A morsel of theory and half truths seasoned by a sprinkle of conjecture and all of a sudden we may have reached the point where Fox Mulder and Dana Scully enter stage left and in a darkened room with a muted light, open a large book as the big voiced announcer dude intones, "the truth is out there..."
Allow me speculate, first the disclaimer made up front (just like those cheesy car commercials), the following is, as they say in the Army, a wild-ass guess, subject to conjecture and further debate if not outright ridicule..., 26-50 due at signing, tax and tags extra...
Oh but first to "LC," thanks for the vote of confidence. I'll try not to let you down, but after this post, you may regret coming to my defense.
Now then... What we're seeing in Rochester with the Wease saga and the accompanying low pressure system, is the dismantling of a legendary radio station that is beloved by many and mocked by a few. At least Entercom didn't completely trash the format and make it AC like Taft did to WGRQ-97 Rock some years back. Then again, what's happening to WCMF might be worse, something akin to Chinese water torture or death by a thousand cuts.
After reading the brilliant and well-reasoned posts on this and other threads (umm, with the exception of the wrong call letters finding their way into an otherwise fine post by SirRoxalot), one might conclude that there's some truth in each one of them.
So then, what if everything is true. What if, in a stroke of nefarious genius, Entercom plans to keep WRRM and dismantle WCMF, "right-sizing" the payroll in order to make it more attractive to a prospective buyer? Yes, yes, I know, this kind of reasoning is akin to calling in an airstrike on your own platoon, but in the world we're living, it's entirely conceivable. Sacrifice the platoon, win the battle. Arguably self-destructive, but conceivable.
The next company (let's call it "WrexCom") that buys WCMF gets a radio station with a reduced payroll, intact yet tarnished cache, diminished billing and the potential to rise from the ashes. WrexCom hires Kane-O and/or a few of the other longtime WCMF fringe players at more market compatible salaries and revives WCMF.
(Alleluia Chorus fades up)
Call it a plan that only a house painter from South Buffalo could imagine, but it's the radio business, the world of high finance, in the new millennium. Illogocal and economically retarded as it may be, it could happen.
Let's go one step further into the Radio X-Files... (theme music up and under) what if it's all part of a pre-conceived plan with WrexCom.
(By this time you're entering your screen name and password and your first sentence will be, "...Radknowski, have you been huffing paint thinner again or have Unkle Oskie's rancid cigars finally taken their toll?!!!")
Most likely, both.
And there's Mr. Doyle updating listeners about negaotiations with Wease on the Wease & Friends Morning Show. Performing a public service or is it positioning and spinning at its most obvious? Orrrrrr... was Doyle serving notice?
(eerie music fades up)
Entercom most likely has set a number far south of Wease's number. Wease and his agent have set a number far north of his most recent salary, creating a chasm that cannot be traversed.
Entercom Philadelphia bery likely gave Doyle a figure for Wease. Let's say it's 250 large. Field Marshal Field says, "Tell Mr. Levin we'll pay him 250 grand a year and not a penny more..."
The response from Wease's counsel is, "We're not coming back for a penny less than $550 grand a year..."
This is the monetary version of the physics connundrum, "immovable object meets irresistable force..." or maybe it's "two male cats meet on a fence at midnight..." I dunno.
The result is the Sounds Of Silence.
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It's probably more mundane than this wacked-out scenario, but it's a soap opera of sorts and I'm just one of the creative staff writers who cooks up unimaginable scenarios.
Now I'm off to Creative Writing 201. See you after class. Let the flaming begin. But be nice.
