• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

Breaking News!!!! Major layoffs at Wilks/Denver

C

ChaseW

As of right now this is all I know that has been laid-off.

* Brenda Egger, former director of sales for the cluster, is now general sales manager for KXKL.

* Managers took pay cuts.

* Laid-off staffers were lined up in a hallway and given boxes and papers. No word on severance yet.

* Several members of the sales staff -- including two long-time account execs -- resigned a few days ago.

* Bill Gamble allegedly has left the building. He was director of operations and new media for the cluster.
* Tim Dunbar Part-Time air-staffer

* A rumor is that some on-air staffers will be let go by day's end.
So thats all I know for right now.
 
So what is next? Format change? Why just post it in here chase why not on the other board?
 
WRIKER said:
So what is next? Format change? Why just post it in here chase why not on the other board?
Click to expand...

Thats actually where I got all that info from. It just that this one doesn't get alot of news posted so I thought i'd come here and mention it.
 
ChaseW said:
As of right now this is all I know that has been laid-off.

* Brenda Egger, former director of sales for the cluster, is now general sales manager for KXKL.

* Managers took pay cuts.

* Laid-off staffers were lined up in a hallway and given boxes and papers. No word on severance yet.

* Several members of the sales staff -- including two long-time account execs -- resigned a few days ago.

* Bill Gamble allegedly has left the building. He was director of operations and new media for the cluster.
* Tim Dunbar Part-Time air-staffer

* A rumor is that some on-air staffers will be let go by day's end.
So thats all I know for right now.
Click to expand...

A few updates that I heard through the grapevine:

-Web staff was chopped from 3 to 1
-Both the Promotions Coordinators were let go, leaving the Promo Dept. with two "Directors" and two part-timers for them to manage.
-Bill Gamble is indeed gone.
-Several AE's resigned as well as one in traffic, which actually helped one set to be cut staffer (Gamble's Prog. Asst.) as she slipped into the traffic spot.
-In Production John Toney and Tim Dunbar are gone.
-On-air Fizz/Howler(Wolf/MIX) and Jesus (KOOL Morning show) are gone.
-Tracy and Jonathon from KOOL Morning SHow will be moved to afternoon spots
-New PD's annointed- Geronimo takes MIX PD, Shotgun Wolf, and Cha is brought back as KOOL PD, (new ultimatum the PD's must be on-air as well)
-In addition to Cha being back Boogie Man is also back. (Another new wilks ultimatum is to get away from automation and have live DJ's in the studio close to all the time)

Not exactly a good day for the "good guys," alot of great people are out on the street, but hey at least they'll get unemployment....
 
-New PD's annointed- Geronimo takes MIX PD.


[/quote]

I take it by this sentence that the PD of Mix (Johnathon ?)was let go? Is that accurate.
 
Gamble was the PD of all three stations after Keith Abrams (KOOL) was dismissed in Dec 08 & John Roberts (MIX) was let go in Sep 08. Ever since then, these two stations have hit rock bottom. Geronimo was Gamble's APD and helped him with all those worthless HD channels. He is a good guy.

I really didn't think things could get worse than CBS but it looks like Wilks is making it happen! Great, another horrible company to help put radio in it's grave- just what the industry needed.

I did hear that The Wolf & KOOL are going to switch frequencies because Wilks thinks their most viable money-making format is country. Really, all they have to do is get MIX back to it's middle of the road AC format (between KOSI & Alice) and it would again be the moneymaker for the cluster. But it sounds like they are going more toward CHR which historically has not worked for them.. they always end-up back at AC. The KOOL & WOLF projects were disasters and ultimately cost many people their jobs.

And, I believe as soon as their no-cut contracts are up, Jonathan & Tracy will be gone too. Dom & Jane are contracted until June 2010, I believe but they are not no-cut, so Wilks is probably figuring out how to make them quit & sit. Me thinks D&J are too smart for that. Somehow, they'll end-up at KOSI in 09.

There's no way you can run 3 radio stations in Denver with unproven PDs, second rate talent, 1 web person, and 2 full-time promotions people. They are bound to fail and I am looking forward to watching it happen. I just hope more good people don't get crucshed in the process. Die Jeff Wilks, die!
 
It's worth noting that Wilks had major layoffs when they bought the CBS/Kansas City stations. Yet the ratings did not go down. If anything they are higher under Wilks than they were with CBS.

Denver could be more competitive than KC. But when every company makes cuts everyone is on an even playing field.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.
Back
Top Bottom