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Mark Madden Fired From ESPN Radio

I'm pretty sure they'll keep that slot local. I'm sure they've given this some thought, knowing it was a matter of time before Madden self-destructed.
 
Actually I'd expect them to possibly reunite Stan Savran and Guy Junker.

Second most likely is that Junker and Crow move to drive time and they carry Colin Cowherd from ESPN 10A-1P.

Local in PM drive is the highest priority in the sports-talk format.

And after an appropriate cooling down period, I'd expect Madden to end up somewhere in Clear Channel's mix, although probably not on 970 because I think they have given up on that signal.
 
If you don't like what Madden said, or, typically says, don't listen to him. I know I wouldn't. When you suspend people for saying something idiotic, you invariably reward them for it. Even if he gets fired for what he said, he'll get another job, write a book, become a martyr for free speech, etc . . . On the other hand, if he gets fired for bad ratings because people tune him out, he pays a price. So if he offended you (and I can certainly understand if he did) here's a thought: Don't listen to his show! Why is this impossible to grasp for some?
 
I'd be very surprised if CC goes after him.

You have to look at how this came about. He was warned to stay on the right side of "the line." He didn't do it. The same thing got him fired from the TV wrestling job he had. He was told specifically that he wasn't allowed to bring up a certain topic on the air, and he did. The Post-Gazette warned him about the content of his columns. He didn't pay attention. When you have a reputation for defying management, people don't want to hire you. Too many headaches.

I'm hearing now that the local management people are in trouble, too, for bungling this. Corporate is very unhappy about all aspects of this.
 
Madden is just the first body out of the door. There are two other people in the building who have been called on the carpet in the last 24 hours and I suspect that at least one of them is done. Remember ESPN is owned by squeeky clean Disney and they can't believe that Madden wasn't fired on the spot for what he said.

Madden has likely burned his last bridge in this market. He has angered every radio or TV outlet that ever let him on the air and it would take a miracle at this point for someone of consequence to take a gamble on him now.

Hey, maybe he can replace Lynn Cullen (what's the over/under someone actually bites on this one and starts the thread??)!
 
I'm not sure he is through in this market. I could see CBS picking him up somewhere. I could see him as the lead personality on a new rock station.

I could see him living in Pittsburgh and doing a show on Satellite.

He does have some local ties here, such as dek hockey (which is a lucurative pursuit for him, believe it or not).
 
Parttimer said:
Actually I'd expect them to possibly reunite Stan Savran and Guy Junker.
Click to expand...

It would come full circle for Savran, who used to go head-to-head with Madden when he was on 970 a few years ago. 970 even for awhile ran a promo with Savvy saying "I don't take crap from nobody" or "kiss anyone's a**"...
 
Parttimer said:
Second most likely is that Junker and Crow move to drive time and they carry Colin Cowherd from ESPN 10A-1P.
Click to expand...

Do you know if they already air Mike Tirico in middays? I know the ESPN radio stations in New York and Philly have to clear that baot anchor to please Bristol corporate.
 
By the way, here's an extended article from today's Post-Gazette:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08149/885330-13.stm

Currently, there is "no decision" made on who replaces Madden; however, "if the station decides to keep [Eddy] Crow in the 3 to 7 p.m. slot [he filled in as co-host Tuesday, even though the article refers to it happening on "Monday", which was Memorial Day], it would open a spot on the late-morning show for Stan Savran and would reunite Savran with longtime colleague Junker. Savran's television duties at FSN Pittsburgh would preclude him from filling Madden's time slot."
 
Yes, 1250 carries Tirico/Van Pelt/Tafoya/Herbstreit and a partridge in a pear tree from 1-3PM.... and yes, that show is still struggling because the marquee name, Tirico, isn't there half the time. Van Pelt has potential, he can be pretty funny when he lets loose.

Boss is probably right in that no one else in the market will touch Madden at this point, but he could work as the morning show on the X if CC was inclined to take the shot, especially with that being the Pens play-by-play home. Then again, they also would be afraid it would take numbers from the DVE morning show. Protect the mothership.

Scott Ferrall is on Sirius' Howard 100 channel, Madden would probably be a great fit there and give them more live programming. For those that don't know, that channel is the live feed of Stern's show (the west coast rerun is on 101, 3 hours later), and Bubba the Love Sponge does the PM drive show from Tampa (and now also does mornings on terrestrial radio in that market).

I can't see any of the other owners in town biting. CBS isn't going to blow up a format to build a station around him. They could replace Steiggy on KD but the number of old ladies dying of heart attacks would go through the roof.

No one else in the market pays anyone what he was making. And given the fact that there are already two sports stations in town, I don't think there's enough good syndicated programming left out there to blow up a 1360 or something like it and build a sports format around Madden.
 
People speculate about the possibility of satellite for him, but I don't see it. There are other guys who do the obnoxious loudmouth better, and have a cast of characters that helps. Other guys do creative stuff like song parodies and scripted bits. Madden just calls people jackasses and says rude things about their wives. Ho hum.

Ferrall is a spaz, but at least he has an act. Madden just parrots catchphrases from pro wrestling.

As far as doing a sports show, he doesn't have the knowledge to host a show with a national audience. He doesn't know much (or care) about the NFL, NBA, MLB, college football and basketball and those are all more important subjects for a national show than the NHL.
 
With the remark he said he should be fired. He is as qualified to be a talk show host as Hillary is for president.
 
Hey, I'm no Ted Kenndy fan, but what Madden said was tasteless. But the day management began pulling the quick trigger for tasteless was the same day we saw the advent of voice-tracking and satellite. We have to be extra safe because the parent companies are constantly looking for excuses to cut payroll. He should have known that. Stupid ... sure. Should he have been fired ... no.
 
Isn't the GM a new hire, right out of corporate in Bristol?

Will he (should he) be a casualty of this as well?
 
Mark Madden fired from ESPN-1250

Team Zoom said:
... the day management began pulling the quick trigger for tasteless was the same day we saw the advent of voice-tracking and satellite. We have to be extra safe because the parent companies are constantly looking for excuses to cut payroll.
Click to expand...

Michael Savage did the same thing the week before with his "Dead Kennedys" skit. For that alone FM NewsTalk 104.7 should have dropped him immediately. Unfortunately for everyone Savage remains on the air and Madden is gone.

Nobody in the Liberal Media utters the F word when it comes to talk radio. Madden and Savage are not what the public want ... they are what management desire.
 
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