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104 to dump Rome

N

NotSoSilentBob

Guest
It is no coincidence that The Zone's wholesale changes come as the station turns 2 years old this week. The biggest rumor I'm hearing from 2nd Avenue is that Rome is about to get the axe at 104, the Wake Up Zone will be expanded to 10am, and a new local show will take the 10-2 slot. Who hosts that local show is still a secret (probably because even 104 doesn't know yet--remember the Joe Aaron fiasco?), but Jay and Matt will take it for the time being until the new permanent host is installed. Bottom line: the 2-year Rome contract expires this week, and don't look for a renewal from WGFX.

It's not about "branding", it's about maximizing revenues, and they just can't make any money off Jim Rome. With a local show, however, they can sell 15+ minutes of time per hour, including live spots, and make a boatload more than by using the midday slot to make good their network spots. I do predict that JR will wind up on 560, whether it be live or delayed, before it is all said and done.<P ID="signature">______________
Bob
Moderator, Nashville board
Radio-Info.com--Always Tuned In

"I don't spread rumors, but I sometimes make outrageous speculations with no factual basis."</P>
 
> The biggest
> rumor I'm hearing from 2nd Avenue is that Rome is about to
> get the axe at 104, the Wake Up Zone will be expanded to
> 10am, and a new local show will take the 10-2 slot. Who
> hosts that local show is still a secret (probably because
> even 104 doesn't know yet), but Jay and Matt will take it
> for the time being until the new permanent host is
> installed.

> I do predict that JR will wind up on 560, whether it be live or
> delayed, before it is all said and done.

You are right about the changes coming because of the sales implications. While there are some other reasons for the changes, the sales reasons are far and away the most determining.

Don't know about Jay amd Matt, but I have heard the plan is to put something out there and let it grow and evolve, as they've done with mornings. Don't know if everybody'll like what they do at first, but don't worry, things will evolve.

I doubt that Rome'll end up at 560 (didn't they have him once?). They don't want him. His shtick would alienate their audience. If he ends up anywhere, it'll be at 106.7, and maybe not live (I once heard he'd be delayed to evenings at 104.5 as well, but I'm no longer sure about that.)
 
It won't be Jay and Matt, it will be Matt and John Merrick. They are the two people being groomed. Jay Walker doen't know a football from a fooseball. I don't think Jim Rome has ever been on the 560 signal. I'm not sure he has ever been in this market.

> > The biggest
> > rumor I'm hearing from 2nd Avenue is that Rome is about to
>
> > get the axe at 104, the Wake Up Zone will be expanded to
> > 10am, and a new local show will take the 10-2 slot. Who
> > hosts that local show is still a secret (probably because
> > even 104 doesn't know yet), but Jay and Matt will take it
> > for the time being until the new permanent host is
> > installed.
>
> > I do predict that JR will wind up on 560, whether it be
> live or
> > delayed, before it is all said and done.
>
> You are right about the changes coming because of the sales
> implications. While there are some other reasons for the
> changes, the sales reasons are far and away the most
> determining.
>
> Don't know about Jay amd Matt, but I have heard the plan is
> to put something out there and let it grow and evolve, as
> they've done with mornings. Don't know if everybody'll like
> what they do at first, but don't worry, things will evolve.
>
> I doubt that Rome'll end up at 560 (didn't they have him
> once?). They don't want him. His shtick would alienate their
> audience. If he ends up anywhere, it'll be at 106.7, and
> maybe not live (I once heard he'd be delayed to evenings at
> 104.5 as well, but I'm no longer sure about that.)
>
<P ID="signature">______________
I'm RadioFree</P>
 
I predict there will be some backlash when/if 104 dumps Rome. His audience is extremely loyal. You may see that audience abandon 104 altogether in protest (although you can't say they'll stay away forever). This is what makes me think 560 will pick him up. Even if Rome was pulling in the high-1-shares, that's still 4 or 5 times what Don West is doing in that slot. The Fan? Not a chance. They won't sacrifice their ESPN branding for Jim Rome.

> It won't be Jay and Matt, it will be Matt and John Merrick.
> They are the two people being groomed. Jay Walker doen't
> know a football from a fooseball. I don't think Jim Rome has
> ever been on the 560 signal. I'm not sure he has ever been
> in this market.
>
> > > The biggest
> > > rumor I'm hearing from 2nd Avenue is that Rome is about
> to
> >
> > > get the axe at 104, the Wake Up Zone will be expanded to
>
> > > 10am, and a new local show will take the 10-2 slot. Who
> > > hosts that local show is still a secret (probably
> because
> > > even 104 doesn't know yet), but Jay and Matt will take
> it
> > > for the time being until the new permanent host is
> > > installed.
> >
> > > I do predict that JR will wind up on 560, whether it be
> > live or
> > > delayed, before it is all said and done.
> >
> > You are right about the changes coming because of the
> sales
> > implications. While there are some other reasons for the
> > changes, the sales reasons are far and away the most
> > determining.
> >
> > Don't know about Jay amd Matt, but I have heard the plan
> is
> > to put something out there and let it grow and evolve, as
> > they've done with mornings. Don't know if everybody'll
> like
> > what they do at first, but don't worry, things will
> evolve.
> >
> > I doubt that Rome'll end up at 560 (didn't they have him
> > once?). They don't want him. His shtick would alienate
> their
> > audience. If he ends up anywhere, it'll be at 106.7, and
> > maybe not live (I once heard he'd be delayed to evenings
> at
> > 104.5 as well, but I'm no longer sure about that.)
> >
> <P ID="signature">______________
Bob
Moderator, Nashville board
Radio-Info.com--Always Tuned In

"I don't spread rumors, but I sometimes make outrageous speculations with no factual basis."</P><P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by NotSoSilentBob on 08/04/05 01:04 PM.</FONT></P>
 
> I predict there will be some backlash when/if 104 dumps
> Rome. His audience is extremely loyal. You may see that
> audience abandon 104 altogether in protest (although you
> can't say they'll stay away forever). This is what makes me
> think 560 will pick him up.

I'd take him in a heartbeat if I was 560. I'm not sure how he does ratings-wise in Nashville, but in many places, as you mentioned, he does draw an extremely loyal audience that tunes in daily for him.<P ID="signature">______________
Lou Pickney
Tampa, FL
RadioHotTalk.com & VarietyHits.com</P>
 
Hmmmm...

>
> It's not about "branding", it's about maximizing revenues,
> and they just can't make any money off Jim Rome. With a
> local show, however, they can sell 15+ minutes of time per
> hour, including live spots, and make a boatload more than by
> using the midday slot to make good their network spots. I do
> predict that JR will wind up on 560, whether it be live or
> delayed, before it is all said and done.
>

Hmmm. This is curious to me because I was talking to some people at Citadel-Knoxville (they added Rome to much protest last week) and they all told me that Citadel had signed a contract early this year with Premire that bound Citadel to put Rome on every Citadel sports station in the country where there wasn't a competitor that already carried him.

Obviously you guys know alot more about the Nashville market and what is going on in each cluster there, but the management here in Knoxville fought corporate on this and lost. They were even told that if revenue for that daypart fell way off of the others, they still had to keep Rome because of the contract.

I find it highly curious that they are allowing the opposite to occur 2 1/2 hours down the road.
 
Re: Hmmmm...

> Hmmm. This is curious to me because I was talking to some
> people at Citadel-Knoxville (they added Rome to much protest
> last week) and they all told me that Citadel had signed a
> contract early this year with Premire that bound Citadel to
> put Rome on every Citadel sports station in the country
> where there wasn't a competitor that already carried him.

If the contract wasn't signed until this year, I'd say it's very likely our Zone is considered grandfathered by a previous deal. If Rome is still here Monday, on the same hours, at the same time, on the same station, I've certainly been told incorrect information by people who should know better.

So many folks here really don't like Rome's show in the least. And if that's the way they feel here, you can bet far more conservative Knoxville likes it even less. I feel sorry for Animal listeners, they get both Rome and Fox's Morning Extravaganza.
 
just a thought (a stupid one but a thought none the less) What if the Zone replaced both HHH and Rome with five hours of Teddy & Karlin's Sports Round table? Hey they are available now.
 
Another Zone change I've noticed...

... At least in the promos, anyway, this might be premature... but the "Acceptance Insurance Wakeup Zone" in today's promos for Monday's show is referred to only as "The Wakeup Zone".<P ID="signature">______________


New York City Radio and TV</P>
 
Re: Hmmmm...

>
> If the contract wasn't signed until this year, I'd say it's
> very likely our Zone is considered grandfathered by a
> previous deal. If Rome is still here Monday, on the same
> hours, at the same time, on the same station, I've certainly
> been told incorrect information by people who should know
> better.
>
> So many folks here really don't like Rome's show in the
> least. And if that's the way they feel here, you can bet far
> more conservative Knoxville likes it even less. I feel sorry
> for Animal listeners, they get both Rome and Fox's Morning
> Extravaganza.
>

Well, like i said, you guys know alot more about and have alot more contacts in Nashville radio that I do, but I thought I'd at least throw that out.

I don't like any of the Fox Sports Radio programming, especially on the weekends. 99.1 has had Sporting News Radio for years, and FSR is a MAJOR step down from that.
 
Re: Hmmmm...

> Well, like i said, you guys know alot more about and have
> alot more contacts in Nashville radio that I do, but I
> thought I'd at least throw that out.
>
> I don't like any of the Fox Sports Radio programming,
> especially on the weekends. 99.1 has had Sporting News Radio
> for years, and FSR is a MAJOR step down from that.

Not that some of us know better. As for me, in this case, I'm just quoting from what I've been told is the scuttlebutt. There may be a big difference in what the Zone wants to do and what they get to do, with no grandfathering allowed.

But it's a real shame that most Cit stations are locked in at a time when SNR is making major changes that will remove all doubt as to which of the two networks is the better. You'd think Cit wouldn't lock its stations in so tightly in a case where major competitor CC ultimately gets the money.
 
Re: Hmmmm...

>
> Not that some of us know better. As for me, in this case,
> I'm just quoting from what I've been told is the
> scuttlebutt. There may be a big difference in what the Zone
> wants to do and what they get to do, with no grandfathering
> allowed.
>
> But it's a real shame that most Cit stations are locked in
> at a time when SNR is making major changes that will remove
> all doubt as to which of the two networks is the better.
> You'd think Cit wouldn't lock its stations in so tightly in
> a case where major competitor CC ultimately gets the money.
>

The biggest thing for me is that I could have SNR on in the car when my family was along and never have to worry about what they were going to hear. Even with the loudmouth Artie Spanger, he never resorted to cursing or bathroom humor to get his point across.

I the last week on Fox, I have had to put up with hearing about a host's rectal exam (along with the sound of a glove snapping, etc) and a morning show discussing his co-host's breasts. Now, I fully understand that the aim of FSR is not the family audience. But a great deal of their audience consists of dads, grandfathers and big brothers that listen in the car on the way home. Now, they have to be concerned about keeping the radio on that station when they aren't alone in the car.

I don't think Citadel cares anymore. More than one employee has expressed to me their dissapointment on decisions from the top, and the lack of "radio people" making those decisions. I believe they have ceased making long-term decisions, rather going with what is best for them right now and willing to let Entercom make the decisions whenever the purchase is complete.
 
> It is no coincidence that The Zone's wholesale changes come
> as the station turns 2 years old this week. The biggest
> rumor I'm hearing from 2nd Avenue is that Rome is about to
> get the axe at 104, the Wake Up Zone will be expanded to
> 10am, and a new local show will take the 10-2 slot. Who
> hosts that local show is still a secret (probably because
> even 104 doesn't know yet--remember the Joe Aaron fiasco?),
> but Jay and Matt will take it for the time being until the
> new permanent host is installed. Bottom line: the 2-year
> Rome contract expires this week, and don't look for a
> renewal from WGFX.
>
The zone needs to wipe out its morning show. It is boring. Wycheck is so lacking in personality. Mark Howard is too bitter. And the third dude (unknown) is just incompetent.
 
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