B101 MORNINGS

[Ill alert the media]

Does TC have one less "friend"?

 

[Moonstruck]

Steve McDonald is missing from the website and it's now TC and Kristin rather than TC and friends. Steve is still on the HJY website though. I haven't listened. Is he gone from B101 or just not listed as part of the show itself? The show started as TC and Tiffany then she left and they kept it as TC and friends because of the co host changes. I guess they're pretty sure Kristin is staying. It's really the only show on the station worth tuning in. That Valerie Scott has to be voicetracked as she's on other stations: Oldies 103 in Boston filling in during the week, weekending at Mix, and some station in New Hampshire. Pathetic. The female equivalent of an Ed McMann contributing nothing but a generic voice.

 

[PancakesRule]

That Valerie Scott has to be voicetracked as she's on other stations: Oldies 103 in Boston filling in during the week, weekending at Mix, and some station in New Hampshire. Pathetic. The female equivalent of an Ed McMann contributing nothing but a generic voice.

Call me crazy, but I'm pretty sure that being compared to Ed McMann (as far as being good enough to be voicetracked on multiple stations) is the opposite of pathetic. Just throwing that out there.

 

[aqualung]

The person may not be pathetic but the situation is. This is the shift once done by Bruce Palmer. People who are successful at getting various tracking gigs are probably better at doing business in today's radio climate than anything else and I'm sure McMannequin has friends in CC that see to it that he has work. Think of some people who track in more than one market. Do you really think it's happening because they're amazing talents? I wonder if Corwin regrets not being able to hire the people he'd really like to have instead of the ones he has to settle for or if he could care less.

 

[PancakesRule]

Well, I agree and disagree with you. I agree that the situation is pathetic. Clear Channel cuts corners like Paula Abdul loves booze -- A LOT. The fact that two Clear Channel stations in the Boston market have their midday shift tracked (not to mention having Seacrest syndicated on one of them) makes me sick. The fact a station like B101 has their afternoon drive shift tracked does the same to me.

That being said, I don't think every voicetrack talent is just the GM and PD "settling" on a jock to record 4-5 hours worth of breaks. Look at Jackson Blue, who just moved down to PM drive on Kiss in Dallas but still tracks a Saturday night shift on Kiss in Boston. Are you going to tell me Tom McConnell and Tyler are just settling to have a voice on their station to pass a few hours? I'm not saying every tracked talent sounds amazing, but not all are bad.

Example: Since I already brought up Clear Channel Boston middays, look at Deja Vu on JAMN. You can't tell she's tracked because she adds her own flavor to it, plus makes herself sound live. When the Celtics won the NBA title, she went as far to say "OUR Boston Celtics won the championship." I say that's pretty frickin good tracking and not just generic. Devil's advocate, look at Shelley Wade. Nothing against her, but it's going to sound obvious (and a bit horrible) that you're not live or from the area if you're trying to speak locally, and you call the town of Natick "Nah-tick."

 

[za-rex]

So is McDonald gone from B101? Doesn't make sense to use him on HJY only given that a move like this gives him less to do which isn't the Clear Channel way. A sports guy in that building is a luxury unless he does some news duties for HJJ.

 

[jeffryan]

B101 used to be such a great station. I'm so proud to be able to say that I worked with the likes of Big John Bina, Cruisin' Bruce Palmer, Steve Valentine, Don Spencer, Tom St. John and so many other great DJs that once called B101 home. Tom Campbell is really the only one left and Lord only knows how much longer that's going to last.

I really wish they'd just spare us. Turn off the transmitter, hand the license back into the commission and be done with it. It's like seeing an old friend on life support with no chance of recovery. It makes me sad.

 

[thorn1]

McMann sounds great. For that matter, many of the tracked shows are pretty good; given what management wants out of the show. The b101 morning show is a little cheesey, but entertaining....TC does not try to be anyone other than himself...he comes across as genuine, the news is well done. The music is better latel, they got a new program director.

Radio in the future will likely feature 8 hour tracked shifts, or maybe even stations with two personalites on 10 hours each. The next generation does not care who is on the radio. They will not even be listening in real time. On demand music, entertainment, even news ('recorded in the last 30 minutes') is the way of the future.