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STEVE & VIKKI SCAM

I

itburnswhenipee

Guest
Item: Vikki Locke announces she is gravely ill, and too sick to be on the radio. Then, a few months later, Vikki announces she and Steve are back on the air on a rival radio station, with no mention of the grave illness.

Truth: Star 94 is looking for younger demographics and seeking a younger morning show to anchor the new format. If Star 94 fires Steve & Vikki, there would be a public backlash, and public embarassment, for dumping a morning team that has given the station 18 years of service. So, they fabricate a story about Vikki's health.

What a scam.
 
Kind of like Barnes leaving to be an actor or Sean Demery quitting infinity times for family reasons.
 
itburns said:
Item: Vikki Locke announces she is gravely ill, and too sick to be on the radio. Then, a few months later, Vikki announces she and Steve are back on the air on a rival radio station, with no mention of the grave illness.

Truth: Star 94 is looking for younger demographics and seeking a younger morning show to anchor the new format. If Star 94 fires Steve & Vikki, there would be a public backlash, and public embarassment, for dumping a morning team that has given the station 18 years of service. So, they fabricate a story about Vikki's health.

What a scam.
Click to expand...

I'm deeply disappointed if it is a scam and I'm thinking more and more it's true and so do many others in this industry. If you're terribly ill and decide to be off the air that's one thing BUT if you're not and to say it is another realm that is questionable! Being FIRED is part of this game we call radio and talent knows it. I'm so surprised that those who have been in this industry for decades just can't accept that fact or say the words. To quote Donald Trump from his show, "You're fired!" so accept it and deal with it! No one likes it but it's just reality for radio. Don't be a Leslie Fram and get upset about it and say otherwise no matter how long the company ALLOWS you to hang around due to your contract.
 
itburns said:
Item: Vikki Locke announces she is gravely ill, and too sick to be on the radio. Then, a few months later, Vikki announces she and Steve are back on the air on a rival radio station, with no mention of the grave illness.

Truth: Star 94 is looking for younger demographics and seeking a younger morning show to anchor the new format. If Star 94 fires Steve & Vikki, there would be a public backlash, and public embarassment, for dumping a morning team that has given the station 18 years of service. So, they fabricate a story about Vikki's health.

What a scam.
Click to expand...

I can say with the upmost confidence this was not a scam, on the part of the radio station, Vikki did have a blood clot.
Remember it was Vikki who announced her retirement because of her illness.
 
I really hope that those of you who are expressing concern, disappointment, or anger that Vikki may or may not have REALLY left due to illness do not posess male genitalia. That would really be sad.
 
wooder said:
I really hope that those of you who are expressing concern, disappointment, or anger that Vikki may or may not have REALLY left due to illness do not posess male genitalia. That would really be sad.
Click to expand...

What does gender have to do with it? That's sad to stereotype.
 
Spearhead said:
itburns said:
Item: Vikki Locke announces she is gravely ill, and too sick to be on the radio. Then, a few months later, Vikki announces she and Steve are back on the air on a rival radio station, with no mention of the grave illness.

Truth: Star 94 is looking for younger demographics and seeking a younger morning show to anchor the new format. If Star 94 fires Steve & Vikki, there would be a public backlash, and public embarassment, for dumping a morning team that has given the station 18 years of service. So, they fabricate a story about Vikki's health.

What a scam.
Click to expand...

I can say with the upmost confidence this was not a scam, on the part of the radio station, Vikki did have a blood clot.
Remember it was Vikki who announced her retirement because of her illness.
Click to expand...

Uh huh and your point is? Still questionable about an unexpected "retirement" and an even more surprising recovery and quick comeback to radio.
 
I'm not a true fan of Steve & Vikki's show BUT I am sure Steve had something to do with Vikki coming out of retirement. He probably begged her to come back. I don't think Vickie would go so far as to joke about a blood clot that could require her leaving Star 94. After many years on Star, it would definitely get tough for someone to leave the station. She probably had to be absolutely certain that she wanted to leave for her personal health (which is completely understandable). And I bet that B98.5 came to both personalities with an exciting and very tempting offer. Never say never to anything. Retirement can be temporary, even if at the time it's announced it seems like it will be permanent. I never once thought she would pull a scam and I don't think she did. I wouldn't say it's a scam at all. They're making radio comeback on another station months later (of course, out of their no-compete clause) but if she healed faster and got an opportunity that she couldn't pass up, why would she not want to go back into her career? Star's signing of the Morning Mess (as much as I don't like them) was based on Vikki retiring (Which led to Steve not being re-signed) and not coming back due to her health. I believe her. But from what I read, she healed faster and they already had the Morning Mess set to come on Star. So why would you assume this is a scam? Star couldn't hype The Morning Mess simply to shelve or cancel their show to bring back Steve & Vikki, could they?
 
I am sure she had a blood clot but why wait 6 months to start dealing with the underlying issue. Basically it is because the contract was not going to be renewed and a great way to save face and marketability for their next gig. It ain;t Rocket Science. If Barnes and Demery could figure that out so could a monkey.
 
Perhaps I can set the record straight. I have worked with both Steve and Vikki
on TV campaigns and know them both pretty well.

Vikki never said she was "retiring" from radio.
She also never said she was "gravely ill"
She had a blood clot in her arm that was found in the Fall of '06, The only reason I know
that is because we worked together on a TV campaign at the time it was found.
The clot was treated with medicine that would take a year to see if it disappeared.
(which after a year a half almost of treatment-she found out is had broken apart).

I do know that they are both too classy to talk about what went on inside that building,but
I know allot of people there thought the world of them,and they all say they we're treated very badly
at the end.

So if they're not your cup of tea on air....great,theres lots of choices...but there was not scam from these
two,and their success in mornings is well documented. No need to jump on this woman unfairly.
B98.5 was brilliant to go after them,and they will be perfect for that station,and take it to a level they've
never had before.
 
jinglemaker said:
Vikki never said she was "retiring" from radio. She also never said she was "gravely ill"
Click to expand...
I must have misunderstood that then.
jinglemaker said:
I do know that they are both too classy to talk about what went on inside that building,but
I know allot of people there thought the world of them,and they all say they we're treated very badly
at the end.
Click to expand...
What is up with that? I would never treat the morning show that draws numbers badly. Who would ever do that? I might not like the show to where I'd listen, but c'mon, that makes no sense from a business standpoint, even if they were planning on not renewing. Why would Star mistreat them like that??
jinglemaker said:
No need to jump on this woman unfairly.
B98.5 was brilliant to go after them,and they will be perfect for that station,and take it to a level they've
never had before.
Click to expand...
I wasn't jumping on her... B98.5 did great by picking them up. More buzz around what's going on at B98.5 generates interest in the station, I presume.
 
I came in late but appreciate those who jumped in to disreguard the skeptical start of this thread.
I know them both. Loyalty, integrity, and character apply to both. Their years of solid service speaks for itself. I think more people are disappointed that a station as solid as WSTR would have handled their end as it did. Remember Steve's last day? That wasn't a happy Steve. But you've never, ever heard him say an unkind word about his former employer. And in a world of cutbacks and efficiency a salute to Cox and Bob Neil for stepping up and paying for a team that will repay him many times over. This whole experience should restore some faith to all of us that there are some good radio company's out there after all.
 
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