WVVV

P.O. Box 247, Williamstown, WV 26187

Tel. (304) 684-3400

 

E.E.O. Audit Report for WVVV, Williamstown, WV

FCC Facility No. 77779

 

Introduction. Seven Ranges Radio Co., Inc. (Seven Ranges) was incorporated in 1984, and operates two FM stations: WRRR-FM, licensed to St. Marys, WV, and WXCR, licensed to New Martinsville, WV.  WRRR-FM was built in 1983, WXCR, in 2000, the stations have been under the same ownership since they were founded.  Seven Ranges operates the two stations from studios in St. Marys, Pleasants County, WV.  The most recent BIA/Kelsey report lists WRRR-FM as having a significant presence in the Parkersburg (WV)-Marietta (OH) radio market, Arbitron Market #254.  New Martinsville (Wetzel County, WV) is not a rated market, and WXCR is not otherwise listed as having a significant presence in a rated market.

WVVV.  This station is licensed to Williamstown, Wood County, WV, which is part of the Parkersburg-Marietta radio market. Up until December 28, 2009, it was owned by Bennco, Inc. (Bennco).  Seven Ranges acquired WVVV from Bennco on that date.

A. Copies of most recent EEO Reports:

At the time of acquisition, Bennco operated WVVV with two full-time employees and two part-time employees.  Hence Bennco was exempt from the EEO program and reporting requirements of 47 CFR 73.2080 (b) and (c); see 47 CFR 2080(d).  Since Bennco was exempt from the reporting requirements of this section, there were no E.E.O. reports included in the public file materials obtained with the purchase of WVVV by Seven Ranges.

Prior to the acquisition of WVVV from Bennco, Seven Ranges operated its two stations with three full-time employees and several part-time employees.  Therefore, under this small market exemption of Section 73.2080(d), Seven Ranges was also exempt from the reporting requirements of Section 73.2080.(b) and (c) for reporting years before 2010.

With the acquisition of WVVV, Seven Ranges now has six full-time employees.  Under Section 73.2080 (b) and (c), this would have otherwise required the completion of an EEO report, but not until June of this year.

B. Positions Filled Since Acquisition of Station WVVV:

The studios for WVVV are located in an unincorporated area of Wood County, WV, while the offices and studios for the Seven Ranges stations are located in the adjoining county of Pleasants, WV.  However, because several employees are shared between the two locations, this still constitutes one Astation employment unit for purposes of the rule.  At the time of writing this report, Seven Ranges employs six full-time employees.

Seven Ranges and Bennco entered into an Asset Purchase Agreement on October 12, 2009, the transfer application filed with the Commission on October 15, 2009.  Under the terms of that agreement for the sale of WVVV, Seven Ranges was to supply Bennco with a list of employees who would be retained by Seven Ranges after closing. This list was due within thirty days after the agreement was signed, or mid November, 2009.  At that time Seven Ranges informed Bennco that they planned to offer employment to three of the four WVVV employees after closing.

The Bennco employees who joined Seven Ranges included the full-time general manager of WVVV, who was also one-half of a live morning show, and the station=s only sales person.  The other employees retained were the other morning announcer, who worked 15 hours a week; and the midday announcer, who worked 20 hours a week.  The afternoon (full-time) announcer was not retained; after closing he obtained comparable employment with a competing station in the market.

The closing date was established as December 28, 2009.  By prior agreement, Bennco paid the WVVV employees through Friday of that week, the end of their normal pay period (12/31/2009).  Seven Ranges then reimbursed Bennco, after closing, for their payroll costs from the 29^th through the 31^st of December.  Hence the three retained employees did not begin employment with Seven Ranges until Monday, January 3, 2010.

Therefore, as of January 3, 2010, Seven Ranges had four full-time employees with the addition of that one full-time employee retained with the acquisition of WVVV.  While that employee is now considered the program director of WVVV (as one of the principals of Seven Ranges is general manager of these three stations); his compensation and most of his duties remain the same as they were under Bennco’s ownership.

Additional Full Time Hires Since 12/28/2009: 

Outside Sales (full-time: Salary plus Commission).  On January 4, 2010, Seven Ranges added a fifth full-time employee, through promotion of a part-time employee. This employee had been hired as a part-time announcer for sports broadcasts in the fall of 2008.  At that time he was a full-time college student at a college near Charleston, WV (some 75 miles from the Parkersburg market); and enrolled in a program that included speech and marketing courses.

During 2009, the principals of Seven Ranges were actively exploring the purchase of another station or stations in the Parkersburg market.  The Seven Ranges staff were generally aware of these plans.  This employee approached station management during 2009 and indicated his interest in a sales position with the company after graduation if such a position opened with the acquisition of another station.  At that time he expected to complete his college program and graduate in December, 2009.

Once the transfer application was granted by the FCC in December, Seven Ranges offered him a full-time position as an outside salesman.  His graduation was December 20, 2009, and he began his sales duties on January 4, 2010.  We note that 47 CFR 2080 (c)(1) provides that a position filled by internal promotion does not constitute a vacancy for which recruitment is necessary under this section.

Staff Announcer (Full time-hourly).  As previously noted, Seven Ranges did not retain one full-time announcer with the purchase of WVVV.  That announcers shift was in the afternoon, the mid-day announcer, who was retained, was re-assigned to cover a portion of those hours, leaving the midday hours automated.  In February, 2010, after a re-evaluation of programming goals, that announcer’s hours were increased, making him the sixth full-time employee of Seven Ranges.  Again, since this position was filled by internal promotion, recruitment was not necessary for this position.

Recruitment procedures were used for an additional part-time announcer position to cover the mid-day time period on WVVV.  This position was filled on April 30, 2010.

Organizations Who Request Job Announcements: We have not been approached by any organization requesting notification of job openings.

D.  Documentation of Unit Recruitment Initiatives.

As noted above, WVVV and WRRR-FM are part of the Parkersburg (WV)-Marietta (Ohio) Arbitron market.  Market population is under 150,000.  WXCR is licensed to Wetzel County, WV, which has a population of 16,000.  As noted above, Seven Ranges employs six full-time employees.  Hence the unit is required to provide two recruitment initiatives each year.

Seven Ranges did not reach the five full-time employee threshold until after the acquisition of station WVVV, and the promotion of the part-time employees to a full time position in January of this year.  Hence the only recruitment activity occurring during the period of January 4, 2010 to present was the recruitment of an additional part-time announcer for WVVV.

General Manager Sam Yoho and WVVV Program Director John Horton were involved in that recruitment initiative, with the final decision made by Mr. Yoho.  Mr. Yoho is a majority shareholder, officer and director of the licensee corporation.

(E) Pending Complaints.  No complaints have been filed against Seven Ranges alleging unlawful discrimination in the employment practices on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin or sex.

(F) Management Responsibilities.

In addition, Seven Ranges employs eight other part-time employees on an occasional/ as needed basis as board operators for network sports broadcasts (e.g. NASCAR races) and remote broadcasts, as well as contract air talent for live football and basketball broadcasts, and for commercial production.  The board operators are paid on an hourly basis; play-by-play and commercial air talent on a fixed talent fee basis.

EEO Responsibilities of Management Levels:

 

Seven Ranges has a policy of promoting from within the company when possible.  Therefore each level of management has some responsibility for on-going training of both part-time and full-time employees.  Employees are informed of job openings as they occur, part-time employees are encouraged to apply for all full-time openings they feel qualified for.  In addition, the weekend announcer, employed part-time by the company, is an instructor with the Mass Media Department of Marietta College, and general manager of the Colleges Class B-1 reserved band FM station.  This individual has referred students in the past for job openings with Seven Ranges.

Overall hiring decisions and EEO policies are established by Samuel Yoho and Thomas Taggart, the majority shareholders of Seven Ranges.

Samuel Yoho. Mr. Yoho is a majority shareholder, officer and director of the licensee company.  He serves as general manager/sales manager of the Seven Ranges stations.  Mr. Yoho has the primary responsibility for supervision of the company EEO policies.  He is responsible, in consultation with Mr. Taggart, for hiring decisions.  He is presently providing training for the newly hired outside salesman (described above).  He also provides on-going training for the operations manager, Mr. Northcraft.

Thomas P. Taggart. Mr. Taggart is the other majority shareholder, officer and director of the licensee company.  He serves as Chief Engineer and legal counsel for the company, and advises Mr. Yoho on EEO matters.  In 2008, he attended a seminar presented by the WV Broadcasters Association on FCC EEO policies. He also provides training to Mr. Northcraft and other station employees in technical matters.

D. Robert Eddy.  Mr. Eddy started Seven Ranges with Mr. Taggart, selling his interest in the company to Mr. Yoho in 2003 when he retired.  Before his retirement, he served as general manager of the Seven Ranges stations.  Mr. Eddy still serves as a director of the company, and as Chief Operator.  Mr. Eddy is responsible for advising and training Mr. Horton and Mr. Northcraft on the maintenance of the public files for the stations.

Scott Northcraft.  Mr. Northcraft, as Operations Manager, is responsible for the scheduling of part-time announcers and board operators for the WRRR-FM and WXCR stations.   In that capacity he is responsible for the recruitment of part-time employees for these positions.  In March of this year, the company paid for a half-day training in EEO matters for Mr. Northcraft at the WV Broadcasters Associations spring meeting.  He also attended a related seminar at the 2009 NAB radio meeting in Philadelphia. 

Mr. Northcrafts primary day-to-day responsibilities include the supervision of IT matters for the company.  In this capacity he provides training for other staff members in the programming and operation of the radio automation and traffic software.

John Horton.   Mr. Horton is the program director of WVVV.   As such, he is responsible for determining staffing needs and creating position descriptions for that station in consultation with Mr. Yoho.  Mr. Yoho and Mr. Taggart make the final decision on opening new positions at the station, and on hiring after recruitment.  Mr. Horton is also responsible for the training and scheduling of the announcing staff at WVVV.  At present he is mentoring an intern referred by Marietta College.

The other employees of Seven Ranges have no EEO responsibilities

(G) Analysis of Program.  As noted throughout, Seven Ranges only crossed the five-full-time employee threshold in January of this year.  Improvements needed in the program from our analysis:

1. Coordination of web-sites. We have been relying on outside sources to maintain the stations web-sites, and have found coordination with these third-party vendors to be difficult. Unfortunately, we do not have anyone on site with the expertise to design websites.  The WVVV website (www.V969Radio.net ) was inherited from the former owners. The WRRR website (www.Literock93R.com) was maintained by Citadel radio networks until February, when we cancelled that network, requiring the redesign of the website by a third party.  The WXCR website (www.WXCR.com) was also maintained by Citadel until March of 2009, when we cancelled that network affiliation.  That website was also set-up by yet another third party vendor.  To simplify posting of job openings and EEO information, we have recently had a fourth website built.  This website, www.SevenRangesRadio.com , will carry this information in one location where it can be more easily posted.  We are in the process of trying to get a link built for each of the separate station websites which will then direct job seekers and those seeking EEO information to this site from the front page of each of the separate radio station sites.

2. Job Fair participation.  We have neither the time, staff, nor expertise to organize a job fair.  There are periodic job fairs organized in Wood and Washington counties, however, those job fair organizers only recruit those larger employers with immediate job openings.  We will need to expand our contacts with these organizations to become better aware of future job fairs.

3.  Expand contacts with other institutions of higher education in our market.  We have an on-going relationship with Marietta College through our contacts with the College.  Mr. Taggart also provides legal and engineering consultation for that college=s reserved band FM station, WMRT.  Marietta College is a four-year liberal arts college based in Marietta, Ohio; it has had a mass media program since the 1950's, which is still the only such program in the market.