The Infinite Dial

Name:
Scott Herrold

Current Title/Position/Company:
Program Director & Air Talent - 100.3 The Kross/ Tulsa (Adonai Radio Group)
Air Talent - 106.9 K-Hits / Tulsa (Renda Broadcasting)
Air Talent - 96.3 WDVD & 93.1 DRQ / Detroit (ABC Radio)
Air Talent - 102.5 WIOG / Saginaw (Citadel Broadcasting)
Program Director - 88.1 The Escape / Plymouth (PCCS)

How did you get your start in radio?
My high school had a 200 watt radio station (WSDP) in Plymouth, Michigan. I auditioned my freshmen year as an air talent and was the Program Director by my senior year. While still in high school, Alex Tear & Garett Michaels hired me at Planet 96.3 in Detroit. I worked for Planet 96.3/96.3 WDVD and later added duties at 93.1 DRQ while I completed by business degree at Eastern Michigan University.

What are your career goals?
To own my own radio cluster while keeping my marriage blooming! My original goal was to launch a commercial Christian rock radio station specifically targeted to teens, and we accomplished that with 100.3 The Kross. Now I see a need to create a business model for teen targeted radio that balances profitability and staff equity. Since few companies are specifically targeting teens, they haven’t grown up with the same love for radio that we had. I wouldn’t mind programming KROQ in Los Angeles either….

What do you enjoy most about your work?
I love the creative freedom. When you love your job you never work a day of your life. Music can guide and comfort people, it can impact culture positively. Plus it’s a lot more fun that my previous job- marketing pet products.

What are the biggest challenges ahead for radio, from your perspective?
On air relevance. Many of our radio stations have become continuous liners. The fun on-air vibe has been squelched by all the formatics. We’ve taken the art out of radio and created a systematic science. We need to rebalance because we’re not giving our target demographic much more than her ipod is giving her. We need to get the buzz back!

Innovation. We need to find a new business model for teen targeted radio. It needs to be very event driven. We need to find a way to make the web side of our radio business profitable. I think we can learn a lot from the way professional sports promote events, technology and sponsorships.

What have you learned that you would most like to pass on to your fellow under-thirty-somethings?
Radio is a lifestyle, not a job. Make sure your wife understands the radio lifestyle before you get married. Choose your battles. Talent development is the future of this industry. A great program director is a coach. Treating your employees well creates loyalty. As a program director, you must prioritize your efforts around your show because it is your product. Don’t let your show focus be stolen by tedious meetings, imaging zings and personnel drama. Delegate.