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Will Burge, T.J Zuppe fired from WKNR

Let's sum things up:

Reghi, Roda, Zuppe, and Burge - out

Reghi will still be part of Browns Network programming, as it's on the team's dime.

"3 Deep" and "Cleveland Sports Night" are cancelled, with ESPN programming airing in the evenings instead. (when there's no Browns/Buckeyes programming)

Je'rod Cherry will bounce between RBS, Hooligans, and "Browns Daily" as an analyst.
 
vjm said:
I wonder if this will mean a bigger role for Matt Wilhelm, the former OSU linebacker recently brought in as a Buckeye analyst...perhaps trying to make a Dustin Fox out of him on a revamped "3 Deep"?

Or maybe making a "Hooligan" out of him.
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Wilhelm? He's one of the few people to make Dustin Fox sound like a professional broadcaster.
 
All those programming changes basically say "don't bother listening to us. Switch to 92.3 for local talk!"

I think WKNR is cutting costs and had to drop some hosts/reporters to save money.

This reminds me of when the station had to make cuts back in 2004 when Salem owned them. I think Michael Luczak became PD shortly thereafter.
 
I don't know why WKNR even bothers with late night programming, considering you can't hear the station past 7 in the winter (yet they had Buckeye post-games doing till 1 in the morning on some saturday's last year!). And does 923 even really get any ratings at night either against Cavs/Indians? Seems to me to be a complete wasteland of sports talk. You're paying people to be on the air and getting nothing in return.

Anyway, hearing that Brinda is hanging around and will be doing post-game shows. So the News Herald rumor about them switching to national isn't necessarily accurate (for now).

Funny thing is, WKNR is making all these changes and yet still beating the Fan in the important demos. Keep in mind, the Fan has made zero changes to its lineup in its first two years, and it looks like it's staying the same for a third.
 
So if WKNR made these cuts to compensate for having the Browns, will anyone from The Fan be let go for the same reason?

What about those post-game shows WKNR had for the Indians and Cavaliers....are those gone also?
 
billf82 said:
So if WKNR made these cuts to compensate for having the Browns, will anyone from The Fan be let go for the same reason?

What about those post-game shows WKNR had for the Indians and Cavaliers....are those gone also?
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923 has big CBS dollars backing them up. GKB is a much smaller, less cash rich network. The illusion that they are an ESPN affiliate or something isn't reality. They aren't tied to ESPN the way 923 is tied to CBS. It isn't even a comparison in that regard.
 
And this had to shock T.J. Zuppe the most-Reghi and Roda had to know things didn't look good considering they were at one point mid day-I'm sure Roda at one time may have been on the RBS time slot-but Zuppe was doing Holligans, and I'm sure hoping someday to slide in as a main host-and he and Will were probably hoping Big Timers would become a permanant show.
 
The second Karmazin came in he kept pushing Roda farther and farther to night. So he had to know at some point he was going to be pushed out the door. So my next question is who is going to take over Roda hosting Buckeye pregames and postgames? Bruce Hooley? Supposedly there is a meeting this morning according to Crain's that Karmazin is going to address the station staff.
 
I'm taking the WKNR button off my car radio this morning. No reason to listen: Brinda is the only one I can stand to listen to on KNR...and, I'm rarely in my car at 10pm+ weekdays after games....LOL.

Many of GKB's on-air hosts sound like 12-year-old boys who's voices haven't changed yet. Problem is...they aren't teenagers any more. It's hysterical. Men want to listen to men...not pre-pubes.

Their "man-sports-cave" approach is embarrassing. I know of no major market sportstalk stations where that silliness really works, does anybody else?
 
CleveRadioInsider said:
The second Karmazin came in he kept pushing Roda farther and farther to night. So he had to know at some point he was going to be pushed out the door. So my next question is who is going to take over Roda hosting Buckeye pregames and postgames? Bruce Hooley? Supposedly there is a meeting this morning according to Crain's that Karmazin is going to address the station staff.
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The Buckeye Pregame Show had been advertised as Roda, Munch, Hooley, and Wilhelm.

So take Roda out of the mix and it leaves us with Munch, Hooley, and Wilhelm (all OSU alumni btw).
 
Tim said:
I'm taking the WKNR button off my car radio this morning. No reason to listen: Brinda is the only one I can stand to listen to on KNR...and, I'm rarely in my car at 10pm+ weekdays after games....LOL.

Many of GKB's on-air hosts sound like 12-year-old boys who's voices haven't changed yet. Problem is...they aren't teenagers any more. It's hysterical. Men want to listen to men...not pre-pubes.

Their "man-sports-cave" approach is embarrassing. I know of no major market sportstalk stations where that silliness really works, does anybody else?"





I agree 100% Tim. Like I said in an earlier comment if they are going the route of what are my favorite movies, favorite foods to eat I am tuning out. I don't care what girls they think are "hotties". (That was one of the things I could not stand about Roda. Grow up Kenny you are close to 50) I want intelligent sports talk. Like many have said I have to go to 92.3 to get that so be it. The problem is from 9am-10am we have the juvenile hour because far too many times even Chuck Booms drags Kevin Kiley into the toilet. So there is absolutely no sports talk to listen too.
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I can't hear the nifty eight fifty at night where I live, and the RBS airs while I'm at work. But it's a sad day when anyone loses their jobs, no matter what you think of them. Hope they all go on to bigger and better things.
 
CleveRadioInsider said:
Tim said:
I'm taking the WKNR button off my car radio this morning. No reason to listen: Brinda is the only one I can stand to listen to on KNR...and, I'm rarely in my car at 10pm+ weekdays after games....LOL.

Many of GKB's on-air hosts sound like 12-year-old boys who's voices haven't changed yet. Problem is...they aren't teenagers any more. It's hysterical. Men want to listen to men...not pre-pubes.

Their "man-sports-cave" approach is embarrassing. I know of no major market sportstalk stations where that silliness really works, does anybody else?"





I agree 100% Tim. Like I said in an earlier comment if they are going the route of what are my favorite movies, favorite foods to eat I am tuning out. I don't care what girls they think are "hotties". (That was one of the things I could not stand about Roda. Grow up Kenny you are close to 50) I want intelligent sports talk. Like many have said I have to go to 92.3 to get that so be it. The problem is from 9am-10am we have the juvenile hour because far too many times even Chuck Booms drags Kevin Kiley into the toilet. So there is absolutely no sports talk to listen too.
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Kiley and Booms - being an AM drive show - have to go mancave as a necessity. Can't be straight Xs and Os in morning drive.
 
The only local talk radio shows getting real ratings in this market are mancave-like. Rizzo/Kiley and Booms/Cox and Rover. (Triv is its own thing, and with the addition of Knott, I can promise you it will be much more fun and loose).

While I get that some of YOU may not like the format, it's much less niche than Sports. So expect to see more of that style with stronger personalities. In this market, sports shows that throw out a topic and take calls ad nauseam do not reach a critical mass. We're not in New York City
 
Rockcitysfinest said:
former interm said:
I don't like seeing anyone fired or losing a job, but I don't see the two younger guys being missed at all. I never thought Burge was professional and Zuppe was OK, but neither one had me wanting to tune in to what they had to say. They will be replaced by someone cheaper and willing to put in even more hours. They won't be missed.

Roda will be missed unless the station decides to put ESPN programming on at night instead of replacing his show. Wouldn't suprise me if he gets picked up by 92.3. He would be an upgrade over some of their current hosts.

Reghi is better doing MAC games than his radio show, so he won't be missed.
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Hey Former Intern,
You don't know what you are talking about, because you prolly don't listen to 850. Burge and to some extent Zuppe both hosted/led shows on KNR, especially Burge. He hosted two shows, and contributed to Cleveland Sports Night on top of his Browns reporting. He was good,for I listened to him each night on 3 Deep. These dudes had more roles than most, so get your facts straight.
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And they were not entertaining. Guess what????? The ratings for WKNR will stay the same or improve with these guys gone. What was there background to be beat reporters anyway? Where did these guys go to school to be reporters/journalists. They can stick any Ohio School of Broadcasting grad at Browns practice and call in with what they see.

if these guys are as a good as you claim, they will be hired by someone for more than $10 hr or fill-in work. Listen, I feel bad for them in losing their jobs. I do. But, they won't be missed. Rizzo's ratings will remain good and the rest of the station will remain flat. Anything after 6 pm wasn't getting any listeners anyway.
 
billf82 said:
So if WKNR made these cuts to compensate for having the Browns, will anyone from The Fan be let go for the same reason?

What about those post-game shows WKNR had for the Indians and Cavaliers....are those gone also?
Click to expand...

The Fan's Production Director was let go a couple months ago.
 
KNR having Grossi there is enough-the beat reporter position is becoming less necessary with social media-you could follow twitter rduring training camp and catch any big stories that happened anyway-I'm 41, but I actually don't mind the mancave type show-I enjoy the older guys like Brinda and Hooley doing this...
 
It sounds like Craig Karmazin will be on with the Hooligans (or what's left of them) at 3 p.m. today to go over the new lineup at WKNR.

At 1 p.m. he's supposedly going to have a "Rally the troops" meeting with the staff.
 
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