MikeShannon914 said:
Did I not cover this issue thoroughly and properly? Metro Traffic operations manager Max Miller took this issue up with my boss by phone this morning, saying that my boss needs to have better control over his employees and what they post on Radio-Info. My boss properly informed Max that what I do on my own time is my own business. You know, I don't even know Max, I think I've heard him do traffic on KRLD before, and I'm reasonably sure he doesn't know me or anything about me. I don't believe any of my posts attacked him or his operation.
Lest I get "the business" for bumping an ancient thread, I was curious to see what Mr Shannon was referencing about Max Miller in his more recent post in the Traffic Services thread. A two year old beef, I guess... or something, maybe it's not a beef, that might be too strong a word. Anyway... he brought it up.
I worked for Max, and knew nothing of this little controversy before reading it in the newer thread just now, and then doing a quick search... but considering the circumstances, I would suspect that Julie Dehardy's husband was on the phone to Max complaining about why she was having to go on KVIL, or perhaps Julie herself was.
As another poster mentioned, many in this business are friends off the air and I'm confident the truly concerned friends called Metro to find out what happened, or called Julie, or family or some such. In this business people share information with the understanding that we can all keep in under our hats. Max's calling John McCarty to complain about this getting out too soon was correct in as much as Mr McCarty should have had some idea that the info might have been too personal. In the event that someone called Metro to get the info then it should have been even more obvious.
I for one do not interpret Max's actions as a critique of Mr Shannon so much as Mr McCarty. Yes, Mr Shannon was responsible for the act in question, but Mr McCarty might actually have been more at fault for not being more proactive about the matter. Either way, the complaint from Max was directed at the appropriate person. In the information business, the news business, that understanding exists among professionals, and it is the boss' responsibility to monitor sensitive situations.
Admittedly, I don't know how the info got out in the first place. I suppose Max could have directed his staff to keep that info totally in house, and keep all the traffic colleagues (and friends) in the dark, but I like to think this business is small enough that some discretionary understanding exists among professionals. The internet makes new demands on broadcast professionals and managers need to adapt. One possible adaptation would be reducing the human touch by disallowing "outsiders" (non Metro people in this case) from knowing the truth of things... let's hope that doesn't have to happen.
Anyway
Metro IS The Ramen Noodles of Broadcasting
And .... ....... .. ..... ....
