Being the owner/operator/general manager of a radio station has its perks. I do get to come and go as I please but I don’t always do that. I don’t want my staff to think I’m a slouch or anything like that. I do arrive early in the morning to gather my thoughts and get some things done before the day gets too crazy with people running up and down halls, in and out of my office for what ever is on their mind and about a bazillion questions running rampant on about as many topics. Okay, there’s no such thing as a bazillion but there is a mega million and trillion. Those numbers work for lots of questions with as many answers. I may not know all of the answers but at least I admit that i don’t know them. I’m learning like a lot of my staff are. We are in it together and we all kind of like it like that. We’re so much like a family at this point in time and to me, that’s a good thing.
I also get the perks of having some amount of power to get things done. Case in point – my news director tried and tried to get Todd Starnes in studio for an interview while he was in town for a book signing and got no where fast. In steps, me – the top of the totem pole. I messaged Todd on Facebook (yes, he and I are Facebook friends) and he asked that I email him at his Fox News email address. I emailed along with my newsman. That didn’t get as far as when I emailed Todd’s handler who was scheduling his events. I kindly but firmly inquired about Todd coming in studio for a short interview on our morning show. It worked. Well, almost. Everything was scheduled but the rain kept things backed up. Todd did do a telephone interview and my Operations Manager and I went to his book signing and got lots of photos and visited a while. Even the telephone interview made my newsman’s day. It made his love for what he does even richer. Now THAT is why I’m in radio. To help a young person get involved on the ground floor and be able to do an interview that will always be on his or her resume. I do love helping others in any way I can.
Now, there is a down side to being owner/operator/general manager. I have to make all the tough decisions. Some of which I’m not good at right now one of which is firing someone. I could have let one of my on air guys go but I didn’t. I somehow see something in him that no one seems to see. I guess there’s something instinctual there that I can’t explain. I sure hope to get better at that. Another thing that I don’t like doing is making decision that have a monetary value. That’s challenging since we’re struggling anyway yet, at the same time, we’ve got old equipment that is gradually needing to be replaced. It’s a hard decision to make but after much thought and prayer, I finality make a decision. Most of the time, it’s a good decision. I do hope I keep a good track record on that one.
In spite of the fact there are negatives to what I do, there are far more positives than negatives to the job. I love the people I work with and the ones I come in contact with everyday. Life is about as awesome as it gets. I am very grateful that God placed me here at WDNG. Is a great place to be, especially being in the middle of what God wants me to do.
God Bless
CFG
