Who are the best non-giant owners?

[radioatlantis]

Most everyone would agree that sometimes it doesn't matter if an radio owner is indie or not.
Every since consolidation, more smaller guys have adapted the bottom line models of the big guys, to build empires on a relative scale.

Every once and awhile you spot the exceptions (at least those who profess to be exceptions) posting ads for air talent. I have never had the good fortune of finding one to know but I believe that there must be some groups out there who are mavericks and revolutionaries at heart and are applying that to their stations with some success.

So who, of the indies in North Florida radio, walks the walk and treats talented people with respect?

 

[Stewy]

The echoing sound of silence to your question should be screaming the answer. There are a couple but those who work there keep quiet so they don't invite unwanted attention/guests.

Speaking of ownership and the official announcement of blessings from the FCC to allow CC to go private, I have heard that one of the investors in Bain Capitol is Mitt Romney, anything to that?

 

[Tibbs4]

Regis --- 100% sure it's gotta be A. --- Tragic. Final Answer.

 

[radioatlantis]

The echoing sound of silence to your question should be screaming the answer. There are a couple but those who work there keep quiet so they don't invite unwanted attention/guests.

Speaking of ownership and the official announcement of blessings from the FCC to allow CC to go private, I have heard that one of the investors in Bain Capitol is Mitt Romney, anything to that?

Quite right. One of the fattest deals he ever made. he bought Bain.
During his campaign, Republican candidate Mitt Romney has preached a message of economic populism by vowing to fight to keep jobs in America. Take a look at Romney’s days heading up the buyout king, Bain Capital . “From 1984 until 1999, Romney led Bain Capital, a Boston-based private equity group that earned jaw-dropping profits through leveraged buyouts, debt hedge funds, offshore tax havens and other financial strategies. In some cases, Romney’s team closed U.S. factories, causing hundreds of layoffs, or pocketed huge fees shortly before companies collapsed.” More of the same folks!

 

[redneckriviera]

Most everyone would agree that sometimes it doesn't matter if an radio owner is indie or not.
Every since consolidation, more smaller guys have adapted the bottom line models of the big guys, to build empires on a relative scale.

Every once and awhile you spot the exceptions (at least those who profess to be exceptions) posting ads for air talent. I have never had the good fortune of finding one to know but I believe that there must be some groups out there who are mavericks and revolutionaries at heart and are applying that to their stations with some success.

So who, of the indies in North Florida radio, walks the walk and treats talented people with respect?

Sorry it took me a couple weeks to note the question--must've been busy fighting the recession!

But, yes, there is at least one excellent people-oriented "independent" radio company in North Florida. It's MFR/GFR, Inc., licensees of WJAQ(FM) & WTOT-AM/FM up in Marianna/Graceville. Ed Cearley is President/GM. MFR/GFR is sort of the cultural successor to SunGroup, a mid-size group in pre-consolidation days that once owned a dozen-or-so radio stations in medium markets across the South including 107.3/WOWW-FM in Pensacola. Ed's broadcasting roots go back to the legendary KILT in Houston. And aside from having to hear about Longhorn football, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better guy or a better broadcaster.

 

[Stewy]

Yeah, I'll second Redneck on that. Haven't had the pleasure of dealing with Ed often but the ones I have were a nice change from what we normally experience these days.

 

[SkinnyJohnny]

Nothing against Ed, but SunGroup took WOWW 107 and destroyed it. They took everything away that was working to make it the top rated station it was for many many years and ran it in the ground. If a company that takes your money for medical insurance and fails to pay the insurance company for 6 months is great to work for then that's news to me. I was there and that's exactly what happened! By the way, after the effects of SunGroup ownership they litterly lost MILLIONS on it.

 

[redneckriviera]

Nothing against Ed, but SunGroup took WOWW 107 and destroyed it. They took everything away that was working to make it the top rated station it was for many many years and ran it in the ground. If a company that takes your money for medical insurance and fails to pay the insurance company for 6 months is great to work for then that's news to me. I was there and that's exactly what happened! By the way, after the effects of SunGroup ownership they litterly lost MILLIONS on it.

John--

You were not at WOWW during the station's last three years of SunGroup ownership. The nonsense that you experienced in the early nineties was not reflective of how the company finished up under John Biddinger's direction. WOWW ended on an upnote with GM Jeanie Hufford and PD Joel Sampson continuing in those roles with the merged duopoly that went to Clear Channel (via Paxson).

And, by the way, SunGroup did not lose millions on WOWW. Literally or otherwise.

John, we have mutual friends I could refer you to, if you'd care to know more. Drop me an email note at [email protected].

RNR

 

[SkinnyJohnny]

RNR,
You are correct, I was not there those last few years. All I have to go on is my experiences when I WAS there and it was (at that time) not a good experience. As far as how much they lost I may have been misinformed. I was told they paid around $6 million and sold from under $2 million. So if that information is false I'm sorry about that. I DO know that my salary was cut by very close to 50% after being a loyal WOWW employee for 9 years. The reason given by SunGroup was, that's what middays pays now and since you do a good bit of voice work out of your studio you don't need the money. All the other jocks were cut by 10-15%.
Some other things SunGroup did to hurt WOWW during the years I was there was to pull almost all our outside advertising. WOWW was the most "visible" station in the market and once SunGroup came in that went away. WOWW had a tremendous news department that got cut way back. They hired a hotshot new morning show with a guy they brought in from Los Angeles that totally failed.
I am glad to know that there was a happy ending to the SunGroup story, but sorry I wasn't there to experience it.
I hope all is well with you RNR. I wish we were able to work together back in those days. I've heard nothing but GOOD things about you!

 

[redneckriviera]

RNR,
You are correct, I was not there those last few years. All I have to go on is my experiences when I WAS there and it was (at that time) not a good experience. As far as how much they lost I may have been misinformed. I was told they paid around $6 million and sold from under $2 million. So if that information is false I'm sorry about that. I DO know that my salary was cut by very close to 50% after being a loyal WOWW employee for 9 years. The reason given by SunGroup was, that's what middays pays now and since you do a good bit of voice work out of your studio you don't need the money. All the other jocks were cut by 10-15%.
Some other things SunGroup did to hurt WOWW during the years I was there was to pull almost all our outside advertising. WOWW was the most "visible" station in the market and once SunGroup came in that went away. WOWW had a tremendous news department that got cut way back. They hired a hotshot new morning show with a guy they brought in from Los Angeles that totally failed.
I am glad to know that there was a happy ending to the SunGroup story, but sorry I wasn't there to experience it.
I hope all is well with you RNR. I wish we were able to work together back in those days. I've heard nothing but GOOD things about you!

Thanks, John--and backatcha with them good things. But, yeah, that's why I got called in to clean up the mess--after doing the same for them in Bryan/College Station, Texas. They actually had a number of very good operations, including Ed Cearley's station in Longview, Texas--that's how we got on this subject. Again, for those looking for a great smaller outfit in NOFLA to work for, you can't do better than JAQ/TOT.