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PERSONAL INTERVIEWS WITH GENERAL
MANAGERS. 0F COMMERCIAL
TELEVISION STATIONS

AND '
TWELVE CASE STUDIES

“muons for {I'm Degree of M. A.
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Peter M. DiMeo
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ABSTRACT
PERSONAL INTERVIEWS WITH GENERAL MANAGERS
OF COMMERCIAL TELEVISION STATIONS

AND
TWELVE CASE STUDIES

BY

Peter M. DiMeo

There is a general consensus among those people in
broadcasting that a broadcast education does not adequately
prepare the broadcasting student for a career in broadcast-
ing. In order to test this statement, the author inter~
viewed the general managers of seven commercial television
stations, all of which are network affiliates and are in the
top one-hundred markets. When exposed to the statement
above, most of the general managers interviewed by the
author felt that "a broadcast education is not enough."2
They suggested that broadcast curricula be revised and that
more internships be made available to the broadcasting
student so that he or she can get a more realistic under-
standing of how complex the broadcasting business is.3

The question of whether or not a gap exists between
what is taught at the colleges and universities and what is
done in the broadcasting industry is of interest both to

broadcasting students and educators alike. Because the

Peter M. DiMeo

author could not find any tests dealing specifically with
this issue, he has attempted to investigate it on his own.
By interviewing the general managers of commercial tele—
vision stations and reporting actual case studies and
responses to certain questions asked by the author, he
hopes to investigate this issue as well as give the broad—
casting student a taste of what he or she can expect
"on-the job." It is hoped that the actual case studies and
the responses to questions dealing specifically with the
position of general manager that are included in this thesis
may prove useful as an educational aid.

Although it was the author's intention to concentrate
exclusively upon the general manager of a commercial tele-
vision station, the case studies can be useful not only to
the student interested in becoming a general manager but
also to those interested in other areas of broadcasting.
The twelve case studies presented in this thesis all involve
the general manager, either directly or indirectly. At the
same time, however, the case studies contain overlapping
information primarily about the area of sales but also to
some extent about personnel and programming matters. For
this reason, the case studies may appeal to broadcasting

students and educators with more than one area of interest.

Peter M. DiMeo

The author chose eight questions specifically about the
general manager of a commercial television station on which
to base his comparison of primary and secondary sources. By
comparing primary and secondary sources in these areas, the
author hopes to further investigate the issue of whether a
gap does indeed exist. The author asked each of the seven
general managers of commercial television stations the
following eight questions:

1) What is the definition of a general manager of a
commercial television station?

2) What are some of the major problems he encounters?
3) What type of personality should he have?
4) How many hours per day does he work on an average?

5) What college courses, if any, should future general
managers of commercial television stations take?

6) Is a college degree necessary to manage a commercial
television station?

7) How valuable is a degree in broadcasting?
8) What seems to be the path to take in order to become
a general manager of a commercial television sta-
tion?
By no means will this thesis provide the broadcasting
student with all the necessary information about broadcast-
ing and the general manager of a commercial television

station. It is merely an attempt on the author's part to

supplement information contained in secondary sources about

Peter M. DiMeo

the general manager of a commercial television station and
, to investigate the question of whether or not there is a gap
between what is taught in the universities and what is done

in the broadcasting industry.

REFERENCES

1. Arthur L. Savage, Jr., The Teaching of Broadcast Manage-
ment In American Colleges and Universities (East Lansing,
Michigan: Michigan State University, 1971), pp. 69, 73.

2. Based on personal interviews conducted with general

managers of commercial television stations in October
1975.

3. Ibid.

PERSONAL INTERVIEWS WITH GENERAL MANAGERS
OF COMMERCIAL TELEVISION STATIONS
AND

TWELVE CASE STUDIES

BY

Peter M. DiMeo

A THESIS

Submitted to
Michigan State University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of

MASTER OF ARTS

Department of Telecommunication

1976

Accepted by the faculty of the Department of
Telecommunication, College of Communication Arts
and Sciences, Michigan State University, in partial

fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of

Arts degree.

  
 

 

Director of Thesis

ii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The author wishes to thank Dr. John D. Abel, thesis
advisor, for his time, consideration, guidance, construc-
tive criticism, and recommendations.

The author also wishes to thank all those general
managers who were considerate enough to speak to him.
Without their help, he would not have been able to present
the twelve case studies contained in this thesis.

Finally, the author wishes to thank his wife Barbara
whose consideration, understanding, and support made this

possible.

 

iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER Page

I. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND................... 1
II. METHODOLOGYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 5
I I I 0 THE TWELVE CASE STUDIES 0 O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O 9

The Cocky Salesman....................... 9
The Morton Problem....................... 12
The Collection Problem................... 14
The Organization Change.................. 16
A Salesman's Weakness.................... 19
Take It or Leave It...................... 21
An Easier Sell?.......................... 23
The New Buyer............................ 25
The Marks Carpet Account................. 27
All or Nothing........................... 30
The Sensuous and Sensational Problem..... 34
A Tough Decision......................... 37

Iv. FINDINGSOIOOO00.00.0000...OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. 40

Definition of a General Manager.......... 42
Major Problems........................... 43
Type of Personality...................... 46
Number of Hours Per Day a General Manager
Works............................... 48
Recommended College Courses.............. 48
Necessity of College Degree.............. 50
Value of a Broadcasting Degree........... 51
Path to Becoming a General Manager....... 52

V. CONCLUSIONOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO 54

RecommendationSOOOOO0.0.0.000...0.0...0.. 57
Recommended Texts........................ 58

BIBLIOGRAPHY...O0..0.00.00....OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO0...... 60

iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS--continued Page

APPENDIX--Samp1e Cover Letter.......... ..... ......... 61
Purpose of Interview....................... 62
Additional Questions....................... 63
Sample Release Form............. ..... ...... 64

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

The author's rationale for undertaking this thesis is
the hope that it will serve three basic purposes of interest
both to the author and to the broadcasting student in
general.

The first purpose of this thesis is to give the author
and broadcasting student a taste of what to expect "on-the-
job." It is for this reason that the author has included
twelve actual case studies of real problems that have
occurred at commercial television stations. The author has
purposefully omitted the "solutions" in all of the case
studies. In so doing, he hopes to involve the reader more
fully and to allow the reader to arrive at his own decisions
without being biased by the decisions that were made by the
station "experts." Again, as stated in the Abstract, the
case studies deal primarily with the general manager of a
commercial television station but have applications in other
areas of commercial broadcasting as well.

The second purpose the author hopes to accomplish is to

obtain information about the position of general manager of

a commercial television station from actual station managers.
It is the author‘s ultimate goal to manage a commercial
television station. Because of this, he is interested in
certain questions specifically about the general manager‘s
position. This thesis contains the responses by the general
managers of seven commercial television stations to the
eight questions specifically about the general manager's
position that are listed in the Abstract. Although this
part of the thesis may not be of interest to the broadcast—
ing student in general, it will be of interest to those,
like the author, who are interested in one day managing a
commercial television station.

The final purpose of this thesis is to investigate the
issue of whether or not there is a gap between what is
taught in the universities and what is done in the broad-
casting industry. Because the author could not possibly
deal with all areas of broadcasting and because his inter-
est lies particularly in the position of general manager of
a commercial television station, he has chosen to investi-
gate this issue by comparing his primary and secondary
sources in the eight areas mentioned in the Abstract which
pertain exclusively to the general manager of a commercial
television station. Although the author does not wish to
reveal his findings here, he does wish to point out that he

found the results very surprising and feels that they will

be of interest to anyone wondering how valuable the broad-
casting degree is.

This thesis is different from those done in the past
because it attempts to compare and contrast primary and
secondary sources in a specific area. In addition, it is
slanted primarily toward the general manager of a commercial
television station. Finally, it provides more recent case
studies, as the last thesis containing case studies was
written in 1971.

In order to accomplish his purposes, the author has
organized this thesis into four chapters in addition to this
introduction: the methodology, a presentation of twelve
actual case studies, the author's findings revealed in his
comparison of primary and secondary sources, and a conclu-
sion.

The methodology, Chapter II, gives the reader a step-
by-step account of the procedures used by the author in
completing the research for this thesis. It is divided
into two parts. The first part deals with acquiring the
actual case studies: that is, the primary sources. The
second part contains the methodology used by the author in
acquiring the secondary sources, or published works by
experts. The methodology may help the reader understand
more clearly what the author has tried to do and may be of

value to him should he wish to conduct similar research.

 

 

t3

t6

dI

Twelve actual case studies comprise Chapter III of this
thesis. The author hopes that the twelve case studies
presented will give the broadcasting student and educator
some insight into some of the decisions and problems which
the general manager of a commercial television station faces
daily.

Chapter IV of this thesis consists of the findings
that the author discovered when comparing and contrasting
his primary and secondary sources regarding the eight spe-
cific questions pertaining to the general manager. This
section will be of interest primarily to those broadcasting
students who are interested in the general management of a
commercial television station.

The conclusion, Chapter V, contains the outcome of the
author's research. It also contains recommendations for
those interested in becoming general managers of commercial
television station, along with a brief discussion of second—

ary sources found to be most worthwhile by the author.

CHAPTER II

METHODOLOGY

This thesis contains both primary and secondary sources,
primary sources consisting of actual case studies using the
case study method developed by the Harvard Business School1
and secondary sources consisting of published works written
by experts in the field.

Before conducting the personal interviews with general
managers of commercial television stations necessary to
acquire the actual case studies, the author selected a state
in which to conduct his interviews. He then acquired
Standard Rate and Data Service for Television Markets from
the Michigan State University Library. Turning to the
alphabetical listing of states, he was able to locate the
state he had chosen and review all the commercial television
stations in that state. The author then determined which

stations he could reach without "undue time, travel, and

 

1Malcom NcNair and Anita Hersum, The Case Method at
the Harvard Business School (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1954),
pp. 256-276.

 

expense."1 Next, he photocopied a list of those commercial
television stations from this section which fulfilled the
above requirement. This list included such other informa-
tion as "Station Call Letters," "Address," "Personnel,"
"Facilities," "Agency Commission," "General Advertising
Codes," etc. From this list, he was able to obtain the
names and addresses of the general managers which were
included under the "Personnel" category.

Next, he wrote a letter to each general manager re-
questing a personal interview and stating the purpose of
the request (see Appendix). Approximately one week later,
the author telephoned each general manager as a follow-up
to his letter. At that time, a firm date was agreed upon
on which to conduct the personal interview.

For the next several weeks, the author was busy keeping
his appointments to interview the general managers. Before
interviewing them, however, he prepared a brief presentation
containing a Purpose of Interview Statement, an example of
an actual case study, a sample release form (see Appendix),
and a bound, published thesis. This information was given
to each of the general managers before beginning the per-
sonal interview so that there would be no question about the

purpose of the interview, what was expected of the general

 

1Department of Telecommunication, TV-Radio Graduate

Student's Handbook (East Lansing: Department of Telecom-
munication, 1974I, p. 11.

 

 

manager, and for what purpose the information would be
used.

After the general managers had presented their case
studies and the author had recorded them, he proceeded to
ask them certain brief questions (see Appendix), giving
them the liberty to elaborate upon them or not, as they saw
fit. At the end of the last question, the author thanked
them for their time and consideration. He explained that
he would send a final draft of the cases with release forms
for them to sign upon acceptance of the cases. He again
stressed that all names would be changed and that the
material would be used for educational purposes only.

The methodology used to acquire the secondary sources
basically involved research conducted at the Michigan State
University Library. The author consulted standard reference
sources such as the card catalog in order to locate second-
ary sources by experts in the field. He then examined
approximately twenty-one works in the area of broadcasting
in order to find the information he needed to complete this
thesis. All the secondary research was conducted the summer
before the personal interviews were scheduled so that the
author would be aware of general problems and tendencies
and would have some knowledge of the field before talking
to the general managers. In this way, he could avoid wast—

ing their time, he would be able to converse intelligently

with them, and he would be able to ask meaningful questions.
In conclusion, the author wishes to say that preparing
this thesis has been an educational experience for him and
he hopes that it will prove of value not only to the broad-
casting student interested in becoming a general manager of

a commercial television station but also to the broadcasting

student in general.

 

muck

CHAPTER III

THE TWELVE CASE STUDIES

THE COCKY SALESMAN

"It's always unpleasant to admit being wrong, but I'm
afraid I missed the boat completely as far as Wayne Young
is concerned. He's not working out."

As Jason Miller, general manager of WXXX-TV, listened
to his sales manager, he was reminded of the situation sur-
rounding the hiring of Wayne Young for a sales position.
Although Wayne was obviously intelligent and had completed
two years of college, he had been against hiring Wayne
because of his youth and inexperience. He had, however,
listened to his sales manager who had seen in Wayne a poten-
tially promising salesman.

"It's a little early to expect him to be bringing in
much revenue," Mr. Miller said softly.

"Oh, it's not that," said Walter Prince. "He's doing
as well as salesmen with double his experience. In fact,
he's cleared $1600 in the last few months."

"Then I don't understand the problem. You should be

happy he's doing so well."

10

“It's not his performance that's lacking—-it's his
attitude."

Mr. Miller listened without interrupting as his sales
manager explained the situation. Saleswise, Wayne was per-
forming well, perhaps too well. Although at first he had
done everything by the book, his early success seemed to
have spoiled him. He began to take extremely long lunches,
his relations with station personnel became poor, and he
started to neglect his appearance and job responsibilities.
Worst of all, he had begun underselling the station to
acquire accounts, a practice which was against strict sta-
tion policy.

"Have you spoken to Wayne about all this?" asked the
general manager.

"Yes, but without much success. He's got the cocky
attitude that we won't fire him as long as he's bringing in
the bucks."

"What's his effect on the other salesmen?"

"They don't like him much," answered Walter, "at least,
not since he's become a big 'success.'"

Jason Miller sat silently as he thought over the alter-
natives. He could try to straighten Wayne out, thus keeping
a potentially good salesman or he could fire Wayne and
replace him before the station invested any more time and

effort in him. Wayne was young enough to change, but his

11

very youth was against him as it revealed his lack of
maturity. Jason Miller hated making this type of choice-—
there were no clear-cut considerations on which to base a
logical decision. The decision could only be based on one
man's judgment of another man's personality. He addressed
his sales manager:

"Walter, I'd like to talk to Wayne. Can you arrange a
meeting before the end of the week? Of course, I'd like
you to be there, too."

"Don't worry. Cocky kid or not, he'll be there. How's
ten o'clock Thursday sound?"

"Fine," said Jason Miller. "I'll see the two of you

then."

12

THE MORTON PROBLEM

Arthur Morton had been a salesman for WYYY-TV for the
past three years. Not yet forty, he was the highest-selling
salesman and had maintained this position for the past two-
and-a-half years. Unfortunately, the knowledge of his
success had a detrimental effect on his attitude toward
station personnel. He was overbearing, demanding, tempera-
mental, and, in general, hard to get along with.

Mr. Walter Ryan sighed. If it were the least success-
ful salesman involved, he would not have this problem.
What, though, should he do in the present situation?

Mr. Morton was a valuable asset to the station, and he knew
it.

The present situation had been aggravated lately by
certain actions Mr. Morton had taken. When a client had
cancelled an appointment with Mr. Morton, he had decided
not to come in that day but to attend a lecture on a sub-
ject totally unrelated to his work. Although this in itself
could be excused, Mr. Morton had committed the offense of
completely bypassing the office procedure of "signing out"
with the sales manager's secretary.

Both Mr. Ryan, the general manager, and his sales
manager believed in giving the salesmen freedom to accom-

plish their work, but there was one hard-and-fast rule that

13

both insisted upon; namely, that the salesmen call the

sales manager's secretary to let her know where they could
be reached. In this way, should any problem arise requiring
a salesman's attention, the sales manager would know how to
contact him.

Although this procedure had been stressed frequently,
Mr. Morton had ignored it and had instead told the mainte-
nance man where he was. It had been hours before the mainte-
nance man had relayed the message to the secretary.

Although no problem had arose, Mr. Ryan shuddered as he
thought of the possibilities. No doubt Arthur Morton had
been annoyed by the secretary's reminders to sign out or had
had angry words with her during one of his "temperamental
outbursts" and had decided to teach her a lesson. Regard-
less of his reasons, Arthur had broken one of the "ten
commandments" of WYYY-TV.

Walter Ryan could not afford to let the situation hap-
pen again or have it spread to the other salesmen. He was
torn between his desire to punish Arthur and his knowledge
that Arthur was the Number One Salesman. If he punished
Arthur, Arthur could easily become angry and quit. If he
did not punish him, on the other hand, Arthur might repeat
his action or set an example for the other salesmen to
imitate. As general manager, Mr. Ryan knew that the de-

cision was his alone to make.

14

THE COLLECTION PROBLEM

As Mr. Arnold Johnson sat reviewing some papers in his
office, he knew that WZZZ-TV was in trouble. It was a
problem that had not come up before in his career as
general manager of WZZZ—TV. Usually, one of the biggest
problems he and his sales manager faced was how to motivate
the salesmen in order to keep sales high. This time, the
problem was almost the opposite--all the salesmen were high-
ly successful and well-motivated. Unfortunately, they
seemed to be selling to too many clients who were poor
credit risks and who became "collection problems."

He looked over the accounts receivable information on
his desk. It was the station's official policy not to air
accounts which went over ninety days past-due. If he were
to honor the official policy now, a significant amount of
his billing would have to be cancelled. Although one sales-
man in particular seemed to attract the poorest credit
risks, Mr. Johnson knew that the tendency was spreading to
other salesmen as well. Had he and his sales manager
"over-motivated" the salesmen so that they tried to sell
everything in sight, regardless of credit and collection
considerations?

The problem he and his sales manager now faced was how

to make the salesmen take more interest in the collection

15

aspect of selling without putting a damper on their motiva-
tion and enthusiasm for making the sale. As a former sales-
man, Mr. Johnson knew that salesmen have a tendency to see
the collection aspect of a sale as an "administrative
responsibility." However, without caution and cooperation
on the salesman's part, collecting from the client became
unnecessarily difficult.

As general manager, Mr. Johnson knew that the present
situation could not be allowed to continue. The station
would be out of business, no matter how many sales were

made, if they could not collect from their clients.

16

THE ORGANIZATION CHANGE

"Clark, as your sales manager, I feel that there's a
situation you should be made aware of. I think we should
change our national rep--we're not getting the considera-
tion we should be from them," said Martin Blake.

Clark Williams, general manager of WUUU-TV, was sur-
prised at this information his sales manager gave him. The
station had always done business with Comet Advertising.

In fact, he liked Carter Green, the national sales repre-
sentative from Comet and felt that they had an exceptional-
ly good working relationship.

"What reason do you have for feeling this way, Martin?"
asked the general manager. "We've done business with them
for years without any problems. Why the sudden change in
attitude? Are our national sales decreasing?"

“No, they're not, but our share of the market isn't in-
creasing any. Every time I make recommendations, they
ignore them. I don't feel they're following through in
terms of gathering market information which can be used to
attract advertisers. As a result, although dollar-wise our
national sales are increasing, our market share of those
advertising dollars is remaining stable. Without growth in
this area, we could have serious problems in the future.

Ever since Comet Advertising underwent that organizational

17

change, it seems they have less and less time to spend with
us."

"Have you discussed your feelings with Carter Green?"
asked Mr. Williams.

"Yes, I have. He just laughs and says Comet knows
best--that's their business, and they know what they're
doing."

"And you disagree with that?"

"Yes, I do. Don't you? Don't you feel we should have
a say in the matter? After all, it's our revenue that's
involved!" said Martin hotly.

"I see your point, Martin, but I feel I need more facts
and figures before I can make a decision of that importance.
After all, we've had good results dealing with Comet. Why
change when you've got a proven thing" If, however, the
trend you've pointed out isn't merely a temporary fluctua-
tion, then we should get together with Carter and discuss
this situation. I feel Carter deserves to be involved in
any decision we make-~I wouldn't want to cancel him without
any explanation. How long will it take you to get your
facts and figures together?"

"I could have them for you by Thursday," said the
sales manager.

"Good, I'll expect you Thursday around nine-thirty."

18

As Martin left, Mr. Williams pondered the situation.
He would hate to see Carter Green go, but if his sales
manager were right, then he had little choice. Although it
was still early enough to check any unpromising trends, he
felt that Martin wanted total cancellation rather than
"second chances." As he settled down to that day's work,

he hoped Martin's statistics were as conclusive as possible.

19

A SALESMAN'S WEAKNESS

Mr. Wyatt Fuller, general manager of WBBB-TV, dreaded
his upcoming meeting with his sales manager. It was not
that he disliked Jerry Waters; it was the subject of the
meeting which distressed him. The problem was Harry
Roberts, one of the station's salesmen.

According to Jerry Waters, Harry's billing was 50 per-
cent of what it should have been based on both his previous
years' performances and on the billing of the other sales-
men. As Jerry had explained it, Harry's problem was his
inability to seek new accounts. This weakness on his part
was affecting the station detrimentally. The station could
not afford to keep a full-time salesman who "couldn't pull
his weight."

Logically, it was a "shape up or ship out" situation.
However, Mr. Fuller admitted to being swayed as much by
logic as by his feelings. Harry had been with WBBB-TV for
five years. As a graduate in the communications field, he
was well qualified for the position. In addition, there
was a Mrs. Roberts and three little Roberts in the picture.
All of which made a strictly logical decision almost impos-
sible for Mr. Fuller.

The sales manager felt that Harry's inability to seek

new accounts was a weakness that Harry could not overcome.

20

He pointed to problems in Harry's past performance that
were at first contributed to his inexperience. When these
problems did not disappear after five years but became
worse, they had to be attributed to personality rather than
inexperience. To keep Harry Roberts on, Jerry Waters
pointed out, would be expensive for the station and could
conceivably cause morale problems among the other salesmen.
When Mr. Fuller suggested additional training for Harry,
the sales manager had laughed. He saw it as a personality
problem, pure and simple. "You can't teach an old dog new
tricks," he had said.

As general manager, it was his decision in the end
whether to keep Harry or let him go. It was clear what
decision Jerry Waters felt was right, and as sales manager,
he knew more about the situation than Mr. Fuller did.
Still, Mr. Fuller did not see the situation in the same
light as Jerry did. However, no matter what decision he
made, he would have to be able to justify it not only to

his sales manager and himself, but also to his superiors.

21

TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT

Jim Jones, station manager of WCCC-TV, found himself
in an unpleasant position. For the past several years, his
station had been losing money. This year, the station
would be operating in the red for the first time. Out of
the blue, came an offer that would save the station. In
return for carrying the Sunshine Organization's programs,
WCCC-TV would receive a life-saving $150,000 in revenue.

The problem, as Jim Jones saw it, was that the programs
produced by the Sunshine Organization were of a highly
specialized and religious nature. It was the type of pro-
gramming which traditionally did not attract audiences.
Although he would save his station by carrying it, at the
same time he would be hurting WCCC—TV by lowering the sta-
tion's audience appeal and ratings. This would make it less
desirable to other advertisers. As Mr. Jones saw it, it
was a vicious circle.

Mr. Jones had decided to carry the programming out of
necessity, although his program manager had been vehemently
against it because he felt it would have a detrimental
effect on the station's image. Six months after the fact,
there was no conclusive evidence to support the program
manager's claim. All of which made the present situation

all that much harder for the general manager.

22

Yesterday, the Sunshine Organization had made a re-
quest that the station air the same program twice in the
same day in order to reach more people. To do so would mean
an additional $125,000 in revenue for WCCC-TV, making a
grand total of $275,000 for the year. There was no doubt
in the station manager's mind that the station needed that
money. If the program manager were right, however, to com-
ply with the Sunshine Organization's request would make
WCCC-TV totally dependent on them for revenue and even more
unappealing to other advertisers.

Mr. Jones wished he had more time to make the decision,
but he did not. In a few short hours, he was scheduled to
meet with the Sunshine Organization's representative to give
his final decision. Should he comply with their request or
should he finish out the contract hoping that the station
could come up with a plan which would raise its ratings and

attract more advertisers?

23

AN EASIER SELL?

"How's the Max Restaurant account coming along?" asked
Mr. George, sales manager of WAAA-TV.

Mr. Charles Cash, one of the station's top salesmen,
hesitated before answering.

"Well, Max Junior is in favor of advertising on our
station, but I haven't been able to convince his father yet.
I need more time to close this one."

"Don't waste too much time on this account, Chuck. If
I remember correctly, Max's Restaurant is a small family
business. I don't imagine they have a hell of a lot of
money to invest in advertising. Is it really worth all the
time and effort you've put into it?"

"I don't know. Max's Restaurant has been a steady
advertiser for as long as they've been in business. If I
could just get them to switch their advertising dollars from
print to television.... It may not amount to big money but
it would be steady and there's a possibility that they might
expand."

The sales manager interrupted:

"Everything you've said is pure speculation. Remember,
while you're wasting time on this one account, there are

plenty of other easier sells out there."

24

Chuck knew that his sales manager had a point. There
was no guarantee that Max Junior would go against the wishes
of his father. Max Senior had reacted hostilely to every
suggestion he had made--he was well satisfied with advertis-
ing in the print medium and saw no reason to change after
forty years. The son, on the other hand, definitely wanted
to advertise on WAAA-TV. Although their present advertising
budget was small--only $135 per week--it was steady money
regardless of whether the business grew or not. One day,
Max Junior would own the business, but until then Max Senior
was in charge.

Should he continue in the hope that Max Junior could
convince his father or should he go in search of "the easier

sell?"

25

THE NEW BUYER

"I regret to tell you this," said Mr. Art Jones,"but
as your sales manager I must. It seems that our clients
aren't buying as much as they did in the past. With the
advent of the thirty-second spot, our clients are spreading
their advertising budgets over more stations and are buying
less. To get a thirteen-week buy now is practically un-
heard of. In addition, the buyers we do have are not as
quick to buy as they have been in the past. They want more
open prices, prices based on rating points, CPM prices, DMA
info, etc. In other words, buyers are getting more demand-
ing and sophisticated than they have been in the past. The
effect is that our sales have been going down."

Mr. Grant Ames, station manager of WDDD-TV, sat ponder-
ing the information his sales manager had just given him.
It was a Monday morning, the same as most Monday mornings
except that he had just returned from a two-week vacation.
Mr. Ames was surprised at the information. He viewed him-
self as a successful general manager. He was proud to be
the general manager of WDDD-TV; it was a relatively new
station in the top one hundred markets, and his overall
sales revenue was above average. In fact, of all the total
avails 65 percent or more were sold, and based on the

station's past performance, its sales were steadily

26

increasing from year to year. There was no doubt in his
mind that WDDD-TV was a competitive station.

"What you have just told me is very disturbing," said
the general manager, "especially in light of the fact that
our operating costs have been increasing steadily. If the
trend you've highlighted continues, we're going to be in
serious trouble."

Mr. Ames knew that it was up to him to come up with a
plan of action. Should he hire more salesmen in the hope
of selling more avails? To do so would mean an increase in
operating costs as he would have to pay for the additional
salaries. Should he reduce the number of personnel, thus
reducing his operating costs, or would that impair the
efficiency of the station? These and many more questions
had to be answered-~not only answered quickly, but answered

correctly. Mr. Ames sighed; it was going to be a long day.

27

THE MARKS CARPET ACCOUNT

Mr. Bill Beard, sales manager of WFFF—TV, was sitting
in his office reviewing the performance of his salesmen.
Overall, he felt satisfied--he liked to think of them as a
winning team with himself as captain of that team. The year
was not yet half over, but most of his salesmen were over
the halfway mark to meeting their quotas. All in all, there
was only one blot on the record: the Marks Carpet Account.

Mr. Beard frowned: WFFF-TV had not yet been paid for
the time bought by Marks Carpets. Although the station was
still running the commercials, Mr. Beard felt that payment
was long overdue.

He picked up his telephone and dialed Greg Powers'
extension, hoping to find him still in the building. As the
salesman handling the Marks Carpet account, Greg should be
able to fill him in on the situation.

"Greg Powers here, can I help you?" came the pleasant
voice on the other end.

"I hope so, Greg," said Mr. Beard. "It's about Marks
Carpets."

Greg Powers laughed:

"What a coincidence!" he said. "I talked to Jim
Shines of Star Advertising Agency today. As you know, they

produce the commercials for Marks Carpets. They're sending

28

us payment in full--they're mailing the check in tomorrow's
mail, as a matter of fact."

"Super," said Mr. Beard. He smiled as be imagined a
large blot disappearing in mid-air, leaving a clean, tidy
page behind.

Two weeks later, Mr. Beard was called in to the general
manager's office. He could not help wondering what Mr.
Jackson wanted--he hoped it were good news.

"Sit down, Bill," said Mr. Jackson. "Are you familiar
with the Marks Carpet account?"

"Oh, that's been straightened out. They're paying in
full. Did we receive the check yet?"

"Yes, we did; it bounced."

"Bounced?" asked Mr. Beard incredulously. "How could
it have bounced?"

"Star Advertising is going bankrupt," said the general
manager, "that's how! The only possibility of getting our
money now is to go to court, and I've decided against that.
Instead, we'll cancel all the remaining commercials. That
way, it won't be a total loss. I'd appreciate it if you'd
tell your salesmen that their responsibility doesn't end
when the sale is made-~they're also responsible for col-
lecting on their accounts."

As Mr. Beard left the office, his surprise was mingled

with relief--he'd heard the last of Marks Carpets.

29

Two days later, an excited Greg Powers burst into his
office.

"Why did you cancel Marks Carpets? Mr. Marks is
threatening to sue us!"

"Because the check Mr. Shines sent us bounced."

"But Mr. Marks already paid Star Advertising in full--
they were supposed to pay us. He said he's not going to
suffer because Star Advertising went bankrupt. He's serious
about suing us!"

Mr. Beard groaned. Would he never hear the end of
Marks Carpets?

"Have you told Mr. Jackson yet?" he asked Greg.

"No, I just got off the phone," answered Greg.

"Let's go, then. I think this is something he should
know about. We've got to come up with a strategy to avoid
this type of situation in the future," said Mr. Beard as he

slowly climbed the stairs to the general manager's office.

30

ALL OR NOTHING

Mr. Bud Stone, Sales Manager of WHHH-TV, was sitting
in his office. It was a beautiful Monday morning as he
gazed out his office window and noticed the brilliant colors
of the leaves. For the first time in quite a while, he had
a free moment in which to enjoy his cup of coffee and
reminisce about his first job in broadcasting. He smiled
to himself as he realized how long ago it had been. In the
more than twenty years that he had been in broadcasting, he
had come up through the ranks and enjoyed every challenging
moment of it. How ironical that his first job had been
selling radios and television sets!

Before he could finish his coffee, his secretary buzzed
him. Mr. Stone sighed; he'd known that his moment of peace
could not last long. He picked up the telephone.

"Yes, Nancy?" asked Mr. Stone.

"Mr. Ron Harder is here to see you."

"Please show him in, Nancy."

Nancy ushered Mr. Harder in and then left the room.

"Please sit down, Mr. Harder. Would you care for a
cup of coffee?"

"No, thank you," responded Mr. Harder.

"In that case," said Mr. Stone, "what can I do for you?"

31

"I represent a theatrical chain, Mr. Stone. We're
interested in doing business with your station. As you know,
the commercials for our films are part of a package deal.
Our only stipulation is that the commercials be aired during
prime time."

"I see," said Mr. Stone. "Do you have more detailed
information about the films?"

Mr. Harder handed him some literature about upcoming
film features in the Theatres. As Mr. Stone looked through
it, he was surprised to see that one of the films dealt
with what he termed "adult matters."

"Well, I'm afraid I can't give you a straight yes-or-
no answer right now," Mr. Stone said. "Personally, I find
the subject matter of one of the films to be unsuitable for
prime-time viewing. Apparently, you aren't aware that
WHHH-TV is a subscriber to the N.A.B. Code and the family
viewing concept."

"I'm really shocked to hear that you feel that way,"
said Mr. Harder. Several other stations in your market
have carried other commercials of the same type as ours,
and no one's ever offered the slightest objection to the
content. I suggest you talk it over with your general
manager. There's a lot of revenue and a contract involved--
why lose all because you dislike one film commercial out of

the entire package?"

32

Mr. Stone knew that Ron Harder was right. Although he
himself preferred not to air that particular film, he knew
that it was an "all or nothing" situation. To reject one
film was to reject the entire package. Too much money for
the station was involved; he did not want to be the one to
make the decision.

"Thank you very much for your time, Mr. Harder. I'll
confer with the general manager and we'll contact you
shortly."

As soon as Mr. Harder left, Mr. Stone phoned the
general manager's office.

"Mr. Waters, I've got a problem. Is it possible to see
you right now for about half-an-hour?"

"For you, Bud, anything," joked the general manager of
WHHH-TV, "Come on up."

Mr. Waters sat silently while the sales manager
explained the situation to him. He said:

"I'm glad you consulted me, Bud. It's not going to be
an easy choice to make. Nevertheless, one has to be made.
Let's arrange a meeting with Mr. Harder tomorrow if pos—
sible."

Mr. Stone felt relieved that the burden for the deci-
sion had been taken off his shoulders and, at the same
time, curious to learn what the general manager‘s decision

would be.

33

"Thanks for seeing me, Mr. Waters," he said as he left

to arrange the meeting.

34

THE SENSUOUS AND SENSATIONAL PROBLEM

Mr. Paul Rogers, sales manager of WIII-TV, was looking
over some papers in his office. It had not been a typical
business day; it had been quiet and without any major prob—
lems. For this reason, Mr. Rogers was happy when the tele—
phone rang and his secretary interrupted him to tell him
that Mr. Tom Sommers of A & B Advertising was on his line
waiting to talk to him.

"Hello, Tom," said Mr. Rogers. "What can I do for
you?"

"Well," said the voice on the other line, "I have a
client who's interested in buying some spots on your sta-
tion."

"That's terrific," said Mr. Rogers, "who's your client?"

The voice on the other line hesitated before replying:

“The Sensuous and Sensational Personal Care Company."

Now it was Mr. Rogers' turn to hesitate. "You mean
the company that manufactures Sensuous and Sensational
Douches?" he asked uneasily.

"You got it," said Tom Sommers.

"Well, that puts an entirely different light on the
situation. As you know, it's not exactly our policy to
carry ads for that kind of product. I'll have to clear this

one with Mr. Rose, our general manager."

35

"Well, don't spend too long talking it over," said Tom.
'There is another station in the market which isn't as con-
cerned about it as yours. Why don't you talk it over with
Mr. Rose and call me back before Friday?"

“OK, Tom. We'll get in touch with you before then.

So long."

Two hours later, Mr. Rogers and Mr. Rose were still in
the general manager's office, trying to arrive at a decision
regarding the Sensuous and Sensational Personal Care Company.

"I don't go for it," said the general manager. "As you
know, we're a relatively young station, and we're still
growing. It's been against our policy to advertise many
personal products. Don't you remember how we turned down a
lucrative hemorrhoid account last year for that very reason,
Paul?"

"Yes, I do, Mr. Rose. I was against turning it down
then and I'm against turning this down now," said Paul
Rogers.

"Keeping in the good graces of our audience and the
N.A.B. is more important to me as general manager of this
station than the money involved in those cases." Mr. Rose
said hotly.

"Mr. Rose," said Paul Rogers, "the N.A.B. Code has
changed-~they have relaxed on advertising personal care

products, if the commercials are presented in good taste.

36

Our competition is doing it-—we can"t afford to get behind
the times. As a station in the top one hundred markets,
we've got to be competitive. I recommend strongly that you
accept the account."

"I know you've got a point," Mr. Rose said sadly. "It's
just that I still have basic principles. As you know, I
started out in leSs complicated times, and I guess it's hard
to forget my origins. Let's call it a day. I'll go home
and sleep on it. Tomorrow's only Thursday, and I need more
time to think it over. Thanks for your recommendations,
Paul. Don't worry about Tom Sommers--I'll call him back.
Goodnight."

Mr. Rose went home and spent a restless night. The
Sensuous and Sensational Personal Care Company was on his
mind, and he slept poorly. He went to work tired the next
morning without having come to a decision. Thursday came
and went and still he was uncertain of his position.

Friday morning Mr. Rose was still thinking it over
when Paul Rogers came into the general manager's office.

"Mr. Rose, Tom Sommers is on my line. He said he
wouldn't ordinarily bother calling us back except that his
client is really anxious to advertise on our station.

Shall I have the secretary transfer the call to your line?"

"Yes," said the general manager. "I've made my

decision.“

37

A TOUGH DECIS ION

Late one afternoon, Mr. Dee, news director for WKKK-TV,
was looking over his script for the upcoming newscast. As
he took a sip of his coffee, his attention was disturbed by
footsteps in the hallway outside his door. He looked up to
see Ross Carter come charging into his office.

Mr. Dee smiled; he liked Ross and took a paternal
interest in him. In the ten years he had been news director,
Mr. Dee had never met a more promising salesman than Ross.
Although Ross had only been with WKKK-TV for six months, he
was doing very well for a salesman still in training.

Mr. Dee attributed this partly to Ross' long history of
selling retail products and partly to Ross' personality it-
self: he seemed to have a natural inclination for the sales
end of the business. In addition, Mr. Dee felt close to
Ross because both had attended the same university.

Although Mr. Dee had graduated fifteen years ago and Ross
had left six months ago with only two years of college under
his belt, Mr. Dee felt he had more in common with Ross than
with any of the other salesmen.

Before Mr. Dee could say a word, Ross said excitedly:

"Mr. Dee, you can't run that story about Mr. Sim's
store being robbed. I just received a phone call from him.

He's very upset. He saw the first newscast, and he doesn't

38

want us to run the robbery story on any more newscasts
because he's afraid it will scare away his customers. If
we do run the story, he threatened to cancel all his adver-
tising with us."

"Calm down, Ross," said Mr. Dee, "I think . . .

"But he's one of our biggest local advertisers,"
interrupted Ross. "We can't afford to lose his account!"

"I'm aware of that, Ross. Please sit down."

While Ross sat down, Mr. Dee considered the alterna-
tives facing him. In his ten years of experience, the
situation had occurred before and was not new to him.
Because of his inexperience, Ross was overreacting, but then
the stakes were different for Ross than for Mr. Dee.

As Mr. Dee saw it, he could comply with Mr. Sim's
wishes and not show the robbery story. In so doing, however,
he would be "selling out" his news department, the station,
and the public WKKK-TV served. To go ahead with the story,
on the other hand, meant risking Mr. Sim's account and
possibly losing a substantial amount of revenue for the
station.

Mr. Dee knew that whichever decision he made would
make someone unhappy. He found himself caught in a situa-
tion in which he was "dammed if he did and dammed if he
didn't." Ideally, it was a decision that should be made

by the general manager, but with the next newscast only a

39

matter of minutes away, he knew that there was no time to
consult with the general manager. The decision had to be

made quickly, and he was the one who had to make it.

CHAPTER IV

FINDINGS

This chapter contains the findings uncovered in a com-

parison of primary and secondary sources. This study con-

centrates on eight general areas pertaining to the general

manager of a commercial television station. These eight

areas are:

l)

2)

3)

4)

5)

6)

7)

the definition of the general manager of a commer—
cial television station

some major problems encountered by the general
manager

the type of personality a general manager should
have

the average number of hours per day a general
manager works

recommended college courses for future general
managers

whether or not a college degree is necessary to
manage a commercial television station

the value of a degree in the field of broadcasting,

and

40

41

8) the career path to becoming a general manager of a

commercial television station.

The above eight areas were chosen in the hope that
they would be helpful to the student interested in becoming
the general manager of a commercial television station and
that information might be discovered which would supplement
information available in secondary sources.

The secondary sources referred to in this section of
the thesis are:

1) Chester Giraud, Garnet R. Garrison, and Edgar E.
Willis, Television and Radio.

2) Sydney W. Head, Broadcasting in America.

 

3) Sherman P. Lawton, The Modern Broadcaster.

 

4) Sol Robinson, Broadcast Station Operating Guide.

5) Ward L. Quaal and Leo A. Martin, Broadcast Manage-
ment: Radio and Television.

 

6) Herbert Zettl, Television Production Handbook.
Although other broadcasting texts were consulted, the six
books specifically mentioned above were found to be the most
helpful. Because the books essentially agree in the eight
areas pertaining to the general manager of a commercial tele-
vision station, only one or two of the best quotations were
selected to sum up the point of all the secondary sources.
This does not mean that only one work was in agreement with

the primary sources. To avoid repeating similar information

42
from each secondary source, only the information which best
summed up the consensus of the other secondary sources was

quoted.

Definition of a General Manager

 

There was essential agreement between the primary and
secondary source definitions of the general manager of a
commercial television station. Both defined the general
manager in terms of his duties and responsibilities.

According to one general manager, the general manager
is "the person who assumes full responsibility for the

1

operation of the station." As general manager, he is ulti-

mately responsible in the areas of sales, engineering,
programming, finances, station policy, personnel, and com-
pliance with the rules and regulations of the Federal Com-
munications Commission and other governing bodies.2 To
quote another general manager:

This person makes plans for the station, regulates
station policy as well as determines it, maintains
the image of the station in the community it serves,
communicates to the staff what the responsibility and
the policy of the station is, hires competent people
to be on the staff, overviews the Equal Opportunity
Program, and assures that the station operates on a
day-to-day basis 365 days a year.3

 

1Based on personal interview conducted with a general
manager of a commercial television station in October 1975.

2Ibid.

3

Ibid.

 

42

43

As one general manager colorfully summed up the definition
of the general manager, his office is "the place where the
buck stops."1

The secondary sources revealed similar definitions of
the general manager of a commercial television station.
As Quaal and Martin define him, the general manager is "the
person having the duty to establish station policy, make
plans, and see that they are implemented."2 Zettl's defini-
tion of the general manager of a commercial television sta-
tion as "the person who determines the major station policy
and who is responsible for the entire operation of a sta-
tion"3 sums up the consensus of the secondary sources in

this area.

Major Problems

 

A comparison of primary and secondary sources in the
area of major problems encountered by the general manager
revealed two basic problems in common; namely, the handling
of F.C.C. rules and regulations and the handling of criti-

cism of the station.

 

1Ibid.

2Ward L. Quaal and Leo A. Martin, Broadcast Management:
Radix) & Television, 6th ed. (New York: Hastings House Pub-

 

3Herbert Zettl, Television Production Handbook
(BelImont: Wadsworth Publishing Company, Inc., 1968), p. 488.

44

Interviews with the general managers of commercial
television stations revealed that they had difficulty inter-
preting F.C.C. rules and regulations and in ascertaining
and satisfying the needs of their communities.1 This basic
problem was also stressed in the secondary sources. As

Sydney W. Head states in Broadcasting in America:

 

The requirement by the F.C.C. for ascertaining com-
munity needs had to be stated in elementary terms
because broadcasters could not understand what was
desired by the F.C.C. Some stations revealed that
they were not sure what they should do.

The second area of major concern was that of dealing
with criticism of the station. The general managers inter-
viewed considered the misunderstanding of the public and
complaints about the broadcasting business by the print
medium as major problems.3 Quaal and Martin agree with this,
stating that the general manager is forced to "spend too

much time with assaults from critics and Government pres-

4
sure."

 

1Based on personal interviews conducted with general
managers of commercial television stations in October 1975.

2Sydney Head, Broadcasting in America (Boston: Hough-
ton Mifflin Company, 1972), p. 458.

3Based on personal interviews conducted with general
managers of commercial television stations in October 1975.

 

4Quaal and Martin, 92. cit., p. 21.

45

Although the primary and secondary sources delineated
common areas of concern for the general manager, the general
managers themselves revealed many more problems that existed
than did the secondary sources. In addition to the two
major problems discussed above, the general managers listed
five other problem areas.

The first difficulty was that involved in ascertaining
and satisfying the needs of the community while simultane-
ously concentrating "on the day-to-day operation and
business"1 of the station. Another typical problem common
to the general managers was that of handling the paperwork
required in order to conform with Federal regulations.2
A third area of concern to the general managers was that of
finding enough time to meet the constantly changing needs
of the organization.3 In addition, the general managers
pointed out that there was a "tendency of Federal regulators
to infringe upon the first amendment areas as they relate
to radio and television."4 Finally, primary sources re-

vealed that a major difficulty encountered by the general

 

1Based on personal interviews conducted with general
managers of commercial television stations in October 1975.

21bid.

31bid.

41bid.

46

manager of a commercial televison station today was how to

"maintain integrity and still be successful."1

Type of Personality

 

The third area researched was that of what type of
personality the general manager of a commercial television
station should have. A comparison of primary and secondary
sources revealed basic similarities, although the informa-
tion gathered from primary sources was more detailed on this
topic.

By pooling the information from primary sources, it was
determined that a general manager should have an awareness
of the precarious nature of the broadcasting business and
should be sensitive to the public interest. At the same
time, he must be able to objectively evaluate and take
action. He also must possess an extraordinary ability to
communicate with various levels of people and be able to
control his emotions and deal with crisis situations rou-
tinely. In addition, he must be extroverted, want to know
his community and its problems, and want to help solve them.
A general manager must be able to accept the turnover in
his market and station personnel, must be good in business

and administration, and must have imagination and a sense

 

11bid.

47

of inspiration. Finally, he must be able to get along with
and communicate to his staff, must have human understanding
and an acceptance that people are fallible, must be patient,
and must not be impulsive. In general, he must be the type
of person who can "take the good with the bad."1
Although not nearly as exhaustive, the secondary
sources also contained recommendations regarding the type of
personality a general manager should have. To quote Quaal
and Martin, he should be the type of person who
can work with the human side of the business. This
person must be willing to solve problems without
precedent, stake his future on his ability to face
issues, and thrive under pressure.
Furthermore, this person "should be interested in the wel-
fare of the people who work at the station and reside in
the community it serves.3 He must be able to "communicate
both in writing and in speech,4 control his temper and emo-
tions, and must possess leadership capability, intelligence,

the knowledge necessary to make good judgments, personal

integrity, and a sense of responsibility and Showmanship.5

 

lIbid.
2Quaal and Martin, op, cit., p. 14.

3Ibid.

4Ibid.

5Ibid.

48

Number of Hours Per Day a General Manager Works

There was basic agreement between primary and secondary
sources regarding the average number of hours a day worked
by the general manager of a commercial television station.
Although responses to this question by different general
managers varied, all agreed that he worked more than eight
hours a day. They also agreed that the actual number of
hours worked varied depending on the season, that the day
included both time worked at the station and time spent at
business and public activities, and that a general manager
is never "off-duty."l

The secondary sources were consistent on this point,
as is shown in the following quotation by Robinson:

A general manager does not work a fixed eight-hour

day. He begins from the moment he opens his eyes
until the time he goes to sleep.2

Recommended College Courses

The next area of investigation was that of college
courses recommended for future general managers of commer-

cial television stations. Again, the primary and secondary

 

1Based on personal interviews conducted with general

managers of commercial television stations in October 1975.
2Sol Robinson, Broadcast Station Operating Guide
(Blue Ridge Summit: Tab Books, 1968), p. 111.

49

sources did not disagree on this point, but the primary
sources yielded more Specific information than did the
secondary sources.

When questioned as to college courses which would be
of help to future general managers, the general managers
interviewed came up with the following list:

Psychology

Human Relations

Sales Transactions

Business Law

Business Management

Liberal Arts

Accounting

Journalism

History

English

Marketing

Advertising

Program Theory

Interpersonal Relations
Communication (Speech, Listening)
General Business

Broadcast Sales and Ratings
Speed Reading for F.C.C. Law
Personnel Relations

F.C.C. Law

Economics

Radio and Television Technology
Labor Management 1
Demographics Used in the Media

The secondary sources researched did not contain recom-
mended courses specifically aimed at future general manag-
ers. In fact, only one contained recommendations for those
interested in broadcast careers in general; namely, Lawton's

The Modern Broadcaster. The courses are necessarily less

 

 

1Based on personal interviews conducted with general
managers of commercial television stations in October 1975.

 

50

specific than those recommended by the general managers, but
there are basic similarities as the following list demon-

strates:

Psychology

Physical and Biological Sciences
Literature

History

Government

Modern Language

Advertising

Marketing

Journalism

Speech

Drama

Cinema

Broadcast Equipment Training
Economics

Broadcast History and Foundations
Broadcast Philosophyl

Necessity of College Degree

The next area of interest was whether or not a college
degree was necessary to manage a commercial television sta-
tion. The primary and secondary sources were in agreement
on this point. Both indicated that although a college
degree may not be absolutely essential today, it is fast
becoming a requirement.

The following quotation by one of the general managers

interviewed neatly sums up the attitude of the general

 

1Sherman P. Lawton, The Modern Broadcaster (New York:
Harper & Row Publishers, Inc., 1961), p. 17.

 

51

managers interviewed:

A college degree is practically necessary whereas

it wasn't in the past. The person who has it has

an advantage in that it enables this person to

read and comprehend as well as interpret the tre-

mendous amount of material that a general manager

must keep up with and know.1

This finding was supported by the secondary sources.
Giraud, Garrison, and Willis best sum up the basic attitude
found in the secondary sources regarding this question.
To quote:

Most broadcasting executives today prefer hiring

candidates with a college degree. As one executive

said, 'College degrees don't guarantee that people

are genuises, but it does indicate that the indi—

vidual has the ability to think, judge wisely, know
a lot about things, and come to a decision.‘

Value of a Broadcasting Degree

The next area under investigation was the value of a
degree specifically in broadcasting over the value of a
college degree in another field. Although the general
managers themselves saw the broadcasting degree as an asset,
there was no evidence in the secondary sources indicating a

preference for a broadcasting degree.

 

1Based on personal interview conducted with a general
manager of a commercial television station in October 1975.

2Chester Giraud, Garnet R. Garrison and Edgar E. Willis,
Television and Radio (New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts,
Inc., 1971), p. 572.

52

Discussion with the general managers indicated that
they viewed the broadcasting degree as an asset for those
interested in a career as a general manager of a commercial
television station. The consensus was that a broadcasting
degree is

. . . valuable, especially today. In fact, it is

more essential. Those who have it are better pre-

pared to handle the many responsibilities that they,
as general managers of television stations, will be
confronted with.

The secondary sources, on the other hand, did not re-
veal a preference for a broadcasting degree over a college
degree in general. As Giraud, Garrison and Willis see it,
a college degree in any field, including broadcasting, is
"an asset since most executives feel that it enables the

person to converse intelligently, to think and make better

judgments, and to come to a better decision."2

Path to Becoming a General Manager

The final topic investigated was the recommended path
to follow for the individual interested in becoming the
general manager of a commercial television station. It was
in this area that there was the most discrepancy between

primary and secondary sources.

 

1Based on personal interviews conducted with general

managers of commercial television stations in October 1975.

2Giraud, Garrison and Willis, gp. cit., p. 572.

53

Interviews with the general managers yielded the follow-
ing information about paths leading to the position of
general manager:

There is no particular path which leads to becoming

a general manager of a television station. In the

past, general managers have come through the sales

department; however, this is no longer true. Today,
general managers are coming not only from the sales
department, but also from the programming and pro-
duction departments as well.1

Secondary sources, such as Lawton and Quaal and Martin,
indicate that there is indeed a recommended path to follow
for those interested in becoming a general manager.

Although not completely ruling out other paths, the second-
ary sources were in agreement that "Sales is considered the
road which leads to management,"2 and that "The most usual

route to station management is through sales, especially in

broadcasting."3

 

1Based on personal interviews conducted with general
managers of commercial television stations in October 1975.

2Lawton, 92. cit., p. 13.

3Quaal and Martin, 92, cit., p. 149.

CHAPTER V

CONCLUSION

This study has three objectives. The first is to give
the reader a taste of on-the—job training through the pre-
sentation of case studies. The second is to answer eight
questions specifically about the general manager, and the
third is to investigate the question of whether or not a gap
exists between what is taught in the colleges and universi-
ties and what is done in the broadcasting industry. The
first two objectives were covered in Chapters III and IV,
respectively, of this study. The final objective will be
addressed in this conclusion.

Research revealed that there is indeed a gap between
what is taught in the colleges and universities and what is
done in the broadcasting industry. Interviews with the
general managers of commercial television stations pin-
pointed the gap in the area of the teaching of broadcast
production rather than in the teaching of broadcast manage-
ment.

The general managers interviewed felt that "college

students believe that they can handle a production job

54

55

because they have taken one or two courses in production."1
On the basis of their past experiences in hiring broadcast-
ing graduates for production positions, most of the general
managers felt that this was not the case. As one general
manager pointed out, he had interviewed a college graduate
in broadcasting for a position as a film man at his station.
During the course of his interview, the student indicated
that because he had taken a 16mm film course in college and
had a college degree in broadcasting, he felt he could
handle the position. The general manager, on the other
hand, felt that the student's education was not adequate
preparation for the "reality of the job."2 Despite the
general manager's comments, the student persisted in saying
that he could handle the position. Against his personal
experience, the general manager decided to give the student
a chance to prove himself. Within a short period of time,
however, the student was let go. As the general manager
explained it, "taking college course/courses in broadcasting
will never give the student the reality of the job because
in college the student has one or two assignments to com-

plete over a term or quarter but in reality the student has

 

1Based on personal interviews conducted with general
managers of commercial television Stations in October 1975.

2Based on personal interview conducted with a general
manager of a commercial television station in October 1975.

56

many assignments to complete in hours."1 The experience
related by the general manager was not unique to himself
but was supported by the other general managers as well.

The general managers also pointed out that there is a
gap between the type of job the broadcasting graduate feels
he is qualified for and the type of job that is actually
available. Although this may be partly due to the student's
own unrealistic expectations, the general managers indi-
cated that perhaps the colleges and universities did not
adequately prepare the broadcasting graduate for the reality
of an "entry-level position."2 Primary research revealed
that it was common for broadcasting graduates to turn down
positions as cameramen and floor managers because they felt
they were over-qualified for production jobs and wanted to
start out as television producers. As one general manager
pointed out, however, a television station can have only so
many producers and "in this business you have to start some-
where."3

Regarding preparation for positions in broadcast man-

agement, there appeared to be no gap between what is taught

 

1Ibid.

2Based on personal interviews conducted with general
managers of commercial television stations in October 1975.

3Based on a personal interview conducted with a general
manager of a commercial television station in October 1975.

57

in the colleges and universities and what is done in the
broadcasting industry. As the questions discussed in
Chapter IV indicate, the broadcasting degree is an asset for
anyone interested in employment in the field of broadcast

management.

Recommendations

 

On the basis of the research conducted to complete this
study, there are several recommended courses of action
depending upon the individual's ultimate career goals.

For those who are interested strictly in a production
position, research indicates that they might be better off
getting an education specifically in the area of broadcast
production at a reputable broadcasting school rather than
at a college or university. However, should they decide at
a later date to change career paths from production to man-
agement, it might be necessary for them to earn a college
degree. For this reason, a wise choice might be to get a
college degree while supplementing their education with
actual production experience or with training at a reputable
(broadcasting school.

For those who wish an ultimate career in broadcast
management, a college degree in any field is the recom-
mended course. However, the individual interested in broad-

cast management as a career should be aware that he may

58

have to accept a position in production in order to "get his
foot in the door." For this reason, he may wish to familiar-
ize himself with this aspect of broadcasting also.

In sum, which course an individual should take depends
on a number of factors: his ultimate career goal, whether
he may want to change career goals at a later date, future
trends in the broadcasting industry, etc. If a career in
production is the object, however, the research indicates
that colleges and universities may not provide as much prep-
aration as a reputable broadcasting school. If, on the
other hand, a career in broadcast management is the desired
end, research shows that getting a college degree is prac-

tically a requirement.

Recommended Texts

 

The following are fifteen texts of value to the stu-
dent interested in radio and television station management:

1) Association for Professional Broadcasting Education,
publishers. Broadcast Management, May 1972.

 

2) Brown, Les. Television: The Business Behind the
Box. Harcourt, Brace, JavanOVICh, New York, 1971.

 

3) Emery, Walter. Broadcasting and Government:
Responsibilitygand Regulations. Michigan State
University Press, I97I.

4) Giraud, Chester, Garnet R. Garrison, and Edgar E.
Willis. Television and Radio, New York: Appleton-
Century-Crofts, Inc., 1971.

 

5)

6)

7)

8)

9)

10)

ll)

12)

13)

14)

15)

59

Head, Sydney W. Broadcasting in America. New York:
Houghton Mifflin Company, 2nd edition, 1972.

Institute for Broadcasting Financial Management,
editors. Accounting_Manual for Broadcasters,
Chicago, 1972.

Lawton, Sherman P. The Modern Broadcaster.
New York: Harper and Row, Publishers, Inc., 1961.

 

Mayer, Martin. About Television, New York: Harper
& Row, 1972.

 

Noll, Roger G., Merton J. Beck, and John J. McGowan.
Economic Aspects of Television Regulation,
Washington, D. C.: 1973.

Owen, Bruce M., Jack H. Beebe, and Willard G.
Manning, Jr. Television Economics, Lexington,
Mass.: Lexington Books, 1974.

 

Phelps, Robert H. and E. Douglas Hamilton. Libel:
Rights, Risks, Responsibilities. Macmillan, New
York, 1966.

Quaal, Ward L. and Leo A. Martin. Broadcast Manage:
ment. New York: Hastings House Publishers, 6th
edition, 1972.

 

Robinson, Sol. Broadcast Station Operating Guide.
Blue Ridge Summit: Tab Books, 1968.

 

Roe, Yale, ed. Television Station Management,
New York: Hastings House Publishers, Inc., 1964.

Zettl, Herbert. Television Production Handbook,
2nd edition, Wadsworth Publishing Company, 1971.

 

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Department of Telecommunication. TV-Radio Graduate Stu-
dent's Handbook. East Lansing: Department of Tele-
communication, 1974.

 

 

Giraud, Chester; Garrison, Garnet R.; and Willis, Edgar E.
Television and Radio. New York: Appleton-Century-
Crofts, Inc., 1971.

 

Head, Sydney W. Broadcasting In America. Boston: Houghton
Mifflin Company, 1972.

 

Lawton, Sherman P. The Modern Broadcaster. New York:
Harper & Row Publishers, Inc., 1961.

 

McNair, Malcom, and Hersum, Anita. The Case Method at the
Harvard Business School. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1954.

 

 

Quaal, Ward L., and Martin, Leo A. Broadcast Management:
Radio and Television. New York: Hastings House Pub-
lishers, 1972.

 

 

Robinson, Sol. Broadcast 9perating_Guide. Blue Ridge
Summit: Tab Books, 1968.

 

Zettl, Herbert. Television Production Handbook. Belmont:
Wadsworth PuinShing Company, Inc., 1968.

 

60

APPENDIX

61

SAMPLE COVER LETTER

Dear Sir:

I am currently a graduate student majoring in Broadcast
Management at Michigan State University. As part of my
masters degree requirements, I am writing a thesis based on
personal interviews with the general managers of television
stations within your coverage area. The purpose of the
interviews is to gather case studies in the areas of sales
and programming. Your help and cooperation will be greatly
appreciated.

 

 

I plan to call you the week of September 29 in order to set
up an appointment to interview you at your convenience.

Thank you for reading my letter. I am looking forward to
making your acquaintance.

Sincerely,

Peter M. DiMeo

62

PURPOSE OF INTERVIEW

 

"The traditional means of acquiring a practical under-
standing of . . . broadcasting appears to be through on-the-
job training." According to one writer, the consensus among
broadcasters is that the individual learns about it once he
is hired by a station.

I feel that neither traditional classroom training nor
ignoring training until the individual is on the job is a
satisfactory approach for those who seek careers in broad-
casting. My experience is that there is a gap between what
is taught at the universities and what is done in industry.
I am concerned about this gap, and it is through personal
interviews that I hope to bridge this gap or at least bring
it closer together.

In sum, the purpose of this interview is to acquire
case studies in the areas of sales and programming involv-
ing decisions made by general managers. These case studies
will be published so that they will be easily accessible to
the broadcasting student. It is hoped that the cases will
give him a more realistic and practical view of the general

manager than is found in textbooks.

1)

2)

3)

4)

5)

6)

7)

8)

63

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS

What is your definition of a general manager?

What do you feel are some of the major problems a general
manager is confronted with?

What type of personality would you say a general manager
should have?

How many hours a day on the average would you say a
general manager works?

What courses, if any, would you recommend future general
managers to take?

Do you feel a college degree is necessary to manage a
television station?

How much value do you place on a degree in broadcasting?
What was your previous position before you became a

general manager?

64

SAMPLE RELEASE FORM

 

Mr. Peter M. DiMeo

Apartment 1634G

Spartan Village

Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan 48823

Dear Pete:

The case entitled

 

has been read by me and checked for verification.
I hereby authorize the use of this material.
Please check: ( ) without change

( ) with the corrections indicated

It is hereby understood that this material will be used for

educational purposes only.

Signature of Executive

 

Firm

 

Date

 

 

"III IIIIIIIIIILIILI) WIN 1111111111)“