Paging Randy Michaels

[War Of Attrition]

In light of the recent brouhaha that has now cost Don Imus his entire career, we plead with you to return to Radio. Now more than ever we need your cavalier vision and ballsy leadership to stand up for programming. Even if it is edgy. Even if it is controversial. Even if it unpopular with the politically correct.

I know you have your new TV gig, but now is time time to get back in the mix before it is too late and we loose entertainment free radio forever.

Sincerely,

Radio Programmers Across America

 

[ouuc]

Dear Radio Programmers of America:

Returning to radio is not an option for me now. There is nothing more for me to accomplish. I've burned just about every bridge I've crossed, and I ruined the uniqueness of local radio and the employment situations for many talented DJs by creating the concept of "synergy". I pioneered the ballsy move of voice-tracking so that all of the Clear Channel stations I oversaw, particularly KISS and MIX, sound the same. I also was a gutsy leader of the kneejerk management style, roaring into rants at my employees even when they didn't do anything wrong. Finally, I managed to build complex management structures with "dotted-line" org charts...you know, market managers, format programmers, regional program directors, etc. CC is still trying to undo the mess I inflicted upon them!

So, no, I am off to help screw up another medium, local TV!

Sincerely,

Randy Michaels

 

[onegreatplace]

Well said Randy. Best of luck.

 

[SeanMGilbow]

Satire and/or sarcasm aside (you decide which), Randy Michaels has redeemed himself simply by discovering Ed Schultz and bringing some common sense to America's airwaves.

Only to be screwed over by Daryl Parks.

 

[titoisradio]

Satire and/or sarcasm aside (you decide which), Randy Michaels has redeemed himself simply by discovering Ed Schultz and bringing some common sense to America's airwaves.

Only to be screwed over by Daryl Parks.

In high school when the opposing school would start saying something stupid we'd shout back "Scoreboard"...in this case I'd have to yell "ratings". Shultz didn't have any, his show was basically a Rush ripoff even trying to sound like him. Randy Michaels missed on the Ed Shultz experiment. That said he should still be in the radio hall of fame.

 

[ChiefEngineer]

I worked for Randy at WLW. I was low on the totem pole. He always shared his advice, why he did what he did, and cared for his staff.

I have met few before or since someone with this much talent and enthusiasm for Radio. This is the reason radio is the way it is.

If you recall the "Randy" types of radio and everyone else you can easily see the comparison and why we are how we are.

He never yelled at me but he did moon me once.

Thank You Randy!

Call if you drive through Indiana . [EDIT]

[EDIT-removed for privacy concerns]

 

[SeanMGilbow]

Satire and/or sarcasm aside (you decide which), Randy Michaels has redeemed himself simply by discovering Ed Schultz and bringing some common sense to America's airwaves.

Only to be screwed over by Daryl Parks.

In high school when the opposing school would start saying something stupid we'd shout back "Scoreboard"...in this case I'd have to yell "ratings". Shultz didn't have any, his show was basically a Rush ripoff even trying to sound like him. Randy Michaels missed on the Ed Shultz experiment. That said he should still be in the radio hall of fame.

The figures from Talkers Magazines for Fall 2006 show the now-progressive Ed Schultz having 3.25 million+ listeners after being on the air nationally just nearly three years.

This is sure to fall after the likes of Daryl Parks and Bruce Collins pulled the plug on Big Eddie's show, and the progressive talk format in more than 20 markets.

Not that the listeners haven't left Big Eddie. They just left the radio and can now get .mp3s of Big Eddie for free.

 

[titoisradio]

Satire and/or sarcasm aside (you decide which), Randy Michaels has redeemed himself simply by discovering Ed Schultz and bringing some common sense to America's airwaves.

Only to be screwed over by Daryl Parks.

In high school when the opposing school would start saying something stupid we'd shout back "Scoreboard"...in this case I'd have to yell "ratings". Shultz didn't have any, his show was basically a Rush ripoff even trying to sound like him. Randy Michaels missed on the Ed Shultz experiment. That said he should still be in the radio hall of fame.

The figures from Talkers Magazines for Fall 2006 show the now-progressive Ed Schultz having 3.25 million+ listeners after being on the air nationally just nearly three years.

This is sure to fall after the likes of Daryl Parks and Bruce Collins pulled the plug on Big Eddie's show, and the progressive talk format in more than 20 markets.

Not that the listeners haven't left Big Eddie. They just left the radio and can now get .mp3s of Big Eddie for free.

Daryll Parks and Bruce Collins make their decision on LOCAL ratings, not how many listeners he has in San Fransisco & Seattle. With Air America clearly a failure in Cincinnati, obviously a change was warranted. Liberal talk is not going to work in conservative Cincinnati anymore than a French speaking station would. There just isn't the market place for it.

 

[SeanMGilbow]

Satire and/or sarcasm aside (you decide which), Randy Michaels has redeemed himself simply by discovering Ed Schultz and bringing some common sense to America's airwaves.

Only to be screwed over by Daryl Parks.

In high school when the opposing school would start saying something stupid we'd shout back "Scoreboard"...in this case I'd have to yell "ratings". Shultz didn't have any, his show was basically a Rush ripoff even trying to sound like him. Randy Michaels missed on the Ed Shultz experiment. That said he should still be in the radio hall of fame.

The figures from Talkers Magazines for Fall 2006 show the now-progressive Ed Schultz having 3.25 million+ listeners after being on the air nationally just nearly three years.

This is sure to fall after the likes of Daryl Parks and Bruce Collins pulled the plug on Big Eddie's show, and the progressive talk format in more than 20 markets.

Not that the listeners haven't left Big Eddie. They just left the radio and can now get .mp3s of Big Eddie for free.

Daryll Parks and Bruce Collins make their decision on LOCAL ratings, not how many listeners he has in San Fransisco & Seattle. With Air America clearly a failure in Cincinnati, obviously a change was warranted. Liberal talk is not going to work in conservative Cincinnati anymore than a French speaking station would. There just isn't the market place for it.

Two problems with your logic, Tito.

1. Ed Schultz is syndicated by Jones Radio--not Air America--as is Stephanie Miller, Bill Press and a number of conservative talkers.

2. Just checked the ratings for Cincinnati. I could not find The Source anywhere in the latest numbers. As for Bruce Collins, he took the station up here in Columbus to DEAD LAST. Even the Spanish station is beating it. And the numbers are just about where they were before the station began airing liberal talk in 2004.

 

[soundchoice]

I heard great things about this guy when I first started in radio. I think he proved himself again and again. Bridges may have burned but radio changed because of him.

 

[onegreatplace]

Randy Michaels...wasn't he responsible for bringing the "short unit" to radio?