Maybe Entercom should have retained WBZ-FM verses WEEI during the CBS Radio-Entercom merger a few years back. True, Entercom ended up with WMJX which has been a reliable in the ratings, however, The Sports Hub's programming has performed with many numbers above those of WEEI since then which is probably the driving force behind the personality changes at WEEI. Beasley might possibly have been willing to exchange WROR for WEEI. It seems that most people that I have spoken with who listen to sports radio, especially young people, say they listen to The Sports Hub over WEEI. What is attractive about The Sports Hub verses WEEI and can WEEI look to do the same in the morning with Greg Hill? If Entercom decided to keep The Sports Hub, they would have the Patriots and the Bruins contracts over managing the Red Sox contract on WEEI and a more balanced cluster consisting of WBZ-FM, WBMX, WODS, WROR and WAAF.
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Greg Hill WEEI
- Thread starter willjr
- Start date
Yup, with Rob Buttery doing news and Suzanne Lee doing...well....stuff. Loved Andy. Loved that show. It was ahead of its time. Andy did what he was told to do and got fired for it.
T&R was always going to win because angry white guy radio isn't going to work in the am. For many years, they had no competition. A younger demo is in the car and who wants to listen to this garbage. In addition, I thought eei got a little crazy towards the end when subjects like suicide kept coming up. What would you expect to happen?
T&R is a good show but their comp' insisted on shooting themselves in the foot. I don't think T&Ris unbeatable like F&M are in pm drive. But I wouldn't say the Hill show, is the programming to do it.
I think there a few reasons why the Sports Hub has a younger audience. It started on FM in 2009 and it took EEI two years to move to FM. Also, the EEI morning show at the time was geared more towards an older audience than Toucher and Rich. EEI also had several older hosts who had been on sports talk radio for years (Ordway, Arnold, Dennis and Callahan) and the Sports Hub had a younger crew of hosts. The Sports Hub also has the contracts for the Patriots, Celtics and Bruins and EEI has the Sox, so The Sports Hub has the younger audience for that also. Kirk and Callahan were neck and neck with Toucher and Rich for a few years in the mornings, but I'm not sure what the breakdown was for the younger demos.
Good points about the age of the hosts etc, and what teams/sports are on which station.The Sports Hub debuted on FM in mid Aug 10 years ago and I made a joke which I guess now I can update
Sports Hub: 40 year olds still living in mom's basement
WEEI AM--er, FM: 60 year olds still living in mom's basement
Sports Hub: 40 year olds still living in mom's basement
WEEI AM--er, FM: 60 year olds still living in mom's basement
My calculation is that Flavin is 88 years old, no?
I know that I'm in the minority when I say this, but I have never been a fan of sports talk as a format. The idea behind it is to be like water cooler talk about sports. But, water cooler talk is a conversation with our friends. Personally, I don't care what a bunch of yahoos, who I have no relationship and get paid much more than me, have to say about their opinion of sports.
In the case of Greg Hill or T&R, they are known to be fans who are trained and educated in radio. Hill and Toucher were well known on rock stations. Rich S. (can't spell his last name) was on rock and pop stations. That's fine with me. With personalities like Zolak, he played football. Ok, I can respect that. But, many shows include simply sports writers. I have never like sports writers. I see them as people who mostly never actually played the game, even in high school, but could write. I just don't like that because they write about sports, I'm supposed to take their opinions as gospel. That's who traditionally make up sports talk stations. F&M? Seriously? Two of the most opinionated people, who were never known for any contribution to any sport, one is aragant, and the other is a nasally know it all. Maz would never survive in traditional radio. But, because he writes about it, I'm supposed to see him as an important figure in the world of sports? Absolutely not. Felger is Boston's version of Mike Greenberg. Two know it all sports writers who have an over-inflated sense of importance. They get paid way too much to do what everyone of us does for free. Give me a break.
So, I'm happy that Entercom went with Hill, and that CBS went with T&R when they slaughtered WBCN to put on Sports Talk.
In the case of Greg Hill or T&R, they are known to be fans who are trained and educated in radio. Hill and Toucher were well known on rock stations. Rich S. (can't spell his last name) was on rock and pop stations. That's fine with me. With personalities like Zolak, he played football. Ok, I can respect that. But, many shows include simply sports writers. I have never like sports writers. I see them as people who mostly never actually played the game, even in high school, but could write. I just don't like that because they write about sports, I'm supposed to take their opinions as gospel. That's who traditionally make up sports talk stations. F&M? Seriously? Two of the most opinionated people, who were never known for any contribution to any sport, one is aragant, and the other is a nasally know it all. Maz would never survive in traditional radio. But, because he writes about it, I'm supposed to see him as an important figure in the world of sports? Absolutely not. Felger is Boston's version of Mike Greenberg. Two know it all sports writers who have an over-inflated sense of importance. They get paid way too much to do what everyone of us does for free. Give me a break.
So, I'm happy that Entercom went with Hill, and that CBS went with T&R when they slaughtered WBCN to put on Sports Talk.
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Money maker, hence the sports talk and play by play. Sports talk radio overextended itself especially with all the network programming out there. WEEI (AM) gets paid by ESPN to carry them so that their ads get
cleared in Boston. Fox Sports Radio, NBC Sports Radio (cutbacks), Fox Sports, SB Nation, CBS Sports Radio --the networks and local stations are out there to take part of a lucrative market. It depends where you
are. Boston is a rabid sports fan town but lately the Red Sox are falling, as are WEEI's ratings, but Ent and Beasley are making money with what they have.
Injecting politics and "pop culture" into sports talk has done well, though the subtraction of Minihane and Callahan from WEEI may hurt them. We don't have an all talk station on FM* like WTKK used to be
but you do have 93.7 and 98.5 (of course morning drive shows on music stations can have quite a bit of talk...). iHeart hasn't felt the need to put WRKO, WXKS, or WBZ (talk shows at night) on FM yet--other than on
subchannels of HD radio (in the case of RKO on 100.7 HD2 and BZ on 107.9 HD2) "Headlines" and other non-sports talk did well for years on WEEI. I can take some sports play by play but not really am into
sports talk. "Let's break this game down", oh yes the armchair quarterbacks discussing the game. Yeah it's water cooler talk all right (why didn't the Sox do anything at the trade deadline? Brady is the Greatest Of All Time!)
Ratings slumping for WEEI and the only Play by Play they have is the Sox. Pats up next, then hockey and basketball (and yes soccer) on 98.5...
*--some markets do have an FM talker, like on Cape Cod..or at least an FM translator --Portland, Manchester NH
cleared in Boston. Fox Sports Radio, NBC Sports Radio (cutbacks), Fox Sports, SB Nation, CBS Sports Radio --the networks and local stations are out there to take part of a lucrative market. It depends where you
are. Boston is a rabid sports fan town but lately the Red Sox are falling, as are WEEI's ratings, but Ent and Beasley are making money with what they have.
Injecting politics and "pop culture" into sports talk has done well, though the subtraction of Minihane and Callahan from WEEI may hurt them. We don't have an all talk station on FM* like WTKK used to be
but you do have 93.7 and 98.5 (of course morning drive shows on music stations can have quite a bit of talk...). iHeart hasn't felt the need to put WRKO, WXKS, or WBZ (talk shows at night) on FM yet--other than on
subchannels of HD radio (in the case of RKO on 100.7 HD2 and BZ on 107.9 HD2) "Headlines" and other non-sports talk did well for years on WEEI. I can take some sports play by play but not really am into
sports talk. "Let's break this game down", oh yes the armchair quarterbacks discussing the game. Yeah it's water cooler talk all right (why didn't the Sox do anything at the trade deadline? Brady is the Greatest Of All Time!)
Ratings slumping for WEEI and the only Play by Play they have is the Sox. Pats up next, then hockey and basketball (and yes soccer) on 98.5...
*--some markets do have an FM talker, like on Cape Cod..or at least an FM translator --Portland, Manchester NH
Seriously, listening to Hill this AM for the few minutes I could tolerate . . . it's as if 'EEI decided to put the campaign for ratings on hold so it could "spend more time with the family."
Whether you liked Dennis, Callahan, Minihane, or Mutnansky over the last 20 years they always (for me, at least) made it worthwhile to stick around for what would happen next. I was never really a "Minifan," but I can't deny that he was a compelling listen.
I'm guessing that Hill on his old station had carved out a comfortable niche. Entercom can't be foolish enough to expect him to put 'EEI AM drive back in competition with T&R. It's unfair to him and to EEI's audience.
Whether you liked Dennis, Callahan, Minihane, or Mutnansky over the last 20 years they always (for me, at least) made it worthwhile to stick around for what would happen next. I was never really a "Minifan," but I can't deny that he was a compelling listen.
I'm guessing that Hill on his old station had carved out a comfortable niche. Entercom can't be foolish enough to expect him to put 'EEI AM drive back in competition with T&R. It's unfair to him and to EEI's audience.
Yeah. I have no idea why Greg Hill is on WEEI. Whenever I listen to the show, Fitzy dominates and Hill sounds like he has checked out. I thought his show on WAAF was fine, but what he is doing on WEEI will kill the station. Hill doesn't draw in new listeners and the rest of the show is an awful mishmash of wacky morning show and sports.
Is Greg Hill just some awful palate cleanser before a new show? He is a pale version of D&C or K&C, has no draw, and the show is not a show to take on a bigger competitor. He is worse than the Dale Arnold: place holder plan that WEEI already used.
Mornings typically aren't big ratings getters for sports stations. Afternoon drive is bigger. WEEI's problem right now is the Red Sox.
1.) The Sports Hub got their morning show from a couple of jocks from their rock station (WBCN), and it turned out pretty well. Same plan?
2.) Taking hosts from the rock station brings with it names recognition and the same demographic. (Younger/Males)
3.) There is a common thinking in the business that the morning show on a sports station does not have to be "sports-centric".
Yeah, that's why neither station seems to care about the morning shows and never pay bonuses. WEEI's morning show has been going through big changes for years now, trying to find something to work. But it doesn't matter in the scheme of things.
Toucher & Rich were about 20 years younger than Hill is now and had been doing WBCN for just over three years when they began sports talk. They had already done sports bits with drunken fans and 'Ask a Pink Hat.' I don't think it as simple as dragging Hill's listeners over to WEEI; he has to keep the people who were listening to Kirk & Callahan. And even given the political overlap, Hill doesn't seem to be drawing new people in. Finally, the whole Minihane debacle was an example of a morning show not being "sports-centric." And the station reacted how? It wasn't able to find or establish any limit as to what goes when a show is not going to be 'sports-centric.'
I agree with your analysis of T&R's. But, I think an added part is that CBS flipped WBCN to Sports Talk. WAAF is still out there. There is a part of listenership that is more loyal to WAAF than Greg Hill. If say Mix 98.5 became the Sports Hub, and WBCN stayed on the air, I'd be willing the bet that less people would have followed T&R, as they would have been more loyal to WBCN than T&R. I personally loved T&R on WBCN, but rarely listen to T&R on the Sports Hub, because the show had to somewhat change. The same with Hill. The show has to somewhat change. With T&R, there wasn't a WBCN to stick with. With Hill, people can stick with WAAF.
Indeed to become communications director for a Western MA state senator.
Ok, I'll confess to having listened this AM for about 10 minutes, expecting maybe some post-game Patriots insights from Wiggy.
What I got: Deep dive into traffic problems, i.e., too many Ubers, discourteous "persons on bikes" (per GH, calling them "cyclists" is a dehumanizing no-no--hope you're listening, Shirley & Bob), and pedestrians who just don't pay attention.
My apologize. I'm off to atone for my sin of hoping to be entertained.
What I got: Deep dive into traffic problems, i.e., too many Ubers, discourteous "persons on bikes" (per GH, calling them "cyclists" is a dehumanizing no-no--hope you're listening, Shirley & Bob), and pedestrians who just don't pay attention.
My apologize. I'm off to atone for my sin of hoping to be entertained.
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