1. A YEAR FROM NOW, MOI AND ANYONE ELSE READING THIS SEEKING SUCH WILL BE MORE GAINFULLY EMPLOYED
OK, this final contribution to our year-end ten feels much more of a wish than a prediction. Depending upon what resource you rely on, we’re either on the verge of a renaissance of opportunity or we should probably just give up the ghost permanently.
I tend to focus on the media and entertainment sector out of sheer stubborness. More than four decades of executive experience tends to give me some sort of loyalty toward that area. The trend line there is overwhelmingly sobering of late. THE WRAP’s foursome of Tess Patton, Sean Burch, Lucas Manfredi, and Jeremy Fuste (amazing that they still actually have four human writers on their payroll; some competitors can no longer say the same) authored this “encouraging” topline as part of a lengthy report on the state of affairs:
The sequel to 2023’s brutal year for the entertainment and media industries was not much better.
In 2024, nearly 15,000 jobs were eliminated across broadcast, television, film, news and streaming — extending a two-year run in which the news and entertainment businesses were dealt body blows.
The numbers, courtesy of Chicago-based firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc., which tracks the employment market, are sobering. While the 14,909 jobs that were lost by mid-December this year offered an improvement on the 21,417 jobs that were cut in 2023, it would be unwise to consider this year a “comeback” by any stretch. Combined, the number of jobs lost between 2023-24 more than quadrupled the amount lost between 2021-22.
And when one lives in Los Angeles as I do, you can see and experience this degree of loss even more directly. THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER’s Winston Cho single-handedly put out his own update on this in October:
Los Angeles’ film permitting office is ringing the alarm about low production levels after shooting in the region saw another decline.
The three-month period from July to September logged the weakest quarter so far this year, slipping 5 percent to roughly 5,000 shoot days, according to the latest report from FilmLA. The figure falls short of shooting in the area during the same time last year, when production was halted amid Hollywood’s dual writers and actors strikes.
Industry output and employment continues to fall short of expectations. Every category of scripted production trails the five-year averages on both a per-quarter and year-to-date basis.
Among the biggest causes for concern: a steep drop in unscripted TV production. Last quarter, shooting for the category fell roughly 56 percent compared to the same period last year, though it increased relative to last quarter (868 shoot days vs. 946). The falloff in shoot days for reality programming is more than the entire loss seen across all filming categories (5,311 shoot days in Q3 2023, vs. 5,048 in Q3 2024).
In a report released just before Christmas by ENTERTAINMENT PARTNERS’ Joseph Chianese an attempt was made for an explanation:
(T)he downturn in production volume in 2024 was influenced by several factors. The WGA, DGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes led to a staggering reduction in the volume of green-lit projects; compounded by the impact of COVID-19, studios faced profit losses no one expected.
Under these new economic constraints, major media companies were forced to exercise increased caution in commissioning new content, decrease content spending, and focus on areas for cost-cutting, which further impacted production levels.
Yet I also experienced literally hundreds of “referrals” from well-intentioned folks, if one can truly consider a forwarded link to a site like LinkedIn or Indeed as such. I applied to just about every one of them where my broad and deep experience had even a shred of relevance because, you know, the sage advice we get these days is to be “flexible”. FORBES’ Jack Kelly gave us a frothy reminder of that in a piece he authored last week titled YORU GUIDE TO FINDING A NEW JOB IN 2025:
As you prepare to embark on your job search in the new year, while the economy looks promising, navigating the complexities of the current labor market requires a strategic approach. Job seekers must be proactive in enhancing their online presence, networking effectively and honing skills that align with emerging industry trends.
I’ve done all of that and more, expanding my parameters to any industry where customer insight is at least in theory a desired skill set. As of this writing, this year’s activity brought my total number of formal applications since my last executive employment ended to 1526. You know how many of those link “referrals” resulted in even a reply in 2024? Zip.
SOMEBODY got those jobs that were listed, even if it happened to be someone already in house who had a bead on the job and the fact it was posted was strictly for procedural reasons. I’ll admit I’ve been told that was the case in a handful of those 1526 applications. But depending upon how much a particular company leans on HR personnel to do their vetting, by choice or by mandate, somehow this older, non-veteran, straight CIS white male was far more often than not not worthy of even a courtesy meeting.
I think I have a right to ask why. And I’ll promise you, I’m not going to stoop to the level of Robby Starbuck in such pursuit–though I do resonate to a degree with at least some of his rationale.
CNN’s Nathaniel Meyersohn attempted to do a balanced portrait of him in August:
Starbuck is both riding a wave of right-wing hostility to DEI programs and corporate advocacy on issues like climate change and LGBTQ rights and advancing the opposition himself. He has channeled energy on the right to target specific brands popular with politically conservative customers — Harley-Davidson, Tractor Supply Co. and John Deere — and relentlessly drawn attention online to their past publicly-stated policies. Starbuck has also claimed credit for Brown-Forman and Lowe’s internal announcements in recent weeks to scale back some of their diversity and inclusion programs.
And just last week THE NEW YORK POST’s Taylor Herzlich reported on his latest “success”:
Nissan Motor will be rolling back its diversity initiatives after speaking with conservative activist Robby Starbuck – who previously led successful boycotts against major companies like Walmart and Tractor Supply forcing them to cut their DEI programs.
The Japan-based automaker’s Americas unit will stop funding Pride events and cancel its hiring and promotion quotas for diverse applicants, according to Starbuck. Nissan’s staff training will focus on its business agenda, eradicating DEI and LGBTQ training requirements, according to Starbuck and an apparent letter sent to staffers Wednesday by outgoing Nissan Americas chair Jeremie Papin, as seen in the video.
I personally don’t give a flying you-know-what what a qualified person does with their body, whom and how they choose to love and what the color of their skin is. The ONLY area I’ll confess to even having some sort of tolerance for Starbuck’s extremism is his contention that such policies have resulted in less qualified people getting a job over someone like moi, and given the kind of results we’re seeing in the media sector, one has to conclude that a goodly number of those choices essentially delivered on their “potential”.
The elephant in my room seems overwhelmingly to be the “ism” that no DEI initiative seems to prioritize or loudmouths like Starbuck even think of addressing. In a FORBES piece that accompanied Kelly’s bubbliness, Gary A. Officer , Founder & CEO of CWI Labs and President & CEO of its sister organization, the Center for Workforce Inclusion. at least tried to author something far more intelligent than what Starbuck is capable of about my particular issue:
It’s time to face a hard truth: The U.S. is failing its older workers. Despite their contributions, those aged 50 and above continue to encounter a job market that overlooks their value. In a society where the workforce is aging, with one in four workers expected to be over 55 by 2028, it’s clear that we must change the way we view aging in the workplace.
I’ve seen the impact of ageism firsthand. I lead the only national nonprofit organization that, for more than 60 years, has been solely dedicated to intergenerational teams and the intersection of aging and work. Addressing the ageism crisis isn’t just an issue of fairness; it’s about tapping into an essential resource that can help our businesses and communities thrive.
Officer spells out some compelling facts that I’d like to believe some otherwise fair-minded HR executives should be aware of:
The economic contributions of older workers are undeniable. The so-called “longevity economy,” led by those over 50, contributes a massive $8.3 trillion to the U.S. economy annually. Yet, when older workers seek to remain or reenter the workforce, they often find themselves pushed aside. The lack of adequate reskilling and upskilling programs for this demographic is a glaring shortfall.
For instance, the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), the only federally funded workforce initiative aimed at helping older Americans, targeting individuals aged 55+ who are unemployed and earn less than 125% of federal poverty guidelines, serves less than 0.5% of eligible workers. With about 6 to 8 million Americans meeting these criteria, according to the 2022 Census Bureau, SCSEP’s annual enrollment of about 55,000 participants illustrates how it serves only a small percentage of those eligible. In my opinion, this is an underinvestment in a rapidly growing demographic.
No, it’s not as clickbait-worthy as the antics of a red-pilled nut job like Starbuck. But it’s a start. And it’s a way better argument than what AARP’s Kenneth Terrell put out in his compendium of 25 JOBS THAT WILL BE IN DEMAND IN 2025 released just before Christmas. For the record, I’ve already held three of those 25 jobs along the way of my now 58-month “sabbatical”, and those of you who have seen me drive will allow that the light truck driver suggestion is truly “not a fit”.
What I will choose to focus on are the jobs I know I can do, and will do my best to address people I actually have a history with. One such reference came my way earlier this month via this post from CINEVERSE’s Kevin Durden, a research veteran I’ve crossed paths with on several occasions:
Looking for a new opportunity in 2025? Are you an avid streamer? Check us out. We are hiring an analyst, research and content analytics. We are seeking an individual who can dig into the weeds and help us drive our content strategy through insights and data visualization!
And his programming colleague Sara Burns, who spent a good deal of 2023 passionately writing about the emotional roller coaster she was on as she looked for gainful employment, added this upbeat reinforcement:
We’re building a data-driven culture at Cineverse, and we’re excited to expand our team next year with a new role. Kevin Durden and I are looking for a superstar Analyst who can help us get even further in the weeds with shaping our content insights.
This is the description of the job they are hiring for:
The Research and Content Analyst will work closely with the Executive Director of Research and Content Analytics at Cineverse to drive data-centric strategies across the organization. The role will focus on fostering a data-driven culture within the company and ensuring the delivery of actionable, insightful analysis that informs key business decisions across content, programming, partnerships, marketing, sales, finance, and more. The position requires an in-depth understanding of the evolving entertainment landscape, particularly within the rapidly changing FAST/SVOD sector. Key responsibilities will include data mining, in-depth analysis, and strategic recommendations based on audience, platform, and competitive data, with a strong emphasis on data storytelling and visualization.
This was the boilerplate language that ended the description:
Cineverse is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not tolerate or promote discrimination or harassment of any kind. Cineverse does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, physical or mental disability, legally protected medical condition, family care status, military or veteran status, marital status, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, genetic information, or any other basis protected by local, state, or federal laws. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need.
This was my nuanced reply:
Kevin, I’ve applied. You know my work, you know my experience, you know my track record at being able to deliver RESULTS as well as many. I will PUBLICLY assure you and ANY of your colleagues tasked with this decision that I am MORE THAN COMFORTABLE with ANY role and salary being offered by your fine company. The ball is in your court. I strongly believe my track record warrants at bare minimum the courtesy of an interview. Prove that CINEVERSE is indeed a company that will consider TOP candidates. For once, be better than your competition. I eagerly look forward to the opportunity to demonstrate to you why I’m certain I’m a “fit”.
Already, six people I know have added on to this chain with personal endorsements of my admittedly bold response. I’m still waiting for the courtesy of a reply from Durden or Burns. I know it’s the holidays, so I’m cutting them some slack. But my patience, much like my net worth, is wearing extremely thin.
My hours at the one job I’ve been able to get and hold–a part-time lead generator gig–have been cut due to the fact that our sales force has generated a whopping two sales in the last three months. At this writing, my net worth is two digits, and it’s possible that could have a minus sign in front of it when 2025 begins.
So do try and forgive my urgency and my determination to get some sort of response from someone. And if none should come even when the holidays are past, you’d best believe I’ll be calling out the likes of Durden, Burns and their contemporaries as passionately as someone like Starbuck does. Vile as he is, he at least got results. What’s the real reason someone with my qualifications isn’t even worthy of an interview? At least try and contend it’s not my age.
Frankly, my reasons for such an approach extend far beyond my own level of need. It’s damn clear the media industry is in crisis, particularly in Los Angeles. I personally know WAY too many people “on the beach”. Some of them likely feel the same level of frustration of ghosting and irrelevance that I do even though most have been out of action for a far shorter period of time than moi. Collectively, the majority of us in this position are indeed flexible with salary and position. We’re more than willing to work for someone younger and qualified–in my case, I freely admit I can learn from folks whose skill sets in some areas are superior to mine. That’s the way I built my own successful staffs, and I’m at a point in my life where I’m more than comfortable being on the other side of that construction.
So I’m resolving that I will fight like mad for such an opportunity to be given when the jon . Don’t anyone dare hand me any more DEI rhetoric. And don’t anyone dare even hint that my level of experience makes me “overqualified”. The choices you’ve collectively been making lately clearly haven’t been making anyone’s own employment any more secure.
Give me a chance to actually compete for a job I know I can do as well as anyone, and I’ll be content. Short of that, you’re on notice.
Until next time…