D
D. R. Tucker
Guest
Even though he’s only been on the air three months, I think a fair argument can be made that Reese Hopkins has become the glue holding ‘RKO together.
It seems as though Hopkins is the only ‘RKO weekday host who actually sounds motivated on the air: unlike Howie Carr, who’s still entertaining but whose show bears the distinct tone of a broadcast hosted by a man who’d rather be somewhere else, Hopkins retains the enthusiasm of someone who has worked for years to become a main-eventer in Boston radio, and now finally has the chance.
I know he’s received some criticism for the hip-hop gimmicks on his show, but such gimmicks are enjoyable for those of us closer to Hopkins’ age range. His show never lags, and his interactions with his producer are some of the funniest exchanges since Carr’s back-and-forth with “VB” and “Butchy” years ago.
One doesn’t have to be a victim of Entercom Derangement Syndrome to point out that ‘RKO has made several mistakes over the last five years or so. However, fairness requires those of us who have criticized ‘RKO to give the station credit when it does the right thing—and it certainly did the right thing by bringing Hopkins on. He is tremendously entertaining, one of the few legitimately entertaining guys ‘RKO has recruited over the past half-decade. He is just as capable of seriously analyzing politics as he is at having fun. Presumably, that should be the requirement of every talk host—and Hopkins certainly fulfills that requirement.
Not everything ‘RKO has done in the recent past is wrong. I’m just as chagrined by Moe Lauzier’s departure as any of the other critics (though I think much of the speculation over the “real” reason for his departure is ultimately pointless). However, ‘RKO clearly had their thinking caps on when they hired Hopkins—and if the station manages to overcome its recent turmoil, Hopkins will play a major role in ‘RKO’s future success.
It seems as though Hopkins is the only ‘RKO weekday host who actually sounds motivated on the air: unlike Howie Carr, who’s still entertaining but whose show bears the distinct tone of a broadcast hosted by a man who’d rather be somewhere else, Hopkins retains the enthusiasm of someone who has worked for years to become a main-eventer in Boston radio, and now finally has the chance.
I know he’s received some criticism for the hip-hop gimmicks on his show, but such gimmicks are enjoyable for those of us closer to Hopkins’ age range. His show never lags, and his interactions with his producer are some of the funniest exchanges since Carr’s back-and-forth with “VB” and “Butchy” years ago.
One doesn’t have to be a victim of Entercom Derangement Syndrome to point out that ‘RKO has made several mistakes over the last five years or so. However, fairness requires those of us who have criticized ‘RKO to give the station credit when it does the right thing—and it certainly did the right thing by bringing Hopkins on. He is tremendously entertaining, one of the few legitimately entertaining guys ‘RKO has recruited over the past half-decade. He is just as capable of seriously analyzing politics as he is at having fun. Presumably, that should be the requirement of every talk host—and Hopkins certainly fulfills that requirement.
Not everything ‘RKO has done in the recent past is wrong. I’m just as chagrined by Moe Lauzier’s departure as any of the other critics (though I think much of the speculation over the “real” reason for his departure is ultimately pointless). However, ‘RKO clearly had their thinking caps on when they hired Hopkins—and if the station manages to overcome its recent turmoil, Hopkins will play a major role in ‘RKO’s future success.