There’s really nothing new here for OMW readers, except some details and timing.
This item on AllAccess’ Net News scroll jumped out at us:
METRO NETWORKS/WESTWOOD ONE Regional Dir.Operations/DETROIT-CENTRAL HOWARD BOUTON tells ALL ACCESS, “I am looking for talent in DETROIT for our Metro Networks Regional Hub. I need traffic producers and editors, traffic anchors for DETROIT, GRAND RAPIDS, CLEVELAND, CINCINNATI, COLUMBUS, TOLEDO and DAYTON Radio and TV stations. News anchors for same markets. Sports update anchors for DETROIT and CLEVELAND.”
“I need these people pretty soon,” adds BOUTON. “They need to be good on-air and have knowledge of the market they would be serving if possible, but we will train them and they will be based in our SOUTHFIELD MICHIGAN operations hub in suburban DETROIT.”
Enough with that silly notion that you could “have knowledge of the market” by actually LIVING in the market! (We note that Bouton adds “if possible”, wording that never appeared in the past, when Metro advertised for on-air talent that was actually in the market in question.)
OMW already reported last year that the Metro office in the Independence Media Gulch in suburban Cleveland was one of dozens the company slated for closure this year, as the traffic, news and sports outsource provider is consolidating over 60 local outposts down to just over a dozen cities in a money-saving effort.
We don’t know how many people are actually left in the other Ohio markets listed. We believe some have already been served out of other markets.
The above (“need these people pretty soon”) makes it sound like the local operations will be shuttered as previously rumbled, in June.
We wouldn’t bet the house on it, but we’d be surprised if many – if any – of the remaining Cleveland-based Metro on-air staffers would move to Detroit. Many of them are market veterans with strong ties to Northeast Ohio, and we doubt seriously that Metro will pay relocation costs for this.
And you don’t save the last penny if you’re paying people to move, do you? Certainly not…
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