So we've got Thunder making the move to 106.3 & 106.5, and the return of B98.5 on the horizon.
What we can gather from this whole situation is that Press Communications made Matt Knight the fall guy for Hit 106's weak performance. Truth is, you could have brought in someone from one of the top 5 markets in the country to program a Top 40 format here, and it wouldn't have made a difference. The market is oversaturated with stations of this ilk. Hit 106 just couldn't compete with Z100 or 94.3 The Point, nor did it have the promotional and financial muscle of 92.3 Now, and that's what led to its demise.
For his part, Matt did all that he could. He went above and beyond the call of duty, just as he did with G Rock and B98.5 during his time at those stations. He was a consummate professional and it always showed in his work. But it was an uphill battle given the fact that the Top 40 audience was very well served (and that there were a lot of angry G Rock fans who avoided Hit 106 like the plague). Terminating him was a terrible move, but not surprising - from cleaning house shortly after taking over WBBO in '04, to the genius decision of the GM at the time to replace popular morning show hosts Brian Phillips & Jen Ursillo with his friend Kramer, to what we have just seen (others apparently have been let go), Press has a track record of very impulsive decisions regarding every frequency they own with the exception of The Breeze stations.
So it looks like they're going to relaunch B98.5 - WITHOUT any of the personalities that people enjoyed hearing. Let's call it what it is: an anonymous, faceless Top 40 station. I'd bet against it having any alternative rock slant, since those who were programming the station at the time (Matt Knight & Race, now over at 105.7 The Hawk) will have nothing to do with it. From what I do know about this station, it's going to be a disaster. I expect it to be heavy on the bubblegum pop that's on the charts right now, without any of the decent tracks from back in the day (i.e. Snoop Dogg & Ini Kamoze). And it looks as though the abysmal morning show team of Pork Roll & Eggs are going to be retained at the new station as well.
Of course, there's definitely a major void in the market with a lack of alternative rock on FM radio, and G Rock should have been brought back. However, with the strong shares that Thunder was getting on its Ocean County signal, I can't fault Press for trying to build on its ratings by reaching out to Monmouth County as well. But this new B98.5 is an absolute farce. I predict it gets a 1 or less, with the unnecessary format, the lack of familiar personalities (let's face it: the rapport at B98.5 between the jocks and their audience made it something more than your typical hit outlet), and the aforementioned bad joke of a morning show.
It's a major loss for local radio the way Matt was dismissed. He deserved far better for his efforts. He was dealt a tough hand and did the best he could with it, and I don't think some person from out of the market is suddenly going to make B98.5 succeed where Hit 106 failed. I definitely think we'll see Matt turn up somewhere in the market, as many stations could benefit from his talent. If they haven't done it already, Millennium Radio should definitely try to contact him - he would be a great fit for Shore Alternative and The Hawk (which would then have 3 ex-B98.5 personalities - that would be 3 more than the new B98.5 is going to have). Whatever happens, Matt, we wish you well and we're confident that you'll be back on the radio very soon. All the best to you.
What we can gather from this whole situation is that Press Communications made Matt Knight the fall guy for Hit 106's weak performance. Truth is, you could have brought in someone from one of the top 5 markets in the country to program a Top 40 format here, and it wouldn't have made a difference. The market is oversaturated with stations of this ilk. Hit 106 just couldn't compete with Z100 or 94.3 The Point, nor did it have the promotional and financial muscle of 92.3 Now, and that's what led to its demise.
For his part, Matt did all that he could. He went above and beyond the call of duty, just as he did with G Rock and B98.5 during his time at those stations. He was a consummate professional and it always showed in his work. But it was an uphill battle given the fact that the Top 40 audience was very well served (and that there were a lot of angry G Rock fans who avoided Hit 106 like the plague). Terminating him was a terrible move, but not surprising - from cleaning house shortly after taking over WBBO in '04, to the genius decision of the GM at the time to replace popular morning show hosts Brian Phillips & Jen Ursillo with his friend Kramer, to what we have just seen (others apparently have been let go), Press has a track record of very impulsive decisions regarding every frequency they own with the exception of The Breeze stations.
So it looks like they're going to relaunch B98.5 - WITHOUT any of the personalities that people enjoyed hearing. Let's call it what it is: an anonymous, faceless Top 40 station. I'd bet against it having any alternative rock slant, since those who were programming the station at the time (Matt Knight & Race, now over at 105.7 The Hawk) will have nothing to do with it. From what I do know about this station, it's going to be a disaster. I expect it to be heavy on the bubblegum pop that's on the charts right now, without any of the decent tracks from back in the day (i.e. Snoop Dogg & Ini Kamoze). And it looks as though the abysmal morning show team of Pork Roll & Eggs are going to be retained at the new station as well.
Of course, there's definitely a major void in the market with a lack of alternative rock on FM radio, and G Rock should have been brought back. However, with the strong shares that Thunder was getting on its Ocean County signal, I can't fault Press for trying to build on its ratings by reaching out to Monmouth County as well. But this new B98.5 is an absolute farce. I predict it gets a 1 or less, with the unnecessary format, the lack of familiar personalities (let's face it: the rapport at B98.5 between the jocks and their audience made it something more than your typical hit outlet), and the aforementioned bad joke of a morning show.
It's a major loss for local radio the way Matt was dismissed. He deserved far better for his efforts. He was dealt a tough hand and did the best he could with it, and I don't think some person from out of the market is suddenly going to make B98.5 succeed where Hit 106 failed. I definitely think we'll see Matt turn up somewhere in the market, as many stations could benefit from his talent. If they haven't done it already, Millennium Radio should definitely try to contact him - he would be a great fit for Shore Alternative and The Hawk (which would then have 3 ex-B98.5 personalities - that would be 3 more than the new B98.5 is going to have). Whatever happens, Matt, we wish you well and we're confident that you'll be back on the radio very soon. All the best to you.
