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Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Media / Portland Rick Emerson Wants Laid-Off Media Pros To Be Unpaid Interns

Posted by Matt Davis on Wed, Jan 21, 2009 at 9:49 AM

Shameless? You decide. Oregon Media Insiders carries this "open letter" from the radio host to recently laid-off media professionals this morning:

Hi, I’m Rick Emerson. You may know me from such programs as The Rick Emerson Show...or from my many bouts with unemployment.

It’s no secret that the recent and ongoing economic implosion has claimed any number of victims, not a few of them members of the media. Print, television, radio, and online outlets have all felt the crunch. We at The Rick Emerson Show are no different: our longtime friend, colleague, and News Director, Tim Riley, was laid off in mid-December. CBS, being an honorable and decent company -as fine as I’ve ever worked for- gave Tim the nearly-unheard-of opportunity to say goodbye to the audience, bidding them a fond, though bittersweet, farewell.

Whatever the future holds -and, at this point, anything is possible- the current reality is this: jobs are being lost, and will continue to be. Until this trend reverses, we’re all in the same position—-fighting to stay afloat in swirling and uncertain waters.

As such, we’re extending the opportunity to any and all laid-off Portland media personnel: join us for a day, perhaps more, filling in at the AM 970 news desk and participating in the four-hour block of juvenile mirth that is The Rick Emerson Show.

Can we pay you? No. But you’ll get some exposure, all the high-quality caffeine you can handle, and, perhaps, a chance to say goodbye/hello to your audience...to explain your sudden disappearance, or to tell your side of a multi-faceted story.


More after the jump.


No need to have worked behind the mic; we’re accepting editors, writers, on-camera reporters, DJs, newsmen, and gaffers. If you can hold a conversation, have something to say, and don’t mind our rather elastic definition of “news”, then please get in touch. At worst, you’ll get an aircheck out of it, and at best, you’ll reconnect with folks who might have picked up the newspaper (or turned on the radio/TV), only to find that a familiar voice was gone, probably without explanation.

I can be reached at rick@970.am. So far, we’ve welcomed such luminaries as Tom Parker, Heidi Tauber, Todd Tolces, Ron Pivo, Dave Schmitke, Dawn Taylor, Byron Beck, Liz Hummer, and David Walker.

By all means, let us know if you’re out there. As the Schooner Tuna man said, we’re all in this together.

Rick Emerson
Program Director/midday host
AM 970 - The Talker
CBS Radio Portland
rick@970.am

 

Comments (3) RSS

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1
Shameless? Most of those laid off, especially in broadcasting, never have the chance to say goodbye to their audiences, or even tell anyone what happened. You get escorted to the door and are never allowed back on-air. Most of the folks I've heard doing the Emerson gig are having a great time and get to tell their side of the story, usually for the first time. Who's exploiting who? Or is that "whom?" I never get that right...
Posted by Lynn S on January 21, 2009 at 10:59 AM · Report
2
As a 6 year veteran listner of the show, I can attest that is is perhaps one of the most honorable offers you will ever see. Each person who has taken up the empty mic has had a story to tell, a passion for what they do, and reminded us that economic downturns are devastating to real people with real stories and real pain.

all hail emersonia and 3 cheers for Rick and Sarah and the downsized/rightsized/reorged Tim Riley.
Posted by TonyInSeattle on January 21, 2009 at 9:01 PM · Report
3
Is this available online anywhere? Sounds super interesting.
Posted by Alison Hallett on January 21, 2009 at 9:16 PM · Report

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