620 Sports first hire is...

[NewtotheNasti]

Doug Franz???

Wow! Phoenix is SO underserved by sportstalk and now you have an opportunity to really do it right with a killer signal and a station that everyone knows annd the best you come up with is Doug Franz???

A little history on Doug (who does sound like a nice guy) from a KC guy in the biz who is from Phoenix: He came to KC a couple years back from Huntsville AL where he was selling ads and working pt on-air. KC has some of the highest sportstalk listenership in the country and Entercom wanted a piece of the action by creating 61 Sports with alot of fanfare.

Franz was brought in to do mornings with nearly universal dislike of his show. He was laughed at by sports fans, his ratings sucked, and he was subsequently demoted to mid-mornings with former KC Chief Tim Grunhard (a guy who would never have a job in any market other than KC--every city has an ex-jock like him) and has been mostly forgotten about (and routinely trounced in the ratings by another sports talker down the dial).

Good for him, but how does this happen??? How does DF become KTAR's first hire in such a key time slot???

 

[spooge]

Two words.
Krazy Kid.

 

[KeithE4]

Are you kidding?!? Given his contempt for all things Bidwill, I thought he'd never even get an offer. I'm obviously wrong there.

I'm happy he did get hired. We'll see how he does.

 

[ITSB]

Doug Franz is certainly an underwhelming hire to make a "splash" on a new station. But even worse, to pair him with Wolfley, maybe the most unlistenable voice in broadcasting today, is a bad move. I'd rather listen to Fran Drescher read the phone book personally. It would probably get better ratings. Does anyone remember KMVP's big morning show debut years ago that included Wolfley...that failed too. I think Sports 620 will be putting all of their eggs into their afternoon drive show...

 

[KeithE4]

Doug Franz is certainly an underwhelming hire to make a "splash" on a new station. But even worse, to pair him with Wolfley, maybe the most unlistenable voice in broadcasting today, is a bad move. I'd rather listen to Fran Drescher read the phone book personally. It would probably get better ratings. Does anyone remember KMVP's big morning show debut years ago that included Wolfley...that failed too. I think Sports 620 will be putting all of their eggs into their afternoon drive show...

Wolfley does know football, but his schtick ("Duh, gather around the transistor, basinonians" repeated 50 times a day) does get old after about 30 seconds.

Franz at least is a new voice in Phoenix - something we haven't had in Phoenix sports radio for awhile, especially on KTAR/KMVP. Apparently they're saying "good riddance" to him in KC, but so far I think he sounds OK, if even more opinionated than Gambo - especially when it comes to the Cardinals & ASU. We'll see.

So far, it looks like this is what TMISU have planned for KTAR 620 (some speculation, times approximate):

4-5 AM: Mike & Mike (ESPN Radio)
5-9 AM: Franz & Wolfley
9-11 AM: Colin Cowherd (ESPN Radio)
11 AM-2 PM: Dan Patrick (ESPN Radio)
2-7 PM: Gambo & Ash (rumor has it that they start Jan. 8th)
7-10 PM: 620 Sportsline w/Dave Burns or Suns/D'backs games
10 PM-4 AM: ESPN Radio

Personally, I hope they dump Cowherd and hire Bob Kemp away from the sinking ship on 1060 for middays. I'd also like to see Mike & Mike go to 6 or 7 AM, but I know it won't happen. As to what they'll do with 860 after the simulcast ends (not sure how long they plan to do this), only time will tell.

We'll find out for sure on Monday.

Link: East Valley Tribune

 

[zumahans]

That's certainly a lot more than "ESPN Radio and local PBP."

 

[Legend City]

Mike & Mike, good
Franz may be good, but Wolfley is incoherent and terrible
Cowherd zzzzzzz
Dan Patrick is good, except when Olberman is on
Gambo & Ash are great
Burns is a spineless homer


All in all, not a bad lineup, its worth a listen.

 

[zumahans]

Dan Patrick is BEST when KO is on.

You can disagree with the politics, but it's good radio.

Except to those losers stuck on El Rushbo or K-KNT.

 

[azsportsguy]

Long time lurker chiming in.

This projected new lineup is brutal. A new station with a chance to make its own stars instead elects to hire a bunch of retreads. One new hire? ???

Franz failed to make his mark on two shows in KC. Wolf already had a show on KMVP that was cancelled. Typical ex-football player hire.

Gambo and Ash are at their best when they go into journalism mode and work their sources for news but otherwise would only be average in a more sophisticated sports radio market.

Dave Burns is technically sound but is obviously censoring himself and does nothing to stand out from the pack of mediocre talent in town.

If the ownership of XTRA or KDUS cared, they would expand their own local broadcasting (and not brokered shows) and take KTAR on.

XTRA is so desperate they had the PA guy for the Coyotes co-hosting the drive time show one day this week.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

 

[pberger]

Surprised that no one has mentioned Bruce Jacobs announcement this morning that he will, in addition to his morning show on KFYI, have an afternoon show on KGME.....I think he said 2 to 4.....but it might be 1 to 3, Monday thru Friday.

Speaking of Clear Channel.....is anybody in charge? Last week they played a promo for the Christmas Carol contest one afternoon....but the show had taken place that morning. On Tuesday afternoon, they played a commercial for JC Penny saying that the stores would be open at 6 a.m. Tuesday (or was it 7 a.m.?)

And Tuesday I was tuning in at 2 p.m. to hear Sean Hannity; instead I heard several minutes of Dr. Laura. It's like nobody cares any more.

 

[trustme]

bob kemp ??? you have to be joking. yes, there is a remarkable talent. In his 50's working on the third best sports station in phoenix.

 

[bradford]

KTAR did focus groups back in July to talk about what listeners wanted on the new all-sports format.

The consensus answer was ESPN hosts (Mike & Mike, Cowherd and Dan Patrick plus Gambo and Ash.)

Management is just doing what listeners indicated they wanted.

Listeners in the focus groups said they wanted a local morning show, but none of the current hosts on any station in town were very popular.

 

[brian4]

So far, it looks like this is what TMISU have planned for KTAR 620 (some speculation, times approximate):

Keith you were really close. Here is the official announcement of the lineup:
4-5 am: Mike & Mike
5-9: Doug & Wolf show
9-11: Colin Cowherd
11-2 pm: Dan Patrick
2-6: TBA (soon to be known as Gambo & Ash)
6-9: 620 Sportsline w/ Burns
9-11 pm: ESPN GameNight
11-4 am: Jason Smith

The McPublic also had an article mentioning that Doug Franz has been hired to work mornings with Ron Wolfley.

 

[KeithE4]

Long time lurker chiming in.

This projected new lineup is brutal. A new station with a chance to make its own stars instead elects to hire a bunch of retreads. One new hire? ???

He's the first new hire in Phoenix sports radio in years. Bob Kemp was probably the most recent arrival from out of town on any station, and that was 3 or 4 years ago.

Franz failed to make his mark on two shows in KC. Wolf already had a show on KMVP that was cancelled. Typical ex-football player hire.

He's also the analyst for the Arizona Cardinals, who are carried on KTAR. 'Nuff said. Must keep the Bidwills happy, you know. ;D

Gambo and Ash are at their best when they go into journalism mode and work their sources for news but otherwise would only be average in a more sophisticated sports radio market.

I wonder how much "journalism" they'll be allowed to do? With KTAR carrying 3 of the 4 pro sports teams, plus ASU football & men's hoops, that's a lot of owners/athletic directors that TMISU have to keep from pi**ing off.

Dave Burns is technically sound but is obviously censoring himself and does nothing to stand out from the pack of mediocre talent in town.

So does Paul Calvisi when he does sports-talk. Like I said above - KTAR hosts have had to restrain themselves when criticizing the teams they carry, and that goes way back to at least the Hearst-Argyle days. Too much criticism of the Suns and D'backs is one reason why Brad Cesmat is now at Channel 3. We'll see how much opinion Doug Franz and G&A (assuming the rumors are true) are allowed before one of the team owners (Read: Michael Bidwill or Ken Kendrick) threatenes to cancel their contract with TMISU.

If the ownership of XTRA or KDUS cared, they would expand their own local broadcasting (and not brokered shows) and take KTAR on.

Cheap Channel is cutting expenses to the bone (Bruce Jacobs doing morinings on KFYI and early afternoons on XTRA comes to mind immediately), and Gumpdusky is, well, Gumpdusky. They're absolutely clueless and moronic when it comes to their AM properties in Phoenix (which of course is why we call them Gumpdusky. ;D ).

XTRA is so desperate they had the PA guy for the Coyotes co-hosting the drive time show one day this week.

I'm not sure what they plan to do with their afternoons other than Jacobs' 2 hours. They're probably auditioning and want someone who works cheap is new and unknown in the sports-talk world.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

I think we'll be down to 2 sports stations by this time in 2007. I just can't see KDUS hanging in there much longer.

 

[azenergyfan]

2 live Stews should be added and if only we could get Ferrall (censored version) to be broadcast on radio. Nights would be smokin with Stews and Ferrall!

 

[azsportsguy]

"KTAR did focus groups back in July to talk about what listeners wanted on the new all-sports format.
The consensus answer was ESPN hosts (Mike & Mike, Cowherd and Dan Patrick plus Gambo and Ash.)"

Exactly my point. This doesn't seem all that "new" to me.