Tulsa ratings

[ElCheapo]

With the exception of the laptop issue - pure fiction. As for being told "before I took the job" not to rip songs in the studio - or being told before that occasion period - that seems rather unlikely doesn't it? KHITS was a 100% cart and CD based radio station when I was hired. (If you're making a story up, continuity is important Sean!)

I started ripping the music library after you asked me to spec and install an automation system. I thought doing it in the control room - where the music was - would be a better use of my time and less disruptive to the rest of the airstaff. You expressed displeasure with that plan, I tried to plead my case, and that was that.

When I spoke with Pat, my sole intention was to tell her I was leaving and why. I had already decided to leave. The only reason for the meeting was to let her know I'd give her two weeks as customary but if she chose to make me work those two weeks, I wanted to have as little interaction with you as possible because quite frankly, at 6'7" and with your newly shaven head, stories of your messed up childhood - and what you had done to Matt - you scared me.

My view of Matt's termination was of an employee desperately seeking direction from you and getting none. He had been charged with assembling a concert using free talent. Anyone who's ever worked in CHR knows how that's done through labels. He constantly asked for your approval and you simply barked at him to "get it done." Well, he did. I suppose the label lawyers got involved when you wouldn't follow through with what he agreed to promotionally - then you used him as a scapegoat with the GM.

The entire situation could have been easily averted if you had given him the direction he was seeking - repeatedly.

I won't discuss the specifics of what you said to the record reps about Matt out of respect for him, however I will point out that it did result in some legal wrangling and Matt's reinstatement at KHITS not too long after (and your leaving - getting out while the gettin' was good?) People can guage the validity of your story and who's being truthful here from that. You weren't asking the record reps for anything - you were telling them things about Matt that were 100% inplausible. You thought it was humorous. I thought it was horrifying.

I spoke with Pat last year - at my friend's nightclub in fact - he had asked me to sit in on his meeting with his KHITS rep, promotions director and Pat. At the end of the meeting, she invited me to come apply for a position she had open (in an area where I have zero experience - sales.) Doesn't sound like Pat was too down on me Sean - though when the conversation briefly turned to you, she simply rolled her eyes and made a brief comment which I've since forgotten (it wasn't a compliment Sean...)

After that, I had two meetings with her sales manager and took a sales aptitude test (I'm apparently not cut out to be a salesperson - the test actually said I wasn't greedy enough!)

I can't really see Pat wasting her sales manager's time for two meetings and paying for that test given the scenario you laid out. That wouldn't make much sense - would it Sean?

As for the night at the gentleman's club - I didn't organize it, and I had been at KHITS for maybe a week when it happened. It was your party Sean - for Billy - and you were buying for everyone. Geez... I never claimed to be a saint - I've attended many such parties with co-workers before and since. We had a much wilder one in Amarillo when one of our part-timers left to be a photog for a TV station in OKC. But that's beside the point. If you're going to throw a party at the strip club, don't try to disparage someone you invited for attending and attempting to have a good time.

Anyway... I'm not too worried about how people will judge my exchange with you here. Everyone has heard their share of Sean Phillips stories - most unflattering. If it makes you feel better to think of me as paranoid, go right ahead. Maybe I was a bit paranoid working for you. I hear that's not really all that uncommon. If you take a look at the Atlanta board archives here on Radio-Info for the time right after you were shown the door at WBTS you'll find a TON of similarly "paranoid" people. That kind of paranoia seems to follow in your wake.

Perhaps that's why nobody wants to let you make another one?

Just because you repeat something over and over Sean doesn't make it any more true. This isn't radio... Though I see where you might get the idea.

"Playing a better variety of your favorite songs with less talk and fewer commercials!"

Hey, even if you don't really do it - you might be able to drill it into their subconscious...

"Robbie is a paranoid nut and everybody hates him!"

Repeat over, and over and over...

And the airing of the gory details of Matt's termination is a great example of why you're unfit as a manager.

Fortunately, I've only had to terminate one employee - and you'll never catch me discussing the details of that in a public or private forum. That would be very poor management style.

 

[ThreeGuesses]

With the exception of the laptop issue - pure fiction. As for being told "before I took the job" not to rip songs in the studio - or being told before that occasion period - that seems rather unlikely doesn't it? KHITS was a 100% cart and CD based radio station when I was hired. (If you're making a story up, continuity is important Sean!)

I started ripping the music library after you asked me to spec and install an automation system. I thought doing it in the control room - where the music was - would be a better use of my time and less disruptive to the rest of the airstaff. You expressed displeasure with that plan, I tried to plead my case, and that was that.

You were told before you took the job that you were to focus on nothing but your show when you were on the air. I specifically mentioned no cell phones, newspapers, trades, personal and business calls, etc. You brought up using your laptop to do productiion, citing it as one of the ways you were able to multi-task and be "more efficient". I told you the policy was total focus on the show; i explained the reasoning behind that policy, rather than just "laying down the law", and you agreed to adhere to that policy; BEFORE you accepted the job.

After finding you on the phone several times and doing production while on the air, I spoke to you about it, reminded you of the policy you'd agreed to follow before accepting the job, and told you there were no exceptions. This was in week one.

In week two, I again found you on your laptop during your show. You said you weren't using the laptop for production, you were ripping songs for the automation system we'd discussed, saying the most efficient way for you to do so was while you were on the air. I told you it didn't matter WHAT you were doing on your laptop, that the "no distractions" policy existed because one of my core philosophies was that the person on the air MUST devote all of their energies to putting on the best show possible. You knew that before you took the job. After debating it with me prior to taking the job, you knew I would not move on the issue. You agreed to adhere to the policy, took the job, then, chose to not only constantly challenge me on it, but to try to incite others to do so, as well. Robbie Cruise 101.

My view of Matt's termination was of an employee desperately seeking direction from you and getting none. He had been charged with assembling a concert using free talent. Anyone who's ever worked in CHR knows how that's done through labels. He constantly asked for your approval and you simply barked at him to "get it done." Well, he did. I suppose the label lawyers got involved when you wouldn't follow through with what he agreed to promotionally - then you used him as a scapegoat with the GM.

The entire situation could have been easily averted if you had given him the direction he was seeking - repeatedly.

My God! Is that another of your outrageous lies, or do you really believe that? I NEVER knew anything about the station's supposed involvement with that concert until the day I sat down with the angry promoter and his lawyer. I NEVER knew anything about labels being approached to provide free talent until that day. And the only lawyers getting involved were the concert promoter's, and the station's lawyer, who Pat and I called as soon as we found out about this mess. Once again, you either have no idea what you're talking about, and choose to simply fill in the balnks till it suits you, or these are just more of your pathological lies.

Some weeks before that meeting, one of my employees told me they'd met with a concert promoter who was putting on a "big show", hadn't booked talent yet, and wanted the station's "help" in negotiating with the labels, and would even be willing to let us put our name on the show for "helping". I told him I'd never promoted or co-promoted a for-profit concert, that any concert the station promoted and used influence with the labels to get artists to perform at would be free to our listeners; our benefit from it being the increased listening levels from people trying to win tickets. This was a policy I continued to employ through the rest of my career (something anyone who worked with me for more than 3 weeks would know). I NEVER, NOT ONCE, in more than 15 years of programming, asked a label to provide an artist for anything other than a FREE "station" show. Not once have I allowed anyone other than the station to promote a station show. Not once have I ever called a label on behalf of a concert promoter, or caused (or allowed) anyone working under my supervision to do so. The only exceptions to this core policy of mine were several occasions where a label approached me with a single artist who was planning a trip to town or would be appearing in a nearby city and who wanted to do a small show for the station out of gratitude for our support. In those cases, we took it to a local club, as we did with The Ocean Club several times, but I'm pretty sure even those shows were either free or 1.06 admission. We'd clearly also battle with other stations to get the "presents" on shows with big artists, but, what I am ABSOLUTELY sure of is that I have never put on a concert-level event, with the station getting the labels to provide the artists, where the station wasn't the sole promoter and where admission wasn't by free tickets, only. Again, ANYONE who worked with me for any length of time knows this to be a fact.

After explaining this to the employee, I directed them to take it to the sales department to follow up on for potential revenue, and that we would consider our promotional involvement based upon how much they spent and how big the artist roster would be. The salesperson that employee took it to presented a promotional proposal in the next week's promotions meeting. I told them I could only approve minimal involvement at that time, since the artist roster wasn't set, but, depending on how relevant the roster became to the station's playlist, our support could increase significantly. The next I heard of that concert was when the promoter demanded the meeting I mentioned earlier.

I won't discuss the specifics of what you said to the record reps about Matt out of respect for him, however I will point out that it did result in some legal wrangling and Matt's reinstatement at KHITS not too long after (and your leaving - getting out while the gettin' was good?) People can guage the validity of your story and who's being truthful here from that. You weren't asking the record reps for anything - you were telling them things about Matt that were 100% inplausible. You thought it was humorous. I thought it was horrifying.

That is ABSOLUTE bull, and you know it. If anything, my anger was with the outside party involved, and anyone familiar with the situation knows that. All you do is LIE! You know, there's a saying in poker "bluff big, or don't bluff at all". By God, that's you!

 

[ThreeGuesses]

As for the night at the gentleman's club - I didn't organize it, and I had been at KHITS for maybe a week when it happened. It was your party Sean - for Billy - and you were buying for everyone. Geez... I never claimed to be a saint - I've attended many such parties with co-workers before and since. We had a much wilder one in Amarillo when one of our part-timers left to be a photog for a TV station in OKC. But that's beside the point. If you're going to throw a party at the strip club, don't try to disparage someone you invited for attending and attempting to have a good time.

That's not the point. By the time we had that party, you were already telling Cisco and Jennifer back in OKC and Brian across town at KISS that you couldn't stand me. You were already telling people at the radio station how unfair things were, how unreasonable it was that you couldn't bring your phone into the studio, use your laptop while you were on the air, how they should all go to Pat with you, etc. Now, maybe it's just me, but I don't take ANYTHING offered to me by someone I don't like. Sure, it would have been uncomfortable for you not to go along with everyone else to that party, I don't fault you for that (although I wouldn't have, if the situation were reversed), but, to blow all the cash GIVEN you by me, then to brazenly ask for more; not as a loan, but as a gift? Or to walk into my office the times you did, say you were hungry and broke and ask me to "buy us a pizza"? From someone you despise? To me, that just doesn't reconcile with a guy who was so outraged at my "moral bankruptcy" that his "principles" wouldn't allow him to be associated with me any longer, but maybe that's just not how you roll. I see it as a window into your character (or lack thereof)

Perhaps that's why nobody wants to let you make another one?

As usual, you manufacture whatever "facts" you feel you need to fit your argument du jour. I'm not in radio anymore by choice; you should know that. Surely, with all of the high-level Clear Channel contacts you profess to have, you know which Clear Channel station I was offered before I left WBTS, and ultimately chose to pass on after I left there. I've had numerous opportunities to program and consult presented to me since, but I pursued none of them, as I no longer have any interest. My choice.

What I don't know is whether you're just bald-faced lying, or are so crazy you've actually convinced yourself that the garbage you spew is real. My bet is on the lying.

And the airing of the gory details of Matt's termination is a great example of why you're unfit as a manager.

Oh my God, YOU bring it up, attempting to use it as a weapon against me; you LIE like hell about it, then you fault me for correcting your lies? Classic Robbie. When you can't win one way, just change gears and come at it from another angle. Logic? Forget about it; not necessary.

I haven't made a direct reference to anyone as I set your outrageous lies straight. You are the one calling out names, not me.

And let me tell you something. At least the person involved in this had the decency to email me some months later and apologize. I chose not to renew my relationship with them, as I could forgive, but not forget, but I admired tham for the gesture. And this is the one thing I hold against you.

From virtually the moment you walked in the door, you broke every promise you made to me. You caused me nothing but grief during the time you worked with me. So what? As soon as you were out the door and, more importantly, out of my hair, you were nothing more than a passing joke to me.

You've consistently bad-mouthed me, telling outright and ever-more-outrageous lies about me since the day you left the radio station. So what? I've seen you for the freak you are since before you left, nothing you say or do surprises me anymore, and you have no ability to impact my life. You're an annoying afterthought, an appendectomy scar.

While I don't hold you in any way responsible for the actions of the person involved in the situation we've discussed, your malice and outrageous lies absolutely inflamed the situation. You know damned well I never said the things you said I did, either to people at the station or to record reps, yet you told them I did. I'll never know how much that contributed to what ensued, and I don't care. It was their choice whether to believe someone they'd worked with for 5 years who had NEVER lied to them, or you, a "person" whose history was, by that time, pretty much known to all. They made their choice. While the person involved never said so in their apology, I've always though at least part of their motivation was that they'd come to see through your crap. Someone who worked with me in Atlanta was in touch with them, and told me they thought that was the case. Regardless, you didn't hold a gun on anyone, they made their choices.

Your coldly-calculated malevolence and bald-face lies, however, are things I'll never forgive, or forget. I'm done just walking away when you lie so outrageously; when you attack me for no reason. People reading this will think what they will, and I could care less. People who were involved, or who are knowledgable of the events, however, are getting the full story on much of this for the first time. I've already heard from one person who was there and who knows enough to see through your freak-fantasies, and that's all that matters to me. It's what makes it worth my while to tear myself away from my poker playing on one of my days off. I'm not sure who you're lying for, Robbie. The more our two versions of things are presented, the more implausable yours become to any people who might actually matter (at least to me).

 

[ElCheapo]

Your story is full of holes Sean (as usual.) For one thing, Jennifer was doing nights at Kick 99 at the time - she wasn't "back in OKC..." For another thing...

Ahhh - screw it... One of us has to be the sane one here.

Lets sum it up...

I'm a laptop wielding, insane, calculating, lying, cell-phone addicted, bizarre, unhappy, machiavellian, paranoid, delusional, ungrateful, malicious, rabble rousing beggar?

Alrighty then... I can live with that...

 

[Radio55]

Man, you guys wear me out with this stuff. Couldn't you get together over a cup of coffee and let bygones be bygones. I must be getting old.
How about getting back to ratings opinions and discussions about the radio business.
Thanks. (... and I'm not pickin' on anyone)
Have a great Day, guys.

 

[GaryTheThompson]

40 years on the radio in 28 radio markets, the bull[EDIT] on this board makes me laugh!!!
I've been here at Cox Radio(KJSR)Star-103.3 for 4 years now doing Middays, Cox is the best people/broadcaster oriented type Corp Company and I've worked for them"ALL"!!!

So, Board People, Bottom Line, if you are working and winning then you would not be running down Cox, we are a Corporation, that's today's Radio Agenda, and, if you do know about "REAL" ratings you know that KMOD got a massive kiss nobody in this day and age goes up 6-8 points in any Book, unless the person filling it out has a "STROKE" and falls on the ARB line!!!!!!!!!!

LOL,

Andy Barber..see I use my real name

[EDIT=language]

Andy, Kudos on using your real name. You're an example to us all.

 

[BradB]

Wow what a great read. ;D Most of us are reading this just to laugh. It's nice to know this crap happens in other offices.

Somewhere in there someone mentioned the KXOJ/Spirit battle again and air talent. I'm no expert and I do not pretend to know the Cox motivation, but to continue my analysis of their faulty thinking:

1. Spirit puts Dave on afternoons, recorded. Same slot he had at KXOJ.
2. I know from a friend they tried awfully hard to hire at least 3 other KXOJ DJ's- Craig West ( a brilliant morning talent), and I think the girl that used to be on KVOO and the girl that had a baby. And I think the midday guy went to Cox in another city but the links to web articles I had on it have expired.

The point is- they want awfully bad to sound just like KXOJ. They play the same music (instead of going Christian CHR as has been suggested) and they try to copy whatever they can, DJ's included.

But here is the problem with that- if they think the market has a greater share than KXOJ already had before (otherwise why launch the station to battle over a 3 or 4 share), then surely they believed KXOJ was not doing some things correctly, otherwise why compete? But then why try to take the people they thought were causing the hole? It just makes no sense. Either they have something better or they are trying to replace KXOJ and take their 3-4 share (which won't happen because KXOJ will not flip and therefore will always take at least half). If they have something better they sure have not shown it. I'd rather adjust my antenna on my clock radio than listen to their "church lady" chatter all day.

Bottom line is it looks like KXOJ is just reloading with bigger, better talent (they just started airing a guy from San Antonio who, with all due respect to the departed DJ's makes them sound amatuer) and they keep hinting that bigger things are to come.

Anyway- as a listener/former radio guy I just do not get it. I really thought Tulsa would be a town where Christian music would always be diverse and cutting edge, but now we just have a copy/spoiler in KKCM.

By the way- to the person who commented on 101.5- have you tried 100.3? I believe it is called the Cross and is a sister station to KXOJ. It's another reach-in from the south I think but I get it fine in Coweta and it's extremely well programmed. It's what Live shoulda been IMHO.

Keep the fights going! This is fun reading!

BB

 

[radiobratt]

Since my name has been used as a topic of conversation I feel the need to set a few things correct between Sean and Robbie. I have moved on in my career and have grown up as a person. I started in radio in Tulsa in 1994. I was in college and didn't know a thing. I left late in 95 to finish college. I came back to KHITS in mid 96 to finish and internship with KHITS and was subsequently hired to do overnights. For the record Andy Barber gave me my start in radio, and Sean Phillips put me on the path I am on today. Wow that's a scary enough thought. I worked for Sean for 5 long years until an incident occurred, which I was caught up in and in no way was my fault. Anyone who has dealt with concert promoters knows next to car dealers they are the shadiest people. This concert promoter used me and then when it was clear wasn't going to get what he wanted attempted to blame me for it. In addition the sales person that was involved led everyone to believe that he had nothing to do with it. Subsequently that sales person was fired from KHITS for cooking the books and skimming money… huh go figure. Sean you accused me of all sorts of dastardly deeds including taking bribes, being blackmailed and being caught up in "extreme sex acts" with the concert promoter. At the time you called several record reps including VP's & nationals, and spread a false a malicious story. This was not something I made up, this was relayed to me at the time and subsequently by reps who were told this, by you. You accused me of lying to you and when I wouldn't admit to whatever it was that you had concocted in your mind you let me go. The fact of the matter is you didn’t want me in the building and you used this occasion to let me go so you wouldn’t have to explain your behavior to anyone. However after you let me go, everything you had done and attempted to do after I left was well documented and was provided to management as well as my attorney. He urged me at the time to sue you personally, however 24 hours after I left KHITS I was hired at KISS and since at the time all you really had was a crappy house you couldn’t seem to finish fixing up, I was sure I wasn’t going to get much so I moved on with my life, I guess some people haven’t. I went to KISS and in 1 book took the night show from 10th place to 1st. Since then I worked in San Francisco and have come back to KHITS as APD and now Promotions Director and have helped to make this the premier promotional partner in the market and helped to run KISS out of town, and while the Beat has enjoyed some success rest assured that we are not sitting on our hands hoping they go away. A good old fashioned radio war is exactly what this town needs… and we will be happy to oblige.

Do we really need to keep rehashing the past. In fact I am glad you fired me Sean… it helped onto the path to be the person I am today… as for Andy Barber …. The B&B club rides again..


Matt” The Bratt” Derrick

 

[AndyBarber]

THANK YOU FOR THE NICE MENTION "MOMSTER"!!!!!
THANK YOU,

ANDY BARBER

 

[DogEStyle]

Uhhhhhh, sorry. I just wanted a little ratings info.

Glad to see there is still a little fight in some of you guys!

Cheers..........

 

[Bryan Pennington]

Greetings all!

Hi PK, Andy Barber, Robbie Cruise, Matt The Bratt, Sean Phillips....Did I miss any of my friends or acquaintances?

Just saw Matt a few weeks ago...thanks for all the help with stuff...how come you didn't come out for GGW?! Do you remember the incident where I gave you the name "Mattshady?" You were always a sly devil...

Just saw PK a couple of weeks ago...thanks for a great MC job at the GGW event!!

Just saw Andy today in the lobby at Cox...great to see you...love you on Star 103!! You are one of my pre-radio DJ heroes!!

Just saw Robbie last month at my lake property for the 4th of July....thanks for tweaking the PA at the club!! (Man, could I tell some stories about THIS guy!!!) Just kidding...

JournalGuy...do we know each other? I'm almost certainly the "club owner" you spoke of as neither Robbie could think of any others that would know him. Apparently I've shared stories with you about him? Just curious what those might be? Perhaps if you would identify yourself it would clear things up for me...

Sean Phillips...just saw him about five years ago....thanks for the burger at Goldies!

But enough of the formalities. Here's my take on the Robbie/Sean saga:

Robbie Cruise is definitely eccentric (in a good way) and sometimes an overthinker of situations. He is very passionate about whatever he is doing at the time which is why it is so hard for him to have his creativity squelched and/or his "fire" extinguished. This is what radio today does to people like Robbie and it just about literally kills him.

Robbie is very good at heart and always well-intentioned. The "angry" or "malicious" person he may appear to be on this board or has been accused of being is NOT Robbie. I knew him prior to his arrival in Tulsa and I don't see him as the least bit malicious or dishonest. I've never known him to lie, even when doing so probably would have furthered him in some way. He is perhaps even honest to a fault, if in fact honesty can ever be considered a fault.

I have left Robbie alone with my house, my pets, my wife, my friends, my young niece, my entire business, a warehouse full of equipment, my other house, numerous vehicles and other valuable assets. I trust him completely and that's not something I hand out very easily. I've had only one disagreement with Robbie EVER and we handled it in a very professional and mature manner. I have no ill-feelings or animocity toward himt whatsoever.

One interesting not is that I was Robbie's "sounding board" back when all this was going down. I can honestly say that NOTHING in his story now has wavered even the slightest from what he told me back then. I mean, I heard this stuff literally ten minutes after it went down. Admittedly I was not there for these discussions and I only know Robbie's side, but as well as I know him and the fact that his story has not waivered a bit I tend to believe his accuracy. True liars -- even good ones -- usually get caught up in their lies. I do know for that he went to work the day in question to resign because he told me the night before that he was going to do so.

Sean Phillips.... With having only met you once and talking to you one other time even I could put a LONG list together of people who have worked for you and have absolute horror stories to tell about their experiences with you. I certainly wouldn't do so without their permission, because I don't know if what I have been told was in confidence or for public boradcast but suffice it to say there are some common themes in the stories -- all from what I consider to be very stable, professional people still gainfully employed in radio -- for there not to be some truth in them. Though it's been a while now, the usual response when your name comes up in radio conversation -- because NO DOUBT, you are a legend in this market -- is either a horror story or your basic "no comment" shrug off. (i.e. "I can't/don't want to/am afraid to talk about it.")

That said, I have no issues with you personally. You were extremely decent to me at our one dinner meeting and I appreciate that. Do you remember the time that KISS-FM had been skipping for several hours? I let it go for a while thinking someone would fix it. I even called the supposed on-duty CC board op with no answer. Finally I went up there and just rebooted the freaking computer with the pots still up live on the air. I opened a microphone, apologized for the problem and thanked anyone who was still listening. As a reward, I then ran a contest live on the air and you were the only caller. Everyone else was listening to your station while YOU were listening to our station skip! I always thought that was kind of funny. You were real cool about it, though...you could have said something rude but you were really respectful and decent. Then I accidentally hung up on you, which I thought was kind of funny. (I seriously did not mean to hang up, though doing so was really pretty "cool" of me.)

Robbie and Sean are obviously both very passionate guys. I know from firsthand conversation that Robbie is very happy in his new career. Sean says he is (though I've done some work for the casinos and I don't see how anyone could enjoy working for them) which is great for him. So everyone is happy, right?

Maybe next time Robbie is in town we can go and do some gambling at Sean's table. That would be fun or perhaps at least interesting.

Peace to all...give me a shout if you're lurking out there and we haven't been in touch in a while: [email protected]!!

 

[JournalGuy]

Robbie. You need to appologize to everyone that you have offended. Even Sean.
You must be having a bad week and we forgive you.

The bad news is that you probably burned several bridges with your posts. Not good for your career.

One of the engineers at Clearchannel was talking about you today when he stopped by to talk with our CE. You obviously made your mark with them.

You should hope that your boss doesn't find out. They should be concerned.

Andy/we have never met but YOUR ROCK sir. I hope the folks at Cox treat you well.

Sean/you are a great radio guy. I hope to run into you at the casino. Which one?

Peace all !!!

 

[ElCheapo]

Robbie. You need to appologize to everyone that you have offended. Even Sean.
You must be having a bad week and we forgive you.

The bad news is that you probably burned several bridges with your posts. Not good for your career.

One of the engineers at Clearchannel was talking about you today when he stopped by to talk with our CE. You obviously made your mark with them.

You should hope that your boss doesn't find out. They should be concerned.

Are we talking about Clark? We must be...

Yes, I will freely admit to having a verbal altercation on the phone with Clark (the radio side engineer at Clear Channel Tulsa.)

A few years ago, Clear Channel moved into new digs in Tulsa. When this was going on, I had just left to go do engineering work for Clear Channel in Alabama - mostly studio construction.

As it turns out, I had a small market cluster that was moving into a new facility. Because the budget was tight, we had no money for new studio furniture and the old studio furniture was crap.

As luck would have it, Clear Channel Tulsa had just moved out of its old facility and it was filled with nice, gently used studio furniture and equipment that was being replaced in Tulsa.

I asked Steve Davis - SVP of Engineering for Clear Channel - if I could have the old Tulsa furniture for my install and he was DELIGHTED to give it to me. I rented a truck, drove it to Tulsa and picked it up. It should be noted that I asked Clark for his assistance/supervision with the removal, but he couldn't be bothered, so we did it without him.

I loaded everything Steve said I could take up, and hauled it back to Alabama.

A few days later, I got an extremely angry phone call from Clark. Apparently he thought I made a bigger mess than I should have during the removal process, and he called to let me know just how unhappy he was with the situation.

Well, if anyone here has ever seen studio construction or de-construction, you know it's a messy process by definition. Sometimes to make an omelet you've gotta break a few eggs.

Anyway - my crew and I didn't damage or destroy anything - but we did leave one hell of a mess behind - that was going to have to be cleaned up whether we did what we did or not.

So, I guess I'll have to say I'm guilty as charged...

However, being guilty as sin has some nice perks sometimes. Not too long after this, Steve Davis sent an e-mail to all engineers in the company praising me for my efficiency and excellent conservation of capital (or something to that effect) which probably also chapped Clark.

The reality is - the mess my crew and I made was going to be made when the old studios were demolished - no matter who did it. We actually saved Clark a tremendous amount of work since he didn't have to haul the heavy stuff out himself. I guess he just expected me to do all of the clean-up work in his old facility, which wasn't the deal.

JournalGuy - you really should attempt to get the whole story before you start mouthing off. I have no doubt that Clark doesn't like me - he made that very clear on the phone - but I was doing exactly what I was supposed to do, and I was praised for it by the SVP of engineering.

I'm not too worried about my boss finding out about that...

 

[djmattshady]

Wow...

Robbie: I remember VERY WELL how HARD that studio furniture move was on you! As part of your "crew", I was excited for you and the new studios you were working on. I also remember the mess left behind and I can honestly say that it was NOT avoidable nor done on purpose and I'm saddened to hear that Clark took it that way. From what I remember of Clark, he seemed like a decent guy. I wonder if he still has his country "station" going on in his office over at CC?!? Heck, I wonder if I'm still banned from Tulsa's CC building. Me and Brandon (is he still in Talk radio somewhere?!) invited ourselves in one night to visit some friends and that was not looked upon very well! Ahh... those were the days!

Bryan: Thanks for the kind words about my MC'ing at the GGW show. Happy times man. I hope that club works out for you. If you are in need of some help... well you know! Oh, and be sure to tell Ellen I said hi.

Sean: Man, I have to say that I too have heard plenty of stories about you and when I first left the building I too was one who added fuel to the fire. On a more personal note though, atleast in my situation, I was wrong in my actions and deserved my canning. I'm glad it happened because it was just another lesson that I needed to learn in my career. As you might remember, I had the passion and I was not going to give up. I'm doing pretty good now. Who would have thought I'd be employed with the same company for FOUR YEARS?!? Most of my old PD's would have never guessed I'm sure. Either way, you mentioned that you hope my current employer does not learn of my intentions to leave. Oh, they know. There's no place like home. Most people have counted me out when it comes to returning to Tulsa. My time will come. When it does, I'll be sure to come blow some dough at your table!

MTB: So is this like your third of fourth time back at KHTT?!? Dang man, I'm just looking for my second chance! When I heard you on 106.9 a couple of weekends ago I knew I must have been slipping on my ability to keep up with the market. I didn't know you were back! You sounded good though! Welcome back. I'll be listening online when I can!

Andy: I've called Georgia home for over four years now. It's nice and I've been busy working my way around the radio biz. Thanks for asking! One of my prayers is that I finally land at one station in one market someday that I'm completely happy with and then stay with that till retirement such as you have done. It's very honorable to me to know that you have stayed in Tulsa for so long by choice.

To everyone else: C'mon now. There's got to be some others who have been as entertained by this thread as I have been. Let's see here, maybe Billy "The Baby" DJ? Jet Black? Ronnie Ramerez (might have mispelled that one)? Oh, and will all the Spirit and KXOJ talk, what about good ol' Bob Thornton? You know, even though Gary Thompson is gone, I figured he would still chime in more than he has. Let's not let Robbie and Sean take all the spotlight... anyone else care to join in?!

Peace.

Matt Baldridge
AKA PK "The Preachers Kid"

GM / Three Trees Communications
WWWD / MACON - WJYF / VALDOSTA

www.thehook.fm

 

[ElCheapo]

Robbie. You need to appologize to everyone that you have offended. Even Sean.
You must be having a bad week and we forgive you.

The bad news is that you probably burned several bridges with your posts. Not good for your career.

Given just how distorted and innacurate your version of the "facts" are, I'm sure you think I'm the Devil... I should have signed up with the screen name "eldiablo" instead!

Think I'll go outside and find a puppy to kick...

Anyway, I don't owe Sean anything. Maybe $50 for some beer and other "fun" at a nudie bar. It's obviously a huge issue for him, and I'd be more than happy to reimburse him. Possibly a small apology for calling him "insane" as that's in poor taste - even if someone is clearly insane - but given all the absolutely incorrect and malicious stuff he's said about me over the years, I think we're pretty much even. What he should have done was popped in, taken a similar jab and called it a night.

Rethinking everything, I probably should have just said - yeah, whatever - and called it quits right there because everyone would have considered the source and dismissed it I'm sure - but instead I chose to defend myself. So far, the person at the center of my argument with Sean has come by to corroborate my version of events and a few others have piped in to either point out the irony in Sean calling anyone "insane" or attempt to further clarify the situation.

And who's here to stand up for Sean? One completely anonymous person who supposedly works at Journal. Again, it amazes me that I could be such a hot topic of discussion there over the past few years seeing how I don't know anyone there and really never have, but hey - whatever. When you decide to come out of the shadows, you'll lend some creedence to your remarks. Until then, I'll continue to think you're Sean Phillips. (I'm paranoid that way.)

Not that I feel I need to explain myself to anyone, but purely for entertainment value I'll attempt to further clarify the situation and my animosity against the heads of programming at Cox Tulsa.

When I was in my early 20s I made some very bad financial decisions. I had my radio gig and I had a small business on the side that brought me about $50,000 annually combined. Being young, dumb and relatively well off financially (for a radio geek anyway) I financed a lot of equipment for my side business and bought way more car than I should have with no regard for the possibility that situations like that can change.

In 1998, I moved to Austin and got a gig at KHFI. I had already hooked up with a booking agent in Austin for my side business (a mini-concert like video DJ show) and for a while, things were going well - very well. I got to the point that I was making about $5,000 per month with my business, and because my gig at KHFI seemed to be getting in the way, I quit and went to work for myself full-time. A short time later, my gigs started to dry up. As it turned out, my booking agent - who had complete control over my contracts - was sending me out to make a favorable impression on new clients, then sending less experienced guys who had to rent their gear from him out to do the subsequent shows that came from my initial bookings. This was contrary to our agreement, and when I found out, I was furious. We had it out, and I suddenly found myself with zero income and huge debt.

Basically, I just made some very poor business decisions. Being the trusting guy that I am, I failed to get anything in writing from my agent, and I was pretty much SOL.

About that time, my best friend landed his gig at KKWD and helped me get in there too. I started out doing part-time, then moved up to middays, promotions and imaging. I had a great time, and I loved that station and its crew - but I was faced with overwhelming debt and a very small paycheck. I was full-time, but I wasn't cracking $20,000 - and despite the GM's efforts to help me jump-start my side business there - it floundered. It turned out that school principals weren't comfortable with the mobile DJ service from the hip-hop station coming to their school, which was a bad marketing decision on my part.

During this time period - faced with crushing debt and no apparent way out, I fell into a pretty serious depression and did some things I'm really not proud of. At the time, I was very jealous of the relative prosperity that was all around me but I had no luck in obtaining. I couldn't get any remotes. I had great ratings doing middays, but none of the salespeople wanted the midday guy - they wanted mornings or nights - the stars of the station, not the filler in-between. My attitude was sour, and I'm sure I was hard to live with. Finally out of frustration at my financial situation, I did something foolish and self-destructive - I quit, and naturally things got worse financially.

I really wish things had been different - but I set myself up for failure long before any of this happened. I don't have very many regrets in life, but that's my biggest one. The staff at Citadel OKC is simply the most awesome group of people I've ever worked with and in my depressed state, I just couldn't see it at the time.

Anyway, I ended up getting hired by Sean at KHITS, and since he likes to play amateur psychologist I'm sure he thinks of himself as my savior or something. At first, I really did like him, but whether he wants to admit it or not - all of the events Matt and I outlined did transpire and it seriously soured my view of him. I probably wasn't a model employee for Sean. Seeing the way he treated Matt, I became very concerned very quickly. When the phone incident with the record reps happend, I decided I had to get out - fast - and I did.

That brings us to Cox. Prior to moving to Tulsa, I had become friendly with some people there. When the Matt situation happened at KHITS, I called my contact there and told him I was quitting. He hired me immediately and gave me about 30 hours per week part-time with the assurance that it would develop into full-time.

Months went by, and it never did - despite near continual reassurance. I considered this person to be a friend of mine, and he led me on - and on - and on. He should have just told me nothing was coming so I could have moved on - but he never did - in fact, he insinuated that if I left, it might be hard for me to get back in later on - and damn if he wasn't right about that. I had other opportunities, and I turned them down based on his reassurances. Love the guy, but I really wish he had just been straight with me.

When Clear Channel offered me the full-time job with Live and KISS, I was worse than dead-broke. I wasn't treading water anymore - I was financially ruined and my vehicle was finally repoed. That's a fun experience if you've never been able to try it, let me assure you... Things got very dark.

Doom and gloom... Poor me... Naah... Just some bad business decisions and bad luck.

Fortunately I was able to learn from my mistakes and turn things around. Today, I'm financially secure, happy and productive. I'm deeply involved in one of the highest level (if not the highest level) projects for my company, and life is pretty darn good.

That's the scoop - ugly as it is. I am sincerely sorry to anyone I may have offended - I just thought it might be helpful for some to understand why I said what I said.

 

[JournalGuy]

BradB is Bob Thornton from KXOJ.
(In case you haven't figured that out yet.)

Robbie/you continue to dig yourself in deeper and deeper. Give it up and say SORRY.

I doubt anyone will ever give you and chance in Tulsa. Might as well cross that off your list.

The engineer from Clearchannel told us the whole story today. You only tell the part that you want everybody to know.

I know Pat & Sean very well. Wouldn't use either as a reference. You don't have many fans at 7030. (hint)

 

[ElCheapo]

BradB is Bob Thornton from KXOJ.
(In case you haven't figured that out yet.)

Robbie/you continue to dig yourself in deeper and deeper. Give it up and say SORRY.

I doubt anyone will ever give you and chance in Tulsa. Might as well cross that off your list.

The engineer from Clearchannel told us the whole story today. You only tell the part that you want everybody to know.

I know Pat & Sean very well. Wouldn't use either as a reference. You don't have many fans at 7030. (hint)

Yes Sean, I know you know yourself very well.

By all means, please enlighten us with the rest of the story - whatever that may be. It will be great I'm sure. Probably about as good as the rest of the stuff you've made up here. There is no rest of the story. Baldridge was there, so was Pennington if he feels like chiming in again. We removed furniture. It's a pretty mundane task really.

Let me go over it in my head one more time to see if I left anything out...

We arrived... We removed a bunch of equipment from the furniture... We cut a bunch of wires... We unscrewed the different parts of the furniture from each other... We hauled it out (I didn't care much for that part - it was really heavy...) We loaded it in the truck and strapped it down... We left...

Yeah, that's pretty much it!

With your limited technical knowledge, I doubt you'll be able to concoct a good engineering story, but I think you should take a whack at it. First rate entertainment.

Then we'll invite the guys from the engineering board here on Radio-Info over to see if its even remotely plausible.

Wanna know what else makes me think you're Sean now? Your absolute insistence that I apologize. It's driving you...dare I say it? Insane? Anyone who knows you would recognize that as classic Sean.

I don't think any casual observer with very little invested in the matter (as you claim to be) would care. But then again, that's a rational view of life.

 

[ElCheapo]

You know what... There was more to the story! It just hit me...

After we loaded all that furniture, we told Baldridge goodnight and Pennington and I drove back over to his place. He went into his bedroom and slept with his wife, while I slept in the guest bedroom.

The next morning I drove back to Alabama, unloaded the furniture into the new studios and started wiring everything.

Don't know how I could have forgotten all that!

 

[ElCheapo]

Wait a minute - there was more to the story... Almost forgot...

Before I started wiring everything, my Alabama help and I had to screw everything back together and put the new countertops on (we decided to order new countertops for everything.)

How I could have possibly forgotten that kind of minutiae is beyond me!

 

[Bryan Pennington]

Robbie, you missed another detail....

What about the 3AM breakfast at Denny's? I'm pretty sure we did that. PK? Do you recall? I'm thinking you might have even bought!!

Also, when you say I "slept" with my wife....were we too noisy?



Now apologize you BRIDGE-BURNING MANIAC!!!!