Comments on: Is Peak’s maneuver legal — or fair?

By: RadioActive

RadioActive — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 06:29:05 +0000

If memory serves me right…IF you dont like some clause in a contract you mark it out….prior to signing….and it is no longer part of the contact or will cause one side or the other to re-consider the agreement….?

By: busted if writing from work

busted if writing from work — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 02:28:45 +0000

Tom L denies that story…..that HE was the cause and would not take a pay cut

By: Jim Smith

Jim Smith — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 14:35:46 +0000

Wild Bill, neither party to a contractual agreement “just includes” a paragraph without the consent of the other. If it has “that paragraph” and you sign the agreement, then you are saying, “Sure. No problem. Change at will.” If you don’t like that Idea, don’t sign the contract with it in.

By: Jac

Jac — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 06:56:45 +0000

Do you think when the economy improves any of these salaries will be reinstated? There is no way. The company just got you to agree to a pay cut, why would they ever change that?

I was once told to sign a paper that said “if you say anything on the air to cause an FCC fine, you will pay the fine, our company has no responsibility.” I refused to sign it and they did nothing about it. I wonder if these companies will actually make good on that threat? It would be interesting to watch..

By: The Shadow

The Shadow — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 04:05:50 +0000

This exact situation started the demise of one of the West Coast longest standing formats a couple of weeks ago.

CBS Radio’s “KLSX/97.1 FM-Talk” flipped formats to “97.1 Amp Radio”, at Top 40 format that was being developed on one of CBS Radio’s HD channels after Tom Leykis refused to negotiate a pay cut in his CBS Radio contract.

CBS Radio asked the entire KLSX air staff to take a 10% pay cut using the economy as “the issue” to institute pay cuts across the board. Everyone on the KLSX staff agreed except for Tom.

Tom’s stance on the situation was that CBS as a company had signed him to a “no-cut” multi-year contract. CBS had planned and made a budget with Tom’s 1.5 million dollars a year contract to do Afternoon Drive on KLSX. They signed the contract and in turn should have been prepared to pay out the agreement. His contention was that CBS was going to pay him his guaranteed contract anyway, no matter what the economy was like because they had already budgeted his deal into operating costs for KLSX.

Tom refused the pay cut then Westwood One, A CBS Company and Tom’s syndicator, informed Tom then paid out a settlement of his multi-year syndication deal.

2 days later CBS told him that KLSX would be flipping formats due to budget constraints.

The point is if any talent signed a contract before all of this mess called “the economy” started messing up the game, The broadcast companies should have planned better to maintain their talents contracts. They should have to pay you, as a contracted performer, every penny agreed to in your agreement.

It’s my point that anyone with a signed deal should seek advice from an attorney before they agree to any type of pay cut.

Tom is now sitting out the rest of his deal until March 31st, 2012. Getting paid 1.5 million per year to sit at his ranch and do nothing.

By: Wild Bill

Wild Bill — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 01:36:24 +0000

“If you have an employment contract, you may be able to refuse the cut altogether or at least quit and collect unemployment, but only if the contract states terms of compensation and says that your employer cannot alter the terms without your consent. The pay cut could constitute a breach of contract and an attorney can help you negotiate the terms of your release or fight for your full pay.”

So couldn’t an employer just include a clause in the contract stating that they can change the terms of salary or job description at anytime without prior notice or approval?

Seems like I’ve had a contract before that stated just that…