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CC Layoffs in Rochester

M

Mark Giardina

Word hit the streets almost immediately that long time Rochester newsman Bill Lowe and traffic reporter Barry Vee, were among those employees laid off by Clear Channel Tuesday.

I've known Bill for a number of years and can say without hesitation that he's not only a decent person but one of the best local newscasters/reporters in the Rochester area.

I would like to be optimistic and say that another station will hire Bill, but since local news doesn't seem to be as important as it was years ago, plus the fact that radio stations not only here, but across the country are laying off personnel, it is going to be tough for Bill to find something. But maybe, just maybe something will come along.

Good luck Bill and best wishes.

MG
 
I don't know Bill personally, but I've known the quality of his work since we were working for competing stations in Syracuse back in the early 1970s. His departure is a big loss for WHAM.

You have to wonder why corporations wound themselves repeatedly by shedding talent in pursuit of a slightly better quarterly bottom line, when the eventual outcome is an unhealthy company putting out less than a quality product.
 
Compounding this is the fact that Bill Lowe was given notice on Inauguration Day, one of the most newsworthy days in the life of any news person. A pox on Clear Channel and all these broadcast corporate monoliths who are ruining our business. Have you no decency?
 
I've known Barry since we went to college together at MCC back in the '70s. He's a consumate pro and i hope the best for him as well.
 
Isn't this the second time CC has laid off Barry Vee? I seem to recall he was let go when they first outsourced their traffic reports to Syracuse, then brought back when that didn't work as well as expected?
 
The Director of Sales along with a station sales manager was also let go yesterday.

Apparently, Clear Channel has eliminated the DOS position nationwide, including Rochester. While its never good to see layoffs, it could have been much worse.
 
It could have been much worse - they could have fired everyone at all 7 stations.

I think you'll find it was bad enough. The final number is much closer to a dozen in Rochester.

Corporate radio shoots itself in the foot yet again....and again....and again.
 
WHAM can no longer claim the title of "News Leader" especially now that they have fired the most senior member of their radio news department.
With Lowe's departure that leaves just three full-timers: Gorbman, Smith, and O'Rierdon.
Mark my words, don't be surprised if WHAM radio starts to simulcast Channel 13's newscasts in the very near future; especially during the 5 O'Clock hour. And you will hear more audio from Channel 13 on WHAM 1180 than you already hear now because the radio station doesn't have the staff to go out and cover news.
As for Lowe's firing, I agree it's not pleasent to see an individual who gave 29 years of service
let go while the company keeps others on the payroll who have far less talent and abilities.
May I also extend my best wishes to Bill Lowe and hope that he lands on his feet very soon.
 
I think Barry was also lead producer on the John DiTullio Show as well as VTing afternoon drive on WVOR (102.3). I believe he retained those positions even when replaced as traffic reporter the first time.
 
Voice of Reason comments, "...don't be surprised if WHAM radio starts to simulcast Channel 13's newscasts in the very near future; especially during the 5 O'Clock hour. And you will hear more audio from Channel 13 on WHAM 1180 than you already hear now because the radio station doesn't have the staff to go out and cover news."

They'll have to pay quite a bit for it, especially if they try to sell their own spots for it rather than just letting 13's ads get radio play. 13, first of all, doesn't need the extra radio exposure that the #2 or #3 stations in town need to get extra sampling, it's market leader already.

What's more, there's no sister-station, common ownership tie between WHAM radio and WHAM-TV any more, just a common set of call letters that's an artifact of a relationship that was dissolved back in 2007. Clear Channel shed all its TV properties across the country, including Channel 13 in Rochester and Channel 9 in Syracuse, some time ago.

Newport, the new owner, will certainly expect to get paid for extra use of its currently market-leading TV news product. Probably handsomely--quite likely more than it will cost WHAM to keep an in-house news operation going.
 
In response to Dr. Smith:

You folks at WXXI might as well claim the title "Rochester's News Leader" because yours is the only station that has more than three full time news people, plus you don't rely on another station to get your audio from.
As for WHAM TV and Radio, like other stations, WHAM radio does take sound bytes from 13. And again I maintain that it's not impossible for Channel 13 to suggest to Clear Channel to dump their local 5 O'clock news and replace it with TV. This would be a situation where 13 could reach out to WHAM's audience driving home. It might also help them when the ratings books come out and people filling out the diaries write down they listen to WHAM and mention Alhart, Ryan or Emblidge.
Sure its a long shot, but tell me that some broadcasting companies haven't done crazy things in the past?
 
To Mark G. and all the others who've written here, thanks for the kind words. I am, in fact, THAT Bill Lowe and surprisingly to me, am quite glad to be out of the biz at long last. This April marks 49 years since the first time I spoke into a metal tube in a studio while still a senior in high school! Damn near all that time, I've worked mornings. Think about 49 years of getting up in the middle of the damn night and you'll begin to understand why I feel as I do. At age 67 as of this coming May, I had begun to think that enough was darn near enough. Would have liked to hung in there till next December 19th and thus have logged 30-years at a single station.

But thanks to the lawyers, corporate owners and others who care not one whit about the business of broadcasting, that business has become, as a fellow broadcaster friend of mine so eloquently put it, 'Not the same girl I went to the dance with!" In fact, she's gotten to the point where you want to chew your arm off in the morning rather than wake her up so she'll get off of it!

No, I won't seek other work on-air...first because I just don't want to and secondly because it really doesn't exist in any gratifying form anywhere around here. Perhaps it doesn't exist at all any more.

I'll be eternally p-o'ed that I wasn't afforded the opportunity to say a graceful goodbye to the listeners who have supported me for all those years at WHAM. That, of course, is because those who decreed my ouster truly do believe that everyone is as ethic-deprived as they are. Not in their wildest dreams could they imagine somebody who'd simply make a graceful exit. Thus, the offer was never extended.

But what is...is. I'll do fine and will always treasure the memorable stories I've covered and most of all, the incredible entertainers I have been so privileged to work with both at WHAM and other places of broadcast employment.

It has been a helluva ride...now, excuse me while I switch trains!

Bill
 
A Study in Contrast

If only Clear Channel had shown an iota of the class displayed by Mr. Lowe in the post above...
 
I listen to WHAM every weekday morning before heading off to work and it won't be the same without Bill and Barry. I wish the best to both and would like to thank you Bill for all your work over the years. It is truly too bad that you weren't afforded to opportunity to wish all your fans a decent good bye. I hope you do enjoy your mornings now and have many healthy post-radio years. All the best. JC
 
Mr. Lowe, You sir, are an icon, an institution in the most complimentary meaning of the word. As witnessed by your fine performance over the years, your post here as well as the testimonials of those who post here, your departure leaves WHAM at a loss. Not that the suits who call the shots at CC would know what a loss is if it did not appear on a ledger sheet. Many years of good health and contentment to you as you view broadcasting, or what remains of it, from your rear view mirror.
 
Mr. Lowe, you have my utmost admiration as a first class radio pro. The help, and sheer warmth and friendly good company, that you and your highly professional colleagues provided WHAM’s listeners during a couple of supposedly once-in-a-century ice storms will long stay in my memory. For those of us without power for several days, radio was king once again – and you did radio at its best. Unfortunately, management’s programming policies in recent years put more emphasis on distasteful, offensive, one-sided and often hate-filled opinion programming. It insulted a segment of the listening public which management thought it could afford to lose, and simply put me off even thinking of tuning to 1180. The last straw was when Allan Harris left. I didn't turn WHAM off - it turned me off.

I know that radio, like the rest of the corporate business world, is going through a bad patch; I also know that the problems of radio, like the rest of the corporate business world’s, are largely self-inflicted and greed-driven. Like other businesses, radio is mostly controlled by suits who know nothing about their industry. All they ever knew (or thought they knew) was how to make money by moving money, properties and people around like playthings. In the good times, that was so much easier than doing the honest work of keeping their customers (in whom I include listeners as well as clients) happy. Now all they have left in their MBA hands is dust.

God speed to you, Mr. Lowe – and if you have the appetite for it, I’m sure many of us would love to hear from you on this board from time to time.
 
Re: A Study in Contrast

SirRoxalot said:
If only Clear Channel had shown an iota of the class displayed by Mr. Lowe in the post above...
Click to expand...

Unpossible.

Good luck to you, Mr. Lowe. The bloodletting has been just as severe on the print side lately, but at least the D&C did run Scott's farewell column ...
 
Allow me to add my voice to the growing chorus of praises for Bill Lowe.
Mr. Lowe was one of the last remaining remnants of the WHAM that I used to listen too when the station consisted of great personalities like Jack Slattery and George Haefner.
WHAM’s number one rated program is its early morning show, and Bill Lowe played a key role in helping the station to maintain that number one position in the ratings. Now that he’s been dismissed without even given the opportunity to say good-bye to the thousands of loyal listeners shows just how much Clear Channel executives have no clue about their employees or radio in general.
Unlike Brother Wease, who did nothing but b ** ch and complain during his final days at WCMF, Bill Lowe would have acted professionally and gracefully bid goodbye to listeners of WHAM.
I’m glad that Mr. Lowe took the time to write on this message board and hope he will continue to contribute his thoughts and opinions.
 
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