Disclaimer 1: I'm not in the radio business, or related to or friends with anybody in radio.
Disclaimer 2: I listened to The Ticket, especially BaD Radio and the Hardline, from 2003 to 2007.
After all these comments about 105.3 The Fan, I [an approaching-middle-aged male sports fan] decided to listen while at home today.
Several things hit me really hard about this station:
1. They try to do guy talk using The Ticket's template, and they are abysmal at it. IMHO, The Ticket paired up people who created synergy. 1 + 1 became 3. Didn't most of them know and respect each other from bodies of work created elsewhere? The Fan seemed to just throw people together and hopes for the best. The Fan should be well aware by now that this market has sophisticated listeners, and we can tell when these guys don't do much show prep, they skate through each and every segment, and lean on call-in listeners for great amounts of programming. I know imitation is supposed to be the most sincere form of flattery, but its supposed to be GOOD imitation to be flattering, isn't it?
2. They try to do sports chat, and they are all over the road with it. Some of it reminds me of being forced to sit in a room full of TV sitcom directors, who knowingly chuckle over inside news that YOU THE LISTENER just aren't privy to. It's not interesting guys, never was, never will be.
3. Arnie Spanier and his NY accent don't bother me at all. Good quality sports entertainment comes in every dialect known to man. I would listen to translated Urdu, Russian, or Greek if the speaker was knowledgeable at his craft. I think Arnie knows his stuff. I also think Arnie is The Fan's Answer to the guy that was [still is?] on the Ticket on Sunday mornings, the guy who wanted a schmear on his bagel.
4. It might have been stated on here before, but if I wanted cheeseball commentary from Randy in Grapevine, or Neal in Sunnyvale, or Zack in Plano, I would just open my mouth and start yammering at my local Boston's. Why would you let a guy go on about the toilet paper at a stadium? If I am going to take the time to find your Sports talk radio station, either over the air, or on my computer, I want in-depth commentary and analysis on sports, with some guy talk mixed in.
5. The Fan should have one of their hosts create a persona which would be an amalgamation of all of the hosts on 105.3. His monikor should be "Mister Obvious Sports Opinion Guy".
6. If I were Bigby, or whoever is programming this station, I would observe these guys up close, spend some time off the clock with them, find out what motivates them, figure out what makes them good at what they do, and realign them into teams that work. Jagger is plenty amusing, I would give him a straight man [insert your own punchline here]. Newy would get a fired up hard-ass partner. Richie Whitt would be given the keys to the curb. I would split up Arnie and Barsky, as there is no contrast between them. Again, IMHO, most of them are interested in doing sports talk and some guy talk. Its your job to get them from Point A (mediocrity) to Point B (good quality sports radio).
7. CBS? You want me because your advertisers want my [25-54 male] disposable income, and your sports guys want to keep their jobs. Yet.....you cannot or will not woo me away from my Ticket habit. Its not rocket science, but you do have to work at it, instead of throwing things at the wall to see what sticks. What stuck to me was not very listenable. Go look in the mirror, forget the Ticket, make (AND GROW) your own brand, and I'll try you again someday.
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