NOT....Re: [BC] Clear Channel Wants More?

[Mike Gideon]

Dana,

I don't disagree that those situations exist. And, I agree that we use the 
same equipment across all markets, but a small market economy is the same no 
matter who owns the stations. We have people on staff in most of the smaller 
markets because we usually own enough stations to justify it. That doesn't 
mean that these stations have major market billing.

I'll use Jerry Mathis for an example. Jerry has 13 stations. His role is not 
the same as a major market chief. Jerry was hired to replace a contract 
engineering firm because he could devote more time to those stations than 
the contractors did. Those markets can't afford 13 engineers, so the level 
of service has to be adjusted accordingly. Jerry is a full time employee, 
and has the ability to help direct budgets. The economy in those markets is 
what it is, so Jerry is tasked with keeping those stations running with a 
lot more available time than the previous contract engineers. He is NOT 
expected to provide the level of service that our five person staff in 
Memphis provides. Rewind 20 years, those markets didn't have much more 
technical manpower than they do now, and they were maintaining analog tape 
and the typical small market junk throughout.

The point is that those markets, no matter how far away they are from your 
ideal model, are getting more competent engineering than they have in the 
past. If Jerry gets in trouble, the cavalry is a phone call away. Jerry will 
tell you that he isn't expected to work seven days a week (unless there's a 
hurricane), and that the key to his success is finding the problems, fixing 
them right, and not wasting a lot of time on things that aren't part of the 
scope of work.

My personality won't let me be somebody's bitch, no matter how much I love 
radio. I'll pound nails first. It happened once (BTW, in a major market) and 
I walked.

Advice:

1. If you're feelin' abused, look at yourself first. Are you devoting your 
time to the expectations of the job (you did discuss expectations, right)?
2. If you are overwhelmed, TALK to your GM about the expectations vs. 
available resources
3. If you can't get anywhere with your GM, talk to your regional engineer. 
If you don't have a regional, go buy a hammer and nail pouch.
4. If none of the above works, then you're in the wrong job (or you're the 
wrong guy).

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "DANA PUOPOLO" <dpuopolo at usa.net>
To: "Broadcast Radio Mailing List" <broadcast at radiolists.net>
Sent: Saturday, October 08, 2005 10:05 AM
Subject: Re: NOT....Re: [BC] Clear Channel Wants More?


EXACTLY!

Mike, the situation you have is the exception, not the rule! You are one of
the lucky ones.  Even your company - who I must say generally treats
engineering (though not necessarily engineers) better then most has horror
shows across all over For every one of your situation there are at least one
horror show - wspeicaly in te smaller markets.

Remember this, Mike - though the market size might change, the equipment 
does
not. A transmitter is what it is - whether it's operating in market #1 or
market #280.

I know of one CC cluster where one engineer is responsible for seven 
stations.
SEVEN! The manager refuses to hire even a contractor to help him out (or 
cover
when he is on vacation or sick). The poor guy has not had a day off in well
over a year. They even called him EVERY DAY during his vacation. The GM 
called
him while he was ON VACATION having a day trip with his kids and ordered him
into work, threatening him that he'd be fired if he didn't comply.

Why doesn't he quit? Believe me, he'd like to - but he has a wife and 
several
children to feed and house. He grew up where he is and doesn't want to 
leave.
Before, he could work for another station because there were TEN DIFFERENT
OWNERS in his city. Now there are THREE!!
Please explain to me how this consolidation helps HIM?

In one top 5 market cluster, things got so bad engineering wise that the 
CE's
got together and voted to join IBEW. Why? The market DOE is such a jerk that
they all can't stand him. When I saw him at NAB, I said hi to him and he
turned his back to me and walked away! Yet management LOVES him! That's how
purely CLUELESS they are. The regional thinks he's great too, ad can't
understand why the others dislike him so.

See? It's not confined to small markets. Even major ones have the same
problem. It's systemic of the business.

The sad thing is that it's 100% preventable. All it would take is for a few
GM's to be fired over their treatment of the engineer and the rest would get
the message. All it would take is an email from an executive stating that 
poor
treatment of engineers will not be tolerated. But know what? There's a 
bigger
chance of a Ttsunami hitting Nashville then either of these happening!

So, we're in a business where the average age of the engineer gets older 
every
year and no one replaces the ones that retire. I for one will likely never
work full time in the industry again. Once my Computertots business gets 
going
I'll probably exit the business all together. Yes, I'll probably get 
nostalgic
once in a while, but it'll be longing for the way things were pre 1996, not
the way they are now in radio. Besides, I can't ever work for CC again - 
it's
been made quite clear to me from the top that once you quit - for whatever
reason - you can never return. What I'd like to know is how come this rule
only applies to Engineers, Mike? Sales persons, talent secretaries, traffic,
etc. come and go all the time!

-D





------ Original Message ------
Received: Sat, 08 Oct 2005 03:03:49 AM PDT
From: Larry Bloomfield <Larry at Tech-Notes.TV>
To: Broadcast Radio Mailing List <broadcast at radiolists.net>
Subject: Re: NOT....Re: [BC] Clear Channel Wants More?

Mike:

Having traveled the US over the past four years doing the Taste of NAB
Road Show totaling 165  presentations to date (only 57 so far this
year), I meet and speak with a lot of engineers in both large and small
markets. Having been a Chief Engineer myself, I've also experienced what
seems to be the norm across this great land of ours: most engineers are
looked at as a necessary evil by their management. This has evolved
since the FCC stopped requiring qualified and licensed people at
stations. Once upon a time the Chief Engineer's word was gold. Today, if
most are luck, it is not much better than toilet paper. Most managers
are dollar/bottom line oriented and see engineering as an endless money
pit in the corporate structure. I will say that most all engineers I've
met on the Road Show are really very talented and well qualified and do
not deserve the disrespect they get. Many engineers are required to work
in violation of both state and federal laws where safety is concerned
and many work hours they don't get paid for and if they put in for it
get chewed out. I love this industry and it hurts to see what has become
of it. I have to say there are a few luck folks like you, but your are
in the minority and it is my experience interfacing with other engineers
across the country that qualifies me to make this observation. Whatever
I can do to bring solace, education and a bit of fun to their lives
makes what I do worth it.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++
Larry Bloomfield, KA6UTC
Bloomfield Enterprises, LLC
dba - Tech-Notes
1980 25th St., Florence, OR  97439-9717
(541) 902-2424 - Home/Office/Cell
WWW.Tech-Notes.TV  -- See you on the Road Show.




Mike Gideon wrote:

> Dana,
>
> I see a lot of respect for engineers out there. A smart GM (and there
> are still a lot of them) realizes that engineers are a huge factor in
> the big picture. I have it easier than some. It comes from the top in
> my region. I can't think of one of my GM's that doesn't have the
> proper respect for engineering. If the problem does crop up somewhere,
> I'm on the phone with the GM.
>
> Budgets are a reality, so you can't staff a small market cluster the
> same way you staff a big market. But, there are practical minimums
> that have to be communicated. When it comes to budget cuts, it also
> has to be communicated that the expectations for engineering should be
> adjusted according to staffing.
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "DANA PUOPOLO" <dpuopolo at usa.net>
> To: "Broadcast Radio Mailing List" <broadcast at radiolists.net>
> Sent: Friday, October 07, 2005 9:45 AM
> Subject: Re: NOT....Re: [BC] Clear Channel Wants More?
>
>
> I don't think that CC (or anyone in particular) has killed the farm
> system.
> What I DO think has happened is that compared to other disciplines of
> engineering, radio has become the most work at the poorest pay. Even
> worse,
> what I call the "recognition factor" has dropped significantly. Years
> back,
> you had staffs and managers that appreciated and respected engineers.
> They
> were seen as part of the team and treated accordingly. Today's
> managers see
> them as cost centers to be eliminated where possible (and who decides
> whether
> they're necessary? The clueless manager!).
>
> Unfortunately, it's the big companies who have put many of the
> clueless into
> power at radio stations. Indeed, I consider many officers at the big
> consolidators to be totally ignorant about radio themselves. All they
> know is
> spreadsheets and the next quarter's guidance. They'd likely sell all
> their
> radio stations and invest in cookies if it made the company more
> profit. They
> are NOT broadcasters!
>
> When I worked at CC Tucson, our four stations got 40+ cents of every
> dollar
> spent in that market. The regional VP rewarded the manager by firing
> her. Two
> years (and two managers) later they owned seven stations there and their
> revenue had dropped to under 20 cents! Half the staff either quit or
> was let
> go by the second GM who tried to cook the books by slashing expenses. I
> believe that at one point they had NO engineer for months! They still
> have not
> recovered, even though they hired back the original GM - who had never
> should
> have been fired in the first place.
>
> What happened to that VP? He got PROMOTED!!
>
> How do YOU spell Peter Principle?
>
> I'm not singling CC out here. I'm sure that this happens routinely at
> other
> companies too. The reason that radio engineering sucks so bad as a
> career is
> that general managers suck so bad. The good GM's are retiring and
> clueless
> sales whores are taking their places.
>
> Add to this that the "show biz" allure of radio is almost completely
> gone and
> it's no wonder why young engineers don't go into radio any more as a
> career.
> After all, we're the educated, intelligent ones. Why would we want to
> work at
> a place where there's poor pay AND we get abused?
>
> Yes, there are exceptions to this. Probably quite a few in fact. BUT
> please
> remember this: Though you might be working for one of the great managers
> today, they might get fired this afternoon and tomorrow you might find
> yourself working for a completely clueless asshole!
>
> Don't think so? It's happened to me at least twice.....
>
>
> -D
>
>
>
>
>
> ------ Original Message ------
> Received: Thu, 06 Oct 2005 07:44:25 PM PDT
> From: "Mike Gideon" <mikegideon at comcast.net>
> To: "Broadcast Radio Mailing List" <broadcast at radiolists.net>
> Subject: Re: NOT....Re: [BC] Clear Channel Wants More?
>
> Never ceases to amaze me how much bad we can be credited for. We own
> 10% of
> the radio stations. How the HELL can we eliminate 100% of the farm
> system???
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Phil Alexander"
> <dynotherm at earthlink.net>
>
>>
>> OTOH, it does appear that CC is using the experience and
>> ability of people that will have no replacements when they
>> retire because they, and others, have clustered the broadcast
>> "farm system" out of existence.
>>
>> It is a problem the industry will be forced to confront
>> during the next generation, and, in fact, it is already
>> beginning to show.
>>
>>
>> Phil Alexander, CSRE, AMD
>> Broadcast Engineering Services and Technology
>> (a Div. of Advanced Parts Corporation)
>> Ph. (317) 335-2065   FAX (317) 335-9037
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> -- 
>> No virus found in this outgoing message.
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>>
>>
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>
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