Yes, you read that correctly, I just got fired through Facebook. Not because of something I said on Facebook (as has happened) but through a Facebook message.

I can understand wanting to “take your programming in a different direction”, but is there a reason why employees no longer deserve a even a phone call when you cut off their income with no warning?
Talk radio is a competitive field (as I have also learned through Facebook)…

but I would expect some kind of professional behavior when actually terminating someone’s employment as opposed to simply changing their schedule around.
Why am I publishing this? I’m upset, believe that, and I may regret hitting the “Publish” button after I do, but I want every business owner out there to know that firing someone THROUGH A SOCIAL NETWORKING SITE is extremely insulting.
I have worked for WGMD for almost a year without missing a single scheduled day. I was electrocuted on the air when the station was struck by lightening, I completed a 5 hour show with no phone lines and ringing ears because I couldn’t reach anyone higher up on the “totem poll” to tell me what to do. My boss answered one text message, but then ignored his cell phone. I worked Christmas Eve, New Years Eve, and New Years Day. I’m not whining, I just think I should have AT LEAST gotten a phone call.
So, to sum up, as far as I know, I did nothing wrong. I responded to my former program director on Facebook and asked why my termination did not deserve a phone call, no response as of yet (although that was just 30 minutes ago). My online show will continue (there will most likely be a time change coming up on February 1st, 2012 for syndication purposes) and I obviously have to sell more ads for it as my supplemental income has just vanished (of course, ads are available, contact me for rates). And for me, Facebook is no longer about social networking and playing games, it’s also a place that I can get fired through.
Understand, I am upset over being fired, but that is not why I am being so vocal about this. Programming can be tricky and of course, everyone has the right to pick and choose who they like for their station. My problem is the manner in which this news was given to me.
If you’re a business owner, please do not fire your employees through Facebook. It belittles them. You need to take at least 10 minutes out of your day and at least give them a phone call (if you don’t have the guts to tell them to their face). I now feel like less of a person because I don’t even deserve a phone call. No one else should have to feel like that.

UPDATE – 1/6/2012 – I’ve been getting a lot of questions, people who think that I must have been a broadcaster who bought their air time (some people do that, they buy their air time and then sell ads to pay for that time) or my show was syndicated and aired on more than just this one station. I was not that kind of employee. I called the income supplemental because I was part time, but that was my only job. I went to that station every weekend and broadcasted directly from their audio booth. I would like to profit enough from selling ads from my podcast (which I started after the last Facebook communication from my boss in August [at least he had the decency to apologize for the way he gave that news) but I haven’t made enough money from that yet to pay the bills.
My previous employee responded and told me he was being efficient… I guess he was out of the office when he sent the message so didn’t have my phone number in his cell phone?
Isn’t it nice to get fired efficiently?
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