syracuse.com published an article today on NewsRadio 570 WSYR's parent company, iHeartMedia - And, an array of recent events you may have heard about spanning nationwide. Whether or not it's been on your radar in the past week, Bob didn't want to let the article influence your opinion, without a proper response on the air.
And, he did just that.
For newspaper to criticize radio, about 'oh you don't have enough people,' is widely audacious, right? Because this same newspaper that is giving crap to my company, is a newspaper which has repeatedly had gutting layoffs, right?
For example, in 2012, our friends at CNY Central reported that the Post Standard, which runs syracuse.com, laid off 112 people.
Now, did we have layoffs here a week or so ago? Yes, we did. Right? And I'd like to see a show of hands - Is there anybody out there listening right now who over the past number of years, has not had the reality of layoffs imposed on their workplace? Or the fear of layoffs imposed on their workplace? ..... We all have walked down that corridor of uncertainty.
In Bob's official statement on the air on Monday, he reiterated to everyone that NewsRadio 570 WSYR is, and always will be, a live, local radio station that you can rely on.
Are we a little thinner staffed than we used to be? Yes. But ... this station has a live, local morning show, not just with a live host who's running around one armed paper hanger doing it all himself, he's got a full time producer sitting through the glass taking care of him, he's got a full time news man in Ian Wheatley. That is a genuine, news station morning show. And it is live and local in Syracuse, NY. And the reality is, that you don't find a live, local news station outside of this town unless you're in this company, or in Buffalo, or in New York City.
Bob wants you to remember that our priority is always serving the Central New York community, no matter what happens anywhere else.
We serve, Central New York and Syracuse listeners, and we serve, Central New York and Syracuse advertisers. We try to bring entertainment, information and enrichment to the lives of people that listen, and we try to bring additional prosperity to the companies that advertise, and this station does its job rather significantly better than the newspaper does its. Right? And here's the deal, I guarantee you this, on this station we will cover the demise of the local newspaper. But that newspaper will never write the obituary of this station.
Listen to Bob's full on air statement, below.