clear channel strikes again

[BoardOp69]

This time in the antelope valley. At least 6 fired, including sales managers, creative and program director. koss-fm (hot ac) became a kiis simulcast as of 8pm. ktpi-fm (heritage country) becomes a kysr simulcast next year.

 

[radiojjh]

yep...I did the last 105-5/Oasis show.....didn't even hear that the station was going to be blown up until around 11 on Friday morning.....merry Christmas!!!! It was a good more than 5 year run for me.....hopefully something else will open up.....gonna miss doing that afternoon show each and every day.....it twas fun!!!

JJHemingway...your former Antelope Valley Radio Pal......

 

[ercjncpr]

Imagine when Bain gets hold of the company. Don't most corporate takeovers nowadays involve mass layoffs to pay for the "acquisition"?

I always wondered how CC imagined sustaining 1500 radio stations over the long haul. I guess they found out they couldn't!

 

[Bob_Hudson]

I always wondered how CC imagined sustaining 1500 radio stations over the long haul. I guess they found out they couldn't!

As with most of the big bad corporate mergers from around year 2000 they thought that they could bring some kind "economy of scale" to the table, as if these factory assembly lines. Think AOL-Time, HP-Compaq, CC-AM/FM (and whomever else). the people who created and brokered these made a bundle while employees lost jobs by the thousands and stockholders are still looking at share prices lower than they were in 2000 (in some cases way lower).

Gosh knows what Bain can do to suck even more blood out of the carcass - perhaps one format simulcast on all stations. And how much will those Mays family make from turning it over to Bain?

As someone said, the only reason those idiot May boys have done well is that the got lucky at the sperm bank.

 

[davideduardo]

As with most of the big bad corporate mergers from around year 2000 they thought that they could bring some kind "economy of scale" to the table, as if these factory assembly lines. Think AOL-Time, HP-Compaq, CC-AM/FM (and whomever else). the people who created and brokered these made a bundle while employees lost jobs by the thousands and stockholders are still looking at share prices lower than they were in 2000 (in some cases way lower).

In the first two cases, a weak company was taken over by a strong one. AOL was bought, stupidly, just as broadband started killing dial-up, and AOL became worth far less than was paid for it. Compaq was failing, too. That many jobs were lost hides the fact that many more would have gone away if the companies were not rescued.

Many share prices are below pre-2001 levels, starting with ones like Yahoo (off 80% since then) so looking at share prices is a function of much more than the company itself... it includes the sector, the market, the economy, etc. In the case of AOL Time Warner, the merged company suffered enormously from having AOL, a declining, low future company as part of a company already in trouble with declining circulation and revenue.

The idea of consolidation, which goes back to 1996, was to allow clusters of stations that were profitable to replace the 50% of stations that were not making money that year. The problem is that American broadcasters did not understand the synergies of clusters, and bungled the job in many cases. In other parts of the world, groups discovered how to take advantage of clustering decades before, but America is not wont to look at the experiences of other nations. It's the "not invented here" syndrome that almost killed MOtorola.
]

 

[Jacquel7]

question: curious where broadcasting professionals "laid off" from Clear Channel or else where
might look for work ~ forums or blogs?

thank you,

Jacqueline Lerner Aderman :

 

[ercjncpr]

question: curious where broadcasting professionals "laid off" from Clear Channel or else where
might look for work ~ forums or blogs?

thank you,

Jacqueline Lerner Aderman :

As long as you look outside the LA market, you should be OK ;D

 

[magnadan]

For the record, it was AOL that bought Time Warner in 2001.

 

[Jacquel7]

beyond "L.A." curious about where[/i]
those laid off from Clear Channel, etc. might look online.
Reason for asking!

thanks, Jackie

 

[davideduardo]

For the record, it was AOL that bought Time Warner in 2001.

Technically, it was a merger, and was an all stock deal. In the end, AOL turned out to be pretty valuless, so the Time Warner part was saddled with the costs of the merger and unpleasantness all around.

 

[Jacquel7]

my question "is" about those WHO ARE looking for work
in broadcasting - laid off from Clear Channel and other companies.
are there typically forums where I might find them?

Jackie

 

[nmoore6676]

The idea of consolidation, which goes back to 1996, was to allow clusters of stations that were profitable to replace the 50% of stations that were not making money that year. The problem is that American broadcasters did not understand the synergies of clusters, and bungled the job in many cases. In other parts of the world, groups discovered how to take advantage of clustering decades before, but America is not wont to look at the experiences of other nations. It's the "not invented here" syndrome that almost killed MOtorola.

The American business model has always been bigger is better. Once many business grew as much as possible within their core area, they sought other fields and thus the mega-mergers of the past decades. In the case of broadcasting they could not expand within the core field, which is why most stations and groups including the networks were associated with other operations. When the regulations were changed the possibility of a Clear Channel became feasible.

The regulators were sold on this because the economy of scale in having clustering could save the poorer stations and also neighboring small market mom and pop stations where a lot were on the verge of going dark. The Mays family was in the right place at the right time and were good salesmen and were able to line up investors as well as snowing the regulators. It would still have meant cuts in staffing as duplicate positions were eliminated. So many of the cuts which have everyone so riled up would have happened anyway. The problem is that some of them like the decimation of Air Watch should not have since the support of such operations was what was promised to get the regulators to roll over.

Technology and pricing in computers has made automated operation easier and less obvious so even if the conglomeration had never occurred the fact is that for the less profitable stations the DJ's and other air personalities were not all that secure anyway. Satellite availability and the success of people like Howard Stern has made the syndication market so much more feasible and anyone can now broadcast anywhere from anywhere and no one is amazed by it. In the old days when AT&T controlled the pipelines networking was hard and costly, now anyone can so it if they can sell their concept and / or personality.

Interesting though that now that CC is going private they are shedding those poor small market stations, at least the ones that didn't get reassigned to the nearby larger markets.

 

[hamNcheese]

my question "is" about those WHO ARE looking for work
in broadcasting - laid off from Clear Channel and other companies.
are there typically forums where I might find them?

Jackie

If this is a serious question, check allaccess.com.
messageboards and blogs for job hunting? not so much.

good luck.

 

[media1170]

Radio and Records has a recap of Clear Channel's cuts around the country. The KTPI/Star 98 set up seems to be an aberration in Southern Cal. Kind of sad to see that the end of the year cuts to make the end of the year "look" better. Kind of asks, what's in store for 2008.

Cut the healthy to help the weak. Sort of like the guy with the crippled left hand with two fingers missing. He goes to the doctor to have his hand problem fixed. Doctor say, "Sure, no problem, come by next Monday and I will make everything OK."

Next Monday the guy shows up, the doctor does his thing. In the recovery room the guy finds that his right hand is now missing two finders but not the same ones as his left hand.

Sadly, the radio industry has arrived at the conclusion that only way to help the under performing stations in a cluster is to de-construct the successful ones.

I have seen the same thing at Tribune Broadcasting "up close and personal". The newspapers, in an attempt to shield their circulation problems, released misleading circulation figures. Surprise, the ad revenues started dropping. The broadcast division was doing just fine, thank you but to fix the papers the stations were required to cut at a time when investment in the switch from analogue to digital transmission had to be made.

Tribunes problems are very easy to find since their sell off to Sam Zell for $8.2 billion and why Tribune is in trouble is all over the internet.

"Doctor, please pass me the newspaper. Use either hand, both now have the same number of fingers."

 

[Jacquel7]

thank you hamandcheese and media117 for providing some suggestions.
Jackie

 

[hamNcheese]

thank you hamandcheese and media117 for providing some suggestions.
Jackie

hamNcheese

 

[Todd]

So maybe I missed the story... but explain why exactly Clear Channel wants to simulcast KIIS on 2 frequencies in the AV?

So KIIS is on 97.7 and 105.5?? They both cover the same exact area!

Why don't they simulcast KIIS on 102.7 and 98.7 in LA... because it doesn't make sense!

Why not put Hot 92.3 on 105.5 or something else... I get the need to wanna cut back...
I lived in the AV, and always wondered why there were so many damn AC stations there, but this is just silly... nothing but KIIS! It's a great station, but c'mon.

 

[Bigtime Bowler]

I believe this is the beginning of the nationalizing of CC radio. At least regionalizing. Lock the doors and draw the curtains.

 

[XRQKFM]

For those displaced by Clear Channel Antelope Valley, you might be interested in joining the broadcast workshop based in the Antelope Valley. The workshop provides assistance in finding alternatives, and has resources such as studios to cut that air check etc. The workshop membership is not free but very low cost.

Steve
www.xrqkfm.com
www.avnewstalk.com

 

[shirleyschmidt]

Every time I think about these recent moves in radio it reminds me of when TV cut all the newscasters jobs out to bring in more programming. Every one in TV news was looking for jobs. Now not only are all the TV news shows back, we have news 24/7, the total opposite of what they claimed needed to be achieved.

These seem like the dark days of radio until they get their act together.