Oregon Media Insiders

Who is nibbling on KOIN's house? Apparently owner New Vision. No, not new staff cutbacks; good luck finding anyone else to cut. No, not new technology; that would require money. This time, it's the building.

At a staff meeting this week, GM Chris Sehring announced that architects were coming to re-evaluate the station's space needs and that up to an entire floor might be vacated and sold back to the building for a one-time cash payment. The KOIN lease is something like $1 a year for 99 years currently; once that space is given up, it'd be hell to get it back. But hey! What's a little more strip-mining of an already-stripped out station?

Meanwhile, the sales staff is doing its best to pitch in on the space consolidation effort. Two top salesmen have quit in the last month, one moving to KATU and one, Ron Massey, opening his own agency. Rumor has it sales commissions were recently re-formulated to the sales staff's detriment.