1/2 Million in Salary and Benefits For Two WXXI Managers

[The Voice of Reason]

Not that it comes as any surprise but I was reading WXXI's required tax disclosure statement on their web site and discovered that CEO Norm Silverstein makes close to $350,000 a year, and that doesn't include a new SUV every other year along with other perks. This document also showed that senior VP Susan Rogers makes over $120,000 not including her perks plus she gets a new car as well. These two individuals are the same ones always crying the financial blues during pledge drives.

 

[raymond_shaw]

Not that it comes as any surprise but I was reading WXXI's required tax disclosure statement on their web site and discovered that CEO Norm Silverstein makes close to $350,000 a year, and that doesn't include a new SUV every other year along with other perks. This document also showed that senior VP Susan Rogers makes over $120,000 not including her perks plus she gets a new car as well. These two individuals are the same ones always crying the financial blues during pledge drives.

Un-friggin-believable. But people will just keep giving them their money and/or remembering them in their will. 30-40 years ago was anybody at WXXI making even 100K/year? And they had no big palace to operate out of then, correct?

Does anyone have a guess-timate of what the GM's of the commercial tv stations and the GMs of the local corporate radio clusters make a year? Do they get free SUVs? Just curious. I keep driving by Channel 13 on West Henrietta Rd. and notice their much smaller facilities and wonder how they can have the same video/sound quality that they get out of WXXI's palatial facilities on State St. As I said in a previous post, WXXI has come a long way since they started in the basement of East High School.

Anyone who is aware of what Norm and Sue make and what their facilites look like and still gives them money is a chump! Too bad most of the general public doesn't know. Same for WNED and most of the general public in Buffalo/Niagara Falls.

 

[SirRoxalot]

Not So Unreasonable

Not that it comes as any surprise but I was reading WXXI's required tax disclosure statement on their web site and discovered that CEO Norm Silverstein makes close to $350,000 a year, and that doesn't include a new SUV every other year along with other perks. This document also showed that senior VP Susan Rogers makes over $120,000 not including her perks plus she gets a new car as well. These two individuals are the same ones always crying the financial blues during pledge drives.

Your numbers are a little misleading. From the WXXI IRS filing on their website:

The salary for Norm Silverstein includes a one-time payment of deferred compensation which was made due to changes in the tax laws. The salary without that payment would be $237,816.

The $346K that you refer to includes his salary ($291K this year), benefits ($47K), and expenses ($7K). Those numbers aren't out of range considering that he oversees TV, radio, and cable broadcast outlets.

Are far as the SUVs are concerned, they don't show up under compensation, so I'm sure that they're station vehicles available to other staffers, right? Since Norm doesn't get paid for fundraising according to the IRS, he needs a 4WD to get to the broadcast facility in case of trouble during bad weather. I'm sure that he's there whenever anything goes wrong to supervise the people who oversee his engineering and programming staffs.

Besides, you have to pay Norm enough to make sure that he can't be bought by those darn Democracy Now folks.

Susan Rogers, listed as COO, makes over $139K + bennies, which isn't out of the realm for a multi-media TV/Radio/etc. combo.

 

[The Voice of Reason]

Very Unreasonable

Your numbers are a little misleading. From the WXXI IRS filing on their website:

The salary for Norm Silverstein includes a one-time payment of deferred compensation which was made due to changes in the tax laws. The salary without that payment would be $237,816.

The $346K that you refer to includes his salary ($291K this year), benefits ($47K), and expenses ($7K). Those numbers aren't out of range considering that he oversees TV, radio, and cable broadcast outlets.

Are far as the SUVs are concerned, they don't show up under compensation, so I'm sure that they're station vehicles available to other staffers, right? Since Norm doesn't get paid for fundraising according to the IRS, he needs a 4WD to get to the broadcast facility in case of trouble during bad weather. I'm sure that he's there whenever anything goes wrong to supervise the people who oversee his engineering and programming staffs.

Besides, you have to pay Norm enough to make sure that he can't be bought by those darn Democracy Now folks.

Susan Rogers, listed as COO, makes over $139K + bennies, which isn't out of the realm for a multi-media TV/Radio/etc. combo.

$346 k is close to $350,000 and even more if you add in his personal SUV (which I'm told no one else but he drives anyway). As for him needing an SUV to get to work during emergencies... please give me a break! If there is an emergency, say the station goes off the air, doesn't he have staff to deal with that? And I doubt they all are driving SUV's in the winter. Just look at all of the pay raises and benefits this guy, along with Rogers, has received since they started at WXXI and you will notice, as I have, that these two have tripled their incomes in a very short time. Now if they were working for a private company it would be none of my business. But since public stations get funding from the federal government, i.e.: taxpayers, of which I am one, then I have the right to say their salaries are way out of line for a non-profit organization; especially one that has numerous fundraisers each year with the same theme: We're broke, help us or we won't give you the programming you deserve! What a line of cow manure. WXXI is top heavy with highly paid administrators, plain and simple. Cut their salaries and jobs and maybe the station wouldn't need so many fundraisers.

 

[Radknowski]

Are far as the SUVs are concerned, they don't show up under compensation, so I'm sure that they're station vehicles available to other staffers, right? Since Norm doesn't get paid for fundraising according to the IRS, he needs a 4WD to get to the broadcast facility in case of trouble during bad weather. I'm sure that he's there whenever anything goes wrong to supervise the people who oversee his engineering and programming staffs.

VOR... you may have missed the subtext of this portion of Rox's statement, which probably should have been tagged [sarcasm filter="on"]

One only wonders about the compensation levels of other WXXI employees. For example, does a midday talk show host with a host of letters folllowing his name (i.e., B.S., M.A., Ph.D.) receive comparable compensation? Not seeking a response, simply a hypothetical question.

And what of personnel at WBFO-FM and WNED-AM, FM, TV in Buffalo? Quite likely, the men and women who "make the wheels turn" on a day to day basis don't receive nearly what they deserve.

Yet, if listeners and "members" raise a ruckus about contributing to the stations and organize a pledge drive boycott, it's more likely to adversely affect the news anchors, producers, writers and board-ops rather than the CEO's, COO's and upper management who always get the large slice of the cake.

If you're not pleased with the compensation levels, write letters to the station, the local papers and use other forums such as this to factually and objectively state your case.

But don't expect to change people's minds. Public broadcasting is, in many ways, like corporate broadcasting. CEO's stock their Boards of Directors with elite friends and allies who are only too happy to accede to the compensation demands of the CEO and COO, lest the stations lose such talented and respected leaders.

[sarcasm filter=on]Where might they find another?![/sarcasm filter]

(See what I mean about sarcasm tags?)

The question these CEO's and COO's should be asked is, "Where else do you think you're going to get paid like this? Justify your salary and benefits according to market size and comparable operations in markets of this size elsewhere in the USA." Now, it may very well be that the CEO and COO with whom you have issues, are justifiably and comparably paid as to markets and operations the size of Rochester.

Yet, this salary scrutiny has been directed to the men and women in the trenches have had to answer year in and year out, along with facing the subsequent advisory, "If you think you can do better, fine... but you'll not work in this market until your non-compete expires." Good luck.

You mean to tell me a seasoned broadcaster with years of experience (such as a certain WXXI midday talk show host) couldn't do an equally good, if not better job, given the opportunity?

"Them that has, gets." As it always was and always shall be. God bless the child that has his own.

 

[SirRoxalot]

Re: Very Unreasonable

...I have the right to say their salaries are way out of line for a non-profit organization; especially one that has numerous fundraisers each year with the same theme: We're broke, help us or we won't give you the programming you deserve! What a line of cow manure. WXXI is top heavy with highly paid administrators, plain and simple. Cut their salaries and jobs and maybe the station wouldn't need so many fundraisers.

First, let me thank our resident painter, who "got it" concerning the SUVs.

Secondly, when you compare salaries, you need to compare apples to apples. Generally, if you're offered a $40K salary, that's $40K plus benefits. A typical benefits package in NYS is going to cost your employer more like $60K. Your characterization of Mr. Silverstein's salary - which is substantial - also forgot to mention the one-time payment to cover changes in tax law.

Mr. Silverstein is responsible for the operation of an $11M/year enterprise that encompasses a over-the-air TV station, several other separate video streams distributed via cable and/or the Internet, 2 1/2 FMs, an AM, and various other events and presentations. Just what level of compensation do you consider to be "fair"?

It's hard to compare his job with those of commercial broadcasters. They have significantly different responsibilities. They usually have large corporations to provide services and support - as well as make demands. Mr. Silverstein has more control over some aspects, and has to politic with an unpaid advisory board over other issues.

The discussion of pay for non-profit CEO's is ongoing. You might want to check this Business Week article about the topic. What Silverstein is making ain't chicken feed, but it doesn't necessarily jump out in the context of other non-profits. Apparently you & the board have different views on his effectiveness and performance.

 

[dampier]

The D&C, which usually prints veritable press releases for whatever WXXI wants, could always publish these salary figures to the public and see what it does during pledge time. Let the listeners and viewers decide whether or not they want to pay for the luxury SUV with really cruddy gas mileage (who says public broadcasting is liberal) and a president who makes probably several times the salary the average resident earns.

I stopped supporting WXXI several years ago after visiting their offices. When I make a contribution to public broadcasting now, I send a check to Wyoming Public Radio. It's one of several public broadcasting stations that are more about their listeners than the money, and WPR, along with other outlets like Alaska Public Radio, provide real community service to their audiences.

 

[Radknowski]

It occurs to me just from listening to the public radio, some posts in this thread not withstanding, that public radio has one very priceless commodity going for it: Loyalty.

Shows like Morning Edition, local news, blues and jazz shows, the Car Guys, Fresh Air, This American Life and others prove their worth by motivating listeners to pledge and become longtime members. There's a lot to be said for that: Notable and compelling programming drives sales or in public radio's case, pledges. Outside of morning drive and talk radio, there are few, if any, "shows" on commercial radio stations.

 

[The Voice of Reason]

The D&C, which usually prints veritable press releases for whatever WXXI wants, could always publish these salary figures to the public and see what it does during pledge time. Let the listeners and viewers decide whether or not they want to pay for the luxury SUV with really cruddy gas mileage (who says public broadcasting is liberal) and a president who makes probably several times the salary the average resident earns.

The Democrat & Chronicle won't print anything negative against WXXI because David J. Mack, who I believe is a top executive at Gannett, is currently the Chairman of the Board of WXXI.
In other words the paper and WXXI are in bed together. And the Messenger Post papers won't print anything before former owner George Ewing is also a member of the board. Silverstein has the board stacked all right; stacked with people who are only interested in padding their resumes and don't mind giving the top executives at that public broadcasting operation huge salaries and benefits. What about the employees; the people who actually do the work there? I was told they are lucky to get a 2 percent raise, and some years never got any salary increases while Silverstein and the other top five not only got raises but bonuses. Say what you wish, when someone running a public TV and radio station makes more than the Vice President of the United States, there is something very very wrong.

 

[SirRoxalot]

Say what you wish, when someone running a public TV and radio station makes more than the Vice President of the United States, there is something very very wrong.

To paraphrase Babe Ruth...

"EVERYBODY had a better year than the Vice President."

 

[Mark Giardina]

In the long run does it really matter who makes what at WXXI? It's no secret to those who work there, or have worked there, that certain individuals are paid better than most. Either one deals with it or they move on to something better.

Personally I could care less what Silverstein or Rogers or Orlando, and the other vice president's make. To me that is history and none of my business. But I will say that when I worked at WXXI there was more of a sense of job security than when I worked for commercial radio, with the exception of when Malrite owned WNYR-WEZO and Murray Green and Len Hart were General Managers.

Would I have liked to have made more money than I was making when I worked at WXXI? Sure. But at least I knew when I arrived at work each day that the format for both the AM and FM stations were not going to be changed to...lets say the "Flavor of the Week." During my years at WXXI there were a few people let go, or the better word is fired, but a majority of people left on there own.

What I am trying to say I guess to VOR is that while you can be upset over what the top executives at WXXI make, what good is it going to do? The Board of Directors is not going to reduce his, or Rogers salaries. Let them drive their station bought cars. I agree that writing letters to the editor of the D&C won't be published because of the close ties between both organizations.

If you don't want to donate money to public radio, so be it. I don't and never will. Not because of some personal vendetta, but instead I rather see my money go towards cancer research or finding cures for other childhood diseases.

As for tax dollars going to help public broadcasting, a few cents a year isn't going to break the bank. Maybe critics would instead like to use the payment plan the folks in England have for the BBC?

In conclusion I will just add that if the public ever gets upset with the salaries Silverstein and his management team makes the station will find out because the amount of money raised in fundraising drives will drop. But as long as public broadcasting puts out a decent product, while most commercial stations continue to air "crap" then public radio has nothing to worry about. The audience might average around a 2 share in the ratings but it’s a solid two share.

Now that I've added my two-cents, I'm going back to something more important, like watching a DVD of Elmo with my granddaughter.

 

[Philip_Airtime]

I'm wondering why Voice of Reason has such hard feelings toward WXXI and its management. He's been harsh in his posts in this and other threads. Is he a disgruntled former employee? I'd be interested in his motivations for his strident positions here.

 

[raymond_shaw]

I'm wondering why Voice of Reason has such hard feelings toward WXXI and its management. He's been harsh in his posts in this and other threads. Is he a disgruntled former employee? I'd be interested in his motivations for his strident positions here.

Perhaps he, like many people, see them as big money grubbing machine. They are pseudo-community broadcasters. They are all about money and power. You don't need a big building on State St. to run 1 TV, 1 AM and 1 FM station.

I've heard many stories of people who've had bad experiences with them - former employees, ex volunteers and members of the community at large. From what I hear, PBS/NPR stations are like that all over.

 

[The Voice of Reason]

I'm wondering why Voice of Reason has such hard feelings toward WXXI and its management. He's been harsh in his posts in this and other threads. Is he a disgruntled former employee? I'd be interested in his motivations for his strident positions here.

My motivation is that I'm sick and tired of these "fat cats" lying to a gullible public all the time going by on the air and claiming their stations are in financial dire straits when the fact is that these operations can afford to shell out these huge salaries to a select individuals. It's nothing but a rip-off yet not enough people are aware of it. What makes me even more upset is having these same people have the audacity to ask people to include these stations in their wills. I think I've made a valid point here by pointing out that many public stations have the money to pay executives six-figure salaries while going on the air with the false claim they need financial support. WXXI is a perfect example of the message I'm trying to get across. You tell me, do you think it's fair?

 

[SirRoxalot]

Reasonable

1. It's unreasonable for anybody to make a lot more money than I do.

2. It's unreasonable for me to not make a lot more money than I do.

 

[raymond_shaw]

1. It's unreasonable for anybody to make a lot more money than I do.

2. It's unreasonable for me to not make a lot more money than I do.

Who here thinks that? What do you base that assumption on?

People making lots of money is fine(& more power to 'em), but shouldn't that be done in the private sector?

 

[alw]

Frankly, I'm more concerned about the fact that HMOs and other "not-for-profits" are paying their CEOs upwards of 1.5 mil and cheaping out on paying doctors and nurses so that the turn-over is such that I have never been able to actually have an office visit with my actual doctor.

A 150 thou or 300 thou paycheck is far less than a commercial radio & TV CEO brings down.

All of it is so far from my perview that it's difficult for me to visualize any of it.

 

[SpareChange]

I presume those who take exception to the salaries of public radio managers took note of Lawrence M. Small, who "resigned" Monday from his position as Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution (the national museums) in Washington, D.C. amid criticism of his personal spending and numerous perks.

An internal audit in January found that Small had made $90,000 in unauthorized expenses, including private jet travel and expensive gifts.

The audit revealed that Small charged the Smithsonian more than $1.1 million for agreeing to use his 6,500-square-foot home in the affluent Woodley Park neighborhood of Washington for official functions. The housing expenses included $273,000 for housekeeping, $2,535 to clean a chandelier and $12,000 for service on his backyard swimming pool.

According to reports from NBC and the AP, "the Senate approved freezing a proposed $17 million increase in funding for the Smithsonian, citing Small's excessive compensation and spending."

Relating Small's indiscretions to the public radio discussion here, if this is the type monkey business, double dipping and compensation, albeit to a lesser degree, that occurs in the local public radio arena, it's no wonder that some current and former (lower ranked) employees aren't happy.

It does make one think about how listeners, members and supporters might react if the finances were askew and the CEO's and COO's were as brazen as Mr. Small.

 

[The Voice of Reason]

I presume those who take exception to the salaries of public radio managers took note of Lawrence M. Small, who "resigned" Monday from his position as Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution (the national museums) in Washington, D.C. amid criticism of his personal spending and numerous perks.

An internal audit in January found that Small had made $90,000 in unauthorized expenses, including private jet travel and expensive gifts.

The audit revealed that Small charged the Smithsonian more than $1.1 million for agreeing to use his 6,500-square-foot home in the affluent Woodley Park neighborhood of Washington for official functions. The housing expenses included $273,000 for housekeeping, $2,535 to clean a chandelier and $12,000 for service on his backyard swimming pool.

According to reports from NBC and the AP, "the Senate approved freezing a proposed $17 million increase in funding for the Smithsonian, citing Small's excessive compensation and spending."

Relating Small's indiscretions to the public radio discussion here, if this is the type monkey business, double dipping and compensation, albeit to a lesser degree, that occurs in the local public radio arena, it's no wonder that some current and former (lower ranked) employees aren't happy.

It does make one think about how listeners, members and supporters might react if the finances were askew and the CEO's and COO's were as brazen as Mr. Small.

I still remember the former president of the national United Way who hired a private jet to take him, and his girlfriend, to the Caribbean Islands for a nice vacation paid for by donation dollars. I'm not trying to link this incident with what some public broadcasting executives make, however there should be some accountability here. One has to wonder just what the public reaction would be if everyone knew how much money these executives pull down while at the same time going on the air telling everyone that if they do not donate their favorite NPR or PBS programs would be in jeopardy of being canceled. And it's not fair that while a few people make big money and receive huge raises, those who actually do the work are vastly underpaid for their talents and dedication.