Grow Learfield

Dave Russell joins Brownfield Ag News

Veteran farm broadcaster Dave Russell is joining the Brownfield team as the Indiana Farm Director. Russell’s farm broadcasting career spans several decades. His radio and television experience began at WRFD in Columbus, Ohio. Since then, he has been a voice for Hoosier agriculture at WOWO in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, and as the Indiana voice for Tribune Radio Networks. In addition to his career in farm broadcasting, Russell has covered agriculture for Baxter Communications, an Indianapolis based video production company, and served Indiana agriculture as Director Information/Public Relations for Indiana Farm Bureau, Inc. Russell spent the past 2 1/2 years in state government, serving as Agricultural Liaison for the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.

Balancing Act

This is mostly  for those of you who are married.  A Learfield value is "Helping employees balance work and family".  This might be the most important value of them all for you. 

Other than your faith relationship, is there anything more important than your marriage and your family?  Is there anything or anyone more significant to you and your happiness than your spouse?  Oddly enough, from the way some of you behave, it would appear your job gives you more satisfaction.  You travel days away from home.  You get home late for dinner--or miss it entirely.  You miss soccer games, baseball practice and dance lessons.  You are grumpy at home, but spend the day laughing with your associates.  You scheme and plan company strategies, but forget about the family vacation.  You are inspired by your Learfield buddies, but barely speak to your spouse in the evenings because you're tired.  Sometimes you "blame" your job. 

Yes, we're in an industry where little is eight to five, M-F.  But hear me when I tell you that every manager at Learfield will do all they can to insure you have both the time and ability to have a transforming family relationship.  We'll make sure you have the quantity of time you need and further, we'll train you how to have quality.  Watch this blog site for some suggestions about the quality.  As for quantity, the biggest bug-a-boo by far is YOU.  It is your over-planning that is the culprit.  Take charge of your time and allocate well.  Hear me:  this isn't a Learfield problem; it is a YOU problem. 

--Clyde 

What's a GNOMEDEX ?

If you have to ask, you're waayy behind. I'd never heard of it either. Gnomedex is a tech conference for those who use "new media". Learfield, I'm afraid, is old media. But, we're trying. 

Roger Gardner joined Steve Mays at Gnomedex 6.0 in Seattle a few weeks ago. He said he learned a lot. Of course Mays is way out there. He explains it much better than I can. What interested me was how enthusiastic Roger was about the event, about being with Steve for a few days and about this new media. 

-- Clyde

Peter Shinn new farm director for WAITT AgriBusiness

Peter Shinn has joined the Brownfield Network team as Farm Director of Waitt Agribusiness. His radio career started early, as the 16 year old News Director of the student radio station at Eastern New Mexico University, and followed by stints as a general features reporter at WDMJ in Marquette, Michigan and in public affairs for the U.S. Air Force Reserve. Peter’s ag communications took root in 1996 at WOW AM-FM in Omaha, Nebraska, where he was Agri-Service Director. In 2002, the National Association of Farm Broadcasters (NAFB) hired Shinn as Director of Broadcast Services where he handled marketing and national ag news content for the NAFB news service. He is winner of the Nebraska Broadcasters Association Gold Service to Agriculture Award.  He and his wife Cecilia have three children.

Missouri Sports Network

That was the name of the original "network" of radio stations that carried the play-by-play of Missouri University football games.  A look at the 55-year history of radio coverage (1948--2003) is the subject of John McGuire's PhD dissertation at Mizzou's Graduate School.  He gave me a copy of his 323-page research and I am both honored and impressed;  honored that he thought enough of me to give me a copy and impressed with the thoroughness of his study.  It is both readable and delightful.  Of course, much of my career is centered around this topic.  I know all the players and was a participant for much of it.  If you want to read it, come see me or visit the University Library. 

John used to work in Jefferson City for a local radio station and is now Assistant Professor of Journalism and Broadcasting at Oklahoma State University.

--Clyde

The Enneagram

This week your management team has been gathering, as it does each month, to dream, think, tweak and to have fun. Once a year we invite our wives and this was the time. Not only do they deserve a break, but they need to know what it is we are dealing with “on our jobs". Steve South and Marty Sherman, who have consulted our company for a decade, joined us with their wives.

Agenda? We’re studying the Enneagram typology that describes character types and within has a dynamic that aims at change. No doubt some of you who work closely with us agree with that need! The good news is we’re trying to understand our inherited personality traits and the influences from our environment on these traits. Only through understanding can we change. Simply, this is an important tool for improving relationships with family, friends and co-workers. One thing that is interesting is that the Enneagram is an old map; the history of the genesis is unknown. It was probably used for centuries by spiritual masters and guides. If you’ve using this typology, would you drop me an e-mail?  I'd like to discuss it with you.  Thanks.

--Clyde

Cristen Vickers joins the Texas A&M team

Cristen Vickers has joined the Texas A&M Sports Properties staff and will work out of the Houston office.  Cristen is a Texas A&M alum and is no stranger to the Aggies and their radio network.  She spent six years with Clear Channel-Houston in sales with the last two at ESPN 790 AM and the Texas A&M Sports Network.  Cristen lives in The Woodlands, Texas with her husband Ross. 

Corey Bush becomes a Memphis Tiger

Corey Bush joined Tigers Sports Properties as an Account Executive in June of 2006 after 11 years in the sporting goods equipment industry.  Prior to his role with the Tigers, Corey was a sales and marketing professional with True Temper Sports serving the golf, bicycle, and hockey markets.  An alumnus of the University of Memphis, Corey and his wife Kristen, along with their daughter Paige, reside in Arlington, TN. 

Goodbye Michael, Matt, Scott and Matt

Michael Laplante has left Learfield to pursue other interests. Matt Harris resigned from Tiger Sports Properties in Memphis to return to Myrtle Beach. Scott Smith left Wyoming Sports Properties to pursue other opportunities in Dallas.  Matt Uhl moved from Learfield to American General Finance in Martinsville, Indiana.  We wish them all the best of luck.

Basket Case

I just finished Carl Hiaasen's Basket Case, a fun, quick summer crime novel you'll like.

Its about a top-notch reporter on a newspaper that's become part of a greedy corporate takeover and allowing journlistic quality to slip.  Beside the corporate wimps, Hiaasen takes aim at lazy newsroom reporters. He says they're unequiped "to cope with that ranting phone call from the mayor, that wrath-of-God letter from the libel lawyer or that reproachful memo from the company bean counters."  "They want their newsrooms to be as civil, smooth-humming and friendly as a bank lobby."  And he goes on and on.  Good stuff.  Hiaasen is a daily columnist for the Miami Harold. 

So, I salute our associates in newsrooms in Des Moines, Madison, Omaha and Jefferson City.  These men and women "hold a crusty, subversive loyalty to the notion that newspapers (and state radio networks) exist to serve and inform, period." (Hiaasen) My friends, this dedication to quality and service is what drives me.  When I get e-mails from disgruntled listeners about a story I know we're doing something right.  And when a politician calls to complain I know we're really on to something! We must be careful to cleanly seperate Learfield's entertainment networks (Sports Division) from our journalistic responsibilities in the News Division.  They serve different masters.  In our News Division, our master is truth.  Truth for our listeners.  We need to be steadfast in our efforts, driven to uncover untruth and misdeed and always reporting accurately as possible.   

Walter Williams wrote in A Creed for My Profession: Walter Williams, Journalist to the World: "...the journalism which succeeds best fears God and honors man; is stoutly independent, unmoved by pride of opinion or greed of power, constructive, tolerant, but never careless, self-controlled, patient, always respectful of its readers but always unafraid, is quickly indignant at injustice; is unswayed by the appeal of privilege or the clamor of the mob; seeks to give every man a chance, and, as far as law and honest wage and recognition of human brotherhood can make it so, an equal chance; is profoundly patriotic while sincerely promotiong international goodwill and cementing world-comradship, is a journalism of humanity, of, and for today's world.

--Clyde