D-Day Has Arrived At My Shop. Wish Me Luck.

The federal law is probably one that says they have to get either class credit or pay out of the internship. I think that's a law, and I'm guessing CNHI is too cheap to bother with the stuff you have to do to make sure they get the credit.

 

Pete....maybe I missed it, but how long have you been at your paper?

 

Micke77, I've been here 2 1/2 years and in the business full-time since 1998.

 

We've had three D-Days at my station. I'm in a TV newsroom, so it's different, but every two or three months we take a big hit. My boss got hit a few months ago. Sports Director. Been there forever. Today, we lost 1/3 of our Sales force. This just boggles my mind. These are the only people bringing money into the station. I know many of them well, and I know for a fact that three of them were well over-budget every month. I know this because the GM always sends out emails congratulating these salespeople. So what gives? Just making a little money back on commission? We are an extremely strong affiliate. Cheap ass owners, but still...What the hell???

 

I'm also in TV. Yesterday we were told the chain is going to a hub system, and by the end of the year we will lose our entire business office, master control, traffic and research. Everyone in master control, traffic and research will be able to re-apply for jobs with the hub, which will be run by a separate entity out of our station.

Today we were told that our helicopter is going away, and we're going to a shared chopper with two other stations. Our chopper photog is laid off, but is like to catch on with the company providing chopper service. Our pilot definitely has a job with them if he wants it.

The funny thing? I can't think of an ownership group in TV I'd rather be working for at this point. Despite all the job losses, everyone else I know has it worse.

 

No one will be there to say "Git to da chapper!!" That's totally wrong.

 

I hear Obama has a nice chopper. Maybe you could borrow that.

 

This is where that crazy old bastard Sam Zell screwed up when he referred, in one of his many tour-the-Tribune-properties-and-put-the-fear-of-God-into-the-workers sessions, to his journalists as "overhead."

Wrong, wrong, completely wrong.

We are the product. We don't just build the product or put out the product, and we sure as hell aren't just the heat or the electricity or the garbage contract. It's like GM or Chrysler trying to sell cars with three wheels now instead of four, and no windows, and Flintstone brakes.

But the fuckers hate us or dismiss us as child-like because we cost them money without, each and every one of us, producing revenue figures.

 

I know two interns who are dead set on being reporters. I know I wouldnt trust the same two to walk my dog.

 

"Whose motorcycle is this?"
"It's a chopper, baby."
"Whose chopper is this?"
"It's Zed's."
"Who's Zed?"
"Zed's dead, baby. Zed's dead."

 

This is the one you should choose. I keep wanting to go ask my professors that.

 

pete, hate to say it, but lots of places are going quarter by quarter now. it's a wait-and-see attitude, hoping for the best -- or at least not the worst. we just lost six after the quarter numbers came out, and could lose more at any time.