-
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
Entercom Indianapolis...
- Thread starter radiowrangler
- Start date
Morale could be much higher on the on-air side (the few of you that are left), but you must know that on-air and sales, etc. are different worlds. I've definitely heard rumblings from the natives that while the face (i.e. on-air) may smile the background (i.e. sales) is just shy of miserable and is only getting worse.
R
radioizdead
Guest
Hilarious...a part time weekend per hour employee is the only person who can come on here and say how great Entercom is...HILARIOUS...the END is NEAR
Has anybody commented on these boards about how many people have been let go from the Indy cluster since Skjodt arrived and how many people from Susquehanna she's brought in?
[/quote]
I did a little figuring and going back in memory from past convos and here's what I found since she's came in.
Hires
2 Main Sales Managers (both hired & fired)
2 Auxiliary Sales Managers (digital, etc.)
2 PD's
3 promo/marketing (1 hired & fired)
2 on-air/production
at least 6 sales people
within this estimated 17 people at least 8 are former Susquehana alum.
Fired/Quit
5 full-time on-air/production
3 Sales Managers (2 hired & fired)
2 full-time in promo (1 hired & fired)
1 PD
at least 2 sales people (1 of which was a big money maker for the clusters)
within this estimated 12 people, 7 had been there for five years (most much much longer).
[/quote]
I did a little figuring and going back in memory from past convos and here's what I found since she's came in.
Hires
2 Main Sales Managers (both hired & fired)
2 Auxiliary Sales Managers (digital, etc.)
2 PD's
3 promo/marketing (1 hired & fired)
2 on-air/production
at least 6 sales people
within this estimated 17 people at least 8 are former Susquehana alum.
Fired/Quit
5 full-time on-air/production
3 Sales Managers (2 hired & fired)
2 full-time in promo (1 hired & fired)
1 PD
at least 2 sales people (1 of which was a big money maker for the clusters)
within this estimated 12 people, 7 had been there for five years (most much much longer).
radiowrangler said:
Your entire rant is completely discredited by your first statement. While you may have indeed made these predictions before, you didn't make them here, at least under your current user name since your account was created on 3/2/2011, the same day you posted this. I can say I predicted the economy would tank or the Packers would win the Superbowl, but with no documentation I would just be another charlatan. If I can't believe your opening statement why should I believe anything else you say here?
When I see that your first post came 2 days after Dave Decker was let go and Hunter came off-air I can at least speculate there are hard feelings by one of those two individuals or their friends. You also could be someone who left a while ago like Scott Sands, but surely he's grown up enough to have moved on by now.
But the thing that really discredits your remarks is that you're clearly an ageist. It appears your main complaint against one of your enemies in this thread is she's "ancient". You may have real evidence of mismanagement or wrong doing but your ridiculously juvenile rants completely discredit your point of view. How sad for you.
I don't work for Entercom so I can't say whether or not the morale is poor on N. Meridian. I do know that PPM has been a Smiley killer. He's made some headway but the first few books were brutal. They're only slightly less so now. Considering that show was the revenue base of the cluster in the diary days, it's not hard to understand why they are having issues now. It's also not hard to see how sales people would be up in arms. The game changed-now they have to figure out how to sell without the numbers Smiley used to have. Poor salespeople, change is hard :-*.
I have worked both for and with Jenny and Julie in my career. Like everyone else I have worked with and for, they p*ssed me off at times; they challenged me at times. You can ignore my comments because of it if you like, but I count them both as friends.
The biggest fallacy I've seen in this thread is the idea that the big-wigs read these forums and take them seriously. Do they read them? Yes. Do they take them seriously? Yes and no. Having been in management at the local level and the corporate level let me shed some light on how management view the bitch sessions here.
Yes, we read them, mostly for entertainment value. Do we take the supposed anonymous employee complaints and rumors seriously? Uh. No. The problem is "anonymous". Managers view posters to these boards in one of two categories.
1) Competitors trying to start rumors or former employees that couldn't make the grade. In this case, you and your opinions don't matter.
2) Disgruntled employees tearing down the station. In this case, you're not really on the team and you & your opinions don't matter.
Hmm, both groups have something in common don't they?
By the way, if you belong to group 2, you will eventually out yourself by posting something that gives away your identity. THis is where we do take it seriously. Can you say "justification for termination with extreme prejudice"?
If you really work at a station and don't have the balls to have your say in the office where it will make a difference, then you should clean out your desk, resign and find another well to poison. Even if your thoughts have merit, you eliminate their value by posting them here, anonymously. If you REALLY care about the station you work for you don't air the dirty laundry. All that does is tear down your station and the people you go to war with everyday. If this describes you... You. Suck.
Respectfully,
Shawk-n-awe AKA,
Larry Downes
Susquehanna-Cumulus-Saga-Regent-Emmis
My boy Larry Downes don't play!
Larry, I know several people on N. Meridian have made complaints either while still employed there, after being let go or after leaving of their own accord (to add to my last post...a long-time business dept. employee also left). If the complaints were made to Jenny, which many of them originally were, they were either discredited as the person being a "disgruntled" employee or the person was told by Jenny that she'd "sleep on it" meaning she didn't really care what they were saying and was going to give them an answer of something along the lines of...suck it up and like the way I do things or leave. So basically if you try to shake things up under the Skjodt/Reyburn rule whether for the good of the company or for the good of the employees the only thing that happens is a) you're shot down and made to feel like YOU'RE the one that did something wrong and b) you're made to be the new target of the shit storm and either eventually pushed out the door (by getting fired or forced to quit) or having your daily life there made miserable.
I have a saying, I'm happy if I don't get my way as long as I get my say. I don't know how things work over there, but I do know this. I don't always know the pressures my boss is under or the whole story when decisions are made. I give my input whether it's asked for or not. Sometimes he takes it, often he doesn't. That's ok, I did my part by sharing my point of view. Once the decision is made though, I'm all in, even if I don't agree with it. That's what it means to be part of something bigger than yourself, to be part of team.
If there ever comes a time when I can't do that, then I leave. I've done that twice. Both times it cost me dearly, but I can look in the mirror today knowing I've done things the right way.
By the way, you used a key word, "complaints". I don't listen to complaints from those I lead. Complaints come from people who don't like change and want things to be like they were. However, I DO listen to their concerns, suggestions, problems and ideas. Just like my boss, sometimes I take the advice, sometimes not.
If there ever comes a time when I can't do that, then I leave. I've done that twice. Both times it cost me dearly, but I can look in the mirror today knowing I've done things the right way.
By the way, you used a key word, "complaints". I don't listen to complaints from those I lead. Complaints come from people who don't like change and want things to be like they were. However, I DO listen to their concerns, suggestions, problems and ideas. Just like my boss, sometimes I take the advice, sometimes not.
"complaints" aren't necessarily always about change. Often they are the result of the lack of change and very often in this case are in the lack of leadership.
Drucifer said:
And that's good leadership! Sadly that doesn't happen everywhere. Skjodt would rather her best people walk out the door than thank someone (other than Reyburn) for a job well done and reward that.
Drucifer said:
The position has been filled
by a former Susquehanna employee?
Radio is a tough business but it is a business. The programming side seems to have ideas and lets be honest, talent can be hard to manage. If the P.D. bends every time someone upstairs farts, good talent get beat down and I don't know about you folks but I am a little bit like General Patton, give me a pat on the back and I am good for another 1000 miles. Recognition is something missing from a lot of radio stations. The emphasis is on sales (which is important, of course) but radio has gotten away from the entertainers that can make or break a station.
If the product you have on the air sucks, or if I can find something better somewhere else, YOU have a problem, not me. My post here is in general because I am not affiliated with Entercom or Indianapolis at the moment but find this discussion compelling for a myriad of reasons.
If the product you have on the air sucks, or if I can find something better somewhere else, YOU have a problem, not me. My post here is in general because I am not affiliated with Entercom or Indianapolis at the moment but find this discussion compelling for a myriad of reasons.
I definitely agree with that. Egos are big in all areas of radio and it never hurts to get a good pat on the back and a "good job" or "great idea" and when it's particularly good, giving the idea a try on a small scale basis.
We all know that this business can be a revolving door, but it's important to be able to realize good, hard-working talent that is pulling for the greater good and rewarding it with appreciation rather than punishing any innovation with the threat of being picked off.
We all know that this business can be a revolving door, but it's important to be able to realize good, hard-working talent that is pulling for the greater good and rewarding it with appreciation rather than punishing any innovation with the threat of being picked off.
shawk-n-awe said:
Mr. Downes, I'd like to start off by saying that I admire your bravery for posting your name on this link. The courage that demonstrates speaks volume. Listen up Columbo, I have posted in this forum quite often but it's nice to see that your "digging" up of information validates the fact that this is a new account. Way to put that "mining" degree to work. I understand that you haven't worked with these two ladies in a long time and what YOU need to understand is that people do change throughout this journey called life. I can only hope that they are not the same people today as they were when you had the "privilege" to work with them.
I have already stated that my issue is not with Entercom or with Corporate. I have alot of respect for MANY people within that organization. My issue is with Jenny and Julie. I've never swayed from that...On a different note I found amusement in your "digs" at sales people. Seeing as the majority of your career has been spent in the IT field I find it amusing that you make the comment "poor salespeople". Your an IT guy who would have problems selling Pete Rose an invitiaion into Cooperstown. Let me clarify a few more things. I am not an ageist. I was merely making a point that the only reason Ms. Reyburn wasn't in the HAPPY HOOSIER RETIREMENT HOME was because Jenny brought her to Entercom. She is far from qualified to be a DSM nonetheless understand the complexity of a television remote control. I understand your coming up on the big 50 but don't take it so personally. Age is only a number UNLESS you treat your entire staff like last week's leftovers. I am NOT a disgruntled employee. I hope that good people stay with Entercom and I hope that NEW good people join Entercom. Only one problem Larry "my boy", it's not going to happen if Jenny and Julie are calling the shots. If ANYONE in Corporate at Entercom makes an inquiry within the staff they will clearly understand what is transpiring and without a doubt I'm sure things will not remain the same. Stay tuned. This is going to be a 'WHOPPER" of a week.
"If there ever comes a time when I can't do that, then I leave. I've done that twice. Both times it cost me dearly, but I can look in the mirror today knowing I've done things the right way." Shawk n awe
Larry, I absolutely agree with this statement. I did the same thing. As some point, each individual has to "man up," to take ownership of their own [as in what they are willing to put up with and what not] and make a choice to change or leave.
However, that's where our opinions part. I left Susquehanna [before Cumulus swooped in] because I could no longer work for this management. But it wasn't a matter of disagreeing with management or corporate strategic direction. I could no longer accept how I was personally treated; this despite the fact that the group was performing at a level of revenue success that it has not seen since [which was primarily my responsibility]. I ultimately chose to leave - but I did so at a time when no one could question whether my department was performing at a high level. I didn't let the personal issues interfere with the department's performance, and I can look myself in the mirror knowing "we did good, and I then ultimately took responsibility for my own sanity - I did it right."
So, I have to believe that at least some of the folks that are having a tough time at Entercom at the moment are truly suffering from personality clashes, and not just disgruntled because of strategy changes. You worked with, but didn't necessarily report directly to, this management team your entire time at Susquehanna. There is a difference in the level of interaction. Same holds true for Omnisus [as an on air talent interacting with, but not directly reporting to, this management].
On a final positive note, JS did give a positive reference leading to my acceptance of my current job [now 8 years in] so there is some truth to the insinuation throughout this thread that Susquehanna alumni take care of each other.
Larry, I absolutely agree with this statement. I did the same thing. As some point, each individual has to "man up," to take ownership of their own [as in what they are willing to put up with and what not] and make a choice to change or leave.
However, that's where our opinions part. I left Susquehanna [before Cumulus swooped in] because I could no longer work for this management. But it wasn't a matter of disagreeing with management or corporate strategic direction. I could no longer accept how I was personally treated; this despite the fact that the group was performing at a level of revenue success that it has not seen since [which was primarily my responsibility]. I ultimately chose to leave - but I did so at a time when no one could question whether my department was performing at a high level. I didn't let the personal issues interfere with the department's performance, and I can look myself in the mirror knowing "we did good, and I then ultimately took responsibility for my own sanity - I did it right."
So, I have to believe that at least some of the folks that are having a tough time at Entercom at the moment are truly suffering from personality clashes, and not just disgruntled because of strategy changes. You worked with, but didn't necessarily report directly to, this management team your entire time at Susquehanna. There is a difference in the level of interaction. Same holds true for Omnisus [as an on air talent interacting with, but not directly reporting to, this management].
On a final positive note, JS did give a positive reference leading to my acceptance of my current job [now 8 years in] so there is some truth to the insinuation throughout this thread that Susquehanna alumni take care of each other.
- Status