Anyway, my point is, the model you describe above is not a given and less prevalent than in prior years.
But it does appear to be the case here, since it is being reported that she clashed with Redo, to whom she does have a straight line reporting relationship.
Making personnel decisions far down the food chain is a dangerous proposition, and puts the upper management behind the eight ball. When I was at a major station in the 80s, the word came down from corporate for the GM to fire the GSM and replace him with a guy who had just been canned by them as the GM of another station but they wanted him to land on his feet because he was a friend of a number of senior corp managers. The Boston GM refused, because he liked the current GSM and also because billing was climbing. They insisted, and the GM asked them to put it in writing. They did, and the GSM was replaced. The GM then used that note as his 'get out of jail free card' in case billing tanked (and the GM went out of his way to give the new guy as little help as possible.) It did. The new guy was replaced, and the GM was never told what to do again.
Smyth is at the very top of the heap. What is in it for him to get involved in this. If he dictates to Redo who to hire as PD, and it doesn't work out how does he hold Redo responsible without ending up on a first name basis with Phil's lawyers?
Regards,
TSB
