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WFAS RADIO LET DAVE ASHTON GO...

R

radiochikchick06

Guest
Dave Ashton...the Operations Manager and 3-7 weekday talent was let go on Friday April 24 by Curt Hanson and Kristen Okesson (new GM after Calarco and the one who holds the axe). Losing Dave Ashton is like having a thunderbolt hit the antenna on 365 Secor Rd...cutting off the station to dead air! The only hope that place has is Jay Michaels in the morning now...not to mention Mary DeSilva was bumped off to the weekend.
 
radiochikchick06 said:
Losing Dave Ashton is like having a thunderbolt hit the antenna on 365 Secor Rd...cutting off the station to dead air!
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I don't think I'd go THAT far...Dave certainly was a competent OM and air talent, but he ain't no Rick Sklar.
 
Shut off the tx and save some power.

P.S. Bob Barnum now does updates on the AM from 6-10, then does PM drive on the FM. Quite a long day for him.
What does he do between shifts? Sales? Clean the transmitter room? Chat with John Tesh??? ;)
 
luperm said:
Bob Barnum now does updates on the AM from 6-10, then does PM drive on the FM. Quite a long day for him.
What does he do between shifts? Sales? Clean the transmitter room? Chat with John Tesh??? ;)
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A great quote from P.T. Barnum (no relation) comes to mind...
 
Don't sell Dave short. He was a big part of the station looking and sounding good. Could have done more if the stuffed suits at ***-useless let him. He was offered a gig elsewhere hours afterwards. They paid for his move to get to New Hampshire and run the cluster. Obviously he has something to offer.

Barnum is doing what all radio people are doing when there are 5 jobs left for every 100 people. He is doing everything and more. Including kissing little brown holes.

No question the station is hurting. Poor Jay is on an island by himself in the morning.

Bernstein threw in the towel when ***-on-us lowered the hourly going rate to less than what Mickey-D's pays to flip burgers.
 
It's a giant cluster**** at 365 Secor Rd. The new GM (a former nanny, only in the biz 10 years and despised at her home base in Danbury) fired the Sales Manager and is doing his job AND pissing off clients left and right. The sales staff is now being surveilled by security cameras placed strategically around the sales area, pointed directly at the cubicles. Word is they are being recorded as well by the suits in Atlanta. Someone should call the FCC. Kurt Hanson, the guy who programs WEBE, is now running WFAS and let's just say Dave Ashton was truly the brains behind WFAS' success. Bob Barnum is the glue that is holding that place together and you know he's being led by the nose until Kurt finds an APD. He's having a tough time at that - he's blown off Al Bernstein (Hanson should be grateful a talent like Bernstein even inquired!), Mary Dasilva, and anyone else who was competent and loyal. Bob Taylor is in the running...I hope he's not so desperate he takes the job, it would be like selling your soul to the devil who just happens to have a corner office. Someone please offer Jay Michaels a job...he's too good for Cumulus and WFAS.
 
Frankie FM said:
It's a giant cluster**** at 365 Secor Rd. The new GM (a former nanny, only in the biz 10 years and despised at her home base in Danbury) fired the Sales Manager and is doing his job AND pissing off clients left and right. The sales staff is now being surveilled by security cameras placed strategically around the sales area, pointed directly at the cubicles. Word is they are being recorded as well by the suits in Atlanta. Someone should call the FCC. Kurt Hanson, the guy who programs WEBE, is now running WFAS and let's just say Dave Ashton was truly the brains behind WFAS' success. Bob Barnum is the glue that is holding that place together and you know he's being led by the nose until Kurt finds an APD. He's having a tough time at that - he's blown off Al Bernstein (Hanson should be grateful a talent like Bernstein even inquired!), Mary Dasilva, and anyone else who was competent and loyal. Bob Taylor is in the running...I hope he's not so desperate he takes the job, it would be like selling your soul to the devil who just happens to have a corner office. Someone please offer Jay Michaels a job...he's too good for Cumulus and WFAS.
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Frankie,

How do you know all of this stuff about the goings on at WFAS?
 
I heard (through a freind of a freind- no one that works there) that they asked the woman who was the OM/PD before Ashton to come back. She declined.

The station is basically begging for advertising on the air and account clerks. It is kind of sad. Take a listen!

The AM side is a horror show too. The person doing it now is technically incompetent and sounds like he is 4 weeks out of CSB.
 
As a former employee of WFAS it saddens me to see how the station has declined in recent times. Dave Ashton was a good guy and "the woman who was the OM/PD before Ashton" (Emily) did a good job too when the format was a bit softer. Mary DeSilva was a great air talent. Poor Bob...I'm sure he's got his hands full. At least he has a job (for now).
 
I agree, but I need to add that Mary DeSilva still IS a great radio personality. A new GM should seriously consider bringing her back to at least do PM drive when the smoke clears.

She and Jay would be good people to re-build around.
 
When the smoke clears, the station will be sold. Once they get that move to the Bronx done, say goodbye to WFAS-FM on 103.9. Maybe they'll try to keep something going on 106.3, but that Mt. Kisco stick doesn't get out well at all.
 
luperm said:
Maybe they'll try to keep something going on 106.3, but that Mt. Kisco stick doesn't get out well at all.
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On wonders if they will (or can) try to change the city of license for 106.3? In any case, I wish good luck to Dave Ashton. Sounds like he landed a great gig in N.H.!
 
The new GM has bitten off more than she can chew and it's painfully noticeable. 106.3 is worthless at this point...switching to a Country format (according to someone who works there) isn't going to help anything. It will be voicetracked along with syndicated programming. 103.9 has been destroyed. Jay Michaels is the only thing keeping the station alive. They will use Bob Barnum until they have no more use for him. It's really a shame how the station has deteriorated over the last six months. There is no local sound or flavor, it's NOT serving the community, it's NOT serving the listeners, it's trying and failing to pull the wool over everyone's eyes. A classic example of BAD RADIO MANAGEMENT. And the surveillance cameras in the sales area are still up and recording.
 
Towerclimber31 said:
I heard (through a freind of a freind- no one that works there) that they asked the woman who was the OM/PD before Ashton to come back. She declined.

The station is basically begging for advertising on the air and account clerks. It is kind of sad. Take a listen!

The AM side is a horror show too. The person doing it now is technically incompetent and sounds like he is 4 weeks out of CSB.
Click to expand...
 
Have you heard her commercial? "I'm looking for a champion..." Who wrote that junk? She sounds like she's 12 years old. How sad.
 
When the smoke clears, the station will be sold. Once they get that move to the Bronx done, say goodbye to WFAS-FM on 103.9. Maybe they'll try to keep something going on 106.3, but that Mt. Kisco stick doesn't get out well at all.

The move to the Bronx can't happen. Cumulus isn't investing a dime into this place or anywhere else. They don't have the money to build/move. Industry known fact. Especially when this won't give them a city grade signal.

No one is buying the place. Radio stations are essentially "Edsels" and it is 1965. A Charlie in the box, Train with square wheels. Radio stations aren't selling for squat these days. Industry known fact.

The only way this move happens is if the buyer moves the stick. The price would have to reflect that which won't happen.

It will go dark before it moves.

106-3 isn't going country either. Country won't sell in Westchester. It would be the same as an all-Carpenters station. No one will admit to liking it, hence, it can't be sold. Nevermind the signal stinks.
 
Lando Griffin said:
I agree, but I need to add that Mary DeSilva still IS a great radio personality. A new GM should seriously consider bringing her back to at least do PM drive when the smoke clears.

She and Jay would be good people to re-build around.
Click to expand...

Mary is back...heard on the radio .... talent doesnt go that easy!
 
I also like to conclude this topic as Dave Ashton has a landed a dream gig in New Hampshire...like I said...talent just doesnt go away that easily. WFAS will survive.............

;)
 
Dave Ashton had his gig about 5 hours after he was let go. He is doing well and loving life without the anvil swinging over his head.

The only surprise about Mary being back in the afternoons is that it took the stuffed suits 2 months to make it happen. For the rest of the world, this was a no-brainer. She is sounding great and her following is pleased as well.

WFAS will be better than fine. They will be fine faster if the stuffed suits would just let the folks do their jobs.
 
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