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Melt Down on Al Messitti's show on WDEL

M

MikefromDelaware

This past Wednesday Al Messitti had a melt down on the air. He completely lost it with a caller. The caller was talking about a statement Al had made a few months earlier involving political candidates, and Al seemed to have changed his standard, the caller called him in on it, very politely. Al flew off the handle and literally was screaming at the top of his lungs at the caller saying such things as I don't care what I said months ago, it's my show. Go ahead and call the competition I don't need you, my show is fine without you., etc, etc as he ranted for several minutes. Al ended the call to go to news, after the news Al said on the air to Gerald, his call screener, to never let that caller back on again.

I couldn't believe my ears. The caller had been very polite and Al was completely out of line. I like Al's show, or at least I used to. I had done a talk show on WILM for several years and never, no matter how badly I wanted to tell off the caller ever acted like that (and there are some callers that could literally drive you to drink, if you know what I mean). So I'm speaking from first hand experience, as a former talk show host. There is no excuse for acting that way. Disagree with the caller, but don't get disagreeable and act like a jerk. Al was way over the line. It wasn't like the caller was getting abusive with Al, he was quiet and polite and just wanted to simply make his point which Al kept interrupting and yelling at the poor guy.

This bothered me alot, so I did call Rick Jensen, PD, he was out of the building all morning until his show. So I finally got him on the phone Thursday morning. Rick hadn't heard the show and frankly didn't seem bothered by it, but I said that he really should listen to the tape of the show as WDEL didn't used to treat their listeners and callers in such a manner and that frankly as a former fan of Al's show would find it hard to tune in. There's enough stress in our world and the last thing I want to hear by anyone on the radio is some self righteous blow hard screaming at someone who had a different opinion like they were a total moron and a piece of scum. If that's compelling radio and the new style for WDEL then they will lose me as a listener. Loudell's newscast won't fit this format as Allan is a very positive and pleasant voice on the air, so his days at WDEL might be numbered IF this is the new style for WDEL. There's no need to scream at someone.

Al needs to apologize to that caller on air and his listeners, just as Bob Mercer did when he went off on me a number of years ago. To Bob's credit, he had the "cahoonas" to apologize and admit he had gone over the top. We all are human and can mess up, like Bob did years ago and Al did last week. But the real metal of a person's character is if they can fess up and make reconciliation as Bob did. After Bob made it right, I continued to be a regular listener and caller. Maybe WDEL should bring Bob back and let him teach Al and Rick how it's done.
 
Mike, this is another example of what we were discussing in the ratings thread. WDEL folks now thnk they are in Philadelphia. They are not. In politics, we talk about the "Delaware Way." The state truely is different. The WDEL ratings slide will continue if their attitude remains out of touch with the potential audience.

I will admit that Al's attitude worked for Joe Pyne and Bill Frank over at WILM in the 50's and 60's. But WDEL was always beating them in the ratings. Joe Pyne had to leave the state for real success. Bill was a newspaper icon back in the day when newspaper folks had both respect and a following, when they were cranky. They have neither these days since the print media is just a shadow of its old self.

Real radio people like Rush, Hannity and Imus know how to make rants entertaining. Al and Rick need to study their styles and learn how to adapt them to Delaware local talk radio. Even Imus has learned to be nice! And he, like Bob Mercer, knows how to say "sorry" when they go over the line.
 
dont savage rant and rave with callers he dont agree with.
i do find it a bit amusing when talk hosts go nuts on someone they disagree with.
 
A rant is one thing. Impassioned speech is one thing, but literally screaming at the top of your lungs, no matter who it is, is offensive. If Rush started doing this like Al did the other day, my guess is he'd lose audience.

Savage is hard to listen to (for my ears at any rate) for that same reason. I listened for awhile when WILM first picked him up, but after a couple of weeks, the constant anger and yelling got real old and I haven't tuned in to Savage since.

It's a shame to hear what WDEL is becoming. One of Delaware's great heritage stations that at one time was the primiere station for the state. Rick and Al aren't from this area so they don't know the history of Delaware radio and how we are not Pennsylvania. There is a Delaware way to do many things. WDEL used to be the best at doing that. They used to be #1 (pre FM dominance). They could still be the #1 AM in Delaware, but I agree with WTUX, WDEL needs to change the attitude and approach. Live and Local a great idea, arrogant and we're doing you the favor attitude won't work here.
 
I haven't heard Al's show so I won't comment on it. I will say as a talk host, that I learned some time ago - the hard way - that the ultra-confrontational schtick doesn't work for everybody. God knows, it didn't work for me. And in any event, you don't need it - you gotta play to your strengths.
 
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