Fitzhugh Power Vacuum part II

[thepostman]

Okay so I only got half the story right. Apparently Johnson is better at leading people in front of a speeding bus than I thought. David Henry got played. We've always known that Ron had puppet strings on David but apparently KJ has learned how to use them when Ron isn't looking. Word here at Fitzhugh is that nobody has challeneged Chatman on who and how to name a successor. DH simply nodded up and down as Ron wrote his final Opus. Henry was and is a great sales guy but when it comes to major market high wire act of talent and PR juggling he should have stuck to playing tuba down on the ground with the rest of the circus band.

Jody like Henry is now just realizing how deep and fast the water is when you don't have Ron around to whisper in Mels ear that someone needs a life raft.

Jody you never agree to anything to be announced unless you get it in writing!! Didn't Ron teach you anything? Apparently you're more desperate than we all thought. Now the suits smell blood......

If JACK continues to do okay in DFW I wouldn't be surprised if Dixon and Barnett end up over on 98.7 as drive time bookends on a less talk more liners by familiar voices approach thanks once again to the new market puppetier.

 

[BrainDeadPrez]

> Okay so I only got half the story right. Apparently Johnson
> is better at leading people in front of a speeding bus than
> I thought. David Henry got played. We've always known that
> Ron had puppet strings on David but apparently KJ has
> learned how to use them when Ron isn't looking. Word here
> at Fitzhugh is that nobody has challeneged Chatman on who
> and how to name a successor.

Thank God I'm not in this quagmire!! But I'll take a stab at it...could be that Chapman was such a longtime, huge draw against payroll at the local Infinity cluster that it's too much of a temptation to bring in a $40K per year mediocre "talent" to replace Ron, instead of having to match or up Jody's KTVT salary. (Think about Gene and Julie being picked over a costly, first-rate morning show at KVIL, and KVIL is still considered sacred ground.) Every move I've seen lately at the Infinity stations is strictly to do with shareholder value and NOTHING to do with the long-term good of any of their stations, nor, God forbid, the listener. It's all been quick, cheap fixes.

Could be, as well, that Jody may have had some good numbers in the recent sweeps, and KTVT management might be trying to keep him. The station still needs all the help it can get, and taking a piece of their fragile puzzle away might be enough impetus to try to block his transfer. Just a guess.

Bottom line here, KLUV has reached its maximum audience, their numbers have been VERY consistent for a long time, and there's not much incentive to do anything else productive with the station...just keep the music the way it is, and folks will continue to 'K-Love their oldies.' In a lot of ways, it's an audience by default, because who else do pop oldies lovers have to listen to? And the 35-64 crowd is not necessarily into newfangled electronic radio-replacements like satellite and Ipods. In light of all this, KLUV could put Schelby or Tom Dooley or Dr James Griffin on mornings and would still be successful. 'It's the music, stupid', and even someone mildly entertaining could keep up the momentum. I'm afraid Kurt has already come to this conclusion.

 

[Thinker]

Anybody here know how to play Taps on the tuba? Anyone? David???

 

[nightingale]

Infinity cluster that it's too much of a temptation to bring in a $40K per year mediocre "talent" to replace Ron, instead of having to match or up Jody's KTVT salary. (Think about Gene and Julie being picked over a costly, first-rate morning show at KVIL, and KVIL is still considered sacred ground.) Every move I've seen lately at the Infinity stations is strictly to do with shareholder value and NOTHING to do with the long-term good of any of their stations, nor, God forbid, the listener. It's all been quick, cheap fixes.
--------------
what makes you think they got Gene and Julie "cheap?" I don't think they signed on to do KVIL for $40K....

 

[BrainDeadPrez]

> what makes you think they got Gene and Julie "cheap?" I
> don't think they signed on to do KVIL for $40K....
>

OK, I'll be fair...$40K EACH. It's due to their track record of wallowing in lower markets after a not-so-great run here at B-97.9. And given the sorry, sad state of radio AND the refusal of any ownership group to pay ANYTHING worth a damn these days...they're probably very lucky to have gotten THAT much. The value there for them is to be able to put KVIL on their resume. That's worth a sacrifice and tradeoff of $$$ just to have. Outside of this area, I doubt many folks have any clue what KVIL has turned into. Most only remember the high-billing, #1 days of the station...so having KVIL front-and-center on the ol' resume could still count for something to a clueless HR person in Anchorage, Duluth, Topeka, Bangor and maybe Portland.