Steak Shapiro melts down on the air

[atlsportsnut]

Flipping between various stations this morning I came onto Steak Shapiro melting down in one of the most unprofessional displays that I have ever heard on live radio. I came in on the last couple minutes of it, but it had something to do with them being branded an urban station (I guess by 680) and the All Star Game for the NHL.
Does anyone know what he was ranting about? It was amateurish and I was floored as I really respect Steak and the boys at 790 for what they have accomplished over the years.
It appears that the collapse in the ratings and the erosion of the audience is taking its toll.
If someone heard what the discussion was about, please clarify. He was saying it was racist to label them an urban station. He should know right well that any station with better than 50% African American audience tends to be called an urban station. He knows that so there must have been another agenda.

 

[Insideradio]

I didn't hear the rant but I will say that 790 and 680 were neck and neck in the ratings for the longest time until the Stews moved to afternoons. 680 has been pulling away ever since despite the Stews beating B&B in the latest ratings. I understand the thought process behind tapping into the "Urban" audience with the Stews but many white listeners defected to 680.

So Steak can say it's racist but sometimes the truth is ugly. If you lay with "Dogs and poodles" you're gonna get fleas.

 

[amlover]

While not a huge sport's fan I do enjoy listening to 680 over 790. I enjoy the talent much more and they have a far superior signal. Congradulations 680! :-X

 

[MikeinKennesaw]

680 stated on the air and in the paper that they were not promoting the NHL AllStar game because the NHL chose to put the game on an urban station rather than a sports station.

That's what set Steak off.

 

[jinglemaker]

Seems to me that Steak's ego has been
what has been getting in the way of that station
for years. When he broke up Nic and Chris he started
the decline of that station.

 

[LarryWachs]

An unprofessional rant from Brisket should surprise no one. There's also nothing "racist" about 680 not promoting the All-Star game if the NHL chose 790 to carry it over the flagship station for the local NHL franchise. There is probably more to the story, but this is my guess.

And regarding the Stews, I pointed out a long time ago, (not here), that 790 made a deal with the devil. They brought a lot of flash, but at the end of the day the Stews are awful broadcasters and that's going to cost you your audience eventually, regardless of their color. Would Brisket blame the morning show getting it's ass handed to them on race as well? Their programming is a disaster across the board.

They're making a similar mistake with the Afternoon Saloon as well. The have paired two stellar talents, Bell and Oliver, and crowded the room with a redundant, amateurish talent in Brandon Leak. The only imaginable reason for this is to please the black audience that lost the Stews in afternoon drive. Say what they might, but if you program to please a black audience, guess what: you will be labeled things like "urban station". That's not "racist", it's a fact. It's a shame because the Saloon could and should be great.

 

[Yail Bloor]

LOL at 680 for being the flagship station of the Thrashers yet not being able to score the NHL All Star game when it comes to Atlanta.

 

[Insideradio]

LOL at 680 for being the flagship station of the Thrashers yet not being able to score the NHL All Star game when it comes to Atlanta.

Bottom line is Hockey on the radio stinks (minus Ferrall). Who cares about Hockey?
You think the town will be shut down like it was during the NBA All-Star game? Ha....

 

[atlsportsnut]

I just read the piece Kincade wrote for 680's web site on the All Star thing and now the whole tirade makes sense.
Steak trying to portray Kincade or 680 as racist for describing 790 as an urban station is ridiculous.
Steak knows that urban is a radio term that is applied to majority AF-AM listenership.
I have had salesman use that term for years in my office when quoting ratings or comparing stations.
Steak must be feeling really desperate to try to pull a stunt like that on the air.
That is bush league at best.
I can't blame him though for wanting to rally people against 680.
The problem is that when people research what was actually said he will look more like an idiot.
I am shocked that he stooped to this level. He really is a pretty good guy depsite the board attackers.

 

[MikeinKennesaw]

Steak doesn't seem to realize that by expressing his complete disgust and anger at being called an "urban station", he's the one sounding like a racist, not 680.

 

[RTibbs]

I heard him this morning. I would label it more of a rant that a meltdown though. Kohn Kincade is a smug know-it-all who deserves a shot at him and his I am better than thou attitude. On the flip side though I don't think 680 is obligated to promote the NHL All-star game regardless of their status as the Thrasher's flagship.

Just curious what is the true breakdown by race for each station. I find it hard to believe 790 is more than 50% urban overall.

 

[PST]

I personally think it's bad marketing overall by the NHL as it pertains to the All-Star weekend. It's coming up this weekend, but the average person in Atlanta likely doesn't even know about it.

Plus it's obvious that the NHL frankly isn't going after the typical hockey fan with the schedule of promotions and events that are leading up to the Saturday night/Sunday night "hockey" events themselves. The typical hockey fan that goes to Philips Arena isn't going to pop down $75 for "An Evening with Wyclef Jean Hosted by Usher." Some might be more interested in celebrating the NHL's Diversity with a luncheon honoring Willie O'Ree, but the typical hockey fan barely knows who he is.

Now during the broadcasts on 680, the events that are being promoted are the Hockey Legends Party in Roswell (which includes a wine tasting) and has Free Admission. Then B&K are broadcasting from Jillians on Friday with Kamal, Pierre McGuire from NBC, and various Thrashers players.

As a fan that goes to 41 games a year, I'm a lot more likely to go to a free event where I can meet Gordie Howe, Bobby Hull, etc., or to Jillians and meet some Thrashers players.

So if the NHL wants to partner with 790 to get the non-typical hockey fan to spend money to go to luncheons and "Evenings" then go right ahead, because those people won't be showing up for the game on January 30 against Pittsburgh. If non-typical hockey fans means "urban" then so be it.

Hate to break it to you, but the passionate hockey fan probably doesn't listen to 790 on a daily basis anyway (or 680 considering their dearth of hockey coverage except for game days).

 

[rho01]

Zone/Fan race breakdowns

Spring 2007, the Zone had a 48.1 percent African American audience, 0 percent Hispanic, 51.9% percent other (which includes whites, Asians and whatever else Arbitron construes in the racial department)

The Fan had a 76.8 percent "other" breakdown, 7.3% Hispanic and 15.9% African American.

I don't have breakdowns for specific dayparts, just overall.

 

[ChannelChanger]

The NHL:Marketing::Steak:Lack of Ego

 

[zoneguy]

Of course Mr. Shapiro and Mr Saltzman have no problem asking advertisers to tap funds from their urban marketing budget allocations to sponsor events and programming on 790 the Zone.

680 should get a transcript or recording of that rant and send it to some of the advertisers that have committed urban dollars to the Zone.

 

[TrafficBoss514]

I believe Westwood One has the NHL radio rights, and determinded which station would get the game.

The NHL has no say so, it is all up to Westwood.

 

[PST]

That's all fine and dandy except that 680 is the station that is actually broadcasting the game via Westwood One.

 

[Phronen]

680 stated on the air and in the paper that they were not promoting the NHL AllStar game because the NHL chose to put the game on an urban station rather than a sports station.

That's what set Steak off.

If that's the case, I can kinda see why Steak would be upset. Having not heard the rant, I can only guess that Steak's beef is with people saying his station is an "urban station rather than a sports station". 790 is a sports station regardless of what the makeup of their audience might be. I'd assume that's the point he was trying to make, but again, I didn't hear the rant so I'm just taking a guess based on what has been mentioned here. In other words, Steak didn't like the idea that 680 was trying to paint a picture of 680 being the only sports station in town.

 

[RTibbs]

680 stated on the air and in the paper that they were not promoting the NHL AllStar game because the NHL chose to put the game on an urban station rather than a sports station.

That's what set Steak off.

If that's the case, I can kinda see why Steak would be upset. Having not heard the rant, I can only guess that Steak's beef is with people saying his station is an "urban station rather than a sports station". 790 is a sports station regardless of what the makeup of their audience might be. I'd assume that's the point he was trying to make, but again, I didn't hear the rant so I'm just taking a guess based on what has been mentioned here. In other words, Steak didn't like the idea that 680 was trying to paint a picture of 680 being the only sports station in town.

That was exactly his point. We are a sports station but instead you are calling us an urban station. Because we have a higher rate of urban listeners does not make us less qualified to promote the hockey event. Steak said they were picked because Marketing is 790's stength.

Ratings aside you would have to live in a cave not realizing they are the master self-promoters and promoters of anything they put their efforts behind.

 

[zoneguy]

That was exactly his point. We are a sports station but instead you are calling us an urban station. Because we have a higher rate of urban listeners does not make us less qualified to promote the hockey event. Steak said they were picked because Marketing is 790's stength.

Ratings aside you would have to live in a cave not realizing they are the master self-promoters and promoters of anything they put their efforts behind.
[/quote]

No doubt, they have clearly been the better promotional vehicle of the two stations and that has been responsible for their ability to outsell 680 in spite of whatever the ratings have been. However, the 680 response to the NHL news clearly hit a nerve with Steak. With the ratings disparity bigger than ever, 680 is planting that seed of half the 790 audience is urban and the 790 audience is half the size of the 680 audience. So how good an option is the Zone if you are trying to reach the upscale white guy (which has always been the centerpiece of sports radio sales) especially if 790 is charging more per spot? The Zone is walking a tightrope with their advertisers right now and Steak knows it.

As for the NHL, since the urban audience is likely to ignore the NHL All Star game anyway, no matter what their promotional prowess, I am not sure the Zone is the better bet as a promotional partner than the station that has the Thrasers.