WHAM Radio Fires Long Time Employee Over Controversial Blog

[Mark Giardina]

http://www.whec.com/news/stories/S3065025.shtml

Craig Schaller had been with WHAM for 16 years.

 

[cee]

Theoretically, could WHAM get out of paying him unemployment by claiming he was trying to get fired(that seems semi-plausible)?

 

[TheBigA]

It sounds like he's going to use the Imus defense. "They want me to controversial, but they fire me because of a controversial post."

http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/LegalCenter/story?id=3135895&page=1

They ended up settling out of court, and Imus took his show to ABC/Citadel.

 

[yugoidar]

I don't agree with the language or the thoughts that Schaller expressed in his blog. But it seems that most "personalities" in a similar situation in the past have simply been suspended for a period of time as their punishment.

But, couple this situation with the report by industry blogger Jerry Del Colliano that Clear Channel is about to cut 4 employees out each market cluster. If that's true, Schaller gave the company all it needed to "riff" him.

One down and three to go...and it's not even Christmas time!

 

[heydaybegone]

Yogoidar...Christmas!!?? Surely you missed that we're approaching Independence Day? (for one side or the other!)

 

[chas108]

I don't agree with the language or the thoughts that Schaller expressed in his blog. But it seems that most "personalities" in a similar situation in the past have simply been suspended for a period of time as their punishment.

But, couple this situation with the report by industry blogger Jerry Del Colliano that Clear Channel is about to cut 4 employees out each market cluster. If that's true, Schaller gave the company all it needed to "riff" him.

One down and three to go...and it's not even Christmas time!

And don't forget the freeze in cap-ex.

Jerry says Pittman got cold feet due to the plans becoming public...but the 4-per-cluster RIF is still going to happen even if it takes a few extra weeks. And it will also have no effect of the ritual end-of-year RIF.

 

[cee]

Yogoidar...Christmas!!?? Surely you missed that we're approaching Independence Day? (for one side or the other!)

Clear Channel is doing a "Christmas in July" this year. Lay off 3 people this time of year and then the traditional Christmas time layoffs. Remember it's just not Christmas(and now, July 4th) without people losing their jobs at CC.

 

[TheBigA]

And yet despite all the doom and gloom, the company has a load of job openings!

https://clearchannel-openhire.silkroad.com/epostings/index.cfm?fuseaction=app.jobsearch

Over 500 jobs, with about 150 in programming. And I'm sure there's no shortage of applicants.

 

[cee]

A random copy n paste from this Clear Channel job bank(don't see many solid programming openings here)


1500 Senior Account Executive - Indianapolis, IN INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana, United States 5/21/2013
1496 Benefits Enrollment Specialist - San Antonio, TX SAN ANTONIO, Texas, United States 5/21/2013
1495 Executive Assistant to the Vice President of Sales-Phoenix, AZ PHOENIX, Arizona, United States 5/20/2013
1486 Radio Broadcasting- Sales Account Executive DENVER, Colorado, United States 5/20/2013
1485 TTN Traffic Anchor/Editor DENVER, Colorado, United States 5/20/2013
1494 Promotions Assistant - Part Time MADISON, Wisconsin, United States 5/20/2013
1492 Executive Assistant to the Market President-Phoenix, AZ PHOENIX, Arizona, United States 5/20/2013
1493 Revenue Manager-Clearwater, FL CLEARWATER, Florida, United States 5/20/2013
1489 Over The Road Driver / Laborer JOLIET, Illinois, United States 5/20/2013
1484 Finance Manager - Richmond, VA RICHMOND, Virginia, United States 5/20/2013
1488 P/T Promotions Assistant - Tampa, FL TAMPA, Florida, United States 5/20/2013
1029 Traffic Director - Albuquerque, NM ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico, United States 5/20/2013
1470 Sales Assistant NEW YORK, New York, United States 5/17/2013
1480 Branch President - General Manager PORTLAND, Oregon, United States 5/17/2013
1479 Board Operator HARTFORD, Connecticut, United States 5/17/2013
1478 Director IT Operations HAMDEN, Connecticut, United States 5/17/2013
1477 Account Executive-Houston, TX HOUSTON, Texas, United States 5/17/2013
1476 Account Executive-Waco WACO, Texas, United States 5/17/2013
1474 Senior Treasury Analyst - San Antonio, TX SAN ANTONIO, Texas, United States 5/17/2013
1473 Treasury Analyst - San Antonio, TX SAN ANTONIO, Texas, United States 5/17/2013
1472 Promotions Director - Richmond, VA RICHMOND, Virginia, United States 5/17/2013
1482 Senior Account Executive MEMPHIS, Tennessee, United States 5/17/2013
1471 Entry-Level Multi-Media Account Executive PORTSMOUTH, New Hampshire, United States 5/17/2013
1481 ANCHOR/REPORTER BURBANK, California, United States 5/17/2013
1465 Assistant Business Manager MANCHESTER, New Hampshire, United States 5/16/2013
1464 Account Executive-Denver DENVER, Colorado, United States 5/16/2013
1463 Laborer - Construction Los Angeles, CA Torrance, California, United States 5/16/2013
1468 Traffic Manager - Fairbanks, AK FAIRBANKS, Alaska, United States 5/16/2013
1466 Digital Continuity Director - Fayetteville, AR FAYETTEVILLE, Arkansas, United States 5/16/2013
1462 P/T Producer - Miramar, Florida MIRAMAR, Florida, United States 5/16/2013
1467 Director of Sales - Huntsville, AL MADISON, Alabama, United States 5/16/2013
1461 Fall 2013 Promotions Internship-St. Louis ST. LOUIS, Missouri, United States 5/16/2013
1460 Outside Account Executive HONOLULU, Hawaii, United States 5/15/2013
1457 Outside Account Executive - Tucson, AZ TUCSON, Arizona, United States 5/15/2013
1455 Rotary Crewman - Cleveland, OH CLEVELAND, Ohio, United States 5/15/2013
1458 Traffic Anchor/Producer - Seattle, WA SEATTLE, Washington, United States 5/15/2013
1456 Leasing Coordinator-Atlanta SMYRNA, Georgia, United States 5/15/2013
1454 Outside Account Executive, Naples, FL

 

[therealjm12]

What Craig put in his log is tame compared to what is said on air on a daily basis by the station's right wing talk show hosts. If they want to be politically correct they should start with what is said on air.

 

[TheBigA]

A random copy n paste from this Clear Channel job bank(don't see many solid programming openings here)

If you narrow the search to "operations," you'll come up with 150 programming jobs.

The point, however, is that they're hiring. No one, including Jerry, is saying that the 4 per cluster have to come from programming. Right?

 

[chas108]

A random copy n paste from this Clear Channel job bank(don't see many solid programming openings here)

If you narrow the search to "operations," you'll come up with 150 programming jobs.

The point, however, is that they're hiring. No one, including Jerry, is saying that the 4 per cluster have to come from programming. Right?

Actually he's predicting programming/operations is most vulnerable. Sales, not so much due to not having a national sales software platform in place.

 

[TheBigA]

Actually he's predicting programming/operations is most vulnerable.

So then why are they looking to hire 150 programming people now?

 

[cee]

Looks like this topic has become Clearly Conflicted, Part 2.

 

[listener-in]

What Craig put in his log is tame compared to what is said on air on a daily basis by the station's right wing talk show hosts. If they want to be politically correct they should start with what is said on air.

Agree 100%. Would the suits who run WHAM and stations like it dare to talk to, or about, their family or friends (particularly the female ones) in the abusive manner of their syndicated personalities day-in, day-out?

 

[Mark Giardina]

What Craig put in his log is tame compared to what is said on air on a daily basis by the station's right wing talk show hosts. If they want to be politically correct they should start with what is said on air.

Its been close to 40 years since I hosted a talk show on WHAM but I can tell you that management encouraged me to be controversial on the air. They felt it attracted more listeners if the host got people riled up. I cannot speak for the current management or on-air staff at WHAM or what their policy is regarding topics discussed on their station. But when I hosted 'The Opinion Program' on WHAM I made Rush Limbaugh look like Walt Disney.

 

[SirRoxalot]

People, it has nothing to do with subject matter. It has everything to do with who he pissed on - the LPGA and Wegmans. It ain't rocket surgery. Don't stick your thumb in the eye of probably the biggest national event that puts Rochester on the map every year, and a major Rochester employer that's known to be family-friendly.

 

[cee]

Don't stick your thumb in the eye of probably the biggest national event that puts Rochester on the map every year, and a major Rochester employer that's known to be family-friendly.

And a major advertiser. Rule #1 in Rochester - don't diss anything associated with Wegmans

 

[Cashman]

Never hear Wegmans spots on the radio, or at least, those stations mentioned.

 

[SirRoxalot]

Doesn't matter. Wegmans gets PLENTY of great pub for the area annually, and even if they're not a big user of radio, they carry a lot of weight in the community. They are LOVED by people. Dissing them is bad for business, either directly, or peripherally from other advertisers who share their constituency. It's all about knowing the local landscape.