BREAKING NEWS!! FOOTY SEMI-UN-RETIRES!!

[top4odj]

I Believe that this is in the Miami Herald, it was forwarded to me via an email from CC in press release form. It's not the whole thing, but enough to say WOW!:

Coming out of retirement: John ''Footy'' Kross Jr., South Florida radio personality. Kross, who left WHYI-FM 100.7 (Y-100) in May after 32 years, will host a Saturday talk show on WIOD-AM (610). He starts on Feb. 10, 9 a.m. to noon.

''It's going to be all about South Florida,'' Kross explains. ``I have a lot to say.''

 

[jcolletta275]

The full article is online here.

 

[The-Major]

Let me put it this way. After talking to Footy at length, in my opinion, he's enjoying his non-radio life like never before. I seriously doubt he'd even entertain the thought at this stage in the game. It may be difficult for some who've never been in the business to understand, but once you leave it, you open a whole new world & your views change.
Don't get me wrong, it stays in your blood, keep in touch with a few and sometimes you miss it, but over all, if you're a long timer, enjoyed the days of when & then you walk away, it's usually for good. [color]

That was then ...

I Believe that this is in the Miami Herald, it was forwarded to me via an email from CC in press release form. It's not the whole thing, but enough to say WOW!:
Coming out of retirement: John ''Footy'' Kross Jr., South Florida radio personality. Kross, who left WHYI-FM 100.7 (Y-100) in May after 32 years, will host a Saturday talk show on WIOD-AM (610). He starts on Feb. 10, 9 a.m. to noon.
''It's going to be all about South Florida,'' Kross explains. ``I have a lot to say.''

... and this is now !

What a difference just 6 days makes on here !

I am interested in what the 'Footmeister' has to say, so I'll be listening online on that Saturday morning !

With 'NFL Today' and 'Inside The NFL' getting ready to wrap-up their respective seasons I just have this weird feeling that longtime Footy friend Mr. Dan Marino will be an occasional guest on the show. There's also a few stand-up comedian friends of Footy who could probably 'yuk it up' on the show as well.

I wonder what the name of the show will be ? How about 'And Footy' ! :

THE MAJOR

 

[bat manny]

i think they probably just gave him a $good deal$ or offer he couldnt resist to keep him from moving to competitor stations like beasly and cox.

clear channel is milking every last dime they can out of this guy.

 

[The-Major]

THE FOOTY SHOW

REMINDER:

'The Footy Show' (what an original name that is) debuts on 610-WIOD this Saturday morning at 9 AM. Check out his WIOD page at:

www.610wiod.com/pages/footy.html

Even Y-100 is making a big deal out of it. They've been airing promos for it throughout the day, it's on their web site as well, and they even sent me a 'YVIP Newsletter' via E-MAIL regarding it.

I'll be listening online !

THE MAJOR

 

[jcolletta275]

As will I!

 

[The-Major]

THE FOOTY SHOW

It was a pretty good first show ! NBC-6's Kelly Craig was the co-host this week. Y-100's Froggy will fill the co-host role next week, and NBC-6's Tony Segreto will also co-host in a future week. He had LIVE in-studio guests, and a lot of his good friends called in to wish him well with the new show. Even Footy's '# 1 Stunna' persona made a triumphant return !

I thought that 'Meet Market' was going to bring down the entire show to a grinding halt (it just didn't seem like a good fit with the new show), but that eventually evolved into the most interesting part of the show (with a curve-ball ending). I suppose that feature could be hit-or-miss in the future (depending on the participants that go on that first date).

Paul Harvey and President Bush pretty much dominated the last half-hour of the show (11:30 to 12:00). I haven't heard Paul Harvey on the radio in about 15 years (since I heard him on Armed Forces Radio over in the desert during the first Gulf War). He was as interesting as I remember him. Those Australians love to gamble !

It was fantastic to hear Footy back on the radio again. It was sort of like a natural extension of his last 'tribute' week on the air on Y-100 last May. I'll be a regular listener every Saturday morning. It was worth the wait, and it was worth my time !

THE MAJOR

 

[AM_Rocks]

This just goes to show you. Radio today is in really bad shape if everyone thought that show was so good.

 

[jcolletta275]

It was a bit rough... I'll be the first to admit that. But think of it this way: this is a brand-new show, this is Footy's first time doing straight talk radio, it's a new format for him, and he's been off the air for a few months. Now consider: he's a 32-year industry vet, the unofficial longest career in CHR radio, especially the longest in a single format on the same station, and he has a passion for radio (and good radio, at that) like no other.

The show can only get better.

 

[John FL]

This just goes to show you. Radio today is in really bad shape if everyone thought that show was so good.

I wanted to really comment about enthusiasm of radio fans like The Major who support their favorites throughout their career. More on that in just a bit.

Your one line comment, however, really got me thinking about the overall state of things that applies not ony to radio but in our attitude about almost everything. We are well into a mode of wanting the biggest and best NOW and we expect immediate gratification NOW as well.

Go to a blockbuster movie with tons of special effects and the sequel better be a lot better in the effects department or the public will shun the flick. If a new TV show doesn't grab you within a few minutes - off we go flipping to scores of channels at our fingertips. And on and on it goes.

And how this all relates to Footy is this. Here's a guy who has had a very long and distinguished career in South Florida. He has a lot of fans who are rooting him on. Perhaps he can even be called a hero to many especially in this day where loyalty is something gone with the wind. It actually made me feel good to "feel the love" from the moment Stuart Elliott broke the news to really admiring The Major's love of radio and the special people who are apart of it.

Give the show a chance is all I say. If you look at classic TV/long-running series - the first season is usually not the best. Characters take time to develop. And that's the same with a radio talk show too. It will be fair game to comment like a critic a few months down the road if the program isn't up to par.

But for now, I'm happy Footy has an opportunity to be a part of a medium he apparently loves very much and that his fans still have something to cheer about.

Gees, I had no intention in sounding like a preacher today but the previous comment just got me going.

Peace. And best wishes, Footy!

 

[The-Major]

ME & FOOTY

It's very easy to state that something sucks, (or more appropriately and politely perhaps isn't as good as it used to be). Music, Radio, Television, Movies, Newspapers, Magazines - the list is endless. You can look at the glass as being half-empty, or you can look at it as being half-full. I don't mean to sound cliché here, but I think you (whoever reads this) clearly understands the point that I am making here. I find it easy to look at the good side of life, and the good things that are part of it. Life is good. I enjoy what I do in life. I enjoy listening to the radio. I like CALL-FM at home and in my car, and I like Y-100 at work. More specifically to this ongoing message posting thread I now like 610-WIOD at home on Saturday mornings. One reason. Footy. The man. The legend. He was a part of my weekday mornings off-and-on for some 18+ years. Then he retired gracefully. Now he's back. I tuned-in this past Saturday morning at 9 AM and Footy was on-the-radio again. I got goosebumps. It was a familiar voice on the radio.

I didn't know what to expect from his new show. He had glitches with it. Some glitches were quite obvious, and some were so transparent that perhaps I was the only one that noticed them. They didn't ruin the show. They didn't even mar the show. When a friend of his called him up and he was put on-the-air his friend began to pretty much trash the state of affairs that is Y-100 in the morning. Footy quickly took charge and put an end to that nonsense and even reminded his friend that his good friend Froggy is still an integral part of the morning show (with Elvis Duran and the crew). Footy also added that Froggy will be his co-host this upcoming Saturday morning. Footy was a professional during that particular incident as well as throughout his first radio show on this new format for him.

If I was bored stiff with Footy's first show then I may or may not have decided to return for a second chance. I'm quite busy on Saturday mornings. I have a routine that I follow. But Footy on 610-WIOD will now be part of that routine. I was sincerely entertained with Footy this past Saturday morning. He left me wanting more by the time that Paul Harvey and President Bush took over during the final half-hour of the show. Footy did his job this past Saturday morning. Footy is South Florida radio for those that grew up with him.

I don't know Footy personally. He doesn't know me personally. I met him once as a 22-year-old kid about 18 years ago. I spent the morning with him and Bobby Mitchell during a 'Morning Zoo' show. I remember virtually every detail of that morning back in 1989. I don't agree with everything that Footy has to say, but he entertains me. He's like a friend on the radio. I can't think of any other 'friends' that I have on the radio today.

THE MAJOR

 

[The-Major]

THE FOOTY SHOW - WEEK 2

Another 'Footy Show' has come and gone, and I listened to it in its entirety. I'm glad that I listened online because apparently 610-WIOD (over-the-air) was broadcasting at a weakened state, so it was fading in and out or not coming in at all for those that tried to listen to it on the radio.

This show was rather disappointing for me (compared to last week). Y-100's Froggy was this week's co-host. The (few) comedy gags fell flat. The funny jingles had all but disappeared. The interview with the car wash guy was un-necessary. Even 'Meet Market' was a too-predictable dud. (Last week's was a classic.) The high-points of the show were the interviews with Don Shula and Rick Sanchez (two longtime Footy friends).

I think I expected more from this show this week. It wasn't bad at all (perhaps average - maybe a bit below that), and perhaps it was just an 'off' week. I'm sure that it will get better next week. I'll be listening as legendary NBC-6 anchor Tony Segreto joins Footy in the studio. If you add up Tony's consecutive years on WTVJ and Footy's consecutive years on WHYI that number approaches 70 !

THE MAJOR

 

[The-Major]

THE FOOTY SHOW - WEEK 3

U.S. Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R) was the main guest on this morning's 'Footy Show', and for the entire first hour of this morning's show she, Footy, and co-host Tony Segreto ('living legend' WTVJ NBC-6 anchorman) discussed ... what else ? ... CUBA !

The rest of the show was mostly in rerun mode to include the interview with Rick Sanchez (CNN), the interview with Don Shula ('living legend' Miami Dolphins coach), and even 'Meet Market' (the dud from last week). Much of last week's show wasn't available over-the-air at 610 WIOD due to power / transmission problems. It was all online though, so it was deja vu for me and everyone else that listens online.

Bryan Andrews (CBS-4 anchorman / reporter) contributed a piece on Anna Nicole Smith from The Bahamas via a bad cell phone.

I'll give this week's show a 'B-'. Next week I'll be listening to it on the road and in my car as I embark on a 9-DAY / 1,600+ mile road-trip.

THE MAJOR

 

[top4odj]

Re: THE FOOTY SHOW - WEEK 3

U.S. Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R) was the main guest on this morning's 'Footy Show', and for the entire first hour of this morning's show she, Footy, and co-host Tony Segreto ('living legend' WTVJ NBC-6 anchorman) discussed ... what else ? ... CUBA !

The rest of the show was mostly in rerun mode to include the interview with Rick Sanchez (CNN), the interview with Don Shula ('living legend' Miami Dolphins coach), and even 'Meet Market' (the dud from last week). Much of last week's show wasn't available over-the-air at 610 WIOD due to power / transmission problems. It was all online though, so it was deja vu for me and everyone else that listens online.

Bryan Andrews (CBS-4 anchorman / reporter) contributed a piece on Anna Nicole Smith from The Bahamas via a bad cell phone.

I'll give this week's show a 'B-'. Next week I'll be listening to it on the road and in my car as I embark on a 9-DAY / 1,600+ mile road-trip.

THE MAJOR

I got a chance to listen this morning too. Ummmmmm <cough>...errrrr.. ..you know how much Footy means to me...Tony as a co-host didn't really co-host much. Ileana Rosanneadanna was on for 45 minutes more than I cared to hear her....alot of breaks....Paul Harvey took up about 15 or so minutes with some pretty senseless babble. By "Page 3" I was debating to turn off the station. Rich Sanchez was a funny segment, Shula was being Shula, Johnny Dolan...aaah Johnny Due to being at work, I missed Meet Market.

As a local radio/news mag, it was ok. I guess they have to work out the bugs of the format. I'll give it another go in a week or two.

Most of all WIOD & all Clear Channel Stations need to really dump that stupid traffic liner "If you can't see what i'm saying...." Who ever thought of that tag ought to be fired...who ever allowed it on air ought to follow who thought of it out the station doors (unless of course, Clear Channel has them employed as one of the low budget salaries, then that just means they're getting what they paid for).

Have a happy day peepholes! ;D

 

[The-Major]

THE FOOTY SHOW - WEEK 3

In my opinion I believe that the show has actually gotten slightly worse from show to show. The first show was the best, and then I was disappointed with the second show. This past (third) show was pretty much a rerun from the previous show (aside from the first hour with Ileana Ros-Lehtinen). I'm expecting a much better show next week. Footy stated that Bryan Andrews (CBS-4) may be next weekend's co-host (if he returns from The Bahamas). I think that Footy should bring in some of his stand-up comedian friends to co-host. Those were some of the funniest 'Kenny & Footy' shows late in the week when his friends came on to promote an upcoming gig at The Improv.

Footy announced last week that Paul Harvey's contract with WIOD will not be renewed, so pretty soon Footy will get the entire 11 AM hour. GOOD-DAY !

Keep it real Footy-fans !

THE MAJOR