RENZIE BALUYUT
Sales and IMC Manager
FBS Radio Network, Inc.
94.7 DWLL FM – “The Mellow Touch”

How is “Mellow Touch” different from other radio stations?

We are #6, #7, in the ratings. We are 33 years old, and in this business where a lot of things are uncertain, the station is something you can rely onThat’s something we can be proud of.

Radio stations are very diverse already; even the easy-listening formats have easy-lisetning jazz or easy-listening acoustic. Mellow Touch is pretty much middle of the road. We’re easy listening – period. People who listen to other stations and their different kinds of music can agree on Mellow Touch as the middle ground.

The radio audience is a steadily growing market. You get new listeners who are younger and appreciate this kind of music. Then we have a very good segment that is mature 30-45 years old, who are pretty active: they like calling us up every now and then, and make suggestions about songs.

What are the challenges in the radio industry right now?

The share of the advertising pie. Ten years ago, it was simple: TV, print, radio. Now it’s more of the non-traditional, you have more bus ads, outdoor billboards, catalogs, events. There are so many more media tools that are at your disposal. It’s not just a problem of Mellow Touch, but of other radio stations.

We’re part of Radio Works, a group of 10 FM stations that actively promotes radio by providing information to advertising agencies and clients. We work with the KBP for that.

The forecast is it will be better this year. Radio will always be there in one form or another.

How do you handle the challenge?

It all boils down to value. We educate people about the value of radio again. My rounds in sales is part of it. You squeeze it into your dialogue with the media buyers. You have to be able to paint a picture that radio is still an effective medium, and it still is, very much.

You don’t go head-on with TV or outdoor billboards. Radio is a good synergizer; it works well with TV and magazines. It’s a creative medium. You can always create something with it, with SMS and promos.

You have to remember that the number one reason why people listen is that they want to listen to music. Our format is not so much personality-driven as other radio stations; the focus is really on music. You really have to deliver that first and foremost. The rest is secondary.

No matter how old you are or what social class you are in , there’s a love song in your heart somewhere. Even when your friends goad you into singing a sappy love song, in a karaoke bar you sing it. This is also partly due to our roots; kundimans were huge back then. When you want to win a girl’s heart, before you’d give her a mixed tape, now you give her a mixed CD. It’s part of our culture to be love-song-oriented.

Tell us how you started and rose in radio.

I took up Physical Therapy in the University of Philippines Manila, but I was in the radio station DWRT already as a jock in my third or fourth year. I gave RT a random call and asked the station manager if there was an opening. He invited me to come over and I did.

My clear motive for joining the radio station back then was gaining access to the music. I thought that playing that kind of music and being there was the ultimate. Later on, I found out about the fringe benefits, the people that you meet.

My PT went on hold for the longest time. Later on, I realized that I didn’t want to finish it. The whole idea was to be a doctor but the radio happened.

I discovered making commercials. That was a lot of money back then, up to now. I had to weigh the options of attending my anatomy lecture or making P5,000 back in a commercial. The decision wasn’t pretty hard. It was also good timing because my batch in PT had the hardest time looking for work.

I stayed with RT for two years and then moved on to Mellow Touch in 1996.

After doing DJ work, I was given a position for production. We had a digital audio work system that did promo plugs for the radio station. You have this nice computer with editing software and put together commercials.

From there, I went into events. I organized Counter-Strike tournaments and parties. I had an R and B show back then. It was pretty fun. The Sales part was more recent. From events you get into marketing, from marketing you get this natural affinity for Sales.

I got to appreciate everything from the bottom up. I had the privilege of working with the best people in the industry, and learned from these guys.

When I was in RT, the station manager who was training me had a trash bin next to his table with all these demo tapes from all these people. It reminds you that it’s a good thing that your demo tape didn’t end up in that trash, and he’s there training you. It instills a sense of fear and awe at the same time.

How is being a Sales Manager different from the other positions you’ve handled?

In any given company, the bottomline is how much sales you can deliver at the end of the month. If I can make my mark in the Sales industry in radio, that’s huge. It’s great knowing that I can generate x amount of money.

How do you maintain that edge and make sure you’re in tip-top shape professionally?

You need a work-life balance. Sales is a high-stress job. If you don’t make money, you starve. To stayo n top of your game, you have to be very involved in it. You have to be actively involved in who are you meeting, and what deals are you closing.

You control your time and therefore you want to make the most of it. If I’m in Makati this afternoon, I’m gonna put all my meetings in Makati that time.

You listen to the clients, their problems, what they need from you. You have to be a creative provider of solutions.

It helps to be think win-win all the time. You’re building a relationship with a client, and if they’re happy they’ll come back to you. That’s how you have repeat business.

What advice can you give young supervisors who want to climb up the ranks?

First, have an idea of what you want. I was in PT, but decided to stick with radio instead. Make a decision early on, and you stick to it.

Here, now you have to be able to build your market value. To do that, you have to offer something unique, maybe specialize, and know the skills set that you need.

Some say that it’s people you know, but I’ve never asked for favors. I think I’m living proof that you can advance without having to resort to traditional Pinoy patronage politics. Ultimately, if you do a good job, people will see that and recognize it eventually.