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Seattle alone "dislocated" 15-20, all in programming.
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iHeart Seattle layoffs
- Thread starter bossbill
- Start date
Seattle alone "dislocated" 15-20, all in programming.
So....Marty was not living in Seattle anymore? Doing his part of the show from Germany? Is Jody in the studio? I listened for a few minutes this morning and she sounds like she is via remote as well. Thanks.
Welcome to the New Age folks. If you haven't taken the time to position yourself on-line, or become some sort of high-profile influencer while still being on the air, you've put yourself at a serious disadvantage when big changes happen.
Too many long-time radio (and TV) personalities have ignored the on-line population, deferring to the company 'Digital Department' to take care of that.
I caught some of the morning show on 95.7 this morning. Wow, props to Jodi for still managing to make the show a fun and entertaining experience, despite the unfortunate circumstances surrounding her co-host.
A long-time radio friend of mine, who worked over 50 years for the same station, which in later years became a member of the noHeart family tells me:
"If I had retired on my own I would get nothing. Now, at least, I will get some sort of severance. More than I would have gotten. It have been many years since I have seen a raise even though the workload has steadily increased. Basically, they are looting the resources of their core business, broadcast, and using that money for other ventures like a podcast company they bought. Lately we couldn't even buy a light bulb without first getting approval from corporate. New equipment? Ha! bob pittman needs his multi-million dollar bonuses. But who's bitter.
It has only been a day but I can already feel the lack of stress!"
Being a former noHeart employee myself, now retired, I can relate!
"If I had retired on my own I would get nothing. Now, at least, I will get some sort of severance. More than I would have gotten. It have been many years since I have seen a raise even though the workload has steadily increased. Basically, they are looting the resources of their core business, broadcast, and using that money for other ventures like a podcast company they bought. Lately we couldn't even buy a light bulb without first getting approval from corporate. New equipment? Ha! bob pittman needs his multi-million dollar bonuses. But who's bitter.
It has only been a day but I can already feel the lack of stress!"
Being a former noHeart employee myself, now retired, I can relate!
They usually don't do it like that with producers. Hell, they don't even do it with their best loved air talent. The only hope comes when people (and namely advertisers) launch a massive revolt, like in Des Moines, IA (not only is KXNO getting their talent back, they comped by giving KXNO an FM frequency. But in that exchange, they lost an alternative station. So the alternative staff is let go.)
Then you should look at the list again. It has grown but is probably still a fraction of what really went down.
That's what we need, more "influencers" shilling for clicks. As if there's not enough of them. You do realize that when THAT market's saturated, it gets tuned out? I don't know anyone without an ad blocker running - the illusion of selling digital is that it's transparent and effective. Tune out is a thing on computer and phone screens too ya know.
We must do everything online all the time regardless of substance or actual value, because.. digital.
Wow.
The sad fact is it's what's necessary anymore if you want to be considered an 'entertainer'. All IHeart has done is make it official; media consumption has crossed equally into both the digital and analog worlds. If you can't play in both, your value as an entertainer has officially diminished by 50%.
By the way, due to public (and likely sponsor) pressure, the Des Moines sports show has been reinstated, and put on an FM (not a translator).
Focusing on the silver lining (if one could even be found in such a bad situation):
KZOK morning show is still live, as is the afternoon show (with Scott V. moving to afternoons). Also, "The Jet" is still live and local in the morning and afternoon as well. It looks like they moved Matt Case to the afternoon drive, replacing a female host (Christina) who was voice tracking out of market. She was very talented, but it appears that her primary station is a CHR station in Portland, so a format like "The Jet" probably was not the optimal format for her.
KZOK morning show is still live, as is the afternoon show (with Scott V. moving to afternoons). Also, "The Jet" is still live and local in the morning and afternoon as well. It looks like they moved Matt Case to the afternoon drive, replacing a female host (Christina) who was voice tracking out of market. She was very talented, but it appears that her primary station is a CHR station in Portland, so a format like "The Jet" probably was not the optimal format for her.
I think that view has also been embraced by people in the music business. They recognize the limitations of traditional radio airplay. Some genres have abandoned traditional radio in favor of streaming and satellite. Fans of those genres have followed the music to the other media. When you talk to artists about this, they'll tell you the demands on their time have increased geometrically because of the numbers of streaming sites they deal with. Certainly iHeart is a player in this as well, with their streaming service and their festival business. The goals of recording artists and radio personalities are similar: The all want to reach an audience. That has become more complicated and more time consuming because of the way people use media.
I can see where -- looking at it in the long term view -- it's the beginning of the end of the radio / broadcasting industry. By this, I mean it will get further and further fragmented, and there will be no need for companies like IHeart, Cumulus, CBS, etc. The fragmentation will continue. Social media giants may be around for another couple decades, but with the internet anything is fair game.
Why would anyone need an IHeart when they have YT and Pandora? What's the sell? What's the benefit, really?
Why would anyone need an IHeart when they have YT and Pandora? What's the sell? What's the benefit, really?
Suppose the company that owns Pandora owns iHeart? That's what's being proposed.
But sure, why have Burger King when you have McDonalds?
Pandora already peaked before SiriusXM/Liberty bought them.
I for one don't think radio's days are numbered. Radio is just one more choice in the long list of news and entertainment menu instead of being the only choice as we remember it. What we're witnessing with the iHeart changes, could be considered the 'right-sizing' of an industry that's just got a smaller piece of the pie. There is no one-or-the-other anymore.
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