Magic 106.7 PD Don Kelley Shown The Door

[rockcaptain]

Surprised this wasn't posted yet. After 22 years, Magic 106.7 parts way with VP/Director of Programming Don Kelley.

http://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/103134/don-kelley-exits-greater-media-boston

 

[Domino Rippy]

Question how soon will Don be over at ODS and Mix ? Will CBS Pony up the money?

 

[ssetta]

Uh-oh... I'm afraid this means that the least-changed station in Boston is going to be making some changes. Why would they fire him? And now I wonder how long the legendary David Allen Boucher will last. Though one change I hope they make is that they'll fix their horribly edited versions of songs.

 

[raccoonradio]

Freeing up a little money for Howie's contract?
(Again, Howie is tweaking Entercom again with a bit on his own site about lunching with
WTKK's Michael Graham and Graham's producer; the bit about "no static at all"; "wonder
what they were talking about" etc.)

 

[DanStrassberg]

Uh-oh... I'm afraid this means that the least-changed station in Boston is going to be making some changes. Why would they fire him? And now I wonder how long the legendary David Allen Boucher will last. Though one change I hope they make is that they'll fix their horribly edited versions of songs.

From what I read, Kelley was not exactly fired; he and GM could not come to terms on a new contract. The fact that GM did not immediately name a permanent replacement suggests that the "couldn't agree on a contract" reason is likely accurate.

 

[fmradio1]

I suppose after 22 years, Kelley expected to be compensated handsomely, considering his ratings success. That's simply not the model anymore, as PD's are often non existant, and for stations that have them, are often paid just slightly more than the receptionist. (OK, I'm exaggerating, it's not that bad) But, GM figures they can save some money in that position, and to be honest, I can't blame them for moving on from Kelley. Magic sounds stale. Really stale. Jingles that sound 20 years old going into Lady Gaga records. All those horrible music edits. That's so 1995. There's a reason Kiss 108 is doing well with 25-54 women, and it's not just Matty. The station needs a serious overhaul, and it needs to happen soon before the brand is damaged any further.

 

[MassMusicMan]

I've always found Magic to be one of the hipper AC stations out there. They allow me to enjoy the classics without feeling like a menopausal woman. That having been said, some of the edits are obscene. I understand taking the jail door closing out of "The Sweet Escape," but there was no reason to touch "I Gotta Feeling."

 

[Laurence Glavin]

Just imagine WMJX makes no changes, and a year from now, March of 2013, the station has about the same rating, about the same cume, about the same audience cohort. Then, was Don Kelly really that necessary? Wasn't his primary duty besides coming in in the morning and telling his staff to play the same recordings thatday that they played the previous day, which staff members could take vacations and when.

 

[thirdendorsed]

"Wasn't his primary duty besides coming in in the morning and telling his staff to play the same recordings thatday that they played the previous day, which staff members could take vacations and when."

That's Just. Plain. Stupid.

 

[Signpost]

Don Kelley's a good guy. I wish him the best. Magic is a staple of Boston radio, his 22 years there qualifies as an era.

 

[Laurence Glavin]

"Wasn't his primary duty besides coming in in the morning and telling his staff to play the same recordings thatday that they played the previous day, which staff members could take vacations and when."

That's Just. Plain. Stupid.

In my last job, the facility manager knew that on the first working day after January 1, I'd be there to make sure I got the weekend of and week after July 4th for Tanglewood opening week and plays at the Williamstown Playhouse and Williams College Theater. I might even put in for Columbus Day because my birthday is around then. I'd be first in line because I came in earlier than most others to beat the traffic. I don't thibk the facility manager saw much of me otherwise. (It was a non-broadcast workplace, but in many ways just about all workers were close to indispensible and HAD to be there. They put me up in a nearby motel with nondescript rooms but a pretty good restaurant. That's all
I'll say.

 

[Seltzer]

I suppose after 22 years, Kelley expected to be compensated handsomely, considering his ratings success. That's simply not the model anymore, as PD's are often non existant, and for stations that have them, are often paid just slightly more than the receptionist. (OK, I'm exaggerating, it's not that bad) But, GM figures they can save some money in that position, and to be honest, I can't blame them for moving on from Kelley. Magic sounds stale. Really stale. Jingles that sound 20 years old going into Lady Gaga records. All those horrible music edits. That's so 1995. There's a reason Kiss 108 is doing well with 25-54 women, and it's not just Matty. The station needs a serious overhaul, and it needs to happen soon before the brand is damaged any further.

First of all, CHR's doing well with W 25-54 is not that surprising. That doesn't mean Magic wasn't performing well. This is a bad move by Greater Media. Don Kelly by his continued record of success did not deserve this.

 

[rockcaptain]

Don Kelly by his continued record of success did not deserve this.

What continued record of success? Things weren't really that great in the past couple of years.

 

[DanStrassberg]

From what I read, Kelley was not exactly fired; he and GM could not come to terms on a new contract. The fact that GM did not immediately name a permanent replacement suggests that the "couldn't agree on a contract" reason is likely accurate.

Doesn't anybody here understand that Kelley may very well NOT have been fired but that he and management really could not agree on the terms of a new contract? As far as I can tell, aside from me, no poster in this thread has even acknowledged that this might be the case. Can somebody explain why the idea that Kelley and GM might not have been able to agree on contract terms is so absurd that it is not even worthy of comment?

 

[rockcaptain]

From what I read, Kelley was not exactly fired; he and GM could not come to terms on a new contract. The fact that GM did not immediately name a permanent replacement suggests that the "couldn't agree on a contract" reason is likely accurate.

Doesn't anybody here understand that Kelley may very well NOT have been fired but that he and management really could not agree on the terms of a new contract? As far as I can tell, aside from me, no poster in this thread has even acknowledged that this might be the case. Can somebody explain why the idea that Kelley and GM might not have been able to agree on contract terms is so absurd that it is not even worthy of comment?

If GM really wanted to hang onto him, they would have made he contract terms more favorable to Don. The "could not agree on terms of a contract" is used to save face...that's about it. Most likely what happened is that GM simply chose not to renew the contract and instead of saying they let go of a 22 year veteran they made is sound a little nicer for the company and for Don.

 

[reelyreal]

From what I read, Kelley was not exactly fired; he and GM could not come to terms on a new contract. The fact that GM did not immediately name a permanent replacement suggests that the "couldn't agree on a contract" reason is likely accurate.

Doesn't anybody here understand that Kelley may very well NOT have been fired but that he and management really could not agree on the terms of a new contract? As far as I can tell, aside from me, no poster in this thread has even acknowledged that this might be the case. Can somebody explain why the idea that Kelley and GM might not have been able to agree on contract terms is so absurd that it is not even worthy of comment?

Really? And how do you know Don Kelley wasn't tired of working in radio, or tired of working at Magic and decided that there was no amount of money they could offer him to stay? How do you know he didn't want to try something new? How do you know?

You don't.

If GM really wanted to hang onto him, they would have made he contract terms more favorable to Don. The "could not agree on terms of a contract" is used to save face...that's about it. Most likely what happened is that GM simply chose not to renew the contract and instead of saying they let go of a 22 year veteran they made is sound a little nicer for the company and for Don.