Disk Jockeys, a human right to say goodbye on your last shift.

[36james]

Please tell all Disk jockeys to read my post.

I want to make a state law, that says if a radio station changes formats, they must allow disk jockeys to have a 48 hour notice, to say goodbye to their listeners, too many times, DJ'S get let go as a result of a corparation changing formats, at least give DJ'S a dignified ending to their career, they as well as the listeners deserve this. They are what make the station so wonderful to listen to, thanks for reading.

 

[KeithE4]

Please tell all Disk jockeys to read my post.

I want to make a state law, that says if a radio station changes formats, they must allow disk jockeys to have a 48 hour notice, to say goodbye to their listeners, too many times, DJ'S get let go as a result of a corparation changing formats, at least give DJ'S a dignified ending to their career, they as well as the listeners deserve this. They are what make the station so wonderful to listen to, thanks for reading.

Does anyone have the right to be allowed to say goodbye when they are canned? Sometimes it's allowed, sometimes not. What makes disk jockeys any different in this aspect than accountants, engineers, or shoe salesmen? All are employees, and management sometimes doesn't allow fired employees to say goodbye, for various reasons. Like it or not, it's management's call.

 

[Shoot From Hip]

A station owner is never more at risk than when allowing a terminated employee to open a mic. I'm not saying that every terminated employee is a threat. But without 100% assurance that nothing will go wrong, I can't see this happening. Plus, once the format is changed, an operator has no interest in reminding listeners what was...only what is.

 

[landtuna]

The OP is strangely deficient in business knowledge and/or the way most state lawmakers work so his plea isn't going anywhere. However, I have heard several times over the years just what he is hoping for.

The oldest flip I can remember in which the flipper allowed the old jocks to say their goodbyes was when KEWB flipped to news/talk in 1966. The last day as a T-40 each jock had a shorter than normal shift and in between records told stories, anecdotes and perhaps a few lies about their time with the station. It was a great send off and although we hated to lose this great station it was leagues better than some sort of crummy stunt. More importantly, it left a good taste in the mouths of listeners and I'm sure contributed somewhat to their success as a talker.

 

[TheBigA]

I want to make a state law

I would imagine that since the public airwaves have been designated "interstate commerce," thus under purview of the federal government, that the state would have no jurisdiction over radio stations. As for the feds, they have been very reluctant to involve themselves in matters of content for fear of the 1st amendment ramifications.

 

[36james]

Landtuna is wrong , when CBS radio flipped 97.1 FM talker to CHR, those talkers were allowed to say goodbye to their respective audience. So yes it does happen.

 

[landtuna]

Landtuna is wrong , when CBS radio flipped 97.1 FM talker to CHR, those talkers were allowed to say goodbye to their respective audience. So yes it does happen.

An inability to understand too?

Re-read what I wrote. I gave you an example of a station that did allow goodbyes but I also said you have no chance of getting any legislature to mandate it.

 

[michael hagerty]

The OP is strangely deficient in business knowledge and/or the way most state lawmakers work so his plea isn't going anywhere. However, I have heard several times over the years just what he is hoping for.

The oldest flip I can remember in which the flipper allowed the old jocks to say their goodbyes was when KEWB flipped to news/talk in 1966. The last day as a T-40 each jock had a shorter than normal shift and in between records told stories, anecdotes and perhaps a few lies about their time with the station. It was a great send off and although we hated to lose this great station it was leagues better than some sort of crummy stunt. More importantly, it left a good taste in the mouths of listeners and I'm sure contributed somewhat to their success as a talker.

KFRC in San Francisco allowed goodbyes before the flip to Standards in 1986. Dr. Don Rose (who was being kept on) sounded ambivalent at best. Bobby Ocean (who wasn't) raked ownership, management and consultant Walt Sabo over the coals for three hours.

KMPC dedicated 2 days to their farewell before going SportsTalk in 1992, but they filled the schedule with legendary jocks who were part of KMPC's glory days of the 1950s and 60s but had been gone a while...no doubt figuring those guys weren't losing anything and would be happy to take their victory lap...but Geoff Edwards was his usual irreverent self and had some fun at the new format's expense.

When XEPRS and Wolfman Jack came to a parting of the ways in 1972, Wolf was allowed a last show, but the only mention was a pre-taped message from Wolf played once per hour, running two or three minutes, explaining that there were changes, that Wolf felt it was time to move on, and that he'd soon be in syndication nationally and would be live on a "local Los Angeles station Monday" (KDAY). Apart from playing that message in between songs once per hour, it was just another Wolfman Jack show. And given that the mechanics of XPRS required shows to be taped in L.A. a day in advance and then bussed to Mexico for playback, it's possible they took the rest of the content from an old show.

I was allowed to say goodbye at all but a couple of stations in 40 years on-air. But it's a huge risk and I can see why management might not want to allow it. There certainly is no legal precedent or logical argument I can see for legally requiring a station to take that risk.

 

[ajc_trw]

When I worked at KAZM-AM 780 I had a feeling I'd be let go aka be asked to quit. So not only did I type up my resignation letter, sign it and leave it at the station the last song I played was Air Supply's "Goodbye". I didn't time this out but when the song ended there was a pause of about three seconds before I hit the legal-ID.

The next day the PD asked for my letter and I told him where he could find it.

 

[Bongwater]

I can see the risk factor on one hand. But a lot also has to do with the circumstances leading up to it.

If a jock/format was suddenly terminated that day for what they perceive to be (or actually is) a flimsy reason, you're usually asking for it if they are allowed one last airshift.

However if the change was already well known in advance, the initial emotional shock is reduced and they've had time to regroup and prepare.

I've had the chance to say goodbye on a few stations. Others, I wasn't as lucky. It might have been a good thing they didn't let me on in those cases.

 

[kenglish]

Check out the last day broadcasts of Radio Canada International, Radio Netherlands Worldwide Dutch services, and RNW English services.

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

I want to make a state law, that says if a radio station changes formats, they must allow disk jockeys to have a 48 hour notice, to say goodbye to their listeners,

You have received some very practical answers to your original post. Let me offer a response from a different perspective.

When we talk about a "human right" we are usually talking about something pretty serious. We are in the midst of a big, lengthy national debate trying to come to a consensus whether HEALTH CARE is a human right. Some 50 years ago we went through a lot of turmoil as we decided whether being able to vote is a human right. This year you will note that topic is once again pretty hot as peoples voter registrations are questioned and/or cancelled. We are on the cusp of grappling with coming to terms with who or what constitutes a marriage.

Does the guy working the drive up window at McDonalds who is being terminated have a human right to work one more shift so he can say good-bye to his customers?

Does the toll-booth cashier on the expressway have a human right to work one more shift so she can say good-bye to her daily contacts?

Does the barber have a human right to work one more MONTH so he can say good-bye to all his customers?

Does the professional baseball player who is being traded to another team have the human right to play one more game so he can say good-bye to his fans?

When we talk about a human right we are usually talking about a very, very serious issue.

Lot's of luck trying to convince your Congressman that it is an important issue that he or she should deal with. I don't think they will think your issue ranks high enough to take time away from fixing the economy, fixing child prostitution, fixing immigration, fixing education and fixing REAL human rights.

 

[radio-darn]

At KKGF in Great Falls, Montana we had a top-of-the-hour routine in which we said something like, ""You've got the Electric City turned on...it's 10 o'clock and I have 65 degrees!"

Well the owner changed that last part from "I have" to "it is 65 degrees," because, in his words, "You disk jockies don't have a Gawd damn thing."

I think it was a morning jock named Jim Shaw who closed out his final show with, "You've got the Electric City turned on...it's 10 o'clock and I don't have a Gawd damned thing!"

And that is why most station operators not only did not allow fired jocks a final shift, but often took you off the air as soon as you gave notice you were quitting.

 

[KeithE4]

And that is why most station operators not only did not allow fired jocks a final shift, but often took you off the air as soon as you gave notice you were quitting.

It's not unusual for an employee to be walked out the door immediately after giving 2 weeks notice, if that person will be joining a competitor. They don't want the soon-to-leave employee to take any proprietary documents that he could give to his new boss. I've seen this in electronics manufacturing and telecom most of my career.

 

[kenglish]

On the other hand, I know someone who gave her two-weeks notice, then spent two weeks training her replacement. At the end of the two weeks, the owner refused to pay her for the final time, saying, "You quit two weeks ago".

He was also my landlord at one time. When the hot water quit, and I asked him to get it fixed, he hired some incompetent to work on it. He broke a pipe, and flooded the basement storage area. The guy actually said that it was my fault, for wanting a working shower.
;D

 

[kenglish]

Back to the scenario with RNW, etc....
Maybe a prerecorded final show would be a better idea.

 

[TheBigA]

I think you'd be hard pressed to find a radio station today where DJs say "welcome," "goodbye," or "see you tomorrow" on a daily basis. The concept of "shows" went out the window in the late 70s when format radio became the norm. The whole station is the show that never ends. Certainly morning teams are the last vestage of the old days. Depending on the format, that's about it.

 

[radio-darn]

The whole station is the show that never ends.

Or never begins, depending upon the station...

 

[LKellerIII]

A pre-recorded final show, OK. But not live. People who are fired are often angry to the point of being irrational, and can do too much damage - especially over the airwaves.

I work for a large public agency. When an employee is terminated, he is accompanied back to his office by a security guard, who watches while he packs his personal belongings, takes his badge and keys, then escorts him out of the building.

For one thing, it only takes a few seconds for an angry person alone in his office to delete hundreds of important computer files or email confidential information to himself at home. It sounds cold, but these days, it's too risky to do otherwise

My boss tells a story about escorting a terminated employee out of the building (I guess security wasn't available). The guy started out rational and walked peacefully to the elevator, but by the time they got to the lobby he was yelling obscenities and my boss was afraid he would get violent. The guy had a mild temperament - there was nothing in his personality that would indicate he could act that way. Normally, he probably wouldn't have - but he had just lost his job and was furious.

 

[KeithE4]

I work for a large public agency. When an employee is terminated, he is accompanied back to his office by a security guard, who watches while he packs his personal belongings, takes his badge and keys, then escorts him out of the building.

I worked for a defense contractor in the '80s. Starting in 1986, we went through a series of layoffs. Our laid-off employees (fortunately, I was not one of them) were given no notice, escorted to the auditorium, handed their severance checks, and were immediately removed from the building - no goodbyes, and nobody was allowed to take anything but their coats and purses. Any other personal belongings were packed up by security and shipped home.