Fassulo out at 1040-WWBA?

[Don62]

Mark Larsen is on during his shift today. I thought maybe Brian was off until I noticed Mark never mentioned Fassulo (sorry, not sure on spelling) and I never heard promos for Brian.

The station's Web page only lists upcoming substitute hosts for Brian.
http://www.1040wwba.com/Programs.aspx

Too bad. Brian had a great show.

I hope the station doesn't use the old crutch of going to syndicated programming.

 

[Faraway]

I hope the station doesn't use the old crutch of going to syndicated programming.

Well, that old crutch might be the answer if no one is listening to the "new" crutch. Looks like that "hardly local" Schnitt does pretty well, huh Don62?

 

[sbe1]

Something was wrong Tue at 6:00 when he was pretty short with and blew of Larsen on his golf tourny and never said his typical goodbye to his wife. Too bad, I liked the guy. He did give the impression that he was too good for that gig. I hope they find another local person.

 

[Don62]

I hope the station doesn't use the old crutch of going to syndicated programming.

Well, that old crutch might be the answer if no one is listening to the "new" crutch. Looks like that "hardly local" Schnitt does pretty well, huh Don62?

Let me make sure I understand you correctly. Running REAL programming, hiring hosts, hiring DJs, etc., that's just a crutch?

Wow. That's the reason I got into broadcasting. To run only out of state hosts who couldn't give a rats a-- about local issues.

Yep. That's really local broadcasting. Run only a morning show as your local product, then fill the rest of the day with stuff off the bird. What's that make, four hours of local programming a day?

Oh, I forgot. Money is king here, nothing else. As long as it gets ratings, then totally syndicated shows are okay. So much for the public's interest, convenience and necessity.

Seems most talk radio stations these days aren't any better at "broadcasting" than those small-town FM and AM low-watters that run satellite music formats where there's ZERO local hosts.

I guess you prefer that way, though.

I imagine the many talented people along with board ops, producers, etc., like it to, since they have precious few opportunities in radio these days.

They probably also agree that management knows best when it fills all its staffing needs through Premier, ABC, Westwood Wood, Jones and other piped-in outsourced programming.

Want to work for WIOD Miami, the supposedly legendary station?

The station could have hired the next Larry King or El Rushbo.

Sorry. No openings. We only have one host. Everything else we do on the cheap.

 

[smedge2006]

WWBA could have hired the next Larry King or El Rushbo too. It's a shame they wasted that chance on Barney the Purple Dinosaur.

 

[Don62]

WWBA could have hired the next Larry King or El Rushbo too. It's a shame they wasted that chance on Barney the Purple Dinosaur.

I've seen you use that deragatory term before. Why call him that?

His show sounded good.

I'm glad I could hear him - discussing local and real concerns than blowhard Hannity going off on how the Democrats are always wrong and how we should follow Bush lockstep into death in Iraq.

 

[flwfg]

Well I thought he (Brian) was't too bad, especially after having to put up with the me, me, me Schnitt for years... Schnitt isn't as local as Fassulo was either... he has to pander to his other outlets and XM too...

Local radio has been dead for years...too bad...

later...
walt

 

[coolaid213]

Well, that old crutch might be the answer if no one is listening to the "new" crutch. Looks like that "hardly local" Schnitt does pretty well, huh Don62?

Faraway, I'm really loving all your posts, dude. I believe that you're sincere, I only question your motivation. Seriously though, don't change.

Cedric

 

[smedge2006]

I've seen you use that deragatory term (Barney the Purple Dinosaur) before. Why call him that?

Because I found his show to be quite fluffy and lacking the hard edge that I think the Genesis 10:40 audience was expecting. You have to remember that in the rest of their lineup, 10:40 is the station for people who think 970 is too LIBERAL. I'm not a fan of their style, but at least I understand what it is and who their listeners are. Fasulo (and Genesis) blew the chance to hang onto most of the Hannity audience. They even did a show the first day after they lost Hannity, announcing that "Liberals are welcome again at WWBA!" What? Were they going to get rid of O' Reilly and Boortz and Savage? No. Therefore, train wreck radio.

Specifically as to the "Barney" label, his early shows were short on issues, lacked a grasp on conservatism and were long on trivia and goo-goo ga-ga talk about his little girls aimed at soccer moms who don't listen to AM. I almost thought I could hear "I love you, you love me" in the background when he did this schtick. If I'm not mistaken, Schnitt has kids about the same age, but he doesn't go goo-goo ga-ga on the air on his 970 show. There were obvious-sounding planted calls from thirtysomething females trying to make the show and the station sound like something they were not. Fasulo would usually get around to the conservative viewpoint, but only after a circuitous discussion that showed he wasn't well-grounded or well-read. He sounded like someone trying to be Glenn Beck and failing. By the way, IMO Glenn Beck was pretty awful in his early days in Tampa but stayed on because he had the unwavering support of people who thought he was the next big thing in talk radio.

I also think it was a mistake to turn to a local infomercial guy who was out of work and give him the shift.
I miss the days when talk stations would get local talent by doing a national talent search and hiring the best talent from a smaller market, the way they used to (and the way high-profile CHRs still do). It would be fun to hear somebody who comes from somewhere else and is living in our community and has a different take on all our local pet peeves. That's how Lassiter and all the old-school stars of talk radio got here. Locals who got a shot (like Lionel) were rare exceptions. Now you see what it cost Genesis to save a few bucks in moving expenses.

I believe Genesis' owner still suffers a hangover from the days when his station was "Friendly Talk Radio", a quasi-Christian, quasi-brokered format. He still wants "nice guys" on the air. Fasulo certainly qualified there.
The liners they used to promote him were downright bizarre ("Finally a talk show host who LOOKS GOOD on the radio".) What's that got to do with anything? Of course, at least a few of WWBA's promos actually turn into anti-promos, such as "Can't hear us at night? Listen online..." It's as if they're trying to shoot themselves in the foot.

I think going for a nice guy over someone who would serve red meat to the hardcore conservative audience was a bad and maybe fatal move for WWBA. It's certainly not good to blow up your afternoon show when you've got two more mouths (newspeople) to feed and a truncated night pattern.

 

[Don62]

It's certainly not good to blow up your afternoon show when you've got two more mouths (newspeople) to feed and a truncated night pattern.

Thanks for the explanation.

I called the other day to try to win in their hurricane prepardness contest and asked the p.m. producer what happened to Brian. He told me Brian left for a better job.

 

[jefflaurence]

Eager Beaver Car Wash in Sarasota

 

[sbe1]

Jeff, love your v/o for Nutri system.... but love the babe with the "smokin" hot body. Not quite like Body Solutions, though. The gig at Eager Beaver is to be at the cash register and PA system saying over the mic: " to the owner of the white Buick, your car is ready". 20 blue hairs stand up...

 

[radioveep]

Smedge wrote: "I think going for a nice guy over someone who would serve red meat to the hardcore conservative audience was a bad and maybe fatal move for WWBA."

Smedge, you don't know how right you are when you say a "fatal move". I've been in the radio business for 14 years, and I've seen Genesis from the beginning. I know a former insider who was in a position to know exactly what has been going on over at Genesis, and he told me quite a bit over the years.

Yeah, Brad James put the wrong guy on the air, considering who listens to the station. How could he not see that you don't replace red meat with brie? But really, how could Maduri put James in this position? He's mostly a production guy. Yeah, he was PD at WDAE, but he was nothing but a glorified lackey executing his bosses wishes. He had very little decision making authority. I know, because I was at CC for some of the time Brad was there.

As for any possibilty of the death of the company, from what I hear, it is close. My friend's sources told him that their billings are about half of what they were a year ago. The costs are up considerably, with monthly rent on the new digs being about $8-10,000 over its old ratty studios. In addition, compared to a year ago, they are paying for Brantley, JP Peterson, two news people, and of course, Fasulo, until now. From my source I heard that even if the billing stayed the same, it was marginal as to whether Maduri could have made a go of it, because with the same higher billing, but before he hired the new people and moved the studios, the place was barely holding its own.

However, the lower billing was caused only to a moderate extent by the Fasulo/Hannity debacle. Remember, although the ratings have been going down steadily since Hannity left, the latest devastating ratings, showing numbers down a full 50%, were released just this week. Those low numbers have not even had a chance to have affected the company's billings. Wait until the effects of the horrid ratings takes its toll on what little remains of the company's revenue.

What has really killed business at the station up to this point is that 5 of the top 6 account execs have left the company, leaving only one real seasoned seller. In the span of one year, my friend tells me that his source says that billing at the two stations has gone from $200,000 a month down to about $100,000.

Apparently, rumors are swirling throughout Genesis (and the Bay area radio community!) that Maduri is withholding the pay of at least three of those account execs. The place is abuzz about pending law suits that are getting ready to explode. Current employees have their resumes out (three of which landed on my desk) and expect things to implode at any minute. My friend says that some at the station feel that it's only a matter of time. One more rumor he passed on: Brantley and Peterson are the next to get the axe.

 

[SG78]

I noticed today his name and pic are off the official website.

 

[Don62]

I noticed today his name and pic are off the official website.

It was gone last week. Just a blank space with 3- 6 p.m. listed.

I read online a Dallas talk veteran, David Gold, "The Land of Gold," is supposed to host today.
The site said he formerly worked in Tampa.

 

[TPAnx]

David Gold worked at WPLP in the early days...say around '81.
TPAnx

 

[sbe1]

This new guy is liable to coax Mr. Airstream out of retirement. Next, we'll have Paul Gonzolez doing mid days.

 

[MichaelCrose]

I bet Paul would do VERY well. Very well indeed.

 

[radiodaze2000]

I listened to Gold when he was on KLIF in Dallas. He was great. Sounds a little tired the last couple of days from what I remember. If he performs anywhere close to what he brought Dallas, he will exceed Hannity's numbers. Sounds to me like they moved quickly to stop the bleeding in the afternoons. Gold will bring the afternoons back. With Larsen in the morning, it will give the Tampa market a great alternative to FLA.

 

[Ferreri]

This new guy is liable to coax Mr. Airstream out of retirement. Next, we'll have Paul Gonzolez doing mid days.

One of the real great guys in the business. You may have meant this to be a "dig" and that is sad. Paul is as smooth as fireplace on a winter night.