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Clea Simon on Changes at WRKO

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Guest
RADIO TRACKS
Shake-up at WRKO may be a signal that more changes are in the air
By Clea Simon, Globe Correspondent | August 31, 2005


http://www.boston.com/ae/tv/article...be_a_signal_that_more_changes_are_in_the_air/

Look's like Clea's been reading this board!

Here's my Open Letter to Brian Whittemore:

Dear Mr. Whittemore:

The wrath of (Julie) Kahn is quoted in today's Boston Globe:

''Our plan with 'RKO is to inject some more swagger into the brand,"

which is followed up by a quote from you:

''I've been hired to make WRKO a lot more exciting and really light up the lights," Whittemore said on the phone Friday from outside Minneapolis.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Exciting is NOT hearing Howie Carr say for the umpteenth time "I did not come here to be made sport of." The entire Howie Carr show needs an overhaul.
Maybe a co-host with better diction and a progressive point of view.

Carr's failure to catch on outside of the market is proof that he works only in a niche, small arena. And the minority of Red State individuals in this Blue State are even get tired with the same old same old.

Mike Savage is going to become a parody of himself within the next 12-18 months.
Cut him loose now and get something more vital to the Boston region.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Back to quotes from The Globe:
Whittemore is keeping mum on what changes may be in store for WRKO.
...But he does have strong ideas about what makes talk radio work. ''No. 1, relevance. No. 2, the strength of the personalities, and No. 3, the delivery of the information."

Relevance - when has WRKO been relevant to the community? Maybe when Jerry Williams was on the air.

2)Strength of Personalities. See above

3)Delivery -

The delivery is sadly lacking - listening to WRKO is like being in a 1990s time warp. It just sounds stale.

96.9 FM is not real competition - but people are tuning in - they want some talk radio. Take Randi Rhodes from Air America and put her on WRKO - watch this Blue State start tuning in.

Jay Diamond on Saturday nights is also very interesting. Give him an opportunity.

The entire morning and mid-day show should be junked.

Do what you want with Rush, but he's old and tired too.
 
Clea Simon hit all the right notes this time plus there is picture of her a few pages later in today's Globe. She is a first time author. Didn't realize she was so young. Wish her well.

If Whittemore comes out of the WBZ talk mode you can be sure that it will be very standard fare. David Brudnoy was the exception.

Still, I wouldn't be surprised to see Whittemore to go after Gene Burns.

I think Howie's days are numbered. He ran out of steam a long time ago but I don't imagine that RKO would do anything as extraordinary as put Jay Diamond in his place. If they did it would really shake up the station in a way it hasn't been since Jerry Williams was hired at WRKO in 1981.

Stay tuned.....

> RADIO TRACKS
> Shake-up at WRKO may be a signal that more changes are in
> the air
> By Clea Simon, Globe Correspondent | August 31, 2005
>
>
http://www.boston.com/ae/tv/articles/2005/08/31/shake_> up_at_wrko_may_be_a_signal_that_more_changes_are_in_the_air/
>
>
> Look's like Clea's been reading this board!
>
> Here's my Open Letter to Brian Whittemore:
>
> Dear Mr. Whittemore:
>
> The wrath of (Julie) Kahn is quoted in today's Boston Globe:
>
>
> ''Our plan with 'RKO is to inject some more swagger into the
> brand,"
>
> which is followed up by a quote from you:
>
> ''I've been hired to make WRKO a lot more exciting and
> really light up the lights," Whittemore said on the phone
> Friday from outside Minneapolis.
>
------------------> ------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Exciting is NOT hearing Howie Carr say for the umpteenth
> time "I did not come here to be made sport of." The entire
> Howie Carr show needs an overhaul.
> Maybe a co-host with better diction and a progressive point
> of view.
>
> Carr's failure to catch on outside of the market is proof
> that he works only in a niche, small arena. And the
> minority of Red State individuals in this Blue State are
> even get tired with the same old same old.
>
> Mike Savage is going to become a parody of himself within
> the next 12-18 months.
> Cut him loose now and get something more vital to the Boston
> region.
>
>
------------------> ------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
> Back to quotes from The Globe:
> Whittemore is keeping mum on what changes may be in store
> for WRKO.
> ...But he does have strong ideas about what makes talk radio
> work. ''No. 1, relevance. No. 2, the strength of the
> personalities, and No. 3, the delivery of the information."
>
> Relevance - when has WRKO been relevant to the community?
> Maybe when Jerry Williams was on the air.
>
> 2)Strength of Personalities. See above
>
> 3)Delivery -
>
> The delivery is sadly lacking - listening to WRKO is like
> being in a 1990s time warp. It just sounds stale.
>
> 96.9 FM is not real competition - but people are tuning in -
> they want some talk radio. Take Randi Rhodes from Air
> America and put her on WRKO - watch this Blue State start
> tuning in.
>
> Jay Diamond on Saturday nights is also very interesting.
> Give him an opportunity.
>
> The entire morning and mid-day show should be junked.
>
> Do what you want with Rush, but he's old and tired too.
>
 
> Maybe a co-host with better diction and a progressive point
> of view.

Why not just put Air America on WRKO and see the ratings plunge to 0.5, then?
'RKO, 'BZ, and 'TKK are the Red Sox, Yankees, and Cardinals of Boston talk
radio. 'TTT and the Air America stations (ratings-wise) are the K.C. Royals
and T.B. Devil Dogs. Oops, bad example; the Devil Rays and Royals occasionally
beat the Sox and Yanks once in awhile which is more than I can say of
Frankenstein and Sgt. Schulz vs. the Big 3


> Mike Savage is going to become a parody of himself within
> the next 12-18 months.

I wish they had Hannity or Ingraham myself but thankfully they're on 96.9
anyway. I will say I'm one person in "Borston" who doesn't live in the
Savage Nation. If 'RKO were to choose between having Savage on or
bringing on Burns, I'd hope they'd go for Gene, but that's just me.


> 96.9 FM is not real competition - but people are tuning in -
> they want some talk radio. Take Randi Rhodes from Air
> America and put her on WRKO - watch this Blue State start
> tuning in.

HA HA HA! Sure, It's The Let's Kill The President Show. Tell you what:

--Entercom, put WEEI on 93.7 and put Air America on 850. See what the
ratings do.



<P ID="signature">______________
News and views about Boston and New England Radio:

http://www.livejournal.com/community/boston_radio</P>
 
I do still enjoy Howie but yeah he can get tiring after awhile. But he has a good sense of humor though the show can get repetitive. The show can get
repetitive. the show can get--

Bring back Dougie Goudie.
<P ID="signature">______________
News and views about Boston and New England Radio:

http://www.livejournal.com/community/boston_radio</P>
 
> > Bring back Dougie Goudie.
>
> For everyone who wants VB back:
>
> As producer and sound FX player or as co-host?
>
co-host, or both if possible<P ID="signature">______________
News and views about Boston and New England Radio:

http://www.livejournal.com/community/boston_radio</P>
 
> Why would RKO get rid of their #1 commodity? Howie may be getting a bit tired for some, but he is still far and away the highest rated show on WRKO. My bet is if they let Howie go, TKK would pick him up immediately. RKO's challenge is that their audience is old as in 60+. It will take a lot of "swagger" to lure a younger audience back onto to the AM dial. Part of TKK's success is the fact that they're on the FM dial. But, as RKO's sister station (WEEI) has proven - build the right on air product and the listeners will come. Should be interesting....
 
> 96.9 FM is not real competition - but people are tuning in -
> they want some talk radio. Take Randi Rhodes from Air
> America and put her on WRKO - watch this Blue State start
> tuning in.
>

Hmmmm..... Reward Randi's failure to win over Boston with a bigger station? Ask Rouge Islanders how WHJJ's doing with air america.
 
> > Why would RKO get rid of their #1 commodity? Howie may be
> getting a bit tired for some, but he is still far and away
> the highest rated show on WRKO. My bet is if they let Howie
> go, TKK would pick him up immediately. RKO's challenge is
> that their audience is old as in 60+.

True, no 25-54 #'s for RKO.

It will take a lot of
> "swagger" to lure a younger audience back onto to the AM
> dial. Part of TKK's success is the fact that they're on the
> FM dial.
>

How is TKK successful? It's a half-assed operation.
 
They kick wrko's butt in every day part, every demographic, except Howie. Its the power of FM combined with wrko's weak morning show.


>
> How is TKK successful? It's a half-assed operation.
>
 
> > > Bring back Dougie Goudie.
> >
> > For everyone who wants VB back:
> >
> > As producer and sound FX player or as co-host?
> >
> co-host, or both if possible
>


Howies ego is too big to allow VB Goudie to come in and fly right seat.
 
The Bigger They Are The Harder They Fall.

No, someone will have to do to Howie Carr what he did to Jerry Williams.
After all, Carr is over 50 and by his standards should be on his last legs.
Wonder when the Herald's Trash Team, I mean the Inside Track bimbos, will be tagging his every movement?

As Bobby Kennedy once said, "Don't get mad; get even."

Someone is out there plotting that very thing I am sure.


> > > > Bring back Dougie Goudie.
> > >
> > > For everyone who wants VB back:
> > >
> > > As producer and sound FX player or as co-host?
> > >
> > co-host, or both if possible
> >
>
>
> Howies ego is too big to allow VB Goudie to come in and fly
> right seat.
>
 
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