>From the why-would-anybody-want-to-work-in-radio dept:
INSIDE MUSIC MEDIA™ <http://insidemusicmedia.blogspot.com/>
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Radio's "Believe It Or Not"
<http://insidemusicmedia.blogspot.com/2009/08/radios-believe-it-or-not...>
Posted: 28 Aug 2009 12:02 AM PDT
By Jerry Del Colliano
The big three bumbling consolidators are screwing up radio even more
these days what with high anxiety management, totally irrelevant
priorities, potentially illegal recruitment tactics and contradictory
policies.
Yes, certified "stoopid" ways to get in your talented employees' way
while they are trying to save your bacon.
Incredible stories of death, destruction and self-immolation by or at
the hands of the three most dangerous companies owning radio stations --
Clear Channel, Citadel and Cumulus.
And, a programming note -- Cumulus has far surpassed Clear Channel as
"Radio's Worst Group" -- virtually impossible before Lew "Tricky" Dickey
started competing with Clear Channel to be "worser" than them. See the
up-to-the-second voting results from readers like you, here
<http://www.insidemusicmedia.blogspot.com/>.
Now, let's play Radio's "Believe It Or Not" ...
• Apparent pressure has cause the death of two Cumulus employees
You may remember that a Cumulus business manager died a few months ago
in what a reader apparently thought was workplace stress.
Again, most recently Kevin McDonald, account executive at the Cumulus
Pensacola, Florida cluster -- 38 years old -- died after he reportedly
was fired. Of course, workers predictably say that he was pressured --
their opinion. Nonetheless, some wonder whether the intensity of the
Cumulus management approach could be a factor. Here's McDonald's death
notice
<http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/nwfdailynews/obituary.aspx?n=kevin-b...>.
My opinion is that Cumulus has tightened the screws over the past year
in an attempt to get its many employees to do what a handful of Atlanta
executives think is best. There is a great deal of pressure on people.
Employees do not have a lot of options -- other than to quit. Some are
leaving, however. Most can't afford to be without work in a recession.
It's one thing to poke fun at Cumulus. But far more serious when
employees are dying or losing their good health under the Dickey regime.
• Grand Rapid's concert venue sues Clear Channel
That's a swticheroo.
Isn't it usually the Evil Empire that does the suing?
Anyway, the city of Ionia dragged Clear Channel's B-93 country station
into court to be reimbursed for $40,703 in extra expenses related to
flooding during a recent music festival.
You may remember, there was some confusion over whether B-93 adequately
warned 60,000 or more concert goers about one little thing -- that flash
floods in the Grand River could leave their cars inaccessible and buried
in mud.
That's what happened.
The National Weather Service knew it, but apparently Clear Channel's
weather source didn't.
At first Clear Channel indicated it would pick up the tab for towing the
1,400 cars out of the mud and then came to its senses and decided to
screw them out of the money instead. Meanwhile, station executives and
talent who really care about their listeners and the popular annual
event were hamstrung by Hogan's Heroes.
Don't believe it?
Read this
<http://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/index.ssf/2009/07/ionia_seeks_4070...>
account, but wait -- you won't believe the next item.
• No money to tow 1,400 stranded concert cars, but $989,250 to keep a
corporate lawyer from leaving Clear Channel
That's right, as incredible as it may seem -- Clear Channel agreed on
July 20th to pay almost one million dollars to EVP/Chief Legal office
Andy Levin to -- and this is a quote -- "induce" Mr. Levin to remain in
these positions through January 8, 2010. He also keeps his eligibility
for a bonus under the company's regular incentive plan.
Hey, this guy makes more money by leaving than staying.
I wonder why Clear Channel is so hot to keep him?
They don't make Polaroids anymore, do they?
Levin has magnanimously and unselfishly decided to make a great personal
sacrifice and stay on for another 90 days with no additional
compensation (other than the million, that is) and then will be
available through May 31, 2011 at a rate of $200 an hour for hours in
excess of five hours per week -- you read that right -- in excess of
five hours a week. He's also agreed to employee non-solicitation
covenants until May 31, 2011.
You can't make this stuff up.
This is reality in the unreal world of radio consolidation.
He's got to have pictures!
Those poor suckers called radio listeners/concert goers in Grand Rapids,
let them eat mud.
• All Cumulus managers may not attend the Philly NAB, except ...
One of my Repeater Reporters sent me a memo purported to be from Jon
Pinch -- dated February 23 of this year reminding Cumulus workers how
much their hard work is appreciated and sorry they can't go to the NAB
Radio Show in Philly this September.
Okay, I made up the appreciation for hard work part. Here's the real
zinger from Pinch to his market managers:
"It should go without saying that given the present economic conditions,
no one should be attending the RAB or NAB this year. This means
regardless of whether they recruited you as a “speaker” or other
participant, your focus is required on improving your market revenue".
First of all, if it should go without saying, why is this guy then
saying it?
Maybe what Captain Pinch is saying is, "you shouldn't go without me
saying it".
Second of all, why is CEO Lew Tricky Dickey pulling a slight of hand
move to appear on a panel in Philadelphia while his managers are toiling
back at their sweat shops?
Does the fact that Dickey is defying Captain Pinch mean that Dickey
can't focus on improving Cumulus market revenue?
Just asking.
• Citadel violating EEO laws by asking for applicant's pictures
Remember that cockamamie contest Citadel is having in Providence to find
salespeople? I think the phrase they used was that they were "teaming up
to give away the ultimate prize to one lucky Southern New Englander… a
job in radio!"
They're kidding, I hope.
Do these poor suckers know who they are auditioning to work for?
The problem with the “Can You Sell” contest was that it solicited
pictures of the applicants -- not kosher in the world of equal
opportunity. But hey, who is watching anyway?
Here were the rules as they explained them:
"On Thursday, August 6th from 9am-4pm we’ll host an open job interview
at Aqua at The Providence Marriott for the Account Executive position.
Interested applicants are encouraged to come down throughout the day
with their resume and selling spirit to “wow” us!
> From this group, we’ll pick twelve semi-finalist’s who will compete in
a series of four weekly tasks to determine who will be the next account
executive at Citadel Broadcasting! The tasks will be based around the
fast paced work environment in radio and feature things like writing and
producing a commercial for Newport Creamery.
Listeners will get to keep up with the contestants through blogs and
webisodes online at www.hot1063.com and www.92profm.com. A popular vote
online by the listeners will give feedback to a panel of executives from
Citadel and Newport Creamery".
Maybe Citadel thinks this is Survivor?
Well, they missed the deadline for finding their new sales superstars.
Citadel calls itself an equal opportunity employer.
As one of my alert readers points out:
"In the contest promo is: 'don't forget to include a photo and/or video
to get your foot in the door.'
Jerry, I haven't done hiring in a few years but all the places I hired
for, plus my own companies, would never have stood for requiring
pictures with an application.
Am I so out of touch that screening under EEO but here are some comments
I found to be related:
1) 'In the USA it is NOT a good idea to include a photo or video or
picture because Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
regulations put the employer (not the candidate) between a rock and a
hard place when photos, videos, or pictures of the applicant are
included with or on a resume.'
2) The Texas Workforce Commission said hiring decisions cannot be based
in any way upon race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age or
disability. 'Requiring a photo would likely be considered a clear
example of discriminatory hiring practices, according to our attorneys,'
a TWC representative wrote."
Oh, one more thing -- isn't Citadel one of the consolidators that fired
a heap of sales people in the past year? I think the term they used at
the time was "layoffs".
Then, why do they need to do a silly, possibly illegal contest to find
salespeople when they could recall good ones who were doing the job for
them and were fired to save money?
Guess that firing salespeople to make money thing isn't working out too
well, right Punchin' Judy Ellis?
I call it Ethics Cleansing -- fire people under the guise of tough
economic times and then come back and rehire cheaper, less experienced
employees months later.
I know radio groups are bankrupt financially but are they also bankrupt
of good ideas? I mean there is a recession and Citadel is playing "Sales
Survivor" with stations while they are five months away from breaching
their loan covenants.
Believe it or not, these things are really happening in the radio
business. Radio was never a joke like it is now. And the solid business
execs have been replaced
...
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