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So long, Colin
- Thread starter dB
- Start date
Sweet! Now they just have to boost their signal so that I can hear it when I'm driving out of the city limits.
Other than Mike & Mike, I have not been very impressed with ESPN's national weekday programming since Dan Patrick left, and he was a large step down from Tony K. Colin was just a waste of radio waves, just constantly spewing nonsense (I seem to remember him ranting in December or January how Duke had become a mediocre basketball program, for instance.)
As for the Fan, I'm finding that they are TOO local. They need to speak a little more about the OTHER teams in the NFL draft, for instance, and not just about the Steelers. Ultimately, who other teams draft will impact the Steelers.
Other than Mike & Mike, I have not been very impressed with ESPN's national weekday programming since Dan Patrick left, and he was a large step down from Tony K. Colin was just a waste of radio waves, just constantly spewing nonsense (I seem to remember him ranting in December or January how Duke had become a mediocre basketball program, for instance.)
As for the Fan, I'm finding that they are TOO local. They need to speak a little more about the OTHER teams in the NFL draft, for instance, and not just about the Steelers. Ultimately, who other teams draft will impact the Steelers.
Cowherd is reducing his show from 4 hours to 3, meaning he will be done at 1PM. According to what he has said on the air it is his preference to do a shorter show. He also does a TV show on ESPN2 at 4PM that is doing very well.
If 1250 stuck to their current schedule they would then have 2 1-hour shifts from national shows Noon-2. It will be interesting to see if they take just one hour of Scott Van Pelt or they move the Drive back to a 3PM start.
It does give 1250 the opportunity to get another hour of their strongest local show against the Fan's weakest show.
However, you will not find Van Pelt to be an improvement over Cowherd, quite the contrary in fact.
If 1250 stuck to their current schedule they would then have 2 1-hour shifts from national shows Noon-2. It will be interesting to see if they take just one hour of Scott Van Pelt or they move the Drive back to a 3PM start.
It does give 1250 the opportunity to get another hour of their strongest local show against the Fan's weakest show.
However, you will not find Van Pelt to be an improvement over Cowherd, quite the contrary in fact.
A
apostate
Guest
1250 will not be taking Van Pelt at all. As stated in the original post, Stan and Guy will be on from 10a-2p, followed immediately by The Drive.
J
johnp
Guest
One of the above comments about The Fan is on target.
Too local. and pardon this-too inside baseball. The shows sound flat--trying to fill time.
I also don't really hear any buzz about the station.
Too local. and pardon this-too inside baseball. The shows sound flat--trying to fill time.
I also don't really hear any buzz about the station.
Ii have grown boored with the "Fan:" already. Wednesday I heard one of there mid-day hosts talking about how he was goning to Mellon Arena to watch the pens that night for the FIRST TIME. I kind of thought, this guys never been to Mellon arena and he is telling me about the Pens current play. I think I would rather hear what Stan and Guy have to say about the pens play. I'm and old guy ( out of everybodys demographic) but my son is 25 and he told me the other day that he stoped listening to the fan the other day after giveing it a couple of weeks of listening two and from work.... (45 minites each way). He too said it sounds booring. he likes "the fan" better.
I think the Fan is going down the wrong road in some respects. I tuned them in twice the other day; the first time Seibel and Starkey were asking fans if they were happy with the current state of Pitt's football and basketball programs. They put a caller on who was unhappy with the football program, and his supporting reasons included the fact that the backup center is a walk-on.
I have used the theoretical example of discussing who should be playing left wing on the Pens' 4th line as a sample of topics that only hard core sports geeks would care about. When I tuned in Greg Gianotti that night the caller was discussing, you guessed it, who should be playing left wing on the Pens' 4th line.
Whether you like ESPN or not, they understand that the casual sports fan, who even in Pittsburgh is a substantial segment of the audience (as opposed to LA or Miami where it's the majority) is absolutely bored to tears by stuff like that.
Frankly I think they need to break it up a little, maybe do more with topics like Donovan McNabb posibly being traded and whether the Eagles owe him a better fate. you could always roll in a local angle like watching Franco Harris run out of bounds in a Seahawks uniform at the end of his career. It's why the occasional national show is a good change of pace. There's still some good national content available out there such as Todd Wright's national late night show on Sporting News Radio.
At the very least the Fan needs broader topics and the willingness to get off of hard core sports on occasion. Otherwise I think they will narrowcast themselves into some very low numbers, with a core audience of stat junkies and fantasy nerds.
I have used the theoretical example of discussing who should be playing left wing on the Pens' 4th line as a sample of topics that only hard core sports geeks would care about. When I tuned in Greg Gianotti that night the caller was discussing, you guessed it, who should be playing left wing on the Pens' 4th line.
Whether you like ESPN or not, they understand that the casual sports fan, who even in Pittsburgh is a substantial segment of the audience (as opposed to LA or Miami where it's the majority) is absolutely bored to tears by stuff like that.
Frankly I think they need to break it up a little, maybe do more with topics like Donovan McNabb posibly being traded and whether the Eagles owe him a better fate. you could always roll in a local angle like watching Franco Harris run out of bounds in a Seahawks uniform at the end of his career. It's why the occasional national show is a good change of pace. There's still some good national content available out there such as Todd Wright's national late night show on Sporting News Radio.
At the very least the Fan needs broader topics and the willingness to get off of hard core sports on occasion. Otherwise I think they will narrowcast themselves into some very low numbers, with a core audience of stat junkies and fantasy nerds.
Parttimer said:
I've caught Starkey in a couple of extended rants about arguments he had with his wife, and another board has complaints about Kalenna Bell discussing some colon cleanse she was undertaking. So it would appear they veer off sports at times.
National shows would probably help on weekends, when there's either no-name local talent or the M-F regulars playing tapes of what they did during the week.
I don't necessarily disagree with your point, Part, but if I may offer a retort.
I used to listen to WFAN at night when Steve Somers would host overnights. He generally did stick to sports, but his personality brought out a crazy group of characters calling in- similar to Myron Cope's show did.
The thing was when a caller did mention something you'd think only a sports junkie would listen to, he knew how to handle it. On one occassion I recall a caller speaking about the DETROIT RED WINGS' 4th line.
Somers listened politely, then said "Only in New York could we have a talk show where at 4 a.m. we are talking about the 4th line of the Detroit Red Wings."
It worked. Somers didn't have to insult the caller for bringing up something obscure, but rather he could build off it.
I used to listen to WFAN at night when Steve Somers would host overnights. He generally did stick to sports, but his personality brought out a crazy group of characters calling in- similar to Myron Cope's show did.
The thing was when a caller did mention something you'd think only a sports junkie would listen to, he knew how to handle it. On one occassion I recall a caller speaking about the DETROIT RED WINGS' 4th line.
Somers listened politely, then said "Only in New York could we have a talk show where at 4 a.m. we are talking about the 4th line of the Detroit Red Wings."
It worked. Somers didn't have to insult the caller for bringing up something obscure, but rather he could build off it.
The point is Somers, like Myron Cope did and many of the WFAN hosts do, embraced the city, the teams, and the callers that called into their show. There was/is an enthusiasm surrounding this environment of team, town and fans that was/is infectous. They didn't need to embark onto other non-sports subjects- unless it came naturally.
That's the key. Can The Fan find talent that truly embraces Pittsburgh sports and not act like they are making an audition tape for a larger market?
I'll even go one further. Mark Madden may not seem to embrace his callers, but in a way he does as he uses them as his pawns- the old Rush Limbaugh theory of "callers are there to make hosts look good." Madden embraces callers to insult them, so to speak. He doesn't treat callers with disdain- he treats them with contempt- and this passion to go that extra step- like it or not- is what makes him a popular listen.
And as far as subject matter, it's not uncommon for Mark Madden to talk about the Pens' role players, but he does it with enthusiasm or humor that makes it sound important to both serious and casual fans alike.
That's the key. Can The Fan find talent that truly embraces Pittsburgh sports and not act like they are making an audition tape for a larger market?
I'll even go one further. Mark Madden may not seem to embrace his callers, but in a way he does as he uses them as his pawns- the old Rush Limbaugh theory of "callers are there to make hosts look good." Madden embraces callers to insult them, so to speak. He doesn't treat callers with disdain- he treats them with contempt- and this passion to go that extra step- like it or not- is what makes him a popular listen.
And as far as subject matter, it's not uncommon for Mark Madden to talk about the Pens' role players, but he does it with enthusiasm or humor that makes it sound important to both serious and casual fans alike.
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