Leslie Gold — we know her as The Radiochick — is in for Joan Hamburg today on WOR. Over the last few years, Leslie has re-invented herself as a conservative radio presenter, and has been doing substantial fill-in work for Fox News Radio. While I can say I rarely concur with her political positions, I am nonetheless very happy she's on the air today in New York — and can say the same thing for her work on FNR. It's quite interesting to observe her transformation from her previous style of shows. And she's doing it as well as anyone could have ever expected.
-
Get involved.
We want your input!
Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.
After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.
After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/
Thanks in advance and have fun!
RadioDiscussions Administrators
Leslie Gold The Radiochick in for Joan Hamburg on WOR today
- Thread starter canessa
- Start date
How many times are they going to recycle her? She must have a great agent!
WNTIRadio said:
There's a big discusson on the dentist's board about this, wondering how a company like CC didn't have a plan when they bought the station. But personally I think it's fine. There are a lot of local radio people who deserve a shot. A few years ago, Mark Simone was one of those guys who'd done a lot of work in NYC. He got a shot at WABC, and now he's revived his career. The tough part about running a talk station today is you simply don't know what will work. A company or a PD can't force a host on an audience and expect it to click. So you work with some familiar names and some new people. It's like the Yankees, you start with some veterans, some free agents, and a few rookies, and see if they gel into a team. The weekend is a low pressure time for try-outs, and a fill-in means there's no commitment. It's just an audition.
WNTIRadio said:
You really never know. Maybe it just wasn't their time. Maybe they needed to be sent back to the minors for a while. Imus got sent to Cleveland. A lot of people would love to hear Steve Malzberg again.
They could have done the cheap and easy thing, and simply used the station to clear syndicated hosts. So far, that's not what they're doing.
Imus had already been successful in NYC when WNNNNNBC had a "change of direction" that didn't last long and was back on after his Cleveland stint.
Gold has failed, miserably, twice in NYC. Her time wasn't then and isn't now. Rocky Allen is still doing the same schtick that he did in 1993.
Putting old tires on a new car isn't going to help it. CC needs to look to what's left of the smaller markets and grab the up and coming, not the down and out.
CC also needs to decide what this station is, the "new" WOR. Is it lifestyle talk? Is it political? It just feels all over the place, with no focus or coherence between the programs on the air. A lot of the programs also have a temporary feel to them, as though CC is just coasting until the heavy hitters can be brought over from WABC. Which in fact, may be the grand plan.
Gold has failed, miserably, twice in NYC. Her time wasn't then and isn't now. Rocky Allen is still doing the same schtick that he did in 1993.
Putting old tires on a new car isn't going to help it. CC needs to look to what's left of the smaller markets and grab the up and coming, not the down and out.
CC also needs to decide what this station is, the "new" WOR. Is it lifestyle talk? Is it political? It just feels all over the place, with no focus or coherence between the programs on the air. A lot of the programs also have a temporary feel to them, as though CC is just coasting until the heavy hitters can be brought over from WABC. Which in fact, may be the grand plan.
I agree WOR is not too consistent in their programming. I enjoy John Gambling and Mark Simone. Joan Hamburg sounds like the old WOR..in the days of Arlene Francis and The Fitzgeralds. The Gambling name goes back to the 30's..with John's father and grandfather hosting the morning show.
Dave Ramsey's show is good, for the type of show it is. A two hour financial show in the middle of the day does seem to disrupt their flow. Rita Cosby seems all right, Andy Dean is a national host with a younger slant and having John and Ken from LA was a smart move. Nice alternative to Savage.
I really hope Rush and Sean don't move to WOR. Both of them are the same old same old. They've been doing the same act for years. The fact the station does bring in local people like Leslie Gold,Ron Kuby and Rocky Allen. Let WABC continue to be a syndication dumping ground. Right now WOR is a nice alternative. If the master plan is to bring Rush and Sean over, I think it's a huge mistake. Instead of moving forward, it's a big step backwards..but Clear Channel has their own agenda and I'm afraid it includes them.
Dave Ramsey's show is good, for the type of show it is. A two hour financial show in the middle of the day does seem to disrupt their flow. Rita Cosby seems all right, Andy Dean is a national host with a younger slant and having John and Ken from LA was a smart move. Nice alternative to Savage.
I really hope Rush and Sean don't move to WOR. Both of them are the same old same old. They've been doing the same act for years. The fact the station does bring in local people like Leslie Gold,Ron Kuby and Rocky Allen. Let WABC continue to be a syndication dumping ground. Right now WOR is a nice alternative. If the master plan is to bring Rush and Sean over, I think it's a huge mistake. Instead of moving forward, it's a big step backwards..but Clear Channel has their own agenda and I'm afraid it includes them.
WNTIRadio said:
I think that's a tough thing to do in NYC. Take a look what most people want when it comes to talk, and no one is calling for unknowns from Tulsa and Toledo. It's hard to start from zero in the big city. Even failed hosts bring a fan base.
WOR also put John & Jeff on. So there's your unknown talent from another market. Better?
WNTIRadio said:
You may be right. In the meantime, it's an uncharacteristic move from a big owner who is usually criticized for cutting costs and running syndication.
I got to meet Leslie cause she saw on FB I was destroyed in Sandy, and wanted to help people enjoy a night of laughs at her Gong Show. Many people in the Queens area showed up and had a wonderful time. Leslie was wonderful. I am glad I got to know her. 
Thanks L you made myself and many happy, More people we need like you!!! My Best!!!
Thanks L you made myself and many happy, More people we need like you!!! My Best!!! 
Too many stations owned by too few. It's like babysitting, voluntarily, for 200 kids.
Not enough programming to fill them all.
Nowhere near enough new talent, either.
Heck -- these radio speculators bought into this without anyone holding a gun to their heads. If they all wind up diving into the pile of available/desirable 30-40 year olds -- the only demo they really have left -- then they've been smashing head-on into that old principle : 'Diminishing returns .... It's the law.'
Harumph.
Not enough programming to fill them all.
Nowhere near enough new talent, either.
Heck -- these radio speculators bought into this without anyone holding a gun to their heads. If they all wind up diving into the pile of available/desirable 30-40 year olds -- the only demo they really have left -- then they've been smashing head-on into that old principle : 'Diminishing returns .... It's the law.'
Harumph.
Steve Green NEPA said:
The demo is the demo, regardless of the number of owners or stations. It's what advertisers are willing to pay for. They don't want to pay for anyone else. Don't blame the owners for the situation created by advertisers. You can have one station per owner, and they'll all program the same format to the same demo. Is that better?
>>>' ....The demo is the demo, regardless of the number of owners or stations. It's what advertisers are willing to pay for. They don't want to pay for anyone else. Don't blame the owners for the situation created by advertisers. You can have one station per owner, and they'll all program the same format to the same demo. Is that better? ' <<<
Essentially, that's what's being done now, Big A.
I was addressing the paucity of the farm system. If that can be traced to cracks of the advertising-money whips, so be it. But it's a separate issue. All of the erosion factors, from whatever directions and origin, contribute, of course. Yet, the parched farm system, per se, remains a problem.
I'm not familiar with Leslie Gold's show ; perhaps that's my loss. But the thread is about her return, and about the various posters with their opinions regarding how snug the fit is. There seems to be a finite number of show hosts available who are acceptable to the audience, the programmers and the advertisers -- and none of them is getting any younger. If a relatively known NYC name like Leslie Gold cannot get the job done in NYC, then Mutt & Jeff from Single-A Wichita or Richmond certainly aren't likely to, either.
The talent pool is not producing enough replacements to stock the rosters over time. And there are too many rosters to fill.
My other point was that no one held a switchblade to the throats of these big companies or eventually forced them to go into annual cutback mode. These folks knew the rules and the balances of business, media and advertising when they first entered the vocation. If there are staffing problems, that goes with the territory .... and a crucial part of that territory extends to the smaller markets where the number of younger people who desire to get into radio is dwindling.
Essentially, that's what's being done now, Big A.
I was addressing the paucity of the farm system. If that can be traced to cracks of the advertising-money whips, so be it. But it's a separate issue. All of the erosion factors, from whatever directions and origin, contribute, of course. Yet, the parched farm system, per se, remains a problem.
I'm not familiar with Leslie Gold's show ; perhaps that's my loss. But the thread is about her return, and about the various posters with their opinions regarding how snug the fit is. There seems to be a finite number of show hosts available who are acceptable to the audience, the programmers and the advertisers -- and none of them is getting any younger. If a relatively known NYC name like Leslie Gold cannot get the job done in NYC, then Mutt & Jeff from Single-A Wichita or Richmond certainly aren't likely to, either.
The talent pool is not producing enough replacements to stock the rosters over time. And there are too many rosters to fill.
My other point was that no one held a switchblade to the throats of these big companies or eventually forced them to go into annual cutback mode. These folks knew the rules and the balances of business, media and advertising when they first entered the vocation. If there are staffing problems, that goes with the territory .... and a crucial part of that territory extends to the smaller markets where the number of younger people who desire to get into radio is dwindling.
Steve Green NEPA said:
Huh? I don't see a whole lot of new on air job openings. Consider that there's only one Rush. He's been doing this show for 25 years. Lots of new people have come along doing his schtick, but after all that time, there's still only one Rush. When he goes away, or is locked into a contract with the competition, there's not much you can do. Anyone else you put on the air will be seen as second rate. So the problem isn't the farm system, but rather the audience.
The fact is that Clear Channel has no shortage of quality air talent in its "farm system." Some of those names have already been mentioned in this thread. They own some of the best and highest rated news/talk stations in the country, with KFI and WLW. And they have the technical ability to use out of market talent without forcing the them to move their family to a new market. But ANY of those hosts will be unknown in New York. They're starting from zero audience. Hard to bring credibility when no one knows or cares who you are. That's the problem with launching a new talk show in ANY market. You can be #1 in LA, but you start at the bottom in NYC. And it's not easy to get skeptical New Yorkers to like you immediately. So it's often easier to take a known name who has already worked in the market, and see what they do. There's no guarantee that person has a job. But it's worth throwing the spaghetti at the wall and see if it sticks. There's lots of time to replace them with proven stars from Cincinnati.
- Status