...an additional 3% of the staff, so says R&R. Corporate marketing department completely eliminated and it's said most cuts are in operations/programming.

Any word on the cuts (if any) here in PDX?

....most cuts are in operations/programming....

I thought that department was eliminated several years ago......

Seems like a farmer eating his seeds rather than planting them......

Just think, someone is getting paid big money to make these decisions....... and it seems to be working out how?

Maybe CC will have to eliminate brands like GM is doing.

The people who blindly put all that money into CC have got to be having some severe stomach cramps right about now. And, it will get even worse.

Brooks Burford, Mark Workhoven among the cuts in newsroom. Janine Wolf and John Williams both gone from Kool. Sad to see them go.

The body count from yesterday's slaughter was 590.

I would suggest that the people who put all that money into CC were not so blind and are not at all surprised...

Really?

Boy, the last thing I want to do, after investing is see damn near 600 people laid off.

>>Boy, the last thing I want to do, after investing is see damn near 600 people laid off.<<

Try nearly 2,400 jobs cut since the new year.

And it's those new investors who are driving the layoffs with their statistical tools to determine who stays at a station and who goes.

Yep. That will fail too.

See the other thread where this is discussed. CC is stripping down, and in the process ditching those people and relationships that have value, create value and are connected to those willing to buy into that value.

Don't forget that Bain ultimately was forced into a shotgun wedding with CC. The entire landscape changed while the deal to go private went through. Bain wanted out, and the courts said they couldn't without paying an incredible sum of money.

Unfortunately, they are gutting the goose to get the golden eggs - and I think we all know how that story ends.

That being said, John Williams is the last person I would have leave any building.

Amen to that brother Tom.

When people talk about Clear Channel and Cumulus, my response has always been "Well, neither one ever bounced one of my paychecks." But, I sure as heck wouldn't want to work for either company these days.

Good luck to those who have been let go and most definately to those still hanging on. Especially you Bruce.

All Access is running a continually updated list of all CC staffers nationwide who have been nuked at www.allaccess.com. the website says severance is between 3 and 9 months, depending on length of service. Besides Brooks Burford, Mark Workoven, Janine Wolf and John Williams, Gail Swan in Accounts Receivable also got the ax. Burford told me this morning that job performance was not taken into account in any of the layoffs, it was all about how much money could be saved.

Maybe the line of thinking is it's like having a boat sunk in the harbor.... Everytime the tide goes out it's not as deep as it was. Fact is it's still sunk, so whether they keep trimming people quarterly to try and show and up or finally say hell with it and cut everyone all at once have a great quarter then drown, they ARE NOT ADDRESSING the underlying problems. cutting staff locally nor national programming solves anything.

PS when sending a negative email to CC headquarters, you probably only get one crack........ the rest will be unread.....

sometimes the locals will reply.

The best way to get CC paying attention is not in communicating with them, but with Congress, especially Henry Waxman. CC is scared to death of Congress right now.

Give props to GM Robert Dove and OM Tommy Austin for protecting Michael Bailey and Scott Lynn in all of this mandatory cutting. There are still decent people in broadcasting.

How's terri Ann doing in Fresno. Anyone know.

With the loss of Kool 105-9's morning show, we can bet that 105.9 will be the one flipping, while 106.7 will stay with Classic Hits.

There was some talk today (on radio-info, which I generally don't trust) that CC will go into Chapter 11 bankruptcy this summer. I cannot find any confirmation from legitimate sources. So, specifics are unclear at this time. I guess all rumors are true, and the layoff actions seem to bring some truth to this. What a disastorous turn of events, if true. Will be marked as the beginning of the end for our media. Well, maybe not the "beginnng"...

With Scott Tom being the only personality left at 105.9, he could easily be moved over to 106.7, when 105.9 flips.

Not wanting to get off topic but is it possible that the layoffs of John Williams and Janine Wolf have nothing to do with CC's system wide budget cuts and everything to do with a format change at either Kool or K-Hits? I'm thinking each station now has one air talent left. They could easily be combined on one of the stations for mornings and afternoons.

maybe they can save more by simulcasting the two....

Wake up and smell the unemployment. For those of you still in radio ( I spent over 25 years in the biz), time to go back to school and learn a different trade. If you don't, your fate will be no different than those listed above. Someday it will be your ass they boot out the door. Prepare yourself for what you will do when that day comes. I was smart enough to go back to school while I was still working on the air. Now, I have a higher paying job, respect of my employers (ever really get that from radio management?) and I check this board to see who the next victim of the big cats at the top. Control your future or I will see you on the side of the on-ramp to I-5 with a sign that reads "Will do radio for food".

Thanks for the schooling, Former_insider. Oh, and 1999 called - it wants your post back.

1lossir, you one of those board ops waiting to be replaced by the monkey...or are you the monkey? Good luck with that minimum wage boy.

Massive debt and shrinking revenues are a recipe for Chapter 11 BK. It's not a matter of if, but when.

>>1lossir, you one of those board ops waiting to be replaced by the monkey...or are you the monkey? Good luck with that minimum wage boy.<<

Board op? Monkey? Wow, what a clever comeback.

Here's one for you: In my nearly thirty years in the business I've probably forgotten more about radio than you'll ever know. And BTW - my paycheck (which DOES come from the radio biz) is a LOT more than minimum wage.

You know things are getting bad when they start importing local news from other markets.

Check this out. I'm still shaking me head...

From radio-info:

Along with the second massive jobs purge in 99 days, Clear Channel is also regionalizing its news coverage. It appears Clear Channel will supply “local news” from various hub cities. Ohio Media Watch says Cleveland (WTAM-AM) be the source for local news on Clear Channel stations in Milwaukee, Pittsburgh, Akron & Youngstown, while Cincinnati (WLW-AM) will ship news to Boston, Memphis, Nashville, and Toledo. In Denver, news/talk KOA-AM (850) will be supplying the local news for Minneapolis, Colorado Springs, Ft. Collins and Pueblo, along with Ft. Smith, Arkansas. The Denver Post reports Clear Channel Denver Director of Programming Kris Olinger commenting that “KOA will be what we call a news hub. Basically, the way it’s going to work is that we'll have an offering similar to what a network would have, and stations in those markets get to pick what they want. Some may not want anything, some will want news only in the afternoons — but we will produce those newscasts and feed those to the stations.” Los Angeles, Houston & Phoenix will also be news hubs. (end)

They don't mention it, but can we expect Portland news to come from Seattle?

They don't mention it, but can we expect Portland news to come from Seattle?
Los Angeles, Houston & Phoenix will also be news hubs.

Judging only by what was posted, I'd guess that Portland news could come from L.A.

Perhaps. If this is the future of local radio news, I'm frightened. News should be covered locally by local people. Period. Or maybe I'm living in a 20th century model that is rapidly changing. Nothing surprises me anymore.

Tell me how the people at KOA in Denver, hardworking and good hearted as they may be, are going to provide news to stations in Minneapolis on the day that it happens without stealing it from the local Minneapolis newspaper? Cleveland for Milwaukee? Cincinnati for Boston? Don't be frightened Paul....be scared to death, and stand by for another Minot.

Very soon the only difference between Clear Channel and Dial Global and ABC Long Form will be that CC owns the stations on which they'll be doing the satellite programming.

CC is upside down with their lenders. Citadel (ABC) is also, plus a few others. I'm afraid 2009 will be the year of Chapter 11 in the broadcast business.

Oh, to have some cash and be 20 years younger.

Amen, Hal...

Also, I can hardly wait to hear all the mispronounced placenames. (It's Wil-LAMM-it, dammit!)

Oh, who is going to do the research to gather up all the pronunciations for those placenames? Everyone else has been shown the door already...

(Tell me how the people at KOA in Denver, hardworking and good hearted as they may be, are going to provide news to stations in Minneapolis....)

Easy answer: They're not. They'll get what they can from the wires and make a minute out of it, stick it in Prophet and move on. That's what we did at KEX for the tiny CC stations in Yakima, Medford, Centralia, Corvallis, etc. It will certainly be the same principle, just expanded.

As for late-night KEX news: I hear they'll come from KFBK in Sacramento.

After thinking about it, here's my guess:

Scenario–A major natural disaster has just occurred. The only broadcasting station remaining on the air is a CC radio station, which those who are still living are trying to tune to for information. Local emergency officials have tried to activate the Emergency Alert System, which failed due to total data connection failure. The only information anyone will receive is what will be heard during the top-of-the-hour news.
"Good Afternoon, it's 3 PM, I'm Vince Trakked. Your top story this hour, Paris Hilton..."

layoff all of the AA Airheads today!!??

I am waiting to hear the Clear Channel is going to have a market manager, a GSM who handles all stations in the market and one PD/Operations guy for programming. In some cases they are already doing that but I am waiting for them to do it in there major markets. And it probably will head to a lower salary with an bonus structure based on performance. (set at a level that is very aggessive, ie beneficial to the company) Ok they maybe doing forms of this already.

ABC/Capcities radio years ago said this would happen to Clear Channel when they started buying everything in sight.

Imagine the impact of having an FCC regulation that, in order to serve the community of your license, you'd have to have 50% locally originated programming.

Contact your Congress person!

And kill syndicators, Mr. Parker? Unless there is an exemption for talk stations, no.

That'd kill off Air America.

Since Cleveland Radio was mentioned The WTAM afternoon show of Mike Trivisonno, Paul Rado and Marty Allen, was scheduled for some trimming, but since they bring in so much, no MAJOR cut. Good old Mike T stepped up and threw his team under the bus, Hence the announcement of Rado and Allen out. Wasn't a corp decision was a Triv decision.

NOOZE HUBZ...
alot of Y-town news was already V-TED in from WTAM

WLW also giving a hand to others in need....

Vitalogy.... I'm personally hoping for Chapter 7!

..KOA..."Basically how it's going to work"........

LOL, ROTFLMAO, :-D HAAAAAhahahahahahahahahahahahaha
HAAAAAhahahahahahahahahahahahaha
HAAAAAhahahahahahahahahahahahaha

my sides hurt, going to work.... hhehehehehehe
too funny.

Wonder how long after that grand experiment that they will cut people and merge hubs Down to CLEVE HUB SERVING THE 38 States and half of Canada that they say they reach and used to before frequency clutter cut them down, and the LA HUB PROVIDING THE REST.

Gotta give them this much, no more Flanking, Less is more, and failed flips, flops, David Lee Roths and Whoopie's......... ONE BIG ROLL OF PREMIUM SERVICE and REGIONAL NEWS HUBS FOR "LOCAL" content!

DR. BAIN/LEELOVE... The climactic scene where Old Man May's rides this BOMB to the end...

Curious Yellow? who provides the LOCAL news? Oh they'll get it from the web......Kinda of plagaristic isn't it.

This is kinda like a national restaurant chain, when the quality was percieved to have declined, the people stopped going and the tents folded.... CC... your quality sucks. Your product is all filler! that SPRAY-DIO immitation audio cheese product you are pushing is 1 ounce product, 15 ounce propellant....

NO SALE!!!!

Contact Congress? Tom do you know what your talking about?

The buyout of Clear Channel was done by Mitt Romney's people (Bain Capital). If Mitt had gotten out of the primary's Clear Channel was going to go full bore to get him elected president and the news coverage for Mitt would be comparble to "Fox News" calling Obama a communist and Mitt the savior of the free world.

Mitt needs Clear Channel for his 2012 run, so he is protecting Rush and letting everybody else die. Clear Channel is making money even though the economy is bad, but not enough money to service the billions of dollars in debt. So the cuts keep coming, as for me I make sure I buy nothing from advertisers that I hear on Clear Channel Stations (Sorry Joe's, maybe that's why you went under.)

If Romney could he would have all of the "Air Heads" be outsourced from China.

Now how many of you still vote for anybody from the GOP?

Keep voting that way and say goodby to all jobs in America. Will any of you ever learn?

(Sorry Joe's, maybe that's why you went under.)

Their demise was self-inflicted.

CC will be feeding news to Modesto-Stockton, San Francisco, Spokane and Portland from Sacramento: http://www.oregonmediainsiders.com/node/1902

The mind reels with the concept of San Francisco getting their news from Sacramento!

Surely this refers to AM stations getting news... KFBK probably does have a better news department that KNEW or KGRN.

Does this mean that Brad Ford and Mary Loo(?) will be gone and then will Paul Linmann's morning crew local news segments come from downloaded MP3 files from Sacramento??? The morning crew will be the morning dude?
No reporters in the field? I guess we won't be hearing "live from the newsroom" anymore.

Will we soon be hearing lead-ins to traffic "Now for our up to date AM Drive Traffic info from our traffic person in Los Angeles (Phoenix)".

I think drive times and perhaps mid days are still local with evenings/overnights and some wknds from out of town... Guessing these will be like the small market updates KEX people already do for other markters..

Have to agree with Former Insider (April 30th)The Incredible Shrinking Radio Movie is playing at a radio frequency nearest you! Even our President has called on all adult Americans to get a year of college under their belt. It's quite painless you know..

Well hell then, I'll be five times better than those with only one year!

Brad Ford may very well be the hardest working man at CC Portland. In my opinion, the KEX Newsroom would cease to function without him at the helm. He and Mary Loos will continue to anchor the morning news along with Paul Linnman.

Roger, I think the President was talking about a new vocation, as in a year of college starting in 2009.The last time I set foot on a college campus was 1976. And Matt you're right. Brad Ford works his _ss off!

I would imagine that highlighting how hard Brad Ford works in the KEX bunker might be the kiss of death to him. Like a ringing endorsement of a coach.

Presumably he gets a good salary and benefits, and in bean counter mind is therefore eminently replaceable by a cheaper intern who can rip and read in Sacramento.
Byee !!!!

This pretty much sums it up...

Author: Billminckler
Wednesday, May 06, 2009 - 9:20 am


Arbyboy, you're an asshole

ANOTHER VOCATION?
Crap the Business Admin degee didn't impress, The broadcast thing, the tv tec thing, the radio thing... The one's I choose were busts, somebody else pick one for me... something fun tho!

Bill Minckler For President. Heck, he's already weathered the CC storm so why not!

layoff jeanene Jackalope!!!(girraffalope?)

Layoff EVERYONE at KXL, KPAM and KEX...

layoff jeanene Jackalope!!!(girraffalope?)

Hey, layoff the hooch, 62kgw.

Hey Chaplain, Arbyboy may be an asshole but he is speaking THE TRUTH! and Sometimes the truth HURTS!!

So what is Brad Ford if the hardest working man in the country???

Cheap Channel doesn't give a rats ass about their employees! If they can save an extra dollar by getting rid of you, your ass will be thrown out the door and replaced by a computer in a matter of seconds. There is no such thing as LOYALTY IN RADIO!!! NOBODY IS SAFE from getting fired! So all these jocks who think they are safe from getting the AX, WAKE UP AND SMELLL THE COFFEE!!!!! It's only going to get worse Folks, and OBAMA aint doing "SHiT" about it!!!

How can Obama do anything about it?

If he tried to appoint an activist to the FCC the GOP would filibuster the confirmation. The people's airwaves were hijacked by corporations and it failed.

But with Mitt Romney's Hedge Fund owning Clear Channel he won't admit the mega owning of stations is a failure until he trys to outsource all radio jobs to India.

And where was radio out there protesting these type of actions that Romney was doing back in the 80's and 90's outsourcing millions of jobs so that he could get rich?

You reap what you sow. Good bye radio.

THEY (OBAMUNISTS) WANT TO NATIONALIZE BANKS, INSURANCE COMPANIES, AUTO MANUFACTURERS AND RADIO STATIONS!!!!

I was the one who suggested contacting your congressperson about content... but it's time to move this discussion to politics.

And take your meds...

Greets Tom!

Hey, I agree it's about politics now. Let's move the thread, or fire off one on that side and hash this one out.

Honestly, I like the idea of it big. But, there are implications. Part of effective advocacy is following through on the sale of the idea.

So then, besides the easy appeal of having potentially more local radio, what exactly do we contact our congress critter and ask for?

The end goal and it's feature benefit is not clear to me. (and that's part of why the thread devolved)

You're right Tom. Plus, I thought this was a "No Caps Zone".

Here is a good description of that: http://redwing.hutman.net/~mreed/warriorshtm/allcaps.htm

Strike that, this is probably a better description: http://redwing.hutman.net/~mreed/warriorshtm/garble.htm

> THEY (OBAMUNISTS) WANT TO NATIONALIZE BANKS, INSURANCE COMPANIES, AUTO
> MANUFACTURERS AND RADIO STATIONS!!!!

I can't believe it: 62' wrote an entire sentence without misspelling a single word! He even correctly spelled the portmanteau of Obama + commmunists!

Now, if he would just stop yelling at us!!!!

Tourettes Syndrome?

I only it was that easy!