I read recently one of the siblings wanted to run things as they were under Bill whilst the other wanted to modernise the network.
It feels like they’ve never agreed from the outset and it seemed very sensible they were taking a step back to non executive directors and putting radio people in to run the business, it appears short lived though.
If they couldn’t agree on a way forward, I don’t why Despina (seemingly) agreed to the recruitment of the extra radio experts like Mike in the first place.. all seems rather odd to me.
I could’ve seen Mike really bringing the regional FM breakfast shows & the 2HD-based networked AM shows (mainly weekends) into line - with some form of ‘metro-style professionalism’.
Now he’s gone, we can expect more of Barry Hill and conspiracy theorists on the SRN.
… Or 20 minute Saturday interviews with the BoM …
These days, it’s not actually 2SM which is the sore thumb in this network. It’s the loose content coming from the regionals & Newcastle which needs an overhaul.
Oh well, there goes the streaming ideas, and entering the ratings to i guess.
This could be very well the same for Southern Cross Media when they have to sell 17 commercial radio licences can see all of their WA stations being sold to the one company but those In Queensland & Mildura could be a totally different story.
What programming improvement did Mike make on any program during his time? Where were the significant changes?
I’d say stymied and gone in frustration.
How many of the executive recruits worked full time or were they merely part time advisors?
Agree. Some of these exec recruits seemed more like window dressing to me.
Agree. Plus the CFO role is still vacant unless scrapped along with the formerly filled positions.
Radioinfo has reported that Pete Schmidt, who was appointed Group Technology Manager in January, has also departed the network.
Group technology manager sounds awesome but for a network that doesn’t really stream, can’t reliably take syndication programs or even broadcast a single thing without overplay and the rest of it, he was probably pushing it up a very steep hill with a pointy stick. Group? What Group? They are disparate people, markets and systems. Or these experienced people were put on for advice etc and the jobs done. Or all the stories are shit spreading to make sure no one knows what happens next, which would be my guess.
One wonders if some regional stations even make enough money for a tech refresh to keep them running?
Old PKE and RME mixers coupled with valve transmitters that seem to be still around are a ticking time bomb with regards to parts and people who can work on them. Analog radio stations are part of a bygone era and perhaps the end will be a fault and the station stays off air - that is already happening in community radio and has happened in regional TV.
Its a massive job, lets just convert everything to fm,
Because its cheaper than maintaining am, ouch ,ouch ouch ouch…ouch.
Not only that, but the valves etc that are available now are nothing like old tubes, and desk thumpers certainly don’t help. More people need to learn good ol fashioned electronics.
Probably just means he’s good with cassette tapes, MS-DOS and typewriters.
IT workers don’t replace technicians either: I found a group of IT networking techs once who were just wrapping jumpers around tag blocks with a pair of pliers. When I pointed out the wire will corrode quickly and become intermittent if they didn’t solder it they admitted they couldn’t solder. Pure IT people are useless in radio or TV studios and not able to safely work at transmission sites.
SRN did have a couple of tech jobs advertised in NSW last year so hopefully they didn’t have to use IT workers to fill the vacancies.
Often IT workers that have only done Helpdesk or Application support cannot work off a command line. MS DOS would be completely beyond them.
Sounds like a perfect job for you! 
Is that not a high school skill any more?
No longer taught in Manual Arts in many schools and not taught at University or TAFEs(outside of electrical apprenticeships). Without soldering skills there is nothing useful you can do in an analog radio studio.
In NSW, you can do elective Electronics in Years 9 & 10. It’s not a part of the curriculum for earlier years.
