This is sort of remarkable--SAG-AFTRA has unionized KNBR, both 680 AM and its sister station, 1050 AM.
Here's the story from Variety.
KNBR, and its corporate broadcast owner, Cumulus, has been raking in millions, much of it driven by its affiliation with the SF Giants, who just won their third World Series in five years.
KNBR also carries the 49ers and Golden State Warriors,--but it's the Giants that make the most direct revenue for the all-sports station, quite a bit of it. Have you noticed those endless stream of commercials KNBR airs during some programs? I counted nearly 37 minutes in an hour on one of the more popular morning and PM-drive shows.
“Just like the many teams that we cover, we bring commitment and passion to KNBR every day,” said broadcaster Ted Ramey. “We want to be treated as respected members of our team.”
Now, how will Cumulus react? Remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: even Cumulus big suits know that San Francisco is a heavy-duty union city. Sure, the unions don't have the major juice they once enjoyed, even in the city, (see, restaurants), but this move by KNBR personnel, I would doubt Cumulus would try to mess with its cash-cow San Francisco cluster. Then again, it's Cumulus, headquarters, Atlanta, so don't assume anything.
This move by KNBR staff is simple: "Hey, we know you're making a shitload of money and we want a piece of the pie." Fairly reasonable. We'll wait for Atlanta's response --could be interesting.
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Do they have a height requirement to join SAG? What about ego limit? Will Giggles qualify?
ReplyDeleteWhile I applaud the fact that their heart is in the right place, I remember when we did this back at KPIX in the very late 90s for the same reasons. We joined a union; I don't even remember which one of the many impotent unions it was. Nothing changed, not a thing, except now we had to pay union dues (for literally nothing except a paper card to shove in our wallets) in addition to everything else.
ReplyDeletePrecisely. I experienced the same thing in a DC station that was AFTRA.
DeleteRadnich and Kreuger made it clear they aren't for it.
ReplyDeleteTed Ramey is the new commie union steward? He must be young,since he will be the lightning rod. Cumulus will do the retaliation to him when something comes to a head.
Unions may not be the be-all,sure. But with no unions...no union company's become modern slavery.
If the rightwing dopes only new how those places cheat people in pay,overtime,advancement- no union ,no seniority- or only seniority for those in tight with the company. And after many years...they let you go to cheat you out of benefits.
Happens everyday.
Perhaps Kreuger and Radnich can produce and engineer their own shows? I would actually tune in to listen then.
DeleteThe reality of KNBR is very different than what is mentioned above, and needed by not only radio stations but many other businesses as well. There is a reason for a disconnect between the economic numbers and the way people voted just this past week. The rich continue to get richer and employers are trying to grind down all of their workers while having not increase real pay, relative to inflation, in well over a decade.
ReplyDeleteIf you're Ted Ramey, or any other person, and you know that the producers and board ops at KGO and KSFO are making 35% more than you while their stations are bleeding money, what is your alternative? Cumulus does not give people raises! Who has received a raise at Cumulus? One of the big jokes in the building is that Tom Tolbert asked what his raise was going to be and was told by Atlanta Execs "this year holding the line is the new raise." If they tell Tom Tolbert this do you think they are going to give anything to producers and engineers?
Of course Cumulus maybe could have avoided this by offering raises to their employees but don't expect a company that bleeds money, while paying their CEO $24 Million a year, to take part in something like that. It's a "wait and see" approach, and this is the result.
Will the results be enormous, even mildly tangible? I cannot say for sure, but there are only so many actions you can take against your employer; an employer that does not care one bit about its employees. Not one bit.
KGO and KSFO have been hiring inexperienced employees since Cumulus took over. People who don't have any radio experience at all. Anyone who walks in the door can get hired over there. Yet KNBR has people who have been dedicated to sports radio, who keep the SF Cluster afloat, and line the pockets of everyone but themselves.
You wanted them to sit back and continue to take this? With their minimum 30 minutes of promos and commercials per hour?
Good for them. Maybe it won't amount to much but at least the employees of the station are willing to stand for something. The people working at the stations in SF care more about those stations, and the product those stations deliver, than anyone in management or part of the executive board. That's a fact.
Thank you for this.
DeleteBe careful what you wish for.
ReplyDeleteHaving known some editors and producers at KNBR, an accounting of work rules will probably be a welcome positive for them. Ironic that sister KFOG decertified the union when owned by Susquehanna in the 90s-probably an indication of the management of Cumulus now. I know commenters at this site like to complain, but having worked in SF radio over 25 years my experience with AFTRA has been quite different. We received regular raises that non-union employees never had. We had better health insurance, and our pensions remained strong while the value of their 401k’s dropped. They kept our PD in line regarding turn around time and length of work week, and prevented our sales people from imposing a “finders fee” on announcers pay for personal appearances at client events. These are a few examples of the positive changes we experienced in the union. I also remember a huge award AFTRA secured for a KPIX employee when he was fired for union organizing in the late 90s.
ReplyDeleteFantastic plan. Now you can have the same as all the other union shops in town. Bunch of bitter lazy fat old F's give to the master who does absolutely nothing for them. In return the company gets far less out of their employees and the business as a whole suffers.
ReplyDeleteThere are broadcasters who still say the union is the only edge they have against the evil radio corporations running Bay Area stations. Conscious observers will note that said union is getting less and less for the people they represent and is almost irrelevant, especially when it comes to a certain traffic and weather network, where our current contract features more losses than gains, because Clear Channel knew when they made the deal that the union has no teeth. But just like Allah, to some there is no God but the Union, and they will worship till the end.
ReplyDeleteThey will soon come to realize that the SF Aftra office is totally cluless, gutless and useless.
ReplyDeleteFreakin' 30 something year old board ops. Strive for higher ambitions in life guys. With today's technology, a 4 year old can run a board. Heck, even Lee Hammer probably could.
ReplyDeleteAnd you think Cumulus is going to work with AFTRA, let alone recognize the Union? When KGO went in for their recent yearly union negotiations, Cumulus offered them a 1 percent...that's ONE PERCENT pay raise over TWO YEARS, which is basically NOTHING. There's really not much AFTRA can do anything to change that. Unfortunately AFTRA, like many unions, is pretty much toothless these days. You think people like Gary Radnich, and Bob Fitzgerald, or Paulie Mack, or 'P-Con' or are going to support AFTRA? I'd be shocked if they do.
ReplyDeleteIn addition to providing group representation joining AFTRA provides health insurance and a life-time pension at retirement. For those who complained they only got a card, it's because you were to stupid to check out the other benefits of being in a union. Cumulus can't "ignore" the union. They aren't in a right to work state and the union now represents the employees of KNBR. Welcome to the union!
ReplyDeleteOf course they can't ignore. They negotiate regularly, Cumulus is required to agree to none of their demands. Let me repeat, none>
DeleteThe members are free to go elsewhere and "shop" their talents to secure higher benefits and wages.
> Cumulus can't "ignore" the union.
DeleteRiiiiight....
What happens if they do? Does God strike them with lightning? Then all the stations should have been struck by lightning a long time ago.
As for those "benefits," a chimp could throw bananas at random stocks on a board and the resulting portfolio would do better than what they invest in.
The producers at KRON, KGO and maybe other stations (I think KTVU, come to think of it) voted themselves OUT of the union decades ago and they've never regretted it.
DeleteUh, no. KTVU's Producers and Writers are represented by AFTRA. KGO's by NABET. No, AFTRA dues aren't $3,000 dollars. Dues are based on your salary and there is no buy-in as there is with NABET.
DeleteAs to Cumulus doesn't have to negotiate with the union. True, then the union strikes which believe it or not is still an effective way to bring both sides back to the table. Unions are not perfect, but they are better than the alternative of bargaining on your own.
Anytime people mention the Union word there will always be negative comments, usually exaggerating union problems (the old I couldn't push a button story) or making generic Libertarian or Conservative talking points against unions. Clearly the KNBR workers thought it was worth it to bargain collectively despite such critiques.
The initiation fee is around $3,000 after the ridiculous merger which local tv and radio folk will soon regret. You get a glossy magazine which touts all the money they spent on their new high rent glitzy office in Manhattan. AFTRA stopped being a union a while ago. Now they're just big business.
DeleteThe fee to join AFTRA/SAG is $3,000 in San Francisco. It was reduced in LA and NYC but not San Francisco. http://www.sagaftra.org/sag-aftra-cuts-bcast-entry-fees
DeleteYes, $3,000.
My guess is Cumulus will turn the board op jobs over to college interns for college credit. No pay, no union, it's an intern position now. I wonder if the union is going to negotiate parking at 750 Battery Street. Do these board ops know it's an average of about $450 per month to park in this part of town? Did the board ops take in consideration that it costs about $3,000 just to join AFTRA/SAG? Not to mention annual dues.
ReplyDeleteCumulus can continue to pay their execs for failure and not pay their employees for success.
DeleteThey will go under in due time.
No, they won't. There's always money around to fund the wrong things. It's the right things that go wanting.
DeleteBack in the 80's I had a friend who worked in the art department at KGO. She did the little graphics that showed up next to the anchor's head as they were reporting a story.
ReplyDeleteOne day I'm sitting with her in the room with the digital paintbox, waiting for the end of the shift. Before she leaves, she needs to transfer the graphics from the digital paintbox to the still store, from where the images eventually get displayed on the TV screen, To transfer the images all you needed to do was press a button, but my friend wasn't allowed to do it - someone from the union had to do it. So she has to call to get someone from the union to come down, which takes five minutes. The union member who came in said she was new and didn't know what to do. My friend points to a button and tells the union member to press it. The union member presses it. A job well done.
That's the day I went from being pro-union to questioning their usefulness.
And one could cite many a story of employer abuses and unions that rectified that situation, too...What's your point.
DeleteBack in the 80's I knew a girl who went to the doctor regularly, yet the doctor misdiagnosed something and she became ill.
That's the day I went from being pro-doctor to questioning their usefulness.
Yup. Next time you get a hooker, you'll get the broad with the most seniority after she finishes hear coffee and box donuts.
DeleteDon't forget to look for the "Union label"
ReplyDelete