O & A Contract Renewal

[elguapo]

I'm hearing things and its not positive BUT there are rumblings that the O & A show may not be long for this world on K-Rock much longer. Almost 2 years and no significant ratings to speak of. Add to that the dumping of the show in Detroit, WPB, Pittsburgh and others recently one can only wonder, can Philly be far behind???

Then add to the mix the lack of any real movement from K-Rock as far as jocks et. to support the morning show and the station and it doesn't smell good.

 

[Walter Graff]

The fact that no one responded to this post should tell you what the future of O&A is. They built their original radio listenership off of Howard Stern and lost it when they lost the synergy of him on radio. And now, they are just one hit wonders waiting for their future to be publicly announced.

 

[Ron Smith Williams]

What CBS needs to do is to bring O and A back into afternoon drive so they can bring back that "guys hanging out at the bar" type of vibe. For mornings find someone like Kidd Chris or something to syndicate to New York. Just face it, mornings are not for O and A.

 

[Starscream]

The fact that no one responded to this post should tell you what the future of O&A is. They built their original radio listenership off of Howard Stern and lost it when they lost the synergy of him on radio. And now, they are just one hit wonders waiting for their future to be publicly announced.

Please explain how O&A got their success in NYC sponging off Stern when they were on TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT RADIO STATIONS.

Remember to use a #2 pencil and for God's sake, show your work.




That being said, the argument that O&A "sponged off stern" doesn't hold water. Most O&A fans will tell you the following things, and most people who have an idea about radio will probably agree:

1) The majority of O&A's audience is on satellite and staying there. They are already paying for radio and have no interest in listening to the rest of K-Rock. The entire audience is cannibalized. With the way arbitron diaries are distributed, there was no way, no chance to get a sample if they would get better ratings when they were suspended off XM earlier this year.

2) Before you refute #1, go back and look at Ron and Fez's numbers. Mid-day satellite show that was showing growth with a new, original show nights on Free-FM. The audience will follow as long as they aren't getting the same thing.

3) Content of the show. Opie's become the thing he railed against the most, the "too cool for the room" guy, with too much Jim Norton and not enough Anthony.

4) As said before, the time of the show.

5) The general bitter tone of the show. I don't know what it is, but the entire 202 XM platform has this aura of bitterness that wasn't there with the same block of shows five years ago. I know things change, but there was a much more positive vibe when they were on WNEW than the situation they are in now.

6) The issues with XM and CBS. XM was always the "fallback" position for O&A if something blew up on CBS, similar to Imus. But now with XM being blown up for Sirius, they don't know where the hell their bread is being buttered and they are caught in quite a vicious catch-22.

Bottom line, the show has changed RADICALLY from it's heyday in 2000-2002 to what it is now.

 

[WordLife]

If you remember when O and A got into it with The Dog House, JV made a good point that O and A did not earn their syndication into all these markets. They basically took over for David Lee Roth who took over for Stern.

It was Stern who was in every market, and the trickle down effect was O and A were/are in every market. Could it be that talk radio across the board is just dying and it having nothing to do with O and A.

 

[Diego2theBay]

Maybe I missed it but I according to http://www.buzz103.com/ they are still on in WPB.....unless WPB is some other acronym that I don't know.

 

[DStroyer]

> Should someone mention here that when Howard Stern first syndicated his morning show into
> Philadelphia, it became Number One in several books?
>
> Eventually, Philly's ratings for Howard were even larger than his NYC ratings. Thanks to Howard,
> WYSP was Philadelphia's #1 station in one book.
>
>
> Craig

(The above is a post from someone over on the NYRMB. I have to post a reply here because my application to post on the NYRMB was turned down so I'm not permitted to post over there. ("NO HANDLES!!!! NO HANDLES!!!!" Jackass.) Hopefully, Craig reads this board, too.)

I believe it actually took Howard about 5 or 6 years to get to #1 in Philly. He came on WYSP in 1986, and didn't beat John DeBella until about 1991.

Just revising your revisionist history a little

 

[Starscream]

Maybe I missed it but I according to http://www.buzz103.com/ they are still on in WPB.....unless WPB is some other acronym that I don't know.

According to O&A, the West Palm station "hates them" and "doesn't get the show".

is it wrong that I secretly hope Carton and Boomer to demolish O&A in mornings?

 

[Caveman]

O&A used to be the funniest thing I had ever heard on the radio...then they started doing mornings and it was as if someone beat the funny out of them...move them back to afternoon-drive and hope they regain their funny? I think Anthony (he is the show) must be too sleepy in the morning to be funny in that slot??? Just my opinion.

 

[highlandradio]

O&A used to be the funniest thing I had ever heard on the radio...then they started doing mornings and it was as if someone beat the funny out of them...move them back to afternoon-drive and hope they regain their funny? I think Anthony (he is the show) must be too sleepy in the morning to be funny in that slot??? Just my opinion.

Not funny? Are you listening to the same show I am? ??? I guess if CBS wasn't cutting their balls off, they might be even funnier. Unfortunately, they can't take much risk with the stupid lawyers breathing down their necks.

 

[Caveman]

O&A used to be the funniest thing I had ever heard on the radio...then they started doing mornings and it was as if someone beat the funny out of them...move them back to afternoon-drive and hope they regain their funny? I think Anthony (he is the show) must be too sleepy in the morning to be funny in that slot??? Just my opinion.

Not funny? Are you listening to the same show I am? ??? I guess if CBS wasn't cutting their balls off, they might be even funnier. Unfortunately, they can't take much risk with the stupid lawyers breathing down their necks.

Yes I am listening to the same show...and sadly it sux now.

 

[TheGreenskeeper]

I like OnA, but I think the corporate suits and lawyers are ruining the product. Much like radio in general.

 

[FCR]

ONA have too many affiliates to be leaving the airwaves anytime soon. But, if WXRK dumps them, they'd have to find another flagship home. And I don't see them willing to relocate (aside from the fact that they also do the last part of the show on XM down the street).

 

[AllForADeuce]

O&A used to be the funniest thing I had ever heard on the radio...then they started doing mornings and it was as if someone beat the funny out of them...move them back to afternoon-drive and hope they regain their funny? I think Anthony (he is the show) must be too sleepy in the morning to be funny in that slot??? Just my opinion.

Not funny? Are you listening to the same show I am? ??? I guess if CBS wasn't cutting their balls off, they might be even funnier. Unfortunately, they can't take much risk with the stupid lawyers breathing down their necks.

Yes I am listening to the same show...and sadly it sux now.

Is the show the same as it was 5 years ago? Nope...but is RADIO the same as it was 5 years ago? I listen to their whole show through XM. Why? Everything about radio is different due to corporate and lawyers cutting and curbing anything almost funny so no one files lawsuits. I listen to their show through XM the entire time so I can get the show 100% since XM very rarely dumps and corporate free radio hits the dump button like they're sending mass morse code messages. If the XM O&A show could migrate (sans the language) over to corp radio then the show would do better since it's just as funny as it used to be!

 

[Speaker of Truth]

Had the ''Sam Adams Sex'' bit never happened..O and A would have been the choice for CBS to go national once Stern went to Sirus..it was obvious that they were being groomed to take over once Howard made whatever decision he was going to make..

Had CBS found some balls, let a few months pass, and then brought them back, the story could have been far different then it is now..

Since Bubba the Love Sponge may not be long as the afternoon jock on Howard 101--his deal is up in December, and neither side appears to be able to agree on the dollars involved in a renewal--would O and A swallow almost all their pride, take the gig to save their Satellite careers, and try to coexsist? I know O and A have said they want their own channel--but would Mel open one up if the merger goes through

What contracts would Mel dump? Oprah? Martha? MLB?

Would that leave an opening for Bubba to head back to FM radio?

Bubba the Love Sponge has been funny from day 1 on the Howard 101 channel

 

[FCR]

Had the ''Sam Adams Sex'' bit never happened..O and A would have been the choice for CBS to go national once Stern went to Sirus..it was obvious that they were being groomed to take over once Howard made whatever decision he was going to make..

Stern explicitly said he didn't want ONA to be his replacement when he left for Sirius.

 

[Walter Graff]

You must be kidding. O&A ruined their own carer. They had their fifteen minutes when folks cared and now it is over for them. Say good bye ot O&A because with the horrible attempt at a radio show that they currently have they will loose both the Terrestrial and the satellite thing they have.

RIP

 

[RadioFixerCLE]

[qNot funny? Are you listening to the same show I am? ??? I guess if CBS wasn't cutting their balls off, they might be even funnier. Unfortunately, they can't take much risk with the stupid lawyers breathing down their necks.

They are still funny. It's just not the same "Holy shit I can't believe they just said/did that!!!" when they were on 102.7 FM. And as you say, it's the stupid lawyers and corporate suits getting in the way.

Also the long stop sets are annoying. I usually manage to listen to the 8-8:30 segment as I'm getting ready to go to work and sometimes I'm gypped out of like 15 minutes because of commercials.

 

[cawasinnj]

O&A ruined their own carer. They had their fifteen minutes when folks cared and now it is over for them.

They has at least TWO 15 minutes of fame. Remember the incident that brought them to NY in the first place? That would be the "Mayor Menino is dead" stunt up in Boston. CBS Radio knew exactly what they were in for when they hired the two. Given their track record, I'm actually very surprised that they haven't done something else stupid like the Menino stunt, Sex for Sam 29 (or whatever it was) or the Assault the Media plan.

I'll give them this though. They're like a pair of cats. They have 18 lives between them. I'm figuring they'll keep popping up for years to come.

 

[AllForADeuce]

Had the ''Sam Adams Sex'' bit never happened..O and A would have been the choice for CBS to go national once Stern went to Sirus..it was obvious that they were being groomed to take over once Howard made whatever decision he was going to make..

Stern explicitly said he didn't want ONA to be his replacement when he left for Sirius.

Stern was also quoted as saying he didn't want to work with someone with the name "Bubba the Love Sponge" and routinly trashed him until he went to SIRIUS then loved him to death enough to sign him. Is the honeymoon over? Possibly. But then again, how many times did the Howard/Jackie/Management contract thing go on? I don't believe much of what comes out of Howard's mouth, period. I didn't believe Jackie was out of a job until a couple weeks after his contract expired and I won't believe there is much-to-do about the Bubba situation until I hear he's on another station and off SIRIUS.