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Maxwell getting fired??

B

becker5

Guest
Strong rumors over at CBS that they are ready to dump Maxwell once and for all. They are not happy with his low ratings and constant fighting with management. There was a reason Clear Channel dumped him, he's impossible to deal with. Thank God, or we wouldn't have The Alan Cox Show!
 
becker5 said:
Strong rumors over at CBS that they are ready to dump Maxwell once and for all. They are not happy with his low ratings and constant fighting with management. There was a reason Clear Channel dumped him, he's impossible to deal with. Thank God, or we wouldn't have The Alan Cox Show!
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No great surprise. Tuned it in once. Once was all I needed. Lame. How a major company like CBS in a big market ( what's Cleveland now anyway,# 35 or something? ) hires this act is beyond me.
 
If this is true, it won't fix the serious underlying problems at WNCX that I've mentioned elsewhere (an aged airstaff, a very limited playlist that's been largely untouched since Mike McVay set it in place in 1987, blah blah).

WNCX is in it with Maxwell for the long haul. What do they have to replace the show with? For crying out loud, they won't be getting Scott and Jeff back. And they won't be able to afford anyone else. (David Lee Roth is out of the question.)

CBS Radio can't get rid of these stations soon enough. Hell, donate all of them to Family Radio and spare us the embarrassment, please.
 
I haven't hit the blog with this yet because it's not really fully formed, but...

"Word is" (to quote a former PD sports/media columnist currently toiling in general news in Bristol VA) that ratings for Maxwell on WNCX were AWFUL at the start.

We're talking pretty much "no sampling".

I have reason to believe that has improved, but it might be in the "nowhere to go but up" category. And the show itself may be incompatible with the station.

That all said, I haven't heard any recent rumblings that MWL is on the way OUT, at least yet.
 
OhioMediaWatch said:
I haven't hit the blog with this yet because it's not really fully formed, but...

"Word is" (to quote a former PD sports/media columnist currently toiling in general news in Bristol VA) that ratings for Maxwell on WNCX were AWFUL at the start.

We're talking pretty much "no sampling".

I have reason to believe that has improved, but it might be in the "nowhere to go but up" category. And the show itself may be incompatible with the station.

That all said, I haven't heard any recent rumblings that MWL is on the way OUT, at least yet.
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I heard the same "no sampling" rumors, but never had any hard data to verify it (in part because I'm not able to subscribe to Arbitron). But for all intents and purposes it reached, or came close to reaching, David Lee Roth disaster levels at the start.

Maxwell would have been better off being on WKRK/92.3 instead of WNCX; in fact, that's the station Maxwell deliberately speculated he would be landing at before WMMS canceled the show. However, WKRK's inferior signal (in comparison to WNCX, WQAL and WDOK, neither of which are afflicted by short-spacing issues that have always plagued WKRK since day one) made that a non-starter.

Again, unless WNCX can afford a replacement, or has a plan "B" that they can magically pull out of a hat (which I highly doubt) Maxwell isn't going anywhere.
 
becker5 said:
Thank God, or we wouldn't have The Alan Cox Show!
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Hmm. I've never listened to Alan after my ears bled listening to WMMS dance on Maxwell's grave in jubilation (i.e., Rover's "Aftermath" stunt with 'Charlie' and Dumb... I only tolerated one 1/2 days).

While the relationship between Maxwell and WMMS was not good (and Maxwell listeners knew that back in 2008), what WMMS and Rover did to address his departure was highly unprofessional... turning me off from that station for life.
 
Nathan Obral said:
Again, unless WNCX can afford a replacement, or has a plan "B" that they can magically pull out of a hat (which I highly doubt) Maxwell isn't going anywhere.
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...until the end of his deal. :D

Unless he rebounds a LOT.

I saw some numbers shortly after Maxwell's debut on 98.5...they were pretty bad, but at least someone was listening. You know how I am about doing posts on ratings, so I never ran with any of this disconnected info.
 
Cleveland radio morning talent overall is at a low level. How this "Maxwell" talked himself into a job at the CBS O&O Classic Rock facility to me is the 8th Wonder of the World. Who signed off on this? That is a really bad show.
 
The move CBS made has really come back to haunt them. Interesting story I heard from someone who was listening to Rover on Friday. Apparently Rover has something on Maxwell that could get him fired at any minute. The only reason hasn't done it yet because his ratings are so low and more music might make his ratings better. This should be interesting if Rover is being serious
 
You believe "smack" between shows and hosts at your own risk.

It's probably safe to say that Maxwell's ratings are low on 98.5, even if not at the "no sampling" level from the beginning, but I haven't yet heard that CBS wants to dump him.

IIRC, he's on a one year deal, so they may just let that ride and not renew.
 
OhioMediaWatch said:
You believe "smack" between shows and hosts at your own risk.

It's probably safe to say that Maxwell's ratings are low on 98.5, even if not at the "no sampling" level from the beginning, but I haven't yet heard that CBS wants to dump him.

IIRC, he's on a one year deal, so they may just let that ride and not renew.
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EXACTLY. The only way he could be released before the contract runs out is if CBS finally gives up the ghost and sells the entire cluster to some guy or some group. Which is as likely as Triv mastering nuclear physics. ;)

Rover's the type that's always starved for attention: just like Triv, he can count on Action 19 to come into his studio if he calls them up. And he's claimed to or aired claims about Maxwell in the past - even when Maxwell was still at WMMS. It's as reliable as one-ply toilet paper.

And if people think that WNCX will cut Maxwell loose this early into the contract, did Liz Wilde's rather historic lawsuit against WMMS not teach anyone ANYTHING?
 
Rover vs Maxwell, Triv vs Rizz.

Both are examples of trying to start good old fashioned radio wars.

As far as Maxwell's rating's go, it's because MWL is a mismatch with WNCX.

Maxwell is a younger brash "modern" guy on a station that caters to guys who still have mullets and know every word of "Freebird".
 
I'm entertained by some of these comments. Just reading how much Nathan dislikes WMMS means that Rover and crew did their job. Radio is and should ALWAYS be about emotion. While you may argue a negative response is never good, at least it is a passionate one!

Most radio "pros" would kill to have listeners become as passionate regarding their shows, bits, personalities etc. In 2011 it is very rare to find talent evoke such emotion from a listener. While Nathan loved MXL, he left WMMS for whatever reason. (and very rarely is it as told on the airwaves by either party) The folks at WMMS needed to separate themselves from MWL. If Nathan really feels as strongly as he does, then mission accomplished. The message was from the WMMS point of view, "That kind of radio ain't good enough for us anymore" It's building the brand. Radio stations aren't all things to all people anymore. You may not like that approach, but by taking that stance, they painted the show as old, dull and boring, knowing full well it could end up across the street. Guess what? Early returns thus far on PPM shows the audience agreed. Perception is reality!

In my opinion for what thats worth, I can't see CBS dumping the show so quickly. MWL is an acquired taste and a dramatic shift in culture from what WNCX was doing in the morning before, which wasn't very good. (sorry it wasn't) It takes time. I happen to enjoy MXL and think long run it can win. It's just the odds are against them right now.
 
vjm said:
Rover vs Maxwell, Triv vs Rizz.

Both are examples of trying to start good old fashioned radio wars.

As far as Maxwell's rating's go, it's because MWL is a mismatch with WNCX.

Maxwell is a younger brash "modern" guy on a station that caters to guys who still have mullets and know every word of "Freebird".
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Very good points vjm.

The rest of WNCX's airstaff (Bill/Micheal/Paula/Mr. Classic) have been with the station for - doing the math off the top of my head - a combined 85-90 years. The playlist doesn't change and hasn't for nearly 25 years. That alone builds more than familiarity.

And that's very well likely Maxwell's dilemma. It's obvious that the previous demos were blown out with the change from "Scott and Jeff." So that makes the tough going against Rover, well, even tougher for both Maxwell and WNCX.

Could the show recover? It's possible, but WMMS has had a seven-year head start into making themselves the proverbial "man cave" station. Their rock format now plays a clear second fiddle to Rover, Alan and the Browns, but it still fits that 'modern' image WNCX will never be able to attain.

Aside from a format flip between 92.3 and 98.5, or scooting Maxwell to the more compatible alt-rock on 92.3, I don't know what CAN be done right now.
 
Never heard Rover describe Maxwell because I do not listen to him. I heard Maxwell show once
( 1 time ) on WNCX. Painfully obvious there is nothing there. Do afternoons at the comepitor is all it takes to do mornings? ::) Who's watching the store over there? Classic rock is still an enviable, viable and profitable position to hold in any market. The only real challenge is to hire a morning show. Since Stren left they prove over and over they are unable to complete this simple task.
 
vjm said:
Rover vs Maxwell, Triv vs Rizz.

Both are examples of trying to start good old fashioned radio wars.
Click to expand...

Old Fashioned, contrived and worn out. Schoolyard taunts between two punks is supposed to be entertaining? Then there is Triv and Riz sounding like two guys who never finished high school in a bar getting all worked up over nothing. This is low class crap designed for morons.
 
HHH said:
vjm said:
Rover vs Maxwell, Triv vs Rizz.

Both are examples of trying to start good old fashioned radio wars.
Click to expand...

Old Fashioned, contrived and worn out. Schoolyard taunts between two punks is supposed to be entertaining? Then there is Triv and Riz sounding like two guys who never finished high school in a bar getting all worked up over nothing. This is low class crap designed for morons.
Click to expand...

To quote the Dead Kennedys in their classic song "MTV Get Off the Air", "forget honesty, forget creativity, the dumbest buy the mostest that's the name of the game".
 
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