Last night, I was working on another project when I came across an audio presentation of a well-known syndication person, who I consider an industry friend in an interview. I was fine until he said something that prompted me to write this editorial. When asked the question, even as a former radio man himself, ‘what do you think of the people who complain about the lack of jobs because of syndication in urban radio?’ He stated: and I’m paraphrasing ‘if you use your breaks or the opportunity to shine during the breaks, you can still be a star….’
I almost started sh…ting in my office chair. It’s one thing to promote syndication because it’s your job but it’s another thing to TRY to pull the wool over the eyes of pros like me, who know that’s the biggest crock of hot donkey sh… I have ever heard. I hope this brother understand s it’s OK for us to agree to disagree on this sh… but if he doesn’t… oh fooking well…
First of all, who in the fook is interested in hearing, if given, what the announcer has to say between breaks of Tom Joyner or Steve Harvey or whoever the new syndicated show is this week? And how in the fook can that make you a “star?”
As black announcers, programmers and radio pros we have been fed enough bullsh… during our careers to build bullsh… huts to live, work and raise our children in. Our own black radio stations misleading us and lying to us even today? I’m sorry enough is enough and I refuse to be silent on this issue anymore… Even for ads, they can buy all they want and I will run them but STOP LYING TO URBAN RADIO PEOPLE ABOUT SYNDICATION!
I don’t like syndicated radio because I personally am envious of it. There now you have it. I said it and I’m being honest. The reason is, Steve Harvey walked off a TV show that he did for more than 5 years and he is STILL getting paid hefty residuals for it, more than any urban announcer in this country. There are urban radio announcers who have been in the game for 20 years and they are still living paycheck to paycheck. Steve, then comes into our arena with absolutely NO skills, poor grammar and NO training, even though he is funny…. and he is treated like a King, paid an enormous amount of money and he has a company right there ready and willing to suck his dick every time he sneezes AND he gets to have his own side businesses and promote them on his show AND GET PAID SEPARATELY? This is what most urban announcers work for their entire careers and he gets it in 5 minutes??? On top of that, he has the leverage to tell Cathy Hughes and Radio One to “Kiss my entire ass” because they don’t renew his contract or give him what he wants and he is able to go to a new company and become an even BIGGER radio celebrity? I am not mad at Steve for his business acumen at all but you do the math, could you IMAGINE if one of us told Cathy Hughes to “Kiss my entire Ass” in the press at that? Well, I don’t fear her or Radio One because I don’t work for them but for those of us who want to be in urban radio we KNOW the consequences AND WE HAVE EXPERIENCE!!!
Many of us have spent years trying to figure out how we can JUST make a LIVING in urban radio… where is the light at the end of this syndication tunnel for the true radio junkies? Board oping for Steve, Tom or the resident yucker Micheal Baisden? No fooking thanks…. Ironically, the man who made this statement comes from the same humble urban radio beginnings and now he’s making, as he puts it, “great money” and he wants black announcers to believe that slanted, politically prepared statement full of pure bullsh…? Is it possible that the industry can take an unknown young, TRUE radio talent and make them a national syndication celebrity? It seems like we will never know…
I give a LOT of credit to Tom and Wendy. The only “REAL” radio syndication hosts out there both of whom have had to pay ENORMOUS dues to get where they are. Dues that TOWER over all the other syndication show hosts when it comes to urban radio. The urban industry is truly headed for ALL syndication and that’s the way it is, there will be many, MANY, MANY black announcers who will never get their break because of it but don’t LIE to us or the public about the situation, we’re not that stupid and I’m going to correct that sh… and tell the truth where ever I can. I understand business but I don’t understand bullsh….
Kevin
