Clear Channel Bad Sport in Firing Workers (Jan 22, 2009)

Why can't the Clear Channel layoffs go as smoothly as the change in Presidency?

Tom Taylor of radio-info.com reports a few bad things that happened in the Jan 20 massacre. Here's what he writes for one market:

“They called out the names over the intercom, one-by-one.” I’m told that was the scene at Clear Channel’s cluster in Greenville-Spartanburg, SC. And truth to tell, local managers didn’t have any good options, did they? But after the laid-off staffers in many markets got the news, they were commonly asked to leave the building immediately and to return this weekend to pick up their personal stuff. In at least one major-market case, it was done more coldly. Fired staffers were told their stuff would be shipped to them and they shouldn’t stop to say goodbye to co-workers as they were escorted from the building. Their questions weren’t answered by the managers doing the layoffs, and the report I got was “the people were treated like they were second-class citizens.” And then there’s the report out of Tucson – that management stationed a police officer outside the building to watch, as people were shown out of the facility and into the parking lot.

Here's more from Tom:

No doubt, security was an issue for Clear Channel. Not just the cop in Tucson – but also potential post-firing damage to a company-owned website. Some T-R-I readers say Clear Channel took measures to keep ex-employees from being able to get at station websites. In fact, all personalities were apparently unable to access their webpages yesterday morning.

Tom also reports about many sales department casualties, and lots and lots of programming department folks are gone, especially outside major markets.

In San Diego, other losses at the Clear Channel offices include CC Traffic sales managers Tim Stemler and Cathy O’Brien, KHTS sales manager Jason Courtemanche, and promotion director Jay Isbell.

Mark Mays says they eliminated 9% of the Clear Channel workforce.

Clear Channel: It's About The Company (Jan 22, 2009)

It's sadder to think that a burger flipper at McDonald's now has more job security and class than a radio station employee. The radio business just hasn't adjusted to today's hostile listener environment of 2009.

Clear Channel would have been a better company if it wasn't a control freak, forcing homogenized playlists on radio stations full of songs that people don't want to hear, and not allowing people who love music to think for themselves. This is what has driven listeners away in droves, causing radio stations to loose ad revenue, and to shrink their employee count.

Mp3s on the Internet featuring music that Clear Channel would never play is often more interesting than what they are airing. Every station sounds like cookie cutter adult contemporary, country, or rock formats.

Back before radio was allowed to own more than seven AM and seven FM stations (one AM/FM max in each market), there were far more voices that helped shape the sound of top 40 radio today than there are today. Putting music playlist decisions in the many back in the 60s and 70s helped foster a melting pot of ideas that other stations owned by other companies picked up on such as what songs were popular on their competetors in the market or out of market. There could have been a few companies that controlled the playlists of its 14 stations, but I can't name any and I don't know for sure if that ever was true, but I hope that there was no such thing as that back then.

With fewer radio station owners picking the songs, listeners showed radio how stupid it was by playing gatekeeper to them as they revolted to their music downloads and Internet streaming, leaving the terrestrial radio stations in the lurch.

What's on San Diego radio's formats? adult contemporary, hip hop, alt rock, classic rock, hot a/c, contemporary hits, contemporary country, smooth jazz, right wing talk, sports talk, brokered programming, and foreign language programming.

There's also nonprofit broadcasting stations playing mostly fare that is geared to mature listeners such as traditional jazz and NPR, but a few play some youth oriented music.

But the listeners want more, and radio just doesn't want to give it to them, so they leave for greener pasutres, helping Clear Channel to put over 1,800 people out of work because their ratings are tanking and ad revenue ebbed.

Clear Channel and the other radio companies have noone else to blame but themselves for turing radio into an unprestigious job that ranks lower than that of a sanitary worker.

Clear Channel has jettisonned many local talkers and deejays and replaced them with syndicated or voice-tracked programming depending on the market. In San Diego, XTRA is only a shell of its former self when it came to exist 20 years ago or so. XTRA might as well re-brand itself as Fox Sports and retire the XTRA name for good. Nowadays, XTRA is short for X-CRA-ment.

KGB has nothing but a local morning show in a sea of worn out classic rock and jockless programning. It's nothing but radio nowhere when DSC signs off. It's nothing like it was in the good ol' Hergon Breakfast Club days of my college years.

Rock 105.3's music is uninspired. Star 94.1 is unlistenable. Channel 933 skews too young for my tastes. New Country 95.7 isn't my kind.

KOGO has only three local talkers, Chip Franklin, Jack Rice (who's based in another city), and Steve Yuhas. XTRA, or Fox, or whatever on 1360, still has Josh Rosenberg. And that's it. Roger Hedgecock went to syndication and he's no longer on Clear Channel's payroll. XTRA and KOGO are syndicated the rest of the way. Local radio talk shows have gone the way of the cassette tape player.

According to radioandrecords: Mays Brothers' Base Salaries Cut To $500K.

Not So Fast Clear Channel! (Jan 22, 2009)

Bob Hudson says that he was listening to Dave Rickards on KGB yesterday morning trying to get Ruth 66 and Bromo back into the fold.

This is the problem with having one group running even seven stations in San Diego. Clear Channel is still a 800 pound gorilla that can control what you say, who you can hire, and what you can play.

How many more listeners can Clear Channel lose in the year 2009?

A Letter From John Hogan (Jan 22, 2009)

Today has been a difficult day companywide as we addressed the economic realities affecting our country and many other companies. While separating from colleagues is personally difficult, the changes we have made were carefully considered and are necessary and prudent business decisions.

We are choosing to change as the environment around us changes and will begin work today on re-engineering our operations to successfully compete today, tomorrow and in the future. The challenges will be many -- we continue to see softness in the advertising market; we continue to compete with all forms of media for both audience and advertising dollars; and we continue to have to do both in a way that's smarter, faster and more effective.

But, there are three very important things that we have going for us. Clear Channel Radio has the resources, the will and the plan to compete going forward. Our deep bench of talent and intellectual capital will drive Clear Channel Radio through this downturn and ensure our ability to emerge from it faster, stronger and better than ever.

In recessions, there is a flight to quality by advertisers, and Clear Channel Radio offers the highest quality by any measure.

- Radio continues to have the largest, most desirable audience of any media. Better than broadcast television. Better than cable. Better than newspapers. Clear Channel Radio operates more top-ranked stations and digital sites in our local markets than any other broadcaster. We have the top syndicated talent on the air and online in our Premiere Radio Networks company.

- Clear Channel Radio also continues to have the most desirable digital properties in the country. From our streaming broadcasts to our on-demand content to our mobile applications like iheartradio, our brands are gaining audience daily in the most coveted demographics and platforms.

- Clear Channel Radio, in partnership with our Premiere Radio Networks and Katz Media Group colleagues, is part of the world's largest and most effective radio advertising network by any measure.

Recessions also favor the forms of marketing and advertising that give the highest return on investment. We clearly have the opportunity to take market share away from broadcast television, cable and newspapers in this economy.

As we move forward, please know that you have the support and commitment of everyone on the Clear Channel Radio management team. We have the best resources of any radio company – and we have the will to win. Please join me for an important all-staff webinar on Wednesday morning for which your Market Manager will provide details.

Thank you for your efforts and support.

John Hogan

President/CEO"

Clear Channel in The Wires (Jan 22, 2009)

Randy Dotinga: Clear Channel Cutbacks Reach Deep: The Wall Street Journal reported that Clear Channel, which owns about 1,200 stations nationwide, planned to save $400 million by cutting 1,500 jobs. The Journal said Clear Channel would move toward more national programming at the expense of local shows that can be costly to produce. Clear Channel has already moved toward less local programming in San Diego. A few months ago, pop/rock station Star 94.1 dumped afternoon disc jockeys Jen Sorenson (formerly Jen Sewell) and Rick Moorten to make room for Ryan "American Idol" Seacrest's daily syndicated music show. At KOGO, Roger Hedgecock's 23-year-old talk show became nationally syndicated, meaning the former San Diego mayor won't address local issues unless they're of interest to a national audience. Hedgecock's show remains on KOGO. However, former San Diegan Jack Rice, an ex-CIA officer, now hosts "Top Story" from 6 to 7 p.m. weekdays on the station. An interesting tidbit about Rice: He's been broadcasting from Minneapolis. But he's leaving a station there at the end of the month, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Inside Radio: Clear Channel Rethinks Operations. Radio's biggest group did more than lay-off 1,850 employees. Its $350 million in cost savings strategy was the result of months of studying strategies for dealing with new economic realities. The sales department bears the brunt of cuts. The "realignment" will also mean new selling strategies.

Update on Clear Channel Pink Slips (Update 10am, Jan 21, 2009)

Dave "Bromo" Abromowitz was let go.

Josh Rosenberg was not let go.

XTRA Sports 570 in Los Angeles is now literally a competetive clone of ESPN Radio 710: mostly network stuff.

Welcome to Radio Nowhere in San Diego and Los Angeles.

Excerpt of Bruce Springsteen's "Radio Nowhere" lyrics. Clear Channel doesn't like him.

I was tryin' to find my way home
But all I heard was a drone
Bouncing off a satellite
Crushin' the last lone American night
This is radio nowhere, is there anybody alive out there?
This is radio nowhere, is there anybody alive out there?

I was spinnin' 'round a dead dial
Just another lost number in a file
Dancin' down a dark hole
Just searchin' for a world with some soul

This is radio nowhere, is there anybody alive out there?
This is radio nowhere, is there anybody alive out there?
Is there anybody alive out there?

Clear Channel San Diego On-Air Layoffs (Jan 21, 2009)

KGB 101.5: afternoon DJ Ditch, midday Bobbie Hill, morning reporter Nina "Ruth 66" Rheba. Only live show is in the morning.

XTRA 1360: Fox Sports Radio replaces all of the slots once hosted by local personalities. Craig Elsten, Jeff Dotseth (Dave Palet was fired months ago), Chris Ello, Mike Costa, and Matt Gulbransen are gone.

Rock 105.3: morning show co-host Zethian Oats.

Channel 933: morning co-host Sean "Sonic" Leckie.

Many more personnell laid off were off-air job positions.

Chris Carmichael: has the complete list of layoffs here.