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Brother Wease Off The Air Pending Contract Talks.

Showdown

Anybody want to bet on who blinks? The Winter Book starts on January 10th. Wease should have missed a paycheck by then.

A little extended Christmas vacation, a "Wease vs. The Man" stand, a big splash on his return - it's almost like a script, huh? If he gets half of his former salary, he should consider himself lucky.
 
I usually post on the television site, but this whole Wease thing really burns my stones. Who the heck does he think he is? Is he that selfish to ask for "mid-six figures" in this day and age? Don't get me wrong, the guy's been around for a while, but geez, I don't think he's worth mid-six figures. For all of his bleeding heart-poor Kano-poor Dino-poor Pete Kennedy-look what they done to us-speech, you'd think the guy could've ponied up and loosened his pocket book and gave some salary concessions to keep some of his former co-workers. But no, and herein is the true Wease. He's a businessman, first and foremost, he could care less about 'CMF, Kano, Dino, Kennedy and all the rest. I had to laugh when I heard him complaining about his new studio and microphones and other equipment problems when they moved into the Entercom studios. BE GLAD YOU HAVE A JOB BUDDY!! Welcome to the real world. I really hope the big dogs at Entercom take a good hard look at his real worth and what he brings to the organization. Remember, he's a big fish, but he's not the ONLY fish now. There are other stations in that group that bring in big money, WBEE and WBZA and believe you me, nobody over there is raking in mid-six figures. Everyone keeps saying, "Oh no, this is the end of 'CMF if Wease leaves." Really? I don't think so. No one is that indespensible. 'CMF will continue on with or without the guy, the sun will still rise in the east and set in the west, the calendar will still tick off days and people will still listen because it's the music that they like to listen to. Entercom has a lock on the ratings. Between 'CMF, 'BEE, and The Buzz, they should all do quite well, with or without Mr. Levin.
 
Hey TV, what kind of liberal BS are you spouting? So, you don't think he's worth it? How do you determine value of anything? Real estate, cars, beans, stocks? There's only one way. If someone will pay it, he's worth it. Economics 101.

Giving salary consessions to help his co-workers? How much of your salary would you give up to keep a co-worker employed? The market spoke. It is ridiculous, and akin to having Wease write a check to his co-workers for their inability to make a case to the corp and the competition of their worth. These fine broadcasters are victims of Wall St. mismanagement, corperate greed and ineptitude at the top. How much should Wease have to give up, just because you're not a fan?

If he ends up back on the air, we'll have our answer of who was worth what.
 
Whoa, don't be so bogus, Bogus :p The point of my rant was that Wease is grossly overpaid and doesn't deserve a mid six-figure salary in the midst of this huge consolidation. Kudos to him if he gets it, but the future of 'CMF and Rochester radio doesn't rest on his shoulders. He should be happy with what's offered him and be glad he has a place to hang his shingle. It's radio man, not rocket science. I can think of at least a dozen other professions that deserve mid-six figure salaries, radio jock isn't one of them.
 
Don't you get rewarded for dominating a market? Isn't that the American dream. The station may not be number one overall
but look at his audience share. Those numbers don't happen overnight.
 
Negotiations

It's very simple. You get what you can from the people signing the checks. If you don't like what they offer, you look elsewhere to see if you can get more from somebody else.

Wease may have a non-compete, definitely has a limited number of years left, has no juice outside of Rochester, and has nobody in Rochester willing to pay him "mid-six figures" - or even close. He will only fit at one station - WCMF - and Entercom ain't gonna pay him anywhere near what he was making. The Fox is not an option as long as CC owns it.

As far as "dominating the market" is concerned, he's not as dominant as he once was. 'BEE is dominating the market, not Wease.

As far as I can see, Wease has two choices - take it, or leave it. All they're doing now is the Presidential Dance - defining what "it" is.
 
Rox, as usual you hit the nail on the head!

Unless he's put a lot of money away for this rainy day, my guess is that, Wease, knowing that there's nowhere else to go will come to an agreement with the folks at Entercom for substantially less money.

Of course, to save face for the ol' guy--the announcement to the public will state for an "undisclosed amount of money" or "terms of the new agreement weren't announced". 

Welcome to the real world, brotha!
 
Sadly, we're all only as good as our last job. The man is a market legend. Sometimes these negotiations take place and heads butt because of the talent's ego, and the suits saying "we don't need this guy."

The days of a GM backing a talent based on long term relationship and success are pretty much over.

I'm not sure who is making the decisions in this one, but it's very possible that they know what Wease wants, and are choosing to go low so that it appears he walked away from a lot of money. It happens a lot nowadays.

If it's over. He had one hell of a run.

Cheers!
 
HERE's HOW IT REALLY WORKS:

Entercom is a publicly traded company.

Any money they don't pay WEASE does not go to "other employees" but to the bottom line. Not one penny is spent these days unless it is absolutely necessary to deliver quarterly numbers. It's all about the Stockholders, if any are left. Radio Stocks are pretty dead.

Entercom will decide what their positive cash flow numbers look like without WEASE, compare them to what they look like with WEASE. Then they will factor in what they think his options and viability are.

This is where they get tough.

If WEASE has willing suitors in Rochester, they may pay dearly to dethrone WCMF... and make no mistake, with his heritage and long term advertiser realationships WEASE brings cash to wherever he works. If his agent is good, they alreay know where they will go next, and are just dealing with the wait on the non-compete. ENTERCOM may just be feeling them out to see if he is serious.

ENTERCOM plays real hardball, just ask HOWIE CARR.

But you know what? This is just business folks. WEASE should forget about the emotion and just get fair market value, whatever that is. The rest of us in radio should be proud of him and all talent that has earned the right to be in a tough negotiation.
 
Showdown at High Falls

You guys are playing hardball here like a bunch of guys in the boardroom and frankly, that's the way it works in the RW. Wease vs. Entercom. Who's your money on? This is like watching the cagematch Battle of the WWF Bad Guys.

Just who do you want to see take a fall the most? The overpaid whining-yet-legendary-everyman-morning-guy or the guys from Philly who wear $3 thousand suits and wear no socks (well, at least David, the old man is pretty buttoned-down but the kid's a punk... well-educated and slick, but a punk nonetheless.)

Over the years, Wease got sweetheart deals from previous GM's, Coughlin, Whatsisname and LeGrett, when times were much different. Those GM's had emotional ties to Wease and saw their personal fortunes rise with Wease's every success. Can you really blame them for inflating Wease's ego and coffers? Times were good and the wine was sweet. But those days are barely visible in the rear view mirror now.

For years, Doyle's been watching WCMF from the other side of the street, probably thinking, "WTF! Not if I'm running the joint!" Well, well, well... now Doyle has the con and Entercom's watching him maneuver the ship through choppy waters. He's going to show David and Joe Field that he's in control of the ship AND the fleet. He's a Regional Manager, afterall. Welcome to "Who's Got The Biggest Nuts?"

Think Doyle's going to let Wease control the negotiations? No way. He and Entercom hold the cards. Alan, good man, you had a good run. You're still in the game. Your hand isn't as strong as it once was, but you still have an invitation to sit at the table. Take the deal, shake hands with Doyle, David and Joe and tell the media how much you love working with Entercom, what a great deal you have and how you hope to retire from WCMF. Smile for the camera and be glad you have a gig that provides you with more money than any four jocks make in Rochester make in total.

And as to Wease having any moral obligation to give a slice of his salary to save Kane-o and Kennedy... puh-leeeze. This ain't Disneyland. Wease isn't the Little Sisters of the Poor. Oh sure, Kane-O and Kennedy are decent guys (well, at least Kane-O is...) and it would have been a magnaminous gesture for Wease to pony up, but this would have solved nothing and in the end, would have made Wease look even weaker than he already does in the eyes of Entercom.

And do you think Kane-O and Kennedy would have done the same if they were in Wease's shoes? NFW! And they shouldn't be expected to, either.

Wease will be back on the air in a few days because like everybody else in this badass business, he's addicted to the rush and he can't make anywhere near the cheese doing anything else. What's he gonna do, become the head of NASA? I don't think they're hiring at the moment.

-9-
 
I think "9" has the right idea as usual.

I don't know Wease nor have I ever heard him. I do know that he's been a big cheese in Rochester for a long time.

The "suits" are not as free with the money as they used to be. It's their sandbox the talent just gets to play there. I'm sorry but cracking jokes and making fun of people just doesn't get all that much respect as it used to no matter how good you are at it.

There are very few options left to talent these days. Wease should just suck it up, take whatever he can get while looking for his next gig. I think he will find there isn't much out there.
 
Mike and Element9

You guys sound either like "management" or "competitors". I think you are wrong. The days of talent leverage have never been stronger.

Like I said it all comes down to the money, and whether WEAZE has an option. If he does, and he's got WCMF more cash flow positive than they would be without him, he is in the drivers seat. I will have fun watching.

If not, you are right. He will take what the market will bear. Or decide that it's time to enjoy life at a slower pace and maybe live longer. His job is very demanding, even though it looks easy from the sidelines.

This is Bidness, and there ain't no shame either way it turns out.

Comments like "overpaid whining-yet-legendary-everyman-morning-guy or the guys from Philly who wear $3 thousand suits" are petty and shallow. If you could work as hard as WEAZE or David Field and make their bread you would.

I happen to know both very well.

David is what he is, and it is WALL STREET and it is AMERICA. He has done well for himself... WEAZE is a rare and special broadcaster who made his success on his own terms and built solid relationships that made him very successful. Comparing him to any other Rochester personality would be like comparing a 1945 Mouton Rothschild to a bottle of Zima.

Please...
 
Brother Wease is attempting to generate support amongst his listeners and the general public during his contract negotiations with Entercom. How do you think Channel 10 got the story in the first place? Simple, Wease or one of his minions contacted the TV station and let them know that Wease wasn’t going to be on the air Wednesday. Then the newspaper picked up the story and ran with it.
As I mentioned in a previous post, neither Wease, nor his “posse” signed new contracts last year unlike Dave Kane, Marc Cronin, Dino, and Pete Kennedy. Even before the ink was dried on the contracts, those gentlemen were fired.
As for Wease’s salary; there are two sides to consider. Some think that his salary, which is believed to run around 400 thousand dollars or more a year, is out-of-line with existing salaries paid to announcers today. Of course it is, but then again tell me if anyone who reads this board would turn down that kind of money if offered to them?
To his credit Wease has delivered the demographics that helped build WCMF. Maybe he isn’t as entertaining as he once was, but he still has both a following and makes money for CMF, otherwise why would Entercom have bought the station to begin with?
Entercom executives will try their best to get Wease to take a huge pay cut. They will also reduce his “posse” by eliminating some of them to save money.
It will be interesting to see the outcome of this contract battle.
 
Deal Or No Deal

I happen to know both very well. David is what he is, and it is WALL STREET and it is AMERICA. He has done well for himself... WEAZE is a rare and special broadcaster who made his success on his own terms and built solid relationships that made him very successful. Comparing him to any other Rochester personality would be like comparing a 1945 Mouton Rothschild to a bottle of Zima.

I don't know about anybody else on the board, but damn, I'm impressed!

For the record: I'm neither management nor competitor. I'm viewing the scrum from the inside-out and at a distance. I've met all three at industry gatherings, but do not know them for more than the fleeting time we said "hello, good to meet you." I have no dog in this fight, but as usual, I have my well-measured opinion.

Field the Younger is a brilliant man and he's credited as such in my initial post. Still, I do not like the him. He reminds me of Gordon Gekko. From the Michael Milken School of Wall Street. The kind of guy who shakes your hand with the wet-fish grip, then has the audacity to wipe his hand on his pants while scanning the room for somebody more important to talk to. Get my drift? Now the old man, he's salt of the earth; a tough, smart, old-school guy who looks you in the eye and isn't afraid to tell you what he thinks.

I'm a Genny Cream and fish fry kinda guy who watches the chosen few drink the Mouton Rothschild from the other side of the room but still keeps one hand on his wallet. My old man poured concrete for a living. Some days we ate steak, some days we ate spaghetti and saltines... but we always ate together as a family. I stand by my initial observation.

Viscerally, I'd like to see Wease stick it to 'em, but as Mike said in a great metaphor, "it's their sandbox." If I was making king sized money and the company told me to take a 50 per cent pay cut, I'd be "rather upset" (subsititute expletive of your choice.) But y'know something? When management makes an offer, you kinda get an idea of what they think of you and what your bottom line worth is. It's a cold dose of reality, but at least you know where you stand.

Think about what happened to John Murphy at Channel 7 Buffalo when Granite was going to cut his (some say "bloated") salary. He walked. There's a man of conviction. Of course, Murphy has a wife who collects a nice check and he lives a bit more conservatively than Alan Levin (although who really knows these days) AND he probably has a gig lined up when his non-compete ends.

It's not a personal relationship. It's business. Trust no one. Keeps your friends close and your enemies closer.

-9-
 
"He walked. "

And on that we agree... it's about what WEASE wants. I just hate to hear people say management has all the cards, cuz if they did, no one would get big, trust me.

If Alan (WEASE) has a gig lined up elsewhere, it ain't their sandbox. If he doesn't, the Negative Nancy's should put their money on David the Suit.

I'm betting he does.

Your characterization of the Field's is interesting. I miss the old man, his word meant something long term, though that was a different time.
 
Place Your Bets

OK, I'm betting a Crystal Beach Season's Pass, a $50 Sattler's Gift Certificate, and night of dining and entertainment at The Three Coins that Wease takes half-a-loaf, loses a little posse, doesn't get a window, and lands at 'CMF. There will also be considerably reduced trade benefits extended to Mr. Levin & Co.

He'll still have a better deal than any morning man in Buffalo - including several with better ratings in a bigger market.
 
Re: Place Your Bets

This morning's D&C had another story about Wease and he admits his tactics were a mistake. To me that is an indication that he might be scared that Entercom executives just might decide to hell with him and go with someone else.
 
Re: Place Your Bets

SirRoxalot said:
OK, I'm betting a Crystal Beach Season's Pass, a $50 Sattler's Gift Certificate, and night of dining and entertainment at The Three Coins that ...

LMAO... Good one.
 
JohnGault said:
Mike and Element9

You guys sound either like "management" or "competitors". I think you are wrong. The days of talent leverage have never been stronger.

Please...

Sorry no to both not management and not a competitor.

On air talent is rarely respected by management these days. The unemployment line is full of guys who brought in the big ratings and took home big salaries. The budgets get tighter and tighter!

Talent leverage? Let's see, there are syndicated shows, voice tracking, and turn the computer on. All it takes is some bonehead management type. With just a handful of mega group owners I don't think talent has that much leverage. What am I missing here?
 
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