[BC] Dealing with the Brain Challenged

[Rich Wood]

------ At 10:02 PM 4/3/2010, Bill Brister wrote: -------

>I think engineers do, quite often, get relegated to the back of the room. If
>all of the equipment is working acceptably they tend to be overlooked,
>ignored, not needed. These threads are a natural reaction to that and are
>saying to the rest of the station, "we are here too", "don't forget about
>us", "we need attention also".

My experience has been that some, not all, engineers lack the social 
skills necessary to interact with the rest of the staff. They've 
tended to stay in their bunkers and come out only when needed to fix 
something. Most of my engineers were department Managers and 
participated in all management meetings and became the "go to" guys 
when some technical/mechanical problem arose. At one station the 
owner enjoyed entertaining his department heads. All were included in 
company trips, parties at his home and evening jaunts on the town 
when we were at conventions. The engineers were considered an 
important part of the team and were treated with respect. It was 
respect they earned.

>  Under normal circumstances that's OK, but
>when you get a bunch of engineers sitting around talking to each other the
>conversation can sometime morph into a mean spirited "we are the best",
>"everybody else is nothing", "if it weren't for us you wouldn't be on the
>air" kind of conversation.

Without the performers there's no reason to be on the air. The very 
good ones make astonishing amounts of money. The reason is that they 
bring in astonishing amounts of money. Even with Limbaugh's income I 
can assure you that Premiere Radio Networks isn't losing money on the 
show. Maybe it's because Management sees talent as a profit center 
and engineering as a cost center.

In today's ownership climate, controlled by Wall Street, all humans 
who draw a salary are cost centers. You raise your stock price by 
firing people. Even Public Broadcasting isn't immune. They brought in 
a younger host for Morning Edition. Notice that "The Newshour with 
Jim Lehrer" is now the PBS Newshour. That signals to me that Lehrer 
is on his way out to be replaced with a younger, cheaper host.

We'll all suffer.

Rich