Hyatt, Edwards out at Impact Radio Group
Don Day | August 5, 2008
Sources confirm that Imapct Radio CEO Randy Hyatt and operations manager Kris Edwards have been relieved of their positions with the company.
Hyatt was let go first, just hours after he dismissed Mitch Pruitte I’m told. Several days later, Edwards was terminated. It sounds like Locally Owned/FM Idaho/Impact SVP Elliot Klein will be calling the shots in the short-term at least, with new OM Mikey Fuentes very much in the mix as well.
This is the sixth high-profile staffing change in the market since July 9th. It also follows the transition after Dave Tester’s leaving by just more than six months – leading to a tumultuous time at Impact.
Kind of sounds like an out of control blood bath in the making.
“We don’t know exactly what’s wrong here, but we’re going to keep firing people until everything is right again!!”
Word is, that Dave Tester is still with Impact… He is working in the sales department at KSRV-AM 1380 in Ontario.
This convinces me even more that the Impact group is being run more as a hobby than as a legitimate, competitive business venture. Makes me question, even though I like the BOB and oldies formats, whether I should continue to listen to these stations if management is going to change every few hours.
Here comes darrell! New news at allaccess.com
From AllAccess.com
Friday, August 8, 2008
Impact/Boise Ups Two, Adds Interep
IMPACT RADIO GROUP has appointed DARRELL CALTON as Market GM for the BOISE, ID. station cluster, as announced today by company VP ELLIOTT KLEIN. DARRELL brings his administrative talents to IMPACT RADIO GROUP after more than five years with CITADEL BROADCASTING in various positions. CALTON was most recently Dir./Sales with CITADEL/BOISE.
KLEIN commented, “This is another step in our efforts to build a top notch cluster in the competitive BOISE market. The addition of DARRELL CALTON as Market GM is an example of IMPACT RADIO’s commitment to providing the BOISE market with a group of uniquely entertaining and professional radio broadcasting stations.”
KLEIN also announced the appointment and promotion of GSM DARLA STURTEVANT to the position of Dir./Sales. STURTEVANT had an announcement of her own TODAY as she told staffers that the cluster would by represented nationally by INTEREP LOCAL FOCUS effective immediately.
Betcha the big “D” got out of Citadel while he could…since the new Gm comes in Monday.
I’ve heard good things about “D” though…so good for him and Impact. Least he gets to stay in Boise.
Impacts new slogan; “Impact Radio, the new Citadel”
I dont post but had to when I saw this. I worked with the big “D” up until about six months ago. He is an operator. Knows his stuff, creates loyalty. NOt flashy. Big loss Citadel. BIG gain Impact.
The problem with Impact (and Locally Owned) is that to them, everything and everyone is expendable. Just ask Mitch, Jim Smith, Hyatt, Tester and a whole host of others. They cycle through formats like a spin on a roulette wheel. If that doesn’t work, change frequencies, personnel, slogans or whatever. It is “Flavor of the Day” radio. I wish the new employees good luck, but do you really think you can sell 2 stations that are essentially automated (Bob and KQLZ), along with another station (100.7) that won’t even have a live morning show? Citadel does well because it is live, not automated. And if you think that Spanish will do well, think again. The market is already carved up.
Also, as someone pointed out earlier, this shows that Wendell Starke (owner) and his crew run their operations as a hobby. A good one at that, but hey, somebody needs the tax losses!
Have you ever worked for any of these groups? Let me tell you, they are the best group ever! And Wendell Starke is one in a million! You have no idea how you just put your Flavor in your mouth! It is called change, and some people cannot mind their P’s and Q’s, that’s why they don’t have jobs, not just because they work for Impact. So don’t pee in your cherios until you sample them first…PS, Spanish format is the fastest growing format in the US..
One more thing. Do I detect some jealousy?
Dee, I don’t have to work for any of the groups to know good management from bad. I’ve worked for both types on stations throughout the Northwest. I know insecure management when I see it. I know a station run as a hobby when I see it. Wendell Stark may be one in a million, but that doesn’t matter where perception is concerned. The perception is that they are throwing things at the wall and hoping something will stick – and perception is more important than reality where an audience is concerned.
As for the Spanish format, yes it is one of the fastest growing formats in the country. The highest rated station in Portland in one of the recent books was Spanish. But the audience is very loyal to their station, so it means that the programming for the Impact group will have to be – and remain – top notch. One song, announcement or voice track in the wrong spot and the audience will likely leave in packs because the perception will be that management doesn’t care enough about the audience to get it right.
I have worked for every group here in the Magic Valley. I have been in Radio for 26 years. I have seen poor management, poor formats, and sold out underneath us, lied to, undercut,but, Impact Radio Group has the BEST in their group now. Hell, I have worked for stations that have changed format and dial position at the same time, during a survey and those stations are still on top. It is not a hobby, it is a quest to be the best, and that is what all of Wendell Starke’s business adventures are about. Evidently you have never met him. Too bad cause they are an awesome, most HONEST, group to work for.
I have friends who work in the Magic Valley who tell me that Larry and Wendell are letting spots go for $3-$5 a hollar. WIth costs going up elsewhere, you would think that the local groups would expect more. Yes, times are difficult, but the idea of selling spots at that rate is INSANE! Certainly not a smart management policy I’d want to be associated with. Especially if they are the “highest rated.” Last time I checked, it was GAP’s KEZJ that was number one in the Magic Valley, followed by KZDX and KKMV.
Dee writes: “So don’t pee in your cherios until you sample them first.”
I don’t excrete urological waste into my cereal bowl in the first place! In the second place, have you ever smelled soggy Cheerios in milk? They’d be 50 times more pungent if I engaged in the aforementioned excretorial activity.
Quite frankly, I’ll stick with my doughnuts and orange juice, thank you! That’s the breakfast of RADIO CHAMPIONES. But then again, it is better to be peed off than to be “peed on.”
If “perception is everything” in terms of consumers opinions, then the Impact media group or whatever they are callling themselves, then they REALLY need to step up to the plate and create some Marketing Positioning.
I am not about to slam Wendel. Obviously he has the bucks….Good for him, its his money, he can spend it any way he chooses to. However, If the radio group expects to succeed in the minds eye of the listener, then it had better start adapting some consistency and long term vision.
The fact that format changes occurr so often means that there is a lack of faith in the decisions and the decision makers. They also are not doing research or dont what to follow it. Few things make listerners more angry that frequent format changes, automated sterile formats, and a lack of committment to LOCALIZATION.
So if Impact wants to suceed it had better adapt a strong committment to a long-term vision of being more consistent in all of its radio outlets.
Failure to do so will only create more and more disharmony with listeners and advertisers. Otherwise the perception is becoming more and more of a fly by night type deal and I am sure that is not anyones intention at the group.
First of all, you might want to check the rates of the Magic Valley. KEZJ was selling $5.00 a holler spots, the Lee’s do constantly, so don’t blame the Twin Falls group. You must know Larry and Wendell, and you must have been miss-informed. They are, along with Elliott Klein, the hardest, most honest, working men in Radio. Have you ever started a new group, and become established in this dog eat dog business? Well I have, and being accepted is not the best feeling. Twin Falls is a whole different market than Boise, Idaho Falls or Pocatello. But one thing the stations have always practiced in honesty. If they say they are doing something they do it! To find your “nitch” in this business is not easy. Other #1 stations have not changed and that is why they are not #1 anymore. And as far as Gap, their new General Manager, not the local one, is the one who stirred up the $3 and $5 dollar rates, with a year commitment! One more thing to you two gentlemen. Tell me, just who is really “localized” in these markets? And why do you have such a negative attitude towards Impact? Everything happens for a reason and remember, it’s not personal, it’s BUSINESS!
There has been negative comments on here at Impact/Locally Owned for years. I suspect somebody was not hired leading to bad feelings. Why not just get over it already? Same old drivel is well, old. I think Impact will indeed get it together and kick some serious butt.
As a former employee of Impact in Twin (long before they became Locally Owned), I agree and disagree with several comments from Dee.
For instance, Wendell Starke IS a great guy. I don’t think many people can honestly argue that fact. Larry is also a great guy who is willing to work harder than almost anyone to achieve success–however, he’s a micro-manager who cannot stop annoucing to his workers that HE is the boss (as if they could somehow forget) and without a doubt, his biggest problem was taking full credit for ideas that came from his workers.
BTW, low-balling the price of spots by Impact is what almost forced many other stations in the Magic Valley to follow suit…not ALL stations have prostituted themselves out to that degree either.
All in all, I haven’t anything against Impact, or Locally Owned…but regardless of the owners honesty, their track record for doing one thing for ANY serious length of time is abysmal. How many format changes between their Twin and Boise stations have happened since Wendell purchased the stations? Sure, change is inevitable in this business, but for anyone to argue that making such a HUGE number of changes in such a short amount of time is anything other than irresponsible shows nothing but a lack of understanding at the least, and sheer stupidity at best.
HOW could ANYONE argue that changing formats this often is good business?? Forget the $3-5 spots for a moment and think of exactly HOW the Sales Dept are expected to sell a product that the clients don’t even know will be the same from day to day? If there is a good explanation for this, I’d dearly love to hear it.
Again, I’m not tryin’ to diss Impact/Locally Owned…I AM trying to understand just WHY they sabotage themselves so often, and can STILL garner loyalty from people who work there? For the record, I was never fired from Impact…I quit.
Way to go Wrabitt. And with that said, I am out~
Wrabbit writes: “somebody was not hired due to bad feelings.”
Are you kidding? I would thank God I wasn’t hired where I was “hair today,” “goone tommorrow.” Borrowing your “wrabbit”-type expressions of course.
Why would I want to work somewhere that cycles through personnel faster than a 3 month oil change. Did you bother to read the title of this thread?
I won’t comment on the other groups in the Magic Valley, but will say that for nearly 95% of the clients, our group charges more than a $5 spot rate. The only few exceptions are some that were grandfathered in under an old arrangement years ago, and even they are being brought up. When gas is over $4.00 a gallon, inflation is in the double digits, and costs are up, it is impossible to make a profit by lowballing. My challenge to ALL stations in this and other markets is to bring UP spot rates to where they should be. Prostituting the rate not only cheapens your stations, but the whole industry. WE ALL SUFFER! And frankly, local radio still delivers! It is still the top choice for most.
Giving away ad time for such a cheap rate shows just how embarrased one is of his/her product. A good salesman or PD who is proud of his operation is never ashamed to ask for a respectable rate.
By the same token, that means we have to stay hyper-focused on our markets, stations and the general public. We have to have a good localized product that will deliver customers.
I won’t criticize the others, but will say I am proud of my operation, the cume and 2 hour and 11 minute TSL. To date, I have never had a bad remote. I show up, do my job and the client is happy because of all the new customers we bring in. I am proud not be a $3 a hollar operator.
For the record I have never applied to an Impact station and really dont plan to. I would rather sit back as a listener now and enjoy all the dog fighting that goes on out there in RadioLand. I had my day and my fun and am content to watch it all from a distance knowing what I know from more than 25 years in the biz in one form or the other.
There is no bitterness in my statements. Dont shoot the messenger and try to dismiss an honest assessment of a situation by trying to discredit the writer(s). Instead of the rebuttal why not shut up and listen to what others have to say…you might learn something of value that will make you a better employee or employer.
If you have to ask what Localization is then chances are you will never know what the concept is nor will you ever understand how to achieve it. You probably would not get it anyway. It is not a concept you can buy from a service, purchase as a computer algorythm (spelling) or have magically appear on your station out of the blue by luck. It takes a committment to time, people and community and its an art not a science.
Regarding Wendell. I would love to meet the man. It seems he has his act together from an ownership point of view. Look at the empire he has built. I hope he can now fine tune the group into a cutting edge high profile radio group. The story of the back up transmitter purchase is a classic, I love it! That’s committment. You dont see that in the business these days-that is for sure! So more power to him but only if he can get it together and hire the right people who can do the right job. You also need to have some long term VISION, Otherwise, the Impact group will continue to be the butt of jokes and continue to be ire of those who see the weakness in the firm.
As for me, I would love to see a better product on the air. Lets all keep our fingers crossed that those in control of Impact (or whatever) can one day soon be providing their listeners with quality radio for the listener and an effective media tool for their advertisers.
The staggering number of signals popping up everywhere makes radio advertising even tougher to get the message out to the listeners. Does anybody sit through a commercial break anymore? I don’t know of a single person that has a remote control or a finger within reach of a preset that will hang through a god awful lengthy spot set. I’m more likely to see a TV commercial’s message while zipping through at 8x speed on my Tivo. It’s sad to say, I hate to say it, but the number of signals is really killing radio off. You’d think it would have the opposite effect. Even Boise is getting two more singals soon at 97.5 or 97.7 (seems to be both rumors) and at 101.1. A couple things deregulation has done to radio (in my opinion), has brought better radio to small markets and made major market radio worse. Even Seattle has gone virtually jockless now on the weekends!! Sorry if I’m a touch off the original topic.
Dee, you have a little something on your lip there. No, you missed it, try more to the center… It’s brown, like a mole maybe? Nope, I don’t think it’s a mole. Nope, you still missed it…
26 years in the Magic Valley does not make you an expert on broadcast employers. You know nothing about my P’s an Q’s (which could probably buy and sell you a few times over) and since my name was mentioned on a post just prior to your snide remark, you’d be advised to check your comments. I’ll add that Mitch Pruitte is a stellar, hard working man who doesn’t deserve your implications either! You keep your lips right where they are. Meanwhile I hope guys like Mitch are found by the REALLY great employers.
I thought Hyatt is now an OWNER.
In response to Dee’s comment further back…dead air, commercials coming in at the wrong time, glitches where the same song plays twice in a row – and not appearing to fix the problems – that’s running a station/group as a hobby, not a quest for the best.
And, for the record, I’m retired from the business. I have no particular axe to grind other than being a listener who knows what a real, quality on-air presentation sounds like.
Impact management may be honest internally, but not when it comes to putting a quality product on the air. There are exceptions with Big Jack and Bryan, but for the most part, there is A LOT of work to do before I will even consider that Impact is a competitive group of stations in this market.
Oh my gosh Mr. Smith, I don’t have any brown around me, and if you only knew, I was the one, many years ago, that stuck up for you. Boy I must of stepped in it,when I was around you! All the comments of this whole IMPACT thing, makes me think that everyone is pretty worried about them. I would be if I was in Boise! And Mr. Rainshadow. Come on, you have never had a song miss, or computer go down, really that was petty. Have you ever heard of up grades. I love RADIO and we are all in the same business, can’t we just get along…boo-hoo.
Without a last name, I don’t know who you are and my response was based on the implication of your comments, “…and some people cannot mind their P’s and Q’s, that’s why they don’t have jobs, not just because they work for Impact. ”
I appreciate the effort but I didn’t need anyone sticking up for me. Life is good and I have experienced significant success in the past eight years that I may not have had otherwise.
And me too. I was gone from a job I loved, but when the, as we call, “The Mofo”, came about, I quit because I could see the writing on the wall. Wendell, Larry and Elliott are awesome and never lost track of me, and they are wonderful people. Jim, relax, P’s and Q’s is just a figure of speach. Change is what it is. Remember, it’s not personal, it’s just business…have a nice day.
Hey Shanon, I mean Dee, maybe you lost the job when YOU failed to mind YOUR p’s and q’s. Calling somebody a “mofo” isn’t exactly the nicest thing.
Who is Shanon? And you know what, I didn’t lose the job, I quit! You don’t have a clue~maybe you better find a new hobby! Bye Bye
Busted and you know it!