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I love it, I work hard at achieving my goals and the companies. I enjoy the challenge however it's an extreamily hectic lifestyle, one can only do this for so long and by the end most can imagine life without it! Should it get to that stage?
My salary... $33,000 is pathetic for the time, energy and continuous effort I put in 24/7. I continue to steam along, until it gets to that stage... or a better offer arrives!
Lets be realistic, I'm not the only one and I doubt the worse off!!
Two cents worth from another lowly-paid copywriter -
My bitch is that the low wages paid to writers indicate the
level of respect the stations/networks hold for their
creative staff. It's an attitude that demeans the writing
craft. And yes friends, it IS a craft. Assembling an effective
30sec spot which shifts units or makes the phones ring isn't
easy, especially when the brief comes from an illiterate rep
or a muddle-headed client who doesn't have a clue about media
or marketing. And yet this work is entrusted to people who
earn slightly more than the cleaner. Our loyalty to the medium
and the profession is being taken for granted, just to make the
bottom line financials look .000001% better when the annual report comes out. Whew...I feel better now.
Gotta go...more ads to write !
Ah, the caveman approach to peaceful co-existence.
I read with interest the various views on salaries, let me say that very few people beleive they are ever overpaid. I also see almost all the postings are anonymus.
I can tell you i have plenty of well paid vacancies for people who want to have a go and make a regional market their home. Reality is alot dont and i respect that to , but dont expect to step into the great paying gig without paying your dues first.
As an operator in some small markets our choice is often pretty clear cut , provide a local service at as low as price as possible or network it.
I have got two great vacancies for Sales Managers in Toowoomba and Shepparton. If you have a track record and the desire to live in these great communities give me a call.
I am currently a breakfast announcer in sydney .I started as a copywriter 18 years ago on 18 grand, and have had salary highs (over 300 grand) and lows...Now I am pretty low profile and would be one of the lowest paid commercial bk announcers in sydney. I do it because I love it and I think its what I do best - however in my position everyone has an opinion on you or your work..And the money is kind of a cushion to compensate for the **** you can cop from the hundreds of people who know better than you constantly.These days i just want to turn up prepared, do the job and have a nice life..reading what copy etc gets paid is a good eye opener for me to not whinge about my lot.It saddens me that copy feel that way nowadays, because although there were shocking days (friday arvos etc) I always loved the work and felt appreciated.The job drawbacks in copy are nothing compared to the public humiliations you can suffer being an announcer..the "face" of the station.... wendy, allan etc cant go ANYWHERE without people having an opinion about them , and yes, they do pull in the listeners.
The thing about money is it should say anything about you as a person, i mean , you could be the best announcer? writer/ whatever, yet someone with a higher profile gets twice,20 , forty times what you do... It may not be fair, but it will not change. I am enjoying working for less money for a company that gives me freedom and respect. maybe you are working for the wrong company, or the thankless task that is copy is not for you...I will probably eat my words when I end up in copy again soon after I get in trouble for writing this!
Ouch! I can feel the pain being inflicted on our beloved industry. Would any station operate at it’s best potential if the amount of angst posted in this forum were rife at your station?
There are a lot of shop floor workers having their say and from what I read not many Radio smarts form the top providing 'constructive' feedback to soothe these concerns that have been felt for many years (“and I know you are watching :o)” ).
Let’s turn this forum in to a practical use of our time, most radio people know the feelings from within. “What positive advice would you give to a team player at your station”, the kind that motivates not decimates?
Good luck to you as you're reading this, may you work with people dedicated to your success, as it will ultimately lead to theirs!
Remember if ever you’re unhappy with your price tag, ask what can I do to make myself worth more?
PS. Putting some else’s opinion down will not open their eyes, just make you blind.
I thyink this forum is a good idea, but for one problem. I think individuals should speak on behalf of themselves, and not their various professions. The schism between sales and creative is a long standing one, not helped when people generalise about their whole profession and others in it. I'm a Creative Writer, yet I don't share the view of other writers who have posted comments. I started in the country on $19,500, and since then have increased my income by around $10,000 each year, through hard work and dedication (and a few re-locations). If you love what you do, you'll get a lot further an earn a lot more than if you simply focus on the money.
Regional Radio employees are paid a pitance for what they do. Generally they're the local journo, the breakfast side kick, production assistant, receptionist and are expected to be a local celebrity at the OB at the local car dealer. While it's fun, it's hard work, and the pay is pretty awful. I guess it comes down to how much you love the job, and how much you're willing to give to move up the ladder and get to the "big smoke". But for city jocks, who generally all they do is their shift of maybe four hours, where they probably talk for 5 minutes -- they're overpaid!
You pay peanuts .. you get monkeys !
Radio people are not overpaid .. they're underpaid for the most part.
OK there are some examples of multi-million dollar salaries but for the majority the money is pathetic.
I'm around 40 ... and if I was a network news director in radio I'd be pushing it to make 100K. Forget that, my equals in other industries are on that and more. Sadly almost 10 years ago I left radio and went to TV. Sad because I love radio and would still like to be doing it ... but TV is fun too ... and I'm earning well above 100K ... and No I'm not a boss.. or even anyone that important :-)