Hired-n-Fired (was Re: [BC] oops)

[Thomas G. Osenkowsky]

I have also been on both sides. I was told a station in CT
was looking for a new CE. I went to the studios, met with
their OM. Shortly thereafter he was fired. His replacement
told me to call back next week. I was very persistent and in
the end was finally told they hired someone else. Because of
the dislike of this former OM, they assumed I was a friend
or croanie of his. I was not. I invested six weeks of calls to
no avail.

When I became a GM I made my staff my first priority. My
people were the most important element of my business. I did
my best and gave every chance to a once prominent DJ who
had become an alcoholic. I finally had to make the decision to
terminate him.

When I first took over, I decided to break the Mutual contract
with the Larry King show. I was a music station and took that
route overnights. The overnight was essentially a promo for the
morning show. I hired a woman straight out of CT School of
Broadcasting. She was in the right place at the right time. When
I was forced to close the station because the owner failed to make
bank payments (despite turning a profit each month) I had a woman
who was my Traffic Manager/Bookkeeper/Receptionist put her
arms around me and tell me I was the best person she ever worked 
for. That meant a lot to me. She had been working since she was 15.

I kept in mind that even though my pay scale was low each of my
people had families, bills to pay, etc. How often these are overlooked.

Tom Osenkowsky, CPBE