Okay, rant time...


Morning radio in these parts, at least in my view from what I've sampled, comes in certain varieties:
1. Music with weak attempts at witty banter between songs. (ex: WZLX, which happens to be my main station after 10am)
2. News and current events. (WBUR, which is the local NPR station.)
3. News and current events, with some sort of humor intermixed. (Imus in the morning, which until recently had been my main morning choice.)
4. Morning talk radio. (WBCN with David Lee Roth... but wait, more on this in a minute.)
5. Entertainment -- humor with everything else mixed into it. (Bob and Tom, when it was broadcast in this area.)

Let's look at #4, for example.
In January, Howard Stern had gone to satellite radio. Okay, fine, good riddance, never liked you. In his stead came David Lee Roth. The Diamond Man himself.
I didn't start listening to him until, oh, a couple of months ago, maybe, and I had to say that I was thoroughly entertained by the show. DLR showed people that he wasn't some dumb aging rock star. He had smarts, charisma, and style. His cohorts (Hutch, Sasha, B Young and Animal) were great. His guests were entertaining and fun, and even informative. I got a lot out of the show. At first, I was flipping between him and Imus. Now, Imus had gone by the wayside. I was a DLR fan.
About a month or so ago, Dave's programming managers with Citadel/CBS (including one Mark Chernoff, or however he spells it) changed Dave's format. Gone were Sasha, Animal and B Young. No more incidental music by B Young. It became dry as day-old toast.
However, Dave was not quitting. He had some of his own money tied into the program, and if he walked away (which is what I think the programming directors wanted), he would be out the money in his contract.
So he stuck with it, did the best that he could. Nothing could keep him down.
Well, CBS Radio has struck. DLR's show is now history, probably as of today. He's being replaced by a syndicated and sanitized feed of Opie and Anthony. WtF??????
It never fails. Colleen and I find a morning radio show that we enjoy, and it goes away. Bob and Tom were on 100.1 The Fox a few years ago. Loved them. Then one morning right after we get back from our Christmas vacation in Virginia, we awoke to not hearing their antics on the radio. The Fox dropped them.

So, it leaves a dearth in decent morning radio in my area. Guess it's back to listening to Imus the Cantankerous Old Bastard or listening to CDs.

So, my big ol' [livejournal.com profile] friday_fu goes out to Mark Chernoff and the execs at CBS Radio for getting rid of a decent morning radio show and replacing it with utter dreck.

x-posted to [livejournal.com profile] friday_fu and my LJ.




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From: [identity profile] silent-iniquity.livejournal.com


Part of the Problem with DLR was he did step right in, right behind Stern. I agree with you in respect to Stern. I always thought he was the most overrated piece of crap on the radio. His jokes were never new, he always approached everything from the same angle. Just not good.

For some reason though, a lot of people saw him as a legend.

It is almost impossible to replace a legend without being compared to him. Sports is probably the easiest analogy for me to use but it was like when Mike Davis replaced Bobby Knight at Indiana. Indiana was a nonfactor for ten years that got bounced out early in the tournament every year. Bobby Knight was a legend, so he got a pass. Mike Davis took that same Indiana team to the National Title game, and a few years later he was fired. He was never able to fill the shoes... even though at that point he is probably better.

Same thing with David Lee Roth. He is probably a better fit now then Stern is... but people hate change.

Sorry your radio program was taken off the air.

I listen to Imus, but I'm not a big fan. His radio schtick (to me) has a pretty short shelf life. He hates everyone, everyone is wrong... Saddam should be put back in charge of Iraq.

Finding good radio is hard.

From: [identity profile] ryoga77.livejournal.com


I love Matty in the Morning on Kiss 108 and if they get boring I switch over to Ramiro and Pebbles on JamN 94.5.

From: [identity profile] volare.livejournal.com


Amen. I dug DLR a lot. Massive middle fingers to CBS.
.

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