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Being cheap at Christmas

Discussion pertaining to the Tri-Cities, Flint, Mt. Pleasant, and Bad Axe
sinklair
Posts: 2214
Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2019 11:59 am

Being cheap at Christmas

Post by sinklair » Thu Dec 15, 2022 10:04 pm

There used to be a time when TV stations threw big Christmas parties to thank their employees for the work they’ve done throughout the year to make stations profitable. Over the last couple of decades, the stations have added many more newscasts, websites, social media feeds.

This past year, Sinclair had the Olympics, Super Bowl and a major election cycle… raking in billions of dollars for David Smith’s ample wallet.

So how do we get thanked? A $50 gift card.

https://www.ftvlive.com/sqsp-test/2022/ ... -gift-card

That’s the equivalent of an extra 2 hours of pay. It’s about as cheap of a gesture as a company can get.

I doubt Gray or Allen Media are any better. No wonder why so many of us are getting out of TV News.



kager
Posts: 1387
Joined: Mon Jun 21, 2010 11:10 pm
Location: GPS lost

Re: Being cheap at Christmas

Post by kager » Thu Dec 15, 2022 10:31 pm

sinklair wrote:
Thu Dec 15, 2022 10:04 pm
There used to be a time when TV stations threw big Christmas parties to thank their employees for the work they’ve done throughout the year to make stations profitable. Over the last couple of decades, the stations have added many more newscasts, websites, social media feeds.

This past year, Sinclair had the Olympics, Super Bowl and a major election cycle… raking in billions of dollars for David Smith’s ample wallet.

So how do we get thanked? A $50 gift card.

https://www.ftvlive.com/sqsp-test/2022/ ... -gift-card

That’s the equivalent of an extra 2 hours of pay. It’s about as cheap of a gesture as a company can get.

I doubt Gray or Allen Media are any better. No wonder why so many of us are getting out of TV News.
It ain't just Sinclair, or any company in the broadcast industry for that matter, you chronic f*ing complainer.

Stop posting.


"The problem with communication is the illusion that it has occurred."

sinklair
Posts: 2214
Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2019 11:59 am

Re: Being cheap at Christmas

Post by sinklair » Thu Dec 15, 2022 10:37 pm

Hey Kager,

If my observations upset your delicate feelings, here’s a suggestion that might sound familiar: stop posting you chronic f’n complainer.



kager
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Joined: Mon Jun 21, 2010 11:10 pm
Location: GPS lost

Re: Being cheap at Christmas

Post by kager » Thu Dec 15, 2022 10:41 pm

Let me guess:

You're here all week.


"The problem with communication is the illusion that it has occurred."

sinklair
Posts: 2214
Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2019 11:59 am

Re: Being cheap at Christmas

Post by sinklair » Thu Dec 15, 2022 10:44 pm

Nope. I have an actual job.



kager
Posts: 1387
Joined: Mon Jun 21, 2010 11:10 pm
Location: GPS lost

Re: Being cheap at Christmas

Post by kager » Thu Dec 15, 2022 10:49 pm

Actual jobs are the best. :roll:


"The problem with communication is the illusion that it has occurred."

MasterB
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Location: Kalamazoo

Re: Being cheap at Christmas

Post by MasterB » Fri Dec 16, 2022 1:15 am

Have a party for the staffers I know the party planner only gets grilled cheese at 25-66 the other TV stations in Flint as well. That is what Sinklair has said many times on the forum. Give the staffers $1,000 dollars TV station groups.


Go Pistons, Let's Go Redwings.

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Herm
Posts: 276
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Re: Being cheap at Christmas

Post by Herm » Fri Dec 16, 2022 6:08 am

In 2008, the employees at WEYI didn’t get anything for Christmas. No party, no gift card, nothing. Now THAT’S as cheap as a company can get.



sinklair
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Re: Being cheap at Christmas

Post by sinklair » Fri Dec 16, 2022 6:47 am

Look, I’m a realist. $1000 would be really nice. But cheap a$$ Sinclair (and likely most publicly traded companies) just aren’t going to make such a generous offer to its employees.

But here’s why it’s a mistake. We have seen a mass exodus (including me) from the industry. A lot of really talented people with a lot of institutional knowledge say the crap you have to deal with just isn’t worth the pennies you get paid to work bad hours, holidays, and egos under intense deadline pressure.

Companies like Sinclair need to understand that if they don’t attract and retain good people, they will lose good people. The endless rules about limiting raises to 1% while inflation is at record highs mean people are doing worse off now than they were a decade ago. Literally the only way in Sinclair that you can get a better wage is to leave the station.

And this comes at a time when it’s station business (revenue excluding its Bally Sports properties which continue to be a financial investment disaster) is seeing profits from record ad spending, increased digital business, and a good political year locally.

As far as the grilled cheese HR/party planner, we had a pot luck holiday party that she held in the middle of the day when the morning crew had already left, the dayside crew couldn’t attend because they were out shooting stories, and the nightside crew hadn’t arrived yet. But all the sales team, business office, promotions team and engineers had fat bellies. Oh yeah, Karin made sure she attended while making sure the rest of her news team couldn’t.

Take the $50 gift card and run. Actually, it’s more like $35 dollars since the company will take taxes out

https://www.ftvlive.com/sqsp-test/2022/ ... -gift-card

Sinclair needs to do much better or continue to see everyone break their contracts heading for the door.

We just had a morning show producer with less than a year experience say enough and took a job in Lansing. Lansing is paying better than 25-66.



Soundchaser
Posts: 128
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Re: Being cheap at Christmas

Post by Soundchaser » Fri Dec 16, 2022 5:18 pm

I don't know about 5 but 12 stopped having a Christmas party years ago. 25 had a very nice soiree at Bronners for a long time up until the pandemic. AND worked a deal for deeply discounted rooms so people could enjoy the evening without worry. The days of big parties is over just about everywhere.
Since you no longer are employed at 25 why do you even care? You should be worried about clearing pump 8 for that angy customer. Or cleaning up that spill in aisle 3.



Mega Hertz
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Location: Brighton

Re: Being cheap at Christmas

Post by Mega Hertz » Fri Dec 16, 2022 6:55 pm

I'm torn.

I get a Christmas bonus. Cash money. I've gotten other cash bonuses as well, yet I hear my co-workers complain that, forget a bonus, just give us a raise. I feel weird because I've never been in a position to be one of the recipients of such things. But I think if one gets it, everyone should.

Just don't pull up in your new Jaguar and tell your employees you don't have the money for it. That's not cool.


"Internet is no more like radio than intravenous feeding is like fine dining."
-TurkeyTop

sinklair
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Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2019 11:59 am

Re: Being cheap at Christmas

Post by sinklair » Fri Dec 16, 2022 7:03 pm

Soundchaser: really nice. Glad you look down on people who work hard like gas station and grocery store workers.

And keep up. I’ve said numerous times that I’m proud of the work I did as a journalist. But I left 25-66 because of the chronic mismanagement at the station.

The holiday parties in Frankenmuth were nice… especially if you like Bavarian Inn chicken served in a buffet. They limited you to two drinks. We got a cheap ornament from Bronners with our name written in it with NBC 25-FOX 66. And the entertainment was a bad magician and karaoke. You could stay at the Lodge, except that stopped after some employees were caught doing some hanky panky that turned into a messy HR situation. Yes, good times. But most people would have preferred to just get paid more than forced attendance at the party by the former GM/Egomaniac, the ASSistant GM/Promotions Director, the In Over Her Head News Director, and the HR Director/Grilled Cheese Party Planner. Now there’s just no party… no gifts… no bad karaoke… just a lousy $50 gift card that we are being taxed on… all while David Smith pockets millions.

As why I still care? It’s really none of your business. Buts let’s just say there are still friends that work at 25-66 who deserve better.



Soundchaser
Posts: 128
Joined: Thu Mar 03, 2022 5:01 pm

Re: Being cheap at Christmas

Post by Soundchaser » Fri Dec 16, 2022 7:42 pm

sinklair wrote:
Fri Dec 16, 2022 7:03 pm
Soundchaser: really nice. Glad you look down on people who work hard like gas station and grocery store workers.

And keep up. I’ve said numerous times that I’m proud of the work I did as a journalist. But I left 25-66 because of the chronic mismanagement at the station.

The holiday parties in Frankenmuth were nice… especially if you like Bavarian Inn chicken served in a buffet. They limited you to two drinks. We got a cheap ornament from Bronners with our name written in it with NBC 25-FOX 66. And the entertainment was a bad magician and karaoke. You could stay at the Lodge, except that stopped after some employees were caught doing some hanky panky that turned into a messy HR situation. Yes, good times. But most people would have preferred to just get paid more than forced attendance at the party by the former GM/Egomaniac, the ASSistant GM/Promotions Director, the In Over Her Head News Director, and the HR Director/Grilled Cheese Party Planner. Now there’s just no party… no gifts… no bad karaoke… just a lousy $50 gift card that we are being taxed on… all while David Smith pockets millions.

As why I still care? It’s really none of your business. Buts let’s just say there are still friends that work at 25-66 who deserve better.
Ha! Now there's the Stink we all know! I never looked down on people who work hard like gas station and grocery store workers.
I was just suggesting that you get back to work.

When a company gives you a nice party you scoff at it. There is no open bar, Wahhhh! You got a "cheap" ornament. What did you want? A car?

I find it hard to believe you have friends.



sinklair
Posts: 2214
Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2019 11:59 am

Re: Being cheap at Christmas

Post by sinklair » Fri Dec 16, 2022 9:12 pm

Lots of friends… so suck on that!

Not sure why you want to continue to bash those of us who barely made enough to live on… while billion dollar media corporations make money off our backs. And when it come to showing a little bit of appreciation, they go cheap on what they call “our most important asset” — its complete BS.



DAC
Posts: 581
Joined: Wed Feb 16, 2005 5:43 pm

Re: Being cheap at Christmas

Post by DAC » Fri Dec 16, 2022 9:49 pm

Get out of the broadcast industry and look around. You won't find anything to be different. That's just the way it is.



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