We hear the new acting VP/general manager at WHBC is the general manager of NextMedia's cluster in Saginaw MI, Floyd Evans.
For those wondering what other pieces of footwear are about to drop on Market Avenue South, OMW has NO indication at this writing that any other major changes are about to happen.
Our original item is below...
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OMW hears from reliable sources that Rich Bossler, the general manager of NextMedia's WHBC/1480-WHBC-FM/94.1 in Canton, is no longer working for the station.
Our sources say that former WRQK/106.9 general sales manager Pam Allen has now taken that same role at WHBC (as GSM), but we don't know what that means for current WHBC GSM Sue Motts. We also don't know, at this time, who is either acting general manager or permanent general manager in the wake of Bossler's exit.In all the detailed, and sometimes over the top, reporting we've done here on WHBC, we'd like to make one thing clear. We aren't celebrating Bossler's exit from the station.
Despite what it might seem, OMW does not publish every rumbling we hear. But we would like to say that even in the "darkest hour" for the news on WHBC, every single source we have has been nothing but complimentary when talking about Bossler.
He's widely perceived as a "good guy", and frankly, we haven't heard one bad thing about him either from his co-workers at Market Street South, or even from his competitors in the region.
As we always like to see the "good guys" win, here's hoping Rich Bossler lands smoothly...
25 comments:
I’ve worked with Rich Bossler in the past and can attest that he is definitely one of the “good guys.” And not just in radio, in life. He doesn’t have a cutthroat bone in his body, which may have done him in. Believe me, if his firing is true, it says a lot more about the current state of radio than it does about the man.
I was listening to WHBC Sunday morning, and I thought I heard the Sunday morning host Dave Gutusin(I think that is how it is spelled), say that Sunday was his last day on the air. He has been on Sunday mornings at least 20 years, or so it seems. Again, if I heard it right, he said he was being let go by the station. If it is true, I wish him well.
I too have worked with Rich Bossler. He IS a nice guy. But,NextMedia is in serious trouble in Canton. Even though they still have great ratings, revenues are waaaay down.. Clear Channel is squeezing them big time with their rate cutting. HBC is no longer getting the 125-150 per spot that they used to get. They are in the 75 dollar range now. AND with the debt service they have to pay on their mortgage (43 million)they are starting to feel the heat from Colorado. I'm surprised Rich put up with the BS as long as he did. I hope Rich lands on this feet as he will soon.
Rich is a very nice guy. I wish him the best of luck. He never seemed to have the steam to be a GM, but is a good sale person. I am excited for Pam Allen to be back in Canton with WHBC. She'll be a great addition for WHBC.
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Rich Bossler did not deserve the nonsense from NextMedia that he got on a daily basis..
As for Pam Allen..I hope you have a thick skin..and an ego that can match the trio of numbskulls that Denver will throw at you..
as of 1229 am 09-13, rich bossler is still listed on whbc web page as vp/gm and pam motts as gsm. as a former competitior sales rep, i wish nothing but the best to rich.
Someday when NextMedia and WHBC realize what a powerful tool the internet can be, someone might actually update their pages..
But I'm not holding my breath..
So let's review..
A guy from Saginaw now comes in and tries to run his station in Michigan and one in a neighboring state..
A piece of advice..
Show Terry Simmons the door..you'll make an office full of friends immediately..
I agree with the previous post. Bye bye, Terry. The yawnfest called mornings could end!
Swapping Delilah for Tesh and falling ratings, cutting back on weekend news and news staff, losing big money accounts, both local and national, firing a highly rated afternoon host over one complaint, keeping low rated hosts on the air after a highly rated AM morning show, firing your computer engineer and then going computer automated overnight, the list goes on and on. All of this under Mr. Bossler's watch. Rich may equal nice, but nice does not equal smart or capable.
Hi ya Bwrady. How ya doin?
I was a former co-worker with Rich Bossler at WHBC. Rich is a super guy and may he find a new career as soon as possible. God Bless you and your family Rich!
As an outside observer of the media, I have concluded that bigger is not better. Companies like Clear Channel and even NextMedia have lowered the bar in broadcast quality. Hopefully all of these media giants will be bankrupt and broken up in the years to come. It's time to go back to local broadcast ownership. The reason why radio is dying is that there are no more radio personalities like yesteryear. Hey when you have no personality and crappy music...nobody is going listen!!! The death of WHBC is getting nearer now that the local and solid people are gone. Rest in Peace WHBC!
The wisdom of firing that "highly rated afternoon host over one complaint" is open to argument, but the fact remains that listeners to a mass appeal music format have certain expectations that are not the same, for example, as listeners to talk radio stations where political opinions are the stock in trade.
A former WHBC-AM PD and personality (who had ties to the local Republican party) did this enough to make me, as a lifelong Democrat, feel alienated and offended. Someone expressing their personal, liberal-Democratic opinions within the WHBC format obviously would have done the same to others. If your mission is to serve the market as a whole, it is simply bad policy and bad business to drive away a large segment of that listenership.
I saw Rich Bossler just yesterday (9/13), and he looked relieved. The pressure NM put on him was not justified. He will do very well for himself, no doubt.
BTW, listen to the AM. they seem to be adjusting the music. What else is coming.....?
Dave Katusin was NOT let go by WHBC, he retired from radio. Good for him. Truly, another nice guy.
I've been told Dave had an aircheck session that turned ugly, and decided he'd had enough..I wonder who else will flee the wreckage...
I wonder how long it will be before Ted Boyd is told to pack up and go..he still maintains office space inside the South Market building.
This week's events leave the Beaverkettle history in a landfill..WHBC is now a Property of NextMedia, mind, body and soul..
How you blow out your management team, and leave your OM in place?
I wonder who airchecked Dave? Theres no one in the building qualified to conduct an aircheck session.
..on the previous comment --- LOL!!!!
(only because it's true)
Since NextNedia is in a firing mood and blaming others for the slow death of WHBC.......why not dump that insanely stupid and lame morning show on 94.1? It's time for Simmons and company to depart in favor of a morning show with real talent and substance. The accordian stuff is as lame as it gets. The rest of the FM lineup and the AM lineup is pretty good....but the morning show on the FM has got to go!
we disagree with the above comments. we feel very qualified to aircheck our personalities. let me introduce our corporate director of broadcast programming, bozo a. clown
trouble at the Canton Mothership.
As a former employee of WHBC, I sympathize with the employees, past and present. Bob Krahling and Bill Karrenbauer are spinning in their graves right now about what is happening at WHBC.
The Corporate World would do itself a favor by hiring guys that gave a rip about their community and was home in time to eat dinner with the family.
They're doing a great job destroying our families and relationships while guys with divorce after divorce tell good people they have to show up early and stay late if they want the job. No wonder Rich left... being at his kids ball games were more important than meetings about the bottom line.
The dude Bossler was reporting to was on his fourth marriage. You may produce, but your character and integrity left a looong time ago.
Thanks corporate. Now go screw something else up.
Being involved in the Canton Community, I have worked with both Rich Bossler and Sue Motts. While I agree it is a shame that Rich was let go, I could never understand how Ms. Motts got that position or held onto it for as long as she did. She did nothing for the station but bring down its integrity. Hiring Pam Allen as her replacement has already moved the station up a few notches. Lets hope corporate radio doesn't chew her up and spit her out as well.
Let's face it, the world is full of "nice guys", and everyday these "nice guys" lose thier jobs. we all want to blame it on the ugliness of "Corporate America." But Corporate America usually gets rid of these nice people because they can't get the job done. Apparantely, Bossler couldn't get the job done. He was handed down the position from his buddy Ray Hexamer, and was in way over his head. You can only sit sedentary for so long and be a "nice guy", but at some point you've got to get something done. The quality of programming on those stations continues to slide and he did nothing about it. Hiring his old friend Sue Mots to run his sales department was probably his first and biggest mistake. What undid WHBC wasn't necessarily the Iron Hand of Corporate Radio, but the string of bad decisions in hiring key personnel. You don't hire people you like, but people who know what they are doing. For the sake of saving whats left of our local radio stations, I hope the corporate office can get the right people in place.
BRING BACK BRADY!!!!!!!!!!
THE ONLY ENTERTAINMENT THAT STATION HAS EVER HAD
Don't you hate to see fired emloyees spew venom about anyone w/ whom they worked? It speaks to their character and integrity. Many postings sound like they come from the same source or two, someone with some serious anger and self esteem issues. Of course, if you've been fired, it's easy to feel that way...but taking really low shots, especially untrue ones, is sad. The high road is always the better road. There are still many fine, local people of integrity working very hard at the two NextMedia stations in Canton. They are working as hard as the many local people of integrity Nextmedia chose to let go. You may hate Vlaldimir Putin, but that doesn't mean you should hate all Russian people. Give the current and former employees a rest! They don't deserve such poison, especially from those too weak to say from where the venom came.
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