"I was blown away," Russell told Bob Wolfley of the Journal-Sentinel during a phone interview. "On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the most surprised, I was probably about a 16. Shocked. Just flabbergasted."
On Tuesday, after he had completed "The Doug and Mike Show" with his partner, Mike Wickett, WSSP program director Tom Parker told Russell he was out of a job.
When asked by a reporter why Russell was dismissed, Parker said the station wanted "to take the show in a different direction."
Russell, 38, had worked the 5 to 9 a.m. morning slot since January 2007 at WSSP.
Russell said Parker told him the same thing. Russell said he asked Parker what he meant by that.
"He just reiterated that point, (saying) we need to move the show, move the show in another direction; thank you for your service, shook my hand and walked out the door, left me with the HR (human resources) person," Russell said.
Russell was asked if he thought his dismissal was an economic one, since his salary may have been among the top ones for on-air people at the station.
"I’m guessing it had to do with economics," Russell said. "I don’t think I make that much money. But I know I made more than Mike or (producer) Chuck (Freimund). So if the top salary on the show was to be pared, it was mine. I wasn’t told economics was a reason. The other thing is Tom told me two or three times it was not performance related; it was not job performance related at all.
WSSP is one of 110 radio stations in 23 markets owned by Entercom Communications, which is based in Bala Cynwyd, Pa. Entercom also owns WMYX and WXSS, FM stations in Milwaukee.
Read More.
No comments:
Post a Comment