An overwhelming vote for a contract with WITF and NABET/CWA 213 passed. Thanks to Joe Grazan, Ed Buchan and Randy Miller on our negotiation committee and a big round of applause to William "Bill" Murray for his great skills representing us.
Also thanks to all of our supporters and fellow labor brothers in solidarity, we really appreciate your help and support through this ordeal.
We'll continue updates over the next five years when we will negotiate another contract.
Again, THANK YOU!
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
In Seattle...
And in the Northwest:
#1 Morning Announcer quits...read why here.
and
KUOW announcer quits, cites program changes
By Florangela Davila
Seattle Times staff reporter
Veteran KUOW-FM (94.9) broadcaster Ken Vincent, citing "irreconcilable disagreements," has quit the station where he had been the midday announcer and news editor. His resignation took immediate effect Friday afternoon.
Vincent explains his resignation on his Web site (kenvincent.com), saying he disagreed with program director Jeff Hansen's "handling of editorial, airsound, technical and compensation concerns." He said he wasn't the first station programmer with these concerns but that he had decided "not to take it any more." He wished the station well and said he hoped to return one day.
Vincent engineered the station's daily interview and call-in programs: "Weekday," "The Conversation" and "The Beat," according to his bio still posted on the station's Web site. He started at the station in 1984 and served for seven years as a reporter and local "Morning Edition" host. He left in 1991 to work in local politics and also wrote for Seattle Weekly. He returned to KUOW in 1995.
Hansen, who is out of the office until Sept. 5, could not be reached for comment.
KUOW listeners were told of Vincent's departure Monday morning during "Weekday"; host Steve Scher said Vincent had left abruptly.
"One identifiable hallmark of Ken's work [was] the musical choices that he made; they became comments on the program that added another level to the broadcast. He made 'Weekday' a better show," Scher said on air.
"His years of experience in radio and in Northwest political coverage added to all our understandings of the news. Above all, Ken remains committed to the ideals of public radio — intelligently reporting on the meaning of the news in a smart, and yet always personable manner ... I learned how to do radio from Ken Vincent, and he will be missed."
In an interview Monday, Vincent said he had been frustrated for a while but that the last straw had to do with program changes announced Thursday.
On that day, the station said its weekday 2 p.m. show "The Beat," which had primarily focused on arts and culture, would be renamed "Sound Focus." The new program, which will debut Sept. 17, will explore a subject area that goes beyond the arts to include business, science and activism, according to an announcement. And in addition to in-studio conversations, the program will now also include out-in-the-field interviews.
The station also announced it would stop airing "The Writers Almanac," the five-minute poetry and history program hosted by Garrison Keillor, which had been included as part of "The Beat" broadcast.
The reason: "it's no longer in line with our goals," an e-mailed announcement said. Although on Monday, the station explained it was actually looking for a new time slot for the program.
Florangela Davila: 206-464-2916 or fdavila@seattletimes.com
Copyright © 2007 The Seattle Times Company
#1 Morning Announcer quits...read why here.
and
KUOW announcer quits, cites program changes
By Florangela Davila
Seattle Times staff reporter
Veteran KUOW-FM (94.9) broadcaster Ken Vincent, citing "irreconcilable disagreements," has quit the station where he had been the midday announcer and news editor. His resignation took immediate effect Friday afternoon.
Vincent explains his resignation on his Web site (kenvincent.com), saying he disagreed with program director Jeff Hansen's "handling of editorial, airsound, technical and compensation concerns." He said he wasn't the first station programmer with these concerns but that he had decided "not to take it any more." He wished the station well and said he hoped to return one day.
Vincent engineered the station's daily interview and call-in programs: "Weekday," "The Conversation" and "The Beat," according to his bio still posted on the station's Web site. He started at the station in 1984 and served for seven years as a reporter and local "Morning Edition" host. He left in 1991 to work in local politics and also wrote for Seattle Weekly. He returned to KUOW in 1995.
Hansen, who is out of the office until Sept. 5, could not be reached for comment.
KUOW listeners were told of Vincent's departure Monday morning during "Weekday"; host Steve Scher said Vincent had left abruptly.
"One identifiable hallmark of Ken's work [was] the musical choices that he made; they became comments on the program that added another level to the broadcast. He made 'Weekday' a better show," Scher said on air.
"His years of experience in radio and in Northwest political coverage added to all our understandings of the news. Above all, Ken remains committed to the ideals of public radio — intelligently reporting on the meaning of the news in a smart, and yet always personable manner ... I learned how to do radio from Ken Vincent, and he will be missed."
In an interview Monday, Vincent said he had been frustrated for a while but that the last straw had to do with program changes announced Thursday.
On that day, the station said its weekday 2 p.m. show "The Beat," which had primarily focused on arts and culture, would be renamed "Sound Focus." The new program, which will debut Sept. 17, will explore a subject area that goes beyond the arts to include business, science and activism, according to an announcement. And in addition to in-studio conversations, the program will now also include out-in-the-field interviews.
The station also announced it would stop airing "The Writers Almanac," the five-minute poetry and history program hosted by Garrison Keillor, which had been included as part of "The Beat" broadcast.
The reason: "it's no longer in line with our goals," an e-mailed announcement said. Although on Monday, the station explained it was actually looking for a new time slot for the program.
Florangela Davila: 206-464-2916 or fdavila@seattletimes.com
Copyright © 2007 The Seattle Times Company
In Philadelphia...
Just down the road:
Giving until it hurts - to look at who is receiving
By Karen Heller
Inquirer Columnist
Last night was National Night Out, a night to promote neighborhood safety. I spent the night in, pondering why Matt A. Peskin makes $255,000 in salary and $42,000 in benefits so people can have annual block parties to feel better about safety.
"National Night Out has proven to be an effective, inexpensive and enjoyable program," the Web site states.
Scratch the inexpensive part.
This is another charity where the biggest charitable recipient seems to be the organization's leader. This stretches the concept of doing well for yourself by helping others. My favorite regional recipient of his board's own largesse is WHYY's Bill Marrazzo.
As president and chief executive officer of the public radio and television station, Marrazzo makes a very for-profit salary, $430,786 and an additional $56,250 in benefits during fiscal year 2006.
For those of you playing at home, the president of the United States makes $400,000.
Why donors, and the board, aren't outraged by this remains a mystery. The key to charitable giving is to be smart about it, to make sure money is going to essential programs, not officers' paychecks.
Peskin, as head of the Wynnewood-based National Association of Town Watch, the sponsoring organization for National Night Out, was paid a third of the group's fiscal 2005 budget, according to an article by The Inquirer's Andrew Maykuth.
Sen. Arlen Specter, who helped deliver $2.7 million in federal funds to Peskin's organization, voiced his concern to The Inquirer. Specter, who works tirelessly, even while battling Hodgkin's disease and receiving chemotherapy, earns $165,200, about a third less than Peskin.
Donors and corporate sponsors like Target ought to be concerned about this. The board is another matter, as it's stacked with Peskin relatives and pals.
Apparently devoid of humility or remorse, Peskin said new caps on salaries of organizations receiving $250,000 or more in federal subsidies would have no effect on his income. "The implication is that the taxpayers are paying my salary, and that's not the case," he told The Inquirer.
Looks like Peskin is watching his bank account as much as he is the town.
There's a solution to such obscene salaries and perks, highly profitable payments for heads of nonprofits: Stop giving.
WHYY is a wonderful radio station, thanks largely to Terry Gross and the Fresh Air staff, and Marty Moss-Coane and Radio Times, plus national news from NPR.
The television station is another matter entirely, stuffed with self-help infomercials, ancient English sitcoms and Lawrence Welk who, last time I checked, is still dead. Listed under the station's "special productions" are 17 shows, mostly half-hour documentaries many years old.
Marrazzo's obscene salary, and the lack of station-generated television programming, got him named No. 2 on the watchdog group Charity Navigator's 10 Highly Paid CEOs at Low-Rated Charities. (Full disclosure: My husband works at the public radio station WXPN. No one there earns anything close to this salary.)
My guess - though it's only a guess - is that Marrazzo's salary and benefits went up again this year, unlike so many people his station solicits constantly for gifts.
My guess is based on the fact that his salary went up more than $66,000 last year.
When you give to a charity, you should know that your money is helping original programs, not an endless loop of old shows and overpayment of the president.
Consult Charity Navigator to see how the nonprofit is rated or guidestar.org to check tax returns for expenditures, including top staffers' salaries.
I stopped giving to WHYY, despite being an admirer of the radio station and having a thing for Jim Lehrer, and I won't give until the board sees the absurdity of Marrazzo's salary or he voluntarily takes a pay cut or a more enlightened leader is selected.
Poor practices won't end unless donors question them.
Charity, after all, ought to begin with the organization, not at home in the bank account.
________________________________
Contact staff writer Karen Heller at 215-854-2586 or kheller@phillynews.com
Giving until it hurts - to look at who is receiving
By Karen Heller
Inquirer Columnist
Last night was National Night Out, a night to promote neighborhood safety. I spent the night in, pondering why Matt A. Peskin makes $255,000 in salary and $42,000 in benefits so people can have annual block parties to feel better about safety.
"National Night Out has proven to be an effective, inexpensive and enjoyable program," the Web site states.
Scratch the inexpensive part.
This is another charity where the biggest charitable recipient seems to be the organization's leader. This stretches the concept of doing well for yourself by helping others. My favorite regional recipient of his board's own largesse is WHYY's Bill Marrazzo.
As president and chief executive officer of the public radio and television station, Marrazzo makes a very for-profit salary, $430,786 and an additional $56,250 in benefits during fiscal year 2006.
For those of you playing at home, the president of the United States makes $400,000.
Why donors, and the board, aren't outraged by this remains a mystery. The key to charitable giving is to be smart about it, to make sure money is going to essential programs, not officers' paychecks.
Peskin, as head of the Wynnewood-based National Association of Town Watch, the sponsoring organization for National Night Out, was paid a third of the group's fiscal 2005 budget, according to an article by The Inquirer's Andrew Maykuth.
Sen. Arlen Specter, who helped deliver $2.7 million in federal funds to Peskin's organization, voiced his concern to The Inquirer. Specter, who works tirelessly, even while battling Hodgkin's disease and receiving chemotherapy, earns $165,200, about a third less than Peskin.
Donors and corporate sponsors like Target ought to be concerned about this. The board is another matter, as it's stacked with Peskin relatives and pals.
Apparently devoid of humility or remorse, Peskin said new caps on salaries of organizations receiving $250,000 or more in federal subsidies would have no effect on his income. "The implication is that the taxpayers are paying my salary, and that's not the case," he told The Inquirer.
Looks like Peskin is watching his bank account as much as he is the town.
There's a solution to such obscene salaries and perks, highly profitable payments for heads of nonprofits: Stop giving.
WHYY is a wonderful radio station, thanks largely to Terry Gross and the Fresh Air staff, and Marty Moss-Coane and Radio Times, plus national news from NPR.
The television station is another matter entirely, stuffed with self-help infomercials, ancient English sitcoms and Lawrence Welk who, last time I checked, is still dead. Listed under the station's "special productions" are 17 shows, mostly half-hour documentaries many years old.
Marrazzo's obscene salary, and the lack of station-generated television programming, got him named No. 2 on the watchdog group Charity Navigator's 10 Highly Paid CEOs at Low-Rated Charities. (Full disclosure: My husband works at the public radio station WXPN. No one there earns anything close to this salary.)
My guess - though it's only a guess - is that Marrazzo's salary and benefits went up again this year, unlike so many people his station solicits constantly for gifts.
My guess is based on the fact that his salary went up more than $66,000 last year.
When you give to a charity, you should know that your money is helping original programs, not an endless loop of old shows and overpayment of the president.
Consult Charity Navigator to see how the nonprofit is rated or guidestar.org to check tax returns for expenditures, including top staffers' salaries.
I stopped giving to WHYY, despite being an admirer of the radio station and having a thing for Jim Lehrer, and I won't give until the board sees the absurdity of Marrazzo's salary or he voluntarily takes a pay cut or a more enlightened leader is selected.
Poor practices won't end unless donors question them.
Charity, after all, ought to begin with the organization, not at home in the bank account.
________________________________
Contact staff writer Karen Heller at 215-854-2586 or kheller@phillynews.com
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Compare Compensation
Looking at a CEO salary of $264,000 a year...
That's just over $10,000 every two weeks.
That's $126.91 per hour.
You'd get on average, counting 24 hours in a day, $241.00 for sleeping 8 hours!
Governor Ed Rendell makes a mere $155,000 a year, who is also paid by citizens of the midstate...
That's just over $10,000 every two weeks.
That's $126.91 per hour.
You'd get on average, counting 24 hours in a day, $241.00 for sleeping 8 hours!
Governor Ed Rendell makes a mere $155,000 a year, who is also paid by citizens of the midstate...
Cold hard facts
See WITF's IRS form 990s with the salaries of WITF's Management.
(http://www.eri-nonprofit-salaries.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=NPO.Form990&EIN=231629016&Year=2004&Cobrandid=0)
(http://www.eri-nonprofit-salaries.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=NPO.Form990&EIN=231629016&Year=2004&Cobrandid=0)
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Cary Burkett: 
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Friday, August 10, 2007
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