Saturday, February 9, 2013

Someone Out There Knows the Deal with Mitchell Karasik

For all of you who are tempted to slag me for writing a big fat post about a would-be Tickerman, spare me.  Spare us all.  It's Tickety.  It makes me wonder how things happen at The Little One.  I'm going to write about it.  You gripe about the selection of subject matter, I'm taking your ass down.

===============

First, Mitchell, if you're out there, permit me to apologize for spelling your name incorrectly for quite some time now.

Second, a Confessor reports hearing on a BaDD podcast that Mitchell is transported from New York to Dallas to do his Tickers a half-day on weekends.

Third, this site has had some fun with the challenges that Tickers have presented to Mitchell.  I didn't really feel good about that teasing, because I supposed that Mitchell was a radio tyro, some kid trying to make it, kid somehow got a tryout from The Ticket in the face of what I supposed were better audition clips with which, I also supposed, the Pan-American Catman had been deluged.  So while he was clearly struggling with  .  .  .  copy  .  .  .  which I supposed he had composed  .  .  . and seemed initially unaware that what he was delivering was a "Ticker," I was kinda rooting for improvement so the lad could get his start in a cool profession.  Alas, as the Indispensable Brad C has memorialized, things have not gotten much better as of a week ago:


He has been savaged by The Hardline; but then, who hasn't?  Bono, possibly, aside.  Confessors have been similarly skeptical of his abilities.

Fourth, however, I was quite, quite wrong about where Mitchell came from.

This is Mitchell Karasik delivering his 2010 MLB preview:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wfnkbm46hZA
Surprised?

Mitchell Karasik has not only been around for awhile, he has run what is apparently his own production of something called, variously, "LockerBlogger" and ":60".   Always dressed smartly in a coat and tie, he has scored some pretty big interviews.  Here's his Miles Austin interview at some kind of function from a couple of years ago when Miles was doing good:



Here is his interview with Orthodox Jewish Boxer Dmitri Salita, Part 1 (I have not been able to find Part 2):



Thus:   Fifth, the PAC was almost certainly not pulling a resume out of a stack when he invited Mitchell to do some DFW Tickers -- he was enlisting a somewhat experienced talker, a guy with some credible sportsy media experience, even if it was his own medium.  Unless, of course, the PAC had nothing to do with this and it was imposed upon him by some CTO.  Although I have not been able to find any Internet evidence of any affiliation between Mitchell and Cumulus or CBS (with the exception of the somewhat tenuous speculation which I shamelessly offer way, way down at the bottom here).  No, his affiliation appears to be solely with his own company LockerBlogger, described on his beta site (www.lockerblogger.com) as follows:  "LockerBlogger is a Sports Social Media Company that Connects Athletes, Charities, Fans and Brands through Education and Philanthropy."  (But where did he score that bank of screens and ritzy studio-looking background?)

At first I thought BaDD must have been pulling our leg about MK flying in to do these Tickers.  But when I heard Brad C's recording from only a week ago (above), I realized that it must be true.

Sixth, what Someone Out There knows, is:

Why?

Here's a little extra tidbit to interest you:  A Mitchell S. Karasik was married in Collin County in 2008.  His parents live in the NYC metro.  (Scroll down here to view record)   No idea if it's the same one, but the Internet nuggets are suggestive.   So maybe MK is looking for a way to spend more time in the metro for family reasons.

But let's return for a moment to his qualifications.  Hey, I  admire the guy for living the dream.   He's got this sports-philanthropy-social-media thing going, and whatever that is, it does get him face time with jocks.  (I didn't join the site, but I've seen other things leading me to believe that this "LockerBlogger" is affiliated with MK's videos   of the same name.)   How did he do that?  ALERT:  CRASS SPECULATION FOLLOWS:    I'm wondering if Mitchell might have some independent wealth in his background.   The father of the Mitchell Karasik married in Collin County in 2008 -- which, I stress, I cannot definitively link up with OUR Mitchell Karasik, but there don't seem to be a lot of them in the U.S. -- is Stephen Karasik.   Stephen is an independent investment banker the New York City area.  Perhaps he invested in our Mitchell.  WARNING:  SPECULATION GETS EVEN CRASSER BELOW.

In any event, he's got a long way to go to join the accomplished Tickerman fraternity -- all right, a long way measured in astronomical units, if not parsecs -- but he's not a complete schnook, you know?  Those interviews are at least enthusiastic, and the fact is  .  .  .  he gets them.  Maybe this kind of initiative appealed to the CTO somewhere along the line.  So let's be fair -- they're trying.  They're trying to get some guys with maybe some gee-whiz potential to affiliate with the station.

But I suspect Mitchell's path to Saturday mornings on KTCK is a lot more interesting than that.  Someone's either going to pretend to know in the Confessions to this post and we'll all have to wonder if we're getting pranked, or someone is going to lay a tip on me that I will be duty bound to keep confidential.  (It happens, rarely.)   How did he come to do Tickers for a station he doesn't know, reporting on teams he's not familiar with, where he is required to speak the names of athletes he doesn't know how to pronounce?  More intriguingly, why is he still doing it?

Well, my curious Confessors, here's another little tidbit for you:  There is a Steve Karasik who is a multi-Emmy-winning Senior Coordinating Producer for  -- dramatic pause -- CBS Sports.  Looks like he is about Mitchell's age.  His father is not Stephen Karasik, according to wedding announcements -- it's Robert Karasik from  .  .  .  Manhattan.  I'm way, way off the reservation here, but I wonder if perhaps Robert and Stephen are brothers, and Mitchell and CBS Steve are cousins.

While this is, I must Confess, not Responsible Ticket Journalism, the possible connection of Mitchell to CBS Steve, and Mitchell's possible family connection to the DFW area, may go some way to explain why the guy is getting airtime on the greatness of The Ticket.  Maybe that's also how he scores those snazzy production values for those studio interviews.

CBS -- again.

Inquiring Confessors want to know.

But you know something?  Whether I'm on track with any of the foregoing, or galaxies off -- I wish Mitchell Karasik well, I really do.  Even as a Tickerman -- maybe he'll study up and we'll get used to the somewhat exotic cadences he brings to his readings.  After all, one of the qualities The Ticket brings to sports-talk radio is its willingness to showcase unconventional broadcast voices.  So let's give the guy a chance.  (To help expiate my guilt over teasing him at the outset, and in admiration of the initiative he's shown in his non-Ticker ventures.)

Let the Mitchell Karasik Watch continue.

Twitter:  @Plainsman1310
Email:  ThePlainsman1310@gmail.com

58 comments:

  1. Hey, refresh my recollection someone -- when The Hardline was savaging our Mitchell, was CBS mentioned?

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  2. Weird, wild, wacky, schtuff, Plainsman. Don't know what's weirder, the MK story or your investigation into public records? But I dig that you did it! Something here doesn't make sense, on any level.

    While we're on Tickermen, what ever happened to Kevin Scott and David "The Duck" Burrell?

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  3. I'm thinking of adopting Mitchell and championing his continued presence on The Ticket.

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  4. "Let the Mitchell Karasik Watch continue."

    The sentence that officially pushed me to check here less often.

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  5. Is there any way he was brought in for "part-time" weekend work knowing that MASS was leaving?

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  6. I think K Turner may have read this post. I laughed out loud at his signoff to his last Ticker, which was: "Tickers are the main reason people tune in to the Ticket," OWTTE.

    Thanks, Kevin. Just know that we're listening out here.

    Enjoying the sportsy show this morning. They've filled in now with a segment on domestic duties. Liking it a fairish amount. Well worth a strong shot.

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  7. I'm really digging the Jake, David, and Sean Show. Loved that Jake was finally forced to put a fine point on his Mavs stance. Meaning there's not some open ended whenever it gets better it'll get better but hey this was the right move for Cubes to make. Nope, he said if they don't become a top 8 payroll next year, then Cubes screwed the pooch. Good on Jake for admitting it, and good on David for forcing him to say it.

    This Cowboy segment is rocking as well.

    Yeah, I can get used to this for my Sunday morning listening.

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  8. Luv ya, Plainsman, but I gotta say that this one is reminiscent of the Josh Hamilton ALS post. That is, a bad touch. It's one thing to be curious, it's another to start searching public records. Specially when the person in question is a Ticker guy. And a weekend, part time, JV one too boot. You're a strange dude. No wonder you liked MaSS so much. Birds of a feather.

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  9. @Brad G: Anything is possible, including my ill-founded speculations.

    I doubt, though, that MK's arrival had anything to do with MaSS's departure. I believe he started in early October. The first reference I've found in these pages was from October 9, I think it was, and read: "I thought surely someone would have taken new Saturday AM Tickerman Mitchell Kerasik (phonetic) gently aside and assisted him with correcting some of the more dramatic errors from his debut. Apparently not. I don't like criticizing new guys, trying to make their way in a tough business, but . . . shouldn't someone at least advise him that what he is doing is a Ticker and not a Ticket? Truly hoping Mitchell shakes off his Ball-State start, MTC is always in there rooting for the JV."

    That's not consistent with MaSS's reported timetable on how the Birmingham opportunity came about.

    But then, nothing much would surprise me inside the radio industry.

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  10. 1121: Me, a strange dude?

    You have no idea.

    Point, but no offense, taken. I understand the opinion. By the way, all of the info in that post, without exception, came from a simple Google search and adroit clicking and scrolling. Took me almost no time to get all that stuff.

    Here's where I come out on this:

    (1) MK's hiring AND continued employment was/is either the result of (a) considered judgment on the part of Ticket management, having considered his past and present work of which they are aware, or (b) some non-talent/skills-related considerations -- that is: influence.

    (2) I do not believe that Ticket management is unaware of MK's reviews, which I believe to be widely discussed in-house and which resulted in an excoriating public eruption on The Hardline.

    (3) I do not believe that Ticket management is likely to be satisfied with its choice, or of MK's work since then.

    (4) Conclusion: There's more at work here than talent/skills evaluation -- influence is somehow in play -- and figuring out what that might be goes way beyond the identity of a weekend Tickerman and is absolutely of legitimate interest to this site and many of its readers, whether they tune in on weekends or not. Especially in light of evidence that Cumulus and CBS are cozying up (Ferrall from CBS Sports Radio, anyone?).

    As 1115, said, it's weird, wild, wacky schtuff. But something's going on there that resonates with how our beloved Ticket is run, and I'm going to take a stab -- ill-aimed as it might eventually turn out to be -- at figuring out what that might be and to use readily accessible public information to do it.

    Besides: The P1 wants to be treated with respect. I try to advance this by running a fair little blog where my commentary and that of my readers shows at least some thoughtfulness. I admit that this particular post makes some risky inferential leaps. But, as I say, the alternative is to assume that our (pretty darned good) local Ticket management is completely asleep at the switch. As much as I'm kinda rooting for MK at this point, if he doesn't get a whole lot better real soon and show some interest in learning about DFW sports, what does this tell us about local control? Either it takes credit for presenting MK, or the control isn't local.

    And that topic is, as Neil Young would say, innarestin.

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  11. Although you laughed, I should say that the liner failed to play and they threw it to me for an improv liner.

    I still used the correct "Tune it in..." sign-off. I'm actually a little disappointed in myself for not coming up with something a little more clever when they quickly threw me the ball.

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  12. @KT
    I liked the new show, a lot. I also liked, a lot, what you boys threw down yesterday. I hope both shows nail down those time slots (even though The Orphanage is still there).

    @Plainsman
    Keep digging away. I for one am neither offended nor creeped out by your fine investigative work. I also find it puzzling that MK still has a job. I've never heard anyone on air who has been so mistake prone that it stops being funny and starts being a concern, i.e., is this guy OK?

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  13. Did anyone else crack up at Jake and Sea Bass talking about how THL is sort of their arbiter of what's cool? I did. Two 40something middle aged dudes and a 62 year old entering into senior citizenship are taste makers. Oh, and the stuff they actually is outdated and very narrow in scope. Now THAT'S funny!

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  14. Are we sure Karasik is still employed? There was a new ticker guy yesterday. He sounded great, too. I believe his name was Carlos Leál. Or some such.

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  15. I was thinking the same thing, Shags. Then again, most airports in the Northeast and Mid Atlantic states have been closed. Perhaps he couldn't make it to Dallas?

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  16. Mitchell was scheduled to work today, but was snowed in. That's why I covered his shift today.

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  17. C'mon, KT, be a mensch and give us the goods on the MK story...

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  18. And Kevin, while you're at it, give us the solution for world peace forever.

    I think KT is already a mensch.

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  19. So is Karasik basically PAYING to do tickers? He can't be making enough to cover his airfare, right?

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  20. Shaggy, I didn't make it clear in my post, but it was the blockbuster revelation that Mitchell was commuting for this gig that opened my eyes to the realization that something more than inadvertence in hiring was at work.

    Your speculation is not out of line. You will note from my report that I'm thinking MK may have money somewhere. And, also as suggested in the post, it seems that he may have some non-Ticket-related reasons for wanting to visit DFW on weekends. Although it's not clear he has any other full-time NYC job other than his LockerBlogger initiative, so may hang around town for a bit after his Ticker duties conclude, although it's a cinch he's not listening to local sports radio on these jaunts. And he has also apparently neglected to take advantage of the miracle of iHeart Radio to do so when he's away from the metro.

    So yes, it's a tantalizing mystery. If it were just a Tickerman issue, it would be a tiny mystery. But in light of his performance to date (which I truly hope he can polish up), it's a mystery the solution to which, I think, would give us some fascinating insight into how things are being run at The Ticket these days.

    This site (i.e., I) was ridiculed by some Confessors for believing that events surrounding the tragic Victory move -- actually, the move itself, the physical consolidation of Cumulus assets -- coinciding with the CBS flirtations, was the harbinger of what were probably going to be distant, but nevertheless unwelcome, changes at The Little One. I'm standing by it.

    Ask Ferrall to pop a cold one for me the next time you call in, OK?

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  21. Plainsman, I'm right there with you. I also was one of the so-called doomsayers regarding the move to Victory. You can almost always tell when a commenting Confessor is on the younger side of life's ledger when if something doesn't happen immediately they say "gotcha! you were wrong!" If it doesn't occur within two weeks it's never going to. Why? Because their sense of history and the passage of time. I know because I once was the same way. So while geezers like us understand that the near future means anywhere from the immediate to a couple of years, the youngsters think "see, it's next week and nothing happened so you we're wrong."

    Those predictions were made, what, nearly a year ago; and as you pointed out, we now have CBS's newest golden boy, Farrell On The Bench, pouring out frosty ones for us and terrorizing us with his "unique" voice and 'tude. I think you're very much on to something with this MK scenario. Prima facie it makes zero sense for either Cumulus/The Ticket or MK himself. I could *almost* buy into it if he were a Tickerman on, say, THL or BaD or The Musers: flying in to work Mon-Fri to work for the golden goose, the paradigm of guy/sports talk stations (and in THL and The Musers' case, for now legends in the business *and they are seen as that in the industry, folks*) in order to pad the CV and gain radio bona fides. But the current situation? Again, it makes zero sense--at least prima facie. So yes, this is an interesting little mystery. Only a one pipe mystery, perhaps; but interesting nonetheless.

    The game is afoot.

    Open Letter to Mitchell Kerasik:
    Dear Mitchell, if for some reason this site, and more specifically this particular thread, is made known to yourself, please do feel free to check in and clear up what, for some of us, has become a source of intrigue and fascination.

    Yours in concern and kindness,
    duckandcover

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  22. Anonymous 213

    Again, all I know is that he was scheduled to work today, but asked me to cover for him because he couldn't get a flight out of New York.

    I've no idea if he lives there, if he was on vacation, if he has family there, etc. I just know he was in New York and couldn't get out of town.

    I've had very few conversations with him, so I don't know. I'm just as curious as anyone to find out his story. I do know he's Jewish. That's about it.

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  23. Cool. Thanks, KT. You are a mensch, brutha.

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  24. Interesting how Gordon treats Mike Tyson with more respect than the Pope. Funny too how last week Norm wanted Mike Tyson on his show. I remember, oh, about 6-7 years ago when Norm said he was done with Mike Tyson. Then again, Bob Marley who, um, ya know, beat women and was not such a Ja Mon Luv Ya in his actual life was remembered in loving and exuberant tribute during last night's Grammys. Nice world we live in.

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  25. @8:05

    Shouldn't really be surprising considering they're more than happy to have Chris Brown sit in the front row for the show.

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  26. Hear you on this one. Look, I can separate the art from the artist. Hell, I like Wagner. Despicable man, brilliant composer. So I get liking Market's tunes and recognizing his contribution. But that Hollywood/rock crowd sure is selective in who is ok and who is not. Same with actions. Chris Brown. Kidding me? Oh by the way, Jack White is idiotic. Talk about fooling people.

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  27. Meant Marley, not Market! Dang fat text texting fingers.

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  28. What happened to the BaD Radio forum?

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  29. I'm thinking by now, we're most likely not going to get anywhere further on the MK front. Unless someone does some more investigative work. Which at this point, might be on the creepy side of things. Who knows? Maybe one of the weekend shows will put the spotlight on MK and ask him a bunch of questions in hopes of finding out just exactly what his scene is/why he's here? I hope so.

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  30. 1030, I think you're correct. I thought I might receive an email from some knowledgeable person telling me I'm way off base on the inside baseball here, but to date, nothing.

    On reflection, that should not have surprised me. If someone with knowledge insists that "no, there's nothing unusual going on here," then they have to answer the question as to why MK is imported at someone's -- somehow, I think it's not The Ticket's -- great expense and allowed to continue to bludgeon weekend Tickers.

    And I would not expect to hear from MK himself, as this site's readers and its proprietor have noted, even linked to, the Karasik Classics as evidence of a certain . . . unpreparedness. It pains me to be critical of guys down the Ticket food chain, but Mitchell's Tickers make Craig Rosengarden look like Edward R. Murrow.

    I admit that my CBS-Sports-connection theory rests on some unsupported line-drawing, but if not that, what?

    Maybe it's just Cat or Rich doing someone a favor, being nice guys for an industry pal looking for a way to help Mitchell spend more time in DFW.

    Maybe it's a Ferrall tie-in -- If you give MK a shot, we'll knock something off our syndication fee for Ferrall.

    But because we have fairly high regard for Cat's and Rich's judgment, I think we can scratch "local management thinks he's doing a good job" from the list.

    But it is not entirely impossible that this was just an improvident hire, a plain old mistake. (Although it's pretty hard to get around all that strangeness with the NYC round-trips.) After all, they've also had Bruce LeVine do weekend Tickers, and he hasn't distinguished himself in that role, either. (Is he still doing them?)

    Mitchell, I'm kind of coming around on you and I hope this arrangement is working out for you -- but man, you've just flat got to do your DFW sports homework after 4+ months doing this. You're making your local bosses look bad and making a passionate fan base feel disrespected. And now, rightly or wrongly, you're Exhibit 1 for the nagging belief that the days of The Ticket's famed independence, even within Cumulus, are drawing to a close.

    Tickermen matter.

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  31. Ticketmen do matter. And I think you're spot-on, Plainsman, that this is one (IMO) of many indicators that The Ticket's days of being the independent, they're too good so let's let them do what they want, bad boys on the Cumulus block have come to an end. Which, as some of us have said (and been roundly chastised for saying it), will sooner than you think bring about unwelcome changes and a new way of doing things. And it is being done incrementally. Think Fabian Socialism: the idea isn't to make sweeping changes in one fell swoop; no; all that does is cause revulsion and revolt; the idea is to at first make slow and subtle changes, then once you get used to having little and what seem to be rather inconsequential changes, minor irritations, the larger and more not so subtle changes are implemented. Think I'm nuts? OK. You got me, I am. But, I ask you to think about what's been going on the last two or so years. From the Victory move that was done to put all the stations in one building to Sweet Jack to Dr. Sanjay Gupta to Farrell Up Your Butt to many other little things that would've once been unthinkable where The Little One is concerned. Yes, moving all the stations who are under one parent company to a single locale makes sense; it makes sense on several different levels; one of which, as Plainsman has pointed out in the past, is to keep a firm thumb on them--i.e., to micromanage. Please understand, I'm not saying Cumulus is evil; I'm only claiming that things have been moving in a certain direction, they will keep moving that way in an ever more accelerated fashion, and I have a feeling, no, I know, none of us are going to like it. Thus far none of us have. Anyone here thinks Farrell is a positive thing? Gupta? Freakin' Sweet Jack? Didn't think so. Prepare yourself for more, and for it to have a much greater presence.

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  32. I was listening to Farrell last night on the way home and I can imitate him pretty easily. It's an easy voice to do, so I wonder if it's a bit and if he actually talks that way or imitates it and it's just second nature to talk that way. He mentioned last night that he's under the weather, but doesn't smoke, so how would one get a voice like that? I think it's a sheik thing that he probably started up when Charlie Sheen was popular a couple of years back and he's trying to build on that. But adding to that, he's horrible in the content, but some who don't know the Ticket could say that until the get to know them, so the same could be said about Farrell as well.

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  33. I meant he's horrible in the show content that I heard on his show.

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  34. @ Anonymous Feb. 9 @ 11:29pm

    If this thread is what keeps you out of here, then Plainsman, keep 'em coming.

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  35. I liked this post, Plainsman. I've been curious about the whole MK situation since he started. I gave my thoughts on him a couple threads ago, but to recap: Talking is a key job requirement. Since he can't talk, why does he have a job?

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  36. How is Farrell on the Bench something that would have been unthinkable in years' past? First, he's been on the Ticket's late-night programming before. Second, the Ticket has laways had spare/generic network late-night programming.

    Also, I listened in on MASS during a BaD break, and I heard to Ticket-rips in just a few short minutes. They introduced their "Community Tidbits" segment, and then Scot (I think) said "Let's go toooooooooo" just like Mike says when they go to callers.

    Earlier they had to talk about Alabama basketball.

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  37. I'll echo the previous question. Where's Kevin Scott? He was a good.

    (His Linkedin page says he is/was an "Event Director")

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  38. I highly doubt that there is some sort of "kickback" on Ferall in association with MK. Take the blinders off and look wide.

    The CBS Sports Radio/Cumulus partnership is for CBS to provide content to the 67 Cumulus-owned stations with a sports format.

    Why worry about New York, when it is Cumulus in Atlanta calling the shots? And that man is News/Talk/Sports Corporate PD for Cumulus, Jim Mahanay.

    Nationwide, Cumulus terminating all its previous ad sales and distribution contracts with ESPN on their affiliates for CBS.

    This is less about ratings, and more about markets and how to sell them to advertisers. Heck, since the active rumor is that Les Moonves is going to sell CBS Radio to Cumulus and get out of the radio business all together by 2014.

    After the FCC forces the sale of smaller stations, the Dickey's will have a larger share to compete with ClearChannel for national advertisers and will have radio.com for themselves, as opposed to piggybacking on IHeartRadio.

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  39. Shaggy, fair point. But as you said, Farrell was once late-night programming. He is now 9:00 pm programming; not primetime, true, but not overnight (as he was during his first run in this market). In other words, what was once overnight b.s. is creeping ever closer. Again. Slowly, incrementally, is the theme. Thus it's not that the show itself is unthinkable, it's (i) where it is slot-wise and (ii) the ad campaign/push behind it. Food for thought, this really began with Dan Patrick.

    D.A., what you say falls into line with what I'm claiming (and I think Plainsman, too): This is a very big picture thing that goes well beyond The Ticket and even its success. By the way, great insight/perspective, as always.

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  40. I don't listen to BADD radio enough, but I gotta admit...I love it when Italian Gribble comes on WTDS. He's pretty funny.

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  41. Kevin Scott does Tickers for 103.3 during Mike and Mike.

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  42. Duck,

    You are dead on about the slow desensitization concept...(not to get too conspiratorial, but it's happening in our society as well)...
    The day they put everybody under one roof was the day that Cumulus told us that they care more about control than putting a quality product on the air.
    If you think it's bad now, wait until one of the big 4 show hosts leave...that will signal the beginning of the end of the Ticket as we have known it...

    I just don't get why the Cumulus jackwagons seem so intent on killing their golden goose...all in the name of control....

    About the 2nd week this Kerasik (and Levine) clown was on the air, I sensed something fishy was going on.

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  43. D.A., appreciate the insight and loving the jargon.

    I can't tell whether you think Mitchell is an example of CBS influence. My consanguinity argument (the Karasik who is the muckety CBS Sports guy) is pretty creaky. Since you have referenced the CTO in Atlanta, it looks like you're lending some support to the growing supposition that non-local influence on Tickety operations is increasing.

    Don't want to put words in your mouth. Again, thanks for sharing your knowledge.

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  44. Just read over at radio-info that The FAN Sports Lounge went out of business quite some time ago. Funny how that was sorta quietly swept under the rug. Seems like nothing The FAN touches or touches The FAN works out. They won't make it to Christmas configured as they are right now. BIG changes ahead. BIG ones.

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  45. Plainsman,
    I really do not care why or how the weekend Ticker Guy is commuting from NYC to DFW as opposed to flying to ATL, where Cumulus is based where they could "keep a close ear" on his development as I rarely listen to weekend programming.

    To tomfoolery: I am not sure that the little Ticket really is as gilded as perceived. It is one of the heritage brands in terms of sports radio along with WEEI, WFAN, KNBR, KFAN. But like KJR there is not much nightly sports programming worth the attention of advertisers. The Ticket has the Stars and SMU football, while KJR has the University of Washington.

    To All:
    I am going to link a seven minute interview Bloomberg.com did with Lew Dickey last week. Listen to what he says and realize this is the same guy who is paying millions to both Limbaugh and Hannity.

    http://www.bloomberg.com/video/the-battle-for-your-ears-lEcH0qXfR_eO~W60xEc15g.html

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  46. ...I now have a sudden craving for some Chinese takeout.

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  47. Preciate ya, DA, but let's not get all Koch Bros, Lew Dickey boogie man rightwing Republicans are evil / political all up in here.

    Listening to the Stars postgame show. This new guy who works for the Stars (scouting or player development) is TERRIBLE (trying to channel my inner Wilonsky). He has no vocabulary, can barely speak a complete sentence, and refuses to criticize anything Stars. Please either get someone else or let Bruce do it alone. I think he could go solo just fine.

    I've been listening to the new Bammy MaSS. I know damn well that Scot and probably Matt will stop by here, specially during the first couple of weeks. So if you see this comment, fellas, please don't take this personal: Man oh man, you guys had your own cool schtick and modus operandi. So far, you're taking aspects of certain daytime hosts, even personal mannerisms and ways of speaking, as your own. Not cool, boys. Something tells me that that was part of the deal. That's why they wanted you. But I think you can do better than that. C'mon, "Community Tidbits" and "let's go toooooo" and a bunch of other stuff I heard, that's not cool. You might think no one will find out, etc., but when it does get back to Mike and THL boys what you're doing, you do know that eventually you'll regret it. Cuz if haven't learned anything from the Greggo situation or anyone else who Rhynes perceives to have taken from or screwed him........the dude doesn't forgive. Even though you guys are in Bama, you need still need them. Just sayin' food for thought y'all.

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  48. @ Anon 11:39,

    Did you even watch or listen to what Dickey had to say?

    Nowhere in my post did I use those terms, I used the Bloomberg interview to illustrate that Cumulus/Dickey has paid millions annually to both those two men since the advertising dollars were high for their shows in syndication. However, Dickey has another focus for talk radio and it is not political.

    In that interview, Dickey called it a "shift" in "spoken word radio" aka talk radio from political-based talk to sports. Dickey also talked about content and distribution of their own content plus CBS Sports content as opposed to be strapped to ESPN's radio content.


    And since you bring up MaSS, the Birmingham hosts whose slot they inherited will eventually go up against Finebaum. The old WJOX PD is sitting out his no compete before joining a competitor. A competitor which Cox just sold today, along with 20+ other stations in four markets (Louisville, Richmond, Greenville/Spartanberg, Honolulu) to Summit. That market will change again in 60 days when Finebaum and his syndication dollars find a home.

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  49. To Anon @ 4:05 - Thanks for the update on Kevin Scott. I very rarely listen to ESPN.

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  50. Shaggy and 2/12 11:39: If what you two are saying is correct, and I have no reason to think otherwise, then yes, that's rather unfortunate. But not surprising. As I stated in my first post (a couple of threads ago, I believe), I believe MaSS was farmed out in order to inject that good old Ticket magic/Ticket way of doing things (lingo, bits, etc.) and to shore up their chops for an eventual return to Dallas to take over a show that the CTO knows is departing/not going to renew its contract because one or more host is ready to move on/retire.

    However, after having more time to think about it, and after having read D.A.'s thoughts/listening to the link he provided, I now believe that they will not return, but rather are there to change the culture by taking nearly everything from The Ticket (and I mean everything) and introducing it to WJOX listeners and hosts in order to see if it "takes." Either it will and they will become THL of WJOX and will be moved to am or pm drive, or it won't, and that'll most likely be the end of Scot and Matt's affiliation with Cumulus. (As I mentioned in the original post, it doesn't necessarily mean the end of Scot OR Matt's affiliation; after all, Cumulus could deem one of them viable--or even both viable, but not together.)

    The upshot is that I think the above falls into line with the data D.A. is giving and with what some in these comboxes have been saying for a while.

    One last thing on this front: I do wonder if Cumulus is looking at The Ticket as not only a paradigm of how they want their sports/guy talk empire to take shape, but also as a farm system of sorts. And not just on a JV level. I can imagine a scenario where they say to themselves: "Alright, as long as we have a rock solid ratings getter at the am and pm drive slots we're good. So, if we move, say, BaD to our San Antonio or Miami affiliate, it would be our THL/Musers of that station and our heritage station would be none the worse."

    You might think that's lunacy. If you do, then you haven't paid much attention to radio over the last 20 years. It is an industry that purposely sabotages itself. It is like no other industry in that way. The motto seems to be "Whatever works, change it; we can make more money by diluting the ketchup."

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  51. Ok. I just listened to the link provided by D.A. I think d&c is more on to the bigger picture regarding The Little One than not. What Dickey was saying--scratch that--screaming between the lines was almost impossible to miss.

    If you would, D.A., I'd be interested in hearing your take on what d&c is putting forth. Ditto, Plainsman. While I've no idea about some of his/her specifics, it does seem to comport with what's going on and both what Dickey said and screamed between the lines in that Bloomberg interview.

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  52. Bottom Rung:

    http://centraltrack.com/Culture/3289/Bottom-Rung/Could-The-Tickets-Future-Rest-In-The-Hands-of-Four-Goofballs-Known-as-Team-Havin-Fun

    #teamhavinfun

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  53. Thanks for posting that link, Shaggy. I had no idea that Machine looked like a metrosexual Starbucks barista. I do hope that his and KT's show finds a permanent weekend spot. Personally, I'd like it to either follow the new Newbury, Bass, and Kemp show on Sundays or replace the tired and played out Orphanage.

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  54. Who is this Cray Trey that the Hardline keeps referencing?

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  55. Trey Mitchell, former Norm Intern/Current BaD intern.

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  56. I got the feeling Rhyner (no, you're not dead) wasn't really joking around during yesterday's discussion of the now dubbed "Team Fun" and a few other JVers. I think he does see the writing on the wall as to where things are going content and talent wise.

    Listening to Bama MaSS as I type this. They sound like they've been talking SEC/Roll Tide talk their entire lives. Major props to them for that. That's a lot of intense prep, because I'll guarantee you neither knew jack about it 1 month ago. But man oh man, what a beating to hear this crap. They're freaking talking about Bama basketball and "The Big Dance." And they're trying to sounds passionate about it. They sorta do. But for how long can you keep up such a facade? So far I haven't heard any Ticketisms, but right now like I said, they're knee deep in RPI talk (seems to have something to do with the Tournament's selection committee's criteria). It's cray cray.

    I know there's not many hockey fans here, but did anyone notice last night that Bob was doing the pre game show, which he never does when it's an away game? And for the post game show they went to the FSSW tv feed. No Bruce Levine on either show. Wonder if he is sick or if something else is going on? Because Tuesday's shows were unlistenable. He had someone from the Stars with him who was incoherent.

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  57. duckandcover is so prophetic. I wonder if anyone ever told him he was a good writer. No way right? Cause then he might try to show off every time he posts on a local radio blog. Eh.

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  58. 1:04: Thanks, buddy! You're too kind! (And too generous with your compliments!)

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