[BC] Do We Still Like Our Jobs?

[Kevin C. Kidd]

Hi Donna,

After 22 years of independent contract work of which the last 7 have been 
full time, I can't imagine doing anything else.  Myself and a part time 
assistant maintain 20+ AM and FM stations in tiny to medium markets AND 
supply engineering solutions anywhere else we are needed.

WELL... on the odd occasion when I have 2 full C FM's off at the same 
time.  Or am on vacation when the little broke down 500 watt mom and pop AM 
goes off because they didn't do what I had recommended 2 years ago but now 
its suddenly a priority... I have second thoughts.  For about 30 seconds.

Second thoughts on a career that includes good pay, negotiable work 
schedule, endless creative problem solving opportunities, and (for the most 
part) great people to work with and around are usually short lived.

I long ago learned that life and happiness is what you make of it.  If you 
are content to work cheap for bad people then you should expect to have a 
poorly paid miserable life.  I am not poorly paid nor miserable.  I AM 
content.

But there are days when I start exploring a new career in professional 
hatchet fighting.



In answer to your questions (remember that I am an independent contractor):


At 10:39 AM 7/28/2005, you wrote:
>Barry and I were talking about doing an article on this subject, and I am 
>eager to do it.  I've worked as a consultant for many years, as you know, 
>and have worked with several of the engineers on this list.  I consider 
>them my friends and admire what they do to make stations sounds 
>better.  But over the past several decades, I've seen a lot of changes in 
>what is expected of engineers, and have heard a number of engineers 
>complain about how they are treated.  On the other hand, some still think 
>it's a great way to  make a living.

Thought it would be 20 years ago and still think it today.  Gary posted 
that engineering "is a life style not a job".  That is a very accurate 
answer.  My lifestyle fits my life.  If business is slow, I play golf or 
fish or play in my flower garden or, or or.  If business is booming I 
work.  I work days, I work nights, sometimes both.  When working those 7 
day 15+hour stretches I know that in the near future things will slow down 
and I will get to play golf every day for a week if I want.  It all 
balances out.



>Soooo, I'd be interested to get the opinions of list members on the 
>subject of being a radio engineer today-- for example, do you feel your 
>station's management treats you with respect?


They either respect me or they will be looking someone they might respect 
more.  I have only had one station manager that tried to treat me badly 
years ago.  No matter what the problem (down to personnel problems) it was 
my fault.  He even told a prospective client that I would come in at night 
and break stuff so I would have to be called the next day to fix it.  He 
couldn't logically answer my question of why would I do something stupid 
like that when he was paying me a monthly contract. I had NEVER billed 
anything outside of the monthly maintenance.  He is long gone and totally 
out of radio now.  I have continued to maintain that site for about 15 
years under a succession of new owners (5 at last count).


>Do you feel your role has changed over the past few years, and if so, has 
>it changed for the better or not?

It certainly has changed.  I don't know if you could really quantize it 
good/bad.  With the amount of work we have and the technology being used, 
we definitely don't do as much hands on troubleshooting and repair work as 
in the past.  Much of the equipment is not field repairable.  My role at 
some stations has evolved  into a quasi, sometimes, part time, on call, 
management position.  A couple of my clients call me when management is 
going to be away.  They _ask_ me to listen and even drop by the station to 
make sure the inmates er... personnel are behaving themselves.  In this 
capacity I have helped with accounting problems,  personnel problems, 
loaned money to a down and out afternoon guy, smacked the occasional hand 
over an on-air incident and EVEN did some engineering work.

Again, I am _ASKED_ to put my managers hat on occasionally.  At these 
stations not only do they pay me well but I get the regular fringe benefits 
of free meals at all kinds of good restaurants (I'm not talking Happy Meals 
but prime rib, seafood, etc), concert and show tickets, all the free CD's I 
can eat.  As an added bonus I even get a free t-shirt sometimes <g>.

>I realise some of you may not wanna talk about your boss

I AM the boss and I'll talk about me anyway I want.  But I guess that you 
really meant station management.  Other than the occasional minor tiff, I 
have nothing but the highest regards for the stations and people I work 
for.  Sometimes I don't understand their thinking but I'm sure they don't 
understand mine sometimes either.  All in all I have a great relationship 
with my client stations.  My stations trust me enough that I usually get 
results when I tell them something HAS to be done or purchased.

I do have the advantage over station employed engineers in that if I tell 
management that they need to do something and they don't, it may cost me 
time or sleep later but in the long run the station will be worse off by 
not doing it (either because of off air or technical costs).  A station 
employee may have to patch a junk transmitter forever whereas a few high 
man-hour patches by me usually motivates management to let me properly fix 
or replace equipment.


>(I can disguise names for the article, if necessary!) and I am not trying 
>to create a giant gripe session--

Radio people gripe???? I wouldn't believe it...


>but I am seriously interested in what your perception is of the broadcast 
>engineering profession today:  would you want your son or daughter to 
>become a radio engineer?

We don't have children yet (that we know of) but it would be fine with me 
if they decided to take up the golden soldering iron and continue.


>Feel free to contact me off-list if you'd rather not have your comments 
>posted!
>
>_______________________________________________
>This is the BROADCAST mailing list
>To send to the list, email: broadcast at radiolists.net
>For sub changes, archives and info on this other lists: 
>http://www.radiolists.net/

-- 

Kevin Kidd, CSRE
WD4RAT
mailto:kkidd at kkbc.com

KK BROADCAST ENGINEERING
http://www.kkbc.com

AM GROUND SYSTEMS CO.
http://www.amgroundsystems.com

51 Ridge Ln
Lawrenceburg, TN 38464
Local:        931-766-2999
Nation Wide:  877-766-2999
FAX:          931-766-3974