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Wilks Makes Changes In Columbus

  • Thread starter GaryTheThompson
  • Start date

G

GaryTheThompson

Guest
Hot on the heels of WILKS BROADCASTING's changes in KANSAS CITY (NET NEWS 12/4), similar changes have happened at the COLUMBUS cluster recently purchased from CBS.

Out are WAZU-WHOK-WLVQ OM DAVE COOPER, WHOK News Dir. KIM TAYLOR and night jock HEATHER BLACK, WLVQ Traffic Reporter "OFFICER AL, THE MOTORIST'S PAL," APD/midday personality DAVE MAN and Asst. Chief Engineer JOHN MAROCCHI.
 
I know this shouldn'd be a suprise to anyone. We all heard that this was Wilkes MO when we learned of thier purchase from CBS. That said, it certainly does nothing to ease the pain of the loyal staffers who were let go just weeks before Christmas. Somehow it's all supposed to be alright when it's for business reasons and nothing personal. What a crock of crap!

To the fine people who have lost thier positions I would say that this really sucks, but don't let it ruin your holidays. Enjoy the time off and hit the ground fresh after the 1st of the year. The other thing is, find something out of radio. While I know radio is fun and all that, I think you'll find that no other industry treats thier employees with such distain and lack of loyalty. I'm sure you are all very talented people who could achieve success with any number of other organizations who would appreciate those efforts and talents.
 
No surprise at all with WILKS. That's what they do everywhere, and they seldom hang onto a property. They are BUY..CHOP..SELL people. Don't even call them radio people because it's an insult to even the biggest snake broadcasters.

All that will be left is underpaid "yes men" doing the jobs of 5 former valued employees. They did the same in KC and countless other markets. Look at it this way, nomatter what "they" say........if you get turfed by WILKS, you probably are a serious broadcaster who will land a great gig at good pay in no time flat.
 
warkertoad said:
They are BUY..CHOP..SELL people.
Click to expand...

Ok, so I know that doesn't help anyone now but what kind of turnaround does Wilks usually have from purchase to sale? It would be nice to see these stations out of their hands and into someone competent.
 
1-2 Years Tops. They'll buy, gut and then sell. It happened in Chattanooga, Des Moines, Saginaw, and I believe Springfield, MO.
 
It hasn't stopped yet. Market Manager Valerie Brooks "resigned" on Friday afternoon. But the big surprise is that former NSM Kathy Karnap is returning to replace Brooks. There doesn't seem to be much down time for those poor folks.
 
Is there anyone decent at Wilks anymore? I'm sure the reps hate the COWBOY way.............. The real funny thing is all of the old management is coming back. What a mistake. ???
 
Who said corporate raiding was a forgotten art?

This is just plain sad.
 
paco00 said:
Is there anyone decent at Wilks anymore? I'm sure the reps hate the COWBOY way.............. The real funny thing is all of the old management is coming back. What a mistake. ???
Click to expand...

Will the reps hate the "cowboy" way if/when it puts money in their pockets? I don't think they would hate the format as much as they would hate any changes to commission being made. If Wilks is as cheap as everyone says, I am guessing the commission structure has changed.
 
CBusDave said:
paco00 said:
Is there anyone decent at Wilks anymore? I'm sure the reps hate the COWBOY way.............. The real funny thing is all of the old management is coming back. What a mistake. ???
Click to expand...

Will the reps hate the "cowboy" way if/when it puts money in their pockets? I don't think they would hate the format as much as they would hate any changes to commission being made. If Wilks is as cheap as everyone says, I am guessing the commission structure has changed.
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And you all throught Clear Channel was bad! These people are worse!!!
 
To put it simple smart people shouldn't have to work for a bunch of pricks from ATL! The smart are leaving and I bet there are more to come. No one wants to deal with some jerk named Lee anyways. ;)
 
It appears they are moving their studios and offices to the far NE side of Columbus because they got a better deal.
How many radio stations are located in the heart of Downtown Columbus these days? Just WBNS-AM-FM left?

Article from the Columbus Business journal:

http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus...7/q-fm-96-owner-relocating-stations-from.html

Q-FM 96 owner relocating stations from downtown to NE Columbus
Business First by Brian R. Ball, Staff reporter
Date: Friday, April 27, 2012, 6:00am EDT

"The owner of Q-FM 96 and two other Columbus-area radio stations plans to pull out of downtown for a suburban office building at 2400 Corporate Exchange Drive off Cleveland Avenue.

Atlanta-based Wilks Broadcast Group LLC has signed a 10-year lease for 10,650 square feet on the second floor of the Corporate Exchange IV office property for its three FM stations in Columbus: WLVQ-FM (96.3), WHOK-FM (95.5) and WNKK-FM (107.1)."
 
gabigley1 said:
It appears they are moving their studios and offices to the far NE side of Columbus because they got a better deal.
How many radio stations are located in the heart of Downtown Columbus these days? Just WBNS-AM-FM left?
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Just WBNS AM and FM... The next closest cluster to downtown would be Radio One off E 1st Ave just a stones throw from 670.

My guess is the rent in NE Columbus is a steal compared to 280 N High St in downtown. [I would have to guess that rent to Nationwide wasn't cheap]
 
xmusicmatt said:
gabigley1 said:
It appears they are moving their studios and offices to the far NE side of Columbus because they got a better deal.
How many radio stations are located in the heart of Downtown Columbus these days? Just WBNS-AM-FM left?
Click to expand...

Just WBNS AM and FM... The next closest cluster to downtown would be Radio One off E 1st Ave just a stones throw from 670.

My guess is the rent in NE Columbus is a steal compared to 280 N High St in downtown. [I would have to guess that rent to Nationwide wasn't cheap]
Click to expand...

also parking expense, for both staff and visitors, random security issues, etc
 
Relocating is something WILKS likes to do. Just in the past couple years they relocated their DENVER cluster from the former Denver Post tower at 1560 Broadway in downtown to the Galleria Office Towers (big gold buildings) off Colorado Blvd a few miles away in the cheaper rent district. Like Columbus the cluster in Denver while downtown was a parking nightmare and rent was thru the roof expensive. Like Columbus Denver has few, if any, radio stations located downtown anymore, most are all located in the "Denver Tech Center" area south of downtown in or near the suburbs.

Wilks NEW Denver Digs- http://galleriaofficetowers.com/
Wilks FORMER Denver Digs- http://www.callahancp.com/propCivic.html
 
This was added to a thread that's five years old!  It would have been on page forty-something out of 77.

gabigley, let us know the idea behind reviving highly-dated threads instead of starting a new one?  I think R-I has sufficient resources to handle new Subject headings.  I often see an "OMG" Subject, and then soon realize I'm reading something fairly inconsequential that's been tacked onto some ancient thread.  Look at how many of the posters in the thread are no longer even active members!  That includes the OP.
 
Is there really that much that's even relevant in C-bus radio without the real ratings? Suckitron is hell bent on making mucho dinero and the only one's who can afford to find out the ratings are corporations. Where's the fun in that?
 
DoverJones said:
Is there really that much that's even relevant in C-bus radio without the real ratings? Suckitron is hell bent on making mucho dinero and the only one's who can afford to find out the ratings are corporations. Where's the fun in that?
Click to expand...

Do they care about ratings anymore? Pushing everyone to Iheart in a PPM world makes no sense to me.
 
Chuck,

That is just what I was thinking about this morning. Makes little sense the way some stations
are doing this.

Nu_Roo_2 said:
This was added to a thread that's five years old! It would have been on page forty-something out of 77.

gabigley, let us know the idea behind reviving highly-dated threads instead of starting a new one? I think R-I has sufficient resources to handle new Subject headings. I often see an "OMG" Subject, and then soon realize I'm reading something fairly inconsequential that's been tacked onto some ancient thread. Look at how many of the posters in the thread are no longer even active members! That includes the OP.
Click to expand...

This old thread heading is appropriate in this case. If CBS still owned the stations, I believe they
would have no intentions of moving these stations from downtown Columbus. But in the future,
I will post a new threads, its just easier and more convenient for me to revive old threads in some cases. Just search and find an appropriate old thread on the topic. Also, no worry about a new
topic heading.
 
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