Jackie and Bender Sign Multi-year deal

[iamrightuarewrong]

Not all news is bad for talent. Word is Jackie and Bender have signed a multi-year seven figure deal. Clear Channel had lots of cash left over from the T-Man leaving and rewarded J@B for their strong success in the PPM 18-34. There may be syndication involved too, the show would kick it in Portland and SF. A proven winner!!! The two got bashed on this board but are having the last laugh as they make bank. Word is the deal makes them the second richest morning show in town behind Bob Rivers on KZOK. T-Man is gone, K@A are phoning it in, Country and AM radio is a non-factor and KZOK mornigns rank 13th. J@B are clearly the morning show of the future in Seattle. Clear Channel recognized it and paid up!!! Bet they are glad they stole them from CBS Bender is the brains, Jackie the looks and voice. The show deserves props and damn nice to see talent that figured out how to make the PPM sing!!!

 

[SeattleRadioPro]

T-Man is gone, K@A are phoning it in, Country and AM radio is a non-factor and KZOK mornigns rank 13th. J@B are clearly the morning show of the future in Seattle.

If this statement is true, shut off the transmitters & turn in the licenses - 'cause the "future" has no "future".

Once again, the R-I Seattle board delivers maximum laughs. Keep up the good work!

 

[TakeItFromMe]

Rumor has it that Fitz now has a big ole deal in the works and the cowboy could also syndicate to Portland depending on how the ole WOLF morning show does there Seems J@B and Fitz are the big ole winners in the PPM rodeo. Mornings at KUBE, JAZZ and DA MOUNTAIN have been replaced. One has to think contracts will not be renewed at COMPASS and KZOK since both morning shows ar in the PPM toilet. K@A are the last of the aging cowboys still hangin on but ya got to think their days are numbered. Heard they were forced to takee a big ole salary cut to help prop up the dead AM stations at Fisher. More changes a comin. Kudos to FITZ and JACKIE AND BENDER for winning the PPM lottery. Like it or not they are da future and the future is here now

 

[Seattleradiodude]

Something sounds very fisher here, if this is true Clear Channel Seattle is truly run by a bunch of idiots.
We're only 4 months into PPM and they make major investments like this? Too quick, the MOST the that the metered panelists could have turned over since PPM has been introduced is 40%

The show would kick it in Portland and SF. A proven winner!!!

... and beat The Playhouse? HA! Keep Dreaming, J&B take many of their "stunt" bits from PK's show.
The Playhouse is king in PDX. J&B will be crushed if they even attempt that market.

The show deserves props and damn nice to see talent that figured out how to make the PPM sing!!!

They haven’t figured out anything as far as their content, the only thing carrying that show is the music they play in the morning. Done Deal

While I may sound negative about Jackie and Bender, im not!
Congrats on the contract if this is true! Good job! Surviving an ownership change and a ratings system change!

The morning show at KUBE is going to TANK hardcore. The name has been changed 3 times now. Great job guys!

 

[radioprofessor]

I may be able to shed some light here. Jackie and Bender are a work in progress in my view but I have it on good authority that their contract was renewed. I do not know the exact figure or length of the renewal. I do know that they are not at this time one of the Clear Channel premium choice syndicated morning products like Seacrest, Valentine, Kidd Kraddick, John, Jay and Rich and others. That does not mean they won't join the list since Clear Channel is committed to syndication to spread the cost of talent. Mr. Bender may be hyping himself a bit on this board but other talent have been known to do the same just for fun. As for Entercom I find it highly unlikely they will syndicate the Fitz show into Portland. Entercom has two night time syndicated products but at this time syndicates no morning shows to the best of my knowledge. I do not know the length remaining on contracts for the KMPS, KZOK and KPLZ morning shows but in this economy they can all expect to take a severe pay cut. Station revenues are off 33% in the last two years. It is a parameter that forces most shows to take 30-40% pay cuts or face retirement. This may be why the T-Man and the KMTT morning shows were not renewed in my humble view.

 

[iamrightuarewrong]

This board is not able to feel good for anyone who does well. Come on! J@B have been here a long time and deserve the money and contract. Four months info the PPM is a pretty good validation almost like a four book in the diary since the PPM remains pretty stable. Have any of you actually listened to their show or you just like to comment on it? It has changed much since the arrival of PPM and they are getting not good but great numbers. I have read slams on them for years on this board and same for Fitz. Now these shows have not only survived but are getting new contracts for more money.

Seems this board would just rather talk about the bad news instead of the good news. Robin and whomever are gone, the older shows on KZOK, KPLZ, KMPS, KMTT, KWJZ had their day. At one time these people replaced a group of older talent in Seattle and so it goes. This is what makes radio work, it changes with the times both musically and with talent. 15-20 years from now a new group of talent will replace J@B and Fitz and so it goes. This does not diminish the work of those who have retired or are in their last years, but rather it points to an industry that can change and move on. The PPM is just hurrying the transition with real numbers not diary numbers that held on to heritage and the past more than it should. Shows that live on their heritage have no place in the PPM world and radio will remain vital and strong.

 

[AQH]

Mr. Bender may be hyping himself a bit on this board but other talent have been known to do the same just for fun.

Ya think?!

 

[RealityBites]

LOL!!!!

If this is true, this is EXACTLY what is wrong with todays radio. J & B were total also rans for years when they had competition.
Now the competition is gone and they sign a deal. It tells you exactly how radio is going. I also bet they were offered way less than you think.
We are talking Clear Channel folks. Have you ever worked for them? Then you know how they operate. But hey 5 bucks is five bucks.
And get real about syndication. You have to have talent that extends beyond your four walls to do that. That is not going to happen. That is actually funny.
I will say that J & B do a fantastic job with Childrens Hospital, but get real okay?

The fact is real radio can't afford real talent. So you get J & B. Thanks but no thanks. I'll choose anything else....

 

[Mamaknowsbreast]

I don't think I've come across a post that I agree with as much as this. Anyone that has posted on here about how great J&B are apparently haven't listened to other big market CHR shows around the country. These guys don't even come close in the way of talent compared to other shows.

And yes RealityBites hit it right on the head....in most cases radio can't afford good talent. Steve Slaton, T-man, Mike West, Marty Reimer, Andy Savage, Jodi Brothers, Jim Keller, Robin & Maynard, Dick Rosetti etc all on the beach??? Yet we have folks like the Ladies Room, a guy named Door Mat at Kiss, Harms still around at the End? I mean c'mon lets be serious. Why is Harms still around? The guy knows his music, but please fill me in on one creative thing he has done in all his years at the End?

Radio is a joke nowadays.

LOL!!!!

If this is true, this is EXACTLY what is wrong with todays radio. J & B were total also rans for years when they had competition.
Now the competition is gone and they sign a deal. It tells you exactly how radio is going. I also bet they were offered way less than you think.
We are talking Clear Channel folks. Have you ever worked for them? Then you know how they operate. But hey 5 bucks is five bucks.
And get real about syndication. You have to have talent that extends beyond your four walls to do that. That is not going to happen. That is actually funny.
I will say that J & B do a fantastic job with Childrens Hospital, but get real okay?

The fact is real radio can't afford real talent. So you get J & B. Thanks but no thanks. I'll choose anything else....

I

 

[dlm1129]

My wife and I are on the hunt for a new morning show to wake up to now that our favorite team of Marty & Jodi at The Mountain got blown out. It's going to be quite a struggle. We started this morning with Jackie & Bender, figuring it's a male/female team and there was a chance they'd have a similar type of banter. We gave them the full hour from 6 to 7 and then had to tune out for good. Jackie's rapid-fire delivery was driving us nuts and their comparisons of blouse sizes (or something inane like that) was just not of interest. Would have been better to tell us what they did over the weekend or give us some pop culture news. That could fail too if not done properly but at least it would stand a better chance.

We've landed on KEXP for now. I miss the humor of M&J but at least we've got some challenging music to listen to and John Richards has a good delivery. I don't know where we'll end up but we do know The Mountain is not on the list of potentials and Jackie & Bender failed the first replacement test.

 

[jupiter2]

Well, always good for a few chuckles and fewer facts, this board is.

Jackie and Bender are deserving, and treated well by PPM. Congrats to them, they have worked long and hard. The family friendly show wins out over the edgy pro with a great brand and long track record, largely because the audience he had is leaving radio.

PPM may be no more accurate than diaries, just inaccurate in different ways, with smaller samples, and measuring exposure not popularity. A case could be made that this will be bad for the Industry and advertisers in the long run, as cheap programming is rewarded, and then quickly replaced by emerging Internet choices that will offer far more programs on unlimited channels, with way fewer or no commercials. This PPM service also is a boon to ad agencies, giving them leverage to cut spot prices drastically. Cheaper programming: Lower Ad Rates. Not good.

Interesting that about 90% of PPM numbers posted here are individual weeks or even months. They should be taken with a grain of salt. I would suggest that a 3 month rolling average is even less reliable due to the small sample than the old diary system, though fans of PPM point to consistency as proof of accuracy.

That said, the trend is music intensive shows, less expensive music jukeboxes. Cheaper programming, no investment in the future, and declining revenue.

 

[iamrightuarewrong]

Nice backhanded compliment Jupiter 2. You congratulate the KISS morning show on one hand and then say only music intensive shows work. Have you ever listened? KBKS is all about content and relating to their audience. For the record the PPM is good for revenue with cume numbers that are twice diary!!! That means a bigger audience for advertisers. Clear Channel is loving it with KBKS, KJR-FM and KJR-AM all doing better in the PPM in revenue and ratings. Only KUBE took a hit and that issue has been fixed with a new morning and night show that attacks MOVIN and hits a broader audience. To win in PPM you have to broaden your audience. J@B grabbed 18-34 but also grew 25-44 to get the money demo. The average age of a KBKS listener is 28, WOLF and JACK is 38, STAR is 42 and WARM is 52, KJR is 50, KZOK is 53. WARM, KZOK and KJR-F may get big numbers but they are old old old and advertisers don't want them. PPM means more money, not less to radio, but you need to target the right demo. Look at one week, look at four months the numbers tell the story in ratings and revenue.

 

[RealityBites]

"Me thinks thou doth protest too much..."

Quoting Mr. Shakespeare on this board doesn't happen often, but is fitting in this case.

I mean c'mon and get serious. The only reason J&B are doing okay is the competition is gone and they signed a deal to keep their jobs.
I'm happy they were able to do that as they have a family and the thought of relocating with small kids isn't pretty in todays radio world.
I'd think they'd be happy to still have a job period. The fact they were good enough to keep their job is the real story and should be the end of it.
Their ratings are okay for today. That is not enough to champion this email thread or make it believable.

To take it any further is simply ludicrous. Please look at all the legends of Seattle radio that are on the beach. It is a money issue, not that J&B are that talented and hey guess what? They are the ones left standing after the fall...good for them. But please stop with the over embellishing of how good they are. They are average at best. Everyone knows that. I'm happy for them, but they still are an average show and nothing will change that. If you want to continue to scream how great they are iamrightandyouarewrong, re-read my first line of this post.

Yesterday I listened to Dick Stein (sp?) from NPR/PLU and boy he was great, refreshing, informed and made me laugh about the local weather.
It wasn't a dog and pony show. It wasn't him 'trying to be' anything. It reminded me there is still great radio if you look for it. Unfortunately corporate radio cannot financially give that to listeners right now.

Here's the bottom line. Be happy with what you have and shut up. Earn it the rest of the way. You can't earn respect via the attrition of others.

 

[jupiter2]

IAMRIGHTYOUAREWRONG

Nice backhanded compliment Jupiter 2. You congratulate the KISS morning show on one hand and then say only music intensive shows work.

The compliment for J&B was genuine. They have a family friendly show and they have worked hard. Their show is more PPM friendly than T-man, and his leaving has nothing to do with their success.

Never said that "only" music shows work. Don't put words in my mouse. AC works, family friendly personality music shows, even Sports. But the biggest changes involve the decline of talk and the rise of music intensive jukeboxes like KJR FM and Jack.

Ok so you are a Homie promoting your CC mates, I get it. Business is still off significantly, and while the PPM shows larger Cume, there is across the board dramatically lower TSL. Ask some of the agency boys on this board they will tell you the billing and spot rate have suffered.

The average age of a KBKS listener is 28, WOLF and JACK is 38, STAR is 42 and WARM is 52, KJR is 50, KZOK is 53. WARM, KZOK and KJR-F may get big numbers but they are old old old and advertisers don't want them.

Hmm, so advertisers don't want baby boomers anymore? Big news, you must know. I will check, but I believe those average age numbers are completely false. Can anybody with knowledge out there confirm? If anyone is buying that 28 year olds are loving their Radios more than ever before, then it won't be long before a fully rejuvinated radio industry starts hiring the talented entertainers of tomorrow.

Oh Goodie!

 

[djdan]

The five month rolling average: April, May, June, July, August shows a virtual tie 25-54 with KJAQ, KJR-FM, KRWM, KPLZ and KZOK. KBKS is number one 18-34 and in the summer books looks good 25-54 especially in the last few weeks of summer just released. If you took a "median" age the numbers below are correct, but no one buys radio that way. Top billing stations in the market last month were KZOK, KMPS, KIRO-FM, KRWM, and KPLZ. Seems many advertisers are waiting to see if the PPM is real or not. Of the top billing stations KPLZ is the youngest. The KBKS morning show has performed very well in the PPM compared to the diary winning 18-34 and is top ten 25-54. The show is top three 25-54 women behind KRWM and KPLZ. Winning the PPM does not necessarily translate to billing. Younger stations have a tougher time that stations that aim at adults 25-54, in general.

 

[jupiter2]

djdan,

You are one of those who can be counted on to post with some integrity.