I have just been informed that the man that built the various incarnations of KGB, the man that has been the leader of the geek squad in DX'ing, a HAM of the utmost HAMMERS, the man that everyone in the San Diego engineering community looked up to and respected for his contributions to the SBE and EAS, and frequency coordination successes in Southern California, John Barcroft, has been released from his position with the Clear Channel San Diego stations, just before Christmas, which seems to be an annual ritual of this company that is entrusted with serving the public interest, blah, blah blah, which all became meaningless with the deregulation that launched the mess we now have in terms of excessive ownership and lack of public service.
Not only did he do the above, he mentored many, always willing to share his knowledge and impart his wisdom. There wasn't a question he couldn't answer. There wasn't a broadcasting issue he didn't have thorough knowledge about, and there isn't an engineer that ever passed through San Diego that didn't benefit from his willingness to share that which he knew.
He didn't hire me as his assistant in 1984. It hurt, even as I still hear the words "KSON is looking for a Chief. You should look into that." I did, and it lasted twenty years, with many conversations that started with, "JB it's JB, can I ask you about......" and he would always answer with the many permutations of the issue I had not yet considered.
I am outraged at the willingness of this industry to eliminate people, of experience or not, to salvage their bottom line at the end of the year in support of their investors but never in support of the people that brought forth the facilities that facilitate the investment. And I am outraged by the many that accept that this is the norm. That it's expected, and then the year end speculation of who and how many will be cut without speaking anger and outrage of what is being taken from "you", the listener, bothers me. I suspect that the greedy owners are staring at losing their greedy gains and are defiantly sacrificing their wealth of people to save their wealth of Wall Street approval. So be it. It's not satisfying to recognize that in the long term they lose, because so many they have used and cast aside have lost in the short term to the benefit of those that already possess more wealth than they could possibly need, and have caused such loss to those that have truly been dedicated to the cause of public service and (remember?) good radio. As the industry digs it's grave with layoffs, voiceovers from out of market, loss of localism and immediacy, and "less is more" which is really a concept of "less is more for us, not you", the people that effect these changes have nothing to fear, as they will be gone with golden parachutes and shares of stocks to keep them and their heirs in fancy clothes and yachts for years to come. In the final analysis, it is we that lose from their greed. "We" being not just those dispensed with at their fiat, but the "we" that are supposed to be benefitting from the licenses issued in the public interest, and the "we" that understood and undertook the challenge of providing in the public interest. And the "we" that now seek alternatives because the familiar has become nothing more than a repetitious juke box of what the consultants say we want. Clearly, as defined by declining ratings and shares, they're full of shit.
The fact of the matter is, these people that do these things, have methodically milked and destroyed this industry to their gain, and certainly not in the public interest, and clearly not in the interest of making their product better, nor in serving their public, as is their charge.
And I have no respect for any participant of this destructive greed.
I have a huge respect for the engineer, John Barcroft. Sparky. "Really? Why?" Then he would give you his perspective without putting you down, but you would leave the conversation knowing you had been enriched with his knowledge.
Mr. Barcroft has become yet another monument to the stupidity of those with too many connections to Wall St. and their desire to line their own pockets without respect for the privalege they have been granted to serve the public interest.
Thank you JB. From JB.
And in case there's any doubt,
John A Buffaloe
Former Chief of the Jefferson Pilot Stations in San Diego
Not only did he do the above, he mentored many, always willing to share his knowledge and impart his wisdom. There wasn't a question he couldn't answer. There wasn't a broadcasting issue he didn't have thorough knowledge about, and there isn't an engineer that ever passed through San Diego that didn't benefit from his willingness to share that which he knew.
He didn't hire me as his assistant in 1984. It hurt, even as I still hear the words "KSON is looking for a Chief. You should look into that." I did, and it lasted twenty years, with many conversations that started with, "JB it's JB, can I ask you about......" and he would always answer with the many permutations of the issue I had not yet considered.
I am outraged at the willingness of this industry to eliminate people, of experience or not, to salvage their bottom line at the end of the year in support of their investors but never in support of the people that brought forth the facilities that facilitate the investment. And I am outraged by the many that accept that this is the norm. That it's expected, and then the year end speculation of who and how many will be cut without speaking anger and outrage of what is being taken from "you", the listener, bothers me. I suspect that the greedy owners are staring at losing their greedy gains and are defiantly sacrificing their wealth of people to save their wealth of Wall Street approval. So be it. It's not satisfying to recognize that in the long term they lose, because so many they have used and cast aside have lost in the short term to the benefit of those that already possess more wealth than they could possibly need, and have caused such loss to those that have truly been dedicated to the cause of public service and (remember?) good radio. As the industry digs it's grave with layoffs, voiceovers from out of market, loss of localism and immediacy, and "less is more" which is really a concept of "less is more for us, not you", the people that effect these changes have nothing to fear, as they will be gone with golden parachutes and shares of stocks to keep them and their heirs in fancy clothes and yachts for years to come. In the final analysis, it is we that lose from their greed. "We" being not just those dispensed with at their fiat, but the "we" that are supposed to be benefitting from the licenses issued in the public interest, and the "we" that understood and undertook the challenge of providing in the public interest. And the "we" that now seek alternatives because the familiar has become nothing more than a repetitious juke box of what the consultants say we want. Clearly, as defined by declining ratings and shares, they're full of shit.
The fact of the matter is, these people that do these things, have methodically milked and destroyed this industry to their gain, and certainly not in the public interest, and clearly not in the interest of making their product better, nor in serving their public, as is their charge.
And I have no respect for any participant of this destructive greed.
I have a huge respect for the engineer, John Barcroft. Sparky. "Really? Why?" Then he would give you his perspective without putting you down, but you would leave the conversation knowing you had been enriched with his knowledge.
Mr. Barcroft has become yet another monument to the stupidity of those with too many connections to Wall St. and their desire to line their own pockets without respect for the privalege they have been granted to serve the public interest.
Thank you JB. From JB.
And in case there's any doubt,
John A Buffaloe
Former Chief of the Jefferson Pilot Stations in San Diego
John is a great engineer, but I recall a much different tone about CC when he was on his way to be CC's chief in New Orleans (they fired him from that right after Katrina). This is not to disrespect John (either of them) but only to remind you current CC people that in the end even the best and the brightest will get screwed no matter how hard you work or how much loyalty you profess while on the payroll. Repeat after me, "THEY JUST DON'T CARE ABOUT YOU." Not one bit.