Sunday, Oct. 28, 2007 11:28 am
The whole story
I got laid off on Friday afternoon. I honestly think I had had premonitions about it all week, but I just put it aside to my normal paranoia and didn't consider that it could actually happen. I have had the security through these five years that no one can be fired or laid off if the sales people adore them and they are bringing in money. Apparently, not the case at all. My sales people didn't have a clue until an hour later when they told them and they were furious.
I got to work Friday afternoon and ran into a salesman, Ricky, in the front office. He told me that a member of the AM staff that we all love and adore, had been laid off. I figured that was the doing of the new PD on that station that I can't stand that has caused so much havoc there. I find out later that isn't the case, but at this point, I am just in shock that this guy was let go. He'd been on the air there for something like 8 years and was just a really hard-working, intense, passionate guy.
So I go to my office and I'm thinking I need to call that guy and say how sorry I was. But I also needed to do a log and I couldn't do that until I got the backup from my boss. He had not been in his office when I walked by, but then he buzzed me and asked me to come down. I said sure, thinking I needed to anyway to get that backup. But as I walked up the hall, I thought, Why did he buzz me? This isn't going to be something bad is it? And then, dammit all to hell, the HR girl, who is a "friend" of mine (at least in the work realm) was in there with him. I opened the door a crack and said I didn't want to come in. They didn't smile and said, "Oh no, it's okay." They just grimly said, come in.
I don't know how long we were in there or how long we talked. He didn't even have to say "We're laying you off" because I obviously knew that was what this was. He seemed upset by it and all of the "What ifs..." I brought up (knowing there was no going back on something like this once it is decided) he said that he had brought up to management, too. They insist that it was a corporate decision and not made on a local level at all, but I don't know if I believe that or not. I said that it made no sense to me to cut someone that made the lowest salary there AND brought in a large amount of endorsements. I figured up later that what the station makes in endorsement money from me more than pays for my salary. And then there are the two asses in the morning that make huge amounts of money for doing absolutely nothing and insulting about every endorsement opportunity that comes in (because they aren't paid in the same way I am).
I was in a daze and the HR girl walked me to my office (since now I had to be escorted from the building, of course). I gathered some of my stuff but I will have to go back for all the furniture and TV and stereo, etc. I wish I could take back my goddamn paint off of the walls.
As the day went on, it was interesting to hear other people's version of events and see how fast the message was spread. I called my PD in Virginia first and he was really upset to lose me and offered me an opportunity in Lynchburg, but, of course, I am an Austinite and that isn't going to happen. Then I called Mark to see where he was and I got no answer. I called the head of the TV music channel and she answered the phone with "I am so sorry!" She had already heard from our HR person who had called their traffic girl that used to work with us and she spread the word over there. So we're having lunch this week and there really could be opportunities over there, but I don't know what. She didn't say there were, she just said, let's have lunch, and she has so many connections and power that I want to make sure I take advantage of that.
I drove by Mark's work and still didn't find him. We eventually talked and this ruined his day even more, obviously. He was having a crap day already because it turns out he did have to go to Galveston and it was going to take all day to load up the equipment to even be able to go. To fast forward, he came home that night at 330 a.m. just to grab some clothed and get on the road. He got no sleep whatsoever that night, worked through the day yesterday, with one little catnap, I think, and then was back at the hotel last night at midnight. He will be home this afternoon and we're going to a benefit for our friend Gary that died last month. I really need to see Mark and be able to download a lot of this information to him and share it.
As the day went on Friday, I emailed a lot of listeners and let them know about this. I called a few people. I was mostly interested to see who would call me. I was shocked that the fat ass midday guy actually called. I'll give him some credit for that. He even said "We haven't always seen eye-to-eye, but I'm sorry this has happened..." I heard from the morning show producer who swears he didn't know about this ahead of time, like he did the last time I was fired. I believe him and I know he would rather still have me there because his work load just increased tremendously. I called my traffic girl and she had already heard from the boss and she said he looked sick and she really thought he was going to cry. I called my weather guy and he called me back later. I heard from salespeople Mark, Annette, and Angie, and through myspace from Brian, but not from the others and not from the sales manager. That really surprises me and hurts my feelings a lot. I heard from Earl, our building manager. I called the other guy that got laid off too and commiserated. He was very sweet and said he was more shocked that I got laid off than that he did.
Overall, I feel so much better about this than I did when I got fired six years ago. I talked to the producer yesterday finally (he kept calling when I was with people) and I told him, the bottom line is, he has to go to work for the Hamster on Monday and I never have to again. That is a great relief to not have to work for that two-faced sycophant again. Ever. Not ever. I also have so many more more friends and contacts in Austin than I have ever had, I know there will be opportunities. Plus, we have a lower debt level than we used to, we have Mark's income that we didn't have before, we even have a bit of savings. We will be fine for a while and something will come up.
I called El, the friend whose dad died two weeks ago, because she won't be back to work until Monday and wanted her to know. She said "Do you want me to come over?" I thought that was such a nice gesture. I said, at first, no, my sister and her family are on their way and will be here soon. Then I said, No, they won't be here for a couple of hours and I would enjoy your company, so she came over and I appreciated that so much. She is worried about her job now, which she has reason to, but was very supportive.
My sister and her husband and their son got here that evening and we went out to Carino's for dinner. I really didn't want to be with anybody and was kind of in a daze through it all. We came home and watched some TV and then went to bed, but I couldn't sleep and stayed up until Mark came in at 330.
We got up early yesterday and went to see the other nephew race on the lake. His friend that is in the merchant marine academy was with him. He is such a cute, polite young man. I really enjoyed being around all three boys. We watched the race and then we went to Cisco's for a great miga breakfast. The boys all went on back to Waco and my sister and brother-in-law and I came home. He went off to the bookstore and she and I napped and computed. Last night we all went to my cousin's Halloween party. It was a lot of fun really. I had thought about begging off since I was so tired of being with people, but it turned out to be fun and I like my cousin and his girlfriend and was glad to see where they live.
So now the family has all left and I'm finally home alone. I'm going to go out to my car and bring in the things I brought home from the station and open the severance check and see what else is in the folder with information about COBRA and stuff. I hate to even look at it all, it sounds so final. But it is final and things are going to be fine.
For the sake of my posterity and to remember, I'm pasting a letter from a local record guy. I had interviewed him this week along with one of his artists and it would air this evening. This is what he said about it all:
- - -
I was having a really nice day yesterday until I found out they (and I mean ClearChannel) let you go. You are one of the "good" folks in radio - always pushing for the developing and local artists. Brian and I were just talking about how encouraging you have been for us and so many other local musicians. You have a real gift, on the air and in person, to make people (especially musicians) feel appreciated, valued, welcome and confident. I know that a skill set like yours is rare and very valuable.
The cooler weather reminds me that world we live in was created with seasons and those seasons are meant to change. It has been this way since the beginning of time. l know you love the Byrds classic "Turn! Turn! Turn!" - "to everything there is a season and a time for every purpose, under heaven" which is quoted from the book of Ecclesiastes. We will all mourn the passing of your last season but we also look forward to what you will do next.
If you had your way, what would you do in the next season of your life? What are you passionate about? What puts gas in your tank (metaphorically)? What would you do wether you got paid or not?
I say I am in the record business but really all I do is make people look good, find them gigs and sell their stuff. My wife and I tell all of our musicians that the ultimate goal of Fat Caddy Records is to see people "do what they were created to do". We seek this for everyone we work with - from our recording artists to the college kids who serve as free interns. This is what "puts the gas in our tank" and we give thanks every day that we get to do it.
We talk to a lot of people who do a lot of things. If you want, please let us know where you want to go and we will see what we can do.
I know you have every excuse to have a very hard weekend. I hope and pray that you may also experience some comfort and joy.
Sincerely,
Jon
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Isn't that the nicest letter ever? It is so encouraging. I will be listening this evening to see what they end up doing about my Sunday night show. I didn't point out to anyone that it wasn't finished. We'll see if they blow it all out or what, or let it run without a jock (or with some of me?) ... I hope their interview gets to run for their sake.
I did listen most of Friday afternoon. The morning show producer voicetracked the afternoon show and it was deadly dull since it was tracked. The traffic beds were so loud you couldn't hear the reporter give the traffic. And the board op didn't realize that the resync isn't on in the afternoon and so the thing that runs at 6 p.m. finally came on about 6:09 and I am sure that a set probably was missed at the end of that hour. I heard a weather bed run for 2 1/2 minutes without weather. It was a fuck up, to say the least. YEs, they'll get through those things and most of the listeners will notice I'm gone, but it won't affect their lives in a great way. There will be no protests in the parking lot and the few people that take the time to write an email will be ignored and it will all go away. I've seen it before and know that people will forget.
I have learned that this company isn't after the bottom line, if they were, they would know that my salary and my generation of income, not to even mention my goodwill, are more valuable to them than some of the other people on the staff. So they don't care about income and bottom line, they don't care about their employees, and they sure as shit don't care about their listeners or their clients. I really don't know what they are there for. So my defense of the company is over, I am through with them, and I am ready for new doors, new opportunities and a brighter future without an asshole boss and asshole co-workers, and a more motivating atmosphere to go to each and every day.