Just Updated--Television Talent: What To Know About Agents, Coaches/Consultants And Self Representation.

©Millennium Media Entertainment, Inc.

 

I am pretty sure this piece will be frowned upon by many agents, coaches and consultants, except for the quality ones.

   

I am all three, so I would be happy to share what I know with you.  I don't understand why all of this has to be so secretive.  It seems to me, things would go much better if everyone was on the same page.

 

The Journalism schools should offer courses about the job hunting process, with or without an agent.  But, they don’t and many people find themselves in uncharted waters. 

 

This can feel scary because you may not be sure what you are playing for or if your decisions are the right ones. 

 

Feeling vulnerable yet?  You should because this about your career and income.  I assure you reading this will help you feel more secure about the process. 

 

Use this posting as a road map.  Good, competent agents have skills and experience you may or may not have. One option to consider. Another one is that many people self represent themselves. So, it’s your call. 

Keep in mind:

Most consultants and coaches train you. A few will represent you, too.

 

Good agents can put you in front of  potential employers, they know.  They also negotiate in your behalf. 

Or, you can do your own self marketing and representation. It is not as tough as it may look. Read on, and I will explain your choices.

 

Quality agents only take on people they can move up and they can generally succeed with.  Bad ones seem to make lateral moves with their clients.  Not good.

 

What is important to keep in mind is that any deal you take is likely going to be for two plus years. 

 

Most people start in small markets and take whatever they can for the first job.  Good or bad, this is where many learn, post college.

The small market stations’ contracts totally favor the employer. And, this can be part of getting your first job.  It doesn’t have to be this way, but for 99% of unseasoned first timers it often is. 

 

Self Representation

• Some people do this, as I said earlier. 
• You find jobs and do your own marketing.
• How much a new contract benefits you, will depend on your personal negotiating skills. 
• You have to above options to ask about.  It will come down your negotiating skill ands what you really want.
• Above all, don’t nag the prospective employer. 
• Emails work fine for follow up, after you send your demo and resume. 
• If they don’t answer back, they aren’t interested or haven’t decided. 
• I recently had a top five ND get in touch over a client I had sent 13 months earlier.  You never know.

 Agents

• Agents could be categorized as the Great, Good, Bad and incompetently, selfishly Ugly. 
• A good agent can be tremendous for your career.  The one you want to hire is established in the business, with relationships across the major companies and groups.
• Their commission rates vary from 10% on down, of clients’ annual salaries.  And, you pay your agent as long as you work at the same station.
• Keep in mind if you renew at a station they originally negotiated in your behalf, you still pay their commission.  That is an industry standard.  
• Also, some states honor hand shake or verbal agreements, which you validate by every check you write your agent.
• (BTW: Some agencies set up a an automatic payment system with your bank.  In short, they get paid when you do.) 
• Clients developing amnesia and stop paying commissions, might be pursued legally. 
• It isn’t in your interest or theirs to take a position not much better than your current one.  Though some of them will do push for that.
• Agents are deal guys and not talent coaches.  Many of them, as individuals, have 50+ clients. 
• It  means they are not going to coach you on your performance.  Not what they do.
• Some tell you what they chasing in your behalf and some don’t. 

 

• TV is a relationship driven business and is a smaller world, that you might think.
• Agents generally are looking for people who they are confident they can move up. 
• If a couple of them take a pass on representing you, you have a new choice.  You will need to find a talent coach or consultant.
• Let’s face it.  You need help if a quality agent passes.  If they did, so will many news directors.

 

Coaches and Consultants

There are the Broadcast Images of the world and literally hundreds of others Talent Coaches, Life coaches, Talent Consultants....whatever.  Unfortunately 95% of them don’t get this.  Here’s how to tell the good private ones from the not so good ones.  The good ones offer a total package including some or all of the following:

• Anchoring and field reporting performance consultation
• Appearance...  i.e.…Clothing, Colors, Makeup and Hair
• Health/dietary programs to improve overall health, look and increase performance energy
• Vocal performance
• Producing, writing and packaging
• Performance Training that fits with station or network brands, industry trends and strategic career planning
• Consultation Pertaining to New Employment Opportunities
• Their rates vary from by the hour to a retainer arrangement.  It is in your interest to stick with one for more than one session and best if it is ongoing.

Quite a bit to think over?  It’s not that bad.  Guess what?  You can write off personal services, like agents, consultants or coaches.  So, you get your money back, in a sense, depending on your personal tax situation.

 

It is not as complicated as it looks.  Most people are content with their agents or their own self representation.  I personally wish the “J” schools included what I have been discussing here, as part of their curriculum. 

 

We provide all the services listed above, plus many others clients may need to be successful.  There is more information about MME and my professional Broadcast News Resume here.

Hope you find this useful.  Feel free to email me with any question you might have. 

 

Millennium Media Entertainment

Millennium Media Entertainment Provides Career and Presentation Consultation for Television Talent Plus Individual Branding Strategies. 

Below is a service outline. This list is designed around individuals and isn’t a Consultation Template, because no two clients are the same.

• Comprehensive Review of all Client Videos and Marketing materials.
• Anchoring and Reporting Performance Consultation: Pace, Delivery, Voice Tonality, Voice Overs and developing a Conversational Presentation Style or Brand. Your Brand is your unique presentation signature and how viewers identify with you/your work.
• Daily Performance critiques based on Client provided Links. Feedback via email and/or Skype. At least one status review per week, via Skype.
• Appearance... i.e.…Clothing, Colors, Makeup and Hair
• Health/dietary programs to improve overall health, look and increase performance energy
• Producing, writing and packaging
• Performance Training that fits with Station or Network Brands, industry trends and Strategic Career Planning
• Provide leads, posted job openings and job hunting focusing on the quality companies like Hearst and NBC, avoiding the problematic companies, as I explained yesterday.
• Access to O & O’s, Major Groups and Networks.
• Demo Development and Consultation.
• Provide Marketing Material Templates...i.e. Stationary, Generic Cover Letters and Bios.
• Consultation Pertaining to New Employment Opportunities.
• Advice for Negotiating New Employment Deals and Contracts.
• Contract Negotiations Advice
• Suggested Tax Write Offs...Such as all Costs Associated with MME Services. (Also cable and computer, phone...Etc.)
• MME will provide receipts for payment for Tax Purposes

President and Chief Executive Officer John Sheehan has over 30 years of Senior Television Management Experience, Consulting Television Station Group Heads, Network Executives, Syndication Presidents, Chief Financial Officers, General Managers, Sales Managers, News Directors and Creative Services Managers about almost every aspect of the Television Business.

Sheehan was Chief News Consultant for Group W Television, later The CBS Owned and Operated Stations in 12 Major US Markets, from 1991 to 1999, responsible for News Content Development, Station Branding and Talent Development.

Besides News, Sheehan consulted several Nationally Syndicated TV Shows including: Win, Lose or Draw, with Burt Reynolds, A Current Affair, The Gail King Show, and Evening Magazine.

Sheehan started Millennium Media Entertainment as a News Program Syndication and Consulting Company in 1999, after being President of the Clemensen Sheehan Rovitto & Company since 1991.

While with CSR, Sheehan worked closely with the CEOs and managements of Allbritton Communications, Anchor Media, CBSOwned and Operated Television Stations, Group W Television(Westinghouse), New World, 20th TELEVISION, Group W Productions, Granite Broadcasting, and CBS’s EYEMARK ENTERTAINMENT.

Sheehan was President and General Manager of Audience Research & Development, from 1988 to 1991. As president, he directed a staff of nearly 60 highly skilled television professionals, providing broadcast research and consulting services to over 120 stations, broadcast and cable networks and syndication clients.

Prior to that, he managed AR&D’s sales and marketing from 1985 to 1988, as Vice President of Client Development. During his time with AR&D, Sheehan increased revenues by over 100%, quadrupling the company’s client base.

Before joining AR&D in 1985, Sheehan was Executive Vice President of SRI Research Center, now The Gallup Organization. He started as Production Manager for SRI in 1978 and within two years, was named Executive Vice President, overseeing all market research and financial operations with a staff of more than 80 people.

Prior to SRI, Sheehan served in the Peace Corps from 1974 to 1978 in the South Pacific. He spent his first year in the region as Director of the Solomon Islands’ Information and Broadcasting Department overseeing a weekly newspaper and the national radio station. He was responsible for each medium’s content, staff development and sales.

In 1974 he was assigned to Kingdom of Tonga as general manager of Tonga Feeds the country’s only source of livestock feed. Sheehan managed all aspects of the company including accounting, inventory, pricing, importing/exporting products, new product development, a farm, government relations, staff development and negotiating foreign aid packages.

When Sheehan left Tonga Feeds, nearly bankrupt when he arrived, the company was earning a 30% profit and influenced 25% of the Kingdom’s economy. Sheehan was offered senior management positions by both the New Zealand and Kingdom of Tonga Governments. He returned to the US in 1978.

Sheehan earned a BA in Journalism from Creighton University. He fluently speaks Tongan, Melanesian Pidgin, with a working knowledge of Cebuano and Tagalo.

Sheehan also served in The United States Marine Corps.

Below is a partial list of the stations and companies that Sheehan has had working relationships, during his 30 plus year career:

Station Groups, Production, and Programming Syndication Companies

Allbritton Communications

Anchor Media

ABC News

Belo

Buena Vista Television

CBS News

CBS Television Stations

Cox Communications

EYEMARK Entertainment

Gannett Television

Group W Productions

Group W Television

Granite Broadcasting

Guy Gannet Broadcasting

Hearst Argyle Television

NBC Universal

New World Television

Storer Television

20^th TELEVISION (FOX)

United/Cris-Craft Television
Television Stations

WAGA Atlanta

WJZ Baltimore

WBZ Boston

WSBK Boston

WBBM Chicago

WJW Cleveland

KOAA Colorado Springs

WDTN Dayton

WHIO Dayton

KDFW Dallas

KCNC Denver

KCCI Des Moines

WDIV Detroit

WJBK Detroit

WTVX Ft. Pierce

WLBT Jackson

KCTV Kansas City

WDAF Kansas City

KCBS Los Angeles

KCOP Los Angeles

WFOR Miami

WTVJ Miami

WITI Milwaukee

WCCO Minneapolis

WSMV Nashville

WCBS New York

WESH Orlando

WEEK Peoria

KYW Philadelphia

KPHO Phoenix

KSAZ Phoenix

KDKA Pittsburgh

WTAE Pittsburgh

KATU Portland, OR

WGME Portland, MA

WTVR Richmond

WSET Roanoke

WREX Rockford

KOVR Sacramento

KUTV Salt Lake City

KSBW Salinas

KING Seattle

KMOL San Antonio (WOAI)

KNSD San Diego

KPIX San Francisco

WGGB Springfield

WTVT Tampa

WTSP St. Petersburg

Thanks for reading this and sincerely hope you find the information useful. The general blog address is also in my contact information below:

John Sheehan

Millennium Media Entertainment

johntsheehanmme@gmail.com

Skype: John.Sheehan67

Blog: http://johnsheehan17.blogspot.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Millennium-Media-Entertainment/74464753836