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What do you think about New Jersey 101.5's "talent search" for their new host?

E

eGillCVI

Guest
New Jersey 101.5 has always sounded so "major market" compared to the rest of the stations in the area. But this sort of talent search thing seems like "Podunk Radio" or something. Maybe I'm crazy...

That said, I used to love New Jersey 101.5 before Millennium started running the joint. If this contest was happening ten years ago, I would have jumped at the opportunity to audition!

Nowadays, I have such trouble even listening to the station, I doubt I could work with those people. (The only one I'd want to deal with is only there for a month and she does her show from Arizona!) Also...how are people going to get all the time off to audition? I'd lose my job if I left work often enough to be in the talent search. (Will it be a bunch of unemployed folks trying out?!)

Even though it seems out of place for a station like New Jersey 101.5, it's a fun idea and I'd like to hear it play out (although I won't be listening unless portions of it take place during Roberta's show).
 
To me it seems like a stunt. As judi put it it's borderline "American Idol" I would have thought NJ 101.5 would have more professionalism - instead they made a game out of it.

Before letting someone like Mary go don't you think it would have been wise to have someone who has talent and can stay for more than a month?
 
> To me it seems like a stunt. As judi put it it's borderline
> "American Idol" I would have thought NJ 101.5 would have
> more professionalism - instead they made a game out of it.
>
> Before letting someone like Mary go don't you think it would
> have been wise to have someone who has talent and can stay
> for more than a month?
>

As I mentioned when I tried to start the same string down below, I think , if I recall that is how Mary originally got her start
 
Eagle, you know it's a stunt. Everybody knows it's a stunt. But thank you for the conversation-starter.

As most people in the biz know, help wanted postings are also mostly fakes. Jobs are posted largely to appease the EEOC. Packages go immediately to the round file without ever being considered. Only the Post Office benefits (and now, as more people email resumes and mp3 files, even the Post Office is out in the cold).

With Star Search contests, most of the time there is not a winner. Sometimes a winner gets a brief run as a prize and then promptly disappears. Once in a great while, somebody wins the lottery and that's enough to keep the marks in the game (when John Ogden won NBC10's star search, they both got lucky).

Out of place on NJ101.5? No way. The station is known for cheezy promotional stunts. And they have hired some out-of-left-field clunkers in the past, like the kid who did the after-Mary talk-about-your-sex-life program, which had a mercifully brief run a couple of years ago. Yes, I know some people liked it but apparently not enough, and reportedly the show's content made it a legal-regulatory liability.

This contest is very much NJ101.5's kind of thing.
Then the PD will hire one of his friends, or one of his consultant's friends, or one of his bosses' friends.
 
You're right, that is how Mary got her start, but at the time it was appropriate. The station was totally different. They were all about NJ then and just starting out. They've been established for over 10 years now and it seems inappropriate for an established talk station to be searching for undiscovered "talent". I would expect "the largest talk station in the country" as Craig often tells us, to have higher standards. And didn't they learn their lesson when they put Michelle Gerson on the air with no experience?!

Besides, you're right. Management probably already knows which one of their buddies they're going to hire anyway.

I will again state that it's sad for me to watch the changes at a once great station. Now they're about stunts & shock talk instead of substance. So sad. Maybe Millennium is milking it for as long as they can and then they'll sell.

> As I mentioned when I tried to start the same string down
> below, I think , if I recall that is how Mary originally got
> her start
>
 
I certainly don't agree with their politics and I hate how they've ruined the once-great station...but they know exactly what they're doing. Sometimes, maximizing profits requires selling out or doing completely appalling things. And it works for them: The ratings are sky-high...except of course at night. There's a reason for that: Mary Walters sucked.

I assume she only got back in because she worked with that little Andy fella who came along with Millennium. I can't imagine her ratings were higher than those of her predecessor in the slot. The show was bad before she left the first time and it was bad when they brought it back for no apparent reason!

I doubt very much that Millennium has any patterns on selling New Jersey 101.5. It's the lynchpin of everything else they have going on!


> You're right, that is how Mary got her start, but at the
> time it was appropriate. The station was totally different.
> They were all about NJ then and just starting out. They've
> been established for over 10 years now and it seems
> inappropriate for an established talk station to be
> searching for undiscovered "talent". I would expect "the
> largest talk station in the country" as Craig often tells
> us, to have higher standards. And didn't they learn their
> lesson when they put Michelle Gerson on the air with no
> experience?!
>
> Besides, you're right. Management probably already knows
> which one of their buddies they're going to hire anyway.
>
> I will again state that it's sad for me to watch the changes
> at a once great station. Now they're about stunts & shock
> talk instead of substance. So sad. Maybe Millennium is
> milking it for as long as they can and then they'll sell.
>
> > As I mentioned when I tried to start the same string down
> > below, I think , if I recall that is how Mary originally
> got
> > her start
> >
>
 
Wow!! I grew breasts!! My wife is going to be upset!!

Let me guess, because I didn't trash her - then I must be her? I haven't trashed anyone on this board - not my style.


> Cooker 1968 is Mary Walter...oops did I say that?
>
 
> You're right, that is how Mary got her start, but at the
> time it was appropriate. The station was totally different.
> They were all about NJ then and just starting out.

Revisionist history much? Mary was on 101.5 in 2001-2002, well beyond the point of the station "just starting out". The station was already 10 years old by the time Mary came on, and already well-established. The station made its bones in 1991 with the Florio mess.

In terms of scope, topics, and subject matter, Mary's show was the least Jersey focused than any of the five talk shows on the station.
 
> > You're right, that is how Mary got her start, but at the
> > time it was appropriate. The station was totally
> different.
> > They were all about NJ then and just starting out.
>
> Revisionist history much? Mary was on 101.5 in 2001-2002,
> well beyond the point of the station "just starting out".
> The station was already 10 years old by the time Mary came
> on, and already well-established. The station made its
> bones in 1991 with the Florio mess.
>
> In terms of scope, topics, and subject matter, Mary's show
> was the least Jersey focused than any of the five talk shows
> on the station.
>
Mary's first run on NJ101.5 was in the early 90's. I left the station in 1991, and she started just about that time.
 
Check your history - Mary started back in the early 90s about a year or so after KICKS 101 1/2 changed over to talk.

As far as Mary's show being not very Jersey focused - of course - the focus was relationships, was it not? At least Mary was born and raised and LIVED in NJ (unlike most of the present air staff!)



> Revisionist history much? Mary was on 101.5 in 2001-2002,
> well beyond the point of the station "just starting out".
> The station was already 10 years old by the time Mary came
> on, and already well-established. The station made its
> bones in 1991 with the Florio mess.
>
> In terms of scope, topics, and subject matter, Mary's show
> was the least Jersey focused than any of the five talk shows
> on the station.
>
 
My apology - I didn't see this.

Never mind.

> Mary's first run on NJ101.5 was in the early 90's. I left
> the station in 1991, and she started just about that time.
>
 
> As far as Mary's show being not very Jersey focused - of
> course - the focus was relationships, was it not?

The whole point of your argument was that Mary was the lynchpin of the Jersey focus of the station. You were crying that now with Mary gone, the station is no longer about Jersey. Which leads us into...

> At least
> Mary was born and raised and LIVED in NJ (unlike most of the
> present air staff!)

Again with this pointless argument. You brought up before that even though Tommy and Ray lived in Jersey for 15 years, that make them less qualified to talk about Jersey than Mary. Horsehockey.

Here's the point... where you go home at night has absolutely no relevance to your radio show. It's about entertainment. If you do your show prep, and you know the state, the area, the current events, AND (this is the big one) can present your show in an ENTERTAINING fashion that keeps people listening, that makes you qualified.
 
Then why does Craig put so much effort in trying to get us to believe he lives in Cherry Hill?????


> Here's the point... where you go home at night has
> absolutely no relevance to your radio show. It's about
> entertainment. If you do your show prep, and you know the
> state, the area, the current events, AND (this is the big
> one) can present your show in an ENTERTAINING fashion that
> keeps people listening, that makes you qualified.
>
 
> Then why does Craig put so much effort in trying to get us
> to believe he lives in Cherry Hill?????

Now you're just pathetic. Seriously, go home.

It's not like Craig goes OUT of the way to say he's from Cherry Hill. If it comes up in conversation, he'll drop it in there, but it's not like he puts an EMPHASIS on Cherry Hill like Ray and Tommy do with Manalapan.

You realize that your argument has been invalidated, and now you're grasping at straws. I'd continue this line of conversation, but quite honestly, there's a repeat of "Hunter" that's on right now that's more interesting.
 
> Now you're just pathetic. Seriously, go home.

Why is that if someone disagrees with your corporate line, then you call them names? Why can't people disagree with you without you putting them down?
>
> It's not like Craig goes OUT of the way to say he's from
> Cherry Hill. If it comes up in conversation, he'll drop it
> in there, but it's not like he puts an EMPHASIS on Cherry
> Hill like Ray and Tommy do with Manalapan.

Actually Craig talks about when his kids go to Cherry Hill high school and talks about his property taxes and has gone out of his way to NEVER mention that he lives in Bucks Co. That is clearly a conscious decision made by your bosses.

> You realize that your argument has been invalidated, and now
> you're grasping at straws. I'd continue this line of
> conversation, but quite honestly, there's a repeat of
> "Hunter" that's on right now that's more interesting.

Again, why the need to be so condescending and arrogant? Why can't you just have a give and take with people and maybe, just maybe, see that someone other than yourself has a valid point?
>
 
> Why is that if someone disagrees with your corporate line,
> then you call them names? Why can't people disagree with
> you without you putting them down?

Trust me, wildcat, if I wanted to put someone down, they would know. And it's not my corporate line, it's my personal opinion. Differentiate, please.

Your only argument is that the station is negatively affected because of where the hosts live.

Come up with something else. Give me reasons, facts, thoughts about how the station is negatively affected with the subtraction of Mary. Don't tell me the station is harmed because of where Craig lives, and don't tell me the station is helped because Mary was from Jersey.

That's not condescending, that's called being able to debate EFFECTIVELY.

You said the station lost its Jersey Focus - we both know that's not true. Get back to me when Carton and Rossi take on Ed Rendell, or Jim Gearhart is interviewing Michael Bloomberg. You said Mary was the hub of the station's Jersey flavor - we both know that's not true. (As I stated, you could put Mary and Passion Phones on any other talk radio station and replace "Jersey" with the locale of the station and you wouldn't know the difference. You can't do that with any of the other four shows.) You said that Mary was more qualified to discuss Jersey topics than Tommy or Ray, strictly based on the fact that Mary was born and raised in the state, and that Tommy and Ray have "only" lived here for 15 years - and that is INCREDIBLY not true.

Now back to Fred Dryer and Stefanie Kramer...
 
You refuse to recognize anyone else's point of view and despite what you believe, your sarcasm is condescending.

I am ending this since I prefer adult conversations.

> Trust me, wildcat, if I wanted to put someone down, they
> would know. And it's not my corporate line, it's my
> personal opinion. Differentiate, please.
>
> Your only argument is that the station is negatively
> affected because of where the hosts live.
>
> Come up with something else. Give me reasons, facts,
> thoughts about how the station is negatively affected with
> the subtraction of Mary. Don't tell me the station is
> harmed because of where Craig lives, and don't tell me the
> station is helped because Mary was from Jersey.
>
> That's not condescending, that's called being able to debate
> EFFECTIVELY.
>
> You said the station lost its Jersey Focus - we both know
> that's not true. Get back to me when Carton and Rossi take
> on Ed Rendell, or Jim Gearhart is interviewing Michael
> Bloomberg. You said Mary was the hub of the station's Jersey
> flavor - we both know that's not true. (As I stated, you
> could put Mary and Passion Phones on any other talk radio
> station and replace "Jersey" with the locale of the station
> and you wouldn't know the difference. You can't do that
> with any of the other four shows.) You said that Mary was
> more qualified to discuss Jersey topics than Tommy or Ray,
> strictly based on the fact that Mary was born and raised in
> the state, and that Tommy and Ray have "only" lived here for
> 15 years - and that is INCREDIBLY not true.
>
> Now back to Fred Dryer and Stefanie Kramer...
>
 
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