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Tom Prestigiacomo

isanybodythere said:
I still don't get the Deberg/Montana analogy....what the hell is that??

Prestigaicomo doing talk would become obnoxious very quickly. You have to develope that style of radio over the years. Talking over intro's and into breaks is quite different than handling a talk show for 3 hours. Plus..if you're going to work for C.C. non ethnic talk...you damned well be a flaming conservative.
Tom will NOT be working on talk radio....ever. Book it. (by the way, Robbins does a pretty good job. The one thing I like is that he ballances the info and talk the way it should be done. you can't tell if he's a 'Lib' or 'Right winger'.)
Click to expand...

Having to explain it dilutes its purpose, but if you are analogy challenged, here goes: Steve DeBerg was a journeyman quarterback in the NFL, playing for six different teams over 17 seasons. In his career, he threw 196 touchdown passes and passed for over 34,000 yards. In other words, he was pretty good.

Even though the 49ers had a very adequate quarterback in Steve DeBerg, they drafted and signed Joe Montana in 1979. Joe was not exactly a hot property at the 1979 draft, going to the Niners in the third round with the 82nd overall pick (just after the Bucs picked Rick Berns and the Rams took Mike Wellman).

But 49ers coach Bill Walsh took the ball from DeBerg and gave it to Montana in Joe's rookie year. When the sun set on his San Francisco career, Montana had led the Niners to four Super Bowls, winning all of them.

So, in my opinion, the WREC program director has a chance to be Bill Walsh. I hope that clears it up for you.

As for your other point, you should read posts more carefully. I never said that I thought Tom would make a good talk show host. In fact, I think Tom would be completely out of his element taking calls on hot issues. I said that Tom would be a superb morning host. The most successful news/talk morning hosts are skilled pros who can weave all the different elements of a morning show into one spectacular quilt. Taking the handoff from news and tossing it to traffic, then to sports and on to entertainment and weather. You might even say the host is the quarterback of the morning team.

Do I think Tom could be the Joe Montana of the WREC morning show?

Yes I do.
 
I was always kinda partial to Roman Gabriel, myself.
 
I have to agree with Kenny on this one. Tom may or may not be able to do a 'talk' show, but I too think he would be a great anchor for a show with a cast of several other types... His delivery, up beat attitude and personality would work well.

It may even be time for him to look past radio and do a morning type show for TV. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I seem to recall him filling in for 5's morning show many years ago.
 
Kenny, your football/quarterback analogy for the morning show "host" slot was right out of the Oliver C. Reed playbook......and I agree, TP would be a great one.
 
KennyBosak said:
But 49ers coach Bill Walsh took the ball from DeBerg and gave it to Montana in Joe's rookie year. When the sun set on his San Francisco career, Montana had led the Niners to four Super Bowls, winning all of them.

So, in my opinion, the WREC program director has a chance to be Bill Walsh. I hope that clears it up for you.

Do I think Tom could be the Joe Montana of the WREC morning show?

Yes I do.
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Except for the fact that the "QB" in this illustration is in his 50s and WREC wouldn't have the benefit of a ROOKIE CONTRACT that was signed in 1979, the analogy seems...ummm...appropriate.

And Montana wasn't starter till 1980.

(Again, in defense of the current host)
 
OK. So here's a thought.......

After keeping up with this post the past couple of weeks, I have tried to ponder the situation at hand...(btw...I'm partial to Michael Vick) anyway...for those of us who have been in the biz for more than 5 years, we've all seen the ways the axe come down. Most recently with Steve, when he was let go, he was off the website, commercials were recut, and new jingles were on the air the next day. Also, when I have been around contract negotiations, I don't believe I have ever seen someone pulled off air until an agreement was reached. That being said, what if this may be a positive move? With Entercom gaining the CBS stations, and several posts on the few of their stations that are floundering, what if there is a physical move for Presto? They have 2 AM's that need retooling, and although some of you think that he wouldn't be a fit for talk, he and I used to talk about moving over to WMC-AM back in the day. For those of you who don't know him personally, he is more than just a "card reader" and talker over intros. He's pretty intellgent and a damn good trivia player! ;) Or, what if they switch places with him and CFKane in a move to better differentiate (sp?) 100 and RVR? Or, what if they flip Snap with him as the headliner? Was Lee Harvey Oswald the lone shooter?? hee Anyway. 1960 Union is noticibly quiet, Tom's still on the webpage......is he really gone? Talk amongst yourselves! ;D
 
Re: OK. So here's a thought.......

georgiapeach said:
1960 Union is noticibly quiet, Tom's still on the webpage......is he really gone? Talk amongst yourselves! ;D
Click to expand...

BINGO! :-X
 
I say bring back Preston Davis! He was the actual genius behind the funny bits at FM100. He could write a parody and do impersonations like nobody's business!! I think he was the true star of the FM 100 morning shows back in the mid to late 80's and early 90's. I always thought he never got enough credit as producer. Ron just got the rep cause his name was on the morning show but Preston is what made the show.
 
Peach may be on to something...and it doesn't exactly reflect very well on the radio business when we all immediately come to the conclusion he's been unceremoniously fired...but that's usually the case, unfortunately.

Preston Davis was an integral part of FM 100 mornings, and being a fan of actually funny bit-oriented morning shows I think the show was at its best when he was there.
 
I would like to compare Tom Prestigiacomo's departure to Andy Griffith. Andy lost Barney but picked up Goober, Floyd and Ken Barry. So, what would you rather do... keep the Joe Montana of Mayberry offer him more money..(Barney) or go with Steve Deberg (Floyd)? I say.... I would go with Steve Young...(Goober) or perhaps you look to the future with Trent Dilfer (Ken Barry). Geez.

Tom will do fine. He's not a talk show guy....unfortunately for him and others like him...radio as we know it is dying. Music radio cetainly. It's so sad.. to read this stuff. Like old radio'saurs', the handful of people on this site....remembering the old days and wallowing in the mud of what they thought was important at the time ..now knowing... it's all but forgotten.
 
My God, is Memphis the La Brea Tar Pit of radio?
 
So, I haven't actually read here if Tom is gone permanently or not (I'm sure its the alzheimers kicking in haha). Let me just chime in as a former, very short timed FM 100 alumn to say that I've never met or worked with a nicer or more professional radio personality than Tom Prestigiacomo. Tom is a friend who was there to offer encouraging words when I felt down, encouragement with regards to my career and a mentor... I've never really heard or met another radio person that I looked up to (except for Matt Albritton) the same way.

I'm sure that if Tom's gone, he is enjoying life to the fullest. I hope he visits this board and adds in his two cents.

Another thing I want to say is that all of you on this board are such good people. I'm very proud to call you all friends. Keep your heads up, those of you who are on the beach... I think radio is in for a turn around, and some of the crap that passes for radio may disappear in favor of a real station sometime soon. Jobs will open, I'm encouraged. I hope all of you ... 'never, never give up'..

Your FORMER moderator.
 
Damn...just thinking about you the other day....you still in the northeast??
 
Not to muddy the waters, but in our "for what it's worth" department... I just aired a "tell 'em Tom Presitigiacomo sent you" spot...
 
No, this was for the Melting Pot.
 
I just visited the FM 100 website, and Tom Prestigiacomo is nowhere to be found. That's a shame, too. I used to live in West Tennessee back in '81 (Jackson) and one of my favorite things to do would be to listen to FM 100. I remember the days of Tom, Memphis Mike Murphy and Andy Parks...what great radio that was! I hope wherever Tom goes, he has as much success as he did at FM 100. Rock on.


Jockamo
 
It must have just come down. He was listed as late as 8am today.

Truely the end of an era. I, too, worked with Tom -- in fact, I kept his chair warm for a couple of months while he was looking after his wife in her final days. He always kept a positive attitude, and, upon his return, was his old cheerful self.

Tom will take some time off, and we'll be seeing him about after that. No doubt about that.

DE
 
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