Radio's Gatekeepers: Why So Many Doors Stay Locked

The Gatekeepers

In this business of radio, there are many people who could have helped other people advance, but they chose not to.

People chose not to pick up the phone when an inquiring personality called the radio station to speak with someone they admired.
People intentionally do not return emails.
They took messages but never returned the phone call.
They made you feel like you were not worth their time.
They stopped taking your calls.

Have you ever done that to someone who was reaching out for help or advice?

You would meet people you admired in the business at radio conferences, and then you found out they were a real arrogant jerk.

In radio, you don’t find too many reciprocal relationships. It is very rare to find humility in media in general, and we accept this kind of behavior as if it’s the standard way of dealing with people. I’m talking about people that you know, people you have poured into, and they stop taking your calls.

A job opening becomes available, and the people you know who could help suddenly go silent.

People have their preferences about who they want to help and who they like. You can’t do anything about that.

So what am I saying to my young people getting into the game of radio, when you’re reaching out to people and they ignore you?

I say: Let them.

There’s a book out by Mel Robbins called The Let Them Theory. When people choose to ignore you—just let them. I never want to see you on your knees groveling for attention just to get a jive-ass job at a radio station.

When people ignore other people, it tells me they are not thoughtful.

You mean to tell me, out of all the hours spent scrolling on the internet wasting time, you don’t have 30 seconds to respond to another human being?

When people make it known that you are not a priority—just let them.

Tell yourself this: The people I am Looking for Are Looking for me Too. That's it. That's what I tell myself everyday, and it's true.

Stop putting people on a pedestal just because they have a high-profile position in radio. You have your own mountain to climb. Stop comparing yourself. It is an improper comparison.

The day one of my early radio mentors—in my mind (LOL)—stopped taking my phone calls, I was like damn. I used to write him in college and he would respond to me. When I became of age in the business, we talked all the time. Then suddenly, he stopped taking my calls. He went ghost, and I didn’t understand it.

So now, just like him, I have people who reach out to me and want to talk, want advice, want guidance. And I always think about how that made me feel. I said to myself, I will not do that to people who look up to me.

Just because you get a high-profile position, have some career exploits, and are seen a certain way in the industry, you should never forget your humble beginnings.

I think this is one of the saddest things about Black radio—what is done to people just looking for a chance.

Let’s help these young people coming up in the business.

Remember when you wanted that phone call back.
Remember when you wanted that email returned.

You are not the only one who ever wanted a radio career.

A lot of Black radio people have been extremely selfish when it comes to helping others advance. So I’m saying this: before you leave this world, help somebody, the same way somebody helped you.

You are not better than anybody to the point where you can’t return a phone call or an email.

And yes—some people are just selfish as hell. There’s nothing you can do about that.

Just make sure you are not one of the people I’m describing in this writing.

You all know what I’m saying is true.

The question is: what are you gonna do about it?

Do you agree this is a problem in our industry?

Talk back to me.