I applied to, mostly via postings on LinkedIn, Glassdoor, Ziprecruiter, and Indeed. Ask any job hunting expert, and they’ll tell you that your odds of landing a job from “blindly applying” are around 1 or 2 percent.  Through rejections and non-responses, I slogged away.
My job hunt was made more difficult by the fact that I was undergoing a career change. Well, maybe it was more of a career pivot. I’d been a professional radio DJ since 2004, including 3 years running a station as a Program Director in New Orleans from 2013-2016.  I was looking to break into marketing, social media, or analytics, all areas I had experience in via radio.  But how would I convince would-be employers that I was more than just a monkey who talked over The Chainsmokers? My resume went through several consultants and countless iterations.
The first rule of unemployment is stay busy.  Fortunately, I was hosting bar trivia two nights every week, so that got me out of the house.  I also was working on a couple of podcasts, one sporadically and one weekly.  During the day, I got outside and walked our dog twice a day (having another living breathing thing with me in the house was key), and tackled some household projects as well as daily laundry, dishes, etc.  I even went out and bought a retro Super Nintendo, which occupied me for a nearly two-week stretch when I really was battling the doldrums of joblessness.
Another important piece of “not working” is to keep learning. Here in Michigan, to get unemployment benefits, you have to register with the nonprofit program Michigan Works.  I used the Troy office, and was very impressed by their free resources.  I took classes on career changes, job interviews, leveraging your LinkedIn profile, and more.  I was also assigned a case worker, who showed me that there is grant money available that can be used for continuing education for career changers.
Other great resources include LinkedIn Learning (formerly Linda.com), available with a premium LinkedIn subscription.   I also did Hubspot Academy’s “Inbound Marketing Certification,” an incredibly important course in today’s world where cold calling is becoming obsolete.
I lived on LinkedIn from my dismissal in early August until my new job in late November.  If you can afford it, I highly recommend the premium subscription.  It allows you to find and message job posters when you see an opening.  It also offers advanced insights into who’s checking you out.  Unlike Facebook, I accept almost every request on this platform – you never know who your connections can introduce you too.
As I mentioned in a previous post, I also carefully used Facebook to post “FUNemployment” updates. On the surface, these were meant to be self-deprecating and good for a quick laugh. My ulterior motive, however, was to remind everyone in my network weekly that I was still looking for work.  This is a tactic I highly recommend, as I had many people reach out to me.  This includes high school classmates from 20 (!) years ago, coworkers from 15 years ago, and industry friends that I haven’t ever met in person.  While it’s important to walk a fine line and not appear to be whining or complaining, I found most people are good people and willing to help.
As it would turn out, I landed my new job by some old-school networking. My first of three budget-related radio layoffs came at ClearChannel Burlington, Vermont, in 2006.  I then applied for something I was woefully unqualified for – a research consultant at Coleman Insights, a company in Raleigh, North Carolina.  I interviewed with Warren Kurtzman, and despite not getting the job, I kept in touch via Facebook.  We had similar backgrounds, both having gone to school in upstate New York. We also shared a love of hockey.   I can’t overstate this – try to find one thing you have in common with everyone you network with.   It gives you something to discuss that isn’t career related.
In July, I knew my job was in jeopardy, and I called Warren to pick his brain on my career change.  He was nice enough to connect me to Seth Resler, a longtime radio guy turned consultant here in Detroit.  Seth and I grabbed dinner and beers, and he gave me some great advice, eventually suggesting I speak to his boss, Fred Jacobs of Jacobs Media.  Fred is a legend in the radio business.  He invented the classic rock format, and he’s widely known as one of the sharpest – and nicest – guys around.   I had actually picked his brain when I was working in New Orleans, but I doubted someone of his stature would remember me. He did.
Fred’s a busy guy, and it took some time to find an opening in his schedule.  This is another important lesson. There are some potential contacts who will “blow you off,” and others who want to help but are legitimately busy.  In fact, many people compare networking to dating. Walk away from someone who’s not interested, but if a busy person wants to help, keep at it.  Fred eventually suggested coffee at Starbucks at 7am. You better believe I was up, showered, and sitting there with a notebook at 6:55am.
Fred could not have been nicer and more gracious over coffee.  We figured out the mutual connections we had (radio is a very small business), and he suggested I reach out to Rabbi Jason Miller.  For Fred Jacobs to tell me that Jason is one of the most well-connected guys in Detroit, that carried quite a bit of weight.  It should be the goal of every networking lunch/coffee/dinner/beer to have your guest connect you to at least one person they know.
I eventually grabbed lunch with Rabbi Jason. Jason is involved with a great many organizations in Detroit, and is naturally good friends with the rabbi that married my wife and I last summer.  Jason also runs an IT/website/social media company, Access Technology.  He needed some help with social media, blog posts, and potentially starting a podcast.  Long story short, I started with some contract work and it turned into a full time position.  I’m super excited to work on more and more projects and build on my skill set.
In summary, the key to a job hunt is to leave no stone unturned.  Take classes, online or otherwise. Apply to jobs on every job board possible.  Use your network, and build it to include people at target companies.  You’ll be surprised to find out that more people want to help than don’t.  Use every contact to get at least one more contact.  Remind people (without whining or overwhelming them) that you’re still on the hunt.  And most importantly, don’t burn bridges. You never know who might be able to help.

How Baseball Decided Revenue Trumps Its Future

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Last night, we witnessed one of the greatest baseball games ever.  Here’s how it ended, bringing the beaten-down city of Houston within one game of their first ever World Series Championship.

The slide. The call. The emotion. What. a. game. #EarnHistory 🔊🔊🔊

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Oh wait – I’m sorry.  You probably didn’t witness it.  You may have seen an alert on your phone this morning, or caught it on the morning news, or your Facebook feed.  Why? Well, if you’re part of the 150 million people (about 47% of the country) that lives in the Eastern Time Zone, the game ended at 1:38am…on a Sunday night/Monday morning.
I bet those who went downtown to watch the local football team “Lions” themselves into a loss on primetime TV weren’t anticipating seeing live baseball after they fought traffic and got home to the suburbs.  But the football game, that started at almost the same time, ended nearly two hours faster.
It used to be that baseball was our national pastime – the most popular sport in America.   But over the last few decades, NFL Football has usurped that throne.   Sadly, with the league’s p***-poor record on domestic violence, concussions, player safety, and its recent trip-and-fall into the divisive politics of 2017 – they’ve got some problems.  As a result, the NBA is gaining ground.   This leaves baseball in a distant third place.   Sure, the pace of the game doesn’t match our on-demand dual-screening world.   And soccer, formerly a game for “other countries,” is growing exponentially here.     I know a great deal more kids (especially north of the Mason-Dixon line) that play soccer over football.
Due to soccer being a global game, it’s on virtually any time, anywhere.   The bulk of NFL football is played on Sunday afternoons.    Basketball playoffs start later than regular season games, but they are usually under 3 hours.
So I ask you, what kid, in the Eastern Time Zone, is going to be allowed to stay up past 1am on a school night to watch a baseball game?   It’s also worth noting that the game ended at 12:38am in Houston, and 10:38pm in Los Angeles, which is still pretty late for an impressionable young mind.
By way of being the only one of the 4 major sports (5 if you count soccer) without a game clock, the length of a baseball game leaves an immense amount of room for fluctuation.   Game 1 of this year’s World Series, a pitchers’ duel played under National League Park Rules, was the fastest Fall Classic tilt in a quarter-century.

Had last night’s Game 5 ended in “regulation,” it would have been the longest 9-inning World Series game in history.   It won’t get that distinction, as the dramatic contest went 10 frames, clocking in at 5 hours, 17 minutes, over twice the length of Game 1.  Lots of offense, an inordinate amount of pitching changes, among other factors, make the length of a baseball game wildly unpredictable.
 

Diehard baseball fans who were able to stay up until the game’s dramatic conclusion were treated to a game for the ages – and weren’t complaining about the length of this “Instant Classic.”   But how many casual fans saw it?    I can guarantee that kids who saw that whole thing might become baseball fans for life – with numerous home runs, multiple run leads earned and squandered, and more.
Why do these games start around 8:30?  Well, after 8pm you can maximize “prime time” TV viewing, and corresponding advertising rates.   Also, this is after “work hours” on the West Coast.   But to the greedy suits at MLB HQ in New York, I ask this: would you rather maximize viewers in the first inning, up against NFL football and other big shows? Or would you rather have more eyeballs when the outcome of the game hangs in the balance?   Start the games, especially on a Sunday, at 7pm Eastern.
One final thought – with cable cord-cutting on the rise, the presenting sponsor of the 2017 World Series is…..YouTube TV…a cord-free television service.   More and more people are watching TV – including live sports – on mobile devices.    As this trend grows, and people don’t have to be in their living rooms to watch TV – maybe the “holy grail” that is prime time television will no longer be the golden goose of scheduling.   Start the game at 7, or even 6.  People can watch at their desks.   And more importantly, kids won’t have to miss the epic drama we saw last night.
And maybe Generation Z will like this baseball thing after all.