Jeff Roper

[pokerface]

BTW, in my opinion, Jeff should've stuck with mornings and left programming for the less talented types (like me).

I've worked with a few big morning shows, and I absolutely believe Roper had the goods to be in the same league with Kraddick, Jeff & Jer, etc. , but there's no way you can do that kind of morning show and program, too. Over time, the work, grief and drama of programming wear you down, and the morning show turns into an airshift.

Doing a morning show right is a full time job.

 

[Ssummers]

BTW, in my opinion, Jeff should've stuck with mornings and left programming for the less talented types (like me). That was his intention at New 92. And I agree, but I have to say, it would have been better for New 92 and it's performance all the way around if he'd been the PD from the gitgo.



I've worked with a few big morning shows, and I absolutely believe Roper had the goods to be in the same league with Kraddick, Jeff & Jer, etc. , but there's no way you can do that kind of morning show and program, too. Over time, the work, grief and drama of programming wear you down, and the morning show turns into an airshift. Again, I agree, but my statement was geared towards the overall success of the radio station, so I still have to say, New 92's debut and ultimate performance in Columbia would have been much more successful with Roper as the PD....for many of the same reasons you and I know Jeff is a superior air talent.

Doing a morning show right is a full time job. No argument from me there.

 

[lowcountryraydio]

According to this article:

http://pubsys.charlotteobserver.com/345/story/698361.html

Jeff is doing mornings for Miller's Star 105.1 WGFG in Orangeburg. Is this syndicated from the sat-delivered show, or a real morning gig...?

Also, earlier in this thread someone mentioned Roper working in a "Major Market". I was not aware that he worked in a major. Where did he work?

 

[RobynWattsV2.0]

lowcountryraydio,

Jeff had worked at WSOC-FM in Charlotte (then #37, now #25) from 2000 to around 2004. While at WSOC he was sued by his then-cohost Carrie Ann Boggess for harrasment and battery charges.

Robyn

 

[lowcountryraydio]

Thanks- I was aware of all that, though. If that's it, though, then he's never worked in a "major market". Not even close.

 

[pokerface]

Thanks- I was aware of all that, though. If that's it, though, then he's never worked in a "major market". Not even close.

Well, i've worked in Baltimore, Dallas, and Atlanta. and, in my professional opinion, Roper would've done well in any of them.

Second, market population is not necessarily and indicator of "major market" radio. When I went to Batlimore, for example, I first worked at a rooty-tooty little radio station that couldn't match the resources, professionalism, and execution of WNOK, much less the competition in Baltimore. It was definitely not "Major Market". Detroit is another example. A top ten market that is the absolute pitts.

Charlotte's revenue has always outpaced it's population; radio there has always been better in general than markets of similar size. If there was any music radio station in the market that did "Big Time Radio", it was WSOC. So, in my opinion, someone who has actually worked in a number of "Major Markets", Jeff Roper absolutely is (or, at least, was) Major Market talent.

 

[pokerface]

Edit: I really don't want to get into any arguments, and I'm not interested in dredging up the past, but that mention of CA's lawsuit just makes my blood boil. I know people who worked in that building at the time these events supposedly occurred, I know other programmers in the cluster, I know people who were at the top of the programming food chain at CBS (then Infinity). Everyone knew it was bogus, and Roper was thrown to the dogs. It ruined his reputation and killed his career. All because a disgruntled employee got turned down for a raise, and decided to play the gender card.

Now people that don't know him, barely know him, or know him, but have an agenda, sit here on internet forums and trash him anonymously. It's absolute garbage.

Lowcountry, I'm not accusing you of that, this is a response in general to all of the things I've seen on here.

Years ago, I was sitting with a group of programmers (some of my closest friends in the business) at a dinner at a convention. During the dinner, a programmer who'd arrived late and been seated at our table began telling horror stories about a program director he "knew". During the course of the conversation, he professed to know this programmer well, to have worked with him in several markets, and went on to go into great detail concerning this programmer's history of taking payola, stealing, assaulting employees, etc. At the end of the dinner, as we were getting up to leave, John Ivey introduced us. He was a little suprised, as the programmer he'd been badmouthing for the past several hours was me. This particular programmer had interviewed for the job at KHKS/Dallas and not gotten it. I did, and that was the only reason for his vehemence.

When you sit on an internet forum and see some anonymous keyboard ninja hiding behind a screen name taking shots at someone, remember that story. There are a lot of envious, vindictive people in this world, and virtually all of them have their own agendas.

The one thing you can believe in an internet forum is me when I tell you Scott Summers has a HUGE uvula.

Anything else .... take it with a grain of salt.

 

[Ssummers]

There are a lot of envious, vindictive people in this world, and virtually all of them have their own agendas.

The one thing you can believe in an internet forum is me when I tell you Scott Summers has a HUGE uvula.

Anything else .... take it with a grain of salt.

Gee, Sean. The "agenda" statement was true enough to bolster your credibility...but to vouch for my uvula dimensions, well, your cred just went thru the roof. ;D

 

[lowcountryraydio]

Whoa !... I have nothing but respect for Jeff... he's done great things.

Someone said he'd worked in a major market- I just wanted to see why since, award-winner/great radio guy that he is, he hasn't worked in one. I have always understood "Major Market" as a specific term, not just a way of looking at things (no offense to pokerface). To my understanding,in standard industry terminology, Charlotte is what is known as a "Large Market".

To reiterate, I was not disparaging Jeff at all, nor supporting those who do.

I, for instance, have never worked in a "Major Market". Not a thing wrong with it. Some of the best I've known were Medium and Small Market for life, and I've known some real losers in the Majors.

Does anyone know the answer to my original question, whether his Orangeburg gig is satellite-delivered, or an actual AM show?

 

[Lhsh]

The Orangeburg show is satellite delivered. If I am not badly mistaken, he broadcasts from Greenwood where his wife is the owner of Big Fish Communications.

 

[Paul_Warren]

I'm not sure if WMYI/Greenville was Jeff's first radio gig, but I think so. He'd approach a night or weekend shift like it was a big-time morning show. It was a priviledge to work with someone as motivated and personable as he was.

 

[dw0508]

Thanks- I was aware of all that, though. If that's it, though, then he's never worked in a "major market". Not even close.

Honestly, having grown up in the Upsate area near Charlotte and familiar with WSOC, they are upper mid-level market at best.

If you've not worked in the LA, Phoenix, Dallas-Ft Worth, SA, or Houston areas in that format, for example, you really cannot honestly consider yourself a major market. Those areas are the live-and-die major markets.

Btw, I've never heard but decent things said about Roper

 

[freqdev]

If you've not worked in the LA, Phoenix, Dallas-Ft Worth, SA, or Houston areas in that format, for example, you really cannot honestly consider yourself a major market. Those areas are the live-and-die major markets.

I think I might be sick. I've heard radio in those markets and was not impressed. Major market is crap. If you open a mic..... or program music.... or write liners....or develope great promotions, that's your market and it should be major to you. "Live and Die"........Hello? Every market competes for ratings and $$. It's what comes out of the speakers that matters to us, not the population of the city you live in. LA, Phoenix.....puhleeze!

 

[Gatekeeper007]

Freqdev well said.

 

[Ssummers]

I think I might be sick. I've heard radio in those markets and was not impressed.

I have to agree for the most part. This may ruffle some feathers, but with a few exceptions, most personalities that get to the majors do what they have to do to stay there. They stop reaching, striving and creating as much as they did when they were on their way up. A lot can be said for having a job where you "do your 4 and hit the door" and a ton of people that have that job in a major want to keep it that way. The exceptions I mentioned are the ones that aren't afraid to take chances and keep reaching upward.

You couple that "trying not to lose instead of trying to win" mentality with the "cookie cutter" corporate programming philosophy that is prevalent these days and you do get mediocre-at-best major market radio.

 

[jtudor]

I met Jeff as a kid, while i was working with his father, Jack at a daytimer in Marion NC. So I don't have any personal knowledge of working with him, but if he is anything like his dad, he is a great guy, with an outgoing personality, someone who is fun to be around and can brighten up any dark day.

I never believed the trash that cost him the gig at WSOC, and I know he was missed by listeners and others in the area after he was thrown under the bus. I wish Jeff all the best in his endeavors.

On an aside, Jack did the morning show and sold advertising the rest of the day, he entertained his clients with magic tricks, cheesy but it worked, very few days passed that UPS didn't deliver a box from some magic supply company to Jack. He was a pen kleptomaniac though, he would come into the control room to add something to the log and use my pen, and put it in his pocket. When he got to his desk, he would put it in the middle drawer, so anytime any of us were missing a pen we just went to Jack's desk and there it was.

Then there was one beautiful sunny day that Jack walked in the front door at the station, while I was talking to the girls in the front office. He walked over to me, put his arm around my shoulder and declared "this is just such a beautiful day, the sun is shining, and I just feel good about the whole world. Days like this just make you want to go out and fornicate!" I almost rolled on the floor from laughing. Pure Jack Roper, and I have no doubt that Jeff is very much like that.

 

[CrazeeCarroll1]

Jeff did afternoons at WORD in the late 80's as well as WKDY!!! Wow hard to imagine it has been 20 years since me and Jeff had Public Speaking class together at Spartanburg HS oh yeah and a few other classes LOL!!! man I feel old now hee hee ;D CC1

 

[Buggin Out]

The one time I met him he was kind of a jerk. But he could've been having a bad day.

 

[hamNcheese]

If you've not worked in the LA, Phoenix, Dallas-Ft Worth, SA, or Houston areas in that format, for example, you really cannot honestly consider yourself a major market. Those areas are the live-and-die major markets.

I think I might be sick. I've heard radio in those markets and was not impressed. Major market is crap. If you open a mic..... or program music.... or write liners....or develope great promotions, that's your market and it should be major to you. "Live and Die"........Hello? Every market competes for ratings and $$. It's what comes out of the speakers that matters to us, not the population of the city you live in. LA, Phoenix.....puhleeze!

Ummm....Ive lived and worked in a couple of Major markets. When the radio is great there, its great. Just like any other market, when its a sh!t product, it sux.

I ll referr to rock radio because thats kinda my bag...in LA you have Indie 103, KROQ, 987 and now somthing called 'the sound' nothing here in my town here in SC can compare to these stations. to think so only compromises your argument. Its not fair to compare the stations here to them for a number of reasons that would be redundant if I covered them. If your in radio, you will know exactly what I am talking about, and it basically comes down to ratings, $$, and budgets.

 

[Lhsh]

I am not in radio and more than likely will never be, but I know what sounds good and what doesn't. I have heard major market stations and frankly many of them suck. I would rather have a really good local station and you are right, ratings are ratings whether they are in Columbia, SC or in Dallas, TX.