Steak Shapiro melts down on the air

[BuckNaked]

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.

Kincade's actual quote, which somehow seems to be missing on this thread despite being criticised, was, "The NHL chooses to 'partner' for the event with a station that has a majority urban audience."

As I see it, he did not say they weren't a sports station. He said they have a majority urban audience. What kills me is that we have to dance around saying African-American by saying urban. Is urban code for African-American or is it more inclusive? If it's more inclusive, who is it? According to the esteemed Mr. Ho, 790's audience is 48.1% African-American and 51.9% other. So, depending on your degree of political correctness, maybe 790's audience is majority urban.

 

[Phronen]

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.

Exactly.

 

[RTibbs]

I see Rodnay's blog has an excerpt from Kincade's blog. The very next sentence Kincade refers to urban stations in a veiled reference to the Zone. Kincade also takes offense to Steak attacking him. Who atttacked who first?

Talk about the pot calling the kettle urban?

 

[radioguy23]

Wow!!! I can't believe that this has blown up like this. Steak and 790 are the kings of promotion. Steak's blow up has already received attention in the AJC. The 2 stations have always seemed to dislike each other but it is reaching a new level with 790 slipping in the ratings. Has anyone ever seen the movie "From the hip" with JUdd Nelson? Nelson plays a defense attorney that coordinates his defense with the prosecutor and his prosecution. Nelson wins but they both get promotions when their "trial" attracts a ton of media attention. Sound familiar?

 

[LarryWachs]

At the end of the day he really is a nice guy, I'll give him that.

 

[LarryWachs]

^^^ Steak, that is. (Certainly not Kincaid!)

 

[monkeymanmoi]

I have no problem with Steak being angry over some perceived slight, but I think he needs to go seek out the definition of racism.

 

[LarryWachs]

Brisket went on the air to "clarify" (i.e. gloss things over), this morning and misquoted Kincaid again. "...a station that has a majority urban audience." was once again translated as "790 is an urban station". Certainly this is splitting hairs, but if you're going to come correct, come correct.

 

[atlsportsnut]

It was clear that there was some backtracking going on by Steak this morning.
I think that shows that he is a quality individual who just over-stepped a bit yesterday.
I did wonder the same thing, why not read the exact quotes and then there is no debate?
The reason is clearly that he knows what the term urban means in radio and wanted to spark a controversy.
It was evident today that he felt at least a little bad about it and wanted to back away from the statements.
That is a positive in my book.

 

[Stillatit]

It's the NHL. Less than 1% of the entire USA cares enough to listen WHEREVER the game is broadcast. In this country, beyond the Great Lakes region, very few people care or pay much attention.

 

[RTibbs]

It's the NHL. Less than 1% of the entire USA cares enough to listen WHEREVER the game is broadcast. In this country, beyond the Great Lakes region, very few people care or pay much attention.

Still the best screen name out there, How self-deprecating.

 

[zoneguy]

He protest too much or something like that. There was a clear and deliberate attempt by 790 to attract more urban listeners. The Stews were given afternoon drive, Chuck Smith was hired, The Hawks were acquired, Dennis Scott was brought on board, Home Team Brandon's role kept expanding etc.

I'm guessing that while this was taking place, Steak did not expect the erosion of his traditional (white) audience to be as dramatic as it has been. That probably goes back to Zone mentality that has always looked down at the programming of 680 and its audience as somehow being inferior to the outstanding (in his mind) product that he has been providing to the listeners. He just couldn't imagine his listeners wanting anything to do with the 680 product. It is that disrespect for the 680 product, it's hosts and audience that has the Zone in its current plight in the first place.

He now knows the urban strategy backfired to some extent (revenue is still good for now) so he is looking to try and win back some of that erosion. So this is good publicity for him to get the message out that the Zone is not as urban as it used to be without exactly saying so.

 

[knowsnews1]

And yet the irony in all this is that, for me, it wasn't the urban programming that drove me away from 790, but Steak Shapiro.

I had been a listener for a long time then, one day, it struck me; this guy is awful. Not funny, not insightful. Just a self centered, self promoting, all too loud blowhard who thinks he's the greatest thing in broadcasting.

I moved down the dial, and found 680. Yes, some of their hosts are arrogant, with a superiority complex, but, at times, they justify it by coming up with some well thought out, or well reasoned, insight.

Bottom line, for me anyway: 680's shows treat their audience as if we can think. 790's shows treat their audience as if we're lucky to have them around.

 

[STF]

I'm not a fan of Steak, but for the most part I don't get anything from 680. I switched to B&K more often when the Stews were on opposite them, but if I'm listening to sports talk in the afternoon I leave it on the Afternoon Saloon.

BTW it seems to me that B&K have dropped a lot of their corny sounders and intros to bits. Is that true?

 

[zoneguy]

Bottom line, for me anyway: 680's shows treat their audience as if we can think. 790's shows treat their audience as if we're lucky to have them around.

That is one of the most insightful snynopsis of the two stations I have ever read.

 

[LarryWachs]

The worst is when Steak tries to go into "morning zoo" host mode, trying to get wacky on the phone with a waitress in another city or something. Just completely witless. There's really nothing worse than an unfunny person who thinks he's funny.