In most cases, these people have personal services contracts which supercede AFTRA's collective bargaining agreement (and which pay more than the CBA minimums).
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Black Friday in Burbank
- Thread starter calguy
- Start date
I have four words to describe this:
Cheap Channel corporate scum.
Cheap Channel corporate scum.
mred said:
thoughtful...well written...intelligent post.
and yes...that's sarcasm
it is difficult to appreciate the timing of this if you're not familiar with radio.
R
Radioboy989
Guest
A repeat of what they did in Cincinatti. 19 blowouts right before Christmas. I understand it's "business" but a little human decency wouldn't hurt.
Is there a "right" time to lay people off? If so, I'm sure every company would love to know when that time is. The budget year starts January 1...so is November 30 better than December 15, or better than September 1? Truth is there just isn't a good time.
J
jimmythebassett
Guest
This is the model CC is using I was told to adopt in the CC station I program in Central California. We have 2 jocks and the rest either VT'ed or automated. I was told over a year ago this is the model the company would be using in 2008.
B
Bob_Hudson
Guest
Shoot From Hip said:
CC did this last year just before Christmas in the east and midwest market and a lot of us wondered when they'd get to the west: they started in Texas a few weeks ago. I suspect San Diego with its large CC presence is next.
And yes AFTRA has no cojones - they've proven that time after time since long before Clear Channel came along.
Clear Channel---the company that destroyed the radio industry, and has singlehandedly made local and compelling programming on the verge of becoming extinct, if it isn't already.
Having already taken a chainsaw to their franchise properties in NYC & Boston, we all knew that this was coming, but it is still extremely pathetic and unconscionable.
Having already taken a chainsaw to their franchise properties in NYC & Boston, we all knew that this was coming, but it is still extremely pathetic and unconscionable.
B
Bob_Hudson
Guest
Marv-L.A. said:
Okay DaveE - time to jump in and tell us why this is all good for the industry
Marv-L.A. said:
I totally agree. I keep hearing that the iPod is the cause of all this, but I don't understand it. Shouldn't major companies at least try to give listeners a reason to tune into the radio instead of listening to their iPods? It seems to me that cutting all these people and going voicetracked/automated makes radio sound like an iPod more than ever. There is no reason to turn on your radio when you could just listen to your iPod.
I have heard of a few small broadcasters in other markets actually add more of a presence of their personalities and it's worked! These stations have seen ratings increases especially with their most popular personalities.
Most people under twenty don't even own a radio outside of their car, unless it happends to be included on their alarm clock. Dozens of studies have shown that the only reason young people even tune into radio anymore is for the personalities that entertain them. So it's ironic that Clear Channel is trying to grow by slashing personality and leaning more on automation. Very soon, these young people will be in the core demographic of CC's key stations, but they won't be listening because they have no reason to. Someday soon, shutting off the transmitter will be the only option left for many stations that have been run this way.
What's The Matter David "CC" got your tongue? Why is any of this good for the radio business?
You will notice that the Walkman did not kill radio back in the 80s. That is because, back then, there were still operators who understood that
radio needs to be a complete listening experience, not just a jukebox.
There is no way that radio will ever "out music" the iPod or various internet services, but these people at CC do not understand that. They have fallen into the trap of trying to beat a personal player at its own game. Impossible.
So, what is happening, is that radio loses some of its compelling and distinctive elements (i.e.: people, local orientation, etc) in budget cuts due to nearly impossible debt service. Naturally, listenership declines. Then, they can't make their projections, so they fire more people, losing more distinction. Naturally, this inches the service closer to a basic jukebox, and the listeners are not impressed. There are much better, more targeted jukeboxes available (iPod, online, satellite, etc). So now, they lose even more listeners, miss their projections again, and fire even more people. The radio station is now stripped of most of its advantages over a personal player or internet.
It seems obvious to me, that the Mays family and their partners in crime know ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about the entertainment business.
Someday, when Clear Channel ceases to exist, an unvarnished book will be written about a company which so misunderstood their product and marketplace, that it will be required reading in all business schools.
radio needs to be a complete listening experience, not just a jukebox.
There is no way that radio will ever "out music" the iPod or various internet services, but these people at CC do not understand that. They have fallen into the trap of trying to beat a personal player at its own game. Impossible.
So, what is happening, is that radio loses some of its compelling and distinctive elements (i.e.: people, local orientation, etc) in budget cuts due to nearly impossible debt service. Naturally, listenership declines. Then, they can't make their projections, so they fire more people, losing more distinction. Naturally, this inches the service closer to a basic jukebox, and the listeners are not impressed. There are much better, more targeted jukeboxes available (iPod, online, satellite, etc). So now, they lose even more listeners, miss their projections again, and fire even more people. The radio station is now stripped of most of its advantages over a personal player or internet.
It seems obvious to me, that the Mays family and their partners in crime know ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about the entertainment business.
Someday, when Clear Channel ceases to exist, an unvarnished book will be written about a company which so misunderstood their product and marketplace, that it will be required reading in all business schools.
HHH has neatly summarized the problem with the philosophy dominating a lot of radio station owners' minds. Though CC is certainly an outstanding example they are not alone. However I think that the RIAA's battle to prevent digital duplication will also doom those personal players once the consumers catch on.
If you have stocked your I-Pod from I-Tunes and somehow lose or damage the unit your only recourse is to purchase all new music to stock the replacement. If your Walkman was stolen you only lost the tape that was in it. So there is still a chance to save radio if the owners and operators seize the advantage as I see it and act appropriately. There can be a place for some stations like Jack but you also need to have outlets with a total package of news, traffic, weather and entertainment, along with music all delivered by people that the listeners can relate to.
What I can not understand here is that even if you need to cut costs to supposedly maintain profits, how decimating one of the higher rated stations in your group accomplishes any positive result. To an extent the changes to KBIG and KYSR are understandable although wrecking the both conjointly seems a little wacky. If it were me I would have concentrated on STAR and then have tackled KBIG after there were positive signs. I still believe that firing Charlie Tuna was a bit drastic but nothing like what we have here. But then that could be the reason I am not a station manager.
If you have stocked your I-Pod from I-Tunes and somehow lose or damage the unit your only recourse is to purchase all new music to stock the replacement. If your Walkman was stolen you only lost the tape that was in it. So there is still a chance to save radio if the owners and operators seize the advantage as I see it and act appropriately. There can be a place for some stations like Jack but you also need to have outlets with a total package of news, traffic, weather and entertainment, along with music all delivered by people that the listeners can relate to.
What I can not understand here is that even if you need to cut costs to supposedly maintain profits, how decimating one of the higher rated stations in your group accomplishes any positive result. To an extent the changes to KBIG and KYSR are understandable although wrecking the both conjointly seems a little wacky. If it were me I would have concentrated on STAR and then have tackled KBIG after there were positive signs. I still believe that firing Charlie Tuna was a bit drastic but nothing like what we have here. But then that could be the reason I am not a station manager.
What I can not understand here is that even if you need to cut costs to supposedly maintain profits, how decimating one of the higher rated stations in your group accomplishes any positive result.
With all due respect, how has the radio station been decimated? I will grant you the station does not sound EXACTLY THE SAME as it did a week ago, but the voices on the station today are the same ones that were on last week (albeit on longer shifts), the music (right now it's holiday programming) has not changed, the thematic is the same, and the TV spots I saw this weekend promoting the station are the same as they were a week ago. To the vast majority of listeners, KOST today is KOST last week, and will be KOST next week.
Let's just...for a moment...try putting ourselves in the listeners' shoes instead of our own. I don't think that what CC has done is going to send listeners racing elsewhere. We in the radio business may not like what's happened...but we in the radio business have to take off our rose colored glasses and start accepting that change is inevitable.
With all due respect, how has the radio station been decimated? I will grant you the station does not sound EXACTLY THE SAME as it did a week ago, but the voices on the station today are the same ones that were on last week (albeit on longer shifts), the music (right now it's holiday programming) has not changed, the thematic is the same, and the TV spots I saw this weekend promoting the station are the same as they were a week ago. To the vast majority of listeners, KOST today is KOST last week, and will be KOST next week.
Let's just...for a moment...try putting ourselves in the listeners' shoes instead of our own. I don't think that what CC has done is going to send listeners racing elsewhere. We in the radio business may not like what's happened...but we in the radio business have to take off our rose colored glasses and start accepting that change is inevitable.
"With all due respect, how has the radio station been decimated?...We in the radio business may not like what's happened...but we in the radio business have to take off our rose colored glasses and start accepting that change is inevitable."
It must be a very depressing time to be working as on-air talent, but from the listener's perspective, the experience will probably be about the same. In the Bay Area, KOIT ("Light Rock, Less Talk") has been the top rated music station for years. For the most part - outside of drive-time, the live jocks open the mic for only a few seconds, then read liners, which are then followed by pre-recorded liners. As a listening experience, there is NO reason the whole thing can't be voice-tracked. Bonneville owned the station for years, and they were known (at least in the Bay Area) for being compassionate employers who cared about their staff. Very different from Clear Channel, I realize, which doesn't seem to have any compassion at all for their employees.
KOIT was purchased a few months ago by Entercom, which hasn't changed a single thing so far - they almost seem afraid to mess with this money making machine. But if they wake up one day and decide they can save money by VTing the whole thing, I doubt anybody would notice, or they would lose any listeners. The fact is, the station is basically an i-Pod with commericals already, and has been for over 20 years, way before the i-Pod was even a concept in Steve Job's mind. We may not like it, but that's what made KOIT such a huge success...not the jocks.
It must be a very depressing time to be working as on-air talent, but from the listener's perspective, the experience will probably be about the same. In the Bay Area, KOIT ("Light Rock, Less Talk") has been the top rated music station for years. For the most part - outside of drive-time, the live jocks open the mic for only a few seconds, then read liners, which are then followed by pre-recorded liners. As a listening experience, there is NO reason the whole thing can't be voice-tracked. Bonneville owned the station for years, and they were known (at least in the Bay Area) for being compassionate employers who cared about their staff. Very different from Clear Channel, I realize, which doesn't seem to have any compassion at all for their employees.
KOIT was purchased a few months ago by Entercom, which hasn't changed a single thing so far - they almost seem afraid to mess with this money making machine. But if they wake up one day and decide they can save money by VTing the whole thing, I doubt anybody would notice, or they would lose any listeners. The fact is, the station is basically an i-Pod with commericals already, and has been for over 20 years, way before the i-Pod was even a concept in Steve Job's mind. We may not like it, but that's what made KOIT such a huge success...not the jocks.
Check this out from CC/St. Louis (courtesy of STLMedia.net):
12-03-07 Friday's CC changes ... Secret Squirrel reports: Taylor J returns weekdays to Z107.7; on The Bull, Craig Cornett will be heard 5:30AM-12N and Billy Greenwood 12N-7PM. Reason being told is that listeners want to hear more from their favorite air-personalities. Big Mike and Sherry Farmer are off the air weekdays and Kelly Wilde is gone.
Morning and afternoon drivers, including the PD, running seven hour shows? Bullcrap. At least half of each will be voicetracked. Listeners want to hear more of their favorites, indeed.
Look, the deal is this: Clear Channel needs to clear the decks on personnel charges as they sell off. They DO NOT care about ratings and they DO NOT care about audience.
They care only about raping their stations for profit.
12-03-07 Friday's CC changes ... Secret Squirrel reports: Taylor J returns weekdays to Z107.7; on The Bull, Craig Cornett will be heard 5:30AM-12N and Billy Greenwood 12N-7PM. Reason being told is that listeners want to hear more from their favorite air-personalities. Big Mike and Sherry Farmer are off the air weekdays and Kelly Wilde is gone.
Morning and afternoon drivers, including the PD, running seven hour shows? Bullcrap. At least half of each will be voicetracked. Listeners want to hear more of their favorites, indeed.
Look, the deal is this: Clear Channel needs to clear the decks on personnel charges as they sell off. They DO NOT care about ratings and they DO NOT care about audience.
They care only about raping their stations for profit.
Shoot From Hip said:
Decimated in that the station as it was was one of the higher rated stations in the market as well as for the CC LA cluster. Yes the station is going to sound different and if that difference is not what the listeners want that will be proved in subsequent books. If they are so desperate financially maybe they should unload the lesser performing stations and retain only the high rated.
Also Mike Nolan, who as an employee of AirWatch, was also let go played an integral role in KFI's coverage of the recent wild fire disasters as he has in similar circumstances in the past. That has to have an impact on the KFI news coverage which I have always considered superior, even over the so called all news outlets.
I don't have any personal interest in any of the victims, other than as a listener over they years they became almost like real friends which is also a testimony to their talents. I realize all things must change and as I've gotten older I am struck by that on a daily basis. Acceptance of reality is not an approbation of what is. We, meaning all of us, can not as outsiders do much to change the situation but we don't have to like it and this forum allows us to vent our frustrations at least.
D
dbdigital
Guest
HHH said:
This quote by Lowry Mays in a 2003 Fortune magazine interview pretty much explains the blood bath:
"We're not in the business of providing news and information. We're not in the business of providing well-researched music. We're simply in the business of selling our customers products."
In fact, if a friend hadn't given him an FM station to settle a debt back in 1972, the Mays family would probably have never gotten into the broadcasting business.
Come to think of it, don't most catastrophes begin with one small event?
db
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