Miller Out at WLS FM

[cspotrun]

Not unusual for this business, or other industries. Covering themselves. They either had someone in mind, or a staff member who would do an acceptable job (for less money).

(sadly, this is the case in the majority of job postings right now, they are covering their a$$ with the eeo. like they always say "you gotta KNOW SOMEBODY"- or your chances "might" be better if you have a "heads-up" on an opening.)
Doesn't seem fair for so many out of work across the country. Especially a talent ready to MOVE ON UP to a market like Chicago.

(my guess is instead of looking outside the "Chicago BOX"- they will move someone up within(who they would have never thought for that position before "just to fill it")- that way they don't have to pay to re-locate someone, OR they will go with any of a dozen names of people who have worked there before OR have traveled the Chicago radio circuit for 30+ years.
that's the kind of radio you'll get, STALE, predicable, boring.)

 

[El Grecko]

To each his own. I'd Love to hear Fred Winston on there as well. Besides, it's an oldies station for godsakes! A lot of folks would enjoy listening to someone they remember growing up in Chicagoland. Fred's super-talented, and has more than enough talent to handle that gig. I think he'd be a great fit.

 

[radioman148]

To each his own. I'd Love to hear Fred Winston on there as well. Besides, it's an oldies station for godsakes! A lot of folks would enjoy listening to someone they remember growing up in Chicagoland. Fred's super-talented, and has more than enough talent to handle that gig. I think he'd be a great fit.

I completely agree. Fred would be the best choice.

 

[cspotrun]

To each his own. I'd Love to hear Fred Winston on there as well. Besides, it's an oldies station for godsakes! A lot of folks would enjoy listening to someone they remember growing up in Chicagoland. Fred's super-talented, and has more than enough talent to handle that gig. I think he'd be a great fit.

I completely agree. Fred would be the best choice.

its great to hear from the "Winston" family!
fred is a fine talent but, hey folks, been there done that..in the works of Captain Pierce on M*A*S*H... "WE WANT SOMETHING ELSE-WE WANT SOMETHING ELSE!
don't you think maybe its time for something outside of the usual Chicago BOX?

 

[radioman148]

To each his own. I'd Love to hear Fred Winston on there as well. Besides, it's an oldies station for godsakes! A lot of folks would enjoy listening to someone they remember growing up in Chicagoland. Fred's super-talented, and has more than enough talent to handle that gig. I think he'd be a great fit.

I completely agree. Fred would be the best choice.

its great to hear from the "Winston" family!
fred is a fine talent but, hey folks, been there done that..in the works of Captain Pierce on M*A*S*H... "WE WANT SOMETHING ELSE-WE WANT SOMETHING ELSE!
don't you think maybe its time for something outside of the usual Chicago BOX?

Spot,

Send your resume & tapes to Michael Damsky.

I think Fred is the best choice. He is funny, witty, & Chicago. Most importantly he's talented!
For the record I'm not related to him and in fact never met the man. Just expressing my taste.
JMO--it's OK if you don't agree.

 

[cspotrun]

they will probably Do just that... how many times has Fred returned to WLS? or Chicago radio? he's had more comebacks than Cher. i won't be in the running, and that is not why i lament, i am simply a listener. my point is i would rather hear somebody from downstate, or an up and commer from Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan. there are talented people everywhere who should and could be heard but they probably won't.
IF i were betting, good chance you will get your wish. i've never said Fred wasn't talented or great in his day. but it seems to be the Chicago way, to re-cycle air talent.

 

[KlunkLetter]

but it seems to be the Chicago way, to re-cycle air talent.

While I am not a big Fred Winston fan, most of Chicago's 'recycled' air talent, including Winston, from the 70's is hands down better than anything on Chicago radio today.

Having said that, I don't get to listen to Danny Lake much, but would he be a contender for the air chair?

 

[secondchoice]

re-cycle air talent.

Oldies are re-cycled music. Why not re-cycled air talent?

 

[radioman148]

Is there any R&R DJ who's been on longer than Dick Biondi?

 

[cspotrun]

re-cycle air talent.

Oldies are re-cycled music. Why not re-cycled air talent?

c'mon, time moves on.. hey, it would be great to have Art Roberts, Dex Card, Barney Pip, Bernie Allen, Sam Holman back, but most of them are dead or in their 70's, retired and happy to be! there are very few, who still have it, or want to be doing radio when they are as old as Dick Biondi(who is incredible).
as far as Fred Winston.. he's had more returns (to Chicago radio) than K-Mart the day after Christmas.

 

[JoeyC]

IMHO, Tommy Edwards, Danny Lake and JRL would be welcome full time additions to WLS-FM. Danny Lake does a great show on Saturday nights who should be on full time instead of once a week, same for Landecker. I am TOTALLY surprised that none of these guys have been filling in on the morning show at all.

 

[radioman148]

How about Tommy Edwards & Larry Lujack in the mornings followed by Fred Winston in the afternoon and Biondi at night. I'll bet that lineup would garner good ratings.

Don't have a stroke Spot! ;D ;D

 

[BRRC]

Definitely Tommy and Danny Lake. I pay a lot of attention to 2 of the most successful major market oldies / classic top-40 stations in the country - KRTH and CBS-FM. Differently philosophies at both. KRTH's texture is a bit lighter and playlist is tighter than CBS-FM. They both use a sprinkling of market legends, but primarily they use talent who understand what the respective markets and its sound was all about and can deliver a 2010 version of the goods with a nod to the "old" sound. That certainly describes Danny Lake, Tommy Edwards and Greg Brown. It describes Brant Miller. Not so much the other Chicago legends mentioned. Take a listen to WCBS-FM. They're a blast to listen to. They sound like New York. They evoke memories of WABC with their imaging and tempo. The jocks are great. But morning man Dan Taylor - not a market legend. Just damned good. Bob Shannon - not a market legend. Broadway Bill Lee - one of the great top-40 jocks of all time - but not a market legend. Listen to that station, and tell me you wouldn't love a station that approached its product with the same principles here. If I had a magic wand, it'd be Danny in the mornings, Greg middays, Tommy afternoons, and a couple of hours of Dick Biondi each night with the rest handled by Tom O'Toole. Throw some of the rest of the "legends" in on the weekends. Of course, as long as Citadel is in the $$ shape they're in, it's not likely to happen that way. I wonder why it is New York and L.A. can pull off a fully-staffed, killer oldies format, but not Chicago.

 

[cspotrun]

hats off to cbs-fm though, they TOOK A CHANCE! they thought out side the BOX!
take Bill Lee, they hired a "Hip Hop" jock to do Oldies! nothing personal, but i think Dan Taylor is BORING, ditto: Brant Miller..
it's morning drive in a MAJOR MARKET! do you think (in the day) either one of these guys would have done morning drive on 77wabc or 89wls? although smooth and accomplished like danny lake i think you need more in the mornings on stations like this. is there a "another" Larry Lujack-Fred Winston, Dan Ingram lurking out there? that is what radio is all about, finding, developing NEW talent-time moves on- somebody tell Chicago.....

 

[BRRC]

Gary Bryan on KRTH is pretty middle-of-the-road, too. Chicago was certainly the gold standard for personality radio in the 60s and 70s (L.A. did pretty well on that score, too). In New York, the halcyon days of WABC included a VERY straight ahead, move-the-elements, no funny stuff morning man in Harry Harrison. CBS-FM has two strategies - evoke some of the heritage of WABC, and feature the music with bright and tight jocks. A morning guy a la Lujack, etc., could polarize and burn off some listeners. Here in Chicago, it might be a different story. But still - not a throwback morning show.

 

[radioman148]

Gary Bryan on KRTH is pretty middle-of-the-road, too. Chicago was certainly the gold standard for personality radio in the 60s and 70s (L.A. did pretty well on that score, too). In New York, the halcyon days of WABC included a VERY straight ahead, move-the-elements, no funny stuff morning man in Harry Harrison. CBS-FM has two strategies - evoke some of the heritage of WABC, and feature the music with bright and tight jocks. A morning guy a la Lujack, etc., could polarize and burn off some listeners. Here in Chicago, it might be a different story. But still - not a throwback morning show.

The problem with Lujack on WLS-FM (supposing) is that he's in New Mexico and also he'd have to do a music intensive show. Also, at this stage of his life I can't picture Lujack doing a successful morning show within formatics without a co-host to guide him. Also, I can't picture Lujack succeeding with any other co-host than Tommy Edwards.That would not be within citadels budget.
I think a new guy would be most logical considering budget constraints.

 

[cspotrun]

good point radioman, besides Lujack is tied up with a satillite venture with John Rook. although i Loved the guy's work, and this really pains me to say it... from what i heard on the Hit Parade Radio Demo, ol' Uncle Lar has kind of jumped the shark. God Bless him, and i wish him well with that venture.
who says you can't do Personality Radio in morning drive in this format? i think you've got to approach this with one foot in the 21st Century and the other embracing this Great Music from the past, and if one can still be topical, and have the Passion for this music and generation they will win. Scott Shannon does a good job at this, and you are correct cbs-fm when they re-tooled is doing the same thing, they didn't hire all the same crew they had before the Jack disaster. they looked outside the box in several instances. its not brain surgury, they just have to find the right guy to do it, without the baggage of the past. i don't think they want to turn the station into some kind of Chicago DJ museum.

 

[radioray]

Former MAGIC 104 night DJ Amy Scott is on CBS-FM nowadays, but not on the FM but their HD channel which is a Jack station.

http://www.ilikejack.com/pages/220790.php

 

[radioman148]

good point radioman, besides Lujack is tied up with a satillite venture with John Rook. although i Loved the guy's work, and this really pains me to say it... from what i heard on the Hit Parade Radio Demo, ol' Uncle Lar has kind of jumped the shark. God Bless him, and i wish him well with that venture.
who says you can't do Personality Radio in morning drive in this format? i think you've got to approach this with one foot in the 21st Century and the other embracing this Great Music from the past, and if one can still be topical, and have the Passion for this music and generation they will win. Scott Shannon does a good job at this, and you are correct cbs-fm when they re-tooled is doing the same thing, they didn't hire all the same crew they had before the Jack disaster. they looked outside the box in several instances. its not brain surgury, they just have to find the right guy to do it, without the baggage of the past. i don't think they want to turn the station into some kind of Chicago DJ museum.

Spot,

I agree with you. I think you can do personality radio however I don't know that the people at Citadel will go that route. I hope they do.

 

[cspotrun]

radioman, to me you either play to win, or you get out of the game.