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"Thanks for putting me on!"

D

Dave Barber

Guest
Yesterday, Paul Harvey hadn't even finished his show before I was told I had finished mine. In a three-minute meeting, GM Barbara Haynes and PD Paul Giammarco, took my key to the Brine Broadcasting Center. One year after they invited me here to audition on-air, then moved me halfway across the continent to work here, they told me they couldn't tell me why I was being let go. Like Arlene Violet getting the bum's rush at WHJJ, I didn't get a chance to say goodbye, on-air, to the wonderful people who lit up my phone lines and lit up my show every weekday. And I won't say goodbye here either. I'll simply say, 'stay tuned...'

WPRO is a very fine radio station and I loved every minute. I only wish I could have fulfilled the 2 years and 2 months remaining on my contract.

I wish all of the visitors to this board the very best in 2007. Thanks too for your interest in the show and the many compliments and criticisms.

Dave Barber
[email protected]
 
Dave,
Good luck to you. I was horrified when you came here and Matt Allen was pushed out.
I heard you really wanted to wind up at WJR to then retire. Hope that happens for you..
Again, hope things work out for you .
 
When WHJJ let Arlene Violet say goodbye, she had people calling saying HJJ should rot in Hell.
WPRO did what radio stations do. It happened to me several years ago.
I expect you'll snap right back.

I'm not going to be a two face now . I was told your book was 'poor' thats the nature of the business. You know that better than most. It's a nasty business.
It's a class move for you to post here I'll say that, and I'll just leave it at that. Walter.
 
Hey Dave, you have a distinct sounding voice which was comforting in a similar way to Paul Harvey's. I wouldn't take it personal. You wern't bad. I just think WPRO had a down book and they went in panic mode. It doesn't make you a bad host at all. It just makes WPRO a station who is unsure about direction. They want to improve things, but it's apparent that they don't really know how. We'll see what brainstorm idea they come up with next. It probably won't pull in half the ratings that you did.

You may have been let go, but in reality you are the winner in all this. I assume you'll get paid for the next two years to just sit home since the station broke your contract. Pretty cool for you if you ask me. Enjoy the free money.

Secondly you'll have the opportunity to find work in another city you may like even better. Look at this has a new beginning. Life doesn't end with one little rinky dink radio station saying goodbye. There are thousands more out there. The best is yet to come for Dave Barber.

Good Luck to you and thanks for the memories.
 
Sky-

Thanks for your post, but PLEASE let the reord indicate they are NOT paying me for 2 years! More like 8 weeks.

Cheers,

Dave
 
WPRO maybe redeeming itself.
Barber came here because HOLLAND COOKE pushed him here. Allen got pushed aside on his AZZ.
Dave,
Did you ever really care about what was going on in RI?
You pushed that Casino like a child.
You pushed that gangster Mollis.
You were a champion of the Seedy.
To you it was all a big joke.
Call Holland, I'm sure he can meddle in some other station , get someone fired for his'PALLY' Dave.
 
"No good deed goes unpunished."

Hey, don't sugar-coat it.
Say how you REALLY feel.

But seriously...

I can't comment on this until next week.
Wednesday soonest. Maybe Thursday.
As Dave said above, "stay tuned..."

One prediction I CAN offer at this time:
Earlier musing here about the possibility Raina Smith would be joining The Dan Yorke Show?
Bet against it.
 
I hate this pushing people out the door crap. It's nothing short of cruel. A guy picks up his life and moves half way across the country, only to get a three minute meeting and a kick in the ass. The station doesn't even have the balls to tell the guy why he's being let go. Are they scared to confront people over there???

The official coward station Newstalk Radio 630 WPRO.

WPRO is welcome to tell me why they fired Dave. Then I'll tell him. At least he wouldn't have to look at his wall muttering "WHY" all day. Give the guy some freaking respect!

People wonder why I have soured on Radio. Who the hell wants to deal with this kind of crap?
 
I have since been told I am being replaced by John Di Pretro. Did I get the spelling right? I also heard he had filed a complaint once with the FCC against WPRO. It does not pay to be a nice guy. I wonder if Paul will have the balls to meet with him each day to discuss the topics? Better yet, he might relagate that to the Asst. PD Ms Haynes.
 
Well, no talk shows for us, till Helen, and if she does not stop on and on about illegals, she will be a host of the past in this home. I agree that it needs to be stopped, but, to continually go on about it, when the government does not pay attention, our hands are tiedl

I wish you well in endeavors and health.
 
I hate this pushing people out the door crap. It's nothing short of cruel. A guy picks up his life and moves half way across the country, only to get a three minute meeting and a kick in the ass. The station doesn't even have the balls to tell the guy why he's being let go. Are they scared to confront people over there???

The official coward station Newstalk Radio 630 WPRO.
Click to expand...

WPRO's been a revolving door for years.
 
Dave is right. It doesn't pay to be a nice guy. Howard Stern always bashed his PD's and General Managers on the air. He has since been rewarded with a $500 Million Dollar Contract. This is the reward of holding true to yourself. Never let Management bully you around. They have no loyalty towards you. So why have any towards them? Just so they can take your key and tell you to go away? It's not worth it.

I would consult a lawyer about getting the rest of your contract paid out. Unless it was written that they would only pay you for 8 weeks if they let you go. Under those circumstances I guess your hands would be tied. Chalk it up as a lesson learned.

Once again I wish you well Dave. Once you get a new gig please post here and let us know where we can tune in to hear you. "Internet stream or otherwise".

Good luck with everything!
 
"WPRO's been a revolving door for years."

It wasn't always that way.

Other than Gary DeGraide, for-whom the station created a new position, nobody came-or-went during my six years there, '74-80.
 
I would consult a lawyer about getting the rest of your contract paid out. Unless it was written that they would only pay you for 8 weeks if they let you go. Under those circumstances I guess your hands would be tied.
Click to expand...

Depends on RI law. But bogus Citadel "contracts" are generally just at-will employment deals written down on paper.
 
I knew something was up this morning when I heard Matt and they never mentioned the "Dave Barber Show". I'll admit I was a fan of the show, I didn't always agree but then that is the nature of "good" talk radio. I'll miss your show, Dave. As far as your replacement goes, I would listen to Matt but this other clown that is coming back.............no way. WPRO just lost one more from the morning show.

Good luck Dave and I hope you will be back on air in this market.
 
Dave best of luck to you and I hope you stay in the area.
I was not a fan of yours at first but grew to enjoy your style over time.
Hope we hear from you again and soon.
 
>>Say it isn't sooooooooooooooooo?

From DePetro's site:
>>Very soon
Tuesday, February 6
I will have good news very soon. Check back in 24 hours.

Either he's about to announce the WPRO gig, or he's just save a bunch of money on his
car insurance by switching to GEICO. ::)
 
Now THAT'S funny!

Great line about Geico.

Good morning from Big D, Dallas; and the 2007 Radio Advertising Bureau convention.

A thousand radio SALES MANAGERS, all in one place.
Most named Cheri.
Or Shari.
Or Sherry.

GREAT eye contact and firm handshake.
Professional teeth-whitening.
And GREAT jokes-you-haven't-heard-yet.
Sales people know all the good jokes first.

If I had my career to do-over, I might have chosen Sales.
I'm a career programmer, but found out, late-in-the-game, that Sales is FUN.

But, back in college, when I started in radio, on-air seemed like the sexier side of the business...

(Cue harp swirl, and blurry video "flashback" effect. Suddenly, my hair is dark again.)

There I was, up in the Springfield area.
Working part-time and summers at stations there.
Daydreaming of...someday...being on WPRO.
I had a button set for 630 in my 63 VW Beetle.
(I'll bet that thing is still on the road somewhere.)

How could I not-have-noticed THIS? Each year, on Christmas afternoon, I'd be in a studio. And every time I pushed a button, some rep, at home, with a living room full of friends and family, made $6.

(Cue harp swirl, and blurry video "flashback" effect -- back to present day)

As so many on-air jobs have been gobbled-up by post-consolidation automation/syndication/voicetracking/etc., lots of on-air people have transitioned to Sales...and some of 'em have found lots of creature comfort there. Many now own the BIG-screen flat-panel HDTV, y'know? They applied their gift-of-gab to SELLING.

HC
www.HollandCooke.com
 
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