Do radio stations when they flip formats usually keep the jocks or fire them? Also when a company sells a station are those people fired? Just curious to know what the usual deal is with that. I don't think it's fair that if a DJ wants to stay on but the station doesn't want that particular jock anymore. For example on 97.3 Radio Now in Milwaukee there are no DJs yet. What happened to the ones of the Brew?
-
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
Have some questions about DJs being fired
- Thread starter icycool7227
- Start date
The DJs of the Brew probably got fired. This is what usually happens when a station changes format. Its considered a bad idea to retain images of the old format when a new format is ushered in.
When a station is sold, the on-air personnel are usually retained, but station management (market manager, sales managers) are often blown out.
When a station is sold, the on-air personnel are usually retained, but station management (market manager, sales managers) are often blown out.
Often there's a promise that "we won't make any drastic changes soon." BUT...
Once the papers are signed, quite often there are drastic changes.
I've been through the selling of a station scenario twice as an on-air personality.
In the first case, I got a 24-hour notice. Which is more than a lot of folks get. Nevertheless, left on good terms. The new owner flipped formats three days later. Everyone except one on-air
DJ was let go. He hated the new format and stayed only a short time before going to another station.
In the second case, the changes were gradual. None of the air staff, including myself, lost their jobs. I stayed another three years after the station was sold doing on-air for them.
Bottom line is: In a nutshell, new owners are free to do whatever they want.
Once the papers are signed, quite often there are drastic changes.
I've been through the selling of a station scenario twice as an on-air personality.
In the first case, I got a 24-hour notice. Which is more than a lot of folks get. Nevertheless, left on good terms. The new owner flipped formats three days later. Everyone except one on-air
DJ was let go. He hated the new format and stayed only a short time before going to another station.
In the second case, the changes were gradual. None of the air staff, including myself, lost their jobs. I stayed another three years after the station was sold doing on-air for them.
Bottom line is: In a nutshell, new owners are free to do whatever they want.
From my experience, most of the on air staff at any radio station that is sold is generally considered as representing an 'old' image to the listening public. One buys a station because the buyer things that can improve the station, at least economically. Usually they have a detailed business plan. Typically the business plan is an 'out with the old, in with the new' plan.
You'd get very, very little notice because of how things work. Once the deal is worked out, the FCC paperwork is filed and once approvedm the new owner wants to take the station yesterday. Since the new owner has no right to communicate with the staff since the new owner does not have approval to own the station, the staff gets minutes to hours of notice.
Likely the best way for a transfer to work would be for the new owner to lease the station until the FCC approves the sale. A lease would not be an immediate thing and allow staff to 'buy some time' in their search for a new radio job.
I'd think it in your best interest to consider and ownership change or even change of PD as a signal to find another position elsewhere.
I refused to fire everyone at one station and bring in my own. I didn't want to create economic problems for so many. I should have fired everyone. The people I hired were so loyal to me and so hard working, pitching in to get things done without even wanting extra pay. Meanwhile, the staff I left in place felt one of their own should have had my position, so they worked against me for 6 months until they did enough to make the owners want to make a change.
You'd get very, very little notice because of how things work. Once the deal is worked out, the FCC paperwork is filed and once approvedm the new owner wants to take the station yesterday. Since the new owner has no right to communicate with the staff since the new owner does not have approval to own the station, the staff gets minutes to hours of notice.
Likely the best way for a transfer to work would be for the new owner to lease the station until the FCC approves the sale. A lease would not be an immediate thing and allow staff to 'buy some time' in their search for a new radio job.
I'd think it in your best interest to consider and ownership change or even change of PD as a signal to find another position elsewhere.
I refused to fire everyone at one station and bring in my own. I didn't want to create economic problems for so many. I should have fired everyone. The people I hired were so loyal to me and so hard working, pitching in to get things done without even wanting extra pay. Meanwhile, the staff I left in place felt one of their own should have had my position, so they worked against me for 6 months until they did enough to make the owners want to make a change.
There will be little or no change. Translation-there will be plenty of changes.
Plan your escape, new owners owe you nothing.
Plan your escape, new owners owe you nothing.
The key question is "why was the station sold". Was the station going gangbusters, raking in the dough, and anchoring a local group? Or, was it stumbling along, a dragging anchor holding its sister stations back? Is it a local owner selling out to a major group because the business has just gotten too hard? Is it a major group selling to a local owner because they don't want to bother with any market outside the top 20? Is it two major groups swapping stations in different markets to resolve cap issues? Is someone buying into a growth market? Is someone getting out of a market that's losing population?
See if any of these sound familiar:
-"We bought your station because we believe in what you're doing here."
-"We're not here to make big changes. We're here to help you grow."
-"We think that we can help you streamline some of your operations."
-"Our company focuses on PEOPLE. You're the reason we bought the station(s)."
-"You have a great team here. We're just here to add to that team."
Make sure that you've stuffed your mattress with extra cash, your demo and resume are up to date, and that you've reduced your workspace clutter to what will fit in one banker's box. Archive whatever you want to take with you. Backups are a wonderful thing. So is networking. The guys across the street really aren't the devil, you know.
See if any of these sound familiar:
-"We bought your station because we believe in what you're doing here."
-"We're not here to make big changes. We're here to help you grow."
-"We think that we can help you streamline some of your operations."
-"Our company focuses on PEOPLE. You're the reason we bought the station(s)."
-"You have a great team here. We're just here to add to that team."
Make sure that you've stuffed your mattress with extra cash, your demo and resume are up to date, and that you've reduced your workspace clutter to what will fit in one banker's box. Archive whatever you want to take with you. Backups are a wonderful thing. So is networking. The guys across the street really aren't the devil, you know.
Anymore, there aren't any disc jockeys left to fire!
- Status