Although I’m a Twitterholic, Facebook doesn’t quite do it for me. But I guess I have to wade into that soup, since that’s where one local personality apparently leaked his layoff.
Assuming Facebook’s “Jack Rice” is AM830’s Jack Rice (the info matches up nicely), then the Good Neighbor will need a new noon-3 p.m. weekday host. I’m awaiting replies from Rice and WCCO management for comment, though media types in a position to know confirm the separation.
Rice posted the news Jan. 1 in an exchange with another Facebooker:
For now, I have been laid off. It just isn’t public yet. I think they are trying to figure out how to handle it. Don’t really know why as they have no problem firing people. I will let you know. I may be at the station for a couple of weeks — I may not. I guess it is up to them. Don’t quite know where I will land but trying my best to figure it out.
Rice has been looking to leave for a correspondent’s job, but not on this schedule. After the friend notes, “Ugh. That sucks. I mean I know you were moving on anyway, but I’m sorry to hear they’re shoving you out,” the host responds:
Yeah. Kinda does. Sort of like breaking up with a girl. You always [want] to be the one to do it on your terms. Oh well. The stakes are a little higher ere but . . . Anyway, hope I will be there Monday. I was there today and supposed to be there tomorrow but who know . . .
Then, on Jan. 6, he noted:
Fired me 2 days before Xmas. I’m here a couple of weeks. Not sure why they allowed me to stay. Kind of confused.
If Rice is gone, he joins a growing crew of exiles at the cost-slashing station, including overnight guy Al Malmberg and reporters John Wanamaker, Cory Kampschroer, Dan Terhaar and Roshini Rajkumar.
Malmberg was replaced Jan. 5 with Jon Grayson of St. Louis’ KMOX-AM which, like ‘CCO, is a CBS-owned station. In November, the local station’s top personalities were asked to take a 10 percent pay cut, and at least one, Don Shelby, accepted.
But given the recent firing of another noon-to-3 guy, I know what some of you are thinking: Mischke. I’d be very surprised if that happened.
More as I leverage social networking …
