Chapter 19 The Switch
With things changing it became apparent to everyone that the stations would have to switch formats. At This time the Christian format was on the FM dial and the country format was on the AM dial. Radio had changed rapidly and everybody had FM ,they liked the stereo sound, it just couldn't compare to the AM sound. People buying advertising were spending more money with stations that had FM. The Christian format was OK, but Christian business people didn't want to spend their money because they didn't like the music, they wanted contemporary Christian format, or they didn't like some of the preachers who were on the station. The sales staff didn't know how to sell it and so the station was in a quandry as to what to do. There was a meeting at the first of the year to decide what to do. The outcome of the meeting was to plan to do the switch, but to purchase equipment with that being the plan. No target date was given to do it.
Theresa relaxed for a while and tried to get people ready for what would eventually happen. Nobody listened. She tried to mention it to potential advertisers. No one would budge. It was during that time that she found out that her sister was pregnant.It was a source of mixed blessings for Theresa. She wanted kids, she wanted to be married to have them. Here it was her younger sister was married and having a child. It just didn't seem fair. She was able to finish college. Theresa quit to help support the family when her dad was out of work. She was depressed to say the least.
Things moved on in time. The station was gaining more listeners, but not in terms of revenue and the sales people on the street were getting the word that if you had FM we would advertise with you. By the fall of the year, there was a rumor that a competitor was going to put another country station on the FM dial. A staff meeting was called and everyone was told about the plans now to switch formats. Put the Christian format on the AM and the country on the FM. They wanted to did it in less than three months time which would be a lot of work for everyone involved. Extra help would have to be hired for the engineering end to install equipment at the studio site as well as the transmitter site. The studio space would be changed as well. The studio B needed to be between the two control rooms. There was a lot to do. Theresa's job was to inform the clients, to offer deals if the ministers would stay on. The first reactions were not good. Some cancelled immediately. Others didn't like it, but understood that the world loves their own and would support the new format on the FM side. The whole programming schedule had to be changed. Theresa, Ted and other staff members were walking around in a state of shock. They weren't sure what "the Switch" would mean to them personally. Would they still have jobs? Theresa was in a state of panic, she had a house to pay for. Her dad had assured her that he would help her hold on to things if she lost her job.
During this time Theresa's sister gave birth to a baby girl. She was two months early. So tiny. Theresa and her mom had to get Cabbage Patch doll clothes to fit he. It was a rough time for Theresa. All of the stuff going on at work and then the birth of her niece. She would wonder if she would ever marry and have kids.
The work environment was very hard to deal with. Some of the powers-that-be were just hard to deal with. Remarks were made that the staff on the Christian side needed to be grateful that they still had jobs. Theresa found it hard to be grateful, when none of her suggestions were taken seriously. The person given control of the situation didn't want to listen to some common-sense suggestions. He had worked in a major market twelve years before and management and the owners thought he knew everything. It turned out he didn't predict the loyalty of some of the Christian community. Most of the people stayed on. Some of the groups and others pledged their support and called the GMA and other organizations to see if there was any help. Theresa made one of those calls to a syndicated weekly radio program who give some good advice and ways to promote "the switch" in a positive way. Thus began the "Follow the Leader" campaign. Switch the dial and go to the right to the first setting. Long hours were worked to achieve what management wanted to accomplish. Everything was in place. Some plans got cut to make "the switch" earlier than what was advertised. Theresa was thinking you don't want to aggravate people anymore than they were already. While a good thing for some, it wasn't a good deal for others.
The day of "the switch" came. Things were in place and the morning shows were on. "The switch" took place at 8:15 AM that morning. A celebrity was bought in to pull the patch cords and everything was off and running. Theresa signed off the FM at 8:15 AM and signed on the AM at 9 AM. The station was flooded with calls, good and bad. Some loved it and others threatened to picket and put curses on the management. Theresa was so worn out by all of this she took some time off. When she got back, letters had to be sent out to tell the clients to stop complaining about the change. To go with it, move on. Theresa lost her radio ministry in the process. She did a one-hour gospel program on Saturday nights, which she lost, because contract with the two universities to broadcast their sports programming had to still be honored. The AM was a Christian station until 7 PM and sport until 1 AM. This whole thing affected Theresa more than she knew at the time, she began to have health problems.
After "the switch" things settled in to a new normal. The Christian station kind of got pushed aside. Theresa was doing everything she could to make sure that she did her part. It was during this time that Ted had had enough of the rudeness and put downs from the major market guy influencing the management and owners. He applied for a job in one of the places he used to live. They called back and were interested.Ted was leaving. It was a hurtful depressing time for Theresa. She was losing her right arm. There was no one around to help her fight off the wolves across the hall, who treated her like she was stupid for her Christian testimony. When Ted left, Theresa felt as if someone had died. She was working with some new staff training them and one that had been in radio a long time, that she had listened to growing up He wasn't committed to the format either. She just bided her time until Terry came along.....
Looking back at "The Switch", it needed to be done. It should have been handled better. All ideas and inputs should have been considered, because it affected everyone's life and livelihood. God is a healer of all wounds and all things work together for the good to those who love Him and are the called according to His purpose and plan. Theresa wanted to leave then, but she couldn't. She put in applications elsewhere, but by them she had been associated with the Christian format too long. She was stuck....
Theresa relaxed for a while and tried to get people ready for what would eventually happen. Nobody listened. She tried to mention it to potential advertisers. No one would budge. It was during that time that she found out that her sister was pregnant.It was a source of mixed blessings for Theresa. She wanted kids, she wanted to be married to have them. Here it was her younger sister was married and having a child. It just didn't seem fair. She was able to finish college. Theresa quit to help support the family when her dad was out of work. She was depressed to say the least.
Things moved on in time. The station was gaining more listeners, but not in terms of revenue and the sales people on the street were getting the word that if you had FM we would advertise with you. By the fall of the year, there was a rumor that a competitor was going to put another country station on the FM dial. A staff meeting was called and everyone was told about the plans now to switch formats. Put the Christian format on the AM and the country on the FM. They wanted to did it in less than three months time which would be a lot of work for everyone involved. Extra help would have to be hired for the engineering end to install equipment at the studio site as well as the transmitter site. The studio space would be changed as well. The studio B needed to be between the two control rooms. There was a lot to do. Theresa's job was to inform the clients, to offer deals if the ministers would stay on. The first reactions were not good. Some cancelled immediately. Others didn't like it, but understood that the world loves their own and would support the new format on the FM side. The whole programming schedule had to be changed. Theresa, Ted and other staff members were walking around in a state of shock. They weren't sure what "the Switch" would mean to them personally. Would they still have jobs? Theresa was in a state of panic, she had a house to pay for. Her dad had assured her that he would help her hold on to things if she lost her job.
During this time Theresa's sister gave birth to a baby girl. She was two months early. So tiny. Theresa and her mom had to get Cabbage Patch doll clothes to fit he. It was a rough time for Theresa. All of the stuff going on at work and then the birth of her niece. She would wonder if she would ever marry and have kids.
The work environment was very hard to deal with. Some of the powers-that-be were just hard to deal with. Remarks were made that the staff on the Christian side needed to be grateful that they still had jobs. Theresa found it hard to be grateful, when none of her suggestions were taken seriously. The person given control of the situation didn't want to listen to some common-sense suggestions. He had worked in a major market twelve years before and management and the owners thought he knew everything. It turned out he didn't predict the loyalty of some of the Christian community. Most of the people stayed on. Some of the groups and others pledged their support and called the GMA and other organizations to see if there was any help. Theresa made one of those calls to a syndicated weekly radio program who give some good advice and ways to promote "the switch" in a positive way. Thus began the "Follow the Leader" campaign. Switch the dial and go to the right to the first setting. Long hours were worked to achieve what management wanted to accomplish. Everything was in place. Some plans got cut to make "the switch" earlier than what was advertised. Theresa was thinking you don't want to aggravate people anymore than they were already. While a good thing for some, it wasn't a good deal for others.
The day of "the switch" came. Things were in place and the morning shows were on. "The switch" took place at 8:15 AM that morning. A celebrity was bought in to pull the patch cords and everything was off and running. Theresa signed off the FM at 8:15 AM and signed on the AM at 9 AM. The station was flooded with calls, good and bad. Some loved it and others threatened to picket and put curses on the management. Theresa was so worn out by all of this she took some time off. When she got back, letters had to be sent out to tell the clients to stop complaining about the change. To go with it, move on. Theresa lost her radio ministry in the process. She did a one-hour gospel program on Saturday nights, which she lost, because contract with the two universities to broadcast their sports programming had to still be honored. The AM was a Christian station until 7 PM and sport until 1 AM. This whole thing affected Theresa more than she knew at the time, she began to have health problems.
After "the switch" things settled in to a new normal. The Christian station kind of got pushed aside. Theresa was doing everything she could to make sure that she did her part. It was during this time that Ted had had enough of the rudeness and put downs from the major market guy influencing the management and owners. He applied for a job in one of the places he used to live. They called back and were interested.Ted was leaving. It was a hurtful depressing time for Theresa. She was losing her right arm. There was no one around to help her fight off the wolves across the hall, who treated her like she was stupid for her Christian testimony. When Ted left, Theresa felt as if someone had died. She was working with some new staff training them and one that had been in radio a long time, that she had listened to growing up He wasn't committed to the format either. She just bided her time until Terry came along.....
Looking back at "The Switch", it needed to be done. It should have been handled better. All ideas and inputs should have been considered, because it affected everyone's life and livelihood. God is a healer of all wounds and all things work together for the good to those who love Him and are the called according to His purpose and plan. Theresa wanted to leave then, but she couldn't. She put in applications elsewhere, but by them she had been associated with the Christian format too long. She was stuck....
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