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radiodude44
Guest
After the recent departure of Mark Madden, I thought it might be interesting for you to post your picks for the best and worst Pittsburgh talk show hosts, past or present.
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In my opinion,
Best Past and Present
1.Stan Savran
2.Mike & Mike
3.Thor Tolo
4.Junker and Crow
5.Ellis Cannon
Worst Past and Present
1.Dan Patrick
2.Mike Tirico
3.Mark Madden (I know I'll get slammed for this one, but I just didn't care for Madden).
Best Past and Present
1.Stan Savran
2.Mike & Mike
3.Thor Tolo
4.Junker and Crow
5.Ellis Cannon
Worst Past and Present
1.Dan Patrick
2.Mike Tirico
3.Mark Madden (I know I'll get slammed for this one, but I just didn't care for Madden).
You're more likely to get slammed for thinking Thor Tolo was good.
Boss Radio said:You're more likely to get slammed for thinking Thor Tolo was good.
Speaking of Thor Tolo, is he still in radio?
Boss Radio said:You're more likely to get slammed for thinking Thor Tolo was good.
Absolutely.
Best....
1) Myron
2) There is no #2
I'm glad to hear you give the love to Myron. It's commonplace to do it after death and to be honest I wish more of it was done when he was alive.
It was very disheartening to hear the new talent on his former station try to rip him apart. Mark Madden wasn't the only one.
However, here are a few names, in no particular order. I also am going to leave out syndicated shows. And anything prior to 1984 or so is pretty much before I started to listen to Pittsburgh talk shows, so I'll take your word on it that Roy Fox was a tremendous talent.
1. Perry Marshall
2. Bob Louge- They catered to the senior crowd for sure, but they also were engaging and somewhat lively for the shows they did in a difficult time slot.
3. Lynn Cullen
4. Doug Hoerth
5. Phil Musick- The daytime WTAE lineup was very strong in the late '80s- early '90s. In recent years Cullen and Hoerth have been such shadows of their former selves its hard to believe how good they were. Engaging- hip. Hoerth was once talked about pop culture issues that were going on at the time and not what was going on in 1957.
And whatever happened to Musick- who was able to handle any topic and ask just the right question in interviews? He mastered both broadcasting and print (former sports editor at the P-G, I believe).
I started a thread awhile back asking how Pittsburgh radio would have been different if WTAE had run Rush Limbaugh live when they had him instead of tape delaying him on the weekends. But isn't it a testament to how good these three hosts were- let alone the sports talk in the evening- that they couldn't even think of replacing them with Rush?
6. Chris Cross- He was here only for a short period of time, but during that period of time he helped bring back Bob Prince to KDKA's Radio Broadcasts, helped sell Bruce Keidan's "Ballot by Ballpark" promotion during a dreadful 1985 season, kept things positive during that season, and kicked off Keidan's radio career. That's a career of accomplishments in just a year or so.
Contemporary-
7. Chris Moore- I don't agree with his politics but again, engaging and friendly. You get fresh perspectives and he doesn't belittle people who have a different point of view.
8. Kevin Miller- He's been criticized, but I find him really making an effort- be it with his public weight loss or even the mayor's race dunk tank. If I am listening to a talk show at that time it's usually Rush or sports, but when Myron Cope died his show was superior to anyone else's- a bit surprising because he is not the "lived all his life here" Pittsburgher.
Sports, past and present-
9. Myron. How many sports talk show hosts on 5,000 watt stations become so legendary they can write autobiographies? Mixed humor with cutting edge analysis. Even in semi-retirement he broke the story that Dave Wannstedt would be the Chicago Bears coach ahead of ESPN, Chicago media, Dallas media, Will McDonough and all the football national NFL beaters, etc. As sports talk moves away from callers, he made his own callers part of not just his show, but the sports media (remember Ralph the Plumber coining "Cowher Power?").
Let's put it this way. I can't call him the only factor that turned Pittsburgh from a Pirates town to a Steelers town. But you can't deny a serious influence.
10. Stan and Guy- These guys were once so happening WDVE changed their format on Saturday morning during the Cup Years so they could do a morning show.
11. Mark Madden. I'll get bashed for this, but if one was going to create a Mt. Rushmore for Pittsburgh sports talk hosts, could you put anyone other than Myron, Stan and Guy, and Mark Madden on it?
Maybe you didn't like his "attack" style. It eventually sealed his doom. But nobody in any market did it any better.
12. Randy Cosgrove. I liked him. Even in his delivery now as the Steelers PA announcer you hear how he is concise and loves what he does.
13. Rocco DeMaro. A fresh, positive perspective with lots of knowledge, both historical and contemporary. We need more guys like him on the air.
14. George Von Benko- I wanted to choose someone on a small station that tries harder. Von Benko is that guy. Does anyone have a greater commitment? Has anyone got the resume he has- hosting a talk show in the glory days of WTAE, calling play-by-play for the University of Cincinnati, a top baseball writer for mlb.com, 10th billing for "The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh?" He's at every press conference. Being the Duquesne color commentator isn't anything to sneeze at, but he sometimes seems at the periphery of the Pittsburgh sports media. He shouldn't. I would much rather listen to his substance than another commentator's flash and hollow points.
I'm sure I'm forgetting people, but the list is already pretty deep.
It was very disheartening to hear the new talent on his former station try to rip him apart. Mark Madden wasn't the only one.
However, here are a few names, in no particular order. I also am going to leave out syndicated shows. And anything prior to 1984 or so is pretty much before I started to listen to Pittsburgh talk shows, so I'll take your word on it that Roy Fox was a tremendous talent.
1. Perry Marshall
2. Bob Louge- They catered to the senior crowd for sure, but they also were engaging and somewhat lively for the shows they did in a difficult time slot.
3. Lynn Cullen
4. Doug Hoerth
5. Phil Musick- The daytime WTAE lineup was very strong in the late '80s- early '90s. In recent years Cullen and Hoerth have been such shadows of their former selves its hard to believe how good they were. Engaging- hip. Hoerth was once talked about pop culture issues that were going on at the time and not what was going on in 1957.
And whatever happened to Musick- who was able to handle any topic and ask just the right question in interviews? He mastered both broadcasting and print (former sports editor at the P-G, I believe).
I started a thread awhile back asking how Pittsburgh radio would have been different if WTAE had run Rush Limbaugh live when they had him instead of tape delaying him on the weekends. But isn't it a testament to how good these three hosts were- let alone the sports talk in the evening- that they couldn't even think of replacing them with Rush?
6. Chris Cross- He was here only for a short period of time, but during that period of time he helped bring back Bob Prince to KDKA's Radio Broadcasts, helped sell Bruce Keidan's "Ballot by Ballpark" promotion during a dreadful 1985 season, kept things positive during that season, and kicked off Keidan's radio career. That's a career of accomplishments in just a year or so.
Contemporary-
7. Chris Moore- I don't agree with his politics but again, engaging and friendly. You get fresh perspectives and he doesn't belittle people who have a different point of view.
8. Kevin Miller- He's been criticized, but I find him really making an effort- be it with his public weight loss or even the mayor's race dunk tank. If I am listening to a talk show at that time it's usually Rush or sports, but when Myron Cope died his show was superior to anyone else's- a bit surprising because he is not the "lived all his life here" Pittsburgher.
Sports, past and present-
9. Myron. How many sports talk show hosts on 5,000 watt stations become so legendary they can write autobiographies? Mixed humor with cutting edge analysis. Even in semi-retirement he broke the story that Dave Wannstedt would be the Chicago Bears coach ahead of ESPN, Chicago media, Dallas media, Will McDonough and all the football national NFL beaters, etc. As sports talk moves away from callers, he made his own callers part of not just his show, but the sports media (remember Ralph the Plumber coining "Cowher Power?").
Let's put it this way. I can't call him the only factor that turned Pittsburgh from a Pirates town to a Steelers town. But you can't deny a serious influence.
10. Stan and Guy- These guys were once so happening WDVE changed their format on Saturday morning during the Cup Years so they could do a morning show.
11. Mark Madden. I'll get bashed for this, but if one was going to create a Mt. Rushmore for Pittsburgh sports talk hosts, could you put anyone other than Myron, Stan and Guy, and Mark Madden on it?
Maybe you didn't like his "attack" style. It eventually sealed his doom. But nobody in any market did it any better.
12. Randy Cosgrove. I liked him. Even in his delivery now as the Steelers PA announcer you hear how he is concise and loves what he does.
13. Rocco DeMaro. A fresh, positive perspective with lots of knowledge, both historical and contemporary. We need more guys like him on the air.
14. George Von Benko- I wanted to choose someone on a small station that tries harder. Von Benko is that guy. Does anyone have a greater commitment? Has anyone got the resume he has- hosting a talk show in the glory days of WTAE, calling play-by-play for the University of Cincinnati, a top baseball writer for mlb.com, 10th billing for "The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh?" He's at every press conference. Being the Duquesne color commentator isn't anything to sneeze at, but he sometimes seems at the periphery of the Pittsburgh sports media. He shouldn't. I would much rather listen to his substance than another commentator's flash and hollow points.
I'm sure I'm forgetting people, but the list is already pretty deep.
14. George Von Benko- I wanted to choose someone on a small station that tries harder. Von Benko is that guy. Does anyone have a greater commitment? Has anyone got the resume he has- hosting a talk show in the glory days of WTAE, calling play-by-play for the University of Cincinnati, a top baseball writer for mlb.com, 10th billing for "The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh?" He's at every press conference. Being the Duquesne color commentator isn't anything to sneeze at, but he sometimes seems at the periphery of the Pittsburgh sports media. He shouldn't. I would much rather listen to his substance than another commentator's flash and hollow points.
GVB is forever consigned to the fringes. Once his WTAE listeners realized he'd take the heat every time he was pranked, he was fresh meat in the shark tank.
"A top baseball writer for mlb.com?" He fills in when the full-time writer, who is fresh out of college, is absent, or her helper, a college intern, isn't there. Let's not get carried away.
GVB is forever consigned to the fringes. Once his WTAE listeners realized he'd take the heat every time he was pranked, he was fresh meat in the shark tank.
"A top baseball writer for mlb.com?" He fills in when the full-time writer, who is fresh out of college, is absent, or her helper, a college intern, isn't there. Let's not get carried away.
I think if you want to keep it to good shows, my list actually looks like this...
1) Cope.... his show was essentially a radio equivalent of Wide World of sports, he talked local topics but also was weel versed in sports like boxing and horse racing.
2) Savran with and without Guy
3) Roy Fox... a major league host with way more depth than anything KD has done since.
4) You'll laugh.... Ed and Wendy King. And they never put the callers on the air!!!!
Perry Marshall was fine for insomniacs over 70 but rather limited otherwise. Same goes for Logue.
I wonder if anyone remembers a night show that aired briefly on KD featuring Jim Horn (who later became the PM drive jock in the pre-Trish days). It was all insult radio... he literally spent 2 or 3 hours hanging up on people. I was maybe 12 years old or so and thought it was hilarious. I know I was in the minority on that one.
WTAE not taking Rush on weekdays had far less to do with the quality of their hosts than it did with Limbaugh's desire to hold out for KDKA. Remember, he knew the market, so it was his dream to be on the "50,000 watt blowtorch."
1) Cope.... his show was essentially a radio equivalent of Wide World of sports, he talked local topics but also was weel versed in sports like boxing and horse racing.
2) Savran with and without Guy
3) Roy Fox... a major league host with way more depth than anything KD has done since.
4) You'll laugh.... Ed and Wendy King. And they never put the callers on the air!!!!
Perry Marshall was fine for insomniacs over 70 but rather limited otherwise. Same goes for Logue.
I wonder if anyone remembers a night show that aired briefly on KD featuring Jim Horn (who later became the PM drive jock in the pre-Trish days). It was all insult radio... he literally spent 2 or 3 hours hanging up on people. I was maybe 12 years old or so and thought it was hilarious. I know I was in the minority on that one.
WTAE not taking Rush on weekdays had far less to do with the quality of their hosts than it did with Limbaugh's desire to hold out for KDKA. Remember, he knew the market, so it was his dream to be on the "50,000 watt blowtorch."
Jim Horne did the Saturday night talk show around 1968 or '69 for a short time. He was already on the daily schedule with his music show.
He had a lot of fun with it, and most of it zipped right over the heads of the typical KDKA listener. It was an underground classic, but they decided they needed something more conventional in that spot.
He had a lot of fun with it, and most of it zipped right over the heads of the typical KDKA listener. It was an underground classic, but they decided they needed something more conventional in that spot.
B
Board Editor
Guest
MOVED: TIO: Best Local Talk Show Hosts
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Some posts in this topic have been moved to Take It Outside.
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Sorry, no, Huggins was the driving force behind GVB getting the Cincinnati pbp job. He's been riding those coattails for a long time, and you ought to see how hard he's working it now that Huggins is at WVU.
Cope lasted longer than one year, didn't he? And if you're talking about how Cope got the job on the Steelers broadcasts, it was at the recommendation of Ed Kiely, not Joe Gordon.
You now speak for everyone on the board? When was that vote taken?
Cope lasted longer than one year, didn't he? And if you're talking about how Cope got the job on the Steelers broadcasts, it was at the recommendation of Ed Kiely, not Joe Gordon.
You now speak for everyone on the board? When was that vote taken?
Since we'd all like to cool down and get back on topic-
Whatever happened to Phil Musick, anyway? For someone who was once so visible, whatever happened to him?
He's got to be retired by choice.
Whatever happened to Phil Musick, anyway? For someone who was once so visible, whatever happened to him?
He's got to be retired by choice.
Phil is retired from the media business, living in Westmoreland County and playing a lot of golf.
Thanks.
Why laugh? Ed and Wendy just about invented the format. Ed was doing something close to the show at WOWO in Ft. Wayne before coming here and there was no way in the days of wire recorders to rig up a delay to put callers on the air. He like the way it flowed and got comfortable with it even long after the delay technology came along. Fortunately for all of us who caught part of the show because we fell asleep on our transistor radios there were no consultants back then to make Ed and Wendy do it the corporate way.
Snafu said:Why laugh? Ed and Wendy just about invented the format. Ed was doing something close to the show at WOWO in Ft. Wayne before coming here and there was no way in the days of wire recorders to rig up a delay to put callers on the air. He like the way it flowed and got comfortable with it even long after the delay technology came along. Fortunately for all of us who caught part of the show because we fell asleep on our transistor radios there were no consultants back then to make Ed and Wendy do it the corporate way.
They had the technology to put calls on the air. Ed didn't want them on the air. He wanted a "party" atmosphere, and his vision of that didn't include people who just wanted to hear themselves on the radio. He also knew that a lot of people would never call if they were going to be heard on the air. Remember, this was 1951, well before voice mail became routine and people became accustomed to having their voices recorded or broadcast.
B
Biz Listener
Guest
John McIntire & Gab Bonnasso -- great team, really funny.
Scott Paulsen
Jim Quinn
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Scott Paulsen
Jim Quinn
Al Julius
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