Saturday, August 10, 2013

Note from a Remote

Dropped in on the remote in Frisco yesterday to check on The Hardline and chat up the cute bartenders at Tailgaters.  Nice, unpretentious sports bar.  

Show sounded good, very clear in the room, except that for some reason Danny's contributions were muffled and completely inaudible through the speakers. 

It's interesting -- people come to hang out and chat with their friends; only a few people trying to hear the show.  Although when they mentioned the Cowboys moving to Frisco, they got a fairly widespread reaction, so either people are halfway listening, or their ears pricked up when they heard the word "Frisco." 

Corby has a habit of fingering his head-mic during the broadcast.

Mike was quaffing much beer.  Corby remarked on it.

During a break a gorgeous, leggy Ticket Chick was showing Mike some photo on her iPhone that was causing some amusement.  Um, woot.

While I was there, only one guy came up to chat with them during a break, spoke very briefly to Mike, who was receptive. Corby went to the men's room at one point, no one took the opportunity to come up and say hi.

I still marvel at how these guys can broadcast so naturally, their voices blaring out into the room, with dozens and dozens of people making noise, sometimes hollering, all around them.  It probably has something to do with the insulating effect of the headset.

Corby's hair is back in full Ruth Buzzi mode.

Anyway, nice remote.

33 comments:

  1. No listener interaction by Corby and Mike...wow, they must have been thrilled.

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  2. I've been to one Guys Night Out and to one remote (THL). I wish I never did. Sort of ruined the radio magic, the imaginative aspect of the listener experience that makes radio so special.

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  3. Interesting, 1017. Never grabbed me in that way. In fact, it increases my appreciation for what they do. Think of yourself trying to converse, frequently about the same sportsy topics, for 3-4 hours every day. Over the radio it sounds natural, but live you can see how really unusual that is, what a high-wire act.

    It's a talent.

    442: Not sure if you're being saracastic or not. I've never seen any host, no, not even Corby or Mike, show disrespect to a P1 at a remote or blow him off.

    I have wondered sometimes whether hosts sometimes regard remotes as a complete thrashing, a necessary sponsor-pleasing activity. I'm sure the tech guys must.

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  4. Every time I have been to a remote, I watch these guys go to a break and then sort of zone out for 7 or 8 minutes. I completely understand why, and I can see where some people would considered that being detached from from the people in the room.

    The only time I ever approached a Ticket host at a remote was at CompUSA, when Mike and Greg were doing their first (I believe) remote after 9/11. On my wait out of the store I stopped by their table and told them how much I appreciated their work over the previous couple of weeks. They thanked me, but it was a very low key exchange and I did not feel in the list offended that they didn't invite me to sit down at the table and chat.

    I've talked to Norm a couple of times on remotes, but that was back in the KLIF days.

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  5. I agree, in the remotes I've attended in past, none of the hosts have been "disrespectful". Disinterested, aloof and somewhat unapproachable (if you were a male walking toward their table) yes, but disrespectful, no. But then again, I've only attended THL remotes. Since then I've stopped going to those. What I think is incongruent is that I thought that was the whole reason to have a remote...so that it would draw listeners to a business and to meet the hosts. I found out the hard way that the former, not the latter is what is encouraged. If that is not the case, perhaps I just caught Mike at bad times during those past remotes.

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  6. @1017
    Ditto. It's like seeing the Wizard of Oz once the curtain is yanked off its rod. You're like, "Oh, they're as goofy as me." Which in some sense is cool, but in another isn't. It's got zero to do with appreciating their craft. I had that down before I ever went to a remote. Again, it's like a magician doing an amazing trick, then you finding out how he did it. The spell is broken.

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  7. Well, since Finebaum returns on Monday, there will be changes to Cumulus-owned WJOX in Birmingham.

    1. WJOX will flip from CBS Sports Radio to ESPN Radio for non-local programming.

    2. MaSS moves to 5-8 PM.

    http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2013/08/paul_finebaums_return_causes_b.html

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  8. I've been wondering about this for a while, but it's really driving me crazy now that it's a drop on the Ticket app ad. Where does, "Is she beautiful? Is she fine?" come from?

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  11. @ Anonymous 1:25a

    That drop came from a homeless interview. I want to say it was the same person who gave them "you promised me a 40 ounce" but I'm not positive.

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  12. I remember back in the day Russ Martin refused to do remotes because it adds no value for the listener. I'm inclined to agree with him. Besides the additional promos, we have to hear about how hard the place was to find and other extraneous content not to mention increased technical issues. Wireless segments are highlighted as prime content but I've never enjoyed hearing Corby or Gordo ask girls uncomfortable questions - I guess some people never tire of it though.

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  13. Just to echo what others have said, I've had interaction with every host at Cowboys training camp and/or several Ticketstocks. Each time, they've all been incredibly nice and responsive to photo requests, etc. Mike even let me take photo bomb pictures of him at Ticketstock shortly after his Super Bowl media day photo bomb activities.

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  14. 1. I wonder if we've seen the last of Greggo? I know he was moving to Gainsville--at least that's what he said--but that was almost a month ago. I can understand if he can't get the podcast up and running, but to not post something on the blog?. To not Tweet, not a once? You have to think that the handful of sponsors he had garnered can't be too happy with their (I'm sure minimal) investment. In all likelihood, GW has burned even more bridges. Very sad.

    2. Whitt's blog seems to be getting more sportsy, less controversial, and less commented on by both readers and himself (in response to comments). Probably a good move for his pizza business. Probably a good move for RW, in general. It seems like there has been a small swell of commenters who aren't the typical RW toady or vile hater, who make coherent points for and against some of the more yellow and/or superficial stuff RW posts up. Some of it he has no snappy comeback for, either. He's been put in his place on several issues--or at least been forced to rethink his original position, be a bit more humble. All in all it's a much needed improvement. BUT, all in all, it's still not a must read blog. In short: it's no MTC.

    3. @DA I saw that info, as well. Interesting stuff. Good for MaSS. I still think there is a very good chance that they return to The Ticket once Mike R/THL calls it quits. Still awaiting how this Ticket/ESPN/Cumulus/CBS thing is going to shake out. So far, Galloway is gone. Though it's hard to say if he was retiring, regardless.

    4. Contrary to Russ Martin, I think remotes do add value to the show/listener experience. Seeing how RM probably doesn't want the public to watch him in action up close and personal (which, if even a fourth of what has been claimed is true, I can see where he wouldn't), he might not be the best gauge. Remotes CAN bring with them a sense of the unknown. You never know what friend of the show might stop by and create a neat segment. And there's the wireless segment. Plus it does give the impression that they show is "taking it to the streets." Which, whether true or not, helps make the hosts more real to the listener.

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  15. I have seen Ticket hosts 4 times. I even won a Big Screen TV once from a Ticket raffle. It was a GNO and Jub was standing over by the raffle ticket kiosk exchanging pleasantries with the random P1s that came up. Shook hands, said good job. Thanks. No ass-whipping applied. Told Gordo "Happy Birthday!" as he was walking into another GNO and he politely told me it was not actually the day of his birth. I didn't have a snappy comeback, but I had gotten a poke at him. I saw Bob and Dan at a local Tex-Mex eatery and I judged by the size of the guacamole pile on Dan's plate he was acclimating well to our local cuisine. They were both on the air and I just happened to be passing by on the fly so no greetings were exchanged.
    However, outside of shaking hands with Jub that time the most involved interaction was with the Surly Old Bastard. THL was at I'm Having You're Arby's. (is it your or you're? Your makes more sense, but you're is far more appealingly wheels off) I was about as rough as I could be coming in from the field. They were sitting at a table holding court. I sat there and watched them in action for a bit. I was about to head out when Rhyner started to wander around. He might have been going to get a drink or something. Shrug. I stepped up and said howdy. He was receptive and as cordial as he is likely to be to a random stranger.

    I do like the concept of the drawing back the curtain. I do want to know how the trick works. I want to put a face to the voice that emanates from my radio. It actually helped my listening skills when I could imagine that same set of humans speaking to each other in the theater of my mind.
    So, count me in favor of road shows.

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  16. Is anyone else frequently made uncomfortable by the "I'm having a stroke" commercial that seems to air every break the last few weeks?

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  17. @4:44
    Not as much as the Dykes auto group ads on iheart and sportsday. Holy crap....

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  18. Looks like GW showed up on Twitter today. It was pure gibberish. Sad.

    Anyone out there think they can decode this bit from Barry Horn????

    Barry Horn ‏@bhorn55 2h
    What if I told you a DFW sports broadcasting institution thinks his days are numbered. @dallascowboys @dallasmavs @Rangers @DallasStars

    Me, I think it might be Ralph Strangis or Brad Sham.

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  19. Sham posted a response to the effect that Horn's tweet is unfair to "those of us" who aren't the intended subject. In other words, he's saying it ain't him.

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  20. Which means it might be his partner, Babe.

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  21. 10:52 Anon

    Interesting comment. What is behind this? I will admit the coach/scout Brad had working with him this week had something. Refreshing perspective on the game.

    One comment on the remotes. When is the best time to approach the host?

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  22. Thanks T4 in Rockwall, that explains a lot.

    Signed,
    Anonymous 1:25a

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  23. When is the best time to approach a host? Hard to say because you never know when they are getting ready to do a live spot or are talking back to the capsule. (How many times have we heard Mike say "We're on the air, sir"?) They probably expect to be approached whenever they get up and walk around. I would say the WORST time to approach them is when they are packing up to leave.

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  24. Per Barry Horn's Twitter, it's not necessarily a play-by-play guy. Which leads me to believe that Dale Hansen might be the one. Would make perfect sense in today's news scene. Because of ESPN, FOX, etc., the local sports segment gets less and less time. Sans a breaking, big time, sports related story, the sports segment lasts maybe 2-3 minutes. If even that. It used to be 3x that, at least. Doocy was talking about this the last time he subbed in at The Ticket. So, the highest paid on air personality at WFAA (and perhaps all DFW news talent) is Dale, who also happens to be the person holding the most superfluous job. Do the math.

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  25. @1:01
    it's amazing he's had this long of a run with the advent of sports channels and sports talk. To only have to fill out a 3-5 minute segment each news cast couldn't be too hard, eh? I really haven't had a problem with him on the radio other than his seeming overabundance of self importance.

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  26. Let's remember Barry Horn's last prediction about the sports media market was about BAD going to the FAN.

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  27. WFAA probably wants to keep Dale around for that yuckfest he and Delkus have every night. That's really what everybody tunes in for.

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  28. 713

    He was right except that it was avoided by a last minute deal (or capitulation, depending on who's telling the story) between BaD and Cumulus. So, eh, bad point.

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  29. I would be curious to hear the radio professionals opinion on the tickets introduction of the Sportsday app. As much as they promote iHeart Radio, a Cumulus product, the Dickey's can't be too thrilled about this development.

    @P1Rick

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  30. @P1Rick,

    iHeart Radio is NOT a Cumulus product.

    It is a ClearChannel app in which Cumulus, Cox, and Emmis-owned stations have joined since 2011 to compete against Pandora.

    In exchange for promoting iHeartRadio over their radio stations, Emmis, Cox and the rest of the stations will take a revenue share on any streaming ad insertions (like SweetJack) that are placed across any networks of stations that have been established in iHeart.

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  31. @DA

    Thanks for the info. I'll stick to TuneIn.

    @P1Rick

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  32. Nobody's citing the obvious here. Coop. Local programming, personalities, and AE's are about to be kaput at KESN, nobody over there feels comfortable.

    Of course it's a stretch to call Coop an institution, but it is Barry Horn we're talking about.

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  33. Being the Mavs' radio pbp guy for the last decade or so ... and calling the championship win.... for me, that's being an institution. Not only that, he was a huge voice back in the old SWC basketball days.

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