Its offiicial, Chuck Benfer was fired yesterday, along with the business manager. Anyone know why? Are more cuts coming to Cumulus?
-
Get involved.
We want your input!
Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.
After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.
After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/
Thanks in advance and have fun!
RadioDiscussions Administrators
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
Cumulus cuts in Poughkeepsie
- Thread starter ventura highway
- Start date
Who's running the place now? Atlanta by remote control?
Chuck Benfer has been a good PD for Cumulus since he ran a number of stations like "The Wolf", "Mix 97.7", WPDH, WRRV and the two AM stations like Radio Disney at 1390 and 1340 which had a weaker signal, compared to New York's 1560 where it did have a skywave signal from Maspeth section of Queens, and WKNY.
I remember back around 2005 or so, WCZX was playing Christmas music during July when it was part of what was then "Mix 97's" Christmas in July weekend. That was a stunt, so they got back to regular programming.
I don't know what is going to happen with "The Wolf" which is a good country station with Beth Christy and the guys, are they going to flip "The Wolf" back to Top 40 since WBPM's original "B94" did 10 years ago when it flipped to Jammin' Oldies as "Rhythm 94.3"? I don't really see it happening. Maybe if any Cumulus station Poughkeepsie needs to bring the "I" format to the Hudson Valley which is a CHR brand that Cumulus owns after they flipped one of the three stations in the last few months. One is in Minneopolis, one is in Nashville and the other one is in Dallas/Fort Worth. I guess that if 94.3 flipped back to CHR, it will be the return of "B94" for the first time in 10 years. Or call it "I94.3" and stick with 97.3 as a country station "The Wolf" and maybe they will lose all of its listeners to WRWD.
I'm sorry to see Benfer go from Cumulus. I hope all of these stations will be on a look out for the "I" format on any frequency in Hudson Valley, maybe the best flipped for a Top 40/CHR "I" format will be 94.3 and they will go after "K104". This is what it needs to be on 94.3.
Benfer, time to go bye-bye-bye as *NSync would say in the song.
I remember back around 2005 or so, WCZX was playing Christmas music during July when it was part of what was then "Mix 97's" Christmas in July weekend. That was a stunt, so they got back to regular programming.
I don't know what is going to happen with "The Wolf" which is a good country station with Beth Christy and the guys, are they going to flip "The Wolf" back to Top 40 since WBPM's original "B94" did 10 years ago when it flipped to Jammin' Oldies as "Rhythm 94.3"? I don't really see it happening. Maybe if any Cumulus station Poughkeepsie needs to bring the "I" format to the Hudson Valley which is a CHR brand that Cumulus owns after they flipped one of the three stations in the last few months. One is in Minneopolis, one is in Nashville and the other one is in Dallas/Fort Worth. I guess that if 94.3 flipped back to CHR, it will be the return of "B94" for the first time in 10 years. Or call it "I94.3" and stick with 97.3 as a country station "The Wolf" and maybe they will lose all of its listeners to WRWD.
I'm sorry to see Benfer go from Cumulus. I hope all of these stations will be on a look out for the "I" format on any frequency in Hudson Valley, maybe the best flipped for a Top 40/CHR "I" format will be 94.3 and they will go after "K104". This is what it needs to be on 94.3.
Benfer, time to go bye-bye-bye as *NSync would say in the song.
disney fanatic said:I'm sorry to see Benfer go from Cumulus. I hope all of these stations will be on a look out for the "I" format on any frequency in Hudson Valley, maybe the best flipped for a Top 40/CHR "I" format will be 94.3 and they will go after "K104". This is what it needs to be on 94.3.
Disney,
This is the 2nd or 3rd time you've posted that and it still makes 0 sense. Do you understand radio? David and Goliath is a nice story, but it doesn't work in this industry...point being, with WHAT is Cumulus going to take on K? 94.3 you say? K is a massive 50K station with great ratings...KXP is barely a class A that hardly reaches Orange County? Even forgetting the technicals, look at the big picture; Pamal and Cumulus run two very opposite yet successful strategies. Pamal targets and has all the women demos (SPK & HUD), Cumulus targets and has all the men demos (RRV, PDH). (Clear Channel has....nothing?) Why does Cumulus or the area even need another CHR? Because you think you found a (broken) pattern? or because CBS is trying it in NY? CC tried/is still trying that with Kiss and while making a scratch, still no real effect.
it really is a shame about chuck, this is not a good thing for radio in the hv. say what you will about the guy, but i promise you what follows will be a corporate yes man (or woman if i hear right) that will suck the life out the pendell road and bleed the cluster dry so the dickeys can go bankrupt slower.
It really is a shame Benfer ran that place into the ground....from what I've heard from employees still there, they are not at all sad to see him finally get what he deserved. Its a shame, but Cumulus is a bad egg all around. I've heard nothing but horrible things about that company and its "suits", on the way they treat their own employees, several staff members have left and/or have been looking for jobs elsewhere---and I wish those people all the best. There are better companies out there than Cumulus, the problems arent just local, that company is rotten at the core. I dont think that company will be able to sustain itself, it seems to be dying a slow death.
I wish Chuck Benfer the best of luck. I hope he finds some thing soon. He has alot to do in the next few weeks in the area because he is on the broad for The Walk Way Over The Hudson. http://www.walkway.org/index.php
ventura highway said:It really is a shame Benfer ran that place into the ground....from what I've heard from employees still there, they are not at all sad to see him finally get what he deserved. Its a shame, but Cumulus is a bad egg all around. I've heard nothing but horrible things about that company and its "suits", on the way they treat their own employees, several staff members have left and/or have been looking for jobs elsewhere---and I wish those people all the best. There are better companies out there than Cumulus, the problems arent just local, that company is rotten at the core. I dont think that company will be able to sustain itself, it seems to be dying a slow death.
quoted for truth.
According to this week's Scott Fybush's NERW that Rob Vanderbeck is taking over Benfer's place at Cumulus.
Seems like someone got thrown under the bus......so no real changes at Cumulus. Well, it is Cumulus, keep running that company in the ground with Chuck's mini-me. Here's a question, how much longer will Cumulus be around before bankruptcy is announced or they sell/merge to survive? I'm sure the Dickey brothers will once again give themselves christmas bonuses this year, and maybe next year the staff will have to take a 2-week furlough to cover it, instead of the 1-week they did this year.
Lets sit back and watch the mess unfold.
Lets sit back and watch the mess unfold.
Cumulus canned the GM in charge of Danbury and White Plains also.
Lets face it, the whole industry knows Cumulus will not see the end of 2010.
They may not make it to the end of 2009.
Lets face it, the whole industry knows Cumulus will not see the end of 2010.
They may not make it to the end of 2009.
R
radio220
Guest
The GM was not "canned"....apparently they left on their own accord.
vanderbeck resigned on monday...who is in charge? i think i'm going to call tomorrow and ask for the gm. then the sales manager. then the business manager. when they say we there isn't any, i am going to laugh and hang up. wow. all i can say is wow.
Chuck Benfer was fired, along with the Poughkeepsie Business Manager----and many of the Poughkeepsie staff are still celebrating Chuck's firing.
Rob VanDerbeck was then made the GM in Poughkeepsie, but he jumped ship this week and followed Chuck to Pamal in Albany.
Possibly, Cumulus caught wind that both Chuck and Rob have been interviewing at other radio stations during this past year...could explain how cumulus abruptly fired Chuck, maybe Rob saw the writing on the wall and left on his own before Cumulus "canned" him too.
Albany--watch out! Hold on to your wallet & be sure to review your contracts & your monthly billing.....as so many of the local businesses & contractors in the Poughkeepsie/Dutchess County area have learned. Hmmm, could be why the Poughkeepsie cluster's business dealings have gained a bad reputation since Chuck has been in charge--paying for something that never aired and/or trying to get paid for services rendered. Its a shame how this once respected cluster is now a "dirty used car garage."
At least the other radio stations in the area have gained all the business that pulled their advertising off of Cumulus, and I'm sure they are happy about that---I know I am...hee hee
Rob VanDerbeck was then made the GM in Poughkeepsie, but he jumped ship this week and followed Chuck to Pamal in Albany.
Possibly, Cumulus caught wind that both Chuck and Rob have been interviewing at other radio stations during this past year...could explain how cumulus abruptly fired Chuck, maybe Rob saw the writing on the wall and left on his own before Cumulus "canned" him too.
Albany--watch out! Hold on to your wallet & be sure to review your contracts & your monthly billing.....as so many of the local businesses & contractors in the Poughkeepsie/Dutchess County area have learned. Hmmm, could be why the Poughkeepsie cluster's business dealings have gained a bad reputation since Chuck has been in charge--paying for something that never aired and/or trying to get paid for services rendered. Its a shame how this once respected cluster is now a "dirty used car garage."
At least the other radio stations in the area have gained all the business that pulled their advertising off of Cumulus, and I'm sure they are happy about that---I know I am...hee hee
radio220 said:The GM was not "canned"....apparently they left on their own accord.
Leave or be fired. Call it what you want. Its just a matter of semantics.
At the end of the day, she has no job and stuffed suits are glad she is gone.
Rob and Chuck will be fine in Albany. Pamal isn't leveraged out the wazzo.
The President doesn't walk around saying "gimme dollar gimme dollar gimme dollar" or watch staff with spy cam.
They don't need to cut bone on bone to survive.
Accordingly the aura of desperation among the sales crew isn't that deep and this allows them to concentrate on doing things the right way and cultivating business.
R
radiochikchick06
Guest
Towerclimber31 said:radio220 said:The GM was not "canned"....apparently they left on their own accord.
Leave or be fired. Call it what you want. Its just a matter of semantics.
At the end of the day, she has no job and stuffed suits are glad she is gone.
Rob and Chuck will be fine in Albany. Pamal isn't leveraged out the wazzo.
The President doesn't walk around saying "gimme dollar gimme dollar gimme dollar" or watch staff with spy cam.
They don't need to cut bone on bone to survive.
Accordingly the aura of desperation among the sales crew isn't that deep and this allows them to concentrate on doing things the right way and cultivating business.
...my thoughts exactly...I just hope these stations make it through this.
Chuck Benfer was fired. Rob VanDerbeck left on his own.
Hopefully, Cumulus will we bought out in order for the stations they own survive. Piss-poor management from the Dickeys to their local management, and only being concerned with making money--in any way possible--is their only bottom line.
I had heard about the spy cams being installed at cumulus offices, which I couldnt believe at first, but that is a sad fact and pretty much sums up Cumulus.
Meanwhile, the rest of us are enjoying their loss of advertisers, who have been taking their business elsewhere. Again, thanks to Chuck and the boys at Cumulus for their creative business practices and running their stations into the ground, my paycheck enjoys the surge.
Hopefully, Cumulus will we bought out in order for the stations they own survive. Piss-poor management from the Dickeys to their local management, and only being concerned with making money--in any way possible--is their only bottom line.
I had heard about the spy cams being installed at cumulus offices, which I couldnt believe at first, but that is a sad fact and pretty much sums up Cumulus.
Meanwhile, the rest of us are enjoying their loss of advertisers, who have been taking their business elsewhere. Again, thanks to Chuck and the boys at Cumulus for their creative business practices and running their stations into the ground, my paycheck enjoys the surge.
- Status
- This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.