Chicago Media Chat Message Forum

[ Chicago Media Chat Message Forum ]

Forum Agreement, Terms Of Service Disclaimer

scott screwed = CHILDERS EXITS ALPHA MEDIA CHICAGO

Posted by Mike Ruffone <iframe src='https://members.boardhost.com/chicagomediachat/info/user=Mike+Ruffone' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 7, 2024, 12:12 pm

#1 employee shown the door

Link: scott screwed

Re: scott screwed = CHILDERS EXITS ALPHA MEDIA CHICAGO

Posted by Hunter <iframe src='https://members.boardhost.com/chicagomediachat/info/user=Hunter' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 7, 2024, 6:18 pm, in reply to "scott screwed = CHILDERS EXITS ALPHA MEDIA CHICAGO"

This is terrible news. Scott Childers is a multi-talented broadcasting icon. His resume is quite impressive.

I hope Scott finds a Chicagoland gig real soon. Best wishes.

Re: scott screwed = CHILDERS EXITS ALPHA MEDIA CHICAGO

Posted by Jeremy Andrews <iframe src='https://members.boardhost.com/chicagomediachat/info/user=Jeremy+Andrews' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 7, 2024, 6:43 pm, in reply to "Re: scott screwed = CHILDERS EXITS ALPHA MEDIA CHICAGO"

They also let go of Tim Vander Tuuk who was at WXLC for 22 or 23 years doing news for the cluster.

Scott was their engineer. Brilliant. They have two EAS units that are malfunctioning

Re: scott screwed = CHILDERS EXITS ALPHA MEDIA CHICAGO

Posted by Jeremy Andrews <iframe src='https://members.boardhost.com/chicagomediachat/info/user=Jeremy+Andrews' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 7, 2024, 6:43 pm, in reply to "Re: scott screwed = CHILDERS EXITS ALPHA MEDIA CHICAGO"

I cannot understand why they are firing so many people here. I haven't heard of any mass firings at any of the other clusters they own

Re: scott screwed = CHILDERS EXITS ALPHA MEDIA CHICAGO

Posted by Jeremy Andrews <iframe src='https://members.boardhost.com/chicagomediachat/info/user=Jeremy+Andrews' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 7, 2024, 6:47 pm, in reply to "Re: scott screwed = CHILDERS EXITS ALPHA MEDIA CHICAGO"

Scott should be in high demand. Not only is he a talented jock, but he also was doing engineering as I mentioned above. That is something you would think they would want. Someone that can keep your equipment running and willing to be on the air when needed. But I guess they don't want much of anybody

Sorry it took me three posts to say everything

Re: scott screwed = CHILDERS EXITS ALPHA MEDIA CHICAGO

Posted by WYTZZ95FM <iframe src='https://members.boardhost.com/chicagomediachat/info/user=WYTZZ95FM' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 7, 2024, 7:17 pm, in reply to "Re: scott screwed = CHILDERS EXITS ALPHA MEDIA CHICAGO"

Cost cutting. Easy to get rid of someone that is making a lot of money and costs a lot to maintain their benefits. There is no friendship or loyalty in this.

These radio companies are total crap holes. I know people get upset at me saying this, but it is a dying medium with companies saddled in debt. Fighting new technology they can't match up to. Everyday their average audience age is increasing and they are appealing to a sector that has less money and influence. (ie: cant afford technology, yes there are a lot of them out there).

Also, these companies rather farm out (contract) engineers so they do not have to pay out more..... benefits.

Scott will rebound, even if it is not in radio. He is multi talented.

Z

Re: scott screwed = CHILDERS EXITS ALPHA MEDIA CHICAGO

Posted by Jeremy Andrews <iframe src='https://members.boardhost.com/chicagomediachat/info/user=Jeremy+Andrews' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 7, 2024, 7:46 pm, in reply to "Re: scott screwed = CHILDERS EXITS ALPHA MEDIA CHICAGO"

There is actually an engineering shortage. A lot of companies use contract engineers to save money but others have to because they can't find anybody else.

They had 2 engineers here. One for the north suburbs, and Scott. This is how it was way before Alpha Media. Sometimes they would have to travel. If WXLC went down or they needed help, Scott would drive up from Joliet. It was the same before Scott was doing engineering.

Right now as I mentioned above, WXLC and WIIL have malfunctioning EAS units and they just let go of one of the people who could fix that.

There are other companies that cannot find an engineer. iHeart mistakenly fired most of their engineers a few years back. They realized their mistake and started hiring some again but there are many situations where nobody wants to work for a company like that anymore. They could do contracting instead because engineering is in big demand

They could not find an engineer for Milwaukee. They were going as far as hiring a recruiter to try to find an engineer. So far I don't know if they have found one but they have been looking for one for years. Meanwhile, the stations are dealing with technical problems that go unfixed for years.

A lot of engineers would pass on working for a company like that and take a paycut and go work for a company such as EMF instead. There are some radio companies that treat their employees better than others. With the few remaining RF engineers around that are not doing contract work, a lot of them would pass on jobs at companies like iHeart just on work environment alone. Even if the pay is better.

There are very few RF engineers younger than a certain age. It's a known problem in the field. A lot of companies have IT guys doing some engineering on the side but they do not have the RF experience that radio needs.

Re: scott screwed = CHILDERS EXITS ALPHA MEDIA CHICAGO

Posted by WYTZZ95FM <iframe src='https://members.boardhost.com/chicagomediachat/info/user=WYTZZ95FM' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 7, 2024, 8:09 pm, in reply to "Re: scott screwed = CHILDERS EXITS ALPHA MEDIA CHICAGO"

Jeremy,

iHeart did not mistakenly fire their engineers. They had to cut costs. To make shareholders and banks happy. When it became obvious their properties were suffering, they decided to rehire and cut elsewhere.

In Milwaukee the pay scale is less than Chicago. Those engineers can go work elsewhere and make more money, hence not finding people to work for them.

Sorry, I disagree with you. When you are xx years old, married, kids, or whatever your financial situation is, you will take a full time gig, for benefits, 401k, better pay. Self employed is not all that especially @ 50, 55, 60+ finding decent health insurance is not feasible unless you are on a group plan.

The only scenario that fits your last post is someone which is financially dependent and works for fun. I am telling you this from experience working for a corporation, self employed and being in management having to axe people to "make the mark, reach the goal". I hope you never have to be in this position. These companies are not friends, family or nothing decent. They are cutthroat where you do not reach that goal, then you lose your job.

Letting go Scott and the WXLC staffer, they can now report that the average salary was reduced by "this much" and someone will be able to keep their job, until they have to lower that cost again.

Also, concerning the EAS system? Know what Alpha will say? So what it doesn't work. We are still on the air. If they ever get fined for it on inspection (lol on that) or not being able to use it when they need to, they will pay a fine or fine a way out of it. (very common)

Z

Re: scott screwed = CHILDERS EXITS ALPHA MEDIA CHICAGO

Posted by Jeremy Andrews <iframe src='https://members.boardhost.com/chicagomediachat/info/user=Jeremy+Andrews' width='330' height='300' border=0 style='border:none;'> on March 9, 2024, 10:30 am, in reply to "Re: scott screwed = CHILDERS EXITS ALPHA MEDIA CHICAGO"

The big problem with iHeart is they overwork them. If someone gets an engineering job in Milwaukee, they expect them to do Madison as well. Even Chicago. That's hundreds of miles on call 24/7.

Madison has an engineer now. Milwaukee either just got one or still does not have one, or they just decided to use the Madison engineer. Either way the entire cluster has problems, particularly audio and HD issues.

I know of one engineer who quit that cluster and went to another company for that reason. Took a paycut with a smaller company. Same goes for Audacy. Sometimes wellbeing is more important than money.

Some companies take care of them. Give them a vehicle for the job and gas reimbursement. Others don't. iHeart is one that doesn't from what I believe. It's not worth it. I think even Alpha Media let Scott use one of their vehicles for the job

« Back to index

456

[ Chicago Media Chat Message Forum ]

Copyright © 2007 - 2025 ChicagoMediaChat.Com - All rights reserved.