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What's taking so long to sign Severin?

raccoonradio

raccoonradio

WTKK says that this week the 3-7 pm time slot will be Sean Hannity (with
Eagan and Braude the last hour) today; Monica Crowley on Tue, Wed, and Thu,
and Michael Graham on Friday.

Severin has been off since September 15, 2005. The only word we've heard is that WTKK has been negotiating to bring him back and he'll be off air
until then. What in the world is taking so long? In the meantime the
"tryouts" continue. Who'll be in the tryout slot next week, Eddie Andleman? :)

Could be:
--Severin's asking price is too high and WTKK is trying to lower it
--WBZ/Infinity insists the new show should air on their station and perhaps
has signed him (but wouldn't they have announced it?), in which case WTKK
would be paying him but benching him (kind of a lame duck situation) for
the remainder of the year
--and there could be other possibilities

Meanwhile WTKK's "Night of the All Stars" comes this week and Severino isn't mentioned at all in the promo (though some wonder if he'll show up as a surprise guest?)

Mentioned prominently on TKK's front page:
"Scheduling Update
Where’s Jay? Jay Severin signed a syndication deal with a competing company as reported in the newspapers. We are in ongoing negotiations with Jay and hope to reach a decision soon. Until a decision is reached, Jay will remain off the air."

It's been a month and a half--what's causing the stalemate?
 
I would trust the Peter Smyth is doing whatever he can to get Severin back but not at all costs. If Severin's off-air persona is anything like his on-air persona he may not be the easiest person with whom to deal - with or without his lawyers.

Nonetheless, it seems that WTKK really doesn't want to find someone as attention getting as Severin who might develop a following while they are negotiating to get him back. There have to be many local talkers who could fit that bill but they haven't been heard behind the 96.9 Mic.

As to Severin I think he is losing ground by not being on-air during these busy news cycle - Libby, the war in Iraq et al. He will have to do a lot of catching up to do whenever or wherever.


> WTKK says that this week the 3-7 pm time slot will be Sean
> Hannity (with
> Eagan and Braude the last hour) today; Monica Crowley on
> Tue, Wed, and Thu,
> and Michael Graham on Friday.
>
> Severin has been off since September 15, 2005. The only word
> we've heard is that WTKK has been negotiating to bring him
> back and he'll be off air
> until then. What in the world is taking so long? In the
> meantime the
> "tryouts" continue. Who'll be in the tryout slot next week,
> Eddie Andleman? :)
>
> Could be:
> --Severin's asking price is too high and WTKK is trying to
> lower it
> --WBZ/Infinity insists the new show should air on their
> station and perhaps
> has signed him (but wouldn't they have announced it?), in
> which case WTKK
> would be paying him but benching him (kind of a lame duck
> situation) for
> the remainder of the year
> --and there could be other possibilities
>
> Meanwhile WTKK's "Night of the All Stars" comes this week
> and Severino isn't mentioned at all in the promo (though
> some wonder if he'll show up as a surprise guest?)
>
> Mentioned prominently on TKK's front page:
> "Scheduling Update
> Where’s Jay? Jay Severin signed a syndication deal with a
> competing company as reported in the newspapers. We are in
> ongoing negotiations with Jay and hope to reach a decision
> soon. Until a decision is reached, Jay will remain off the
> air."
>
> It's been a month and a half--what's causing the stalemate?
>
 
Somebody's quoted in the Oct 21 edition of Boston Radio Watch: One sticking point could be ..."because WTKK would then be a non Infinity-owned outlet carrying the program, it may have to give up extra commercial time/revenue in order to air Severin's show locally".

> I would trust the Peter Smyth is doing whatever he can to
> get Severin back but not at all costs. If Severin's off-air
> persona is anything like his on-air persona he may not be
> the easiest person with whom to deal - with or without his
> lawyers.

Yes--it's fascinating that a syndicator is willing to take him
national but he's having all sorts of trouble getting aired right
here in Boston--or at least RETURNING to the air in the last
few months of his contract.

> Nonetheless, it seems that WTKK really doesn't want to find
> someone as attention getting as Severin who might develop a
> following while they are negotiating to get him back. There
> have to be many local talkers who could fit that bill but
> they haven't been heard behing the 96.9 Mic.

Yes, they seem to be going for out of towners like Graham or
Crowley. No local talent around for the audition? If they want local
content maybe they could air Eagan and Braude or someone like that
from 3-6, then pick up Mark Levin from New York (as they did for
a couple days) from 6-7, for now. I'm not really into E&B but they are
local folks at least. Though of course someone like Graham can see "what's happening in town" by reading online editions of the Globe or Herald,
and then do his show live from...Virginia. (but it would still
technically be someone who's from out of town and may not be as familiar
with our politics, history, etc.)

> As to Severin I think he is losing ground by not being
> on-air during these busy news cycle - Libby, the war in Iraq
> et al. He will have to do a lot of catching up to do
> whenever or wherever.

Yes but maybe they figure once he gets going with the new show he'll
be fine and people will start to tune in once they check him out
(in his "new" 7-10 slot, be it on WTKK or WBZ...and again we can only
assume 7-10p will be the slot, as it's reported that WPHT in Philly has
"cleared that slot for him" among others)
 
> Nonetheless, it seems that WTKK really doesn't want to find
> someone as attention getting as Severin who might develop a
> following while they are negotiating to get him back. There
> have to be many local talkers who could fit that bill but
> they haven't been heard behind the 96.9 Mic.

agreed, no talent search underway, tipoff was Crowley, already spoken for in N.Y, and MSNBC. Obviously not trying out..

>
> As to Severin I think he is losing ground by not being
> on-air during these busy news cycle - Libby, the war in Iraq
> et al. He will have to do a lot of catching up to do
> whenever or wherever.
>
Well, he's not very good anyway.
 
Yes but they do need to decide who will get the slot (or another slot)
should WBZ sign Severin (it could be that Hannity would inherit 3-6 and they'd
have to find someone for 10 pm, etc.)

> agreed, no talent search underway, tipoff was Crowley,
> already spoken for in N.Y, and MSNBC. Obviously not trying
> out..

> Well, he's not very good anyway.

I'm not into him (I tried but couldn't take him) but he actually did get some
half decent ratings for awhile and might have been considered the "anchor"
of WTKK's lineup. It was kind of disappointing that his disappearing act prevented the curious from tuning in to hear him defend his Pulitzer Prize claims (the
Lehigh column from Sept.), etc. Though he may just brush that aside as trivial,
and he prob figures what his real name is and from where he does the show
to be none of anybody's business. Yeah, but we do like to poke fun at stuff
like that.

But I find this to be of interest because of the whole "lame duck status
vs. new Infinity syndication" deal; stations fighting over him (WBZ?
Or WTKK but as alluded to in BRW, would they have to do some kind of
giveback for having the show air on a non-Infinity station, etc.?
 
...Do you have ANY idea...

> It's been a month and a half--what's causing the stalemate?

....how long it takes to run an ISDN line to a ledge at the Notre Dame Cathedral where Jimmy is resting on his haunches! Zeeze! Happy Haloween Severino! SeeYa!
 
Re: ...Do you have ANY idea...

Is that hunch backed by anything?


> > It's been a month and a half--what's causing the
> stalemate?
>
> ....how long it takes to run an ISDN line to a ledge at the
> Notre Dame Cathedral where Jimmy is resting on his haunches!
> Zeeze! Happy Haloween Severino! SeeYa!
>
 
Severino was the "anchor", which tells you a lot about 96.9. Listened to a little of Imus this morning...ho hum - in no hurry to go back. Listened to a little Laura Ingraham tonight. Her scratchy and annoying screech makes
Randi Rhodes sound warm and friendly! Only tuned in to 96.9 to see if there would be any good Libby/Miers/Bush Teleprompter on the prompted troops/Downing Street Memo stuff. But alas, same old same old.

Air America on WCRB! that's where it belongs!


Yes but they do need to decide who will get the slot (or
> another slot)
> should WBZ sign Severin (it could be that Hannity would
> inherit 3-6 and they'd
> have to find someone for 10 pm, etc.)
>
> > agreed, no talent search underway, tipoff was Crowley,
> > already spoken for in N.Y, and MSNBC. Obviously not trying
>
> > out..
>
> > Well, he's not very good anyway.
>
> I'm not into him (I tried but couldn't take him) but he
> actually did get some
> half decent ratings for awhile and might have been
> considered the "anchor"
> of WTKK's lineup. It was kind of disappointing that his
> disappearing act prevented the curious from tuning in to
> hear him defend his Pulitzer Prize claims (the
> Lehigh column from Sept.), etc. Though he may just brush
> that aside as trivial,
> and he prob figures what his real name is and from where he
> does the show
> to be none of anybody's business. Yeah, but we do like to
> poke fun at stuff
> like that.
>
> But I find this to be of interest because of the whole "lame
> duck status
> vs. new Infinity syndication" deal; stations fighting over
> him (WBZ?
> Or WTKK but as alluded to in BRW, would they have to do some
> kind of
> giveback for having the show air on a non-Infinity station,
> etc.?
>
 
> I would trust the Peter Smyth is doing whatever he can to
> get Severin back but not at all costs. If Severin's off-air
> persona is anything like his on-air persona he may not be
> the easiest person with whom to deal - with or without his
> lawyers.
>
> Nonetheless, it seems that WTKK really doesn't want to find
> someone as attention getting as Severin who might develop a
> following while they are negotiating to get him back. There
> have to be many local talkers who could fit that bill but
> they haven't been heard behind the 96.9 Mic.
>
> As to Severin I think he is losing ground by not being
> on-air during these busy news cycle - Libby, the war in Iraq
> et al. He will have to do a lot of catching up to do
> whenever or wherever

I cant see Infinity signing him to a syndie deal and then not retaining the right to have him on an Infinity station in the one market that actually knows who he is. Smyth can say he's negotiating to keep Severin all he wants but there's no way he returns to tkk, no way.
 
> Severino was the "anchor", which tells you a lot about 96.9.

True! So much for "live and local", though I am glad they give me a way to hear Ingraham and Hannity. Not so much into BOR (Bill OhReally)

> Listened to a little of Imus this morning...ho hum - in no
> hurry to go back. Listened to a little Laura Ingraham
> tonight. Her scratchy and annoying screech makes
> Randi Rhodes sound warm and friendly!

C'mon, give her a break. She's dealing with breast cancer. I preferred to
hear a little Theo-is-gone talk on WEEI tonight, though.

laura.jpg
 
Further confirmation that the talent search is not real - Michael Graham is said to be heading to Atlanta to join his former WMAL program director, Randall Bloomquist.


> > Nonetheless, it seems that WTKK really doesn't want to
> find
> > someone as attention getting as Severin who might develop
> a
> > following while they are negotiating to get him back.
> There
> > have to be many local talkers who could fit that bill but
> > they haven't been heard behind the 96.9 Mic.
>
> agreed, no talent search underway, tipoff was Crowley,
> already spoken for in N.Y, and MSNBC. Obviously not trying
> out..
>
> >
> > As to Severin I think he is losing ground by not being
> > on-air during these busy news cycle - Libby, the war in
> Iraq
> > et al. He will have to do a lot of catching up to do
> > whenever or wherever.
> >
> Well, he's not very good anyway.
>
 
> Further confirmation that the talent search is not real -
> Michael Graham is said to be heading to Atlanta to join his
> former WMAL program director, Randall Bloomquist.
>
>
Almost every Graham gig's been with Bloomquist. Loyalty.
 
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