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WWL's other problem

8

870insider

Guest
A couple of messages down someone blame the manager at WWL for the station downfall. The biggest mistake is hanging on to the pd. This person ran Bruce Miller Ken Trahan Bob Christopher and Paul Rassmusin out. Same time the PD keeps screw ups around to long. As in a drunk who used to cuss out the behind the scenes helpers and melted down on the air. Or the idiot who fumbles the simplest names. Hes a washed up DJ but the PD thinks he's great. Kenny's OK, but he's no Buddy D. Spud? one weak pick after another. no wonder the ratings are down
 
> A couple of messages down someone blame the manager at WWL
> for the station downfall. The biggest mistake is hanging on
> to the pd. This person ran Bruce Miller Ken Trahan Bob
> Christopher and Paul Rassmusin out. Same time the PD keeps
> screw ups around to long. As in a drunk who used to cuss out
> the behind the scenes helpers and melted down on the air. Or
> the idiot who fumbles the simplest names. Hes a washed up DJ
> but the PD thinks he's great. Kenny's OK, but he's no Buddy
> D. Spud? one weak pick after another. no wonder the ratings
> are down
>
It so easy to point the finger, ain't it? Mr(s). Insider, you sure do seem to know what's wrong with WWL, but I don't see any suggestions on how to fix it. How would you do it better? You make reference to the 'drunk' who's in office demeanor was less than professional- what does that have to do with the on-air content? This person you speak of had a huge audience (those that loved her and those that loved to hate her). If her mental health could've survived, you can bet she'd still be there. You don't like her replacement? Suppose you could do a better job, huh? Anytime a change comes, it takes time to rebuild, so keep your personal issues with Spud out of it. And what's this about Kenny being no Buddy D? Well duh!!! Ain't nobody gonna replace Buddy D, but the PD made the best choice she could. If you truly on are on the inside- then you've just identified yourself as "WWL OTHER PROBLEM". Guess it's not your fault for using this board as a place to display ignorance- you're just a sheep following all the other "If I were PD" types who can't seem to rise beyond entry level.
 
> It so easy to point the finger, ain't it? Mr(s). Insider,
> you sure do seem to know what's wrong with WWL, but I don't
> see any suggestions on how to fix it. How would you do it
> better? You make reference to the 'drunk' who's in office
> demeanor was less than professional- what does that have to
> do with the on-air content? This person you speak of had a
> huge audience (those that loved her and those that loved to
> hate her). If her mental health could've survived, you can
> bet she'd still be there. You don't like her replacement?
> Suppose you could do a better job, huh? Anytime a change
> comes, it takes time to rebuild, so keep your personal
> issues with Spud out of it. And what's this about Kenny
> being no Buddy D? Well duh!!! Ain't nobody gonna replace
> Buddy D, but the PD made the best choice she could. If you
> truly on are on the inside- then you've just identified
> yourself as "WWL OTHER PROBLEM". Guess it's not your fault
> for using this board as a place to display ignorance- you're
> just a sheep following all the other "If I were PD" types
> who can't seem to rise beyond entry level.
>


I couldn't disagree with you more about the Buddy D replacement. Kenny was not the guy to replace Buddy. I talked about this in an earlier thread. He makes a poor effort to little effort at all to talk about other sports, especially outside football season. Maybe a comment here and there about the Hornets and that is it. He stutters on the air most of the time and holds himself in high regard above the callers. The first live broadcast after Buddy's passing (I believe it was Martin Luther King day), someone called up and asked Kenny and Hokie who would be asking the tough questions now that Buddy had passed, especially "why Venturi is still around with the Saints after such horrible defensive performances." Kenny, being the clown that he is, stalled with a "uhhh" and then started playing the music to go to a break so he could think of an answer, then Hokie said "well, you know, Nick Saban talks with Rick Venturi often and is a friend of Rick's, so if Saban likes Rick, Rick should has to be a great coach." Of course, Kenny refused to answer the question and basically parroted what Hokie had said.

Bobby Hebert, though I didn't agree with him being selected as the takeover for Buddy either, has done a MUCH better job than I expected and does a MUCH better job than Kenny. But I did like the idea of him taking over for Buddy's spot on the Saints radio network, and I also thought he did a good job with the postgame show the other night, and I think he will do well with this given that he has played the game and can give us a deeper perspective on football details than details than Buddy.

I really believe that Vince Marinello should have been picked to take over since he worked with Buddy at WDSU, and I thought his perspective on the world of sports outside football was decent. he also rose to the occasion when the Saints asked for Buddy not to host Haslett's show anymore, and he didn't throw softballs to Haslett. Now I am aware that Vince is one of the chief handicappers at the Fairgrounds/Race track and that he probably would have had to give up that position to become the sportstalk host, so I'll give you the benefit of the doubt about your words "the pd selected the best people available."

The move I never understood by Entercom was to do 5, yeah FIVE, hours of sportstalk each night. Before that happened, sportstalk started at 6:15 each evening. I listened to that 5 hours of sportstalk often before 690 started doing their nighttime slot with sportswrap and before 990 started theirs, and it seemed like 870 got less accomplished in those 5 hours than the other stations did in 2-3 hours.

Another thing that I and certainly others don't appreciate was the constant talk throughout the day of forcing down our throats the need to build the saints the new stadium and all the hoop-la about they're a benefit to the economy, etc. Certainly the Saints are a benefit to New Orleans and Louisiana, but the talk was incessant, from Del Giorno, to Andre/Spud, to Tyree/his fillins, to all the sportstalk hosts. You'd swear Tom Benson was telling the station to talk about this day and night, not to mention the rest of the station staff would lose their freebies to the Saints games.


And even though your post was addressed to "870insider" and I just decided to add my thoughts in to this thread. I don't work for any radio station. I'm just someone who likes to hear good talk and a variety of talk on different topics rather than the Saints stadium being rehashed to no end. I also enjoyed when the 4 people insider mentioned (Miller, Trahan, Christopher, Rasmussen) worked for the big 870, and I am glad that I can still hear 2 of the 4 today in the New Orleans market, and I thank Mr. Rasmussen for responding several weeks ago on here letting us know he was working in Jacksonville at a good position there. It is nice to know that even though Rasmussen is working elsewhere, Bob Christopher lets him to the liners for much of the programming on 990.
 
> for using this board as a place to display ignorance- you're
> just a sheep following all the other "If I were PD" types
> who can't seem to rise beyond entry level.

And *you* did?
 
Well, first I think Bobby needs new promos. The ones WWL's been running with snippets of him talking about this & that are weak and some border on senseless. You can't help but think, "What the hell is he talking about?" And drop the "tasty burger" comment from the intro to the 5 o'clock show.

Personally, like him or not, I thought Kaare Johnson was the obvious replacement for Buddy's time slot. He is pretty well versed in sports, and I didn't think WWL would hire fresh talent away from another station (someone like Johnnie Marie.)

Spud seems like a nice guy, but he's too vanilla and over time comes off as a "yes man," like he goes out of his way not to offend or disagree.

The number one person WWL should rid itself of is Bob Del Giorno. What a waste of time and money. He hasn't had an original or clever thought in years, has the "Kathie Lee Syndrome" regarding his dogs, and I guess management finds him funny and entertaining but the rest of New Orleans wonders how to get a 20 hour a week job where you mindlessly babble and get paid enough to afford a 140 mile-a-day commute. Also, Cheryl Hart's continual laughing at Del Giorno's "humor" is a lesson in grade-A ass-kissing. The Del Giorno Show is just a miserable attempt of the Nut & Jeff formula no one has done right, well, since Nut & Jeff.

<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by AUdubon5425 on 08/17/05 04:53 AM.</FONT></P>
 
> The number one person WWL should rid itself of is Bob Del
> Giorno. What a waste of time and money. He hasn't had an
> original or clever thought in years, has the "Kathie Lee
> Syndrome" regarding his dogs, and I guess management finds
> him funny and entertaining but the rest of New Orleans
> wonders how to get a 20 hour a week job where you mindlessly
> babble and get paid enough to afford a 140 mile-a-day
> commute. Also, Cheryl Hart's continual laughing at Del
> Giorno's "humor" is a lesson in grade-A ass-kissing. The
> Del Giorno Show is just a miserable attempt of the Nut &
> Jeff formula no one has done right, well, since Nut & Jeff.
>


You are absolutely right! I couldn't agree with you more. WWL would be better served if they fired Del Giorno and hired an extra news reporter and made one of the veteran reporters the host of the morning news. Don't spend money wastelessly on someone who doesn't do any news broadcasting. Del Giorno has the easiest job because his position doesn't really require him to prepare (well, I don't think Kenny Wilkerson and Kaare or any of the sports guys prepare for their show, but they're still in a position that they SHOULD prepare for their show). I also can't tolerate his mindless/thoughtless opinions on his life experiences.

And Louisiana loses money on him too. The listeners who buy from the sponsors waste away their money to this guy so he can take it across the LA-MS border. How stupid can you be to have some outsider come in and host your news program and tell people to call up, where you only get 4 seconds and then he wants to talk over you. Now, if there is anyone from MS reading this board, please don't be offended. I would say the same if the guy lived in another state as well.


Basically WWL's morning news program is a show you'd find on the FM dial, but with just a little more news reporting. They should just call it the "Bob Del Giorno show" since that is what it is. And the other night during the Saints game, I hear a commercial with him saying about the morning news program and to hear our "award-winning news team." LMAO! Those "news reports" are fluff! They don't give much detail if any!
 
Re: DelGiorno/Franklin

> And Louisiana loses money on him too. The listeners who buy
> from the sponsors waste away their money to this guy so he
> can take it across the LA-MS border. How stupid can you be
> to have some outsider come in and host your news program and
> tell people to call up, where you only get 4 seconds and
> then he wants to talk over you. Now, if there is anyone
> from MS reading this board, please don't be offended. I
> would say the same if the guy lived in another state as
> well.

Well, I don't remember where he is originally from, but he got on at WWL years ago when his father, Bob Del Giorno Sr., was a broadcaster there. I'd guess he's been here about 25 years for what it's worth.

By the way, does anyone know what happened to F. Michael Franklin? He was a longtime voice on radio, newscasting on WWL through the early to mid nineties. I remember he was a morning "DJ" on Stereo 96 WBYU a long time back.
 
I truly am not here to incite anger...but well, this post angers me incredibly. I cannot speak for anyone but myself, and when opinions I see in print are absolutely the furthest from the truth as possible...(and aren't backed up when they're said)....I would be disrespectful to my own convictions, and most importantly, to what I believe is the reality...and the truth.

I work for another station in the cluster, and the leadership at WWL that I think you speak of?.....is truly one of the most passionate, incredibly visionary, genuine and absolutely most dedicated individuals I have ever met in this industry. This person loves their STATION above all other priorities, and LIVES every moment in that ambition. The one always there after all have gone home each night, the one who is so incredibly connected to the lives of their talent and employees, that they'd do absolutely anything for them. And they have, they will, and they DO. EVERYDAY. They live for everyone ELSE, not themselves. They do it with integrity and vision. They will probably even not like the fact that someone pointed it out...like me...because to be honored for their work...is truly the LAST desire on their list in life. All of this, of course, only from what I have personally seen in my short time in New Orleans.

Everyone deserves to be held accountable, in the light of others' opinion, so for that, you have the complete right to say what you want in this board. But this, of course, are MY words, and spoken as my own opinion only as well. Thank you for making me feel the need to express it. :) Really. That's exactly the point I'm making.....

I have nothing to protect, and nothing to lose, and no reason to say this except for the fact that anyone who doesn't know the magic that is behind WWL, regardless of the "radio baggage" or the views expressed on the air through others, or yourself...it is this exact type of attitude of bringing your personal opinions of past talents chosen by that management, your personal views of the way that management runs their ship and how you'd do it different....that shows you truly aren't yet in the realm of understanding that to run a talk station, (I believe) especially in a city such as ours...isn't about one or two talent picks that YOU think were off-focus.

It's about crafting a vision, of all sides, and removing personal opinion and desires from that hiring/firing/decision process on all levels within the station...truly, putting the STATION above all else. That highly coveted balance....this person so deservingly exemplifies.

They've done it with a humility that is pristinely true...and with a vision of radio and news/talk that personifies the very bones of what journalism is all about...and at all costs, captures the essence of what many in this board speak of quite often.....real radio just like it "used to be"...real radio that surpasses corporate suits and blandification. You say that's what you want...and then, when it's staring you in the face, and happening on your radio, in your market, you suddenly criticise.

WWL is far from failure.

I wish you would or could spend more time with them. Because even in the brief times I have...you can't miss the fact that WWL is being steered by an incredibly undefinable spirit.

Again, please do not take this to mean you are not entitled to your views. But this is mine, and I appreciate your reading it. :) I really do think that even the fact that people question the talent chosen and the decisions made by a PD...means that PD is doing something right...because news/talk is, in my opinion, at its deepest core...exactly that...The ability to analyze and understand the world around us in all facets. If people didn't question those decisions made? WWL would never be the bastion of broadcasting it is...a station that isn't defined by who steers it, but has a soul all it's own. A radio station with a soul. Wow. I think that's what we all love about this business, right? Look. We've got one. Thanks to many...not "because" of one

In my view.
Thanks again for the chance to express them here on Radio Info.

I will not be replying to any messages further on this topic, even if in response to this post...on this board, as again, I only wished to express my view and move on. Thank you for respecting that. :)

Tyler
 
>....the leadership at WWL that I think you speak of?.....is truly one of the most passionate, incredibly visionary, genuine and absolutely most dedicated individuals I have ever met..... the one who is so incredibly connected to the lives of their talent and employees, that they'd do absolutely anything for them. .....They live for everyone ELSE, not themselves...They do it with integrity and vision....a humility that is pristinely true...<

Wow - when did they hire Jesus at WWL? Did he sign a non-compete?
 
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