Rock and Manuch moving to ESPN 620

[KeithE4]

They'll be on 1-4 PM starting January 6. Is this the first local sports-talk show on 620 since most of their live programming moved to 98.7 many years ago? In any case, I think this is their first time on this station, after bouncing between 910, 1060, and 1580 for ages.

And, with much better programming on 98.7 at that time, why even bother?

Roc & Manuch join ESPN 620 in afternoons

Bonneville Phoenix announced that longtime local sports hosts Mike Muraco “Roc” and Dan Manucci “Manuch” will air Roc & Manuch on ESPN 620.

arizonasports.com

 

[lanceventa]

Just like they did at most of their other stops, they’re brokering the time.

 

[EricStein]

They'll be on 1-4 PM starting January 6. Is this the first local sports-talk show on 620 since most of their live programming moved to 98.7 many years ago? In any case, I think this is their first time on this station, after bouncing between 910, 1060, and 1580 for ages.

And, with much better programming on 98.7 at that time, why even bother?

Roc & Manuch join ESPN 620 in afternoons

Bonneville Phoenix announced that longtime local sports hosts Mike Muraco “Roc” and Dan Manucci “Manuch” will air Roc & Manuch on ESPN 620.

arizonasports.com

As long as the check clears, Bonneville is happy. It's also a "homecoming" of sorts, as they started on the current 620 AM's spiritual predecessor, KMVP 860.

My question is how are they still doing this show after 20 years? All that station jumping and schlocky remotes from the same two car dealerships over that time has probably alienated their potential audience. Also, I thought Muraco wanted to OWN his own station and not have to deal with paying other stations (his partnership with KQFN was the closest thing to that, and that relationship lasted only two years).

And yes, there is better sports talk programming on some other outlets, local AND national, at the same time.

 

[AuxRSS]

I knew something was fishy when this quintessential Arizona sports talk show wasn't allowed anywhere near Arizona Sports 98.7.

It has completed the Ancient Modulation circuit of Sports Parking Lots, an accomplishment in itself. Which the hosts have paid for.

So the once dynamite duo of KOY-AM and KTAR-AM has come down to KOY becoming an AM appendix of El Patrón and KTAR accepting brokered daytime programming weekdays 6-6 on its 5000 watts of power.

 

[EricStein]

I knew something was fishy when this quintessential Arizona sports talk show wasn't allowed anywhere near Arizona Sports 98.7.

It has completed the Ancient Modulation circuit of Sports Parking Lots, an accomplishment in itself. Which the hosts have paid for.

So the once dynamite duo of KOY-AM and KTAR-AM has come down to KOY becoming an AM appendix of El Patrón and KTAR accepting brokered daytime programming weekdays 6-6 on its 5000 watts of power.

They weren't allowed anywhere near 620 when Bonneville moved ESPN Radio from 860 to 620 (basically creating the intellectual unit which is now Arizona Sports 98.7) and KTAR News/Talk to 92.3. Muraco is a salesman first, and radio host second. He wants to decide who advertises on his show, and that's why he continues to do the brokered route. I'm surprised he DOESN'T own a signal (despite claiming of wanting to do so) and continues to buy time on stations.

 

[radiofan2023]

Why doesn’t he do a podcast, it would be cheaper than buying time on stations.

 

[indieradioguy]

Why doesn’t he do a podcast, it would be cheaper than buying time on stations.

Because podcasts have slightly longer shelf life (case in point: look at all the now-dormant podcasts flooding the Morning Mayor's site) and nobody's going to want to talk about a game from three, four weeks ago when all the talk's on a game that just ended hours before broadcast, that's why.

 

[radiofan2023]

Because podcasts have slightly longer shelf life (case in point: look at all the now-dormant podcasts flooding the Morning Mayor's site) and nobody's going to want to talk about a game from three, four weeks ago when all the talk's on a game that just ended hours before broadcast, that's why.

I listen to postgame sports podcasts all the time

 

[KilowattKat]

Because podcasts have slightly longer shelf life (case in point: look at all the now-dormant podcasts flooding the Morning Mayor's site) and nobody's going to want to talk about a game from three, four weeks ago when all the talk's on a game that just ended hours before broadcast, that's why.

You're not kidding about the endless list of podcasts at daveprattlive com. I gave up scrolling down trying to reach the end! Wouldn't surprise me if a lot of them have ZERO listeners. I didn't even know about this site until your mention of the Morning Mayor

 

[KilowattKat]

Why doesn’t he do a podcast, it would be cheaper than buying time on stations.

KTAR-AM in the last PPM had an audience cume of 20,800. You're not going reach a built in audience of that size from day one with a local podcast. Now, a podcast, along with a radio show, makes more sense. Finally, if you're going to broker time on an AM Sports station in the valley, KTAR-AM is the one you want to be on. It's one of the two strongest daytime AM signals, and the best nighttime signal of any AM station in the valley.

 

[EricStein]

KTAR-AM in the last PPM had an audience cume of 20,800. You're not going reach a built in audience of that size from day one with a local podcast. Now, a podcast, along with a radio show, makes more sense. Finally, if you're going to broker time on an AM Sports station in the valley, KTAR-AM is the one you want to be on. It's one of the two strongest daytime AM signals, and the best nighttime signal of any AM station in the valley.

All that cume comes from overflow games that air on the station, NOT the ESPN programming. If they just aired ESPN Radio 24/7, their cume would be similar to KGME or KDUS. Few people listen to 620 for the shows.

You're not kidding about the endless list of podcasts at daveprattlive com. I gave up scrolling down trying to reach the end! Wouldn't surprise me if a lot of them have ZERO listeners. I didn't even know about this site until your mention of the Morning Mayor

Brad Cesmat has been doing a streaming-only show for years (well, some of it is re-aired on Arizona's Family Sports TV, and previously, Fox/Bally Sports, also through brokered time). He seems to have still more respect among the local sports media landscape than R&M do.

 

[radiofan2023]

KTAR-AM in the last PPM had an audience cume of 20,800. You're not going reach a built in audience of that size from day one with a local podcast. Now, a podcast, along with a radio show, makes more sense. Finally, if you're going to broker time on an AM Sports station in the valley, KTAR-AM is the one you want to be on. It's one of the two strongest daytime AM signals, and the best nighttime signal of any AM station in the valley.

As @DavidEduardo and others have said - nighttime radio listening is not at the same level as it was 30-40 years ago.

 

[KilowattKat]

All that cume comes from overflow games that air on the station, NOT the ESPN programming. If they just aired ESPN Radio 24/7, their cume would be similar to KGME or KDUS. Few people listen to 620 for the shows.


Brad Cesmat has been doing a streaming-only show for years (well, some of it is re-aired on Arizona's Family Sports TV, and previously, Fox/Bally Sports, also through brokered time). He seems to have still more respect among the local sports media landscape than R&M do.

What does Brad Cesmat have to do with the Dave Pratt website, his show isn't on there. Brad is a well known respected broadcaster who doesn't need radio only. So, how many of those shows on the website have the name recognition, popularity, and audience of Brad Cesmat? None. Have you even checked it out? Doesn't seem like it. The comment was referring specifically to the Pratt site, and not about Brad Cesmat.

Once again, I'd rather have the KTAR overflow audience than no audience at all. At least they have a good signal, and may bring some people over who like T&M.

 

[EricStein]

What does Brad Cesmat have to do with the Dave Pratt website, his show isn't on there. Brad is a well known respected broadcaster who doesn't need radio only. So, how many of those shows on the website have the name recognition, popularity, and audience of Brad Cesmat? None. Have you even checked it out? Doesn't seem like it. The comment was referring specifically to the Pratt site, and not about Brad Cesmat.

Once again, I'd rather have the KTAR overflow audience than no audience at all. At least they have a good signal, and may bring some people over who like T&M.

I didn't say Brad Cesmat was affiliated with Dave Pratt. All I said that he has a show that is live and streams. He was once a PAID employee of KTAR, not someone who bought time on every sports station under the sun (except for 98.7) like Muraco has. Manucci seems like a nice guy though.

R&M are there to sell cars first, and talk sports second. That's why they have an on-site studio at Right Toyota/Honda. They don't belong in the same league as the 98.7 hosts, and sound far from a major market sports show. The only reason they are on 620 and not staying on 910 is because of the dominos that fell with Jim Rome moving to afternoons, meaning KDUS no longer having room for Doug Gottlieb's show.

 

[KilowattKat]

I didn't say Brad Cesmat was affiliated with Dave Pratt. All I said that he has a show that is live and streams. He was once a PAID employee of KTAR, not someone who bought time on every sports station under the sun (except for 98.7) like Muraco has. Manucci seems like a nice guy though.

R&M are there to sell cars first, and talk sports second. That's why they have an on-site studio at Right Toyota/Honda. They don't belong in the same league as the 98.7 hosts, and sound far from a major market sports show. The only reason they are on 620 and not staying on 910 is because of the dominos that fell with Jim Rome moving to afternoons, meaning KDUS no longer having room for Doug Gottlieb's show.

I was commenting about the Dave Pratt website, do you have anything to say about that? Why do you keep bringing up these other hosts that aren't on the website?

 

[EricStein]

I was commenting about the Dave Pratt website, do you have anything to say about that? Why do you keep bringing up these other hosts that aren't on the website?

I don't have much to say about Dave Pratt and his website. He seems to be giving, or maybe selling, podcast space to whoever wants it. Most of them aren't sports related.

I brought up Brad Cesmat because his business model is what Muraco should be emulating. Not Dave Pratt's. Not buying time on also-ran AM sports stations like it's 1998 or even 2008. If they do have a loyal audience, which I would imagine is small, they will follow them.

 

[DavinaR]

I remember hearing this show several years ago on KQFN and Muraco was ranting about liberal politics. I thought to myself at the time, I thought this was a sports talk show not a political talk show. I turned the station after a couple of minutes of hearing his rant.

 

[radiofan2023]

I remember hearing this show several years ago on KQFN and Muraco was ranting about liberal politics. I thought to myself at the time, I thought this was a sports talk show not a political talk show. I turned the station after a couple of minutes of hearing his rant.

I’d rather listen to Don Muraco