Roger Christian

[tbolt909]

It sounds like you're speculating.

Read the Buffalo News story. It's all there...

 

[TheBigA]

Read the Buffalo News story. It's all there...

I did. They didn't offer him to VT the shift.

 

[davideduardo]

Corporate Radio has always operated this way. When the Bean Counters draw a line through your name, you're toast.
43 years of dodging land mines is an impressive run...

Staff changes are not generally "bean cutter" final decisions. They are done by management and often reflect changes in format, technology or sales opportunities.

Several decades ago I was hired to rebuild a failing AM FM in a top 15 market. We closed it down and let everyone go because we would be off the air at least 3 months. The station had lost money for 6 years, so there was no legal severance requirement.

We rebuilt, and the directional AM required 1st Class operators at the site. We rehired them. But in 6 months we got permission for remote control with no 1st class operators required. The operators were all permanently let go.

Those were management decisions, not done by accounting.

A few years later, we automated both stations, keeping the key talent to voice track and to do more daytime appearances. A number of part timers, overnighters and the like were let go. The decision was made by the manager alone (me); it was done to improve ratings and control costs.

In these cases, the remaining staff could get better annual raises because our margins improved and so did the ratings.

These are examples of the kinds of local management decisions that can impact staff size or staff members. If a manager recognizes that the survival of the group is as important as consideration for the individual, wise decisions can be made.

 

[tbolt909]

I did. They didn't offer him to VT the shift.

Go back and re-read it. They mentioned Voice Tracking and he cut off the discussion. Maybe they offered it and maybe they didn't. Corporate tells the local management to make cuts. It's naive to think otherwise. In some cases, they may leave the decision to local management on "who goes"...

 

[TheBigA]

Go back and re-read it. They mentioned Voice Tracking and he cut off the discussion.

Here's the quote:

“They said something about (the shift) may be voice tracked but I didn’t want to go into it,"

So they didn't offer HIM the option of VTing it.

 

[CTListener]

Several decades ago I was hired to rebuild a failing AM FM in a top 15 market. We closed it down and let everyone go because we would be off the air at least 3 months. The station had lost money for 6 years, so there was no legal severance requirement.

We rebuilt, and the directional AM required 1st Class operators at the site. We rehired them. But in 6 months we got permission for remote control with no 1st class operators required. The operators were all permanently let go.

Cold. I'm guessing you're not on those operators' Christmas card list after that. Did they have any clue that their re-employment would be so brief?

 

[Radio-Bored-Op]

I started this topic - because it is a real loss for RC to call it a day.
again, if he privately came to terms, and/or didn't blame the live body that passed along the message, ok cool.

or, maybe he is not okay. I know Im not,
but I really didn't care to hear entercrap's excuses....

 

[flybynight]

You've always been a company guy and we trust you not to f-bomb David, his wife and the old man.

LOL

 

[flybynight]

Hmmm, that's not how it works. If he retires, there is no severance. If he gets let go for no good cause, there is severance.

It was just a nice sentiment. We all know how this works.

 

[flybynight]

What drove iHeart into Chapter 11 was an ill-conceived and miserably timed LBO put together by investment bankers.

What drove Cumulus into bankruptcy was a poorly designed move into consolidated radio, with incomplete clusters and dying AM stations... with management that did not see that there was no light at the end of that particular tunnel.

In the midst of this, we had a recession, the creation of the smartphone and the introduction of the PPM in the big revenue markets. The survivors had to reorganize or reduce costs proportionally.

Bingo, bingo and BINGO!

Nicely done!

 

[davideduardo]

Bingo, bingo and BINGO!

Nicely done!

Thank you. It's important to realize that not everyone disagrees with everyone here, so I appreciate the remark.

 

[Rusty Bridges]

https://buffalonews.com/2019/09/06/after-43-years-roger-christian-is-out-at-star-102-5/ Broke the news while he was still on the air. Stay classy, Entercom Buffalo.

 

[tbolt909]

Here's the quote:

“They said something about (the shift) may be voice tracked but I didn’t want to go into it,"

So they didn't offer HIM the option of VTing it.

We weren't in the room when the conversation took place, so we don't know what was said. Since they approached him DURING his shift, maybe they wanted to see if he would be interested in staying on part time. No one can blame him if he told Entercom to piss off.

Entercom has lots of bogus PR stuff about being "Family" and supporting the environment. Discerning people can see through the BS. The employees are just pawns on the Chess Board...

 

[SirRoxalot]

Staff changes are not generally "bean cutter" final decisions. They are done by management and often reflect changes in format, technology or sales opportunities.

David, I hate to break this to you, but you are the ultimate bean counter. You base you decisions only on numbers, not how people are impacted. That's what bean counters do. You're not a "how can we fix this" kind of guy. You're a "I'm going to fix this" kind of guy.

 

[TheBigA]

Broke the news while he was still on the air. Stay classy, Entercom Buffalo.

Here's what the story says:

"Christian, who worked the 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. shift, confirmed that shortly before the end of his Thursday shift..."

There's a big difference between "shortly before the end" and "during." The main thing is he was informed while he was on the clock. On company time. Would you have preferred him being informed at home? How about with a text or a tweet? There's no good time to get fired. I've known people who just have their stuff boxed and delivered to their house. He was informed personally and directly. That's better than all of the alternatives.

We weren't in the room when the conversation took place, so we don't know what was said. Since they approached him DURING his shift, maybe they wanted to see if he would be interested in staying on part time. No one can blame him if he told Entercom to piss off.

Everyone says he's a nice guy. Why would he tell them to "piss off?" Most veteran employees I know have nothing but gratitude for their length of service.

No where in the story does it say or imply that he was offered anything part time. You're making up stuff.

 

[TheBigA]

Broke the news while he was still on the air. Stay classy, Entercom Buffalo.

Let me add: The biggest, most consistent complaint I read about stations that fire talent after their shift is over is the DJ wasn't allowed to say "goodbye" on the air.

Apparently, based on the timing of the OP, I can assume he said goodbye.

What's wrong with that? Should they have told him when his shift was over?

 

[tbolt909]

Let me add: The biggest, most consistent complaint I read about stations that fire talent after their shift is over is the DJ wasn't allowed to say "goodbye" on the air.

Apparently, based on the timing of the OP, I can assume he said goodbye.

What's wrong with that? Should they have told him when his shift was over?

Ridiculous. Do you think in the minutes after he was terminated, he went on the air and said "Hello listeners, I've just been fired, but thanks for the memories". I doubt that he opened the mic after getting the news. The story said he collected his stuff and was escorted out. That's show biz...

 

[TheBigA]

Ridiculous. Do you think in the minutes after he was terminated, he went on the air and said "Hello listeners, I've just been fired, but thanks for the memories". I doubt that opened the mic after getting the news. The story said he collected his stuff and was escorted out. That's show biz...

Once again, everyone says he's a nice guy, and a nice guy wouldn't do anything bad.

As I said, I base my post on the OP. I defer to him. You should too, since you obviously weren't listening.

 

[tbolt909]

Once again, everyone says he's a nice guy, and a nice guy wouldn't do anything bad.

As I said, I base my post on the OP. I defer to him. You should too, since you obviously weren't listening.

You obviously can't read. He was terminated on Thursday. The Buffalo News story and the OP of this thread were on Friday afternoon. The story says he was escorted out of the building on Thursday. That means he didn't work on Friday.

I find it unlikely that in the brief minutes after his termination he went back on the air. Not because he would say something negative, but it was simply over. The OP didn't say he heard about his termination on the air and the post was a bit incoherent anyway...

 

[TheBigA]

You obviously can't read.

OK, how did you come up with this?

Since they approached him DURING his shift, maybe they wanted to see if he would be interested in staying on part time. No one can blame him if he told Entercom to piss off.

You keep wanting this nice guy to become angry and do nasty things. Why? The PD is his friend, who used to listen to him as a kid. He's not going to tell him to piss off. When did they offer him the part time gig?