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Re: Slowly now ... listen up!
I would say "before".
For example, "In Dallas 635 LBJ westbound before Preston ... watch for a two-car accident in the right lane."
But that's just me. "Prior to" does not bother me.
Tony
Tony Lyndell Williams
scrtr84 said:midnight-rambler said:oldmanradio said:This afternoon, I heard that some lanes on a freeway were "blocked up".
Drop the "up." Simply say the lanes are blocked.
Up is a spatial relationship. Up ... and down ... like an elevator.
Also, over and over and over again, things were "rolling slow" according to the reporter.
Slowly now ... the word is "slowly" not "slow".
How about an accident happening "prior to" a certain freeway exit ... "prior" is a time reference, not space.
That's one that can probably slide, especially because I have heard people use "prior to" in similar ways.
I would say "before".
For example, "In Dallas 635 LBJ westbound before Preston ... watch for a two-car accident in the right lane."
But that's just me. "Prior to" does not bother me.
Tony
Tony Lyndell Williams
C
crbigband
Guest
Hello all -
I was up until nearly 4AM reading all the posts on this particular blog - it was like the page-turning novel that you can't put down. In fairness, I read some of the other posts as well, but nearly nothing (other than the recent blood-letting at KRLD) was as compelling. Here's my story:
Growing up in Houston and leading my own big band in the 1980's, I decided that in order to further that career that I should get into radio. I knew many air personalities peripherally in Houston - Paul Berlin, Scott Arthur, Ronnie Renfrow et. al from KQUE and I also knew the GURU of Houston traffic - Marty Ambrose.
It was Marty who helped me get a gig at Traffic Central in 1988. In those days in Houston, there were two traffic companies Traffic Central and Metro Networks (the Evil Empire) which at that time was owned by the notorius David Saperstein. Both traffic services had about an equal amount of stations. Competition was fierce as one might imagine.
Anyway, I started at Traffic Central as a mobile reporter. I drove around in a vehicle provided by TC with a two-way radio and the dispatcher/producer in the studio would listen to the police scanners and send me (and 2 other mobile units) to various problems along Houston freeways. Traffic Central also had a chopper and a fixed wing. This was in the days before traffic cams and internet was still a few years away. Over time, I worked my way up from the streets into the studio.
We had a good gang over at Traffic Central - there were personality issues now and then but on balance it was a great group - Marty, Gary Elliott, Linn Lesack, Michelle Jackson, Mick Perry, Len Reed, Ann Parker, the Enlows (who owned it-Brothers, the mom and sister in laws) Garth Maier, etc. If owner Richard Enlow hadn't run into some personal problems I might never have left Houston.
One day however, Enlow sold the company to Metro which meant that they had taken over virtually all of the radio stations that they didn't already have. The PD at KPRC (950 AM) was so unwilling to have Metro has his traffic service that he talked the Shadow folks to come in from Chicago to open a shop in Houston. Some of the Traffic Central people went with Shadow and 2 or 3 of us went to Metro (me included).
The atmosphere at Metro was drastically different than that of Traffic Central, partly due to the preponderance of chain smokers on the 50th-something floor of the Transco Tower at Metro, but also by the fact that there was a palpable air of a stab-you-in-the-back mentality among my new co-workers.
To be fair, some of this may have had to do with the fact that I was an outsider from Traffic Central and some there may have resented our hiring. It was there that I first encountered Tom Corbett who has been mentioned several times on this particular blog.
Back then, Tom didn't work in the studio. I think he was in an airborne unit and he came up through the ranks - a grunt like the rest of us who just tried to do his job to the best of his ability. At first, I thought he was a nice enough guy. Soon, I found him to be given to immature temperamental outbursts, obtuse, and wholly lacking in people skills or a sense of humor. After a couple of incidents where we butted heads I did my best during the remainder of my time at Metro to avoid him. I also remember thinking God help anyone who should ever become his subordinate.
A few years later when I was going through a rough patch in Dallas, I remember calling Tom for a job when he was at traffic.com but after excoriating me and delighting in kicking me when I was down, with a wife and a small baby, he said something about me having to "check my ego at the door" if I wanted to work for him. I said something about black pots and kettles and hung up. Back to my narrative:
When I moved to Metro I was solely an anchor in the studio. I was especially amused by the individual who posted the thread regarding hours we worked doing a couple of traffic feeds an hour - I would like to set that record straight.
I was always a full-timer at Metro. For the last two years or so that I worked there I was working from Noon - 7PM Monday through Friday. I was anchoring 6 different radio stations - 4 of those during afternoon drive - each of which required 3 or 4 feeds per hour each. When I wasn't doing traffic feeds I was listening to the scanner and making beat calls and pretty much so was everyone else. There'd be two of us from Noon to 3:00 - I did everyone else and Stewart Russell was doing KTRH. At 3PM the afternoon crew came in and there were 5 or 6 of us with a producer. Back then I was salaried making about $18K yearly.
The best Director of Operations we had back then was John Winder. Funny and a little quirky, but the man knew Houston traffic like no one else. More importantly, as a manager, he knew and could empathize with everyone and their jobs.
However soon after I got there, he was increasingly moving more into management by then since Metro was nationwide and was only then beginning to expand into offering news feeds with traffic to radio stations. We had a succession of Operations Directors each one as useless as a Dallas Cowboys coach hired by Jerry Jones.
My last D.O. was someone who is known on this thread as Traffic Chief - that would be Mike Haake - and he fired me and several others when he took over in September of 1994.
I have been amused by the things he has written here because I don't believe he's being wholly candid. This is a man that owes his entire career at Metro to slicing the bottom line to make himself look good. After all, why pay a traffic anchor an annual salary of $24k+ with health benefits when you can get some wide-eyed, Columbia School of Broadcasting grad to do the same job part time at an hourly rate?
And, if they start to gripe about no benefits or becoming salaried, find an excuse to terminate their employment and hire another hopeful. After all, it's only traffic. Being concerned first about the bottom line and willing to eliminate jobs means you keep yours - Mike Haake was the original Apt Pupil.
And Mike H. did the job that not even John Winder would do: Gut the operations side of Metro Houston. Why, the talent he fired reads like a who's who of Houston traffic reporters - Lyndon Joslyn, Gary Elliott, Neal Rohrig, Stewart Russell, etc. I hope he doesn't get offensive if he reads this, after all he was just doing his job. And if he hadn't done it - HE would have been replaced. In fact, it wasn't long after I was fired that Winder left Metro for Shadow.
On September 14th, 1994 Mike Haake fired me and I was devastated - having never been fired from a job before. But I bear no ill will.
If he hadn't fired me, I never would have gotten a job with Shadow Broadcast Services to come to Dallas, never would have met my wife and never would be a father. My son will be 10 on Saturday and I have Mike Haake to thank for setting me on this path.
I am unemployed again having been fired from KAAM in March. By now I should be used to inferior and unknowledgeable managers running roughshod over talented, capable employees, but I'm still astonished by the fact that it seems nice guys NEVER finish last and that owners and managers are perfectly willing to put out an inferior product - so long as costs are kept down.
That's okay. For me, when KAAM took away my Sunday night Sinatra and Big Band shows in January, I knew it was a matter of time. I've had no luck in finding a job and I have to say that that Clear Channel Board Op gig for $8 and hour is looking better and better!
One of the nicest people I ever knew in radio (and traffic) was Gary Elliott (also fired by hatchet man Haake BTW) who once told me early on that being a radio traffic reporter was something that one did as a spring board into broadcasting; Or, it was the gig you got as you were on your way down. But it was NEVER supposed to be the be-all end all of anyone who aspired to a career in radio. True enough.
Drinks anyone?
crbigband
Not afraid to tell you my real name - Cary Richards (214) 394-0608
I was up until nearly 4AM reading all the posts on this particular blog - it was like the page-turning novel that you can't put down. In fairness, I read some of the other posts as well, but nearly nothing (other than the recent blood-letting at KRLD) was as compelling. Here's my story:
Growing up in Houston and leading my own big band in the 1980's, I decided that in order to further that career that I should get into radio. I knew many air personalities peripherally in Houston - Paul Berlin, Scott Arthur, Ronnie Renfrow et. al from KQUE and I also knew the GURU of Houston traffic - Marty Ambrose.
It was Marty who helped me get a gig at Traffic Central in 1988. In those days in Houston, there were two traffic companies Traffic Central and Metro Networks (the Evil Empire) which at that time was owned by the notorius David Saperstein. Both traffic services had about an equal amount of stations. Competition was fierce as one might imagine.
Anyway, I started at Traffic Central as a mobile reporter. I drove around in a vehicle provided by TC with a two-way radio and the dispatcher/producer in the studio would listen to the police scanners and send me (and 2 other mobile units) to various problems along Houston freeways. Traffic Central also had a chopper and a fixed wing. This was in the days before traffic cams and internet was still a few years away. Over time, I worked my way up from the streets into the studio.
We had a good gang over at Traffic Central - there were personality issues now and then but on balance it was a great group - Marty, Gary Elliott, Linn Lesack, Michelle Jackson, Mick Perry, Len Reed, Ann Parker, the Enlows (who owned it-Brothers, the mom and sister in laws) Garth Maier, etc. If owner Richard Enlow hadn't run into some personal problems I might never have left Houston.
One day however, Enlow sold the company to Metro which meant that they had taken over virtually all of the radio stations that they didn't already have. The PD at KPRC (950 AM) was so unwilling to have Metro has his traffic service that he talked the Shadow folks to come in from Chicago to open a shop in Houston. Some of the Traffic Central people went with Shadow and 2 or 3 of us went to Metro (me included).
The atmosphere at Metro was drastically different than that of Traffic Central, partly due to the preponderance of chain smokers on the 50th-something floor of the Transco Tower at Metro, but also by the fact that there was a palpable air of a stab-you-in-the-back mentality among my new co-workers.
To be fair, some of this may have had to do with the fact that I was an outsider from Traffic Central and some there may have resented our hiring. It was there that I first encountered Tom Corbett who has been mentioned several times on this particular blog.
Back then, Tom didn't work in the studio. I think he was in an airborne unit and he came up through the ranks - a grunt like the rest of us who just tried to do his job to the best of his ability. At first, I thought he was a nice enough guy. Soon, I found him to be given to immature temperamental outbursts, obtuse, and wholly lacking in people skills or a sense of humor. After a couple of incidents where we butted heads I did my best during the remainder of my time at Metro to avoid him. I also remember thinking God help anyone who should ever become his subordinate.
A few years later when I was going through a rough patch in Dallas, I remember calling Tom for a job when he was at traffic.com but after excoriating me and delighting in kicking me when I was down, with a wife and a small baby, he said something about me having to "check my ego at the door" if I wanted to work for him. I said something about black pots and kettles and hung up. Back to my narrative:
When I moved to Metro I was solely an anchor in the studio. I was especially amused by the individual who posted the thread regarding hours we worked doing a couple of traffic feeds an hour - I would like to set that record straight.
I was always a full-timer at Metro. For the last two years or so that I worked there I was working from Noon - 7PM Monday through Friday. I was anchoring 6 different radio stations - 4 of those during afternoon drive - each of which required 3 or 4 feeds per hour each. When I wasn't doing traffic feeds I was listening to the scanner and making beat calls and pretty much so was everyone else. There'd be two of us from Noon to 3:00 - I did everyone else and Stewart Russell was doing KTRH. At 3PM the afternoon crew came in and there were 5 or 6 of us with a producer. Back then I was salaried making about $18K yearly.
The best Director of Operations we had back then was John Winder. Funny and a little quirky, but the man knew Houston traffic like no one else. More importantly, as a manager, he knew and could empathize with everyone and their jobs.
However soon after I got there, he was increasingly moving more into management by then since Metro was nationwide and was only then beginning to expand into offering news feeds with traffic to radio stations. We had a succession of Operations Directors each one as useless as a Dallas Cowboys coach hired by Jerry Jones.
My last D.O. was someone who is known on this thread as Traffic Chief - that would be Mike Haake - and he fired me and several others when he took over in September of 1994.
I have been amused by the things he has written here because I don't believe he's being wholly candid. This is a man that owes his entire career at Metro to slicing the bottom line to make himself look good. After all, why pay a traffic anchor an annual salary of $24k+ with health benefits when you can get some wide-eyed, Columbia School of Broadcasting grad to do the same job part time at an hourly rate?
And, if they start to gripe about no benefits or becoming salaried, find an excuse to terminate their employment and hire another hopeful. After all, it's only traffic. Being concerned first about the bottom line and willing to eliminate jobs means you keep yours - Mike Haake was the original Apt Pupil.
And Mike H. did the job that not even John Winder would do: Gut the operations side of Metro Houston. Why, the talent he fired reads like a who's who of Houston traffic reporters - Lyndon Joslyn, Gary Elliott, Neal Rohrig, Stewart Russell, etc. I hope he doesn't get offensive if he reads this, after all he was just doing his job. And if he hadn't done it - HE would have been replaced. In fact, it wasn't long after I was fired that Winder left Metro for Shadow.
On September 14th, 1994 Mike Haake fired me and I was devastated - having never been fired from a job before. But I bear no ill will.
If he hadn't fired me, I never would have gotten a job with Shadow Broadcast Services to come to Dallas, never would have met my wife and never would be a father. My son will be 10 on Saturday and I have Mike Haake to thank for setting me on this path.
I am unemployed again having been fired from KAAM in March. By now I should be used to inferior and unknowledgeable managers running roughshod over talented, capable employees, but I'm still astonished by the fact that it seems nice guys NEVER finish last and that owners and managers are perfectly willing to put out an inferior product - so long as costs are kept down.
That's okay. For me, when KAAM took away my Sunday night Sinatra and Big Band shows in January, I knew it was a matter of time. I've had no luck in finding a job and I have to say that that Clear Channel Board Op gig for $8 and hour is looking better and better!
One of the nicest people I ever knew in radio (and traffic) was Gary Elliott (also fired by hatchet man Haake BTW) who once told me early on that being a radio traffic reporter was something that one did as a spring board into broadcasting; Or, it was the gig you got as you were on your way down. But it was NEVER supposed to be the be-all end all of anyone who aspired to a career in radio. True enough.
Drinks anyone?
crbigband
Not afraid to tell you my real name - Cary Richards (214) 394-0608
M
MikeShannon914
Guest
WOW, Cary...VERY revealing. Seeing a few names on there that made their way into DFW traffic later on. John Winder was a big muckety-muck with the Traffic.com organization in Dallas, until he split for the BizRadio Network in Houston (which, strangely enough, is [was?] located across the hall from the Traffic.com office, same building and same floor in one of the Post Oak Towers near the Galleria.) Don't know what Winder is doing now, but the BizRadio effort didn't last long. (I'm sure he took one look at the operation, had a short conversation with Dan Frishberg, then packed up and left.)
I've been told many times that Tom Corbett is "that way" to you because he LIKES you. I'd hate to be an enemy.
Oh, and before I try to leave this thread alone again, just wanted to throw a scenario out there, and it may be the reason we haven't heard from Mike Haake on this thread in a while. Let's say your traffic service was taking over the Citadel account. You know you have openings that need to be filled ASAP. You need folks who know the protocol and have been doing the same kind of job for years, so you talk to a few people from the "departing" traffic service. You communicate with one guy by phone and email who's interested in coming over, continuing on with his old job but doing it for the new company instead. Everything sounds good until the guy comes in for an interview. He has a physical disability. Now, of course, you've already told the guy that his old shift is still available, but now you have reservations about his disability (which, by the way, has nothing to do with his ability to speak or communicate, and does not impact his job in any form.) What do you do? Hey, I know...lowball him with an offer that there's no way he'll accept. Hey, he can't say he wasn't offered a job, right? He was probably going to be a major draw on the health plan anyway, right?
Problem is, some Chief makes some interesting statements on a public blog about how much his employees are making. Seems that there's no one making a wage anywhere near that lowball figure that the boss quoted the disabled guy.
Who's the guy that says, "One call...that's all"?
Like Marcia Brady used to say, "What a dumbhead I am." I can't believe I didn't pick up on this sooner.
I've been told many times that Tom Corbett is "that way" to you because he LIKES you. I'd hate to be an enemy.
Oh, and before I try to leave this thread alone again, just wanted to throw a scenario out there, and it may be the reason we haven't heard from Mike Haake on this thread in a while. Let's say your traffic service was taking over the Citadel account. You know you have openings that need to be filled ASAP. You need folks who know the protocol and have been doing the same kind of job for years, so you talk to a few people from the "departing" traffic service. You communicate with one guy by phone and email who's interested in coming over, continuing on with his old job but doing it for the new company instead. Everything sounds good until the guy comes in for an interview. He has a physical disability. Now, of course, you've already told the guy that his old shift is still available, but now you have reservations about his disability (which, by the way, has nothing to do with his ability to speak or communicate, and does not impact his job in any form.) What do you do? Hey, I know...lowball him with an offer that there's no way he'll accept. Hey, he can't say he wasn't offered a job, right? He was probably going to be a major draw on the health plan anyway, right?
Problem is, some Chief makes some interesting statements on a public blog about how much his employees are making. Seems that there's no one making a wage anywhere near that lowball figure that the boss quoted the disabled guy.
Who's the guy that says, "One call...that's all"?
Like Marcia Brady used to say, "What a dumbhead I am." I can't believe I didn't pick up on this sooner.
C
crbigband
Guest
Hi Mike S. -
You are probably not aware of this but the "hypothetical scenario" you described is almost precisely what happened to Gary Elliott at Metro in Houston. Gary had transferred over from Traffic Central with a pre-existing back condition. John Winder knew this and saw to it that Gary could come over and Metro's insurance would continue coverage. Gary's back ailment flared up off and on throughout his tenure with Metro and all of the D.O.'s that followed Winder in the position honored John's committment to Gary - that is - until Mike Haake became D.O.
One day after I was long gone, Gary called to tell me he had been fired by Haake (supposedly for cause which, knowing Gary was absurd) and that he was going to sue Metro for wrongful termination. The real reason he was canned was because after two surgeries and months of convelescence, Gary's back problems had become chronic and he believed Haake - ever concerned with the bottom line - cut Gary loose due ultimately to insurance issues.
Also, correction to my previous post: Nice guys ALWAYS finish last - never first of second in radio.
CR Big Band
You are probably not aware of this but the "hypothetical scenario" you described is almost precisely what happened to Gary Elliott at Metro in Houston. Gary had transferred over from Traffic Central with a pre-existing back condition. John Winder knew this and saw to it that Gary could come over and Metro's insurance would continue coverage. Gary's back ailment flared up off and on throughout his tenure with Metro and all of the D.O.'s that followed Winder in the position honored John's committment to Gary - that is - until Mike Haake became D.O.
One day after I was long gone, Gary called to tell me he had been fired by Haake (supposedly for cause which, knowing Gary was absurd) and that he was going to sue Metro for wrongful termination. The real reason he was canned was because after two surgeries and months of convelescence, Gary's back problems had become chronic and he believed Haake - ever concerned with the bottom line - cut Gary loose due ultimately to insurance issues.
Also, correction to my previous post: Nice guys ALWAYS finish last - never first of second in radio.
CR Big Band
crbigband said:Back then, Tom didn't work in the studio. I think he was in an airborne unit and he came up through the ranks - a grunt like the rest of us who just tried to do his job to the best of his ability. At first, I thought he was a nice enough guy. Soon, I found him to be given to immature temperamental outbursts, obtuse, and wholly lacking in people skills or a sense of humor. After a couple of incidents where we butted heads I did my best during the remainder of my time at Metro to avoid him. I also remember thinking God help anyone who should ever become his subordinate.
A few years later when I was going through a rough patch in Dallas, I remember calling Tom for a job when he was at traffic.com but after excoriating me and delighting in kicking me when I was down, with a wife and a small baby, he said something about me having to "check my ego at the door" if I wanted to work for him. I said something about black pots and kettles and hung up. Back to my narrative:
Drinks anyone?
crbigband
Not afraid to tell you my real name - Cary Richards (214) 394-0608
Well, that's old Tom in a nutshell, Cary.
An overgrown kid who never really grew up -- prone to outbursts, temper tantrums ...
And abusing a woman physically.
Years after Tom was jailed one weekend, and called me crying and begging to call his sister in Houston, I asked him directly, "Tom, did you ever physically abuse a woman?"
His reply was, "That's none of your business." Of course, it was a matter of public record.
Then he proceed to tell me that he and his pastor would pray for him.
Put yourself in his place, if you were innocent of such a deed, wouldn't you loudly and continuouly proclaim your innocence.
He did not.
That is Tom Corbett.
Tony
Tony Lyndell Williams
CORRECTION:
In my previous post, I wrote the following:
"Then he proceeded to tell me that he and his pastor would pray for him."
The sentence should have read:
"Then he proceeded to tell me that he and his pastor would pray for me."
Tony
Tony Lyndell Williams
In my previous post, I wrote the following:
"Then he proceeded to tell me that he and his pastor would pray for him."
The sentence should have read:
"Then he proceeded to tell me that he and his pastor would pray for me."
Tony
Tony Lyndell Williams
T
thunderradio
Guest
Man oh Man where do I begin here! I worked at Shadow in DFW,and was hired by phone, before we even met by the newly hired Neal Rohrig (he had the job only 3 hrs).My assignment was to give him a list of names in the area looking for a gig. I gave him a few and they got hired. Neal was tough and at times a loose cannon BUT once you got in his face he would talk to you and then everything was worked out to mutual satisfaction. A little over a year later Neal is fired and some kid from Houston comes in,nice guy ,but too young , too inexperienced for the job. Enter Tom Corbett. Nice guy at first ,we got along well, then after 6 months,,what a --------!! He was very rude,didn't like questions, bullied people a lot. We went behind close doors and we had it out after I had to cover the field by myself during bad weather the entire DFW metroplex,with no air units available. Two freeways were closed ,plus another major artery was reduced to one lane due to a flatbed trailer hitting a bridge and knocking over its load of scrapped cars. He said I wasn't fast enough on the scenes in a span of two hours. When the day came to cut me loose, he said it was okay to say goodbye to my friends then get the ____ out of there. A year later he leaves Shadow abruptly though he knew the day was coming and no warnings were given right after the morning rush. He took 7 people with him. Hardly anyone was left to cover the afternoon traffic and left it all to Russell Scott to figure it out. Russell barely had people to work the weekend. I was asked back, and I stayed 2 years and left on my own.
Later on he messed over (insert your own colorful metaphor here) a lot of people at trafficpulse including the recent job cuts. He doesn't care about people unless they give in to his initmidation. Mike, Cary, Tony, have all confirmed this. Trafficpulse Texas offices in Austin ,DFW,& Houston smile when he is not there and are relaxed.That is a sad situation but regrettably very true. Lastly the pay at Metro is 11.00 an hour ,split shifts, few if any worthwhile benefits except for those who hold an office.
Later on he messed over (insert your own colorful metaphor here) a lot of people at trafficpulse including the recent job cuts. He doesn't care about people unless they give in to his initmidation. Mike, Cary, Tony, have all confirmed this. Trafficpulse Texas offices in Austin ,DFW,& Houston smile when he is not there and are relaxed.That is a sad situation but regrettably very true. Lastly the pay at Metro is 11.00 an hour ,split shifts, few if any worthwhile benefits except for those who hold an office.
C
crbigband
Guest
I may or may not been aware of the abuse charge. I know Corbett had an on-again, off-again relationship with fellow Metro employee Karen Christie. I remember her telling me she and Tom were getting married. She was a friend and I wished her well, but I thought privately it was a big mistake. She had a son around 11 or 12 and I remember thinking that it might be iffy whether Corbett should get married but I absolutely KNEW he wasn't emotionally equipped to be a father.
If he beat up a woman I hope to God it wasn't Karen...
CrBigBand
If he beat up a woman I hope to God it wasn't Karen...
CrBigBand
M
MikeShannon914
Guest
Can't (and won't) speculate on those charges or suggestions, but he did indeed marry Karen, and they have since divorced. Karen was doing news and traffic for BizRadio in Houston (via Traffic.com) for a while, but I believe she's no longer with the company. Tom remarried not too long ago.
MikeShannon914 said:Can't (and won't) speculate on those charges or suggestions, but he did indeed marry Karen, and they have since divorced. Karen was doing news and traffic for BizRadio in Houston (via Traffic.com) for a while, but I believe she's no longer with the company. Tom remarried not too long ago.
Only two people at Shadow knew about Tom beating up a woman since his arrest and jailing occurred on a weekend.
His sister begged me not to tell anyone about the incident claiming it would ruin Tom's career.
I never spoke about it until about two years ago when I told John McCarty. He acted shocked and asked me if I wanted the information relayed to management. I said fine, go ahead.
In my opinion, and I told Tom this directly on the telephone that he was "unfit to be in management" and particularly unsuited to supervise women.
Tom had no response.
When I asked him if he had physically abused a woman, he told me it was "none of my business". When I told him it was public record, again he was mute.
He then ended the conversation by saying that "he and his pastor would pray for me". I responded, "Tom, you are the one who beat up a woman."
He hung up.
C
crbigband
Guest
Is there anyone who reads these posts that hasn't got something in their past that they either regret or are downright ashamed of?
I know I do.
But I also know that the first thing one must do is to acknowledge the mistake to themselves as well as to anyone else upon whom they have transgressed or done wrong. It is also well to remember that someone who behaves badly to you probably is an equal opportunity offender - they behave badly to all. And, eventually they'll misbehave in front of someone that matters.
If I live to be 101, I will never understand how so many people with this type of personality (and coincidentally - monumentally un-talented) wind up in management over others. Corbett is but an extreme example of these people.
It's enough to drive you to drink...
Drinks, anyone?
CR Big Band
I know I do.
But I also know that the first thing one must do is to acknowledge the mistake to themselves as well as to anyone else upon whom they have transgressed or done wrong. It is also well to remember that someone who behaves badly to you probably is an equal opportunity offender - they behave badly to all. And, eventually they'll misbehave in front of someone that matters.
If I live to be 101, I will never understand how so many people with this type of personality (and coincidentally - monumentally un-talented) wind up in management over others. Corbett is but an extreme example of these people.
It's enough to drive you to drink...
Drinks, anyone?
CR Big Band
T
thunderradio
Guest
Fill 'e up Cary. It is amazing and a weed that grows unchecked in the world of broadcasting. How Tom has managed to get by with what he hasdoen to some many people is so amazing. It was heard around DFW and Houston a year ago in traffic circles, "the wrong one passed away". That is very sad when the over whelming majority of the staffs you oversee feel that way.
realthang said:Damn...can't you ppl tell us about some good managers and experiences you had in the underground world of traffic? Ya'll are depressing me! :'(
Sure.
Once at Metro, I received a 21-cents-an-hour raise.
C
crbigband
Guest
Damn...can't you ppl tell us about some good managers and experiences you had in the underground world of traffic? Ya'll are depressing me!
No.
No.
crbigband said:Damn...can't you ppl tell us about some good managers and experiences you had in the underground world of traffic? Ya'll are depressing me!
Metro was always good to me. They kept me on the payroll when I got fired twice to do fill-in work until something fulltime came along. I had some gripes but they were pretty minor, all things considered. I figure since the boss is gonna find something to complain about ... it's better if that something is small.
crbigband said:Damn...can't you ppl tell us about some good managers and experiences you had in the underground world of traffic? Ya'll are depressing me!
No.
Oops you forgot to put the quotes in!
From What I Can Tell,
No.
M
MikeShannon914
Guest
realthang said:Damn...can't you ppl tell us about some good managers and experiences you had in the underground world of traffic?
YES! There have been several references in this thread to John McCarty, who was the operations manager at the Dallas Traffic.com office until his untimely passing in May, 2008. John was a prince, and dealt with us all very fairly and even-handed. I mentioned on another thread that successful managers act as "buffers" between the higher-ups and the employees. John did that, buffering Tom Corbett's occasional tirades and direct orders...taking the full brunt for any issues, then passing down a palatable version of how-to-fix-the-problem that we the employees all understood...and never invoking any of us to say, "F-this, I quit."
I'll be the first to admit that my relationship with John got strained at times, and we didn't always see eye-to-eye on management styles, and I didn't always agree with his decisions. Really, I think the issue had more to do with John trusting his employees to do what's expected of them, without him having to micromanage or hold someone's hand along the way, and some folks took advantage of that, and it took an act of God for John to ever fire anyone. He wasn't a fan of conflict (but neither am I,) but some problems went on WAY longer than they should have, IMHO. BUT that doesn't cloud my respect for the man. He was a true and genuine person, a good friend, someone who would belly-laugh at even the most silly jokes, and someone who took up for his staff and protected them, and bent over backwards for them. He is sorely missed, and probably always will be.
And I know she's been taken to task some in these posts, but Nancy Johnson/Leggio, who took over the position after John's passing, was always a joy to work with, and for, and she was the most logical person to step into John's shoes. She simply continued John's policies and ran things much the same way, and, like John, served as a great buffer between corporate and the employees. Having Nancy at the helm was not much different than having Nancy as a co-worker; there was never a need to "pull rank" and we continued on as our usual one big happy-yet-creatively-dysfunctional family! But, to me, it always seemed like we were waiting for John to come back or something. I never realized how much his "presence" was still there until after I was laid off. Nearly everyone there reported ongoing dreams or visions or other sub-normal happenings that involved John. But he was so much the center of our universe there, and it was like he was still there with us, or just away in the distance, off on vacation or something, and returning again on Monday. I really can't explain it.
T
traffic chief
Guest
Wow! alot has been written since the last time I checked the board. Cary had some interesting points. Yes, he is correct I did fire him....I let him go because he was conducting his big band business while working for Metro. I told him that I needed him to focus on the product and not on his next gig. He promised he would and he did not. Cary I am glad things have worked out for you in finding a wife and having a wonderful son. That is the most important thing! Cary you are also correct that I fired Stuart Russell ( For cause, even after the company gave him a second chance). Gary Elliott Story is a little off, but I will let that one go.....had nothing to do with his back. I do not believe I gutted the operations, I believe I upgraded the talent....you and many others may not think so, but I did at the time. Most of you on this post appear to think I don't care about people only the company, that is not true. I am a very loyal to people who work hard and try to do the right thing by the company.
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