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Gene Valicenti new morning show host at WPRO

J

johnnyboots

It's being reported that Gene Valicenti is the new host of the WPRO Morning News. Andrew Gobeil has been fired and Tara Granahan is now the assistant PD and off the air. It's also being reported that Gene is getting paid more then Buddy. This should be interesting.
 
This is the biggest move this market has seen in a long time. Biggest question at this point is if he stay's on air at WJAR. You have to think he would, I mean who leaves t.v for radio in 2013...
 
johnnyboots said:
It's being reported that Gene Valicenti is the new host of the WPRO Morning News. Andrew Gobeil has been fired and Tara Granahan is now the assistant PD and off the air. It's also being reported that Gene is getting paid more then Buddy. This should be interesting.
Click to expand...


Reported from where.....I'm not buying it.
 
kenwood101 said:
johnnyboots said:
It's being reported that Gene Valicenti is the new host of the WPRO Morning News. Andrew Gobeil has been fired and Tara Granahan is now the assistant PD and off the air. It's also being reported that Gene is getting paid more then Buddy. This should be interesting.
Click to expand...


Reported from where.....I'm not buying it.
Click to expand...
Nor can I but here is a story about it on RI Future: http://www.rifuture.org/valicenti-to-host-wpro-morning-show-gobeil-has-been-fired.html
 
Not buying it, come on. Bob Plain has had the inside track there since they let him go. Just ask Johnny D Scumbag "Teflon John" about Plain's inside track. And alas, No Andrew this morning and no mention of him having the day off. Just no mention of him. "That's just the way it is"
 
It was just offically announced at the end of the 8 a.m. newscast that Gene will in fact be joining the WPRO morning news beginning Monday morning. He will continue on TV, also.
 
Yup they reported it again in the 8:30 news. More than Buddy makes, wow. I wouldn't be shocked to hear Gene on with the Mayor and Ron today.
 
Gene's contract has to be nearing an end at WJAR and I think this is a smart move on his part to make the transition out of there. I mean, the writing was on the wall when Dan Jaehnig was brought back, clearly to replace him when the time was right. As it is, Jaehnig has already taken over for Gene on the 11pm newscast and co-anchors the 5 (and the 7). I'll be shocked if sometime in the next year he doesn't just take Gene's spot at 6 as well and the station lets Valicenti go when his deal is up. Have to believe Gene taking this gig is evidence of that...he's not going to work that morning radio/evening TV schedule forever.

That said -- I think Valicenti's weekend WPRO show is just plain horrendous. He's not very good at being a "talk show host", but in the fast-moving morning news format where he's doing more "reporting" and less analysis, it ought to work better for him.

Here's the official WPRO release:

http://www.630wpro.com/common/page....ti+&+The+WPRO+Morning+News"&id=2982&is_corp=0
 
I see this move by WPRO in much the same way as what WSAR did recently by putting Steve Kass in afternoon drive.

Basically, both stations have chosen to solidify thier "core" listenerships by slipping in personalities as familiar as the proverbial "comfortable old shoe".

The only thing I wonder is......How will Cumulus find a way to recoup the money they're going to be shelling out for Gene Valicente....and who....(here comes the really BAD pun)....will get the "boot" besides Andrew and Tara?
 
Terrible move on both parties.Wpro needs to freshen up its line up with younger talent not older.this will not last and that eliminates a position on air if he's flying solo.An assistant PD.thats not going last either in a world where 1 program director runs 8 stations.more cuts are a coming.trust me.i give it 6 months before another shoe falls on Wpro.
 
Gene Valicenti is a true professional with enormous credibility. Every market has that "one person" who is above all the rest. Walter Cryan was one. Doug White was another one, and in my opinion Gene Valicenti is definitely one as well. Only time will tell if his successful track record will transfer over to radio. WPRO has itself a winner though. I think the only way this won't work is if Gene happens to be a bad fit for the format and he just isn't accepted as a "Radio Guy" by the listeners. It will be interesting to see what happens.
 
Freshening up the line up with younger talent might be a mistake made under the assumption that you would gain a younger audience. This is Providence steeped in tradition. I don't like seeing Andrew let go as I thought he did a good job, but Valicenti is a known personality, and Providence likes its known personalities. If Art Lake were alive you could put him on mornings and he'd pull numbers. You can't force a younger audience to listen to talk radio in a state where people like to sit around barbershops and bellyache about driving conditions during a storm that happened 5 years ago.
 
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