Local Layoffs at Audacy (and a Resignation), the 2025 Edition

[ChannelFlipper]

Which is exactly what I did. People hire me for me, not because they have to. I get exactly what you're saying. I didn't like being a cog in a machine. But not everyone can be an owner. Somebody needs to be the worker bees or else nothing gets done.

You think we don't have low level worker bees in my profession? In any profession for that matter? How do they get along without a union? Who stands up to management for them? (Answer: Nobody). Why is radio different than the many other professions without union shops?

-Legitimate question, trying to understand his point, save the hate posts.

When I was a Teamster, I was literally a line worker. Just another cog, for sure, replaceable at any time (well, except that I knew the operation better than my co-workers and even some of my managers - I would have been a tad harder to replace than the average co-worker, but far from indispensable) . I resented the union with a passion. All they did was protect the incompetent and the lazy, while taking my dues out of every paycheck. And of course the shop steward was the laziest one of all.

 

[Deus Ex Machiato]

Why does "someone need to stand up to management"?

When management doesn't have the best interests of the employees at heart. At the risk of derailing the thread, the truth is that a lot of businesses treat employees as disposable, or worse - as liabilities. Like...how dare you ask for more money to do your job? Unions formed because management said "we're gonna pay you sh*t wages and treat you like sh*t...what are you gonna do about it?"

Individual workers (at, say Carnegie Steel) couldn't fight for themselves, but if they banded together they could, to a certain extent, match the power that the management had. "Wanna keep making your product? Try it without workers...we're going on strike." Unions were the natural response. Collective bargaining for a contract is a century-old tradition, and maybe in your profession you don't need a union, but some do.

There is a solution, though. Back in the 70s and 80s, my father ran a small manufacturing plant. Being the manufacturing industry back then, he was pressured to unionize his shop, but then he came up with (what should be) an obvious solution: He didn't treat his employees like disposable liabilities. He paid better than the prevailing wage at the local union shops, and didn't have an adversarial relationship with them. In fact he went to bat for them when the owner tried to cut costs. He figured out that if you treat your people well, they will be productive and make a better product. It worked. When the local union tried to organize the shop, it was the employees who threw them out, and at one point he had the owner by the balls because his shop was the only one making a profit. When the economy took a downturn, they kept making money. His people were fiercely loyal to him, and he to them. When he passed away unexpectedly, his funeral was standing room only, and filled with a lot of his workers.

Unions exist because management treats people like "if you don't like it, just go start your own business." Reap what you sow, and what not.

 

[TheBigA]

Why is radio different than the many other professions without union shops?

It isn't. Only a handful of cities have radio unions. Once again, it's why people come on these boards to complain about radio.

AFTRA is seeing huge growth in membership in the last few years. Why? You know why. Workers see the companies going bankrupt and all the top people getting parachutes and the former DJs getting nothing. Parachutes are negotiated. I know. But when you get a low level job in radio, you don't get a contract. It's about trying to level the playing field. However, as I've said before: The budget is the budget. There's only so much money. In my view these new union employees are just quickening the demise of on-air jobs. But you asked the question.

BTW You call it a profession, but I thought you needed to have some kind of certification to be in a profession. Nothing like that in radio.

 

[davideduardo]

The only reason there is as much live & local radio in LA is because of the union. If it was up to the owners, it would be very different. That's the choice.

Yet there are many important stations that are not unionized, and they do nothing different from the union shops… except that they spend less on legal fees and compliance with union rules.

It's not a forever thing. There is an expiration date to every contract. I was once in a union, and had a union protected job. After I left, the job was eliminated in a subsequent contract. That's the future.

Today, the issue is the elimination of jobs due to technology advances and the decline in market radio revenue.

 

[TheBigA]

Yet there are many important stations that are not unionized, and they do nothing different from the union shops… except that they spend less on legal fees and compliance with union rules.

A poster here pointed out that one example is KROQ. All other LA Audacy stations are unionized except that one.

At one time, Burbank wasn't unionized. I've been told that's no longer true.

Today, the issue is the elimination of jobs due to technology advances and the decline in market radio revenue.

Radio has been eliminating jobs due to technology since the 1930s.

 

[davideduardo]

AFTRA is seeing huge growth in membership in the last few years. Why?

Much has to do with the more aggressive recruiting and negotiating since AFTRA merged with SAG.

You know why. Workers see the companies going bankrupt and all the top people getting parachutes and the former DJs getting nothing.

There are far more available DJs than skilled managers. When there is more supply than demand, the employer has an advantage.

BTW You call it a profession, but I thought you needed to have some kind of certification to be in a profession. Nothing like that in radio.

There are plenty of professions where no title is required. What title does Bill Gates or Elon Musk have.

 

[TheBigA]

There is a solution, though. Back in the 70s and 80s, my father ran a small manufacturing plant. Being the manufacturing industry back then, he was pressured to unionize his shop, but then he came up with (what should be) an obvious solution: He didn't treat his employees like disposable liabilities.

That's the difference between being an owner and a CEO. The CEOs work for the stockholders. CEOs are contract employees. That's why they get the parachutes. Of course one way to get on top of the situation is for employees to become stockholders. Although I wouldn't recommend that in radio.

 

[Deus Ex Machiato]

Although I wouldn't recommend that in radio.

Wondering aloud what the former CBS employees did with their RSUs that were converted to Audacy stock....that had to hurt.

 

[TheBigA]

Wondering aloud what the former CBS employees did with their RSUs that were converted to Audacy stock....that had to hurt.

From what I could tell, most sold them immediately.

 

[TheBigA]

Much has to do with the more aggressive recruiting and negotiating since AFTRA merged with SAG.

They tell prospects they will get them more money. They do, but the job only lasts 2 years.

There are plenty of professions where no title is required. What title does Bill Gates or Elon Musk have.

Whatever they want. Ownership has its privileges. Not a lot of people like that in radio.

 

[davideduardo]

Radio has been eliminating jobs due to technology since the 1930s.

That’s really off by several decades. In the late 40’sWOR had about 50 engineers just for the New Jersey AM transmitter, per the maintenance logs that I have.

What changed staffing was the switch from produced drama and entertainment to music formats that required, when there was no union involved, a single person on the air.

The tape recorder improved things during the 50’s and the end of that decade gave us cart machines. The late 60’s saw early automation, and by the 70’s FCC rule changes allowed nearly all transmitters to be remote controlled from the studios by DJs. And by the mid 70’s, we saw early computers like IBM System 33 doing traffic, billing and accounting.

Full program automation was possible in the early 70’s but the FCC still required a person on duty… technology was ahead of regulations.

 

[ILOVERADIO]

That's your view. For people who didn't grow up with radio, that's obviously not the view. Spotify spent lots of money on Joe Rogan. They have no shortage of money for talent. They put that money into podcasting, not linear radio. People who own radio can see that.

Focusing on the local audience only matters if it's a local sports team. In LA, you have lots of local talent on the radio. Does it make a difference? You tell me. When KLOS fired Kevin & Sluggo, the ratings didn't move. People clearly listen to these stations for the music, not because it's local.

I think it matters for news stations, which is why many of the top billing stations feature all news or news/talk.

 

[RayydioLA]

Have viewed and woked them before (a long time ago) in my professional work. They are not that different than other union contracts in other industries. Of course they are specific to the entertainment industry. All union contracts are specific to their industry. So what? Their commonalities are much more significant and relevant than their differences.

The overall point remains true. Very talented individuals need the union like a fish needs a bicycle. The ones that are not as talented depend on the union to interfere with a the market on their behalf - to do their bidding for them.

Incorrect. There are thousands of talented people in radio who started out part-time, rose to full-time (if that's the route they pursued) and perhaps went back to part-time for any number of reasons. Plenty of talented people are not working in the business because of cost-cutting, consolidation, automation, and good ol' boys' club politics and not nearly as many jobs as there used to be.
Conversely, there are plenty of "morning show talent" who suck, or who are egotistical jerky prima-donnas and make life difficult for their co-workers and/or management, yet they make 6-figure morning show money. I've known some who fight against the union just so they don't have to pay higher dues, yet it would elevate and support their co-workers. These are not fundamentally nice or good people, let alone whether they're talented or not. They eventually fall or leave the industry at a certain point, anyway. Plenty of big-ticket talent, on the other hand, know the value of collective bargaining, do their jobs just as well to kill it every day on the air, and take their elevated salaries, and are true union supporters and team players. For protections for EVERYONE.
There are also plenty of talented actors languishing in local improv or low-paying theatre for the love of the art and use of their own gifts, whatever they may be, who don't get elevated to George Clooney or Jennifer Aniston or SNL status; doesn't mean the unknowns aren't talented. There are categorically more rank-and-file hardworking union members than celebrities in any field. You don't like it? Don't work in it. You sound like an a-hole. You don't get to generalize "talent" based on union membership, salaries, or people's needs or gifts or why they do what they do, with the amount of time or daypart in which they choose to do it while they still have a job opportunity. You are not the arbiter of such things. Don't become a PD or a casting director.

 

[OldiesMaven]

It's also saturated with exceptionally well-produced ones from major companies including iHeart. Enough to fill a top 200 weekly chart and not hit amateur hour:

Apple's Top Podcast Charts - United States

Daily rankings of the 0 top podcasts in United States on Apple. View historical charts, popularity scores, and insights.

www.podchaser.com

It's also worth noting that as sports/talk radio devolved into guy talk and gambling talk and snarky "hot takes," many onetime listeners have moved over to intelligent and up-to-the-minute podcasts from skilled reporters, leading columnists and sports media figures.

 

[TheBigA]

You don't like it? Don't work in it.

Here's another way to look at it: If you choose to do a certain job in a certain workplace that has certain requirements, then that's your choice. The workplace doesn't have to change its rules to fit what you want. So if a workplace is covered by a union contract, and the employees have voted for that representation, then you either work under those rules, or you work someplace else. In my case, I didn't like the rules for my union job in NYC. So I left that city and went to another city where the workplace rules were more to my liking. There is nothing in the constitution that says the job you want has to exist in the city where you live. I've lived in lots of places to do what I want to do. No complaints from me.

 

[ChannelFlipper]

Here's another way to look at it: If you choose to do a certain job in a certain workplace that has certain requirements, then that's your choice. The workplace doesn't have to change its rules to fit what you want. So if a workplace is covered by a union contract, and the employees have voted for that representation, then you either work under those rules, or you work someplace else. In my case, I didn't like the rules for my union job in NYC. So I left that city and went to another city where the workplace rules were more to my liking. There is nothing in the constitution that says the job you want has to exist in the city where you live. I've lived in lots of places to do what I want to do. No complaints from me.

That is exactly right. I said earlier if you don't like the workplace rules, become your own boss and change them to your liking. That is exactly what I did. I started out with zero clients and 500 business cards, and built the business up from there. You pointed out that is not for everyone, and I absolutely agree, because being an entrepreneur is extremely challenging, involves tremendous work, and requires numerous sacrifices (as John Mellencamp sang " I do things my way and I pay a high price"). Most people are not willing to make the necessary sacrifices.

Therefore it you have a "regular job", it is because someone else did make those sacrifices and as a result, was able to offer it to you. The least you can do is be grateful for it and go along with the owner's rules. I am proud that in our case, the opportunities that we have given our staff have allowed them to grow and flourish, sometimes here, sometimes elsewhere. The situation works for all parties involved as an equal exchange transaction, no one is taken advantage of.

 

[TheBigA]

Therefore it you have a "regular job" it is because someone else did make those sacrifices and as a result was able to offer it to you. The least you can do is be grateful for it and go along with the owner's rules.

I don't agree with that part. We have seen how that kind of thinking has led to things like the infamous casting couch. I've worked for owners who were tyrants. People don't have to go along with rules that are unjust or unfair or are exploitative. Also, as I said earlier, there's a difference between working for an owner and working for a corporation.

In terms of Audacy, it's a corporation. That's a different situation, and workers deserve some kind of representation other than the HR department. Once again, using my experience, I bought stock in the corporation I was working for. Imagine the surprise of my boss when I showed up at a stockholder's meeting. Things changed a lot after that. Not everyone can do that, and I certainly wouldn't recommend that approach now.

 

[ChannelFlipper]

I don't agree with that part. We have seen how that kind of thinking has led to things like the infamous casting couch. I've worked for owners who were tyrants. People don't have to go along with rules that are unjust or unfair or are exploitative. Also, as I said earlier, there's a difference between working for an owner and working for a corporation.

In terms of Audacy, it's a corporation. That's a different situation, and workers deserve some kind of representation other than the HR department. Once again, using my experience, I bought stock in the corporation I was working for. Imagine the surprise of my boss when I showed up at a stockholder's meeting. Things changed a lot after that. Not everyone can do that, and I certainly wouldn't recommend that approach now.

I am not a lawyer, but I am pretty sure the "casting couch", as we now generally understand what that implies, is illegal and exploitive. I don't think anyone is advocating for such behavior. But a union is not the best vehicle to prevent it anyway.

 

[TheBigA]

But a union is not the best vehicle to prevent it anyway.

As I said, in the corporate world, workers need representation. The union is one way to do it.

If the only thing the union can do is get workers more money, then that's not a good use of the union. Because, as I said, in radio, there's only so much money. If the union workers eat up all of the staff budget, they're just taking jobs away from everyone else. That's what we've seen at NPR stations where the union has come in. They get their members raises, and in the next budget, the staff gets cut. What's the point?

 

[Weiserguy]

In terms of Audacy, it's a corporation. That's a different situation, and workers deserve some kind of representation other than the HR department.

Interesting discussion, fellahs. (Admittedly I'm assuming you're both fellahs.) I guess it beats locking the two of you in a room and replacing all the oxygen with Folger's Crystals.

Something needs to be pointed out for the benefit of the naive: the HR department in virtually all corporations IS NOT YOUR FRIEND! They do not exist to protect you from your corporate bosses. They exist to protect the corporation from the employees. They don't hire people, but they review resumes and LinkedIn profiles to try weeding out liars and potential troublemakers. They handle employee behavioral issues so the corporation is less likely to get sued. In the better corporations, they are responsible for the quality (and cost-effectiveness) of the benefits package(s), with the goal of trying to keep the employees happy. If there needs to be a reduction in force (i.e., a layoff), they may make recommendations to management about whom to target based on prior problems with their conduct or interpersonal relationships. Stuff like that. But it's a rare HR person that will go out on a limb for you if you believe you're being mistreated by your management.

Many experienced employees have learned these points the hard way. Younger, newer, more naive ones can save yourselves a lot of grief if you internalize this point early in your careers.