Big Troubles coming down the track at WPRO

[Holland Cooke]

"like hearing that a dear old uncle had been in an accident"

And speaking of dear old WPRO uncles, his daughter tells us that today's the day Jimmy Gray leaves the hospital, after some travails lately.

Welcome home!

 

[Zach Rules]

Hopefully your Dear old Uncle isn't stupid enough to rob a bank with his blindfold off.

 

[wknd92]

Re: "like hearing that a dear old uncle had been in an accident"

And speaking of dear old WPRO uncles, his daughter tells us that today's the day Jimmy Gray leaves the hospital, after some travails lately.

Welcome home!

Good news to hear on Jimmy! He has been in my thoughts for months....hope to see him around soon!

 

[yoyoradio]

question for Holland: does the rating service release names of all people who were part of survey? I thought people fill them out in confidence. If so, does it become like medical records? Will we ever know for sure what happened? Is there a smoking gun?
John was on all week and I have heard nothing of the station in trouble. I mentioned it to some people this morning and they had no idea what I was talking about...

 

[luvcoors]

I could be wrong here about some of this...

Arbitron doesn't release names of diary users to prevent station people from "greasing" them in the event of possibly being re-used going forward. However, it's possible in this situation that some crafty media lawyer could use the "freedom of information" act to get further info and find out who it is...but I suspect it would take a long while for it to get anywhere. I'm guessing (depending the re-issued book results) that it's possible someone from the offending household may come forward in order to help squash the issue once and for all.

 

[ZRXOA 5248]

F.O.I.A.?

on what grounds?

Arbitron is a private entity, not a government one. WPRO is certainly not a government agency, or even a quasi governmental agency.

The F.C.C. is not involved so there is no route to the information there. Even if the feds were involved the F.O.I.A. request would be denied or heavily redacted when there was an ongoing investigation.

In a lawsuit, in discovery, I'm sure WPRO and their parent company would ask for the names in the motion. The whole action would hinge on those names and who they are, what their media affiliation is, and if they knew that what they were doing was a violation of the Arbitron contract. Remember Arbitron gives you a dollar for a reason. You took money to perform a service. Failure to perform said service is fraud. It could also be mail fraud.

 

[Skynet74]

These diaries COULD have come from someone who meant-to-do-John a favor, and John knew nothing about it.
Fingers crossed,

HC

Sometimes I feel like I'm talking to a wall. Holland.... You saw the interview. I posted a link to the video. You actually saw the reporter ambush Depetro in the parking lot and ask him a direct question.

JOHN, WHAT'S THE SITUATION OUT HERE? ANY CONNECTION BETWEEN YOU AND THIS HOUSEHOLD IN EAST GREENWICH? Then Depetro hesitated a bunch of times and never once did he say NO. Not once did he say there is no connection between him and those diaries.

So stop it Holland. You are making me crazy dude. How can you come here and say maybe John knew nothing about it? EVEN John himself couldn't say that he knew nothing about it. John clammed up and started talking about going on vacation. Geeez man wake up! You can't possibly be this empty headed.

 

[Holland Cooke]

RE "You can't possibly be this empty-headed"

Once again, you under-estimate me.
JUST kidding...

Sometimes I feel like I'm talking to a wall.

Have you considered a lucrative career in consulting?

How can you come here and say maybe John knew nothing about it? EVEN John himself couldn't say that he knew nothing about it. John clammed up and started talking about going on vacation.

APOLOGIES if I was unclear earlier.
When I said...

ANYONE on-the-spot like that needs to seem-and-sound utterly assured.
Speak in REAL short sentences, i.e.,

"I KNOW ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ABOUT THIS. CERTAINLY I'M FLATTERED TO HAVE A SUCH FAN OUT THERE...SOMEWHERE...IN EAST GREENWICH, BUT I HAVE NO IDEA WHO IT IS, AND WE'D RATHER SEE 'THE REAL NUMBER,' AND WE WILL ON MONDAY."

Unqualified response, nothing-to-hide, end of story.

...what I MEANT to say was:

ANYONE on-the-spot like that needs to seem-and-sound utterly assured.
Speak in REAL short sentences, i.e.,

"I KNOW ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ABOUT THIS. CERTAINLY I'M FLATTERED TO HAVE A SUCH FAN OUT THERE...SOMEWHERE...IN EAST GREENWICH, BUT I HAVE NO IDEA WHO IT IS, AND WE'D RATHER SEE 'THE REAL NUMBER,' AND WE WILL ON MONDAY."

Unqualified response, nothing-to-hide, end of story.

RIP Bernie Mac,
HC
www.HollandCooke.com

PS: RSVP if you'll be at the New Media Expo next week in Vegas (http://newmediaexpo.com). I'm rounding up some interesting people for martinis.

 

[Skynet74]

This is why I like you Holland. You don't freak out when I call you empty headed...lol. I just want people to use common sense in this situation. That is all. I would be proud to have Martinis with you in Vegas. As a matter of fact I would be happy to move to Vegas at this point. If I'm in Vegas you'll be the first to know.

 

[JointChinese]

Re: No and yes...

And after popping-champagne-corks when the-FIRST-set-of-numbers came in, this has gotta be a REAL bummer.
Anyone on THAT emotional rollercoaster would feel, and look, REAL disappointed.
And THAT look could be misconstrued as evasive, when someone shoves a camera in his face.

Holland-

Although I do appreciate your earlier comments on what would have been a good response, you did seem to maKe an excuse for Mr. DiPetro. Here is a guy who has appeared on national cable talk shows, prides himself on his You Tube appearances, and LOVES being on TV! Now you suggest his emotional rollercoaster may be an excuse for a nervous answer? I don't think so! Plus, they probably saw the news van in the parking lot, so it was NO surprise. This is a man who has a stage act for Christ sake. Believe me, I doubt he is camera shy.

Here it is in a nutshell. He didn't look in the camera as you suggested and deny knowledge because HE COULDN'T. He would have been lying. The deal has already been cut, between him and his employer, or CDL and ARB. After Monday WPRO just hopes this goes away. He is guilty as sin. He engaged in ratings distortion and he knows it. Maybe, just maybe, even management knows it.

Dan York must be wetting himself.

 

[luvcoors]

F.O.I.A.?

on what grounds?

Arbitron is a private entity, not a government one. WPRO is certainly not a government agency, or even a quasi governmental agency.

The F.C.C. is not involved so there is no route to the information there. Even if the feds were involved the F.O.I.A. request would be denied or heavily redacted when there was an ongoing investigation.

In a lawsuit, in discovery, I'm sure WPRO and their parent company would ask for the names in the motion. The whole action would hinge on those names and who they are, what their media affiliation is, and if they knew that what they were doing was a violation of the Arbitron contract. Remember Arbitron gives you a dollar for a reason. You took money to perform a service. Failure to perform said service is fraud. It could also be mail fraud.

I'm clearly saying any media entity with a savy legal team and doing the right research could find the grounds to have the information released, especially if said station filed an FCC complaint saying that the "illegal" activity unfairly caused market advertising conditions to be comprised (between radio and TV among common advertisers) plus whatever they want to state.

We all the time see "private" information somehow come to light with sealed court documents, private medical records, etc. I'm saying it's not impossible. If I was a station owner...I'd wanna know!

 

[aqualung]

I've been reading all this back and forth but gimmie a break. He's guilty until proven guilty and then he's guilty again. Even if he didn't solicit the diary entries do you mean to tell me 6 people actually listen to nothing but De Petro or that 6 people who don't listen decide to give him this much diary credit out of the kindness of their hearts? Come on! And what was that post snuck in here about Tony Bristol tipping someone off at HJJ? Is that another can of worms on The Trail if it's true?

 

[Skynet74]

It's quite obvious what happened and we all know what happened. Some here just would rather not admit it. Bottom line is that Management at WPRO have probably been going crazy with phone calls to each other all weekend as they figure out their damage control plan for Monday.

 

[za-rex]

Click to read Corwin's letter
http://www.rifuture.org/showDiary.do?diaryId=3594

With so much press about Citadel planning so many cuts is everybody forgetting the decision to keep or dump John may not even be made locally?. Also it looks like Clear Channel is expecting all their stations' morning numbers to look better after the reissued book so it isn't just WHJJ.

 

[Skynet74]

If Depetro did plan this scheme, one would have to ask Why? Could it have to do with Job Security? At a time when Citadel is chopping heads do you think John just wanted to make sure that he wouldn't be on the chopping block next? But then the next question is, Wouldn't John realize that things would look even more suspicious when the next book comes out and his ratings drop like a rock. This certainly wasn't a well thought out plan. That's all I can say. Dumb! Dumb! DUMB! It will be an interesting Monday in radio land.

 

[cm454]

If Depetro did plan this scheme, one would have to ask Why? Could it have to do with Job Security? At a time when Citadel is chopping heads do you think John just wanted to make sure that he wouldn't be on the chopping block next? But then the next question is, Wouldn't John realize that things would look even more suspicious when the next book comes out and his ratings drop like a rock. This certainly wasn't a well thought out plan. That's all I can say. Dumb! Dumb! DUMB! It will be an interesting Monday in radio land.

Thought out?

If DePetro is responsible, it was likely a situation where the initial contact call was made asking about people in the household and whoever answered the phone had about 2 seconds to think "should I get a bunch of diaries or not?"

The incredibly STUPID part of this, if you wanted to help your own numbers, DON'T BE GREEDY!

I'm not advocating this behavior, but why ask for SIX diaries and then fill in your own time slot EXACTLY and ONLY your own timeslot?

As has already been said: DUMB, DUMB, DUMB!

Of course it could've been someone trying to do a big favor, and not realizing how these details could play out.

 

[Holland Cooke]

"Dan York must be wetting himself"

Sometimes-it's-easier-than-others to tell which-of-the-two-people-posting-as "Joint-Chinese" wrote the post.
In this case, I'm thinkin' it was "Chinese."
Clearly, that earlier post was by "Joint."

I would be proud to have Martinis with you in Vegas.

Chinese -- who has attended these HC-hosted soggy soirees at The Palm -- will testify: it's "an interesting crowd..."

For anyone who'll really NEED a drink on Monday:

For vodka martinis: Ciroc, the french grape vodka, distilled 5 times, tres smooth, but no-less-remorse the-next-morning when you wake up still-wearing-the-lampshade.

If gin: Hendricks, period, no discussion.

In BOTH cases:

1. "kinda dry," meaning vermouth in-the-same-area-code, but not-the-same-Zip Code, as the vodka or gin;
2. two -- not one, not three -- bleu cheese stuffed olives;*
3. up, in a glass chilled-in-a-freezer, not ice water; and...most important of all...
4. ONE. HC assumes no responsibility for the consequence of re-fills.

Remember that gag about "the two happiest days of your life" if you're a boat owner?
(The day you BUY and the day you SELL your boat.)

Your two-most-enjoyable-nights at The Palm: the night your picture goes-UP-on the wall; and the night they peel-it-down and boot you out.

* When the server mentions "I hand-stuffed 'em myself," it's a beef-up-the-tip hint.
By-the-end-of-the-evening with THIS crowd, he/she has earned it!

 

[Holland Cooke]

And, as-ONLY-a-new-media-leaning-consultant-would-observe...

This is one helluva story...on several levels.

Not to get overly "meta," but the-story-itself has become micro-infotainment, a niche-interest reality show here on radio-info.com.

And the cast-O-characters includes YOU.

 

[za-rex]

On the subject of martinis, DePetro is clearly shaken. This week will tell if he's stirred.

 

[Skynet74]

Well I've always liked Depetro, (I realize that it's difficult to tell that fact from my latest postings here). But I'm the type of person who will rip my best friends head off for lying to me. I have zero tolerance for dishonest people. Don't play games with my head. It pisses me off. Depetro...... take an honesty pill in the morning and then call a press conference. It's really up to you to come clean about this whole thing. YOU are the subject. You need to fess up and tell the whole truth.