MarkO said:
Jeffries is an accomplished multi-format specialist, and he is credited with having done a great job in building or rebuilding some stations in competitive markets in the UK, including Kiss 100 (CHurban/London), Kerrang (active rock/Birmingham), Beat 106 (CHR/Scotland) and Galaxy (CHR/Manchester). I wonder if he's really as bad as some of the earlier posts in this thread indicate? Or, is it generally his CC connection/role which is turning folks off?
Everyone has their supporters and detractors. In this case, his supporters are few, but they have the power. His detractors are many. Mostly people who have worked for or with him. Those multi-formats you mention above are CHR, Active Rock and Churban. I don't see anything that would make him an expert at AC. The people I know who work at CC have witnessed some strange and for some on staff abusive behavior. Those that have complained have been met with indifference from above. Someone at CC likes him and doesn't seem to care how he treats people. Look, I don't want to get into slanderous territory here, but I know what I've heard to be true. It's radio, we've all at one time or another worked for someone who could be categorized as a "real piece of work" but this guy is not the happy go lucky nice guy that his initial image shows. After all I know about him and everything I've heard, I have to wonder how "stable" he is. (I heard a story about a jingle session in Texas that sounded like something out of a movie) But back to the "accomplished multi-format specialist" title you've bestowed on him. If he's that good, why are the two stations he controls failing in the PPM? They've been dropping, and unlike last year, he may not have much staff left to bail him out. Stations evolve, I get that, but the changes he's implemented over the last few years have been disastrous to KOST especially. No doubt they will do well with Christmas music again this December, but those numbers will drop like a rock once January rolls around if they keep going the way they have this year. What works in other countries doesn't always fly here and to be honest, listening to his stations I can find a whole lot of bad radio. Weird too as I've been to Europe and liked a lot of what I heard.
KBIG, I cold go on a while about it. It's problems are numerous. KOST has built a solid reputation over the years as one of the nation's top AC's. It had it's own unique sound that programers all over the country copied. No more as they've gone from a leader to a follower. Their "star" show was always Lovesongs on the Coast. However, the changes Mr. "accomplished multi-format specialist" has made have killed it's numbers. From what I can make out, the music is the biggest problem there. I know you'll say that the competition at night has changed and you'd be right, but it's still no excuse for what's happening there now. So he does his thing, fails at it, but gets a promotion. You have to question the decision maker who promoted him. I'll bet it was someone who knows little about programming. Not his or her fault I suppose as they only know what they've been told.
Whew, sorry, I went on a typing jag, I just hate it when people screw up great stations...
