KTRH Scolded By Former Listener

[Drucifer]

I am going to try, once again, to extend an olive branch. FilioScotia and I are closer in thought than he realizes. We concur the corporate bean-counters have destroyed this market. In reading about Laura Morris, another name comes to mind. Bryan Erickson. Erickson is a CC hack from San Anton who, to his credit, is a 'radio guy' who started out running a board, taking out the trash, ripping the wire and being a general go-fer. Ole Bryan sucked his way up and is now the 'suit' on the West Loop. Erickson who KNOWS radio (having come up through it) has sold his soul for a job. He governs KTRH much like the descriptions of Ms. Morris. 'Shotgun meetings' were commonplace. (SHOTGUN MEETING DEFINED: Call in an entire department and rip everyone's ass when you are really talking about 1 or 2 people but lack the balls to talk to their face one on one.)

Low wages, management by intimidation, no people skills, bad attitude, radio hell? YUP! Not much has changed at Cheap Channel Houston.

[FilioScotia]

I don't know when Bryan Erickson became News Director, but the staff meetings you describe sound exactly like the ones I had to sit through under Laura Morris. She taught her "Rip and Ream" technique to her acolyte News Director Melanie Miller, who taught it to her assistant Joe Izbrand, who continued it when he became News Director.

Management by intimidation has become a tradition at KTRH.

I accept your olive branch, and I hope you'll accept mine. I haven't been the easiest person to get along with here in these spaces. I have a knack for saying things that p-iss people off, and I apologize for that. I'm also apologizing for my uncanny knack for making every topic "about me."  That's making me an obnoxious bore, and I'm getting tired of it myself.

[Drucifer]

I don't know when Bryan Erickson became News Director, but the staff meetings you describe sound exactly like the ones I had to sit through under Laura Morris. She taught her "Rip and Ream" technique to her acolyte News Director Melanie Miller, who taught it to her assistant Joe Izbrand, who continued it when he became News Director.

Management by intimidation has become a tradition at KTRH.

I accept your olive branch, and I hope you'll accept mine. I haven't been the easiest person to get along with here in these spaces. I have a knack for saying things that p-iss people off, and I apologize for that. I'm also apologizing for my uncanny knack for making every topic "about me."  That's making me an obnoxious bore, and I'm getting tired of it myself.

Accepted. Perhaps we should sing a chorus of Kumbaya! Just kidding. I suspected we were saying the same basic things from different perspectives. 

[concept4141]

If you don't like what KTRH is doing, why do you still listen to it and complain about it constantly? 

Well I was hoping that the new change was going to be for the better. I gave it every possible chance I could. I can tolerate a more laid back approach to news reporting, but phone calls from idiots I cannot.

This board is a good way to vent and it gives me the false sense that KTRH gives a rat's behind what listeners think!!

[AZAndrewG]

I guess now I can officially thank John Julitz and Roger Hudson for doing me the biggest favor of my career.  Roger hired John instead of me for an opening last year.  Because of that, John has to work for Cheap Channel and I don't.  (I eventually landed a job with a Cox radio station, not in Houston, and I am quite thankful for that.)

[Drucifer]

I guess now I can officially thank John Julitz and Roger Hudson for doing me the biggest favor of my career.  Roger hired John instead of me for an opening last year.  Because of that, John has to work for Cheap Channel and I don't.  (I eventually landed a job with a Cox radio station, not in Houston, and I am quite thankful for that.)

A enjoyed working for COX! (Did I say that?) 

[20ozwilliehoppe]

I enjoyed reading all the give and take in the prvious posts.  It was spirited but not mean and sprited is good.  My eyes popped out reading about Mrs. Morris.  As best I can determine, she was out of radio when some genuis at CBS gave her the Houston cluster.  And that was the end of at least two historic legend stations and another boat load of talented people tossed away like trash.  Isn't it odd that a person can devote decades to a station and be a major part of its success, but when they are thrown away, no mention is ever made of them again.  That's sick, really sick.  I looked forward to returning to Houston and the vibrant radio town I grew up in, but it was gone.  God bless this board and being able to pay respects to all who have worked, and work now, in this formerly great art form.

[foursider]

Those of us who grew up with and worked with a bunch of them still remember them.  It's gratifying to see some of them being inducted into the Texas Radio Hall of Fame each year.  Even without that honor; some of the more legendary ones will never be forgotten.

[DToTheJ]

...I can tolerate a more laid back approach to news reporting, but phone calls from idiots I cannot...

If that's the vibe you get from a news/talk station, I wonder what you'd say about any of Houston's four sports radio stations, or sports radio in general...

...I looked forward to returning to Houston and the vibrant radio town I grew up in, but it was gone...

Replace "Houston" with "Ohio" and you've got the theme song for the KTRH midday show... 

[Kendromedia]

"We're gonna go .... and take over those rock and rollers if things get much worse" is the phrase I heard during hurricane Alicia coverage. A few years later, I flip over from KLOL to find out what exploded to the East of me and quickly decided not to take 225 in to work. Syndicated political interest programs provide nothing for the community. After a disaster is long over and the threat has passed, we can watch the video on TV which negates the whole intent and purpose of radio.