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Why can't Dimitri get a full time gig in the Pittsbugh market?

R

radio--refugee

Guest
Occasionaly I hear Dimitri doing fill in work at a local station. His name pops up on this forum every now and then, one person even had him on their dream lineup.
I am just curious as to why he can't seem to hold a full time position in Pittsbugh radio. I could be wrong but I don't think he has worked full time (in radio) since his days at WWVA.
 
Let me ask you why you say that Boss.

I want to challenge that opinion because I have read the criticisms of Dmitri on other boards and what it consistently comes back to me as is "We don't like him because he is a conservative."

As far as the Wheeling market goes, I think Dmitri had fewer rough edges than the two other full-time hosts there- the since departed Steve Novotny and George Kellas. He seemed to be more conversational- more engaging- less bar room talk.

There is a perception, I fear, that some in the Pittsburgh media have that looks down at a resume like Dmitri's. WWVA and WBVP aren't perceived as "paying your dues," but rather second string.
 
When Dimitri applied to WKPA in the early 90's back when I was GM, he was an AFTRA member. That might have something to do with it. AFTRA people aren't exactly cheap labor.

Dimitri is also in his mid 50's to early 60's. Stations here might not be that willing to hire someone of advancing years. The younger people generally come cheap because they're willing to prove themselves, and to a fault if necessary.

I didn't think Dimitri sounded that bad on the air. I met him once on the set of "His Place". He seemed like an OK guy to me. His interviewing skills are pretty good.

Plus...he came here from Cleveland, (under the name of John Krist) if memory serves me correctly. And he was consistent there. He had a pretty good tenure at 3WE.
 
i think the other issue MAY be.......

he has a price he believes he is worth and will not budge........

i wish the guy luck but it's a buyers market for talk talent right now...
 
In 1973, IIRC I hired Dimitri as a Country DJ on WEEP from WZUM, where he was working right after, or during, college. I recall he said that he went by Jon Krist "because they wouldn't let me call myself Jesus Christ", although maybe that was a joke. Like Jeff Christy when I knew him at WIXZ and KQV, we never talked politics back in the day, only radio. Dimitri sends me his columns from time to time when they deal with radio, and I think he has the best understanding of issues facing our medium of any consumer journalist I know.
Just to show you that I was an equal opportunity employer, a few years later I hired Alan Colmes as a Country DJ on WHN New York. At the time, he was into stand up comedy rather than politics.
The thing Jon and Alan had in common was theat they were always able to say great things between the records.
 
His voice isn't even average, his delivery is uneven, he's very full of himself, his numbers in Pittsburgh were always awful and he has a knack of rubbing people the wrong way.
 
I worked with Dimitri YEARS (now decades ago.) In fairness he is tough to get to know. He can be abrassive and is a little "full of himself."

That said he is a smart guy, he is loyal to a fault, honest and (in his own way) quite humble. He is a decent air talent and when I knew him he worked VERY hard to produce a good show and usually did.

He did a LONG stint as a weekender at WTAE back in the days when it did talk. I'm guessing he is in his 50's. No one should confuse him with being a conservative, in fact he is a libertarian and quite proud of it.

Should someone give him a real FT job in the 'burgh? He's not as talented as "The Honz" but he does have talent. In the old days KD was the #1 place and in most time periods TAE was the second string (although folks at TAE would differ with me the fact is KD always had the numbers.) If there still is a "second string" in the 'burgh then they should hire him.
 
"Second string" in the 'burg these days for talk would be 104.7. They can't afford any more talent because its all in the back of Quinn's armored car.
 
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