Can't disagree with what you said, Big A and I would like to offer a perfect world scenario that would have perhaps kept this entire post from even having to be posted.
From my perspective, I think being right and being in an environment that is open to finding ways to INCREASE paychecks and company profits through better business practices is what SH0ULD be happening here and the majority of those solutions for this company lie outside their management. Let's face it, Cumulus has more than it's fair share of issues including disgruntled thousands of employees (I will not use the words "team member" here). But, I think their system of "management" is decades out of date and it is affecting their potential bottom line by millions, which is technically a violation of their fiduciary duty/responsiblity. They could turn all of this around with the right mindset change in the leadership by creating an inviting atmosphere of open debate, consideration and enactment of better business ideas. But, this is not the way the system is set up. If they could just be as good at maximizing their stations as they are in negotiating, buying stations and securing financing, radio might be in a much better place than it is today.
Granted, in radio 2011 and today's overall miserable job environment, that check is first and foremost the most important thing for people. What is ashame is that these same people cashing these checks are virtually forbidden from helping increase everyone's paycheck and by simply leaving the company doesn't guarantee a better deal down the street. It's basically become legalized entrapment for those who love the radio biz.
In my companies, I have always welcomed new ideas and innovations. In fact, that IS a sign of devoted team members that offer much more than just the bare minimum or even worse, stays virtually hidden from sight. For me, it's not always fun being wrong 110% of the time (kidding), but I cannot say how much more fun it is to have a system like this and what it has done for every area of the businesses. And, I see that each person that gos out otheir way is rewarded constantly in many different ways. Makes it tough to compete with us, cause none us just wait to cash their check. That's an empty way to go through life and I am sad that the radio industry, an industry that was always about being different and unique, has turned off the machine that monitors it's vital signs. It doesn't have to that way.
