Traffic.com Thanksgiving: I Thought Deli Platters Could Fly!

[Julius Leonard Marx]

This was first mentioned in the thread about the Fox 29 news director resigning but it's really a whole other topic.

Laura Nachman actually has a story about the transfer of Phil/FOX 29...also--check out the article "It sounds like it wasn’t a pleasant Thanksgiving for traffic reporter John Ogden according to this email he sent to all traffic.com employees about food provided by the company for those who worked on Thanksgiving". Kinda shows the arrogant, unappreciative side that John Odgen really is. The guy is a trip. Go to lauranachman.net and check it out

I talked to somebody on the inside and did some Googleing.

Ogden works for the traffic company (called Traffic.com, Taffic Pulse or Mobility Technologies), not NBC 10. ABC6 and CBS3 take their info and graphics but produce their own reports. Traffic.com produces NBC10 reports and the CW57 WakeUp News. They also provide data and graphics for CBS2 in New York.

Ogden has given stories to Laura Nachman before, notably when he publicly "came out." Supposedly some co-workers suspect he may have been an anonymous source for her on other stories.

Traffic.com is now owned by a GPS company. Traffic.com used to provide drinks and snacks and occasional meals to workers. The company went through a period of losses before being taken over and management cut back on free food. Apparently this did not go over too well with at least some workers.

"NOC" mentioned in the story is "National Operations Center." The company does not maintain full time bureaus in the cities it serves. Outside of peak periods, traffic info comes from "NOC" outside Philly. They work 24/7 getting info from police and highway departments, etc. and posting this on their website. These were the people who had to work Thanksgiving and go the deli platters Ogden objected to.

My guess is the suits won't like this much. Whatever happens, Ogden is a talented guy and will stay on his feet. From the article, it doesn't sound like Ogden is "a trip." It's unusual for air-talent to be concerned about the grunts behind the scenes, let alone publicly stick their necks out like this.

 

[Rustyfender]

Personally, I think the guy has a lot of nerve to even email such complaints! He oughtta be thankful ANYTHING was even bought and provided. How ungreatful can ya get? Furthermore, 99% of us in the business work holiday after holiday and get nothing. Not even a "thank you" let alone something catered as an appreciation. In my opinion, the kid hasn't earned the right to even complain and has alot to learn.

 

[Julius Leonard Marx]

By now his Traffic.com bosses will have seen Laura Nachman's article. Will he be on NBC10 tomorrow morning or will he disappear? While NBC10 is union, Traffic.com is not. That means Ogden works cheaper than air talent he's on with and he has little protection if management decides he is dispensable.

 

[Lou Doosh]

Its not surprising at all that he did this. He is a take, take, take kind of employee and only cares about one person, himself. Like the times he pulled a no show, no call for morning drive time. He was close to being fired for that and then told management he was gay and had a big family blow up. Smart move on the kids part, if they fire him for anything now he plays that card and sues for a ton of money.

At the time he started, Traffic.com needed to keep the affiliate happy since they were the first one of the first stations. Traffic.com employees have to deal with him because the local NBC affiliate loves him

His juvenile behavior is detrimental to employee morale in the traffic center and was partly the cause for three operations supervisors to leave because of his "rantics". Yes I said "rantics". It makes for an interesting side show for sure.

The only answer you get is that the station loves him.

The company used to keep a well stocked fridge and kitchen back in their infancy. They also asked more of their employees. Which included coming to work when the weather was bad. Don't look for this character on a snowy weekend. Its his time off. Look for some lackey handling voice overs. One year he told everyone that he couldn't make it in for storm coverage and was later found to be hanging out at the stations Christmas party. Hooray for working hard and getting somewhere.

I am surprised he was anywhere near the cameras on Thanksgiving at all.

 

[Julius Leonard Marx]

Interesting. The person you describe is very different from the person on the air, but that does happen.

NBC10 "loves him." But he is the only one of the traffic people who doesn't work at the station, as I understand it. I wonder how NBC10 would react if they saw him up close and personal every day. Of course, this way he is not a station employee. NBC10 saves money and Ogden probably makes less than the other traffic people and much less than other people on NBC10 in the morning (with Traffic.com making a nice profit wholesaling his services to NBC10).

They "love him," but they don't seem to give him much air time. The others on the show, Bill Henley especially, chatter away when it's time for traffic and then Ogden's reports get curtailed. When I am headed his way, I make a point to get Shadow Traffic on the radio because Ogden, for all the neat graphics, seems to leave out a lot (especially in Jersey).

The surprise here is he had to tell management he is gay.

Your comments also point to a more general and widespread problem in broadcasting (maybe everywhere). Young people with no work ethic (Ogden won a "star search" type contest and this is first job out of college; no getting experience in small markets for him). And members of protected "entitlement" groups who are hired due to political correctness for jobs for which they are not really qualified and which they did not earn, and who know they are untouchable.

On top of everything else, your observations could describe somebody who is not happy and maybe deep-down wants to get shown the door.

 

[Lou Doosh]

Julius,

I agree about him wanting to be shown the door. He talked of opportunities for him in other markets (L.A.) and wanted out after his second year. I guess he forgets that he is nothing more than a contest winner. (A contest which some say was fixed...but that's for another thread....lol) You will never instill a work ethic in someone like that. If I remember the drill right he graduated from LaSalle the same weekend he got the job.

The work ethic in the business is beat. Some folks in those "entitlement groups" do try and take advantage of the system. There was a female who worked there as well who thought she could make up a schedule to her liking and screw the rest of us. When she didn't get what she wanted she ran to senior management with bogus stories of sexual harassment and threats to sue. She chased that supervisor out because he got tired of having to cater the schedule to her liking. I felt bad for that guy, he cared and would come in whenever we needed him. He had that work ethic which is sadly missed.

Traffic in general has gotten lame over the years. Traffic cameras on the major roads give the impression you don't need as many traditional traffic gathering tools such as cars and planes. People don't learn areas as well as they once did with the internet and computer mapping programs.

Traffic was fun but sales makes me a lot more money.

LD

 

[Spillthebeernuts]

Its funny, I worked with Ogden. It is pretty sad when you are on tv because you are gay and can possibly raise ratings. The problem? No one cares about traffic. Digital drive times...wow, maybe I can leave work at 3:36 so I can be home by 5pm. Its like buying a new car. The second it it is off the lot it is worthless. Most people who watch traffic reports are in their house. The second the walk out the door....useless. Here is an actual situation that happened to me. Rt.309 Southbound was shut down at Norristown Road. This was probably 8am. The entire area was a complete cluster f@&#. Yet I heard on the radio to use Bethlehem Pike. Hmm. Any of you who know the area can laugh with me. Anyway, besides ripping apart how useless the traffic industry is, back to the one who expects caviar for working a holiday. Guess what. Some people have to work Holidays, and most don't expect anything from that. You shouldn't expect anything from a job, other to go there and do what you were hired for. You don't like it? Get another job where you don't work Holidays. Real hard to figure out. Wow, someone came to my house and gave me free cold cuts, but the rolls were small, so I passed them up. And she had no mustard. What was wrong with that woman? I deserve some spicy mustard and a decent roll. How dare you try to give me free food like that? You have been given much more then most, and you are playing a card that most don't have.....so shut the hell up and act like a normal person. The fact that your stupid emial is online tells you that you are a moron. Get a life.

 

[Spillthebeernuts]

One last thing... I know no one reads this, but John Ogden, I challenge you to name 5 people from the NOC that you haven't worked within Philly Ops. Wow people take care of themselves and you think they include you.....the pride of the company. Hey, lets cook some turkey and what not and give it to our fellow employees. Hey wait, save some for Ogden or he might get pissed and shoot out an email....

 

[Lou Doosh]

ROTFLMAO

 

[tater]

did anyone see the snippet in Michael Kelin's Sunday column about John ogden potentially being let go? If NBC 10 likes him so much, why not outright hire him on their payroll?