Friday, February 21, 2020

Are You Going to Ticketstock? No -- Ace Hardware Ticketstock; and Other Matters of Interest


I ain't making it, so drop us a line, and please send your photos to:

ThePlainsman1310@gmail.com.

Craig was saying that The Musers were in first place in the ratings.  If anyone has more information on the latest ratings, please advise.  I'll see what I can dig up.

Sorry for the cruddy post, more later.

Wait -- I thought of a way to make it less cruddy.

I want to say something in response to the guys who were ragging me (very respectfully and well within MTC Rules of the Confessional) at the end of the last comments for underestimating BaD Radio.

I heard a lot of BaD over the past year, wasn't just an occasional drop-in.  I liked it.  Seldom, if ever, did I punch out.  I agree with all of the good things the commenters said about the show.  The hosts and producers clearly worked hard to prepare the show.  Very professional presentation.  But the show bogged more than any other show on The Ticket, and not because of Bob's gone-with-the-wind questions.  I could go into several reasons for the bogging, but what's the point?  Just not my favorite show on a consistent basis; we all have our favorites.

But here's what I want to say to the BaD lovers.

First, I'm sorry for your loss.

Second, that show is gone for a reason.

I am very reliably informed that Bob and Dan have a very good personal relationship and high professional regard for one another.

But:

Either Bob wanted to be in a different show more than he wanted to be in BaD, or Jeff Catlin wanted that for him, or both.  Boosting The Hardline was more important for the CTO than preserving BaD.

Now, moving to drive is a promotion, which is a desirable thing.  More money, for one thing.  (Oh, yes:  I'm pretty sure Bob got a new, much better, deal -- one of the reasons this change didn't happen instantly, the negotiations probably took a little time.)  But Jeff Catlin didn't think too hard before busting up BaD, a historically successful show, at least until recently, to get some sports content into The Hardline.

That's not evidence that BaD was not a good show.  But it is some evidence that BaD was not the jewel in The Ticket crown that some of its partisans make it out to be.

Send me those Ticketstock snaps and let us know if you had a good time.

Image result for gorgeous redheads 

ThePlainsman1310@gmail.com
@Plainsman1310


44 comments:

  1. It's hard to believe that Corby is older than Bob. One is a young soul, one is an old soul.

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  2. I'm hoping to go tomorrow to Ticketstock but I heard it's kind of beating with the crowds and parking and so forth. So, I probably won't make it.

    Good points of BaD Radio, PMan.

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  3. Don't skip Ticketstock because of the parking, it's not bad at all. I usually just go for The Timewasters and the show is well worth it.

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  4. Agree, 1040. Things just didn't work out for me this year to be able to attend, but I have always gotten a charge out of it every time I've gone. Just hanging out, meet some other P1s.

    I've thought about seeing if Cumulus would let me rent a booth, sell some MTC t-shirts, hire some smokin' reds as booth tunas to schmooze the attendees.

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  5. The Ticket AnonyMouseFebruary 21, 2020 at 11:02 AM

    I don't know why I personally care if the little Ticket is no. 1 or no. 50 in the ratings, but Craig referred to the Nielsen ratings and looking at the Nielsen ratings, they're far from top of market. Maybe I'm missing something.

    Link >> https://ratings.radio-online.com/content/arb024

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  6. He said their show was on top, not the entire station.

    Any time they refer to ratings, they mean listeners in the 25-54 age range

    Those ratings you posted are for listeners age 6 and up and from 6am-midnight, which nobody cares about

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  7. Junior didn't say the Musers show is #1. He said it's the #1 show among sports stations. By 2 full points. Important distinction. He's saying "We beat the Fan and ESPN, but not Kellie Rasberry or whoever else has a morning presentation."

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  8. @Anonymouse

    It's a real touchy subject here and some other forums. The Ticket has slowly lost quarter-to-quarter dominance over the last few years, but when you point it out, some people have a melt down and start carving up the numbers a million different ways to make them look as dominant as they were 15yrs ago. You can see how sensitive even the ticket hosts got to their falling number last fall https://www.pressboxdfw.com/radio-ratings-show-105-3-the-fan-is-dfws-no-1/

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  9. Booth tuna, Plainsman? That means...?

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  10. The scorchin' babes that companies hire to man their booths at car shows, conventions, and the like. It's sort of fallen out of fashion, but I think they should bring it back, don't you?

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  11. They did a survey of car-show booth tuna once (true). They were asked what was the number one question they got. Their near-unanimous response:

    "Do you come with the car?"

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  12. I know we're only ending our 3rd week with the changes, but I've come to three conclusions and one HSO that is a bit of overheard inside baseball--a conversation between someone who is very much in the know and a friend, both happened to be within earshot. Also, a thought on the Laddy's appearance this morning on The Musers.

    1. Both shows are getting better by the day and I cannot wait to see where they go. I'm dang near back to the old days where I'd be late to a meeting because I stayed in the car to finish out the segment.

    2. These changes were absolutely necessary for the station's continued success.

    3. (which could be 2a) Mike Rhyner knew what he was doing and why when it comes to his stepping down and getting out of the way. And as usual, he was genius in both his timing and foresight. He knew when to start the thing and he knew when to get out in order for it to continue on. After hearing two weeks of JaD and CaB, I'm catching glimpses of what once was, that is, The Halcyon Days. Mike knew that as long as he remained, the old Ticket sound would not allow for the desperately needed updates. Who was going make the needed changes? No one. Mike knows his power. He saw the not so anomalous ratings trend (across the board), caught the feel for why it was so (probably saw a bit of himself and the old days in a few competitors' shows and station ethos/bunker mentality), and knew that the sort of sports talk he knows and does better than anyone else no longer holds the attention of the majority of the coveted demo, ditto guy talk--especially with the lower, most coveted end of that spectrum. In short, Mike knew that for the station to have a chance at remaining the standard bearer, he must leave. A genuine media genius, that Mike Rhyner. So far, it's working out beautifully. Credit to Cat and Co., of course.

    HSO. This kinda falls along the lines of Pman's post. Like I said, I have it on damn good authority that there are butts hurt over the moves at the station. No, I'm not talking about the JV. I'm talking about certain people who believed they were part of the inner, inner circle and found out after the fact that they weren't. The thrust of it being not everyone who said they had no idea that Mike was leaving until a few days before he made the video was being forthcoming. What Pman says about Bob and contrast negotiations being the thing that drew the final changes out is correct. From what I've heard, the changes were already being discussed on the inner, inner, inner circle DL a few months before the video went down. Evidently there were certain hosts that knew about it at that early stage and did not share (either they were told not to or on their own volition) with either cohosts/coworker buddies/and such. That's all I'll say other there are friendships that aren't as tight as they once were, off air that is.

    If anyone heard the craziness of the Laddy this morning and thought holy s! this is amazing. THAT is how it was on a daily basis for the first 4-5 years of the station. The listeners at that time we're literally along for the ride. Everyday was magic. It wasn't just that The Ticket was a sports station that made it successful. That's why us bona fide Loop Listening D1P1s and very early adapters yearn for the old days. Yeah, we were younger (even young) back then, and yeah I know all about "member berries" and nostalgia. But it was THAT good. You absolutely lived for it. This morning the Laddy brought all that back for a few sweet minutes.

    Once again, we owe Mike everything.

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  13. 329: Excellent blast in tone and content. Many thanks.

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  14. Good stuff @ 3:29

    So, what time do the Timewasters start? Is the crowd unbearable?

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  15. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  16. Hopefully that segment with the Laddie will turn up somewhere on line.

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  17. I do notice the absence of Danny and Sirois on any of the big boy roundtables. Maybe their butts are sore--referring to 329?

    Great day of roundtables. Maybe it's because he hasn't been gone long enough for me to get super nostalgic, but while it was cool to hear Rhyner, I wasn't feeling it like I thought I would. If that makes sense. The kids are alright. Now if we can do something about the barrage of Bloomberg spots.

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  18. Producers are never on roundtables

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  19. Danny is being touted by the promos and the website as more than just a producer. Very cool P1 scoped the whole Timewasters show. impressive stuff all around. Couldn't get a feel for the crowd size, though. They brought Mike out for a curtain call at the very end and he spoke to the crowd. You could absolutely see in his eyes that he knew this was probably the last time he'd be doing this. And for a fleeting moment you got the feeling that leaving this thing he loves with all his heart behind.....the finality of it all hit him, hard.

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  20. The only butt hurt hosts 3:29 could logically be referring to are Corby and/or Dan

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  21. Hi all. 3:29 here. Thanks Pman, Euronymous, and others for the kind words regarding my comment.

    To set the record straight. I never claimed anyone supposedly butt hurt was or was not a host. I only said the person or persons who thought they were much more inside the inner circle than they actually are realized this once the inner inner curtain was pulled back a bit for them to see. The aftermath is that you'll never be able to tell on air, but off air, certain friendships/a certain friendship might not be quite the same as it once was. That's all I'll say. Also, it doesn't mean that I'm in the know. I'm only putting out there what I overheard a reliable source say to someone that I know. That also doesn't mean that it's gospel truth, either. Even those with inside knowledge of stuff don't always get it exactly right and have their own versions too boot. Lot's of variables. Now I wish I hadn't said anything about it.

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  22. New changes coming 3-7 on Monday?

    Haven’t seen this mentioned anywhere else but on Thursday during Danny’s intro he grumbled under his breath, “Just one more day of that and we’ll get to a normal show open”

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  23. I went for a couple of hours in the afternoon. Did not stay for the Mike Rhyner 5:10 segment as it was getting crowded.

    I did go to the board op breakout session w/ J. Moran, D. Mino and M. Bermingham, hosted by Brian Demeris. A few others were there but these three were on the stage; the others were by the control panel. Cray Trey and Justin Montemayor plus a few others I did not know.

    It was entertaining but rather short I thought, probably only 30 minutes or so once they finally got started. Played several drops all the way through with no edits: Brad Sham on a great *unt; Greggo dropping the F bomb, Country Cream and a couple of others. No big reveals but a couple of interesting anecdotes of being a board op.

    ET P1

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  24. I went to Ticketstock wall-to-wall on Fri. Went to the PD (Cat) AMA session on Fri. He did say that none of the +1 stuff was auditions, just helping out the afternoon slot. He said no one under consideration for that slot has to try out for anything. Cat (and everyone else) already knows their work. He said some of the candidates came to his mind, other candidates approached him asking for the slot. He did his usual pro/con list for all the candidates, and Bob was the overwhelming #1. Acknowledged Jake's great work, but Bob was way ahead of anyone.

    Other interesting things (unrelated to lineup changes) were discussed. Cat listed his top 5 metal bands and his top 5 genres, none of which stuck in my mind as I have no interest in that area. To each his own.

    I did hear one attendee ask an interesting question in the handshake line on the way out: Yes, the station pays Aikman, Gammons, etc. to appear, but the arrangements aren't always plain cash-for-time and have unique aspects. And no, the hosts don't get paid extra when they sit in for a segment or two on someone else's show.

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  25. Oh, and Sirois was the moderator (dude walking around with the microphone) which made for some funny times when discussing such things as picking people for hosting slots and such.

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  26. 723/24, thanks for the report. Did you get a sense whether Bob-to-Hardline was Cat's idea, or did Bob approach him, or some combination of that? This tends to support 329's report.

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  27. Anon 7:23/24 here...

    It definitely seemed like it was Cat's decision to approach Bob, but Cat would not have forced it if Bob opposed. And that part lines up with the story Bob told at transition time - that he was willing to move if it was for the good of the Ticket. Cat didn't elaborate on that last part, but where Cat left off is where Bob's on-the-air account picked up, so it seems to line up.

    He did say the decision was definitely not an easy one. He spent many days/hours thinking through it all, and deemed it the best move for the Ticket as a whole. Also lines up with Bob's account.

    ON the face: appears to be the truth. Conspiracy version: They synced up their stories to cover something up.

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  28. Here is a pretty good synopsis of Cat's session.

    https://www.reddit.com/r/theticket/comments/f7jnf3/freak_show_sideroom_jeff_catlin_mike_sirois/

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  29. Dear Dingu,

    I really like you, man. But your 'ad lib' part of the show open sucks. Flat out. It's not funny, not in the least. If your goal is to perpetuate the black cloud caricature, congrats. Problem is, you're neither that guy off air (seen you in the wild numerous times over the years, so I know you're quite approachable even affable) nor is this version of the black cloud, the 50-something one, very appealing. Everything sucks, everything is stupid 'tude doesn't age well. What worked in '08 doesn't in '20. Even Jake figured this out. Hell, recognizing that has probably played a big role in his summiting Mt. Varsity.

    Love you, Dingu. You're better than this. You're a gifted dude. Use that gift and make the opening what it should be. One that reflects not just your abilities, but also the nice balance of thoughtfulness and sneer you possess. Yeah, the opening is that important. Sets the tone for the show and more importantly for the listener.

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    Replies
    1. The Ticket AnonyMouseFebruary 25, 2020 at 9:58 AM

      Well put. Too much Danny is too much.

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  30. I'll take Tyson Fury's singing over Corby's any day!!!

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  31. I have to disagree with 3:29 PM. up there. The Hardline is no where near it's "halcyon" day's, nor will it ever be. All it has to be, is better than the competition, and that much, it probably is.

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  32. Hey slinky. Thanks for replying to my comment. For the record I said that I'm catching glimpses of the Halcyon Days, not that they're on that level, yet. We all have different opinions and I respect yours. Though it would be cool to read a line or three on why you disagree, other than the fact that you do. Just wanted to make sure you knew mine - since you commented on it. I do believe THL 3.0 or whatever it'll eventually be called is trending toward that sort of greatness with each passing show.

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    1. I'm probably the poster child for good ol day syndrome. I do like Bob, so I stop
      by occasionally. I just find Corby frustrating at times. Like the other day when they were discussing not stopping in certain neighborhoods to render help until police arrive due to safety concerns. Corby absolutely could not understand such absurdity. I guess Corby forgot about the man, who happened to be white, stopped to help after hitting a black child that had darted out into the street. The area was a predominantly black neighborhood. The man (that had a wife and children) was nearly beaten to death and left in a coma for many months, may still be, and he wasn't even at fault.

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  33. Wanna know how big changes, BIG changes come about? And come about faster than lightening?

    https://www.reddit.com/r/theticket/comments/f9o9go/what_was_this_about/

    The thing no one's talked about in years, the thing The Ticket has miraculously avoided, even in this me too era, might come home to roost. If even a hint of a groundswell comes to the attention of CTO, at the very least we will see a dramatic shift in tone and topics across the board. And if the heat gets turned up to, say, 6, host heads will roll. And even if you are a Musketeer, off to the guillotine.

    If you don't think this can happen, like yesterday, you're delusional. All it takes is ONE motivated individual to set off the avalanche. Might've already been set off.

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  34. wut, they were talking about Tyson Fury's training regimen

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  35. I think that's what they're referring to. I think when Julie was brought aboard it was for several reasons. Obviously, The Ticket was badly needing some diversity in terms of gender, but also because Julie is a sports broadcaster. I think everyone realized it would change the dynamics of the station a bit (especially the shifts she's on), but I don't find her to be someone that wants to make huge waves about things. The Ticket is a sports station and most sports is played by men (at least the sports The Ticket talks mostly about) and it is talked about by men. I think Julie realized that when she got the job. That said, should someone like Dan be a little more careful in his comments? Probably.

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  36. Yes, they were, Surly. And while Julie plays along and seems to get it and has no issues, that has none, zero, bearing on others (such as the Tweeters in the link I posted-h/t reddit site) making her non-cause, theirs. That they were talking about Fury's "regimen" and not merely "guy talking" would not provide protection if things escalate. Like I said, it only takes ONE motivated individual. And that individual can be someone who happens to see that Twitter thread, living in Albany, has no clue what The Ticket is or the dynamic of the show/situation, and feels the deep urge to make a stand for the right side of history or whatever terms one prefers to couch one's desire to effect change.

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  37. I'm confused. What would someone's specific actionable complaint be

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  38. Maybe the link I posted doesn't display the Twitter thread. If not go to the reddit site and try it from there. If it does display and you cannot see how something COULD (not will, mind you) go from zero to million in a short period of time, well, Surly, I don't know what to say. "Actionable complaint" is HR legalese stuff. That comes later; that is first read in between the lines and then made manifest.

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  39. You keep saying things like "could go from zero to a million" and "groundswell" and "heat gets turned up to 6" and "make a stand" and "right side of history" and "one motivated individual" to "set off the avalanche"...without saying what any of that means. What is the complaint? People talking about cunnilingus and masturbation? People talking about cunnilingus and masturbation in the presence of a woman? What is the concern?

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  40. Man, Surly, you must be a lawyer or a wannabe.

    Did you not read the Twitter thread? Can you not extrapolate how such things not only could happen but do happen--with regularity these days.

    Sheesh.

    I'm not saying it will happen this time. I never did. I'm saying that it's stuff like this that sparks the powder keg and then BEWM (in da house).

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  41. Late commnent on Ticket Fest....but over the years I have found the number of vendors decreasing. This one seemed to be the lightest on booths. I made it thru all three rows in about ten minutes..even stopping at several.

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