Radio - It's not your ordinary grind.

[fireworks]

Several years ago, it hit me. And I was speaking with an air talent recently, who totally agreed with this. Radio is one of the, if not the, only business where you can work hard, do everything that's expected of you, become an asset by being able to do many jobs within the company, do a great job, meet deadlines, be liked and appreciated by your co-workers, even have the highest ratings at your job... and still get fired!

If management doesn't like you, you're out. If management wants to bring in one of their friends to replace you, you're out. If management thinks you should have worked 60 hours that week instead of 59, you're out. Your co-workers may appreciate you, but rarely will management take a second look. The law forbids a company from firing you for EOE reasons, but if they want to fire you, they can create a reason. And that's even more true in Tennessee, which is a "right-to-work" state.

It's a shame, but it's reality. BTW, wouldn't a non-compete clause be forbidden in a right-to-work state?

 

[jetfli]

Radio is one of the, if not the, only business where you can work hard, do everything that's expected of you, become an asset by being able to do many jobs within the company, do a great job, meet deadlines, be liked and appreciated by your co-workers, even have the highest ratings at your job... and still get fired!

If management doesn't like you, you're out. If management wants to bring in one of their friends to replace you, you're out. If management thinks you should have worked 60 hours that week instead of 59, you're out. Your co-workers may appreciate you, but rarely will management take a second look.

Oh, no, no, no! Radio may have been doing this earlier than many industries were, but what you are describing is exactly what is happening in most profit and not-for-profit corporations today. Basically what's been happening the last couple of years as we have entered this recession is that the most expensive non-management employees are being weeded out. These are usually, but not always, 45+ men who have been with companies for years. They work hard, get raises, collect bonuses, have more vacation days, are grandfathered into better benefits, and since they have families and are getting older, are using more of their insurance benefits. In short, they are costing these corporations an arm and a leg. Nevermind that these people have been loyal, have a lot of knowledge of how the company should be run, that they care about the company, and have the experience it takes to keep the company going — they are out on their butts. They are being replaced by younger, cheaper employees who could care less about the company. But they're cheaper, and that helps a manger's bottom line look better every time. Never mind what the company could have been making if they had kept experienced, knowledgeable employees, 'cause there's no way to measure "could have" (except when these same managers talk about losses because the unrealistic budgets they set aren't met).

 

[TheBigA]

Sorry, but that's the story in all lines of work. Especially education. You would think teaching, especially in public schools, wouldn't be political. But it is. Sure, if you have tenure, they can't fire you. But they can make your life miserable enough that you'll want to quit. I know a teacher who spoke out about various issues in her school system, and she was black-balled. Went from being a respected teacher to someone who mainly did study hall all day.

There's only one way to avoid being fired: Become self-employed. But then you have to sell yourself directly to customers, and that's no picnic either.

 

[deltas69]

radio is also where you meet wonderful creative people along with the less than wonderful...form some fast friendships..then all of a sudden they are gone..never to be heard of or seen again.either they get canned, or take another gig elsewhere, or YOU decide you'd like to make some money for a change....anyone have an approximate date when radio woke up and said ruh ro..something wrong here..late eighties ..early nineties...?? i sure it was whenever all the corpse radio companies decided to buy all the smaller single owner stations..and form con glomerates...correct??

 

[TheBigA]

I don't know...WSM-AM is still owned by a single station owner. How's that workin' out?

Gaylord may be big, but I doubt they're bigger than National Life.

 

[cspotrun]

Radio is a Cruel & Unjust business, and this crap hasn't changed in the 40 years i've been in it, and out of it. although the "Economy" is the reason given for this Latest round of firings, but its still the same old thing. corporate owners-MOST GM'S and some PD's have little or NO "On-Air" experience or at best, they are frustrated jocks who COULDN'T MAKE IT, and they can't recognize Talent, Good Radio means nothing to them, in fact i've often wondered why some of these people are even in radio.... The only passion they have, if any is to make money, there must be better ways to "make money" for these people than driving an industry into the ditch, they don't want to keep good people who KNOW how to create Good Radio, which in the end would benefit them, that .....speaks volumes.

 

[TheBigA]

There's always public, non-commercial radio. No greed there. No money either. But lots of passion.

I hear they need volunteers at RadioFreeNashville.

 

[Tibbs4]

Sorry, but that's the story in all lines of work. Especially education. You would think teaching, especially in public schools, wouldn't be political. But it is. Sure, if you have tenure, they can't fire you. But they can make your life miserable enough that you'll want to quit. I know a teacher who spoke out about various issues in her school system, and she was black-balled. Went from being a respected teacher to someone who mainly did study hall all day.

There's only one way to avoid being fired: Become self-employed. But then you have to sell yourself directly to customers, and that's no picnic either.

Tenure should be illegal. It often rewards inept people that are riding out the system and failing the community. Being self employed is no picnic, and your chances of GOING OUT OF BUSINESS and becoming unemployeed or having to start over is a lot higher probability than getting fired in government or teaching. I used to think that all the people in government cars were trapped by the system they were, uh, "riding" in. They were not maximizing who they could be or what their potential was financially, by "settling". Now, it looks likes GOVT is the phrase that pays. Benefits, 40 hour work weeks, vacations. Makes me wonder. Nah, still wouldn't trade the sheer exhiliaration of panicing in my own businesses every day and knowing
the lives of a bunch of people depend on my every screw-up.

Radio is no different than most other businesses. It's just doing a horrible job of staying current and cutting edge than many businesses. Tough when so many people in it are making bad calls or unwilling to see the light in the tunnel.

 

[fireworks]

Tenure should be illegal.

Wha...?? That's an interesting view... is that because of the way the workplace is headed, or should that have been the rule all along?

I understand the knee-jerk reaction to hiring cheaper help to offset falling profits. But it was the experience of the tenured worker who got the company above the competition in the first place. They should be rewarded for a job well-done (if they are still an asset), not thrown into the street because the CEO didn't make enough money this year to buy his mistress that new Jaguar that he promised her. Had the tenured worker still been employed, chances are the company would be back on top (and the mistress would still be in every position she desired). Instead, the company flounders, as do all the other companies because they copied the first company by firing all their tenured workers, and the domino effect becomes hard to reverse. And that's what I truly believe has happened to radio.

 

[Tibbs4]

I was referring to teachers, in this case, but it does apply elsewhere. How many times do you hear of "bad teachers" that "do nothing" but cannot get fired for being ineffective? Same with many government jobs. Why do you hear so many stories of government employees not caring or treating taxpayers (their REAL bosses) badly? Cause they are untouchable.

99.9% of private businesses don't follow this practice. In my company, and in most others, you work hard and we, as a team, work to make sure all is run as smoothly as possible and I am not getting rid of the best of the best to let them go to my competition. (FTR, no way do I believe in non-compete as a way of holding people hostage, either.) First, look at who the CEO/owner is. Greedy or whatever, if they have no heart and sense of loyalty, they are not going to succeed at the level they could and they are probably not going to be of the level of quality or trust that you would want to put your career in their hands for safe keeping and longevity. Tenure says if you work the years...you keep the job. How fair is it to the others that work harder and just as many years to allow a slacker scumbag to ride the system? All employees should be rewarded for being an asset, for working hard, etc. If they built the company and kept it on top, they will (or should be rewarded.) I know, that's a nice theory in today's knee-jerk world. Like people on sales commission - accomplish and make money. Imagine if you had to share your paycheck with the salespeople who sold nothing - you'd be ready for their "tenure" to be up. Well, that's sort of how a CEO or business owner feels.
I may bust my ass (or not), but there's always a series of people at various levels of work levels, dedication, determination, etc. If everyone was at 100% capacity, imagine how much everybody COULD make, if the company is honest and the leaders are fair.

Companies have their ups and downs. Radio rode a fake, huge wave and it's OVER. No amount of hard work, wishing or hoping things don't change anymore will stop the progression of the industry's slow sinking into
oblivion if it stays on the same path. There are way to many new sources of entertainment to expect this not to happen. This is war. This calls for innovation, breaking all the rules of business as usual and a lot of trial and error. Sadly, the very best in this industry for the past few decades have been silenced or thrown out.
The changing of the guard is not always positive. But, I will venture to say that many of those that have been "leaders" and "experts" and even worse "consultants" have really offered very few plausible solutions that
have saved jobs, created excitement or brought loyalty back to listeners. Whose to say that new blood won't be the saving grace of this industry? I don't know. No one does. What I do know is that radio corporations should be ashamed of themselves for all filing bankruptcy, cheating other businesses out of their money because of bad business decisions and it all started with CEO's mad rush to be the biggest at the expense of
everything and everyone. There is no way that any of the top 10 or so companies can possibly justify what this debt costs them on a per station basis. THEY CANNOT MAKE THE PAYMENTS and who pays? The talented, the dedicated, the newby and the listeners. All of this adds up to a less than acceptable cut in the quality of the product and listeners are seeking entertainment elsewhere. The boat is leaking.



I feel like I should be a preacher after two long winded posts. Can I just go back to having fun on this board?
Nothing I say makes sense anyway. Maybe that's because I work 18 hrs a day, don't live an overly glamorous life and don't put on all the false attitude of those that "have arrived" in business ownership or have one flashy scheme after another of complicated, debt-driven, multi-layered, gold plated business packages to save the industry. FTR, turnover. Pretty close to zero. Loyalty of people? Strong. Faith that I have all the answers? Zero or less.

 

[cspotrun]

Tenure in Radio?there is NO such thing... when i hear the word tenure, i think of the SLACKER who CANNOT be fired from some Government job, and knows it and does as little as possible and collects a paycheck until they die. THAT DOESN'T EXIST IN RADIO. i think all anyone could hope for is to KEEP their job, when they've done a job well done... is that asking too much?

 

[Tibbs4]

Good response...Fireworks? Tear the "T" section out of your dictionary. Along with the "L" for a variety of things, but specifically for the word "LOGIC" cause it ain't a part of the radio industry anymore.

 

[fireworks]

GOTCHA

It's funny to see how everyone on this board thinks they know more than the previous poster. And to watch the tempers flair with topics that don't even pertain to the thread. Even with those who make sense, all of you are full of crap.

I just sit back and laugh. I wonder what my next thread will be?

 

[loves radio 2]

Re: GOTCHA

It's funny to see how everyone on this board thinks they know more than the previous poster. And to watch the tempers flair with topics that don't even pertain to the thread. Even with those who make sense, all of you are full of crap.

I just sit back and laugh. I wonder what my next thread will be?

Since you are posting here, "all" includes you. ;D Next.............

 

[Tibbs4]

Fireworks - how long have you been posting on this bored? IT TOOK YOU THIS LONG TO REALIZE THIS???

 

[secondchoice]

The law forbids a company from firing you for EOE reasons, but if they want to fire you, they can create a reason. And that's even more true in Tennessee, which is a "right-to-work" state.

It's a shame, but it's reality. BTW, wouldn't a non-compete clause be forbidden in a right-to-work state?

The “Right to Work” also makes a non-compete semi ineffective. There are sharp lawyers that can break one in a right to work state but it is very expensive and takes more time that the clause lasts, and your reputation is ruined and nobody will hire you for fear of being sued. You should to see some of the non compete clauses that have been upheld in Cincinnati. Radio’s (like most business) relationship with its workers is and has been one sided. The IRS reinforces this concept when employee salaries are listed as “expenses” or cost of doing business.

 

[cspotrun]

Non-Compete.... what exactly is an employee getting, when they sign a "Non-Compete"? lets face it, an employee signs it, or THEY DON"T get the JOB.... that's fair isn't it?... :
then when the company wants to blow you out the door for ANY reason, you can't make a living and you won't be able to work in radio unless you move 1000's of miles away. it is ALL for them NOTHING FOR YOU. that's fair isn't it?

 

[beatlenut]

Once upon a time, when contracts were negotiable, I would have the contract re-written to say the non-compete was no good if the company fired me. If I quit, the non-compete would stick. I don't think stations do that for their employees anymore. Contracts started in major markets, where they paid the talent enough to be able to go however long without needing a job right away. Someone got the brilliant idea that a non-compete can last 6 months but they only pay you for 15 days. And what blows my mind even more, it's legal!

 

[Tibbs4]

That one has perplexed a bunch of us for years. I had a great experience with a similar situation way back in the early 80's. Left a great market, went to a bigger market. Owner promised with handshake and eye contact that he wasn't selling the station (even offered the info.) One month later. SOLD and all of us were
slashed in a Friday morning "bonus meeting." Great job offer from rival that would not have affected the new owners formatm but NOOOOOOOO! Yeah, I never pushed it legally cause it eats your $$$ alive. Left the market to a slightly smaller market. Same damn thing happened a few months later. Radio is full of surprises.
Like you're thank you for making Star a top contender. It's almost as if you do actually do a great job, you
upset the mediocrity and BAM.