CAN ANYONE ENLIGHTEN ME ABOUT RUSS OASIS?

[Timewarp]

Bruce Quinn's wife Mitsy has suffered a heart attack. She is very ill. This is why Bruce has not been
able to respond to Russ Oasis and issues raised here.

We hope mitsy recovers soon and best of luck to her from this tired old dog!

Looks like their friends in this biz need to send some get well cards! I'm sorry to hear this!

 

[Betelguese]

Yes, I am Russ Oasis. All of you who post under screen names (with the exception of Bruce Quinn) hide behind a fake name where you can say or do anything with impunity, and then run away. If someone feels that they have a legitimate point, why would they have to hide behind a screen name?
I have read Radiowannab's posts (and others) with interest. Please tell me what "cell phone boards" I have posted on or what you are talking about. Where and when was I bragging about cell phone sales? I have no clue what fabricated story this refers to.
The folks that Wannab mentions who "have it in for me" are 1) people like Radioho, who were terminated from WKLU and when they realized they had made a mistake, tried to get rehired. They were not rehired and now they are angry. My question is: if they are so talented, why don't they get a job at another station....ANYWHERE in Indy. Stations are in need of weekend talent, all the time. The naysayers are also 2) Competitors from other stations. 3) If this board's inference about asking for and negotiating FORMAT NON COMPETE AGREEMENTS with other radio stations is that it is sleazy or wrong, perhaps you'd be surprised to know that it is done every day. Did Emmis sell their WNOU intellectual rights to Radio One and Radio One get a non compete in the format from Emmis? Of course they did. Is Emmis wrong for charging for that non compete? Give me a break! It's done all the time in the course of business and there is nothing wrong with it. The people (hiders) on this board do not understand or do not want to understand.
Those who try to diminish my efforts to executre good radio and be anti corporate expose themselves as employees of those corporations. Who in their right mind would want to work at companies that have a) no research budgets, b) hiring freezes, c) one program director for 3 or 4 stations, d) voice tracked daytime dayparts, e) run 20 spots an hour (including sponsorships), 10 second spots, 5 second spots, blinks, and f) everybody is getting let go as they downsize NON STOP, etc. etc.
I can only say that my track record as a broadcaster speaks for itself. With a few stumbles along the way (and who hasn't had them), my stations perform better than the competition. Are there some unhappy employees? Yes there are. Generally, they are those who got caught letting songs run out in the middle of the night because they were sleeping (literally sleeping...as in snoring), or those who don't like getting called on the hotline after the 4th time they play spots in the wrong order (yes, we pay attention to details like that). If employees want to do sloppy airwork or cut corners, they SHOULD go to work at the corporate stations because the corporate guys don't care about how it sounds on the air.... I DO. Am I hard on employees who don't have a passion for radio and just "phone it in?" You bet I am. The day I have to sink to the current level of corporate mediocrity, is the day I'll retire. The sad truth is that the corporations have chased away most of the great talent in radio and the only people left are those who want to do things the easy, cheap and quick way.
On another topic, so many folks seem to think that the Quinn lawsuit is about greed, or this, that, and the other thing. Why don't all the legal geniuses take a moment to read it to find out what the substance of the suit is. Ah...but if they did that, they couldn't just make up whatever they wanted to and it couldn't become folklore online.
For those whose goal it is to embarrass me, I say this. Sign your real name. Stand up and be counted. Don't hide behind a screen name. It's those who root for the corporate guys who should be embarrassed. They've sold their souls to the devil and they know it.
It's pathetic that no real discussions and debate occur in the Indiana thread. A few ruin it for everyone. There are so many great state and city blogs on radio-info.com and in Indiana, we allow the discussion to be controlled and dominated by one or two ex employees of WKLU who can't get another gig.
Russ Oasis

I'm not in Radio at all however, I have to respect Russ's views and opinions. A Gaunlet has been thrown... and he's right, people shouldn't hide under a pyseudonym if they have something to say. However, there are probably more than a few owners and GM's that cruise on this forum.

I think its great that Russ comments on this board. Keep it up Russ...

Tim Berglund
Indy Radio Listener

 

[richmcdonald]

I don't know who Russ is, I do remember the Quinn's, very nice people and smarter than the average person. They were very good to me many years ago when I started in business. Having started, building then selling a business myself, I can appreciate his passion.

To most business owners, their business is their baby. In fact, many love their businesses more than their family. It may sound trite, but it is true. Their is nothing more exhilarating and fulfilling then developing and building your own business.

When your forced to hire people, you soon learn that they are about a 3rd of the way as passionate for your business. In fact, most could care less. This is intolerable to a business owner and yea, you get pretty upset when someone your paying has a ho-hum attitude about your company. The fact is, employees and the public will slash your throat for fifty cents. It makes you a little wary of people and your tolerance is at a minimum. So I can empathize with him. I will never do it again and you can have management. Some people should have never been hired, they arent good for the compnay, nor the company for them.

When I toured their studios for the first time several months ago, I marveled. I couldn't believe this was the same radio station I saw Steve Ross build in Brownsburg several years ago. They really worked hard and invested a lot of money in this little radio station. I am glad to see an individual go up against the companies that own radio stations in this market.

 

[radiowannab]

I don't think anyone is questioning the man's passion. It is pretty obvious from reading stuff on here that he cares a great deal about his business. I think a lot of people just question his tactics and the way he goes about running his business. I don't care how rich you are or how much you own in life, there is still a certain amount of respect you show people. In my opinion the lack of people defending the guy that are not currently employed by him says a lot.

I think a lot of people also find it odd that a man with so much spends his time creating screen names or having his employees post on a forum board to fight with people that are obviously just trying to get his goat.

 

[words2you]

Why does anyone care about this person? Radio is hemorrhaging in many ways listeners are going elsewhere, revunues are plummiting.

Off the top of my head I can think of at least 10 owners, dozens of general managers, cant even remember the many program directors that have passed through over the years.

In a few years we will be posting a topic whatever happened to the guy who owned the Brownsburg station?

 

[richmcdonald]

I don't think anyone is questioning the man's passion. It is pretty obvious from reading stuff on here that he cares a great deal about his business. I think a lot of people just question his tactics and the way he goes about running his business. I don't care how rich you are or how much you own in life, there is still a certain amount of respect you show people. In my opinion the lack of people defending the guy that are not currently employed by him says a lot.

I think a lot of people also find it odd that a man with so much spends his time creating screen names or having his employees post on a forum board to fight with people that are obviously just trying to get his goat.

My position wasn't trying to defend this person. However, I do have a great deal of admiration for self made people. If this person is genuinely a self made millionaire he is smart enough and tough enough to defend himself.

My point was to show that owning a company takes more than mere passion; it is a life style not a career. It sounds cheesy, but it is truly "your baby". If a babysitter fell asleep while taking care of your child you would go into a rage too. Anything some bonehead did to your baby you would have a conniption fit as any parent would. It is the same when you own a company and rightly so. In order for the organization to succeed someone has to champion it and give it a lot of TLC. That simply was my point. How would you like to lose your license because of some $8-10 an hour employee?

People who worked or work for a large corporation really don’t understand this. You mostly deal with a “manager” who really is just an employee. In many companies today the manager’s job is to keep his job.

 

[ilovelucy]

Why does anyone care about this person? Radio is hemorrhaging in many ways listeners are going elsewhere, revunues are plummiting.

Amen to that! I just started reading these boards a few months ago. It amazes me how much time you all spend talking about WKLU and Russ Oasis. (They're not even a top-ten station.) Is this really all you guys have to worry about in Indy?

 

[PTBoardOp94]

Word is that Russ Oasis is more colorful than Lew Dickey of Cumulus.

 

[flashback]

they say russ is a bad mother.....

shut your mouth.

but I`m talking about russ.


well we can dig it.

 

[realinsider]

LOL LOL LOL

 

[realinsider]

Good God Flashback, I didn't see that one coming!!! I can't stop laughing!

 

[Betelguese]

Word is that Russ Oasis is more colorful than Lew Dickey of Cumulus.

From what you describe, he sounds very colorful....

He isn't the most gentle of Boss's as you have all described but, he owns the station and he has the right to run it anyway he wants however, he doesn't have the right to treat his employees with disrespect.

 

[radioindy]

Word is that Russ Oasis is more colorful than Lew Dickey of Cumulus.

From what you describe, he sounds very colorful....

He isn't the most gentle of Boss's as you have all described but, he owns the station and he has the right to run it anyway he wants however, he doesn't have the right to treat his employees with disrespect.

Just like the auto manufacturers did before the unions. The owners told employees if they didn't like the working conditions, they were free to leave and let someone else have the job.

This is not a pro-union post, but an example that there is a LEGAL limit.

THAT'S why you SAVE EVERY hotline recording!

 

[Juan Bodley]

I read what Russ said, and I've never worked for the man, but I'll say this: I post under this name because I MAY someday get a job in the biz again, and truthfully I just like the way it sounds, because it's a hell of a lot funnier than my real name.

And Russ is right, this is a cutthroat business and you have to stay on top of it or the world will steamroll ya. I hear his stations and though I'm not "loyal" I know what they're doing and they seem to get it done. I hold no ill will against Mr. Oasis...even when I posted about his driving in the 24 Hours of Daytona, where I said I did it to "provoke" everybody here. Russ can do what he wants; he's earned the right. Those of us looking on from the sidelines can speculate all we want.

And I'm still going to post under this name just because my personal feelings don't matter in the end to those of you actually STILL working on the air. I'm just an old radio kid who can't let go.