I need a manager!

Of course stations don't like dealing with agents because good agents know current pay rates and often know the business better than the guy/girl running the radio station. However, it is always better to have someone else deal with this stuff. Jocks should be getting on with their shows and doing the fun stuff. There is also more to negotiating a contract than just the money. Also, around contract renewal time, it is more legitimate for an agent to talk to your current stations competition or bigger stations than you doing it yourself. It always appears disloyal when a jock does it. It's day to day business for an agent who has a responsibility to look at all the options open to their talent and recommend the best course of action (which incidentally isn't always the most lucrative offer).

With a fair few inexperienced programme controllers around in smaller markets, where are up and coming presenters going to find good coaching and advice? The answer is from a good agent / manager. Some jocks think they are so great they don't need coaching. This is rubbish. Whether you are doing weekends in a small market or breakfast on national radio, you still need coaching and advise. If you are not surrounded by talented producers and programme controllers, a good manager could make a world of difference to your future career.

How much are they?

A typical agent charges 15% where the person has found the work and wants them to negotiate the contract etc. If they have to do the job-hunting, sending out demos etc, then they charge 20%. Those tend to be standard rates of commission throughout the industry, although some agents may charge more, depending on the deal. That is a percentage of the deal they negotiate, and you shouldn't be charged extra for other costs such as duplicating demo tapes, mailing costs, and phone calls. That's what an agent's commission should cover, so don't go with anybody who charges a fee, especially in advance, to cover these costs.

Advice:

There are plenty of organisation who advertise in trade publications searching for "talent - be it radio, TV or theatre. Many will invite you to an audition and try and charge you an administration fee of up to £50. The usual excuse is that this covers productions costs such as making a "professional" showreel. You might earn more than the £50 you forked out, but if you really are "talent" you should find that people are willing to take you on directly. This practice is especially rife for companies offering work as TV extras. If they do, the advice is to ask which programmes they supply extras to, then call the production company to verify the details.

Remember that YOU are hiring them to work for YOU. Many agents make it feel like its the other way round. Pick the agent carefully, if they have big stars, of TV and radio, you will be a small fish in a big pond. Not always a bad thing, but its worth thinking about...

The most important thing to bear in mind is that an agent will take a percentage of your earnings in commission (usually around 15-20%), which, if you're getting £30,000 a year could cost you around £400 a month in commission. Remember, that's going to be every month for the duration of your contract, and your agent's commission is based on your gross earnings, not the net amount. That's an important point to remember if you're on PAYE.

If you've decided against, and are negotiating your own contract, it's probably worth paying for some professional advice. After all, the station has probably paid their own legal advisors to draw-up that contract to protect their interests, so they can't complain if you get it checked by your own solicitor in order to protect your interests!

More links:

The truth about agents by Dan O'Day