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I hear that.....

I hear that Trent Foreman is no longer doing music at US97 in Hot Springs. I knew he took another job outside of radio, but I thought that he was still in charge of the music. If that's the case then who's doing it? Is it David B? I doubt that Phill O would be a wiz at country music. I hated to see Trent leave the industry, just listening to those stations and how they've changed since he came there shows a large improvement. Anybody know what's going on on the inside? It seems that they all of a sudden have a big turnover.
 
From what I was told, Tom Duke is in charge of the music now.
 
trent foreman agreed to help handle music for us97/star 96/the rocket while the station looked for his replacement. he has certainly done a fine job and made a significant contribution in helping our stations improve. trent remains with the stations part-time doing play by play for the lakeside rams.

tom duke, a 20+ year employee of us97 (and former p.d.) is now handling music duties.

long-time little rock radio talent david treadway (kaay/kkpt/koll) has taken trent's slot on us97.

phil o'brien, a fifteen year hot springs air talent (formerly mornings klaz), is added to the staff to handle mornings on a/c star 96.

in the last year trent is the only on-air departure from our stations. so, my first time poster pal, is this the big turnover to which you refer?
 
You guys are killing me down here. Tom and David are my two all time favorite people to work with and Dick Antoine got me started in this silly business so he holds a very special place in my heart. Craig, I don't know how you guys did it but you've got a great lineup.

I, for one, am so very tickled to see you keeping a local station focused on the community. Hot Springs is my hometown and such a niche community. From the financial standpoint, Hot Springs station would be the first I would snatch up if I ever hit the lottery. Not only do you have the standard "radio buying season" you guys also get a bonus season when the track is open. Plus, the community as a whole isn't jaded toward radio.

You guys have done a very nice job since buying out Powell. You stepped into a group of stations which had been basically raped and pillaged but you had a solid staff. You have done an excellent job improving the sounds of the station all the while focusing even more on the community.

Hats off...it is so very nice to see owners/manager who really know what they are doing!

t



cdale said:
trent foreman agreed to help handle music for us97/star 96/the rocket while the station looked for his replacement. he has certainly done a fine job and made a significant contribution in helping our stations improve. trent remains with the stations part-time doing play by play for the lakeside rams.

tom duke, a 20+ year employee of us97 (and former p.d.) is now handling music duties.

long-time little rock radio talent david treadway (kaay/kkpt/koll) has taken trent's slot on us97.

phil o'brien, a fifteen year hot springs air talent (formerly mornings klaz), is added to the staff to handle mornings on a/c star 96.

in the last year trent is the only on-air departure from our stations. so, my first time poster pal, is this the big turnover to which you refer?
 
Tom Duke, is that they guy that does the half hour fishing show during the noon hour on US97? If he's been there for over 20 years and was a "former PD", it'd make me wonder why he's not the current PD. Was he before Mario? As far as turnover, I guess I was thinking about some other names I've seen on your website.
 
LOL...I think Duke may be good enough they just let him do what he wants to do. He's been there for over 20 years and yes, I believe he did work with Mario. I think he's done everything from engineering, to on air, to PD to scrubbing toilets. Craig, you may want to correct me on this but I believe the fishing show is a sponsored show in an area with three lakes and lots of fishermen. It might not work well in other places but it works very well in HS and has done so for years. As far as I am concerned, as a listener, Tom Duke is voice of US 97.

As I've stated before, I don't work for the company, but I do believe the US Stations group as a whole is one of the more stable small market groups in Arkansas.

Nice name, btw...




musicradio20 said:
Tom Duke, is that they guy that does the half hour fishing show during the noon hour on US97? If he's been there for over 20 years and was a "former PD", it'd make me wonder why he's not the current PD. Was he before Mario? As far as turnover, I guess I was thinking about some other names I've seen on your website.
 
A bit of history here....
Tom was at US-97 before Mario got there. Mario was there and brought me there.

Tom has been around the station for a long time. He's a pro and a friend of mine.

Maybe one of these days Cdale will allow me to return to the radio gang at 125 Corporate Terrace.
 
Nope...not a cheerleader, I just know good business practices when I see them. As for a job, I'm a stay at home Mommy in Texarkana these days. The only radio I do is news for Mountain Home. I'll take my Pom Pom's and sit down for now. LOL!

t

musicradio20 said:
So many cheerleaders, sounds like the ownership can pick and choose anybody they want to work there.
 
Effective radio management is more than just doing a great job on the programming side. I worked for Jacor way back in the 80's when they were doing some of the best radio in the industry. I also had a front row seat when Jacor's "Power Pig" took down the "invincible" Q-105 in the Tampa Bay Market's most legendary radio war.

It was exciting, fun, no holds barred and one hell of a ride. When Jacor first took over their first move was to put beer in the vending machines. (A lot of us spent Friday afternoon, "happy hour" in the employee lounge sucking down 50 cent brewskies). It was a great place to work, and the numbers were enormous. The result? Jacor went broke. I think it happened twice.

The bottom line is that radio, like everything else in life, functions best when it strives for Aristotle's "Golden Mean" of programming savvy and bean counting accounting skill.

I'm not dissing the U.S. stations, because I love groups that considers its people assetts instead of liabilities, but when you get down to it, it doesn't make any difference how great a place is to work if outgo exceeds income.
 
I hear that US Stations is billing in the six figures. So I don't think they have a
problem with the outgoing or the incoming. They are at a place now where
they can pick and choose who they want in their group.

I understand that they are going strong and getter stronger. I think Trent made
a huge mistake when he left. He thought he made the station and nobody was
better than him.....(surprise) US Stations has moved on and have not been even a
little bit effected by Trent's departure. Trent was not as good as he thought he was. Maybe when he's let his ego deflate a bit he will realize this! Apparently US Stations has!!
 
I've probably got more "stickers on my briefcase" than anybody here and I can say that whether I walked out, was thrown out or slipped out the back door with the lynch mob coming in the front door that every one of those stations was still on the air the day after I left.

Funny how that works...
 
arkansas said:
I hear that US Stations is billing in the six figures. So I don't think they have a
problem with the outgoing or the incoming. They are at a place now where
they can pick and choose who they want in their group.

I understand that they are going strong and getter stronger. I think Trent made
a huge mistake when he left. He thought he made the station and nobody was
better than him.....(surprise) US Stations has moved on and have not been even a
little bit effected by Trent's departure. Trent was not as good as he thought he was. Maybe when he's let his ego deflate a bit he will realize this! Apparently US Stations has!!


You said you think Trent made a huge mistake? In which way? How do you know that Trent isn't better off now that he is not with US Stations full time. I can tell you right now, I don't believe that Trent had the biggest Ego at US Stations when I worked there. Yeah, he thought he was good, but who in radio doesn't think they are good?
It makes me wonder if Trent felt like a few other former employees of US Stations, and were nothing unless you were screaming like a razorback getting bit in the ass by the gators during the morning show.
I think that US Stations has talent on air and in the sales department, but like everywhere you go, problems exist. Sometimes enough is enough

I would always reccomend working for US Stations.

Matt
 
You have to find the balance between keeping the staff happy but not too happy. I've been on the receiving end of some great trade but I also realized just how dangerous it is for a station to dole it out. What's more important...working for a company that gives out free dinners to the staff or one that will be healthy and profitable for a LONG time to come.

Radio, just like any business, is a careful balancing act. The only difference is real radio junkies will work for next to nothing just to be on the air. There's no one to blame but ourselves for the life a normal DJ lives. If you work for beans, you'll be treated like dirt...so to speak. I've been extremely lucky, I'm married and can rely on my husband's income. That's honestly the only way I've ever been able to afford to work in radio and believe me, it doesn't take all that much to make me happy.

I'm an odd DJ...I've always found the business end of the game so much more interesting than the programming side. I work the programming side and think of the business side. It all boils down to one thing...MONEY.

So many programmers seem to get caught up in the "art" of radio. Once there really was an art to radio programming but those days are long gone. Today, it's all about keeping profitability up and the costs low.

I've listened so many times to air staff complaining about equipment. I've worked in some of the most high tech stations and some of the most low tech. Do you honestly think state of the art, top of the line, just out on the market eqiupment will really make an undecided advertiser buy more radio? Nope. Most listerners to stations could care less what the sound quality really is as long as they can sing along to their favorite songs.

t



FiveStar said:
Effective radio management is more than just doing a great job on the programming side. I worked for Jacor way back in the 80's when they were doing some of the best radio in the industry. I also had a front row seat when Jacor's "Power Pig" took down the "invincible" Q-105 in the Tampa Bay Market's most legendary radio war.

It was exciting, fun, no holds barred and one hell of a ride. When Jacor first took over their first move was to put beer in the vending machines. (A lot of us spent Friday afternoon, "happy hour" in the employee lounge sucking down 50 cent brewskies). It was a great place to work, and the numbers were enormous. The result? Jacor went broke. I think it happened twice.

The bottom line is that radio, like everything else in life, functions best when it strives for Aristotle's "Golden Mean" of programming savvy and bean counting accounting skill.

I'm not dissing the U.S. stations, because I love groups that considers its people assetts instead of liabilities, but when you get down to it, it doesn't make any difference how great a place is to work if outgo exceeds income.
 
I have no doubt that US is billing in the 6 figures. I only get a chance to listen on Friday and Sunday afternoons but those days seem to be mighty busy commerical wise. Since I'm a local girl, I also have been impressed to hear some of the businesses they have finally managed to get on the air. They run a good solid commerical load each and every break.

As for Trent.....EAASY! Geez, I would hate to see what you guys thought of me when I went out the door. Trent made the choice to leave radio for a more profitable career. With a family, I'm sure some of you guys can sympathize.

If you've been in radio long enough, you realize a week after you're off the air very few people will even remember your name. It's sad but true we are just faceless voices in the background.

Sadly, listeners don't listen for the commercials or really even the on air talent...they listen for the music. DJ's listen for the air talent and client's listen for THEIR commercial.

t

arkansas said:
I hear that US Stations is billing in the six figures. So I don't think they have a
problem with the outgoing or the incoming. They are at a place now where
they can pick and choose who they want in their group.

I understand that they are going strong and getter stronger. I think Trent made
a huge mistake when he left. He thought he made the station and nobody was
better than him.....(surprise) US Stations has moved on and have not been even a
little bit effected by Trent's departure. Trent was not as good as he thought he was. Maybe when he's let his ego deflate a bit he will realize this! Apparently US Stations has!!
 
txradiochick said:
Sadly, listeners don't listen for the commercials or really even the on air talent...they listen for the music. DJ's listen for the air talent and client's listen for THEIR commercial.
arkansas said:
The chick has it right!
 
Without commenting on any of the personal sniping I will say unequivocally that if Trent was able to get a job with a decent salary and the possibility of advancement he did the right thing for himself and his family. There's a new department of Labor report that basically describes radio as a dying industry with shrinking labor pools.

I swear, at times I think the owners and upper management have convinced themselves that if they could just get rid of ALL their employees they could make some real money.

Too bad they were all absent from school the day the lessons included the fable of the goose that laid the golden eggs.
 
its been a few years since i worked in hot springs but ill say this trent is a great guy..i worked with him in jonesboro..and id work with him again if given the chance

kramer
 
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