WBUR cuts up to 14% of staff

[robr2]

Originally Posted by htfdcolt

There's a fair bit of duplicate programming between the two. Just common sense--you can eliminate a LOT of jobs and still provide most of the same listenership functionality for the most part (Morning Edition, ATC, Moth, Wait Wait, etc.) at half the cost. Better that one public station survives than 2 go under!

I see the commonalities but both have original programming as well. I think the biggest hurdle is that it may be impossible to have a merger of equals. WBUR is the leader in radio of the two and syndicates it's original programming with WGBH being the TV programmer and it syndicates it's original programming. What shows go away? Boston Public Radio on WGBH beats out every show on WBUR - does it replace the 3 shows in the same time slot?

It could happen but it's going to hurt mainly people who aren't on air.

[htfdcolt]

Originally Posted by robr2

I see the commonalities but both have original programming as well. I think the biggest hurdle is that it may be impossible to have a merger of equals. WBUR is the leader in radio of the two and syndicates it's original programming with WGBH being the TV programmer and it syndicates it's original programming. What shows go away? Boston Public Radio on WGBH beats out every show on WBUR - does it replace the 3 shows in the same time slot?

It could happen but it's going to hurt mainly people who aren't on air.

Yeah, for some odd reason. Never been a fan of Jim & Margery.

[ormari]

I came across this piece of hot air, but it is relevant to the fate of WGBH/WBUR so I am linking it.

https://howiecarrshow.com/the-fall-o...handler-radio/

I’m a bit surprised by Braude’s salary, though maybe I shouldn’t be.

[robr2]

Originally Posted by ormari

I came across this piece of hot air, but it is relevant to the fate of WGBH/WBUR so I am linking it.

https://howiecarrshow.com/the-fall-o...handler-radio/

I’m a bit surprised by Braude’s salary, though maybe I shouldn’t be.

Ahh - that's just Howie pandering to his base. His everyman shtick should have worn out years ago. WRKO's ratings are about 1/2 of what WGBH gets and I'm guessing his radio income isn't any where near what Braude earns.

Braude does make a lot of money but he does more than host Boston Public Radio. He's an executive editor so he has input into other shows.

[miu]

I used to work for one week a year at the annual WBGH Food & Wine Festival. I would manage the volunteers, oversee the FOH vendor set-ups and do walk-throughs with the Boston health code inspector. That was significant source of revenue for them. But since the COVID pandemic, the event is probably closed for good.

BTW I grew up watching NOVA, Mystery! and Masterpiece Theatre, and I lived in Sudbury and Concord going on to Brown University for college. As a young adult, I lived in Cambridge and Newton. Somehow, I didn't turn into a Democrat. I was registered as an Independent voter when I lived in MA. A few years before moving to NH (when Scott Brown was senator, I became more conservative in my beliefs.

I still listen to most episodes of This American Life and the Moth Radio Hour (I skip the woke themed episodes and through Spotify.

[rranger]

Originally Posted by ormari

I came across this piece of hot air, but it is relevant to the fate of WGBH/WBUR so I am linking it.

https://howiecarrshow.com/the-fall-o...handler-radio/

I’m a bit surprised by Braude’s salary, though maybe I shouldn’t be.

So... How much do you think Howie Carr makes? I doubt it's much different.

[msRB311]

Welp here's an article from 2007 on Howie Carr's salary:

https://www.bostonherald.com/2007/08...uld-boost-pay/

[CaseyB]

Originally Posted by ormari

I came across this piece of hot air, but it is relevant to the fate of WGBH/WBUR so I am linking it.

https://howiecarrshow.com/the-fall-o...handler-radio/

I’m a bit surprised by Braude’s salary, though maybe I shouldn’t be.

I used to work for GBH on the business side and I remember Howie Carr from his frequent visits to our office. I thought he was a freelancer, not staff. He's right about the "panhandler" nickname, all they ever did was beg for money.

[msRB311]

I remember they used to host those telethon events on channel 2.

[robr2]

Originally Posted by msRB311

Welp here's an article from 2007 on Howie Carr's salary:

https://www.bostonherald.com/2007/08...uld-boost-pay/

That was 17 years ago. He was sued by Entercom under a non-compete and never changed stations. In 2014, he left WRKO for another station and returned 4 months later. He took a big cut in pay in exchange for ownership of the show and the syndication rights.

Talk radio is dying a slow death.