Half of KOOL Morning Crew gets the Ax

[KOOL Listener Lauren]

Thank you to the credible source who shall remain confidential for this truly upsetting news:

Perhaps when you tune in tomorrow morning, you'll only hear HALF of the KOOL Morning Crew. Effective this morning, Morning Show Producer, Lee Bortel, and John Michaels were the unfortunate and undeserving victims of the ax.

This, just after nine months of the "new" morning show with Tom Peake at the helm, and building back a larger group of loyal listeners.

I never got the chance to meet John Michaels, but did enjoy his trivia at Summer Splash. I've listened to John since late-'03, both in the mornings and along with Camelback Jack. His sense of humor (and those voices!) were always an absolute blast!

Lee Bortel is one of the nicest guys that I've fortunately had the honor to meet on three occasions, and along with his wife once at Summer Splash. I don't think I know a happier couple! I'm not sure anyone can totally match Lee's energy and enthusiasm for the station and the music. His style is simply the best. Hearing Lee on the morning show, as well as an actual time when most would be awake (ie: Evenings, not Overnights) was the greatest.

This news is unbelievable and couldn't happen to more undeserving people. These are longtime members of the KOOL that I know and love. I hope for John and Lee to quickly land back on their feet and get another job-- one that makes them happy and is rewarding. Whatever it may be, that boss will be very happy.

Lauren

 

[landtuna]

KOOL was pretty much off my radar due to their playlist changes of months ago and then the more recent flip to "holiday" music but this will remove them entirely. Although Maria and Tom can certainly go on it won't be anything like it once was.

If C(BS) is trying to kill this once greatest of all oldies stations they are certainly doing one fine job.

Best of luck to Lee and John. They are both great talents and I hope we get to hear them here once more.

 

[KOHS]

Sadly, radio just isn't fun anymore. You have the constant ratings worry, and, even if you do have good ratings, you are still subject to dismissal at anytime.

Best wishes to the fomer KOOL air-staff members. May your separation from CBS prove to be a blessing in disguise!

 

[landtuna]

I went to the KOOL website to see if any changes had been posted but it is apparently frozen and doesn't respond.

 

[mic1]

Sorry to hear the news. You question why people are being let go at such an alarming rate. You eventually accept it & move onto the next opportinity. However, these opportunites no longer exist or have become extremely difficult in ones search for employment in a radio climate as one described as 'just isn't fun anymore' . I haven't been in Phx radio in nearly 10 yrs but I do keep up with whats been going on over the years . Good luck to those who are searching for a gig. You know ..the gig : a daily air shift with prod,remotes and a monthly staff meeting along with a pat on the back from your PD 'atta boy !' . Those gigs exist anymore ?

 

[Darknight]

What horrible news. Having had the privilege of meeting John when I met Tom, Maria and Mojo at Summer Splash I can say that he too is one of a kind, a real talent. They're ALL super talented. So what now, just Tom and Maria and pay some flunky minimum wage to run the board? First they axe Mojo and now they kill off Lee too?! They keep surgically removing the life blood out of this show. Unfortunately we as listeners tend to take this stuff personally because we invest 'time' in these shows. Whether it's driving to and from work or lounging by our pools, we bring these people into our homes and our cars and our lives. I feel bad for Tom and Maria, they've had to watch 3 good people get canned from their show. It makes no sense to me...none what so ever.

 

[davideduardo]

Sadly, radio just isn't fun anymore. You have the constant ratings worry, and, even if you do have good ratings, you are still subject to dismissal at anytime.

This has, in all probability, less to do with radio than with the economy.

KOOL FM is doing better in its target demo than it has for years, so you need to consider other reasons for the cuts than "taking fun out of radio."

 

[RadioStarOne]

The answer to what is wrong with this station can be expressed in three letters: CBS!

 

[oldiesfan6479]

Don't forget the parentheses. It's C(BS).

To Dan Mason, his bean counters, the local C(BS) market manager
(he would like me to mention his name) and PD Kris--bah humbug!

And that goes for your 40+ more days of Christmas music too. :

 

[oldiesfan6479]

I went to the KOOL website to see if any changes had been posted but it is
apparently frozen and doesn't respond.

As of 7:37pm MT the website comes up and the morning show page
appears to be unchanged (Tom/Maria/John). Lee still has a jock page
for his voicetracked 1-5am show, and...wait...there's an addition that
wasn't there yesterday! Oh, it's just a jock page for Tom Kent. :

 

[DrAkbar]

KOOL FM is doing better in its target demo than it has for years, so you need to consider other reasons for the cuts than "taking fun out of radio."

May their premature launch of All Annoying Xmas Music signficantly reduce 94~Five's recent ratings gains. As far as Nurse Jeff and I are concerned, See BS is now strip mining what remains of a once great Phoenix radio station.

 

[Ford]

You have the constant ratings worry, and, even if you do have good ratings, you are still subject to dismissal at anytime.

These things have been true long before radio started to consolidate and cut back to satisfy corporate masters.

Ratings have always been a worry, and jocks have always been subject to dismissal at anytime. Back in the day, entire air staffs were blown out by owners flipping format for whatever reason, or new GMs and PDs who wanted to give their buddies jobs. Corporate cuts seem cruel because they're driven by bean counters, but is it really worse than it was in the past?

I don't think so. Like anybody who's been in this business for a long time, I've lost more than a few gigs. Back then it was personal...you got canned because the GM didn't like you, or you had a falling out with the PD, or whatever. Now it's just budget cuts...which is what I suspect led to what happened at KOOL today.

Good luck finding a radio company that isn't cutting back on staff nowadays.

 

[oldiesfan6479]

In the first hour plus of today's morning show, there have been
zero references to why some of the group is missing, but then
one didn't really expect Tom and Maria to say anything.

 

[DangerousLoner]

"As of 7:37pm MT the website comes up and the morning show page
appears to be unchanged (Tom/Maria/John)."

Maybe the webmaster got fired, too. CBS has been thinning the ranks in that job position, too.

 

[oldiesfan6479]

Maybe the webmaster got fired, too.

I thought that might have happened in either rounds one or two of the
Phoenix C(BS) cluster layoffs earlier this year. (I had a strong desire to
add a hyphen and another word after "cluster"...but I won't. ;D)

As of a few minutes ago, the KOOL website morning show page did have
a revised banner graphic (Tom and Maria only), however the sub-pages
still reflect copy/pics/names of John and Lee, and the "on air now" box
on the home page still has the Tom/Maria/John graphic.

Apparently, with or without a webmaster, the continuity on the site is
error-prone--it was mentioned to me that on Saturday evenings the
"on air now" box still displays the Greg "Third Degree" Burns pool party
(Christmas music or Tom Kent notwithstanding.)

 

[KOHS]

Sadly, radio just isn't fun anymore. You have the constant ratings worry, and, even if you do have good ratings, you are still subject to dismissal at anytime.

This has, in all probability, less to do with radio than with the economy.

KOOL FM is doing better in its target demo than it has for years, so you need to consider other reasons for the cuts than "taking fun out of radio."

You're right, David, the recent/ongoing/future cuts at Cheap Channel, See BS, XM/Sirius, Cox, etc. have nothing to do with "taking the fun out of radio." What was I thinking? Damn economy! Radio is still fun!

 

[ronreigns]

This is very sad news. I worked with Lee at KOOL in the early 2000s, and I consider him to be a friend. He's not only very talented, and a real professional, but he's just a great guy. I didn't know John very well, but I had a great deal of respect for him, and the handful of times I dealt with him, he treated me with respect and kindness. Good luck goes out to both of them from me and my family.

 

[landtuna]

KOOL FM is doing better in its target demo than it has for years, so you need to consider other reasons for the cuts than "taking fun out of radio."

Maybe I read this incorrectly but it seems to me that if your show is getting great ratings "in its target demo" you wouldn't want to screw with it.

The only other reason that occurs to me is perhaps they are thinking of moving Goddard or Camelback into the AM slot. Or maybe someone from outside the Phx market? Nothing else makes any sense.

 

[davideduardo]

Maybe I read this incorrectly but it seems to me that if your show is getting great ratings "in its target demo" you wouldn't want to screw with it.

Ratings are not revenues. There is a recession, and PHX is one of the hardest hit of all the metros in the US.

 

[landtuna]

Ratings are not revenues. There is a recession, and PHX is one of the hardest hit of all the metros in the US.

I live here and understand rating aren't revenues but.....

Just months ago they canned several air staff then hired Steve Goddard for the late AM shift and "Kented" the evening shift. Steve is good but he can't be cheap and it hardly seems like late AM shift is a revenue biggie. I have no way of knowing how much Michaels and Bortel cost the station but I doubt they were up there with Goddard and/or Gardner.

I also don't know what their revenues are but noticed, unfortunately, the big advertisers (incredibly annoying Bell Road Toyota among them) are still running their obnoxious ads as often as ever so it seems, unless the stations are cutting the spot costs, they're still making money.

The major recession issues in Phx are real estate and the declining tax revenues - items I wouldn't expect to hit radio stations.