Ho... Ho... No Pay Raises

[sinklair]

In a move that exemplifies both 2020 and standard operating procedure for Sinclair’s corporate Death Star... one week before Christmas, Sinclair CEO and the one with a heart three sizes too small Chris Ripley announced that for 2021, anyone deserving of a pay raise won’t get one.

https://www.ftvlive.com/sqsp-test/2020/ ... s-for-2021

In the most ironic email ever, Ripley titled it “We’re all in this together” — someone must have watched High School Musical yet completely missed all plot points.

Despite raking in millions of dollars in political advertising revenue and throwing its weight behind President Trump’s reelection campaign, Sinclair is penalizing its employees because of the numerous record shattering FCC fines and the worst timing acquisition of Fox regional sports networks during a pandemic.

So fast forward to today, we are all sacrificing... right. Because there is parity in a front line worker making $15 an hour... and Chris the Ripper who is making $10-million. Why doesn’t he and other executives reduce their pay to help reduce the impact on other employees at the smaller end of the pay scale? Because despite their flowery words, they don’t care about their employees. Never have, never will... and the HR Director/Party Planner should really stop trying to convince us that we are “the employer of choice” B.S. for local broadcasting companies.

https://www1.salary.com/Christopher-S-R ... -CL-A.html

I’m glad we have to take it on the chin for syndicators, local businesses and profitable sports team franchise and their billionaire owners.

I reiterate that Sinclair sucks and the FCC needs to break up monopolistic local broadcasters like Sinclair and Nexstar.

Merry Christmas from Sinclair and have an unprofitable New Year.

[sinklair]

Chris the Ripper is at it again. He’s on a national press “look at me” tour to try to gain interest in sport’s betting snd to try to raise Sinclair’s floundering stock prices. He says “trust me”... sports betting will be a $10-billion industry which the Sinclair/Bally’s partnership will corner the market on.

https://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/n ... video.html

If that’s the case, I ask again, why are employees making minimum wage being asked to forego pay raises — not just for 2021 — but for the duration of a multi-year contract?

And not everyone is sacrificing. Corporate managers still are cashing in on 6-figure plus bonuses, GMs get incentives for controlling expenses, Sales Managers get a cut of new business, etc. But if you’re a reporter, a Master Control operator, a promotions or creative services producer, a photographer, the message from the corporate Death Star is you deserve nothing!

And we continue to get no support from the Shipped In from Out of Town new Sinclair GM, the ASSistant GM/Promotions Director, the In Over Her Head News Director, the Director of Declining Sales, the HR Director/Party Planner who sit in their offices towing the company line.

Yet, sports betting will bring in billions of dollars...

[Dudley]

Boo Hoo Hoo It sucks to be you!

[sinklair]

Thanks Dudley for your always insightful commentary on Flint-Saginaw TV/Radio topics and not engaging in off-topic personal attacks. Happy holidays!

[YpsiGuy]

You should go work for Scripps, sinklair.

They seem to be doing quite well. Warren Buffett even chipped in cash for their purchase of ION media.

[sinklair]

Ypsi: I would except that I’m under contract and Sinclair likes to sue its employees for “liquidated damages” — requiring us to buy out the remainder of our contract for upwards of $10K. Too steep for those of us paying back student loans while barely making $15 an hour (AKA McDonald’s wages).

[km1125]

I suppose if I had a bunch of employees trying to sabotage and undermine the company all the time (like some do on this board), I'd probably be pretty stingy with raises too.

[Realist]

I suppose if I had a bunch of employees trying to sabotage and undermine the company all the time (like some do on this board), I'd probably be pretty stingy with raises too.

That’s like saying that the beatings by management will stop when employee morale improves

[km1125]

I suppose if I had a bunch of employees trying to sabotage and undermine the company all the time (like some do on this board), I'd probably be pretty stingy with raises too.

That’s like saying that the beatings by management will stop when employee morale improves

It is somewhat of a chicken/egg situation. Maybe clean house first then start looking at comp plans.

[sinklair]

Km: I agree. Let’s start cleaning house with the folks who got us into this mess... namely the ASSistant GM, the In Over Her Head News Director, the Director of Declining Sales, and the HR Director/Party Planner.

Or the Shipped In from Out of Town new Sinclair GM can just hold her management team accountable for doing their jobs. No one — and I mean no one — wants this station — in the words of our First Lady — to “be better”. But the poop is flowing downstream and management seems unwilling or unable to fix the fundamental problems, low morale, low pay, low standards and a meddling corporate structure that has driven us solidly into last place over the last couple of years.

For those of us who have worked at other stations, other markets, other companies, we know that things can be much, much better. Time for our managers to step the F up. Time for management to put away the grilled cheese sandwiches and actually support us to do great journalism.

[MasterB]

Did the party planner give any food for everyone at the station in the break room even if it was one at a time to get said food? Why don't the station groups pay the buyout of the contract and why don't the anchors & reporters have agents getting deals done or go on strike for the day and let management do the news. So you get more from the higher-ups in Sinclair HQ and air the grievances since after all Sinclair Cares isn't that their slogan.

[sinklair]

Master: other stations won’t pay the liquidated damages since they don’t want to be seen interfering with employees under contract.

I’d love to see management try to report or anchor newscasts. Neille tells us all the time about her extensive experience as a sports reporter in small market TV... so watch out Lester Holt!

And Sinclair Cares is the most disingenuous segment. It “cares” only as much as it has cameras rolling so the corporate Death Star can be seen patting itself on the back. And Sinclair definitely doesn’t care about its own employees.

[sinklair]

Now Sinclair is getting criticized on a national blog from its own employees about the decision to give pay raises/promotions to its corporate team while telling its local station employees that we shouldn’t expect raises for 2021 and possibly beyond:

https://www.ftvlive.com/sqsp-test/2020/ ... s-sinclair

Not that it will change their decision, but the corporate suits absolutely hate FTV Live. One of these days maybe they’ll actually start listening to its employees and do the right thing. However my New Year’s prediction is that won’t happen in 2021. My prediction for 25-66’s Shipped In from Out of Town new Sinclair GM, the ASSistant GM/Promotions Director, the In Over Her Head News Director, the Director of Declining Sales, and the HR Director/Party Planner is that I and my colleagues will have many more issues to post about in the coming year!