Up "The River" Without A Paddle

[fred flintstone]

Also up the Ticket and up the Parking Lot.
All Access:

Production in the First State
Clear Channel Delaware is looking for its next great production assistant/imaging wizard/air talent. We are looking for someone who can write and produce compelling commercials and station promos and relate to an adult listening audience. No liner card readers, no shtick. Airshift will be included; live appearances and remotes will be required.
The ideal candidate will be creative, organized, and client & listener-friendly. Must have strong writing skills. He or she will understand digital editing (we use Audition and NexGen) and the creative use of words and sound, the principles of Less Is More, and will have the ability to multi-task and meet deadlines. NexGen experience is a plus.
Send cover letter, resume, and audio to Bob Walton, Clear Channel Radio, 3001 Philadelphia Pike, Claymont, DE 19703. Email: [email protected]. No phone calls, please.

Gee, Clear Channel had a production director. One of the most talented and creative guys to work in the market. The quality of his work spoke for itself. Clear Channel managed to drive him off. He's now playing Oldies in the Shenandoah Valley. He's a good guy and fortunately for Clear Channel not the type to get a lawyer.

 

[Derek Smalls]

I think Jon Von made the right choice, getting out of there when he did. From what I've been hearing through the grapevine, Walton, his staff, The River and The Ticket, are all on borrowed time.

 

[fred flintstone]

I was thinking of someone else but apparently the description fits more than one person late of Clear Channel Delaware.

The Clear Channel Delaware cluster has to be one of the most - if not the most - poorly performing segments of the company. And this is a company that has been posting losses and seeing its stock price slide downward. Some sort of shake-up, possibly including a sell off, is inevitable. Why should any national account buy Clear Channel Delaware when they can get better market penetration - at no extra charge - when they buy Philly?

 

[Derek Smalls]

The ad that you posted refers to John Von leaving The River. He's heading up to Reading to do production, imaging and nights at 107.5 FRANK-FM.

My guess is that you were also talking about Jim Radler, who just left mornings at WDSD...haven't heard why he left, but knowing the history of the company and their feeble programming and management, it probably wasn't amicable.

My question is: why has it taken this long for it to start to fall apart? The cluster, as stated, is probably the worst performing of any cluster within Clear Channel, yet there hasn't been a signifigant managerial change in all that time? It's mind boggling. I wonder who has pictures of who with a sheep, in order to keep getting their paycheck?

 

[radiochickpa]

Jim Radler left to program a Country station for Press. It was very amicable.
And I don't know about up North, but here in Dover, we are doing ok.....

 

[MikefromDelaware]

This I found at FMQB Radio Industry News Web Site. This is only an excerpt of article to see entire article go to www.fmqb.com.
August 8, 2006

....Clear Channel Radio revenues were up by six percent for the quarter, to $983.5 million from approximately $932 million in 2005. CC attributed the success to "Less Is More," with a continued increase in :15 and :30 ads. “We remain very optimistic about our growth prospects in 2006,” said CEO Mark Mays. “Our operating momentum has continued into the current quarter. Our radio division’s performance surpassed our expectations and once again far outpaced the industry....

 

[fred flintstone]

The CORPORATION made money.
Outdoor makes money. Concerts make money. TV makes money.
Yes, and Clear Channel Radio makes money in SOME markets.
Apparently CC Radio is not making money in Philly - or not enough in Philly.
They are flipping two Philly stations and making wholesale cuts in personnel at two Philly stations. One has better numbers than ANY of their stations in Wilmington. Both have better numbers than WILM or any of their other Wilmington stations.

And they are not making money in Wilmington.
It's coming. If Clear Channel wants to keep reporting good quarterly numbers to the financial community (the stock has been a dog the last few years) they are going to keep pruning dead branches from the tree.
The CC's Wilmington properties are grossly underperforming - even setting aside how much the company over-paid for WILM.
Today the axe swings in Philly; tomorrow Wilmington.