Black Friday in Burbank

[oldiesfan6479]

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?

Sunday evening, Peter Griffin went back in time to 1984 and generally
screwed things up but eventually got them right (and hilarious along
the way). Maybe we could send him back to 1972 to wrestle that
station away from Lowry, and voila...Cheap Channel never happens
and radio lives happily ever after.

 

[hamNcheese]

Check this out from CC/St. Louis (courtesy of STLMedia.net):

12-03-07 Friday's CC changes ...

Craig Cornett will be heard 5:30AM-12N

Billy Greenwood 12N-7PM.

7 hour air shifts...eh, what can ya say.

 

[radio_gal1]

CCRLA is obviously not taking anything into consideration while making these cuts!
I mean, come on.. the personalities who were on KOST were amazing and setting radio history!

The "Mark & Kim Show" had set a record in Los Angeles radio history for having the longest running radio show (22 years.. which would have been 23 in February)! And they also received a star on Hollywood for this purpose to commemorate their 20 years together.

Mike Sakellarides, the mid-day host held a record for having the longest running radio shift in LA radio history (25 years DJing for you live from 10-3).

And Mike Nolan who was there for about 22 years bringing us traffic updates from the KOST 103 airplane.
THESE PEOPLE WERE THE FACE OF RADIO!... what a shame!

A few of their other staff were cut as well such as the Marketing Director and Internet Promotions Coordinator.

I truely feel for those who have lost their job, and I am saddened by the inconsiderate people of the CC Corporate. I have been a loyal listener to KOST and it is just shocking that they would make cuts on a station who has been doing so well with such high ratings.


I'm curious as how the rating will be dropping...

KOST FM just happened to be the station to go first with these crazy cuts, I am sure that the other CC stations in LA will be having cuts soon- probably by the end of this year.

 

[HHH]

It seems obvious to me, that the Mays family and their partners in crime know ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about the entertainment business.

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."


Am I, like, drunk or something, but without figuring out how to provide news and information, or providing well-researched music, how are you going to draw an audience to sell your customers' products to? Did Mr. Mays actually think that all he needed was a transmitter?

I swear to you when this whole thing is all over, somebody's going to write a hell of a book!

 

[calguy]

Heard the whole STAR 98.7 production department was canned. Wonder who else caught the bullet.

 

[dbdigital]

"I swear to you when this whole thing is all over, somebody's going to write a hell of a book!"


Yes, it would make an interesting book. But Clear Channel's history would have to be written in the context of the demise of radio since their philosophy and corporate policies are hastening it.

For us who post here, radio is a passion. But it's obvious from Lowry Mays' statement that the Mays' family passion lies elsewhere and whether that passion is fulfilled through broadcasting or selling aluminum siding is irrelevent.

A very good friend of mine who works as a morning drive personality for a CC cluster in Ohio, which has also had its share of lay offs, told me that morale is so low where he works that many employees are leaving on their own with little indication from management that they will be replaced.

I have no doubt that this scene is being played out in the hundreds of stations and "clusters" Clear Channel owns.

db

 

[Stewy]

Agreed dbd. Even sadder is that when you get into medium and small market situations owners have been and are now still taking their cues from CC as how to operate. Definitely a case of the blind leading the blind. The situation will eventually correct after enough bankruptcies but not until then. Properties were bought for way too much money (in most cases) so they can't sell and come close to getting out what was put in at the beginning. I also would not doubt that many of the investors in media are ALSO heavily invested in the real estate markets around the country. Gee, I feel so sorry for them.

 

[henry]

CC is one of my crosstown competitors in my market (middle market). Where I work morale isn't great - there's still that feeling that I may use my key-card one day and it won't open the door. And I work for one of the "better" owners.

One of the ops just came over from CC, and he said it's a "ghost town." After about 10 AM there's nobody anywhere in sight... not even the news/talker has a live body there. And yet these stations are "supposedly" worth about $10-20 million apiece!!! You'd think for that much money, you could have a live body in the chair.

Clear Channel is the single reason I am planning to work in another field. Radio is "my thing" but I don't think it'll exist in 20 years. I plan to get some nice paper-pushing job for city gov't somewhere, and enjoy benefits and nice work hours. Dull as can be, but at least I know I'm not gonna be canned tomorrow.

 

[Hunter]

Clear Channel is the single reason I am planning to work in another field. Radio is "my thing" but I don't think it'll exist in 20 years. I plan to get some nice paper-pushing job for city gov't somewhere, and enjoy benefits and nice work hours. Dull as can be, but at least I know I'm not gonna be canned tomorrow.

Good point. On the SF board many are surprised that a legend like John Mack Flanagan left radio years ago and went into the security industry...but he did it for effectively the same reasons that we all hate about CC....although he did it long before CC made things even worse.