San Diego’s Clear Channel is self-imploding

Friday, February 8, 2008 by SDRadio.

Not an island in the CCU franchise anymore, Clear Channel Communications is thinning the herd heard in the market. Three market professionals: Marilyn Hyder Sally Hixon and Wade Douglas have been let go from the KOGO news staff..

Add a few other behind the board and other folks that make the stations — CC-SD is imploding on itself. Who is going to sweep the floors let alone turn off the lights?

The CCU-SD suits will proclaim that they’ll move forward and make great progress in the seven stations they control in San Diego. It is sad, really sad, to see the professionals and the talent let go. Not only is it a blow to news — it’s sad and pathetic to see a once robust cluster imploding on itself and offering half-baked news.

The voices of Marylin, Sally and Wade were more than newscasters — they delivered with an air of professionalism that was hard to find in the market. I knew them; and they always took the time to say hello in my in-frequent visits to the complex on Granite Ridge.

It’s more than a loss of voices; it is a loss of a trusted source. KOGO proclaims to the the voice of news — yet cutting these — and others — only gives wonder to what is. Those left behind in the news department are indeed, professionals, however Marylin’s, Sally’s and Wade’s reports were gold. There was no question in the reports — after all, it was Marylin Hyder, Sally Hixon, and Wade Douglas.

This is not a local cut; it is from the Texas headquarters where less is no more. Less revenue because of poor programming, less personnel because of poor sales, less common sense because some rat bastard bean counter in San Antonio is using an abacus to balance the books instead of looking at the San Diego picture.

While I personally view this move as something short of stoopid … don’t blame the local manglement on the decision. This is clearly being driven by the greedy owners of Clear Channel whose bottom line is the silk linings of their pockets instead of the objective of the radio airwaves to serve the public. After all, they are going private and they have to cut the bottom line — damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead.

I can imagine that everyone — no matter who — are walking on eggshells at Granite Ridge, the home of the seven stations. That’s the sad fact: radio looses, San Diego listeners loose, and yet the corporate weasels in Texas will spin this more than Bill O’Reilly as progress.

Check those ratings in three months. Five shares will not be the norm. Less will be “more” in their eyes …..

Stay Tuned

MUST READ: Radio’s Worst Cut is The Deepest!.

Posted in News | Print | No Comments »