Johnny Burke and Blondie file age-discrimination lawsuits against Cumulus

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

http://www.mlive.com/news/saginaw/index.ssf/2016/04/johnny_and_blondie_lawsuits_ag.html



Wow the Dysfunction continues at Cumulus. But this time Johnny Burke and Blondie File Lawsuits against Cumulus on the grounds that Cumulus violated civil rights act. Dang we went after Cumulus for other dysfunction in other parts of the country but this only shows that the dysfunction is more systematic.

http://www.tuscolatoday.com/index.p...nd-blondie-allege-age-discrimination-by-whnn/

https://www.change.org/p/cumulus-saginaw-revert-whnn-96-1-fm-back-to-its-old-music-show-format

https://www.change.org/p/cumulus-sa...-back-to-its-old-music-show-format/u/15251646



A Petition has been out for Cumulus to get 96.1 FM back to its old format though. Dysfunction is popping up at various Cumulus O&O’s in some parts of the country for different reasons from KGO-AM not attracting younger audiences to its Talk Radio outlet, News Division removal and fumbling with Ronn Owens Contract, and Mark Levins Contract being fumbled at KSFO-AM to WHNN in Michigan over host removals. The Point is that its not possible for Cumulus to even get over their dysfunction at this point.



http://www.my961.com/

 

[semoochie]

http://www.mlive.com/news/saginaw/index.ssf/2016/04/johnny_and_blondie_lawsuits_ag.html



Wow the Dysfunction continues at Cumulus. But this time Johnny Burke and Blondie File Lawsuits against Cumulus on the grounds that Cumulus violated civil rights act. Dang we went after Cumulus for other dysfunction in other parts of the country but this only shows that the dysfunction is more systematic.

http://www.tuscolatoday.com/index.p...nd-blondie-allege-age-discrimination-by-whnn/

https://www.change.org/p/cumulus-saginaw-revert-whnn-96-1-fm-back-to-its-old-music-show-format

https://www.change.org/p/cumulus-sa...-back-to-its-old-music-show-format/u/15251646



A Petition has been out for Cumulus to get 96.1 FM back to its old format though. Dysfunction is popping up at various Cumulus O&O’s in some parts of the country for different reasons from KGO-AM not attracting younger audiences to its Talk Radio outlet, News Division removal and fumbling with Ronn Owens Contract, and Mark Levins Contract being fumbled at KSFO-AM to WHNN in Michigan over host removals. The Point is that its not possible for Cumulus to even get over their dysfunction at this point.



http://www.my961.com/

The station has the right to change format and it also has the right to execute the format successfully. This is not an assembly line. There has to be a connection with the audience and whoever makes the best connection should get the job.

 

[b-turner]

Things are not always as they seem. Frequently we get only one part of the whole truth. I do not personally know what the situation is here, but this is certainly something I have seen in radio and the general workplace for anyone that gets even close to 60 years old. My Dad had to train people who would be his boss. As a high level manager he was written up for making a personal phone call, all in a ploy to oust him to save the company from paying the full retirement benefit.

I'm not justifying anything here but from the outside looking in, as a GM of a station, it is clear the advertisers were not getting what they wanted from the station as it was. Notice I say advertisers. Radio stations get blamed but it is the advertising agencies that make the revenue decisions. They demand the right audience to make a buy. Usually when I state this, I'm told radio stations are to serve the community. Yep, you are right. Now I want to hear how you do that without revenue. How is it the station targeting the younger radio listener is not serving the community because no station can be everything to the community. You say sell businesses that don't use ad agencies. Have you tried? I have. Doesn't work. There are not enough hours in a day to do that and if you hired enough people you'd never do anything but lose money. Again I have tried this. $200 a month (on a month to month as they won't agree to anything else) with no renewal about 95% of the time and more money spent servicing them than you made in commission. The point is in the radio game you have to go where the dollars can be had and enough of them to pay the bills. I think the station was skewing too old and had to make drastic steps to get back on the buy sheet.

As for the jocks. I understand the shoes they are in and they have my pity, pity based on being in those shoes once. At their age and time spent at one station, they are in a tough spot. Less money, fewer job options for sure. It might just be the lawsuit is designed to get a cash settlement out of court that can bolster their more bleak employment outlook, at least financially. Will they be missed and loved? You bet. And in a year or two, mostly forgotten. Sad but true.

I noted they made suggestions on making the station attract younger listeners, a point brought up because it was a true concern. I think I might know what happened. I report to my owners but am viewed as an employee when I speak. If I put them on to someone else in the business that says the same as I have, it carries more weight. Can't explain that one but it is certainly something I have dealt with.

The petition will do nothing, sorry to say. It is all about producing the revenue to pay the bills. The energies might better be spent on convincing the ad agencies that dole out the dollars that they are making a bad decision. Then again, I doubt it would carry much weight since they have tons of research that says otherwise.

If the petitioners are smart, they'll identify a struggling station locally, lease it and resume the format, maybe trying a public radio concept of listener financial support. As a fan of the music they once played prior to January 15, I am in a market that has no such outlet either. Yep, I'd like to turn on the radio and hear what I want to hear too.

I'm not trying to demean radio here. I love radio and am passionate about it. Of what I have learned of programming, on air, sales and management, the almighty dollar is always a necessary evil.