CC Burlington drops the big one !!!!!

[Mr. DUBbonet]

I just cannot stay quiet any longer! CC Burlington fired 3 bodies this week...midday Star person Jen Foxx, Midday Champ jock Mel Allen and KISS morning guy Jag. They also have a new Market Manager joining by the name of Tom Barney. He is a CC suit who was formerly at Z-97 and the WTSL-WGXL-KIXX Upper Valley cluster. Question is were these firing decisions made before or after Mr. Barney's involvement? Were they decided by the former cold-as-ice manager (can't get her out fast enough/I can't get out fast enough) Karen Marshall as her final gift to the staff? Did Corm have his heavy hand involved in this so he could protect the precious Corm and the Coach Show and it's horrible ratings? This cluster needs big changes. Change 92.1 from CHR which has no ratings to something else. I don't know what with that iffy signal...maybe an older demo format. Champ needs a new morning show.,,,Now. The current one is old and tired and gets no ratings. It costs alot of money for very little return. Don't go staellite but go with a younger, fresher appraoch. Coach should be gone and put Mr. C in PM drive solo with music and some talk segments. Keep alice at night. Move the pm chick to midday. Rock the station more. Star needs an small enema. Mornings are okay but dump the news guy. Have him take the place of Jen in middays. Keep the pm drive guy and Delilah and Tesh. Why are they cutting bodies on the only station in the group with a decent rating? The Zone? Who knows. get rid of some of the sports as they are expensive and probably don't make alot of money when all is said and done. Hannity to Don & Mike? That's awful. This cluster will be sold soon anyways so the new owners will probably do things better.

 

[Pliff]

Mr. Dubbonet...as in Dan Dubbonet from Hall? I didnt' think GMs had time for these boards! :>) It's nice to see key players plugging in their thoughts with everyone else. (Usually...this place is loaded with radio has- beens who have no clue what the industry is like today.)

 

[MassMusicMan]

I'll say this until I'm blue in the face: ELVIS DURAN. He syndicates his show! There's no reason why the Morning Zoo shouldn't be the morning show on 92.1 Kiss FM. If Triple X is going to lift all of Elvis' bits and features, why not beat 'em to the punch with the real thing? Of course, this might have been easier if this had been done before CC decided to sell the station, but better late than never, I suppose...

 

[lighten up]

As the find print below says,

In fact many of the views expressed here are just plain wrong



Good luck, we're counting on you.

 

[Dudeman2000]

Sounds like Mr. DUB just wants Clearchannel gone! Like many others on the board...don't worry...soon your wish will com true...then you can NOT complain when the new owners keep everything the same...as if Clearchannel is the problem...more fodder for the CC haters I guess...many who post here complain about CC owning multiple stations...but no one complains when ONE company owns all but 1 station in the Rutland market...radio is a business...and the purpose of business is to make money...

I'm sorry to hear that some people have lost their jobs...and from what I understand some of the reasons aren't good ones...but it is Clearchannel's right to do as it pleases..especially make money...if you don't the company YOU work for to turn a profit...maybe you should work for VPR...or maybe you do...or will soon..or have in the past...or give your paycheck back to the boss...or to the homeless...

And I doubt the decisions were that of Mr. Barney...he's a good guy...more than just a suit...

 

[argytunes]

Quick response for Pliff's post above about "has beens" and the state of radio:

Just because the radio industry is "the way it happens to be" at the moment...DOESN'T NECESSARILY MAKE IT GOOD OR COMFORTABLE FOR THE AVERAGE LISTENER TO SWALLOW!

Answer me this.....please???

If someone were to offer you a bag of dog poop for nothing...would you go ahead and eat it? Or use the limited common sense you appear to have...and toss it in the garbage! ???

This is what PDs and radio station owners still don't understand!

"You can't 'force feed bad programming' to any listener! Simply because they'll spit it back at you and turn to a different source for their information or entertainment!"

"That's the way the business is right now" is a copout excuse for people who have no desire to find out what their listeners want?

I assume one or two 'loyals' MIGHT purchase some of the goods and services described in a radio station ad or two...but the majority??? I don't think so... :

argytunes

 

[Radiodeity]

...If someone were to offer you a bag of dog poop for nothing...would you go ahead and eat it? Or use the limited common sense you appear to have...and toss it in the garbage!...

Do you want fries with that? ;D


But seriously, I find all the good radio I'll ever need. It just happens to be located between 88.1 and 91.9 on the FM band. It sure would be interesting to see that end of the band included in the ratings, huh? Just how much would that throw off the numbers? Non-Coms don't have to worry about ratings so that's why they might get better numbers than the stations who do - you know, the 'safe, same as the guy next door' vanilla formats heard above 91.9... Something to ponder when the power goes off...

(Just another point of view)

 

[therealvoice]

Usually...this place is loaded with radio has- beens who have no clue what the industry is like today.

Geesh - not even a week out of the biz and now I'm a has-been?

 

[nhradiochild]

...but no one complains when ONE company owns all but 1 station in the Rutland market...

Which company was that? (Trying to think who owned Z-97 before Clear Channel and further how many other stations were broadcasting in that market at the time. Q106 owned by Vox was one (albeit a sloppy signal), WEBK owned by Dan Ewald then Pamal was two...

...but it is Clearchannel's right to do as it pleases..especially make money...if you don't the company YOU work for to turn a profit...maybe you should work for VPR...or maybe you do...or will soon..or have in the past...or give your paycheck back to the boss...or to the homeless...

It is also Clear Channel's right to suffer the consequences, such as lose money and much to their chagrin, it might have nothing to do with the quality or the management of their stations, but simply the economy.

I'm not really sure where you're going with your "pause"-ition on where people should work, but I think it was wasted breath. (If one were to breathe into an electronic post. )

And I doubt the decisions were that of Mr. Barney...he's a good guy...more than just a suit...

I agree with you on that account, and the sardonic imagery one gives when labeling someone fortunate enough to have been hired into a management position or simply because they hold one is a little distasteful in my eyes. (Though I don't necessarily have problems with those being labeled that if a person knows them to act accordingly.)

Further, in response to Argytunes quote: "You can't 'force feed bad programming' to any listener! Simply because they'll spit it back at you and turn to a different source for their information or entertainment!"

This is precisely true. I'm going to mention again for the sake of argument that I'm stationed in Korea and have only one choice of broadcasting in the English language, which is the Armed Forces Network (AFN). Yet, when programming is undesirable, if I'm in a location where I can listen to online radio, I'll do that, otherwise the radio just clicks off. I'd rather hear the dulcet hum of the car engine as I motor down the Korean highway, than to listen to something that does not appeal to me.

 

[Dudeman2000]

The company I refer to is Pamal...who now owns WJJR, Cat Country and WEBK..and will soon have Kiss FM (formerly Z-97) and WSYB...Excalibur Medio was the old owner of Z-97, WSYB and the 92.1 signal. The last station in the Rutland area is WEXP, owned by Nassau. And yes...its is Clearchannel's right to suffer the consequences...as you know, I'm sure, that's the way business is!

It is true that many who work in radio ignore the desires and demands of listeners. It is also true that many in management ignore the desires and demands of the emplyees. The success of radio, like many businesses, is based on loyalty. Loyalty, not only from the listener, but also from the employee. A loyal employee is a happy employee. By the way, compensation is not the only reason an employee stays loyal. A happy employee busts his or her butt to make sure the product is the best possible. Too many in radio management don't realize this...or they don't care...such is the case with Clearchannel.

 

[CrankyYankee]

Re: earlier post "Excalibur Medio(media) was the old owner of Z-97, WSYB and the 92.1 signal. "
Excalibur also owned WCVR-FM & WWWT-AM(now WTSJ) in Randolph.)

 

[nhradiochild]

It is true that many who work in radio ignore the desires and demands of listeners. It is also true that many in management ignore the desires and demands of the emplyees. The success of radio, like many businesses, is based on loyalty. Loyalty, not only from the listener, but also from the employee. A loyal employee is a happy employee. By the way, compensation is not the only reason an employee stays loyal. A happy employee busts his or her butt to make sure the product is the best possible. Too many in radio management don't realize this...or they don't care...such is the case with Clearchannel.

Sadly, I agree. :-[ I once fantasized about going out into the streets and doing remotes simply to keep in touch with the public. Used to be no one really wished to do a remote unless it was sponsored simply because they thought it would be a waste of money. Nowadays I'm not even sure they have the staff to support such a venture.

 

[argytunes]

nhradiochild...

Maybe the lack of "making personal appearances or giving non-scheduled broadcast time away for FREE (with not even a THANK YOU from a GM, PD or Radio group-head) has soured a lot of broadcasters who want to make their radio stations #1 in the market?

Owners...or at least the "commanders in charge of the radio station" can't expect loyalty...when they treat their "radio troops" (personnel) like C-R-A-P! :

And before anybody answers me with the comment: "that's the way radio is done"---ask yourself what's the primary reason why the majority of stations sound as poorly as they do? :-[

argytunes

 

[nhradiochild]

...ask yourself what's the primary reason why the majority of stations sound as poorly as they do? :-[

My heart tells me because they don't party with the public. They do not win listeners' hearts over. In my opinion, you can't do that by dangling cash cubes, CD's and cliche positioning statements. You have to bond with them. And anyone that has attempted a relationship, be it friendship or love, can tell you that establishing a bond is no easy feat! And that's just for one person! Radio has to do it in a universal manner, and they fail. Why? Could it be that they lack the right personality to foster trust from their listeners and love for them?

This is why radio is unique in the sense that it is a business that can't be run exclusively LIKE a business, because it's all about emotion. People's feelings. And the business-minded do not care much about feelings. Which is why they cannot win the hearts of listeners, only to generate fickle relationships with their audience.

 

[Dudeman2000]

"This is why radio is unique in the sense that it is a business that can't be run exclusively LIKE a business, because it's all about emotion. People's feelings. And the business-minded do not care much about feelings. Which is why they cannot win the hearts of listeners, only to generate fickle relationships with their audience."

I agree about the emotion thing, but the fact is that those who have successful businesses or are successful at the business they work for DO care about "feelings". Radio is no different than any other industry. In order to be successful and profitable, you must be able to build a relationship with your customer. You must be able to build that loyalty I mentioned before. People with good business sense are people who know how to build loyal customers. Radio is the same way. Take, for example, a truck driver for a lumber company. He is just as important as the person who sells the merchandise. The truck driver is more important, in fact. He or she is the last person to interact with the customer. What the driver does affects the final image of the business to the customer. That is why it is important to make sure the delivery driver is happy and loyal to your business. Just like the driver, the on-air talent MUST be happy and loyal. A good businesses, whether a lumber company or a radio station, puts importance on all emplyees and makes them feel that way.

Think about any place you've ever worked. Regardless of the money you made, if you didn't feel important to the boss OR to the success of the business, you didn't care if the place made money. A loyal employee will give everything he or she has to producing a top notch product.

THAT is why the majority of stations sound as poorly as the do. Because the talent, the sales staff, the promotions department, the production department, the engineer and anyone else in the building has no loyalty to the employer. When the owners and management of radio stations learn this, the product will improve.

 

[nhradiochild]

An excellent point! You covered that topic better than I did, but that may have been because I was speaking from the heart.

 

[argytunes]

For nhradiochild and dudeman....

Can we take the LOYALTY issue one step further....please???

Just because an employee is paid to perform a broadcast job in the best possible way...does this AUTOMATICALLY GUARANTEE LOYALTY ON HIS OR HER PART?

We all know that at least one or two staff members of ANY radio stations "play the game on behalf of themselves FIRST...their employers SECOND...and whatever is left over filters over toward the LISTENERS! :

This goes on...even after they've been told by a boss: "we work as a team here and I expect you to follow this example!" I wonder how many exisiting employees (for any station) still do....especially after they've attained seniority? ???

Judging from some of the threads on this (and other boards)...I'm willing to bet the "WE WORK AS A TEAM" mandate has gotten replaced by: "Do or say WHATEVER YOU HAVE TO.......just don't get caught!"

 

[Dudeman2000]

argytunes...

Loyalty has little to do with money...granted, money is important, but it doesn't ensure an emplyee will remain loyal. An unloyal employee will change employers for a couple of pennies an hour. A loyal employee will fight to stay at his or her job, fight for the success of the employer and fight for the success of the company's customer. Plain and simple. Think about this...when you go grocery shopping, do yo go where the eggs are a few cents cheaper or where for a couple of pennies more the staff is friendly and goes out of their way for you?

All things being equal, people like to do business with their friends. All things being unequal, people still like to do business with their friends.

The problem is that many employers will tell you that everyone in the company is important, but the don't really believe it to be true. YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE THAT EVERYONE IN THE BUILDING IS IMPORTANT TO THE SUCCESS OF THE COMPANY...every one can tell if you don't. Too many of the "suits" in the building believe (in their heart) that anyone can be the "talent". That there are a hundred people in line to take your shift...they are wrong about that, but thats what they believe.

That attitude is what you hear on the air.

 

[nhradiochild]

Just because an employee is paid to perform a broadcast job in the best possible way...does this AUTOMATICALLY GUARANTEE LOYALTY ON HIS OR HER PART?

I can answer that from personal experience. No it doesn't. But how much your employer wishes to utilize your talents does, and respects what you have to bring to the table. For instance, I was more loyal to Q106 as a listener than as an employee because I enjoyed the DJ's they had on. I would stop by late nights, bring them food, or take an order, put CD's back on the shelves, and so on. As an employee, the treatment I received was "here are your duties and we can only give you 9 hours a week." Who can live on nine hours a week?? So I needed to take/keep other jobs to try to sustain myself, and it sickens me to think that you should not be able to use your primary talent/skill elsewhere if you cannot "make a living" at the place you're at now. That's kinda like saying, "I can only give you 20 hours a week at a pizza joint, but you can't work at any other restaurant in town," when you don't possess another skill to be hired upon. (It's especially incredulous given the voicetracking on multiple stations craze to cut costs. So it's ok to pimp a voice out on a variety of local signals, just so long as their YOUR signals? I always felt that if you were going to broadcast in the same area on two different signals, one was temporary (filling in) or the talent had enough talent to create a different character so as not to be confused with the multiple broadcasts.

We all know that at least one or two staff members of ANY radio stations "play the game on behalf of themselves FIRST...their employers SECOND...and whatever is left over filters over toward the LISTENERS! :

You mean there are more than one or two staff members comprising a team these days? ;D

This goes on...even after they've been told by a boss: "we work as a team here and I expect you to follow this example!" I wonder how many exisiting employees (for any station) still do....especially after they've attained seniority? ???

Judging from some of the threads on this (and other boards)...I'm willing to bet the "WE WORK AS A TEAM" mandate has gotten replaced by: "Do or say WHATEVER YOU HAVE TO.......just don't get caught!"

Spoken in WILLIAM SHATNER tone:
"What IS this... TEAM... you speak of?" ​

My last experience from stations (outside of 99 Rock cause their all college-like and everything) is that you are pretty lonely, not many people to really take you under their wing. You hang out only with the people you have similar seniority with, but that's pretty much it. The only team I worked with so long ago was at WNTK when Dave Morgan and staff were all working towards making me a better personality. (Note: Could it have been due to the lack of cluster-like ownership status?) WPNH had a cast that was fairly closely knit, but either by that time people felt I was good enough to not need assistance, (outside of the program director who I got along well with overall, even though I pulled some "smoothies"), or they were beginners who needed to focus more on their own shows.

Well, I think I've spent nearly half an hour thinking of how to reply and doing so, so I'm going to conclude here.

 

[nhradiochild]

The problem is that many employers will tell you that everyone in the company is important, but the don't really believe it to be true. YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE THAT EVERYONE IN THE BUILDING IS IMPORTANT TO THE SUCCESS OF THE COMPANY...every one can tell if you don't. Too many of the "suits" in the building believe (in their heart) that anyone can be the "talent". That there are a hundred people in line to take your shift...they are wrong about that, but thats what they believe.

That attitude is what you hear on the air.

I'll tend to agree with this statement, but I'm not so sure that they disbelieve their own statement as it is they are being misunderstood. Everyone in the company IS important, that's to say that every POSITION in the company is important to some degree, if they consider needing a replacement to fill your position. How you convince them that your not expendable is a difficult challenge without acquiring "the bitch syndrome". (Can I say that without being edited? Guess we'll see.) Equally to be avoided is the brown-noser syndrome, but the difference of the two is one of them they actually LIKE you. Anyway, there are certain ways to do it, but you know, once you've proven your not expendable, then you have to keep your ego in check or you're still screwed. And then you just might be screwed anyway with the change of an employer.

Additionally, it's quite a bit easier to believe that you can always replace somebody whether it's true or not simply because otherwise you have taken a submissive role, and find yourself at the mercy of the person you pumped up to begin with (at least in perspective.) Not saying it's right, but you tell me how many radio personalities will let their ego run away with them. S**t, even when I was out of radio, my wife kept needing to tell me to keep mine in check. Go figure. :-[