S
shiznit
Guest
The Matt and Huggy Internet Radio Show.
Former WYSP Radio Stars now Online & in the Clubs.
It was September 13, 2007, when 94 WYSP dumped its struggling talk format, and switched back to a mostly generic offering of Pearl Jam, Green day and other mass appeal rock. And with most format changes, much of the air staff gets whacked. Beloved mid-day DJ team; Matt & Huggy were a part of that whacking.
The popular duo, sometimes self-referred as ‘the portly Jewish guy’ and the ‘angry Italian father’, started at the CBS Radio station in 1996. Over the next 11 years they built up their credibility, their ratings and their star power. Yet with Radio struggling to stay relevant and profitable in the age of i-Pods, Satellite, and Internet, frequent format flips and cost cutting is an unfortunate, common occurrence that contributed to their corporate Radio demise.
In the pre-Internet days, when Radio canned a DJ, the jock either moved away to find work, or quietly started a new career. Today, that on-air talent can get right back into the game via the Web. In many cases, they compete directly with their former employers the very next day. That’s exactly what Matt and Huggy did.
After being shown the door, they immediately began podcasting The Matt & Huggy Show from the “Manhole”; technically their make-shift studio down in Matt’s basement. Fans (who sometimes crash the servers due to overload) can either listen live at www.WIRNonline.com every Tuesday and Thursday from 9p-11p, or they can just download the show to their i-Pods using i-Tunes.
Huggy explains: “We’re web-casting to keep ourselves sharp and fresh, and it gives the people who like us, a chance to listen. While it would be nice to get back on terrestrial radio, we think the day is quickly coming when most people will listen to Internet Radio using their cells phones and other wireless, mobile devices. We need to be ready for that day.”
Matt suggests. “Terrestrial radio needs to incorporate more podcasting and other web based stuff. Radio stations as a whole need to do more with digital, instead of just designing sites full of useless crap. Plus, instead of firing us, they should have put our show online, at the WYSP website. Or they could have put us on their HD side channel. My sense was that the suits at WYSP did not have the digital savvy to think that way”
Is WYSP having second thoughts about letting these guys go? Well, there was a peculiar chain of events that happened last week and it went something like this: M&H brings back their long-running heavy metal program, "Rockers." to the web. As a labor of love, they hosted this program without pay, at WYSP for 10 years. Coincidental or not, as soon as word got out that that Matt and Huggy were bringing back this popular show via the web, WYSP reacted quickly and brought back their own version of Rockers, with Spike Eskin, to the terrestrial airwaves. Hmmmm.
M&H now communicate to their database of over 3,000 fans via the live webcasts, and their sponsored email blasts. This is how they attracted over 200 hundred of their devotees to gather at Dave and Buster's on the Philadelphia waterfront this past October. Most recently, they’ve been doing live shows from General Grants in Northeast Philly.
Next up: On Saturday, February 16, the pair will do a live web-cast from Curran’s Irish Pub, at Longshore & State Road, in N.E. Philly. The show gets underway early, starting at 8pm. The Bud Light sponsored night will be video-taped for a future ‘Out on the Town’ TV show, as well as for viewing at the OOT website at www.OOTWEB.com. Mikey V and DJ Dancin’ Dave will keep the party going at 10 with lots of great music and prizes. Visit www.MattandHuggyShow.com for more info.
Watch the video of The Matt and Huggy Webcast here: http://meltaylor.wordpress.com/2007/12/09/ex-cbs-djs-succeed-online-with-podcast/
Former WYSP Radio Stars now Online & in the Clubs.
It was September 13, 2007, when 94 WYSP dumped its struggling talk format, and switched back to a mostly generic offering of Pearl Jam, Green day and other mass appeal rock. And with most format changes, much of the air staff gets whacked. Beloved mid-day DJ team; Matt & Huggy were a part of that whacking.
The popular duo, sometimes self-referred as ‘the portly Jewish guy’ and the ‘angry Italian father’, started at the CBS Radio station in 1996. Over the next 11 years they built up their credibility, their ratings and their star power. Yet with Radio struggling to stay relevant and profitable in the age of i-Pods, Satellite, and Internet, frequent format flips and cost cutting is an unfortunate, common occurrence that contributed to their corporate Radio demise.
In the pre-Internet days, when Radio canned a DJ, the jock either moved away to find work, or quietly started a new career. Today, that on-air talent can get right back into the game via the Web. In many cases, they compete directly with their former employers the very next day. That’s exactly what Matt and Huggy did.
After being shown the door, they immediately began podcasting The Matt & Huggy Show from the “Manhole”; technically their make-shift studio down in Matt’s basement. Fans (who sometimes crash the servers due to overload) can either listen live at www.WIRNonline.com every Tuesday and Thursday from 9p-11p, or they can just download the show to their i-Pods using i-Tunes.
Huggy explains: “We’re web-casting to keep ourselves sharp and fresh, and it gives the people who like us, a chance to listen. While it would be nice to get back on terrestrial radio, we think the day is quickly coming when most people will listen to Internet Radio using their cells phones and other wireless, mobile devices. We need to be ready for that day.”
Matt suggests. “Terrestrial radio needs to incorporate more podcasting and other web based stuff. Radio stations as a whole need to do more with digital, instead of just designing sites full of useless crap. Plus, instead of firing us, they should have put our show online, at the WYSP website. Or they could have put us on their HD side channel. My sense was that the suits at WYSP did not have the digital savvy to think that way”
Is WYSP having second thoughts about letting these guys go? Well, there was a peculiar chain of events that happened last week and it went something like this: M&H brings back their long-running heavy metal program, "Rockers." to the web. As a labor of love, they hosted this program without pay, at WYSP for 10 years. Coincidental or not, as soon as word got out that that Matt and Huggy were bringing back this popular show via the web, WYSP reacted quickly and brought back their own version of Rockers, with Spike Eskin, to the terrestrial airwaves. Hmmmm.
M&H now communicate to their database of over 3,000 fans via the live webcasts, and their sponsored email blasts. This is how they attracted over 200 hundred of their devotees to gather at Dave and Buster's on the Philadelphia waterfront this past October. Most recently, they’ve been doing live shows from General Grants in Northeast Philly.
Next up: On Saturday, February 16, the pair will do a live web-cast from Curran’s Irish Pub, at Longshore & State Road, in N.E. Philly. The show gets underway early, starting at 8pm. The Bud Light sponsored night will be video-taped for a future ‘Out on the Town’ TV show, as well as for viewing at the OOT website at www.OOTWEB.com. Mikey V and DJ Dancin’ Dave will keep the party going at 10 with lots of great music and prizes. Visit www.MattandHuggyShow.com for more info.
Watch the video of The Matt and Huggy Webcast here: http://meltaylor.wordpress.com/2007/12/09/ex-cbs-djs-succeed-online-with-podcast/