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WRIB off the air...staff kicked out

O

odomski

Guest
Tonight, Channel 12 aired a story about the takeover of WRIB 1220..and how the staff was abruptly kicked out of the facility. Check out the station's website (www.wrib.com) and read further how they were treated by this Faith Christian Center, the church who bought the station. Evidently, this Church pulled the plug on the station at 12:30 Saturday afternoon. That left staff members and people who had programs on the station scrambling to get their belongings out of the building before they were deemed as "trespassers."

My opinion: this Faith Christian Church handled this totally wrong. From reading the story on the WRIB website, the staff was assured 30 days notice, before this Seekonk church took over. Evidently, the church's schyster lawyers told the Church to kick everyone out without notice and shut the place down. Dispicable. Why do we need another religious radio station anyway? Don't we have enough already? Although I never listened to WRIB, the station had a niche and served it's purpose. It's a shame to see the station disappear like this. This Faith Christian Center should be ashamed of themselves.
 
The new owners have shown an incredible lack of common sense. It's pure ignorance. You just don't treat people like that.
 
churches suck!! plain and simple. churches should NEVER EVER own radio stations!! most of these WOF chuches are satanic anyway! the devil probably told them to kick out the christians! what a shame! i was once unemployed after a mega church takeover also! and yes i am a christian. but i do not like organized religion!


ps..upon futher review the church has to be of the devil. christians woulnt act like that!! to quote grim reaper (metal band)from 1984..see you in hell.......or metallica..send me money send me fame heaven you will meet ..make your contribution and you'll get the better seat..bow to leper messiah!!
 
...doesn't surprise me in the least. In fact, it's what was done to me in May 1994 when "Vic the Vampire" Eliason (as he's frequently called in Milwaukee) bought WXOL Oshkosh to turn it from oldies into an AM repeater of his Milwaukee religious station WVCY. I showed up to do my afternoon drive talk show and found the locks on the station building changed and my last paycheck taped to the front door! The outgoing owner of WXOL simply turned the pot up on the People's Radio Network satellite feed one morning and walked out, leaving Chuck Harder's bilge to spill out onto 690 kHz in Eastern Wisconsin through the end of June without any legal IDs or transmitter pattern changes...
 
The Faith Christian Center also has a program on Channel 12,New Bedford Cable Access,and WARV.Their website is http://www.faithchristiancenter.org/
LOL their initials are FCC on the site
Wow this is becoming the hottest topic since Cruisin Bruce and Big John were canned from B101.Praise the Lord and cut the budget.
 
their website gives me the creepes. reaching rhode island with the truth?? the truth is they aint christian!!
 
If these people are Christian, I want no part of them. You shouldn't treat people like that, especially if you're a Christian--radio or otherwise.
 
For those who are radio wannabes and for those with less than 24-hours actual broadcast experience:

GET USED TO IT.

Though this instance involves an self-proclaimed "Christian" outfit, the practice of having no respect for staff goes back to about the second day there was a radio station on the air anywhere.

I worked, many years ago, for a Providence GM who was also a "legendary radio personality" who once told a meeting of business leaders that: "Announcers ("disc jockey" hadn't been invented yet) are NOTHING." "They're just voices with feet."

Rhode Island has honed the dumping of staff to a fine art. I recall, with no effort, format changes at WPRO, WJAR, WHIM, WICE, WYNG (lots of those calls long gone) which saw mass, immediate firings. Under most of them there was no severence pay and the victims had only an hour to clean out their personal stuff with someone in management hovering over them and often challenging whether a particular pen or pencil was station property.

Yes, I was on the management side of a couple of those incidents. Did I like it? No, but those were the orders and I didn't want to lose the job I had just gotten.

Lesson:

If you want to work in broadcasting, don't understand how employment policies work and don't WANT to understand (re-read everything above), then find a job in a more stable field. For example, used car sales.

Oh yeah....that a "religious broadcaster" would do such a thing?

Find that concept troublesome?

Then you REALLY need a career change.
 
Maybe I was wrong, but I could've sworn someone who works in the biz told me that a new owner has to give a minimum of 30 days notice before throwing out leased broadcasters who are under contract unless there's the issue oif non-payment. The person I asked was the GM of a station that carries a few brokered shows and I said to him "If I ever am fortuante to get the money to buy this station, can I get rid of the brokered programming that airs on Sundays?" and I believe his response was "If they are under contract you must give them a mininum of 30 days notice."
 
Les: You seem to take offense to the folks disagreeing with the way the Church handled this takeover. Did you go to this Faith Christian Church? If so, I can see why you are so upset. The WRIB people don't have to "get used" to anything. As far as I know, most of the people who had programs on the station aren't even professional broadcasters!

I disagree with what happened. That "christian" church originally gave the WRIB folks 30 days notice...then without warning, the schyster lawyers stormed in and told them they would deemed as trespassers if they didn't get out immediately. That's not professional or very Christian-minded.

I know this whole thing is really one-sided...as we don't have the Church side of the story. Until the Church comments on the situation on TV, radio, and in the paper, there is only one side to this. It seems really shady if the Church refuses comment. I hope one of the television stations (or all three) does a more in-depth story on this...and get both sides of the story.

By the way, who are some of the folks who had ethnic programs on the station? Does anyone have any names of any of the show's hosts...how they could be contacted, etc? Would any of you have a recent programming schedule for the now defunct WRIB?
 
the golden boy said:
If these people are Christian, I want no part of them. You shouldn't treat people like that, especially if you're a Christian--radio or otherwise.
Click to expand...

Not in any way excusing what these people did (if it's true, that's deplorable), but sometimes I think that christians (including myself) unfairly get all lumped together into one category. There are a lot of people who say they're christian, and sure don't act that way, and I would suffice to say there are many of them who claim to be, who in reality, aren't. However, I don't understand why some non-christians take into account the actions of some so-called "christian groups" and then decide that all christians are the same. That's absolutely untrue. Also, I sometimes think that non-christians unrealistically expect christians to be perfect, and, of course, that's not the case. When a person becomes a christian, he/she doesn't become perfect. We all still do things wrong from time to time. And for the most part, a real christian does feel badly when he/she sins, and does try to do better. Becoming a christian doesn't have to do with attaining perfection; it's about trying to live the very best way that God wants us to live, and knowing that when we fail (as we have and will continue to do from time to time) that he forgives us. We don't have a "license" to do just whatever we feel like, but we try to do the very best we can, and yes...all christians have some "work" to do on their christian lives, areas where we need to improve. God is perfect, but we are not...




________________________
Radio stations come and go.
Does anything last forever?
www.PassTheWord.net
 
If anyone is itnerested in filing a petition to deny, contact me offlist, via email.
 
I spent 5 years dealing withthe Christian radio and music industry and I am GRATEFUL to be back in the secular world. I had never dealt with a more self-centered group of characters. I was the publisher of the American Christian Music Journal (formerly ChristianBeats) and producer of the first four American Christian Music Awards.

With the exception of a few artists and a few radio stations, I usually felt I had to take a shower after dealing with some of these men and women of God.

I feel bad for those displaced, but worse for the listeners who probably have no idea what is going on.

DocTag
 
Only one way to get around a mess like this ,back in 1988 when NBC sold its radio division WNBC New York was sold to Emmis which had the nations first 24 hour sports station WFAN at 1050. When they took over the 660 spot on the dial they moved WFAN to that spot but at the time could not retain a 24 hour sports format. WHY? Don Imus had a contract not with just with NBC but also with anyone else who would broadcast at 660. A contract with a frequency. They either had to play him or pay him and as it turned out to Emmis and future owners they made the right call. A strange story but one that kept a top talent on the air.
 
Hi Shawn...

I worked at 1220 at 2 different times...and some of the folks I worked with there,

were: Rolando Petrella and Maria Gina Aiello of The Voice Of Italy,

Russ Gasparian who did the Armenian program..he started on the old WHIM-FM, in fact;

the late Art Petroppoulos, who did the Greek show, which I believe was recenly hosted by

Cranston restauranteur Peter Pantelakis; and Pershing Rodriguez, who was director of the Spanish

programming. Not sutre if station op mgr John Pierce or public affairs director Richard Jannetta were also

given the heave-ho....



Dave Gardiner

WVCH 740/WNWR 1540
 
Shawn O'Domski said:
Les: You seem to take offense to the folks disagreeing with the way the Church handled this takeover. Did you go to this Faith Christian Church? If so, I can see why you are so upset. The WRIB people don't have to "get used" to anything. As far as I know, most of the people who had programs on the station aren't even professional broadcasters!
Click to expand...

Bad guesses, all....

1. I'm not offended by people disagreeing with what happened at WRIB. At one level I feel for them. But only because they're living in a strange and wonderful world where "church" people live up their professed moral/ethical codes. Disagree all they want. But understand radio is a business, as are all too many "churches". If anyone believes otherwise they probably also believe the oil companies are gonna cut the price of gasoline just out of an overwhelming spirit of fairness.

2. I have no connection, whatsoever, with "Faith Christian Church". I AM mildly put off by so many stations falling into the hands of professional "Christian" organizations. I'm talking about people whose PROFESSION is making a buck off what should be a faith. I will admit, though, that once I nearly bought a Doctor of Divinity degree from a California-based diploma mill. Had aspirations of founding "The First Church of If It Feels Good, Do It". Show me a REAL radio person who wouldn't want to join up. I'll still take your money and make a really firm, ethical promise that you'll get not a damn thing for it.


All I'm saying is that if you want to "play" in radio while believing in All Things Bright and Beautiful, Liberty, Justice, Fairness and Empathy for all....well, you need to grow up.

It's a feature of the creature. Sooner or later "your" station will be sold and the odds are 99% plus that the new owners want everybody out; the quicker the better. OK, so maybe some of those who got dumped aren't aspiring radio professionals. If they had contracts with the old owners then they need to get with their lawyers who we might hope with whom they consulted before signing them. They may have some recourse and even might get some money back if they ever paid any to the station. Reality? Probably signed what the old owners stuck in front of them, end discussion.

It ain't right. It's just the way it is. Get used to it or get outta the business.
 
I don't like the looks of the way this was done either but agree with Les in terms of the reality of it all. Consider that the church was advised to do this by their attorneys so if that hadn't been the case these programs might have continued until the new owner was ready to take over. I'm also thinking the attorneys might have foreseen the possibility of the people running these programs ranting on the air about their shows coming to an end.

Again I don't condone what happened but understand it. I think people are expecting a church to act differently when it comes to radio ownership but that isn't going to be the case. Anyone in the biz who has heard the old "no changes anticipated" from new owners looks at everything with a cynical eye. The people running these shows are probably not as cynical,not being actual radio people per se,& are mortified by this.

Again this doesn't mean I'm excusing it but like everything else in radio,it's understandable. There's probably more politics in any religious structure than at the Brine Shrine & Ghettoplex combined. Maybe the attorneys in question felt if each host had a chance to just bid a fond farewell with a final show, the farewell wouldn't have been too fond. Unfortunate & hopefully all these shows will find another local home.
 
As far as finding another local station they could put them all on The Score FM to boost their numbers.
 
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