We Are In This Together

I’m sure, at some point, you had an interest in the recent NCAA Division 1 Mens’ College Basketball Tournament. Bracket management was top of mind. Someday I’ll get it right. Some of us witnessed one very neat event during the Elite 8 portion of the games several weeks ago. We all remember the incredible list of upsets in each round. One of the biggest happened in that Elite 8 round when 9th seeded Florida Atlantic defeated #3 seed Kansas State to head to their first Final Four.

The win was impressive, but even more impressive, and inspiring, was what came from a visitor in the winning team’s locker room after the game. Jerome Tang, the head coach of the losing team, Kansas State Wildcats, praised the FAU team and its coaches for their “toughness” and told them, “Nobody can beat y’all!”

This is a rarity in any business, let alone sports. Coach Tang’s classy move not only demonstrates sportsmanship, but also a profound respect for his opponent and the sport itself. He let the players know they were all a part of the same “family” – college basketball.

Following a very successful Country Radio Seminar, I, along with others, had that same “familial” feeling that Coach Tang articulated. We are all in this together. We work together. We win together. That was Coach Tang’s broader statement.

In our industry, we have our competitors, of course - radio, labels, etc. At CRS 2023, there was the feeling of all of us coming together for one common objective – make Country radio and Country music better! The entire genre.

Let’s not lose that. We did get a start a year ago with our CRS Country Music Committee comprised of more than 40 individuals from all parts of the industry. That committee is still in place, and this week’s “CRS 360” webinar has been part of that process. Aside from this committee, there is more to do, and we ALL should be a part of it.

I’m not asking you to join our committee, or any committee for that matter. Get a network of your own going. Get back in touch and stay in touch with those you connected with at CRS. Some of the most compelling conversations I’ve had over my years in programming were simple, individual phone calls with various colleagues from not just radio, but labels, artist management, trade publications, etc. Different perspectives gave me better ideas for my station, and the same applied for the person on the other end of the conversation. More than a few creative on-air and promotional ideas spawned from these discussions. A healthy, intelligent, creative information exchange. NETWORKING and brainstorming!

Build a nice, small group of “regulars” with whom to connect periodically. And please note, I don’t accept that you’re too busy for this. This is where you should consider spending quality time with others in the industry. If you can take three full days and nights in Nashville in mid-March, I’m sure you can set aside 20-30 minutes every week or two for some meaningful conversation with an industry colleague. Periodic emails also keep those lines of discussion open. I’ve had the pleasure of having GMs, VPs of Programming, PDs, marketing folks, label execs and reps, managers, etc. in my little “group” through the years.

The Country music/Country radio industry is clearly different than any other genre. CRS 2023 proved that. With these ongoing discussions, we can ALL make a difference. We can all make it better. Find strength in each other for the industry. Forget competition for a moment. Let’s continue the dialogue now. Remember – We are all in this TOGETHER!

“Individual commitment to a group effort – that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work”. – Vince Lombardi, Hall of Fame football coach

“Taking Your Radio Presence To The Next Level. Be it an artist, radio programmer or on-air talent. Coaching and mentoring down to your foundational level”

Contact me:
John Shomby
Owner/CEO Country’s Radio Coach
jshomby@countrysradiocoach.com
757-323-1460
https://countrysradiocoach.com