Judi Franco Out at WKXW

[nj_ribs]

Maybe and hopefully the short term plan at 101.5 once the mid day audience gets used to Michelle Pilenza will be to eventually dump Dennis and just call the show Middays with Michelle. When Michelle filled in alone a while back she was very good and didn't need anyone else in the studio. Dennis can't do a show alone as evident when he calls people in to the studio you can't even understand. If I was Dennis I would start looking for a new career now. The writing is on the wall and he just may not realize it yet. Michelle will be the star of that mid day show very soon and Dennis wil become more and more insignificant as time moves on. Change is good.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Let's face it, a lot of people in liberal NJ didn't like her because she wasn't an Obama supporter. And like most liberals (your "Change is good" ending gives you away), you simply cannot accept opposing views. I encourage everyone that reads your post to take that into consideration. It's very frustrating and depressing that America is sliding into a liberal socialist society and the principles our forefathers died for are going by the wayside. I'm guessing that it's extra depressing when you have to comment on it four hours a day.

 

[nj_ribs]

Hey Larry, why don't you stop holding back and tell us how you really feel about Dennis?

Seems to me Dennis was quite content to stay in Trenton. How do you know no one has tried to woo him to a bigger market to make bigger money? Newsflash: Not everyone WANTS to be on WFAN in New York or move out to Detroit. Also, like JaMa said, if they weren't making numbers, they wouldn't be there for 10 years (Dennis even longer, really).

I'm curious as to the answer to tater's question, too. I can remember being a wee lad, listening to Deminski & Doyle and Scott & Casey doing week-long sendoff shows before leaving the station, whereas Carton and Judi both were here today gone tomorrow.

Also, who moves up for middays on SoJO now? Judi was quickly erased from the 101.5 website, but SoJO's site still lists Michele for 10-3.

Larry obviously has an agenda. Either he called in and Dennis out-debated him or it's just simply his political bias. BTW, Carton is good at sports, but on 101.5 he was annoying.

 

[joshie0]

Big Jay said it right. I always enjoyed the chemistry between "Jay and Hilarie" too many years ago, and was disappointed when their partnership ended. Dennis and Judi recaptured that same dynamic...and were able to keep it up for 11 years. Of course you can't be at the top of your game for 4 hours a day, 5 days a week...but the chemistry was always there. They knew each other - and played off each other - perfectly. I will miss their partnership.

So far, no mention on the air. Think they'll address it?

 

[bwo1]

Being a new comer to listening to NJ 101.5 (online out of market) it seems to me that the station is completly different during the day than for Michelle Pilenza's 7-11P After hours show. It's strange hearing her on in the day time! Much more news topic driven in the day without being too one way or the other politically, then at night that is a show that sounds like a Top 40 morning show meets Dr. Ruth. I love that show!

I will say I listened to Michelle Jersen filling in for Michelle Pilenza over the summer and did not like her. I'll give her another shot now that she has the gig full time. NJ1015's numbers are huge and I read that the station is top 25 in billing in the country, so they must be doing something right.

 

[HarrytheK1]

So far, no mention on the air. Think they'll address it?

It would be disappointing if it wasn't mentioned. I know it's commonplace for a new personality on a radio station not to mention the person they replaced, and that's ususally on orders from management.

However, in this case, Dennis and Judi were a team for a decade or so. Dennis is a long-time broadcaster who is very good at what he does. Based on his professionalism, his long tenure on the station, and what seemed to be a close relationship with his broadcast partner, it would be glaringly apparent and kind of embarrassing if Dennis just chose to ignore Judi's "disappearance" or if the station didn't permit him to discuss it.

WFAN allowed Mike Francessa to discuss Chris "Mad Dog" Russo leaving their show. Mike even put Chris on the air.

If CBS allowed that, then certainly Millenium can allow Dennis to talk about Judi. If they don't, shame on them. If Dennis chooses on his own not to discuss it, I'd be very disapponted in him.

 

[Trishfromjersey]

It is a sad day for me. I love Dennis & Judi together or Judi alone. I think the show was the pits today. Michelle is ok, but I don't hear the same magic. I'm going back to my Serius radio in the daytime. I could really relate to Judi and her thoughts on things. She is one funny lady and I for one will miss her.

 

[LarryKerly]

Trish please don't listen to Sirius during the day now and give Michele a chance. Everyone I spoke to today said Dennis sounded lost, bored and confused. The magic you'll find now is Michele alone and maybe management will allow her to shine alone. Dennis stepped all over her and didn't let her do her thing today. Dennis is also out of touch when he said that all men are perverts, not everyman is a pervert so Dennis should speak for himself when he says that.

Pete's traffic reports were more entertaining than Dennis today. Let Pete talk more and Dennis speak less and let Michele do her magic and the show will sound better according to everyone I spoke to today at work.

 

[JaMa]

Hey Larry,

First...I want to stress that I honestly mean no offense at all. But I have to ask you. Are related in some sort to Michelle and/or Pete? They way you are so passionately defending them and begging people to like them, makes me wonder. And you once again mention all these people that you spoke to about Dennis Malloy. Who are all these people? And about Pete, he may be a fine traffic reporter. But NOBODY is going to listen to a show just because of the traffic guy. NJ 101.5 does traffic every 15 minutes, right? You're telling me that people were listening just to hear him once every 15 minutes? Wow!

 

[jennielynn90]

Can someone tell me if they ever addressed this on air? I listened for part of the day and just thought Michelle was in for Judi... not replacing her. I didn't realize until I went to the website a few minutes ago that everything has changed.

I just don't get why 101.5 didn't learn from the Craig situation... you kind of have to address the big gaint elephant in the room... especially for a team that was togther over 10 years! Every reference to Judi has been deleted on the internet. Even the Wikipedia page about their show was deleted over the weekend!

 

[bwo1]

And more interesting is no callers mentioning it on the air...screeners must be telling them not to mention it, or they'll get dumped!

 

[HarrytheK1]

The woman worked at the station for (in radio years) a long time. Her partner worked side-by-side with her for all that time.

I don't know if she was fired or resigned and I have no clue as to why that resignation or firing happened.

Regardless, this making believe she never existed is disgraceful.

Obviously, the management of Millenium are students of the way Joseph Stalin treated people after he disposed of them.

 

[roe n]

i agree, they obviously did not learn from the craig carton situation. glad he's doing so well at wfan, i listen each morning and enjoy his show. however, the afternoon show on 101.5 is now a total joke. i tune in every now and then for a few minutes and cannot believe that the station is letting this stupidity continue. as for dennis and judi, i very much enjoyed listening to them each day. i especially liked the calls with judi's dad joe. i think dennis and judi were a perfect match. they played off each other very well, and it was clear that they had a strong friendship off the air as well. i will miss judi my best wishes go out to her and her family. i do hope that the station makes some sort of announcement to the listeners.....i feel we deserve that much. as for michelle.......hmmm. i will listen a few more times and give her a chance. however, i tried the same approach with the afternoon show and after about one week gave up. she certainly was not magical today. i turned the radio off a few times, then went back hoping it would be more interesting and it wasn't. i guess being a judi fan it's going to be hard to get someone to measure up. oh well.

 

[BillyP297]

I'm sure Dennis is as heartbroken as we are. I'm still in shock. I agree with Harry's comments that maybe Judi's sudden absence was not mentioned this morning out of respect for Mr. Malloy's new co-host, as well as for the obvious professional reasons. Dennis did not walk all over Michelle's words today, he just tried to make her feel comfortable, and did a great job in doing so.
As I wrote earlier to Stephen Trotte, "Michelle entered her first day of collaboration with Dennis Malloy with grace..all while being subtle, soft-spoken and expressing utmost respect for the over-decade long legacy of the Dennis and Judi Show. I was highly impressed and she deserves a fair chance.
I love Judi and will seek her return at 101.5 or anywhere else she decides to broadcast from. She has incredible radio personality talents, taught me that to say that "I Love You" to all is a beautiful thing. She will be just fine.

 

[sofa king ridiculous]

Well...it looks as though this 'Jerry' guy is one of the callers that Dennis blasted on air last summer. If I remember correctly, Dennis really tore him a 'new one.' I guess Jerry has carried that anger at being humiliated all this time and is using it to make these childish posts. Dennis really must have embarrassed Jerry in front of his friends. It's really sad to see an adult with such poor self-esteem. I feel bad laughing at Jerry's posts-just as I would at a retarded person. Hang in there Jerry-time heals all wounds.

 

[sofa king ridiculous]

ooops...should have been Larry, not Jerry

 

[RR144]

I've been listening to 101.5 for 13 years, I remember when Dennis was flying solo, then Judi came aboard. I agree with most of you, that they were a great team, and loved each other dearly. This was no online friendship. I began to suspect Judi was leaving, it was the same sign I got when Craig Carton left. 101.5 seems to have a policy, when one of their radio personalities leave, they act as if nothing happened. During the Jersey Guy's show, they ran a promo, using soundbites from todays shows, and then the announcer said "Dennis and Michelle, weekdays from 10 to 2". I began yelling "where's Judi???"

As a Letter Carrier who walks all day, I have 101.5 on and listen Jim Gearhart, Dennis and Judi and then the Jersey Guys. The station is on in my head (ipod) from 8:00 am to 5:30 pm.

I will miss Judi Franco, I called in regularly and got to talk to both of them. Where she is and whatever she does, I wish her success and good health.

Here's to you "Dennis and Judi", you kept me company for 10 years.

Michelle P is much younger than Dennis, so I don't know if they'll have the same chemistry, but I wish them well!

RR

 

[wtmuradio]

Let's face reality the Dennis and Judi show was stale and they sounded bored lately. The suggestion that Dennis stay alone would be a bad move since Dennis sounds even worse alone. How many times can you listen to Dennis say to Judi you look great today and I like your backside ? Dennis sounded like a middle aged pervert when he would say that.

Dennis seems to have a backside fixation saying he was late to work the other day because Beyonce was on TV. Late for work because he wants to see Beyonce's butt on TV ? Sounds like he's burn't out or is not hip enough to know he can watch Beyonce a million times over whenever he wants to on you tube.

That late statement is a clear indicator that he's bored and just cashing a paycheck. When he's alone he calls people into the studio who clearly shouldn't be on the radio just to waste time. He had a guy on the other day that you could hardly understand. Change is good and this change was a long time coming. I wish Judi good luck and if she's talented she'll get something quickly, if not she'll realize she was nothing special and the parade has just passed her by. Time will tell.

You know its Amazes me that people can be such experts on radio .

 

[scaryskiernewjersey]

I do remember when Craig left last year, Eric Johnson coming on the air a couple of times and announcing that he left "to tackle other interests" or something of that nature and that it was a mutual parting. Judi has been here three times as long as Craig and deserves at least that. I am sure whatever they say, we will still wonder WHAT really happened and will not be satisfied with message. They left us hanging when Mary Walter left and in came Roberta to fill in and then they had some bogus contest, that the contest winner didn't even stay in for any length of time.

I just hope Judi left on her own accord. Maybe she was bored and in a rut anf felt a need to change. I hope everyone is healthy in the Franco household and Judi is enjoying her time off. I will miss her dad. He was really funny.

 

[jsun630]

I've been listening to Dennis and Judy for the past ten years, and I'm really going to miss hearing the two of them together. Sure sometimes they would talk about nothing, or take 45 minutes to get to the hourly topic, and I guess to some people that made the show stale or boring, but I thought it was great.. I couldn't even tell you how many times I'd find myself cracking up in my car while listening to them talk about everyday nonsense. A lot has changed over the past ten years, but it was always nice to know I could listen to Dennis and Judy during the day. I wish Judy all the best, and I also wish Dennis and Michele the best with the new show. Change is tough, but hopefully I'll come to enjoy the new show as much as I enjoyed Dennis and Judy. Btw, I listened to the show this morning, and Dennis did spend about a minute confirming on air that Judy has left. I noticed a little later that he made a sarcastic jab towards management about them showing up at 5am to prep for the show now. Maybe that was a deal breaker for Judy, being that she still has young children at home to get up and out of the house in the morning. In any case, it would have been nice to of had some kind of a send off show.. 10+ years should qualify you for that

 

[formerjerseyan]

+1 to what the above poster said.

As my username implies, I lived in NJ all my life and moved to NC a few years ago. Thankfully I was able to listen to Dennis and Judi online or I would have missed them terribly.

I also listened to them for the past 10 years or so and they were part of my day. My business sometimes takes me back to NJ and it was always nice to be able to tune the rental car radio to 101.5 and listen to them live - I looked forward to it. Again, at least I could listen to them online, I would tune in at 10:00 and out at 2:00. I was never a fan of Gearhart or the Jersey Guys, that is an understatement for the latter. Could not stand those guys, with or without Carton.

I am done with 101.5 without Judi. Will they miss me? I dunno....

I love Judi Franco. I love her voice, made for radio - so hot. I love her laugh, especially when Dennis would slay her with a bit and she would be laughing so hard she could hardly talk. I'll miss the love those two obviously have for each other, both as an on-air team and as friends in real life.

I agreed with Judi on most of her positions on the topics they discussed. I especially love the way she loves men. That is a rare commodity nowadays where it's PC to bash men - especially white men. She loves everything about men and makes no apologies for it. I love how she loves her friends and family, her father (and Dennis' impression of him) were great.

I do not like Michele Pilenza, never liked her (nor the other Michelle, nor Mary Walter, Roberta Gale ,Tommy G. or any of their other hosts in the 7:00 p.m. and later hours or their replacements) regardless what hour they put Michele P. on or when they'd put her in with Dennis from time to time when Judi was out. They have been trying to push the Michelle P. and Dennis pairing for a while now, IMO....I don't buy their 'chemistry'. God bless Michelle Pilenza's little heart but she's no Judi Franco, never will be IMHO. She will not be able to develop the kind of magic that Judi had with Dennis.

FWIW I never liked Dennis alone, either.

I called in and spoke to them a few times, I met them both at one of their diner tours. I've been to a lot of States in this Country, listened to a lot of radio in a lot of towns, and Judi was my favorite anywhere - bar none.

Good luck to you, Judi - whatever you choose to do next. You're the best and I for one will miss you horribly. :'(