Chuck Douglas fired at WTVN....Who mans the 'Saturday Open Phones' now?

[Vector]

Dirk also said this afternoon that there might be some "good news" about Chuck Douglas, and to watch Chuck's fan page for info.

Dirk is also supposed to have said, "if you like music listen at 10 am tomorrow".  I have no idea what that means

[Nu_Roo_2]

Hope Chuck does get his gig back.  Whether he does or not, that advice about not burning bridges is always worth heeding.

[xmusicmatt]

The biggest problem to getting Chuck I am sure is that will he be willing to work with what Clear channel would pay him to come back??  The latest RIFs are all about budgetary stuff...

[gabigley1]

Dirk is also supposed to have said, "if you like music listen at 10 am tomorrow".  I have no idea what that means

What is the music announcement WTVN was supposed to do 10:00 AM today? Dirk also said
on his how last night that he did not know what it was about and then went on to say even if he knew he couldn't tell his listeners because... Don't want to repeat the because.. BUT, it sounded like
a very important announcement.

[Allfirdup]

The I Heart Radio Music Festival Is back, its being announced on all the Clear Channel Stations

[jakej]

   Yeah, there was absolutely no truth to the rumor that "Yesterday's Top Secrets" and I were going to be joining the WTVN lineup.

[Chuck Douglas]

So many emails, so many FB messages, so many positive and encouraging posts on this message board. I just want to say thanks
to everyone for the support. In my 23 years of Columbus radio, this was the first time I have been removed from a job. I guess it was my turn.
I am past the initial numbness and looking hard for a new gig...kids need to eat and such.

For those that believe in the power of prayer, a few good words in my direction would be appreciated. While you're at it, don't forget my colleagues:
Craig Sinclair, Pam Spencer, Megan Short, Matt Demczyk, Dan Watson, Dennis Cometti, Dean Heid, Sean Cage. We were all caught COMPLETELY
by surprise on this.

The rumors of CCC trying to bring me back are encouraging. Mike Elliott was caught off-guard on this too. The trouble is, corp saw me as "traffic". The big heads with the big paychecks can't seem to grasp what I did around that building was a tad bit more than traffic.

However it turns out, just know I loved every second of my time at WTVN. It has been my dream station for most of my career. I truly apprciate the time I had there and I absolutely appreciate the continually growing audience that allowed me to become what I was becoming. I'm not done yet!

[borderblaster]

Best of luck and hope you will land on your feet soon, Chuck

[del_griffith]

Chuck:  First, my heart goes out to all of those who were released last week.  Some good people in terms of talent are now free agents.  While we out here in the radio-land can never know you're off the air work ethic or that of the others, those we heard on the air were more than professional and in our minds made a contribution.  

But since it wasn't just one person, but a whole unit that was dispatched with regard to the traffic reports, it's probably fair to say that these terminations were not the fault of the individual employees involved.  They were just in the wrong seats when the downsizing storm blew through.

One warning though.  In today's corporate world, NEVER be surprised to be downsized.  Especially when your company is heavily upside down financially  and when it's a stated goal of the ownership/management team to continue the process of leveraging their assets to achieve operating efficiencies.  

Fancy words to say bottom line, there is more to come. It may be in Columbus again soon.  Or it may be in other markets first. But sooner or later it will return at sometime and leave good people looking for employment.  There will be more syndicated programs, voice tracking and internal use of talent across multiple markets (IE ala Dave and Jimmy).  

It may have caught Mike and others leaders by surprise with the exact date and time.  But if he is wise, he knows that in time more will follow.  

Clear Channel is caught in a vortex.  They are heavily leveraged.  Deeply in debt.  With a what amounts to a balloon payment(s) coming in the not so distant future. (Ironic that their talkers decry the government's unsustainable debt, yet they are so leveraged that Moody's says they as an entity are unsustainable.  Maybe they should have listened to their in house on the air talent?) They have no choice but to continue to cut and gut while trying to grow revenue in a very unique and difficult business environment.  Corporately, if you could peel back the curtain, it would be like watching Lucy and Ethel on the candy assembly line as they try to wheel and deal to keep the ship from sinking.  

In addition, what may have been a unique situation with platforms and talent against their competition, there's another player in town now just as hungry to survive, with the platforms of delivery in place and in the process of assembling a deep talent pool.  And marketing themselves as kinder and gentler but with robust and timely content.

But sadly, Steve Cannon, Scott Kahler, George Zonders, Sterling and many, many others in Columbus and other cities suffered the same fate only sooner than you and these latest casualties.  And just as sadly, there are many radio groups that are very over leveraged financially that will continue to do the same as Clear Channel as technologies allow it and the customer requires or wants less and less talent involved.  



.    

[antares]

Very unfortunately (for me) I happened to hear about 10 minutes today of the new Shawn Ireland & Co show on WTVN, "the stuff women talk about", as they billed themselves.

O!M!G!

That was some seriously horrible radio. John Corby admits that his show sucks, but these folks make him sound like the Greatest Ever! They were that bad.

If that really is "the stuff women talk about", I am certainly glad I am not a woman.

Vapid horsecrap! Several hours of radio static would be preferable programming instead of those dolts. Last time I make the mistake of tuning into that garbage. I fear I am scarred for life, mentally.