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Des Moines Sportscasters' Profanity-Laced Tirade Heard Under Commercials

This would be funny, but abusive workplaces are anything but.
 
"You f**ck*** embarrassed Clear Channel."

Just...wow.
 
how boring is des moines. they got into this altercation over high school bb media passes.
 
So, you're on the air, doing your show when your manager (or at least someone in the position to utter the words, "Get the F*ck out of this studio...You're FIRED!") storms in during a stopset to blast you with rage and profanity on his way to terminating your employment. Your board op "forgets" to turn off the mic and accidentally lets the world know what kind of environment you have to endure to work there, so naturally he's out the door. FCC may fine between $7000-$35,000 per f-bomb or a-hole, although the pricetag of "******" has not yet been determined. Still, if it's counted and fined, you're looking at 13:1 in terms of who used what language---and the extreme duress which precipitated the response of the one.

What do you do when a manager storms into your work area and goes after you like that? You can't leave the studio; you're on the air. I don't know any of these guys, but it seems like the one called Larry got kind of a raw deal. If he was going to get canned for trying to get another credential to get another person into a high school basketball tourney, that's small-town and petty, but it can happen. However, if the reason CC gave him for canning him was based upon his participation in this screaming match when it was a superior who entered his work area uttered the profanity in order to abuse and demoralize him, that's wrong. He may not have a job anymore, but it might be worth looking to see if he can get a settlement out of it. After all, the evidence is climbing hot up the charts on YouTube right now.

It's not just "always assume the mic is hot." It's also, "Pick an appropriate time and place for discussions about someone's professionalism and continued employment or termination, and for the love of God, if you can't be civil, at least don't cuss like a sailor's port hussy." This tirade would have been just as abusive in the break room or the GM's office as it was in the control room, but doing it while a guy's on the air is to violate not only basic workplace professionalism, but the experience of every listener that tunes in---even if the mic were stone cold off.

I'm glad the one named Marty has apologized for it. This could turn out to be quite an expensive lesson.
 
Update: Radio & Records is reporting that the two hosts and the producer that were previously suspended, are all now no longer with Clear Channel:
http://www.radioandrecords.com/RRWe...=48086&ContentTypeID=101&Archive=0&FormatId=0

[Marty] Tirrell says he is disappointed, but knows the company "did what they thought they needed to do." He goes on to apologize saying, "I would like to apologize to Larry Cotlar for the way I treated him. He deserved better. I would also like to apologize to anyone who heard the comments on the radio...
 
aunti-terrestrial said:
So, you're on the air, doing your show when your manager (or at least someone in the position to utter the words, "Get the F*ck out of this studio...You're FIRED!") storms in during a stopset to blast you with rage and profanity on his way to terminating your employment. Your board op "forgets" to turn off the mic and accidentally lets the world know what kind of environment you have to endure to work there, so naturally he's out the door. FCC may fine between $7000-$35,000 per f-bomb or a-hole, although the pricetag of "******" has not yet been determined. Still, if it's counted and fined, you're looking at 13:1 in terms of who used what language---and the extreme duress which precipitated the response of the one.

What do you do when a manager storms into your work area and goes after you like that? You can't leave the studio; you're on the air. I don't know any of these guys, but it seems like the one called Larry got kind of a raw deal. If he was going to get canned for trying to get another credential to get another person into a high school basketball tourney, that's small-town and petty, but it can happen. However, if the reason CC gave him for canning him was based upon his participation in this screaming match when it was a superior who entered his work area uttered the profanity in order to abuse and demoralize him, that's wrong.
Click to expand...

Add to that the fact that the only cussword that Larry was heard to have used was indeed the aforementioned "d" word! Which, last I checked, was not fineable by the FCC... but in this case, they might deem it mutually exclusive...
 
I don't know if this can apply, but here goes. When I studied Radio Broadcasting, my professor said that even if you are one mad person or depressed for whatever reason, you have to leave all that behind and fake being perky and happy. That's sorta the impression I got after all that tirade on an open mic before commercials, the guy was clearly going off at the other person and then, without knowing the whole tirade was caught on... tape, so to speak, he went on and did his intro into the segment. Next time, close your mic kiddos.
 
I'd probably feel more sympathy for these guys if they weren't in full "beg for my job" mode. Dude, when you get fired, go down swinging.
 
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