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MJ gets 3 air talents fired!

...one more thing...I listened to the bit on Kovacs's myspace page. There was clearly an opportunity for them to save themselves if they had issued an on-air apology. Instead, they said that they weren't going to apologize for nothing, and that in my mind was likely the straw that broke the camel's back.
 
...fallout from the situation programming-wise: "Club 933 Interactive" was reduced to a two-hour show with Kid Leow and Perry. At midnight, regular music programming resumed with what I believe was a six-hour air shift for Eggz.

Not to go a little off subject here, but isn't six hours rather long for a single shift? Just wondering.

I ponder if the new condensed version of Club 933 will be put into place next week; and, if so, I ponder even more the potential future of the show (since apparently as I had alluded to in another topic FLZ had stopped doing remotes from mid-2am)...
 
wow that is freaking funny as hell!!! It just goes to show that even the people that work with him dislike him that much!!! Those guys should of got promoted for that!!! Its funny MJ sits on his duff and thinks he can trash talk everyone else and get away with it but as soon as someone talks smack about him weather it be those guys, bubba or anyone else in the market he has to pitch a fit...Get over your self, your a height envy little troll! You need to stop hiding behind your wife and her lawyer status and face the music....MJ, all that crap your have been talking is finally coming back to bite you in the butt!! Suck it up, lord knows you have killed a few talented radio careers in this market!....But you NOT them have gone too far!!!
 
What you have here is, unfortunately, an all-too-common scene in the business today. Three half-talented jagoffs who decide that radio is one big fun party, and they can tee-hee and get away with trying to be "cool" even tho they're relegated to a nobody-cares daypart. Well, guess what, kids. It's not game time, it's a business. And in business, whether you're selling copiers or cracking a microphone, you have a certain obligation as to a level of conduct that you'll maintain. Otherwise, you wind up doing car dealer remotes in Sheboygan, which is where these goofs belong. Sure, MJ dishes it out, too, but there's a big difference - that's his job. And, I agree with many of the posters on this thread - when you bring civilians into it, it becomes personal. These three morons should've valued their jobs more than that.
 
RayDOGuy said:
What you have here is, unfortunately, an all-too-common scene in the business today. Three half-talented jagoffs who decide that radio is one big fun party, and they can tee-hee and get away with trying to be "cool" even tho they're relegated to a nobody-cares daypart. Well, guess what, kids. It's not game time, it's a business. And in business, whether you're selling copiers or cracking a microphone, you have a certain obligation as to a level of conduct that you'll maintain. Otherwise, you wind up doing car dealer remotes in Sheboygan, which is where these goofs belong. Sure, MJ dishes it out, too, but there's a big difference - that's his job. And, I agree with many of the posters on this thread - when you bring civilians into it, it becomes personal. These three morons should've valued their jobs more than that.

The friendly on air wars do have their place. That being said, keep "peripheral players", such as family, out of it. I have had my battle with a certain internet radio show. I keep their families and significant others out of it. Sure, they do not show me the same respect (they have referenced my girlfriend on numerous occasions and, while they steer well away from anything libelous, they do push the envelope), which is deplorable. But, I know I am the better man because of turning the other cheek.
 
Personally, I think anyone who's working at CC these days would do well to assume that they have one foot in the unemployment line and the other on a banana peel. The Grim Reaper is looking for victims and transgressions that might have once been laughed at or shrugged off could be career shortening. In other words, when a program director says they want you to be "edgy" and to "push the envelop" you might want to think twice...
 
IF THEY ARE ON THE SHOW DAILY THEY WERE NOT CIVILIANS I'M SORRY,, THEY WERE DAILY CHARACTERS ON THE SHOW.

AND IF THOSE 3 JOCKS WERE ONLY USING HALF THEIR TALENT, THEY MUST BE REALLY DAMN GOOD SINCE THEY WERE ALWAYS RANKED IN THE TOP 3 IN THE MARKET FOR THAT DAY-PART.
 
Read my post (oh, and lose the ALL CAPS, Junior) before you make a snide remark. The "civilian" in question was MJ's kid. You write well for a fired night jock.
 
RayDOGuy said:
Read my post (oh, and lose the ALL CAPS, Junior) before you make a snide remark. The "civilian" in question was MJ's kid. You write well for a fired night jock.
But if anyone is to blame here, blame MJ for exposing his family on the show....its just that simple! I said it before if you don't want something brought up or made fun of....DON'T talk about them on the air!
 
Butters925 said:
RayDOGuy said:
Read my post (oh, and lose the ALL CAPS, Junior) before you make a snide remark. The "civilian" in question was MJ's kid. You write well for a fired night jock.
But if anyone is to blame here, blame MJ for exposing his family on the show....its just that simple! I said it before if you don't want something brought up or made fun of....DON'T talk about them on the air!

I agree that it's not fair to want things both ways, but the fact is in today's radio world some people can have things all their own way. You may not like it, I know I don't like it, but that's the way it is.
 
This thread's title is misleading. MJ is not a program director, a general manager, or anything like that. He is an air talent. He may have pushed for the guys to be fired, but someone else had to do the firing and had a final say in the matter. Blame that person if you're not satisfied with the punishment.
 
Okay, a couple of things. I am old school. I don't think there's any need to take on-air pot shots at anyone, who works with you. Personally, I could have never done such a thing. I also believe, with former employers, if I had done this, my job would have been at risk.

I realize a PD can't micro-manage a station 24 hours a day, but the question remains: where was the PD? Or was someone listening for the PD? Did they actually hear the bit or did MJ inform them? I say this, because when I worked at Warm 94.9 it seemed then-PD Paul Ciliano was ALWAYS listening to his station, or had someone listening for him.

In other words, maybe the WFLZ PD had no room to maneuver. I'd also be curious to know if the station had any guideline on parodies-- if so, maybe the guys involved "thought" they were safe?

Anyway, to go full-circle, I personally could not do such a thing on-air, unless I'd been given the green light by my manager.
 
Just a show of hands...anybody not think that threadstarter "fmradioisdead" is NOT Kovacs, Lunchbox, or Big Kris? The thread starter tosses out the names on page 1 without blinking. About as transparent as it gets. Up here in KDWB-land (formerly of St. Pete) I am unfamiliar with the trio other than the aircheck I heard on the Myspace page

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=36943462

Partimers who do ONE show a week attacking the morning show on numerous levels? Of course management made the correct decision by canning them. That was not a cross promo. They were bashing the station anchor. By suggesting that MJ's eight year old (?) daughter was on crack should also warrant a butt-kicking as a bonus. ABSOLUTELY OUT OF BOUNDS.

MJ passed me up for a producer gig I applied for a few years back, but I have nothing but respect for his consistency in the market. The threadstarter's insinuation that MJ got them fired also appears to be completely false. I spoke with a Gandy friend that said that MJ had no idea the bit was done and that CC bigs heard about it after another morning show was talking about it. They pulled the tape and you see the results. Something tells me that MJ isn't listening to FLZ at 1 am on his way to Ybor.

That aircheck showed gross irresponsibilty and If I were the PD I'd be worried about the next bad judgement that could've brought a fine or worse. Maybe that's why the partime trio is gone...

AW
 
AirWatch900Mhz said:
I spoke with a Gandy friend that said that MJ had no idea the bit was done and that CC bigs heard about it after another morning show was talking about it. They pulled the tape and you see the results. Something tells me that MJ isn't listening to FLZ at 1 am on his way to Ybor.

That aircheck showed gross irresponsibilty and If I were the PD I'd be worried about the next bad judgement that could've brought a fine or worse. Maybe that's why the partime trio is gone...

AW

Neighboring offices of the PD Tommy Chucks overheard the MJ rampage that when on for over an hour and a half. During the shouting match he screamed the words "Kovacs" and "fired". MJ had Tommy pull the audio because MJ got wind Bubba was talking about it on his morning show on Monday.

No matter if you found the bit funny or not doesn't matter. I've talked to others who know previous PD's of WFLZ very well. The general consensus is that these guys would not be fired over a joke that pokes fun and nothing more.

Oh and BTW, i'm sorry to burst your bubble but you are incorrect. I have never worked for Clear Channel, I just have good friends in the building. You do not know the full story behind all this, and that is obvious. Kovacs actually has left town because he so broken up over losing a show hes been on for years. Kovacs has told me that he didn't even get a chance to apologize to MJ and talk out the situation.

Everyone should also keep in mind that what happens on the air is for entertainment purposes only. Kovacs HAD a lot of repsect for MJ and the show he puts on every day. Kovacs has indeed stood up for MJ in the past by saying, you may not agree with what MJ does but he is talented.
 
Isn't it also kind of ironic that "Lunchbox" worked on MJ's show as a producer for 6 months, and then comes back around to stab him in the back? He should be glad MJ gave him an opportunity, and now he's wasted it.
 
I think the point that some are missing is that this is a habitual thing for MJ... the list goes on and on. Another list that goes on and on is the list of people he's trashed mercilessly on his show. I remember back in 94 or 95, listening to MJ call up and poke fun at a grieving mother who had just lost one of her children. The guy has no class and is a total hypocrite.
 
wow..... i was always told these message boards can be trouble and now i see why......leave town for a bit and wow... lol

first off... i wanna say that given the opportunity to apologize about all this i would have... there was no back stabbing or anything else suggested on this site...(you can tell the real broadcasters from.... well.. the guys that shouldn't be posting false crap on here lol...)i would like to say though.. we have been doing these MJ bits for years now.. and No one ever came to us and said to stop...because if they did... we would have no questions...

this show has always been a laid back have fun and entertain the drunk people listening program which has always ranked #1 most books and never dropped below 3rd place and held a nice morning show size cume to go with it. i've mixed the Saturday Night House Party which has held #1 for its time slot.. and I've also filled in on afternoon drive for Toby Knapp in market number 19....

so for the remarks about the time slots.... lol well they don't bother me.... and for the remarks on getting another job in some small town... sorry boys... i did these shows for fun.. they were the last of the few real radio shows with 100% live interaction with the audience...
without the pressures of other duties in the building... i have a full time job to pay the bills...

I would like to apologize to the following people though:

MJ and his family.... i see both sides to this equation... but please know it was only a joke... nothing more... and im sorry if you thought it was more... you always mention the names we used in the bit on your show and they just came out... i'm sorry

Tommy Chuck... for having to deal with MJ's heated discussion and all the crap with it... and then our heated discussion... Sorry man

Lunchbox and Big Kris... for getting terminated with me... i think that was a little to far... i was the man running the board.. not you guys..

All my former co-workers.. who's names i don't wanna put on here because of the drama... but thanks for all the good times!

and finely to anyone else that didn't find it funny... i apologize....

Thanks for your time everyone.... i hope this clears things up and we can move on... peace
 
i forgot one more thing....

As for Lunchbox ... he resigned the MJ morning show because of the salary for that position... the on-air fired stunt was a bit.. and a bit only... sounded great though...."theater of the mind" can be a powerful tool in radio... maybe if we had more on the air.. markets wouldn't see listeners disappearing like in the last book....
 
I have to agree with what FiveStar said earlier in the discussion. Anyone in this business should consider themselves having one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel.

I can think of several other stunts or bits in the halls of CC in the past that were just as bad or worse than what Kovacs and Co. did that received a far less damaging punishment. Prior to CC's attempt to go private, such a bit would have resulted in a suspension, or an apology, or a "firing" where the persons involved were just shuffled over to some other station or department within the building. Now it's just so much easier to cut a few part-time positions and move on. It just makes the next round of cost-cutting, which will probably happen sooner than its usual October or November appearance, a little easier for those with the cythe. The fact Bubba was talking about it probably did more damage than MJ pitching a fit. If Bubba talks about someone farting at 4002 Gandy Boulevard, the party guilty of passing gas will be out the door before you can say "Bean-o".

The good news at least for Kovacs (I can't speak for the other two simply because I don't know them well) is you have friends in the business, including some who know what you were dealing with at 93.3. You should end up back on your feet soon. Just take this as a lesson, one that isn't necessarily good, that there are still a handful of "bulletproof" personalities you can't get in the way of these days (for another example, read the "Nancy and Jeff" posts from earlier).
 
WAY TO TAKE THE HIGH ROAD KOVACS! I STILL THINK THIS IS WRONG!!!!!
 
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