In 2003 I was working as a Master Control Operator for a local television station. This was complicated work and legalese work. We had to legally sign off on what commercials were being aired, while also doing the job of actually airing them on time, and recording shows from satellite so we could air them. We had to sign off on this legally to prove to the companies that had paid for the ads that they were running when and how long they were supposed to. I literally answered to the FCC and could be fined massive amounts and/or jailed if I screwed up too badly.

I was being paid the Federal Minimum of $5.15 an hour at the time. It hasn't gotten better. Even complex technical work has been completely devalued.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 11 months ago (1 children)

You're right. accounting for inflation 5.15 in 2003 would be worth 8.45 in 2023 dollars. That's a 16.5% loss of purchasing power. That's before you account for the soaring mortgage/rent rates. But young people are just lazy these days...

[–] [email protected] 4 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

It gets "better." Back then, MCO's were only expected to do Master Control for one television station, because that's all the technology could handle at the time. Each local station had their own Master Control division.

All those got chopped up with technology around the time they switched from analog broadcasting to digital broadcasting. Now an MCO handles up to 15 stations at one time. Half the local stations lost their Master Control offices, and soon, their local news with it.

For example, the station I used to work at no longer functionally exists. They only exist as one reporter and one production assistant in a tiny block inside of a strip mall. They do "cut-ins" for the "local news" that airs from their "sister station" over 200 miles and over 3 hour drive away. Screams "local" to me. What a joke.

So now MCO's can get paid minimum wage with 15x the labor to do!