[BC] Ed Buterbaugh from CKLW and WJR - old engineers

[Mike McCarthy]

I agree with the assessment that we need to hire replacement stock. A SBE 
study conducted a few years ago concluded the average member's age was 
mid-40's and increased 11 months every year.  HELLO!!!!!!!!!!!  The average 
age should waver a bit...but NEVER increase so severely.

HOWEVER with all due respect Jeff, when I spoke with Dave, he declined to 
relocate to a MUCH larger market and likely a much higher compensation 
package. As such, I believe Dave is not the poster child for this argument 
for the reason you cite...he self limited the markets which he would 
work.  And that is of course his choice.  I'm not knocking Dave's lifestyle 
choice in the least.  But it is what it is.....limits and endless 
possibility usually do not coincide.

Let's not blur and confuse the issues of a "no one hiring perception" as a 
result of limiting one's own options versus the overall industry ignoring 
the fact it's technical stock is aging, is already in shorter supply, and 
no one/few is/are interested in entering the profession.  I'd love to find 
a computer wiz who could do many things for us.  But not one I've 
interviewed recently has any idea about the medium and it's requirements. 
When told of 24/7 on-call and those types of responsibilities, they quickly 
say not interested before we ever get to compensation discussion. The next 
generation of workers is a 9-5 mindset....for now.  They too will 
learn...but it might be too late for them as some of this work might be 
outsourced and consolidated further.

I think Dave could have and could still find a successful position in the 
business most anywhere if he was willing to relocate to that market, 
including ours.

MM



At 03:00 AM 9/4/2008 -0400, Jeff Johnson wrote
>There seems little interest in hiring young guys. My friend and former 
>colleague, Dave Stuart, had been looking for a broadcast position in St. 
>Louis or Cincinnati for the better part of three years. He worked for a 
>couple of tech companies in the interim. He now works for the company that 
>makes the TXs for the Mars landers and other space hardware. We've lost 
>him to our profession.
>
>No one was interested in Dave in broadcast, and I can vouch for his 
>intelligence and dedication. Not being critical of Dana or any of the rest 
>of us here, but we needn't whine so much. It appears we are not yet 
>interested in bringing someone as sharp as us - but much younger - aboard.
>
>In Dave's case, he was not interested in working for the major groups 
>generally, as he was aware of gory horror stories of my personal 
>experience here recently and that of our old boss, Jay Crawford. Bottom 
>line - his options were limited, and he knew it. The major groups are too 
>often meat grinders, and other broadcasters are not hungry enough yet.
>
>Jeff.Johnson at rfproof.com
>
>>We're all getting old, guys. I turned 54 a week ago. Many of you are older
>>then me. I also fear that we represent the last generation of broadcast
>>engineers.
>>
>>We're literally a dying breed.
>>
>>-D