The Official Infinity Cleveland Speculation Thread

[OldAkronite]

Let's bounce off a recent item in the Mighty Blog of Northeast Ohio Media Fun(tm):

<a target="_blank" href=http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com/2005/08/why-september-22nd-could-be-big-day-at.html>http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com/2005/08/why-september-22nd-could-be-big-day-at.html</a>

The upshot of all this - rumored changes in the works in Chicago could filter down to Cleveland, in particular a move to install "Mancow" in mornings at Chicago's Infinity-owned FM talker (replacing Howard Stern, early), and a move to syndicate him to at least 6 other of Infinity's Stern affiliates...if this all happens as being negotiated.

How does it impact Rover, 92.3 and 98.5? Does it lose Rover soon-to-be-ex-Stern affiliates in the Midwest? Does it cement a September timetable for massive changes long rumored in the Infinity Cleveland cluster? (i.e. possibly moving 92.3's Xtreme format to 98.5, installing JACK FM somewhere in the cluster, etc.)

Discuss. Again, all of this, Cleveland-wise, is pure speculation. I have no inside information there beyond what's already been rumored elsewhere.

-OA<P ID="signature">______________
Ohio Media Watch - <a target="_blank" href=http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com>http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com</a></P>

 

[DrC]

> The upshot of all this - rumored changes in the works in
> Chicago could filter down to Cleveland, in particular a move
> to install "Mancow" in mornings at Chicago's Infinity-owned
> FM talker (replacing Howard Stern, early), and a move to
> syndicate him to at least 6 other of Infinity's Stern
> affiliates...if this all happens as being negotiated.
>
> How does it impact Rover, 92.3 and 98.5? Does it lose Rover
> soon-to-be-ex-Stern affiliates in the Midwest?

It'll be a wash in the end...any ex-Stern stations that pick up Mancow will come crawling back to Rover/Roth/Carolla to salvage their nonexistant morning ratings within three months.

 

[JohnnyMorganWXJX]

> It'll be a wash in the end...any ex-Stern stations that pick
> up Mancow will come crawling back to Rover/Roth/Carolla to
> salvage their nonexistant morning ratings within three
> months.
>

I wouldn't be so sure. I'm not all the certain (OK, I doubt seriously) that David Lee Roth will be able to hold a coherent conversation with an audience for 4 hours. Even at his height of Van Halen days in the 1980s he could barely talk. Have you heard him recently? He sounds like my garbage disposal on speed, and pitched up 8%.

Plus, like the Mickey Dolenz experiment on WCBS-FM, Infinity has this idea that because the target audience may know you as performer of the songs heard on said station, that automatically you will be (a) a good host, and (b) an audience draw. Neither worked in Dolenz's case--and he could actually talk. Where's WCBS-FM now?

Adam Carolla actually has some radio background, even though his national claim to fame is TV (like Carson Daly, and unlike Ryan Seacrest).

So, I guess my point is that there's starving radio guys out there who have lots of talent--many of them post on this board, myself included, not to be obnoxious--and Stern (a veritable talent, when he wants to be) is replaced by a two-bit, incoherent, 80s-band has-been. And you know he's not working cheap.

Excuse me while I go stick my head in the oven...

 

[adz]

What's interesting is that Stern is having a great week of radio this week..they've even pulled out some of the classic bumpers this week..but you can feel the countdown clock is starting..

If you read FMQBs writeup of Carolla calling in to Stern Thursday Morning, nothing has been signed, and he comes across as a man not really wanting the gig..he's talking about doing a lot of pre recorded stuff..

David Lee Roth is about Stern's age..not exactly a selling point for a guy starting a radio career..God help whoever is stuck with producing him..

Mancow has worked in Chicago...but his record in syndication is not a pretty picture..I wonder if Lex and Terry, out of Jacksonville, might be a stop gap for a lot of folks wondering in what direction Infinty might take them..

I also can't wait for the Stern T-V version to come to InDemand..the money Howard and the gang are going to make over the next five years could be staggering..