CBS DEATH WATCH: HOW TO KNOW IF YOU ARE NEXT!!

[Pennyaword]

Ever wondered if, while you're sweating inside your office (or studio), if YOU are next for the axe?

Some warning signs...

1) THEY COME IN TWOS. If only one person from upper management asks to speak privately with you, you might be safe. The death squad usually comes in two's (one manager to fire you + someone from HR, as a witness). If you see 2 coming down the hall, run for your life!

2) THE BOX OF DEATH. This is not a late Christmas present or early Valentine gift. This box of death is full of all kinds of fun and surprises such as your official pink slip, final paycheck, Cobra benefits notification, 2007 earnings statement, and CBS separation package. They will ask you for your keys and security cards back.

3) THE SECURITY GUARD. If he's there to escort someone out of the building, better pray it's not you.

4) CHANGING OF THE DOOR SECURITY CODE. If you got the memo with the new code, you're ok. If you come to work and the code doesn't work, you never got the memo because they don't want YOU to have it.

If you experience any of these signs, the Grim Radio Reaper has come for you.

 

[BruceS8852]

Unfortunately, these warning signs happen in all businesses. If anyone is let go for whatever reason it should be done in a dignified way.

Bruce

 

[davideduardo]

Ever wondered if, while you're sweating inside your office (or studio), if YOU are next for the axe?

Some warning signs... (snipped)

I have seen versions of this same piece in several different industries, including ad agencies, home appliances (white goods) and retail apparel. Any industry going through changes suffers the same issues; radio is not unique.

 

[bk77]

and a lot of times there are NO warning signs either.

Remember in America for the most part employment is "at will" and one can be fired at any time for any reason. Even silly reasons too that have nothing to with the job itself. Not too long ago at a factory not far from me an employee was fired. Why? He was from Indianapolis !! His boss was from Baltimore and never forgave Indianapolis for "stealing his Colts". When he found out one of his employees was from Indy, well there you go. Employment at will allows this.

Even the so-called protective classes are really not 100 percent protected. It just means that the employer will have to "find a way" to get rid of you. Such as for example moving an employee who has severe bipolar into a customer service job or one who has OCD and put them in a position when one has to think fast and can't spend several minutes debating right or wrong.

Going back to radio..most of the stations I worked for have fired people in a variety of ways. Some already mentioned here but years ago at one of the Clear Channel stations here, they just simply invited all of their employees to a meeting and fired all of them right there including a woman who was only hired a month before plus a man who was with that station for nearly 35 years.

Are there signs? Yes there are but a lot of times...there aren't.

 

[doublecashkgb]

Ever wondered if, while you're sweating inside your office (or studio), if YOU are next for the axe?

Some warning signs... (snipped)

I have seen versions of this same piece in several different industries, including ad agencies, home appliances (white goods) and retail apparel. Any industry going through changes suffers the same issues; radio is not unique.

David, your are so full of **** sometimes I wonder if you believe what you post. "Radio is not unique" Ha ha. Are you kidding?. man, you are really out of touch. You see the business only through your warped perception. I had to let go 3 employees 2 weeks before Christmas due to budget constraints.

This isn't normal operating procedure for most business, this is something that we've all been through. We all know that no job lasts forever, and most of us have all been fired at one time or another in this business. Now it's different, the business is shrinking. You should feel lucky about the equity you've built in a side of the business which was non-mainstream until 15 years ago. Most of us entered a much more competitive end of the business, and we are now seeing it decline. I do pretty well, but a lot of people are suffering right now.

David, you are in denial about this business, you have a lot of business insight but lack any real perspective. [EDIT]

[EDIT-off topic and inflammatory; please use our PM system for discourse of this nature.]

 

[Neanderpaul]

"No (further) changes are planned"

Which in real-speak means...get your resume and aircheck updated ASAP!

I've been fired 3 times in 22 years. Twice by telephone.

I give credit to the one guy who wasn't the coward.

 

[Pennyaword]

Unfortunately, these warning signs happen in all businesses. If anyone is let go for whatever reason it should be done in a dignified way.

Bruce

Agreed. Across the board, CBS did handle this with dignity. No manager ever wants to have to do this.

The observations above were your basic locker room/corner bar chats, trying to make light of a truly sad and frightening situation. The biggest consensus was that this was just the beginning of the cuts, not just within CBS.

 

[Pennyaword]

During our corner bar chat, we were most amused about one guy who thought he was about to get canned. His "visitation" was only with 1 upper management guy, but he didn't stop shaking until the little get together was over.

The "box of death" was something none of us had ever seen before, kinda like a coffin. You can probably imagine the one liners we were able to come up with regarding that!

 

[jo-nathan]

I remember when I got canned from a gig. I was working on a rhythmic at the time and this particular morning I had just pulled into a nearby Blockbuster to do a sticker stop. When I was about to call into the studio my cell rang and it was my PD. He said that our OM wanted to see me and I should come back. I knew right then I was canned. When I got back the OM was in another meeting (I found out later that he was firing the receptionist, THAT made me sad) and I was in the office talking to my PD. He said nothing about it but I still knew. Then the OM paged me over the intercom to the GM's office. When I walked in, it was the OM, GM and somebody from HR. I knew. I sat down and got the word: I was let go (along with about six others that day, including the aforementioned receptionist) due to budget cuts. They told me my check would be ready that Friday, I had to sign an agreement not to sue them (which I kindda regret signing but I needed that severance) and they gave me all the other papers mentioned in the first post. The weird part: They wouldn't let me clean out my office until later in the afternoon. They made me go home until after hours. Strange... but when I went back later in the day, all of my stuff was in a black milk crate and they simply handed it to me. The GM did give me a hug when I left, trying to make herself feel better maybe. I don't know. But, in hindsight, I'm glad it happened. Looking back it was honestly one of the best things to ever happen to me.

I had a feeling long before that day that I was going to be canned. It was little things. The OM and GM were extra nice to me, I guess making sure I wasn't going to go nuts when the axe fell. I also remember seeing the OM in the GM's office with the door closed more than usual in the couple of weeks proceeding the "blood bath on lower huntington road" as it came to be known as. The PD must have known because he wasn't coming to me as much with things (even though I was APD) and even took over scheduling the music a few days before (he claimed our consultant wanted him to do it for a while).

The point of this long ramble (and please forgive me for using so much of my personal experience): As mentioned in the first post, there are warning signs. If you get a feeling like I did, do yourself a favor and start looking right then. I was on the beach for over six months because I wasn't prepared and thus took me a while to find a new gig. Granted I'm out of radio right now but that's self-imposed and due to some health concerns that I'd rather not discuss right now but I hope you see my point. Be on the look out. I know that in every business cuts are going to happen but it seems even more so in radio. The warning signs also seem to be more obvious in radio.

Jonathan

 

[oaktree]

I heard about a sign that happened to a terminated employee from a cluster that is not unheard of, I found out. You use your Blackberry and find that your account has been suspended and your service, personal documents, email, etc. terminated.

Yes, it was radio.

 

[radiorob2.0]

I found that if the new jingle package arrives and the jock shouts doesn't include your name, that usually is a good sign your days are numbered. Also, if your name and bio has been removed from the website you better circle the wagons.

 

[Brooklyndon]

If I were a sales guy I'd be pushing real hard for my station to buy technology which makes my brand sellable in a hi-tech environment. I'd be demanding downloadable listener created playlists complete with commercial spots and DRM. The problem is, for a solution like that, Westinghouse would need to be committed to implimenting cutting edge technology. The new radio will be web deployed, with a local flavor due to the obvious economies of scale and client preference.

Unfortunately it seems as if Viacom is being run by a bunch of cavemen with no clue of how to use or compete in the internet environment.

 

[Starscream]

You know, a good thread would be "How I got Fired" stories.

 

[beefjerky]

The emperor has no clothes!

 

[YEKIMI]

A "How I got fired thread" would probably cause this site to crash, servers to burst into flames, computers to implode and an error message saying "page numbers cannot exceed infinity". Everybody in radio, except the dead ones, would be posting.

 

[Pennyaword]

Which of our firings should we post? The first one, 2nd, 3rd, etc.....or just the last one?

You're right, there's no way we could post these. In addition to this site crashing and exploding, from one would be able to see the blaze of old radio glory igniting from computer to computer coast to coast, from sea to shining sea. In fact, I am sure it could be seen from space!

 

[simonbarrsinister]

CBS has been bleeding money at record number since Stern left. In one report I read, a 60% loss of revenue compared to the previous year and Still hovering around 40 to 60% losses. With the current ratings slump across the board, I wouldn't be surprised if more people are let go.

Rating = revenue= job security. If you don't know that, you don't know radio...(or business fundamentals)

 

[Mamaknowsbreast]

My thoughts are with each person affected by these cutbacks. Did CBS at the very least offer decent severance packages to those that were being let go?

 

[davideduardo]

CBS has been bleeding money at record number since Stern left. In one report I read, a 60% loss of revenue compared to the previous year and Still hovering around 40 to 60% losses. With the current ratings slump across the board, I wouldn't be surprised if more people are let go.

Huh? CBS ratings for Q4 2007 were up by double digits. CBS has 140 stations as of today, and only a small percentage carried Stern. Those stations are off, but CBS's estimated gross profit for 2008 (known often as the Street estimate) is not down from 2006. Comparisons with earlier periods are difficult as the data includes now spun-off Viacom results; 2005 had a large loss due to the "split" of Viacom and CBS expenses, etc. The 2008 estimite from Morningstar is $2.8 billion in profit.

 

[mleach]

Also, if your name and bio has been removed from the website you better circle the wagons.

The last 5 stations I worked for, we didn't even have a jock bio page on any of our websites. As my last PD told me.
"..you seen one you pretty much seen them all...favorite drink? BEER BABY !!" I agree with that.

A good friend of mine was fired from his gig because he was seen bowling with a buddy of his who worked for a competiting radio station. It seemed the policy there was that their employees were not allowed to have any contact with anyone who worked at other radio stations.

A former co-worker of mine found out she was fired by reading an article in the local newspaper about her station. The article mentioned all the names of the jocks..except hers. Curious she called the paper and they told her that she was fired recently. That was news to her!!! Of course her PD at first denied it and she stayed with that station for another two weeks until she was fired. So the paper was right all along even though the paper was NOT happy about the situation..being a second party to her announcing her firing.

After being in radio for nearly 20 years I quit the business last May. Why? Because of the constant backstabbing, people trying to get other co-workers fired. Not too mention bizarre behavor too both employees and even listeners. Just before I quit I had the "pleasure" of seeing one of our PD's get into a horrible fight with a board-op because the PD didn't approve of the board op's ROOMMATE !!! The roommate never worked for our station !! Then a few days later some boob who ran a local media website went on and on on his site about seeing one of our jocks' personal ad online looking for chicks. He said that went against our station's "morals clause" in the contracts we signed. The webmaster also never worked for us. Whatever !! Drama, Drama, Drama !!!

Between the pay or lack thereof and of course the drama, working in radio, well makes some wonder if radio is really worth being a part of.