"Bob's Budget Busters"
SVP of Sales, Bob Boardley's, broadcast sales teams always make their sales budgets,
but can they do better?

"Burnout"
A highly respected salesperson is forced to retire. Was it necessary? 
Issues: motivating salespeople, account assignments, performance 
measures, performance appraisals, and how to terminate people.

"CBS News"
CBS News president struggles with post-Dan Rather "Evening News."

"CBS News Admits It Was Mislead by Ex-Officer on Bush Documents"
A New York Times article about its mistake in showing false documents on "60 Minutes II."  
Also, see  "Advertisers Stick With CBS Despite Document Flap." 

"Censorship?"
A real-life case in which the dean of the Missouri Journalism School 
cancels the front-page column of the Columbia Missourian managing editor, 
George Kennedy, to the cries of "censorship" by students and some faculty.

"Charlie Magazine"
A case that requires financial calculations such as Present Value and Net 
Present Value.

"Company Values"
An owner of a group of radio stations tells a new general manager to spend time 
with his family, go to church, and, most of all, have fun in his new job.  How 
is the new GM going to transmit these values to the people at the station?

"Compensation Roundtable"
Several sales managers discuss a wide variety of different compensation systems,
including straight commission, bonus for making budget, pools, and salary-plus-
commission systems.

"Community Journalism"
A case that examines the ethics of community journalism.

"Creative Casey"
A creative reporter runs a package that makes fun of a TV station's highly 
promoted sweep series, and the news director wants to fire her. The problem is 
how to manage creative people.

"Justin Freedman"
An informal meeting in a bar with a newly appointed sales manager turns 
into an argument. Issues: Sales systems, running meetings, account assignment, 
and building trust.

"Freebird Budget"
The assumptions to make when creating a budget for a Web site named Freebird.com.

"Friends"
Several television station sales managers collude with a local agency to set 
rates. Issues: Ethical and legal issues of rate-setting and exchanging information, 
also how should station management handle the situation.

"Game Theory - Programming"
KAAA-TV has to decide whether to switch to early prime in the Pacific time zone. An 
exercise in using a 2 X 2 payoff matrix and a decision tree in making strategic decisions.

"Game Theory - Sales"
The largest media conglomerate (fictional) must decide whether or not to
set up a cross-platform selling team and whether or not to announce it.  An exercise 
in using a 3 X 3 payoff matrix and a decision tree to make strategic decisions.  

"The Great SOB"
The president of a high-tech sales division is too difficult to deal with and too hard 
on employees to keep and too successful to fire.  What does the CEO do?

"Helicopter Wars"
A column from the Kansas City Star is reprinted. The column describes the decision of 
WDAF-TV to put up a news helicopter and the subsequent decision of the other two network-
affiliated stations to do likewise. Was the WDAF decision a good one?

HW Payoff Matrix

"The High-Priced Anchor"
A 52-year-old male anchor's five-year contract is up for renewal. The general manager thinks 
the anchor has value, but the news director is negative.  How do you structure the deal and 
negotiate with the anchor's agent?

"In Trouble"
A news director feels that he is about to be fired by his general manager who listens to an 
anchorperson who goes directly to the GM, to another department head that puts everything 
in writing, and to the sales manager who brown-noses the GM. The news director feels that 
the GM, who is under financial  pressure from the owners, is trying to make him a scapegoat. 
What would you advise the news director to do?

"In Trouble - Sales"
A general sales manager feels that he is about to be fired by his general manager who listens to the
local sales manager who goes directly to the GM, to another department head that puts everything 
in writing, and to the new director who brown-noses the GM. The sales manager feels that 
the GM, who is under financial pressure from the owners, is trying to make him a scapegoat. 
What would you advise the sales manager to do?

"KKBT-TV and a Case of Libel"
A case that describes some ethics problems involved in television news coverage, especially 
using someone's likeness on the air without their permission.

"KPAC-TV's New News Director"
A former successful anchorman moves to a new market as news director but discovers his new 
general manager is too involved in making news decisions. Issues: Control and autonomy of 
the journalistic product, career decisions, going over management's head.

"KQIP-TV's New General Manager"
A female who was a TV station's news director is promoted over a macho, old-line general sales 
manager who accuses her of not trusting him when she asks for sales goals other than making budget, 
his only goal in the past.

"KQRZ's Split Sales Staff" -Part I" and Part II"
Should an AM/FM combination station split its sales staff and fire a sales manager because it is not 
making its revenue projections? Issues: Management attitude, sales systems, salespeople motivation, 
using consultants, etc.  Part I contains the case and Part II. contains a 17-page consultant's 
report that outlines effective sales practices. A good case for teaching effective sales management 
principles.

"Gary Maitland"
A star TV anchorperson is picked up for drunken driving, 
and the fact that he is an alcoholic is well known. Issue: How to does general manager handle the
situation--fire him, warn him, etc.
     	
"The Mileage Game"
An exercise that reinforces the idea that salespeople should be out on the road making sales 
calls and not in the office planning or forecasting. It is a fun, interactive game that people enjoy 
playing.  Requires maps of the U.S.

"Neighbor-To-Neighbor TV Spots"
An advocacy group wants to buy commercials on a major-market TV station attack the US 
government's foreign policy and a large advertiser. 

"News Strategy"
A news director who feels she is gaining on the competition has to decide on whether or not 
to hire a popular, older anchorman from the competition and whether to persuade the general manager 
to do news on a cable channel.

"Profit Pressure"
An exercise in deciding whether or not it is ethical for a television station to run liquor advertising.

"The Promotion Problem"
Brainstorm and come up with solutions to the "promotion problem" of a local television station.

"The Rate Card Game"
A group problem-solving exercise in creating a rate card for a radio station with some competitive problems.

"Romance in the Office"
A respected reporter complains to the general manager that another reporter in the newsroom is
having a romantic affair with a reporter from a competing station and passing on information about stories. 
An article about romance in the office is included.

"A Salesperson's Dilemma"
Should a salesperson reveal the details of a good client's campaign and rates on her Web site to the 
client's competitor in return for the promise of a big order?  Sales ethics are explored.

"Sales Training"
Should a radio sales manager spend money on sales training and how much.

"Select Supermarkets"
Lays out the history and strategy of a fast-growing and service-conscious local supermarket
chain.  Assignment is to outline a sales presentation for a cable system.  Includes market population, 
cable penetration, demographic and revenue information.

"Unicom Bank"
A cost-per-point-oriented buyer threatens not to buy all of a national rep's stations if the rep's 
all-news radio station in a major market makes a pitch to the buyer's client, a large local bank.  
How does the station create value for the bank and get the buyer to agree to buy the station?

"The Unorthodox Owner"
A successful Web entrepreneur decides to take over as chief revenue officer of his Web site
and make some unusual moves in the sales area--including not having a V.P. of Sales.

"WBUZ's Sales Dilemma"
A local radio station general manager gets an offer from a local hospital for a schedule
at three-times regular rates for a schedule on the condition he not accept advertising from the area's largest local
employer and largest station advertiser--a local brewery. Issues: Ethical and legal issues of freedom of the press,
FCC regulations about contracts, and free speech in regards to advertising.

"When Mediocrity Meets Tragedy"
An habitual mediocre performer's daughter commits suicide.  How does management deal with the tragedy and the
performance problem?

"WQPZ-FM's Budget"
A major-market radio station sales manager has to forecast revenue by quarter for the upcoming
year.  The case is an exercise in the complex process of creating a yearly budget.
     "WQPZ Business Pending Report
     "WQPZ Miller-Kaplan Report
     "WQPZ Pacing Report, 2001
     "WQPZ Pacing Report, 2002
     "WQPZ Sell-Out Report, 2002

"The Wrong Person - News"
A TV news director is under pressure from his GM to hire a minority and some makes some mistakes.

"The Wrong Person - Sales"
A TV sales manager is under pressure from his GM to hire a minority and in the process makes
some mistakes.  Similar to the news-oriented "Wrong Person" case.

"You're The Boss"
You're a new boss who gets your first evaluation from your staff and there are problems. The 
staff complains that you don't listen and don't trust them. What should you do to 
correct the problems and the perceptions of you as boss?

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