Updated views of The Zackster

[nativeatlanta]

The Zackster has been on the air for a few weeks. Anybody care to comment about his show: Still the same,gotten better,gotten worse,don't care.
Also, will DAVE FM be able to make it another year or is format change on the way?

 

[OutOfTheBiz]

ZT may be a great guy, but he is simply not ready to be leading a morning show in a Top 10 market. I think we are REALLY seeing the fallout from what many of us feared years ago as corporate consolidation, voicetracking and downsizing took hold: There is no more training ground for new talent. No overnight shifts anywhere, small markets are all using syndicated morning shows, and even medium-markets are voicetracked to the hilt. How and where does the next generation of talent hone it's skills?

Just in the last few months we have TWO morning shows with little or no experience, and a mid-day jock making the leap from Columbus, GA to Market 8. Congratulations Clear Channel et al. Reap what you have sown.

 

[RoddyFreeman]

ZT may be a great guy, but he is simply not ready to be leading a morning show in a Top 10 market.

I'm not going to defend how Zakk sounds. But I do want to point out he did afternoon drive in Chicago, had #1 ratings in men 18-49, and won awards (R&R, etc.).

 

[FakeFlam]

I was harshly critical during his first week and my impression hasn't changed much. I've tried to sample a dozen times or so since and I just can't stand the show. If others enjoy, that's great -- I just don't see it.

 

[wooder]

ZT may be a great guy, but he is simply not ready to be leading a morning show in a Top 10 market.

I'm not going to defend how Zakk sounds. But I do want to point out he did afternoon drive in Chicago, had #1 ratings in men 18-49, and won awards (R&R, etc.).

Yes, but that can be misleading, Roddy. He wasn't doing a personality-driven show. At least not on the same level as morning drive. In fact, his employer (I think it was the Loop) canned him because they wanted a more personality-based jock in that slot.

 

[TheRealOtherNeil]

ZT may be a great guy, but he is simply not ready to be leading a morning show in a Top 10 market.

I'm not going to defend how Zakk sounds. But I do want to point out he did afternoon drive in Chicago, had #1 ratings in men 18-49, and won awards (R&R, etc.).

I never get to mix it up with Roddy, so here goes...I highly doubt your comment about Zakk being number one in men 18-49. Zakk had to go up against powerhouses like: WBBM-AM, WGN-AM, WGCI-FM, WVAZ-FM and personalties like Steve Dahl, who has owned that key demo for about 20 years. In addition, any success that Zakk may have had at WLUP was solely related to the station and NOT Zakk. The Loop is a heritage station in Chi-town. Their 30 year history is too storied for this small of a space.

I can't site exact numbers for Zakk but if he was so popular and delivered solid numbers, why did Emmis not renew his contract after only two years?

Let's face it, hiring Zakk at DAVE was a mistake. They are stuck with him for at least two years. In early 2010, (doesn't that seem along way off?) the positive changes Margot has made in music programming will either bear fruit or the frequency will change formats.

 

[wooder]

ZT may be a great guy, but he is simply not ready to be leading a morning show in a Top 10 market.

I'm not going to defend how Zakk sounds. But I do want to point out he did afternoon drive in Chicago, had #1 ratings in men 18-49, and won awards (R&R, etc.).

I never get to mix it up with Roddy, so here goes...I highly doubt your comment about Zakk being number one in men 18-49. Zakk had to go up against powerhouses like: WBBM-AM, WGN-AM, WGCI-FM, WVAZ-FM and personalties like Steve Dahl, who has owned that key demo for about 20 years. In addition, any success that Zakk may have had at WLUP was solely related to the station and NOT Zakk. The Loop is a heritage station in Chi-town. Their 30 year history is too storied for this small of a space.

I can't site exact numbers for Zakk but if he was so popular and delivered solid numbers, why did Emmis not renew his contract after only two years?

Let's face it, hiring Zakk at DAVE was a mistake. They are stuck with him for at least two years. In early 2010, (doesn't that seem along way off?) the positive changes Margot has made in music programming will either bear fruit or the frequency will change formats.

There is absolutely no chance GM Rick Caffey keeps him the length of his deal. No way. Let's all remember that this is the same company that hired Moby to do mornings and fired him 6 month into his deal. PD Mike Wheeler has pulled off one of the worst hires in Atlanta radio in many years and I'm guessing the people who hired Wheeler are now wondering if they didn't do the same.

 

[RoddyFreeman]

I never get to mix it up with Roddy, so here goes...I highly doubt your comment about Zakk being number one in men 18-49. Zakk had to go up against powerhouses like: WBBM-AM, WGN-AM, WGCI-FM, WVAZ-FM and personalties like Steve Dahl, who has owned that key demo for about 20 years.

Neil, if you're saying I made that up, which is what your comment implies, I didn't and wouldn't. If you're just saying it's incorrect, that's another story, but I did read it.

Once again, I was not defending how Zakk sounds. I was just responding to OutoftheBiz's comment about jocks being ready for a major market.

By the way, I doubt either WGN or WBBM has really big 18-49 ratings; 35-64 and 35+, yes, but not 18-49.

 

[OutOfTheBiz]

Once again, I was not defending how Zakk sounds. I was just responding to OutoftheBiz's comment about jocks being ready for a major market.

To clarify, I didn't say Zakk wasn't ready for a major market - I said he wasn't ready to be leading a morning show in a Top 10 market. Big Difference.

 

[TheRealOtherNeil]

I never get to mix it up with Roddy, so here goes...I highly doubt your comment about Zakk being number one in men 18-49. Zakk had to go up against powerhouses like: WBBM-AM, WGN-AM, WGCI-FM, WVAZ-FM and personalties like Steve Dahl, who has owned that key demo for about 20 years.

Neil, if you're saying I made that up, which is what your comment implies, I didn't and wouldn't. If you're just saying it's incorrect, that's another story, but I did read it.

Once again, I was not defending how Zakk sounds. I was just responding to OutoftheBiz's comment about jocks being ready for a major market.

By the way, I doubt either WGN or WBBM has really big 18-49 ratings; 35-64 and 35+, yes, but not 18-49.

Roddy, maybe your source is the same one that Bush used on WMDs. I just can't believe that Zakk beat V103, WGCI, WOJO, Dahl or WXRT in 18-49 males. If he did, was it consistently or one book? Or was it the book when Johnny B came back to the Loop? Was it white males 18-49? Any general manager can make their station number one in anything. B98.5 has been "Atlanta's number one station to listen to at work" for over a decade.

You are correct on WGN. They usually trend 65-death. WBBM does well 18-49. They are a straight news station; no right-wing political hokum.

I would never say you made it up, I just doubt the veracity of the statement.

 

[raptusregaliter]

The only time I stop on Dave in the mornings is if they are playing a song I want to hear. I can't understand why anyone would think this guy is appealing. He may be nice and all, but I just can't stand to listen to him.

On second thought, in re his appeal to a possible demo, I could literally see him doing well on a Disney-radio type setup that targets children. I'll bet they would love his voice.

 

[RoddyFreeman]

WBBM does well 18-49. They are a straight news station

Yes, Neil, WBBM is an all-news station, as are WCBS, KNX, KCBS and others. All news stations do not do well 18-49. They skew older:

http://wargod.arbitron.com/scripts/ndb/audience2.asp

 

[AMCM]

On second thought, in re his appeal to a possible demo, I could literally see him doing well on a Disney-radio type setup that targets children. I'll bet they would love his voice.

This goes back to when I said he sounds like a cartoon character. I could see him voicing a muppett.

 

[taylorengineer]

I got my hair cut yesterday and the lady who did the deed went on for several minutes about how much she liked the new morning show on DAVE.
(The conversation came about because everytime the phone rang next door her radio cut out)

 

[OutOfTheBiz]

I got my hair cut yesterday and the lady who did the deed went on for several minutes about how much she liked the new morning show on DAVE.
(The conversation came about because everytime the phone rang next door her radio cut out)

Further proof of the common disconnect between people who work in radio and the average listener.

 

[winreader]

I got my hair cut yesterday and the lady who did the deed went on for several minutes about how much she liked the new morning show on DAVE.
(The conversation came about because everytime the phone rang next door her radio cut out)

Further proof of the common disconnect between people who work in radio and the average listener.

Yes, one woman who cuts hair likes DAVE-FM in the morning. Give Zakk syndication already.

 

[taylorengineer]

All the hair cuttin' girls said their least favorite stations were the ones with people who read the news.They wanted to know if people really get paid for reading the news. After all....how much intelligence does it take to READ news they asked?

 

[mshawnarnold]

Is it as much or more than people who apply scissors to hair for a living?

 

[Jan Rx]

I listen to his morning show via the internet even though the music is not my favorite. While the first week was rocky, the show has really started to come together. He does a good job with guests, involving listeners, and topical discussions. I don't work in radio so as a previous post says -- the average listener may be looking for something in a radio show that doesn't resonate with the folks who do work in radio. Bottom line...I like the show and I think he is doing a good job.

 

[Uriah]

Best line I've heard to describe Dave: The clowns are running the circus. How do you put Bart Simpson in mornings and Fran Drescher in Midday on the smartest music format in town?