[BC] Do We Still Like Our Jobs?

[Bruce Doerle]

Donna,

Let me throw in my theories.

1.  In the early 80's the FCC at the pressure of the broadcasters dropped the requirement of an engineer.  Thus the need for a on-staff engineer was no longer there and the stations took advantage of it; the bottom line always matters.  As a contract engineer kind of lose the feeling of being part of station if you are not part of the staff.  Furthermore, there is no comradery with the other 'real' station staff.  It becomes just a job.

2. Along come the FCC decision to allow increased ownership, and conglomerates like Clear Channel buy up everything in site worth anything.  As a cluster, they can afford to have engineers on staff, but they can reduce the number engineers needed.  However, the engineer has greater workloads.  Now engineers like to tinker and make 'refinements' to the systems; it is just part of the nature of the job and the personalty.  That 'tinker' time is no longer there.  Moreover, as many have pointed out, you are now working for a bunch of obnoxious individuals from the programming and management who probably no longer respect the engineer.

I too started out at a college station.  I worked up to chief engineer and actually graduated with my BSEE while many of my predecessors flunked out.  But I stayed out of the business for a while, continuing to work for the FCC and in other communications aspects for Uncle Sam, and then I got back into in 1983 when I joined VOA.  When I retired, I did some part time work for a local public radio.  They asked me to join when there PD left.  The manager assumed the PD duties and I proceeded to rebuild/improve parts of the station.  Public radio is run much like the old time radio and I enjoy it.

Just a few of my ideas,

Bruce

>>> dlh at donnahalper.com 07/30/05 1:49 AM >>>
Mike wrote:

>I love radio and what I do. Radio just doesn't
>seem to be as much fun as it used to be.

Several people told me that.  Any theories about why it's not as much 
fun?  I know in some cases, owners have changed or there is more pressure 
on an engineer or he/she is expected to maintain a cluster of stations... 
but I'd think it would be somewhat easier to do the work these days-- 
aren't some pieces of equipment easier to fix than they used to be years ago?




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