A home for those who love almost everything about The Ticket (1310 AM, 96.7 FM, Dallas-Fort Worth), and who would like to discuss -- respectfully and fondly -- their thoughts on how (and whether) to eliminate the "almost."
Sunday, September 11, 2022
Classy New Red in Attempt to Cut Off Further Alamo/Race/Socialism Commentary
I notice the Donnie/chitlins comment was deleted. You do know, Pman, that Norm actually said that on-air to Donnie, yes? Because, he did. Indeed it is used as a drop.
I've noticed alot more lately George calling out Gordo in Muse on essentially running out the clock - this could be that Gordo is calling for old audio/drops to be played to take off time...& prolly Gordo knowing exactly what pushes Jubs buttons and locks in - - either way, what was once fun occasional tension btwn the 2 is turning into a staled playlet (i.e. Gordo giving the barest of minimum contribution).
Well, let's see: Rhyner's gone. Greggo's gone. We could see them as 3 and 2, with 1 being another Musketeer OG Varsity host to bail. Obviously that entails a Muser. Gordon's too comfortable in his station, too inert to pursue anything else, and besides, he has such an easy job that pays very well, why would he leave? He basically regurgitates the same bits over and again, year after year. And when he's not doing that, he's waxing on whatever interest du jour has caught his fancy. George loves his job. It's obvious and he loves being a part of the station and getting involved with other shows, slipping into the "Out of Town Georgio" persona, and being able to use his platform and local celebrity to further his pesonal and charitable causes. That leaves, of couse, Junior. Junior, who rarely gets involved with other shows, mostly misses out on Ticket all skates when out of town (granted, they have to get up awfully early, but it rarely stops George), has interests that lie totally outside everyone elses, is a late-middle-aged new father who's done the math and knows he probably won't see many of his kid's adult milestones so he better get his time in while he can and can do so with full faculties (mind and body), and who's probably taken good care of his money and therefore could afford an early retirement. Boom. Roasted.
Methinks Sirois' exit (Danny's and Jer's too?) was interestingly timed. Please see Shaggy's comment above. Another domino is about to fall. KEGL/iHeart is making a last ditch effort here in these DFWs. They're going to attempt to succeed at what 105.3 couldn't: that is, Talk that Rocks. "Let's out guy talk The Ticket. Only we, unlike the pre-FAN 105.3, have talent with the recipe for, as Stephen Jones is wont to say, 'the secret sauce' involved." Please please please bring back Ron and Don... A MENAGE!
Nota bene Scull hosted the morning drive show, while The Treehouse was in the heart of PM drive hours. The decks are cleared. I agree that something's afoot. I also find the timing of all these departures of no-compete clause having JV Ticket employees with hosting chops and aspirations to be interesting. If the apparent implication of Surly's comment is correct --someone else is leaving The Mothership-- this would only serve to raise suspicion. Can you clarify what you meant, Surly?
No Muser will call it a day before about 2025 when George and Craig hit 60. This will also coincide with Musers 30th anniversary year. I can see the Musers disbanding Christmas time 2025.
Davy Lane doing concert calendar on a Thursday! Davy has been great. He brings the clever irreverent type pop culture sensibilities to the show. Great addition to the HL. Nicely done Catman.
Anom 6:17 Norm's contract runs out in 2024 does it not?
I also suggest reading the top three posts at https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/dallas-fort-worth.679/ There is a great deal of discussion as to where 97.1 is headed or likely to head according to the area radio pundits.
There's a fairly persistent rumor that KEGL is flipping to sports. Could be a FOX or even another ESPN effort. Again, it's a rumor, albeit a suspiciously sustained one. Personally, such a move makes little sense. Even a "talk that rocks" format seems misguided. Bring back the rock and bring it back in a strong way. Let KZPS do the classic thing while you play the harder edged, more modern stuff. Not alt-rock, but rather a more Z-Rock-ish playlist. Do that, be the home of the Mavs, get rid of B&S (which hasn't fared well and isn't a good show--great dudes, but the show just doesn't have the "it-factor"), and bring on some energetic talent that is knowledgeable about the genre.
Of course none of that will happen. Instead, we'll probably get a "talk that rocks" format, which will fail like they always do.
Uh, yeah, shit might be about to go down. And if true, everything that's taken place over the past year+ makes sense. Including OGW's on-again/off-again pod/vod stints.
Scroll down through all the b.s. to get to the meat. Yes, RW is a twat. But he is a well connected, insider of a twat who over the years has been more right than wrong when it comes to stuff like this.
Why do people believe Richie is a well connected radio insider? Since when? He’s a liar and grifter who was a spokesperson for a Colombian cartel’s money laundering operation.
He's all of that, true enough. But he also has access the inside baseball of the DFW mediascape. Surly, he's been in the industry (pretty much solely in the this market) for several decades. He has connections everywhere, like him or not (admittedly there's not much if anything to like). What he says also comports with other, more respected voices in the scene--viz., certain known ex-talent and ex-management types who frequent the radio bbs.
I'm not claiming it's happening because RW says it is. Again, what I am saying is that RW is not the only one reporting this and that it appears to have legs. Moreover, what RW claims aligns with what others too are hearing. At some point you have to admit there's a lot of smoke. Still, that smoke could be merely the remnants of a fart. Having said all that, the timing of a lot of what's gone down of late in conjunction with this rumor (a rumor that if true will blow the DFW market up in more ways than one) is eyebrow raising.
I hope the rumor is true. How cool would it be to have Mike, Danny, Sea Cow, Julie, Jer, Ben and Skin and who knows else (Sam Gannon?) going head to head with The Ticket. It would be amazing. Think of the heated competition, the conflicted feelings, the hurt feelings that would come of it. Radio would be fun again. Sides will be taken. Allegiances formed and loyalties tested. The whole thing would be like a Shakespeare play. I'd love every second of it. Mike would find anew his bunker mentality and after a bit of making nice would soon let slip little digs at Cumulus, but would soon turn toward personnel. Even if done obliquely, we'd all know which person or show was the target. In kind, Ticket hosts would do the same. We'd have a genuine radio war on our hands. Oh man would it be fun.
Check the post of mine eight post up. That's one of the mainly Dallas area radio people boards. Like here, take about 80% of what you read with a grain of salt. That said, they have a good track record of predicting things before they happen.
KEGL, which is relaunching its annual “Freaker’s Ball” concert next month following two years lost to COVID, may be using the “Freak” brand for the station in a broader sense. The company registered 971TheFreak.com last week and has reserved Twitter and Instagram handles for the brand.
We’re not expecting a major format change to accompany any potential rebranding. Sources indicate the Ben and Skin afternoon show will remain as will play-by-play of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks. If anything, at most we’d expect a new morning show and some playlist adjustments. We will also preface that since the registrations preceded the staff changes made earlier this month, these plans may have already changed. However, within the past 24 hours, the station’s programming schedule has been removed from KEGL’s website.
"The Freak." Good gravy, shoot me into outspace already. How, uh, freakin' passe is that!?!? Hey iHeart, the early Oughts want their buzzwords back. If true, it's doomed from the start. I wonder, no, I hope that's all a smoke screen. Sadly, radio actually is THAT dumb, so it's probably true.
Smoke screen, indeed. So it's really looking like RW is not full of shit, for once. Oh boy, pop that mf'n corn, babies. Shit's about to hit The FAN and even more so, The Ticket.
Well well well. Suck on it, Shaggy. Rhyner has confirmed it. It will be The Freak. It will be a sports station. And yes you Sirois and Dobbs fans, your dreams are coming true. As to Danny and Jer, no word as yet. This is going to be AWESOME! Even if it fails it'll be awesome to watch it unfold. @331, you too are going to get your wish and I'm right there with you, brutha. Oh yeah. One word. Greggo......
^^^^^ Sorry, dude. It's real and Hair Plugs is correct. This just in from none other than Jer:
Hill Country Fare Doink @poponjer Best of luck to real friends @theoldgreywolf , @JulieAnnDobbs , and @MikeSirois , but to clarify, I’m not involved. I’m out of radio now and I’m very happy where I am. And good luck to my buds at @dfwticket as well, this could be stiff competition.
We know how Mike likes to hint at things. Well check these out from Mike's Twitter over the past few days. It is happening.
Mike Rhyner @theoldgreywolf Just got word-Petty Theft will be operating at 100% efficiency at Lee Harvey’s tonight…it’s on, bitches…where all my freaks at? 11:59 AM · Sep 24, 2022 ·Twitter for iPhone
Mike Rhyner @theoldgreywolf for the first time I’m jonesin’ to go on the air and tell you all what the vibe was like as Roger Maris, a good but not well-known outfielder until NYY brought him on board, started to approach the most sanctified record in sports at the time… 9:15 AM · Sep 23, 2022 ·Twitter for iPhone
If they can resist the urge to not flog me with Cowboys talk all day Mondays and 75% the rest of the week, it could be interesting. It’s strange that even with its success, The Ticket still doesn’t understand that most of us are tolerate the sports talk to get to the good stuff.
Biggest Ticket related news since Rhyner's retirement and where's Plainsman? Isn't this the very thing this site was founded on/for? Sheesh, dude. Wake up, mofo.
Btw, Jordan Rhyner is RT the DMN story. So it's total legit. Fuccin' thicc.
I came on here to say slow down the horses, let's not jump to conclusions. My first thought was that the DMN was just repeating RW's post with no further corroboration. I at least did not see any further supporting facts other than the RW post. (am I wrong guys?)
But I jump on here and see sweet little Jordan is retweeting this and it makes me change my mind. Didn't she have a post or two when Mike took his vacation, before he made his announcement.
I can understand why Rhynes would want to do this to stay busy. A podcast just can't replace being on the airwaves every day and the local audience. But I can't see him doing a 4 hour show...maybe a 2-hour timeslot. They would probably also have to fill some slots with Fox Sports syndication for now so Dan Patrick/Cowherd, unfortunately
Mike Rhyner was out of material years ago. Proof? He couldn’t hold a podcast together. There used to be a saying (before the old bands kept touring): there is nothing more pathetic than an aging rock star. Remember when he said something to the effect that “once this thing is gone it’s never coming back”? Perhaps the Freak will be something different, and is meant to be. Even the name, Freak, is outdated. Put Mike Rhyner out to pasture. NO FUNERAL!!!! *BANG*.
I wonder what the full line up will be if this is correct. I think the ticket is probably vulnerable at every day part except morning drive. I will admit my anti-Dan & anti-Corbie bias probably is at play in that assessment. So do you throw your best show against the musers and try to make a game of it or do you concentrate on going up against the other shows?
The hype will be so-so at first. So-so, mind you. The thing will fizzle fast, with even the fan boys of Sirois and Julie realizing Cat had them sussed and slotted just right. Rhyner? Have you listened to his pods for the past 2+ years? Did you actually tune into The Hardline his last 8 years on it? Did you? Really? Because if so, then you know he's a shell of the Rhyner we knew from '94 - '12. And there are those who make a good argument he lost it around '07. The rest of them are FAN off-casts and Ben & Skin. Anyone check in on that s show lately? Thought not. THAT'S how compelling they are. Someone mentioned Wilonsky. Get him inthere. Oh yeah, that won't run out of steam and become grating in no time flat. Uh uh, no way. Right. And then there's the name. Yuck. Passe. Stupid. Mike hates the corporate world? Well, bud, I heart is a far bigger corporation than Cumulus. Get ready to be consulted and consulted often.
Have you seen Rhyner's latest vid on Twitter? It's of him walking back to the chair he got up from and walked out of view during his "Irish Exit" vid. Silly stuff. The sort of stuff (including the "exit" vid) that Fastball Mike Rhyner would've openly made fun of. Something along the lines of, "Well, Greggo, obviously __ believes in his own hype," or "Someone sure knows his place in the order of things and sure wants everyone to know that he knows." Or some such. I dunno, man. I dunno.
Amen on the Norm convo front, brutha. I'll see that and raise you the Sirois was wronged, give Sirois the career and money he's earned, and the economic justice for Julie discussions to boot.
Success is probably going to be determined by how you define it. The odds of it matching the Ticket are slim to none, the odds of it knocking the Ticket out from its top spot are slim. Can they beat the Fan? I don’t know.
I don’t pretend to know the radio busines I just know what I like. They will have to put someone really compelling to get me to listen during morning drive.
Will I give a show in the other day parts a try? Probably. I hardly listen to the Hang Zone of The Hardline anymore. I just don’t enjoy Dan or Corby. If the Freak puts Rhyner or Mike S or Julie in those spots I’ll be inclined to give them a shot. Ben and Skin are a no go for me. I’ve tried to like them since they were on the ticket and just don’t.
I’m outside the Demo now so neither station is going to care if I listen or not
Could Gordon join the Freak and host the Gordon Keith Experience? Is this why he has put so much effort lately in Discord and Twitch streams on weekends? Could he be planning a multi media show on the competition?
I have no inside knowledge.... But a main host is going to have a non-compete. Someone might leave, but they would have to sit out a while. But, that would allow a discord / twitch period of time.
As for the lineup, I am curious. My gut tells me that Rhyner will be good for a while. He will see it as a challenge, back as the underdog. How long will that last, not sure.
Either way, I will give it a listen. If nothing else, it might push the current shows to improve.
Who knows what happens with drops? I know Greggo had a battle about intellectual property when he left. And what about commercials. Will we still hear Julie's Orchard commercial, or do they cease and desist?
your butts, hold onto. Get Ready Freakzzz - -- George Digianni & none other than Dr T.O. Souryal. (tell your friends). Oh and a former/current Lyft driver----Spicy stuff yall. But you'll REALLY Freak out....MR LOGAN GOURLEY. Did we mention we got Fahey---- & BILL--- together to watch Cowboys games?!? WHOS IN CONTROL NOW?!?!? Last but not least - - -you know its Ass Dan! Cant wait for the Under UnderGround CrunkAss Freak Festival!!!!
Lil Blaster, I feel the same way. Anonymous September 24, 2022 at 3:31 PM was even speculating on the future of Sam Gannon. Sam Gannon! Discussions with Danny, he's in! Then that silly video Rhyner posted. I used to have tons of respect for that guy, he's become what he used to deride and poke fun at in the early days.
So Anon = Sirois? Never thought of it, but could be. If it was Sirois I would expect him to more unhinged. Maybe the "friendly confines" of the MTC soothe him.
Again, no inside knowledge, but do they invite Rich Phillips to play? He lost the TMS gig during the Pandy... Would he join in? I always liked Rich's work
@10:01 September 24, 2022 at 3:31 PM here. I did speculate about Sam Gannon. At this point who's NOT on the table, so it seems. I don't think it's unreasonable to wonder about her, Emily Jones, or hell, Expo for that matter or anyone else. Frankly, the whole thing is pretty damn crazy if you think about it. Yet it's actually happening. You couldn't make it up.
I'm there with you regarding Mike's video. Both the original and this iteration are just silly. Done the first go around by a 70 year old man, and now a 72 year old. Yes age is only a number, but this is the stuff of a 23 year old drama queen. That's the rub here I think. Mike loves attention and loves to be courted and loves to stir shit up. Thrives off it. I had no idea he was once a hair away from going over the The FAN. Found that out in the Star-Telegram piece. The very fact he even spoke with them, much less got that far, says a lot. After all, he's The Godfather of The Ticket. Then there was The Athletic and then Vokal and now iHeart. All of these courted him. Oh don't forget about the documentary and all that that entailed. For all the years of protestation, the dude craves attention. Fine. Let's be honest, damn near everyone who goes into the entertainment industry does. You have to be of a certain makeup to not only desire to be in that biz, but also to actually make a go of it, much less make a living at it. Different breed of cat, for sure.
Like 1:55, I'm curious but skeptical. The most interesting part for me is to see how Chael and JuDo fare over the mid to long term. I'm thinking it might be a difficult path for both. More so the former than the latter.
Where the hell is Plainsman in all this? Geez dude. Isn't this what you live for, man???
Huh. What a turn of events. Yet if we were paying close attention the writing’s been on the wall for a while now. So Mike’s coming out of retirement (OK, he never stated he retired), Sirois and Julie—one assumes—receive their living wages and their due, The Ticket will finally get some real competition, and as for The FAN, well that poor bastard’s micro peen will be driven even further into the dirt if that’s possible. Or maybe not.
Some of you have already hit upon the “maybe not.”
To reiterate what others have said, if you think Mike’s the same Mike Is My Leader Halcyon Days-Bunker Mentality Mike, then I have a ready for build-out home lot in a prepper community compound in Central Texas to sell you. Let me introduce you to my star realtor, Richie Whitt. Mike hasn’t been that guy since the mid-oughts. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: the day he began thinking about forming Petty Theft was the day Peak Mike left the building. Why? Because it was being the underdog and it was local legacy media types saying “it’ll never work and who the hell are you anyway” that drove him, that excited him. Once The Ticket hit #1 and it was evident that’s where it was staying, Mike was no longer the underdog, no one was saying “it can’t be done,” and the Bunker Mentality no longer held, which in turn meant Mike no longer controlled the thing, which ultimately resulted in Disinterested Mike. That is, the Mike we got for nearly a decade and a half. Yes, that’s right. 10 plus years of Disinterested Mike.
He’s trying to put the band back together. By the same means, no less. Lot’s of hush hush, behind the scenes machinations and meetings. If you were at last week’s PT gig, you would’ve seen a bevy of Freakers in attendance. He mentioned them on stage, even holding an inner-circle roundtable sesh between sets. Sirois, Julie, and B&S and I believe Cavanaugh all present and accounted for. This is what Mike lives for. Bunker Mentality v.2. Thing is, it’s 2022 and the landscape is much different than it was in ’93-94. Same goes with the talent he’s pulling together. Same, see above, goes with Mike. And those differences are huge and meaningful in more ways than one.
It’s ’22 and sports/guy talk radio is in every market. He’s in a market that already has 2 sports/guy stations. When it had a 3rd, owned by ESPN/Disney, it was a total afterthought, making the usually distant 2nd place station seem like a juggernaut. I know, I know, it’s The Legend coming out of retirement. So too did Jordan, and he wasn’t the same. Not even close. Per above, this isn’t your 1996 or 2002 Mike any longer. Not even close. I don’t care how motivated he might think he is, he in no way has that same hunger he once did. As to the talent he’s surrounding himself with this time goes, let’s dig in.
Ben & Skin seem like nice guys who know a lot about sports, who possess creative talent, and who are locally born and bred. Hmmmm. Who does that sound like? (Maybe not the born and bred part.) Ah, Dunham and Miller! Difference is, D&M have a chemistry and an “it factor” that B&S never will. We know this because B&S have been at it for almost 20 years in the market and on various stations, and each stop ends with the same result: poor to middling ratings. While at first blush they resemble D&M, they in no way have that sort of comedic talent, that indefinable element that makes you want them to be your buddy, to have beers with. Moreover, they have no Gordo.
Cavanaugh and KT are a lesser known B&S commodity. Cavanaugh is a comp to Matt McClearin but without the creep factor, which means he’s a solid listen but nothing special. That is, nothing different than what The FAN has to offer (which is where he last called home). KT, again, nice guy. Can even be funny. But, again, no one that is going to compel listeners to switch the preset.
Julie seems like a nice person. She landed a job with FSSW based on talent and let’s be real here, her looks, was made The Stars on-ice reporter, married someone on the coaching staff, and parlayed as much as she could as far as she could. Fine. All well and good. But is she any good at hosting? Good enough to go against The Ticket? The Ticket has an issue with not having diverse voices on its staff. It needs females, persons of differing ethnic backgrounds, etc. I for one was happy when she came aboard. But just because she’s female doesn’t mean she’s compelling. Other than the “women really think this” type segments and her Tickers, she wasn’t all that. Sorry, it’s true. That, and if her pod with Emily Jones is indicative what what we’ll get on a daily, weekly, monthly, yearly basis, I’m afraid things don’t bode well. At least as it stands. Doesn’t mean she can’t improve leaps and bounds. But she needs to, and by leaps and bounds, if she’s going to genuinely compete.
Sirois is the wild card here. We’re going to very soon find out if he’s a genuine talent or not. He’s going to be the lynchpin for this thing. If he’s merely “Up for Anything Man,” who also happens to be in the middle of middle age, the endeavor is in trouble, and real quick like. I know there is (or at least seems to be) a legion of Sirois fanboys champing at the bit for their leader to give them the goods. But if original bits like the Miami Dolphins are whatever it was stolen painting gag he and his brother cooked up is indicative of his creative abilities, it might be a slough. I’ve watched his Twitch performances. Not good. Drunk, middle aged, cool guy gets real old, real fast. His antics on Gordon’s stream were unbecoming. I’m sure there’s a lot more to Sirois. Positive there is. But he’s going to have to show it and show up every single day. It’s easy to pick your spots, catch a buzz, and play everyone’s favorite uncle who likes to have a good time. Hosting 5 days per week and all that that entails and implies is a whole different bag. There is no live-chat on radio. He has to bring it everyday. There will be no mailing it in. That comes after you’ve succeeded, else you’ll be thrown out on your keister. While he might be up for anything, I’m not sure he’s up for this. Hope I’m wrong, because I’d love to see the competition, to have a genuine alternative to listen to when The Ticket bogs, as it is wont to do so often.
All of which is to say, I think that after an initial and very very brief buzz The Freak will quickly settle into a battle between itself and The FAN and that's where it will stay. That is, unless a major defection(s) from The Ticket occurs. I'm talking Jake and Dan or even Bob. Then all bets are off. But as things are, I'm inclined to think we'll get about year maybe two of Mike before he signs off again. This time saying he just wanted to get the thing off the ground and help foster new, different talent make their way through the mediascape or something along those lines. During that time, again, there'll be a short lived buzz and even some initial ratings scares for The Ticket. But within 4 months that'll all be long gone and we'll get back to our regularly scheduled program already in progess. I also bet we'll see at least one if not several lineup changes within the first 6 months. Which could include a hero or two moving on.
So is Sirois gonna mete out some of his host salary to his board op, producer and whatever sorta ticker person they have? I hope he does. I hope he does very much.
"Not an edict. It's what's coming down the pike. Moreover, it pertains to day-to-day programming, not something like the campound. As I said, certain mainstay/heritage segments will continue (ditto events like Summer Bash and Campound). Look, ShaggyBevo, I know the progressive in you needs immediate fruition else you pounce and declare bulsh (everything's a crisis or it's not and is treated as such). But this isn't going to consist of some dramatic announcement or on-air pushback or the likes from the hosts. It'll be gradual, until it's not. But rest assured, by the end of July you will notice caller driven segments creeping in. Genuine ones, like THL used to do in their early days (anyone remember Rhnyer starting off calls with "let's mosh"?). So come back at the beginning of August, SurlyShaggy. If nothing's changed, I'll gladly eat crow. If it has, well, don't worry, BevoShurly, I won't expect you to admit you're wrong. I think it's evident why that's the case."
Gopher, I searched for a sub-reddit for "the freak" I couldn't find anything (searching the internet for terms with "freak" in it is a scary proposition). r/thefreak is taken and I'm not going there.
I remember when Ben & Skin moved to KEGL they tried to establish something on reddit but it didn't seem to stick (can't remember the name). There is a r/RealBenAndSkinShow and it is currently banned, I can't remember if that where u/ktfuntweets used to post B&S show stuff.
It is surprising how active r/theticket is and is driven totally by P1s.
Believe it or not, r/russmartinshow is still around and getting more than a few posts a week. One from three days ago, Start or buy out a station. The post was "Guys over on discord had the idea. Let’s start a gofundme and start or buy out a station. Make a real rock station and get the boys back on the air"
Not that I think Rhyner is not going to do this, but he did not "confirm" anything. A word and a video on twitter. And to Mac Engel “I can neither confirm nor deny this.”
I've seen the proposed line up and it all seems plausible until I see Grubes. Seems like he already has the job of his life.
Lol Rhynes used to hate on consultants but I wonder how many consultants he used that "workshopped" to come up with these social media videos to "enhance his brand". I guess he will get on TikTok next
Will definitely listen to Rhynes. Still a big fan of his and always will be. Have no interest in Ben and/or Foreskin or they guy from the fail that was on D Bag Nation or whatever it was called.
Big fan of GXD so I'm glad he's been added to 3-7 but I can't tolerate Sturm. Also out on Jay Gimp from 12-3. Love Dan and Blake but the other one is a punch out.
Do we know if The Freak (gaaaawwwd that's a stupid name) actually goes live tomorrow? Seems so odd to start on a Friday. Then again, I'm not in the industry.
Friday didn't make any sense to me either. I would assume the contracts run through the end of the month so Monday makes a lot more sense if anything is actually going to happen.
I tuned in via the KEGL website stream and at first I got music, and when it died and I hit the arrow again, I got Ben & Skin doing one of their contests with Kevin Turner. Hoping I can find a reliable stream for 97.1. Suggestions welcome.
For any remaining doubters out there, If you listened to the end of Ayo's (I believe that's his name) shift before B&S, he said his goodbyes and thank yous for the opportunity. Also, the on-air schedule has been taken down from the KEGL site.
If you scroll down you will see that the leaked lineup was real. It's been reTweeted by The Freak (terrrrrribbbbbbblllllle name) Twitter account. Yes, Virginia, Grubes is a part of it.
Bad week or so for some of our fellow Confessors and their confident nay sayers. Including the Grubes angle.
Then there's the fact I'm at Plucker's in Addison. B&S are here giving away every piece of KEGL swag you can imagine. They're also openly talking about The Freak while in break. From what I've heard that lineup seems to be legit. Guess we'll find out soon enough.
Yup. Superfreak followed by The Freaks Come Out At Night. Bedt tunes played on that frequency in decades. Too bad it ends Monday at 3pm with an unwanted format.
Bad week for ya, Surly "Solid Info" Horns. The Twitter account is The Freak's.
Putting Shurly's know-it-all smugness aside, I think The Freak is going to go from peak interest to forgotten in about a 6 weeks. Once Rhyner's issued The Issuances for the 28th time and returns to his '16 going forward form and once the Sirois fanboys get a daily dose of their champ and realize, "eh, yeah buddy, maybe Cat knew what the f he was doing after all," which will all be in fairly short order, this thing goes off the rails in a hurry. Lineups will be quickly reconnoitered and talent will fall by the wayside. As far as B&S, Julie, Cavanaugh and the rest go it won't matter. That part of the thing is already slotted. I mean, come on. Exactly how many times is it going to take B&S to summit Mt. Suboptimal to finally no funeral the thing? What kinda photos/vids and of whom do they possess? Their run is utterly amazing. Julie & Co. will be an awkward at first then later decent show you'd find on The FAIL. Nothing that will challenge The Ticket. OK, maybe the first week and change will show a dip in D&M's ratings. But that's it. Back to biz as uuuus in no time flat. Plus, and it's already happening a bit, look for The Ticket to beef up its day with a lot of cross show stuff. Stuff by Varsity that usually don't participate in anything other than what they're contractually obligated to. Hiya, Gordo. There was a time, The Halcyon Days, when Gordo did bits for both THL and D&M. Look for that sorta thing to make a comeback. Isn't GK debuting on THZ next week for a weekly seggo? Why yes he is. Coincidence, my flat, flabby, fat ass.
What's going to happen is anybody's guess. IMO, Rhyner never lost his passion for radio, he lost his passion for doing radio on The Ticket. With microphone hog Corby on board, Mike could put it on cruise control. He did he bits and then spent the rest of the show booking Petty Theft. And I think he either directly or indirectly felt the winds of political correctness starting to blow through the station. So he checked out. How long he likes this gig remains to be seen.
I find the idea that Corby and/or Danny made Mike lose his zeal for his show to be risible. It was Mike's show make no mistake about it. If he didn't like its direction or how he was being cast or whatever, all he had to do was snap his fingers and changes would've been made. Mike brought both Corby and Danny onboard. Regardless of Greggo's revisionist history, it was Mike who wanted Corby on the show and not the other way around. It was Greggo who had serious reservations, felt insecure over it. How do I know? Because about a month after Corby officially joined the crew I emailed Greggo asking why a perfect show needed a 3rd host (at the old Hardliners AOL address). Greggo replied in a far more candid way than I would've ever expected saying he had his doubts and that he Mike saw it a bit differently, but regardless they did agree on being extra careful not to change the feel of the show.
Mike checked out because he got bored. Band of Gold has it right about why and when. Anyone (like myself) who was a Ticket early adopter, that went to the remotes, to the old school Diamond Talk broadcasts in Arlington, and in general got to know at least to some extent these guys also knows boredom is what changed Mike's attitude. I have a feeling that dealing with Greggo wore on him and contributed as well. His being "over it all" was palpable at remotes. Corby gets a lot of well earned shit. He also gets a lot of unmerited shit. Mike does exactly what Mike wants to do and when and how he wants to do it. He is well aware of his "power" and his station in the local media landscape. Very well aware. If his exit and now re-entrance videos haven't shed light on that for you, I'm not sure what to say. As regards political correctness, exactly how has that changed things for Mike? For any of these guys for that matter? What, so now Gordo says things in a sideways manner. He's still saying them. Et cetera and so on.
I'm not sure if The Freak's flag will fly for too terribly long. For being an iHeart station it sure seems to be a slapdash effort. Which, in big business often means something is on a short leash. From the assembled talent with little to no leverage/genuine skins on the wall and the lower-end salaries that they will command to the non-build-up-build-up of the format change to the focal point being a 72 year old on a short term contract, all of it point toward "if it works, great, if not, no big loss and we move on the next format." I also wonder how long this has been in the offing and who knew what and when. Because if he was popping on The Ticket playing Godfather, gracing his former coworkers with his imprimatur, all the while planning this, it says much.
As to the name, just as The Ticket was dubbed by Mike's ex-wife, Renee, The Freak is a nod to the KZEW Zoo Freak (the elephant).
I'm on a kick for classy-looking reds. Got a new one up.
Along with some very hastily-assembled thoughts on the debut of The Freak, thoughtfully numbered for your convenience.
I want to thank the Confessors for some really thoughtful commentary on this thread. And a special call-out to Anonymous 3:13 just above for "risible."
I agree, let's avoid those controversial topics.
ReplyDelete... An abooortion.
"Git the clothes off, bitch!"
ReplyDelete"Yer fat, don't want ya!"
ReplyDeleteNice
ReplyDelete"Alright let's talk about them boobs darlin"
ReplyDeleteAnd the classic Greggo: "Alright!"
Fooj. Hanj. Beej.
ReplyDeleteI notice the Donnie/chitlins comment was deleted. You do know, Pman, that Norm actually said that on-air to Donnie, yes? Because, he did. Indeed it is used as a drop.
ReplyDeleteSigned,
Just Sayin' in Sachse
Norm is generally good for one racist comment per week
ReplyDelete835: Yes, heard it many times. Why did you think I had not? I've not deleted anything on this somewhat perplexing thread. Yet.
ReplyDelete"Donnie looooooooooooves the NBA."
ReplyDeleteI've noticed alot more lately George calling out Gordo in Muse on essentially running out the clock - this could be that Gordo is calling for old audio/drops to be played to take off time...& prolly Gordo knowing exactly what pushes Jubs buttons and locks in - - either way, what was once fun occasional tension btwn the 2 is turning into a staled playlet (i.e. Gordo giving the barest of minimum contribution).
ReplyDeleteSo if Davy Crockett's name was David Ramirez and he espoused a Fabian philosophy of economics, do you think the Alamo would viewed differently?
ReplyDeleteSincerely,
Asking for a Friend in Flowermound
Does Corbie actually believe that most people who don't like where they live can just pick up and move?
ReplyDeletethree two one
ReplyDelete…and, you’re done.
ReplyDelete(But who?)
Oh shit, now Surly's an insider???? I'll put a tenner on Ty.
ReplyDeleteWell, let's see: Rhyner's gone. Greggo's gone. We could see them as 3 and 2, with 1 being another Musketeer OG Varsity host to bail. Obviously that entails a Muser. Gordon's too comfortable in his station, too inert to pursue anything else, and besides, he has such an easy job that pays very well, why would he leave? He basically regurgitates the same bits over and again, year after year. And when he's not doing that, he's waxing on whatever interest du jour has caught his fancy. George loves his job. It's obvious and he loves being a part of the station and getting involved with other shows, slipping into the "Out of Town Georgio" persona, and being able to use his platform and local celebrity to further his pesonal and charitable causes. That leaves, of couse, Junior. Junior, who rarely gets involved with other shows, mostly misses out on Ticket all skates when out of town (granted, they have to get up awfully early, but it rarely stops George), has interests that lie totally outside everyone elses, is a late-middle-aged new father who's done the math and knows he probably won't see many of his kid's adult milestones so he better get his time in while he can and can do so with full faculties (mind and body), and who's probably taken good care of his money and therefore could afford an early retirement. Boom. Roasted.
ReplyDeleteThe Junk for Joy song is like a dagger in my soul.
ReplyDeletehttps://radioinsight.com/headlines/241970/kegl-kzps-pd-don-davis-resigns-treehouse-comes-undone/
ReplyDeleteAs well, Cindy Scull has departed.
Methinks Sirois' exit (Danny's and Jer's too?) was interestingly timed. Please see Shaggy's comment above. Another domino is about to fall. KEGL/iHeart is making a last ditch effort here in these DFWs. They're going to attempt to succeed at what 105.3 couldn't: that is, Talk that Rocks. "Let's out guy talk The Ticket. Only we, unlike the pre-FAN 105.3, have talent with the recipe for, as Stephen Jones is wont to say, 'the secret sauce' involved." Please please please bring back Ron and Don... A MENAGE!
@band of gold
ReplyDeleteNota bene Scull hosted the morning drive show, while The Treehouse was in the heart of PM drive hours. The decks are cleared. I agree that something's afoot. I also find the timing of all these departures of no-compete clause having JV Ticket employees with hosting chops and aspirations to be interesting. If the apparent implication of Surly's comment is correct --someone else is leaving The Mothership-- this would only serve to raise suspicion. Can you clarify what you meant, Surly?
Corbie or Corby?
ReplyDeleteNo Muser will call it a day before about 2025 when George and Craig hit 60. This will also coincide with Musers 30th anniversary year. I can see the Musers disbanding Christmas time 2025.
ReplyDeleteDavy Lane doing concert calendar on a Thursday! Davy has been great. He brings the clever irreverent type pop culture sensibilities to the show. Great addition to the HL. Nicely done Catman.
ReplyDeleteAnom 6:17
ReplyDeleteNorm's contract runs out in 2024 does it not?
I also suggest reading the top three posts at https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/dallas-fort-worth.679/
There is a great deal of discussion as to where 97.1 is headed or likely to head according to the area radio pundits.
I noticed the other day that Ben and Skin are now calling their 4-5 pm hour "the power hour."
ReplyDeleteThere's a fairly persistent rumor that KEGL is flipping to sports. Could be a FOX or even another ESPN effort. Again, it's a rumor, albeit a suspiciously sustained one. Personally, such a move makes little sense. Even a "talk that rocks" format seems misguided. Bring back the rock and bring it back in a strong way. Let KZPS do the classic thing while you play the harder edged, more modern stuff. Not alt-rock, but rather a more Z-Rock-ish playlist. Do that, be the home of the Mavs, get rid of B&S (which hasn't fared well and isn't a good show--great dudes, but the show just doesn't have the "it-factor"), and bring on some energetic talent that is knowledgeable about the genre.
ReplyDeleteOf course none of that will happen. Instead, we'll probably get a "talk that rocks" format, which will fail like they always do.
Uh, yeah, shit might be about to go down. And if true, everything that's taken place over the past year+ makes sense. Including OGW's on-again/off-again pod/vod stints.
ReplyDeleteScroll down through all the b.s. to get to the meat. Yes, RW is a twat. But he is a well connected, insider of a twat who over the years has been more right than wrong when it comes to stuff like this.
https://www.si.com/nfl/cowboys/news/dallas-monday-night-football-new-york-giants-preview-micah-parsons-jerry-jones-ezekiel-elliott-dak-prescott-cooper-rush
Why do people believe Richie is a well connected radio insider? Since when? He’s a liar and grifter who was a spokesperson for a Colombian cartel’s money laundering operation.
ReplyDeleteHe's all of that, true enough. But he also has access the inside baseball of the DFW mediascape. Surly, he's been in the industry (pretty much solely in the this market) for several decades. He has connections everywhere, like him or not (admittedly there's not much if anything to like). What he says also comports with other, more respected voices in the scene--viz., certain known ex-talent and ex-management types who frequent the radio bbs.
ReplyDeleteI'm not claiming it's happening because RW says it is. Again, what I am saying is that RW is not the only one reporting this and that it appears to have legs. Moreover, what RW claims aligns with what others too are hearing. At some point you have to admit there's a lot of smoke. Still, that smoke could be merely the remnants of a fart. Having said all that, the timing of a lot of what's gone down of late in conjunction with this rumor (a rumor that if true will blow the DFW market up in more ways than one) is eyebrow raising.
I hope the rumor is true. How cool would it be to have Mike, Danny, Sea Cow, Julie, Jer, Ben and Skin and who knows else (Sam Gannon?) going head to head with The Ticket. It would be amazing. Think of the heated competition, the conflicted feelings, the hurt feelings that would come of it. Radio would be fun again. Sides will be taken. Allegiances formed and loyalties tested. The whole thing would be like a Shakespeare play. I'd love every second of it. Mike would find anew his bunker mentality and after a bit of making nice would soon let slip little digs at Cumulus, but would soon turn toward personnel. Even if done obliquely, we'd all know which person or show was the target. In kind, Ticket hosts would do the same. We'd have a genuine radio war on our hands. Oh man would it be fun.
ReplyDeleteAnom 3:31
ReplyDeleteFrom the rumors on the other radio forums, I wouldn't hold my breath.
I don't think anyone will be happy.
Ticket employees of all tiers, Cat, and Bennett would not be happy. Everyone else? I'm not following.
ReplyDeleteWhat forums are you perusing, Gopher? Would you mind posting some URLs?
Check the post of mine eight post up. That's one of the mainly Dallas area radio people boards. Like here, take about 80% of what you read with a grain of salt. That said, they have a good track record of predicting things before they happen.
ReplyDeleteThis from Rado Insider:
ReplyDeleteKEGL, which is relaunching its annual “Freaker’s Ball” concert next month following two years lost to COVID, may be using the “Freak” brand for the station in a broader sense. The company registered 971TheFreak.com last week and has reserved Twitter and Instagram handles for the brand.
We’re not expecting a major format change to accompany any potential rebranding. Sources indicate the Ben and Skin afternoon show will remain as will play-by-play of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks. If anything, at most we’d expect a new morning show and some playlist adjustments. We will also preface that since the registrations preceded the staff changes made earlier this month, these plans may have already changed. However, within the past 24 hours, the station’s programming schedule has been removed from KEGL’s website.
"The Freak." Good gravy, shoot me into outspace already. How, uh, freakin' passe is that!?!? Hey iHeart, the early Oughts want their buzzwords back. If true, it's doomed from the start. I wonder, no, I hope that's all a smoke screen. Sadly, radio actually is THAT dumb, so it's probably true.
ReplyDeleteSmoke screen, indeed. So it's really looking like RW is not full of shit, for once. Oh boy, pop that mf'n corn, babies. Shit's about to hit The FAN and even more so, The Ticket.
ReplyDeleteWell well well. Suck on it, Shaggy. Rhyner has confirmed it. It will be The Freak. It will be a sports station. And yes you Sirois and Dobbs fans, your dreams are coming true. As to Danny and Jer, no word as yet. This is going to be AWESOME! Even if it fails it'll be awesome to watch it unfold. @331, you too are going to get your wish and I'm right there with you, brutha. Oh yeah. One word. Greggo......
ReplyDeletei always get a chuckle going when the thought of "Communications Director for Trident Lakes" pops up on occasion...
ReplyDelete^^^^^ Sorry, dude. It's real and Hair Plugs is correct. This just in from none other than Jer:
ReplyDeleteHill Country Fare Doink
@poponjer
Best of luck to real friends
@theoldgreywolf
,
@JulieAnnDobbs
, and
@MikeSirois
, but to clarify, I’m not involved. I’m out of radio now and I’m very happy where I am. And good luck to my buds at
@dfwticket
as well, this could be stiff competition.
SHIT'S REAL, YO!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteWe know how Mike likes to hint at things. Well check these out from Mike's Twitter over the past few days. It is happening.
ReplyDeleteMike Rhyner
@theoldgreywolf
Just got word-Petty Theft will be operating at 100% efficiency at Lee Harvey’s tonight…it’s on, bitches…where all my freaks at?
11:59 AM · Sep 24, 2022
·Twitter for iPhone
Mike Rhyner
@theoldgreywolf
for the first time I’m jonesin’ to go on the air and tell you all what the vibe was like as Roger Maris, a good but not well-known outfielder until NYY brought him on board, started to approach the most sanctified record in sports at the time…
9:15 AM · Sep 23, 2022
·Twitter for iPhone
Betcha anything Wilonsky will be a host.
ReplyDeleteIf they can resist the urge to not flog me with Cowboys talk all day Mondays and 75% the rest of the week, it could be interesting. It’s strange that even with its success, The Ticket still doesn’t understand that most of us are tolerate the sports talk to get to the good stuff.
ReplyDeleteAnom 12:59
ReplyDeleteI will welcome our new overlords at The Freak then.
Yeah, as I was saying about RW. So, yes, Surly, he's connected. Give the asshole his due. He reported it first and got it right.
ReplyDeleteBiggest Ticket related news since Rhyner's retirement and where's Plainsman? Isn't this the very thing this site was founded on/for? Sheesh, dude. Wake up, mofo.
ReplyDeleteBtw, Jordan Rhyner is RT the DMN story. So it's total legit. Fuccin' thicc.
https://www.dallasnews.com/sports/cowboys/2022/09/25/dallas-radio-legend-mike-rhyner-to-unretire-and-compete-against-own-dynasty-report-says/
ReplyDeleteI came on here to say slow down the horses, let's not jump to conclusions. My first thought was that the DMN was just repeating RW's post with no further corroboration. I at least did not see any further supporting facts other than the RW post. (am I wrong guys?)
ReplyDeleteBut I jump on here and see sweet little Jordan is retweeting this and it makes me change my mind. Didn't she have a post or two when Mike took his vacation, before he made his announcement.
Whatever, count me in as a P1D1 of the new Freak.
ETP1
I can understand why Rhynes would want to do this to stay busy. A podcast just can't replace being on the airwaves every day and the local audience. But I can't see him doing a 4 hour show...maybe a 2-hour timeslot. They would probably also have to fill some slots with Fox Sports syndication for now so Dan Patrick/Cowherd, unfortunately
ReplyDeleteRhynes is now confirming it on Twitter.
ReplyDeleteMike Rhyner was out of material years ago. Proof? He couldn’t hold a podcast together. There used to be a saying (before the old bands kept touring): there is nothing more pathetic than an aging rock star. Remember when he said something to the effect that “once this thing is gone it’s never coming back”? Perhaps the Freak will be something different, and is meant to be. Even the name, Freak, is outdated. Put Mike Rhyner out to pasture. NO FUNERAL!!!! *BANG*.
ReplyDelete^^^^^ Isn't incorrect.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what the full line up will be if this is correct. I think the ticket is probably vulnerable at every day part except morning drive. I will admit my anti-Dan & anti-Corbie bias probably is at play in that assessment. So do you throw your best show against the musers and try to make a game of it or do you concentrate on going up against the other shows?
ReplyDeleteThe hype will be so-so at first. So-so, mind you. The thing will fizzle fast, with even the fan boys of Sirois and Julie realizing Cat had them sussed and slotted just right. Rhyner? Have you listened to his pods for the past 2+ years? Did you actually tune into The Hardline his last 8 years on it? Did you? Really? Because if so, then you know he's a shell of the Rhyner we knew from '94 - '12. And there are those who make a good argument he lost it around '07. The rest of them are FAN off-casts and Ben & Skin. Anyone check in on that s show lately? Thought not. THAT'S how compelling they are. Someone mentioned Wilonsky. Get him inthere. Oh yeah, that won't run out of steam and become grating in no time flat. Uh uh, no way. Right. And then there's the name. Yuck. Passe. Stupid. Mike hates the corporate world? Well, bud, I heart is a far bigger corporation than Cumulus. Get ready to be consulted and consulted often.
ReplyDeleteMonty to The Freak?
ReplyDeletePer the Star Telegram, Danny's involvement is "on the table." Translation: Yes, Danny will be a host.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.star-telegram.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/mac-engel/article266360526.html
Have you seen Rhyner's latest vid on Twitter? It's of him walking back to the chair he got up from and walked out of view during his "Irish Exit" vid. Silly stuff. The sort of stuff (including the "exit" vid) that Fastball Mike Rhyner would've openly made fun of. Something along the lines of, "Well, Greggo, obviously __ believes in his own hype," or "Someone sure knows his place in the order of things and sure wants everyone to know that he knows." Or some such. I dunno, man. I dunno.
ReplyDeleteWill it fail? Who knows? That's why they play the game. At least it will give us something to discuss besides whether or not Norm's about to retire.
ReplyDeleteAmen on the Norm convo front, brutha. I'll see that and raise you the Sirois was wronged, give Sirois the career and money he's earned, and the economic justice for Julie discussions to boot.
ReplyDeleteSuccess is probably going to be determined by how you define it. The odds of it matching the Ticket are slim to none, the odds of it knocking the Ticket out from its top spot are slim. Can they beat the Fan? I don’t know.
ReplyDeleteI don’t pretend to know the radio busines I just know what I like. They will have to put someone really compelling to get me to listen during morning drive.
Will I give a show in the other day parts a try? Probably. I hardly listen to the Hang Zone of The Hardline anymore. I just don’t enjoy Dan or Corby. If the Freak puts Rhyner or Mike S or Julie in those spots I’ll be inclined to give them a shot. Ben and Skin are a no go for me. I’ve tried to like them since they were on the ticket and just don’t.
I’m outside the Demo now so neither station is going to care if I listen or not
KDF
Cheer up, glum chum, and always know that Irving Cares.
ReplyDeleteand now for the cherry on top with sprinkles to follow
ReplyDeleteCRAY TREY!
ReplyDeleteSo Anonymous is Sirois.
ReplyDeleteY'all gonna FREAK when the BIG FAT ATOM BOMB lands. Think your mind's blown? Not even close. Awwwwright.
ReplyDelete10:57
ReplyDeleteThey were able to locate Greggo through his OnStar?
Could Gordon join the Freak and host the Gordon Keith Experience? Is this why he has put so much effort lately in Discord and Twitch streams on weekends? Could he be planning a multi media show on the competition?
ReplyDeleteNo
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI have no inside knowledge.... But a main host is going to have a non-compete. Someone might leave, but they would have to sit out a while. But, that would allow a discord / twitch period of time.
ReplyDeleteAs for the lineup, I am curious. My gut tells me that Rhyner will be good for a while. He will see it as a challenge, back as the underdog. How long will that last, not sure.
Either way, I will give it a listen. If nothing else, it might push the current shows to improve.
Who knows what happens with drops? I know Greggo had a battle about intellectual property when he left. And what about commercials. Will we still hear Julie's Orchard commercial, or do they cease and desist?
your butts, hold onto. Get Ready Freakzzz - -- George Digianni & none other than Dr T.O. Souryal. (tell your friends). Oh and a former/current Lyft driver----Spicy stuff yall. But you'll REALLY Freak out....MR LOGAN GOURLEY. Did we mention we got Fahey---- & BILL--- together to watch Cowboys games?!? WHOS IN CONTROL NOW?!?!? Last but not least - - -you know its Ass Dan! Cant wait for the Under UnderGround CrunkAss Freak Festival!!!!
ReplyDeleteI too think So Anon was Sirois. Have for some time now.
ReplyDeleteLil Blaster, I feel the same way. Anonymous September 24, 2022 at 3:31 PM was even speculating on the future of Sam Gannon. Sam Gannon! Discussions with Danny, he's in! Then that silly video Rhyner posted. I used to have tons of respect for that guy, he's become what he used to deride and poke fun at in the early days.
ReplyDeleteSo Anon = Sirois? Never thought of it, but could be. If it was Sirois I would expect him to more unhinged. Maybe the "friendly confines" of the MTC soothe him.
ReplyDeleteAgain, no inside knowledge, but do they invite Rich Phillips to play? He lost the TMS gig during the Pandy... Would he join in? I always liked Rich's work
ReplyDeleteRhynes must be going up against the Hang Zone
ReplyDeleteIf true, and we'll find out in less than 48 hours, the lineup is as follows:
ReplyDeleteJulie, Cavanaugh, and KT 7-11
B&S 11-3
Rhyner, Sirois, and Grubes as producer 3-7.
Curious, yes. Skeptical of the level of success, absolutely.
Grubes = The Cherry on Top?
ReplyDelete@10:01
ReplyDeleteSeptember 24, 2022 at 3:31 PM here. I did speculate about Sam Gannon. At this point who's NOT on the table, so it seems. I don't think it's unreasonable to wonder about her, Emily Jones, or hell, Expo for that matter or anyone else. Frankly, the whole thing is pretty damn crazy if you think about it. Yet it's actually happening. You couldn't make it up.
I'm there with you regarding Mike's video. Both the original and this iteration are just silly. Done the first go around by a 70 year old man, and now a 72 year old. Yes age is only a number, but this is the stuff of a 23 year old drama queen. That's the rub here I think. Mike loves attention and loves to be courted and loves to stir shit up. Thrives off it. I had no idea he was once a hair away from going over the The FAN. Found that out in the Star-Telegram piece. The very fact he even spoke with them, much less got that far, says a lot. After all, he's The Godfather of The Ticket. Then there was The Athletic and then Vokal and now iHeart. All of these courted him. Oh don't forget about the documentary and all that that entailed. For all the years of protestation, the dude craves attention. Fine. Let's be honest, damn near everyone who goes into the entertainment industry does. You have to be of a certain makeup to not only desire to be in that biz, but also to actually make a go of it, much less make a living at it. Different breed of cat, for sure.
Like 1:55, I'm curious but skeptical. The most interesting part for me is to see how Chael and JuDo fare over the mid to long term. I'm thinking it might be a difficult path for both. More so the former than the latter.
Where the hell is Plainsman in all this? Geez dude. Isn't this what you live for, man???
Sounds about right to me, Surly. Also makes the So Anon = Sirois that much more plausible.
ReplyDeleteIs there going to be a My Freak Confession blog?
ReplyDeleteLet's hope so! Freak Flag Flying.
ReplyDeleteHuh. What a turn of events. Yet if we were paying close attention the writing’s been on the wall for a while now. So Mike’s coming out of retirement (OK, he never stated he retired), Sirois and Julie—one assumes—receive their living wages and their due, The Ticket will finally get some real competition, and as for The FAN, well that poor bastard’s micro peen will be driven even further into the dirt if that’s possible. Or maybe not.
ReplyDeleteSome of you have already hit upon the “maybe not.”
To reiterate what others have said, if you think Mike’s the same Mike Is My Leader Halcyon Days-Bunker Mentality Mike, then I have a ready for build-out home lot in a prepper community compound in Central Texas to sell you. Let me introduce you to my star realtor, Richie Whitt. Mike hasn’t been that guy since the mid-oughts. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: the day he began thinking about forming Petty Theft was the day Peak Mike left the building. Why? Because it was being the underdog and it was local legacy media types saying “it’ll never work and who the hell are you anyway” that drove him, that excited him. Once The Ticket hit #1 and it was evident that’s where it was staying, Mike was no longer the underdog, no one was saying “it can’t be done,” and the Bunker Mentality no longer held, which in turn meant Mike no longer controlled the thing, which ultimately resulted in Disinterested Mike. That is, the Mike we got for nearly a decade and a half. Yes, that’s right. 10 plus years of Disinterested Mike.
He’s trying to put the band back together. By the same means, no less. Lot’s of hush hush, behind the scenes machinations and meetings. If you were at last week’s PT gig, you would’ve seen a bevy of Freakers in attendance. He mentioned them on stage, even holding an inner-circle roundtable sesh between sets. Sirois, Julie, and B&S and I believe Cavanaugh all present and accounted for. This is what Mike lives for. Bunker Mentality v.2. Thing is, it’s 2022 and the landscape is much different than it was in ’93-94. Same goes with the talent he’s pulling together. Same, see above, goes with Mike. And those differences are huge and meaningful in more ways than one.
It’s ’22 and sports/guy talk radio is in every market. He’s in a market that already has 2 sports/guy stations. When it had a 3rd, owned by ESPN/Disney, it was a total afterthought, making the usually distant 2nd place station seem like a juggernaut. I know, I know, it’s The Legend coming out of retirement. So too did Jordan, and he wasn’t the same. Not even close. Per above, this isn’t your 1996 or 2002 Mike any longer. Not even close. I don’t care how motivated he might think he is, he in no way has that same hunger he once did. As to the talent he’s surrounding himself with this time goes, let’s dig in.
Part II:
ReplyDeleteBen & Skin seem like nice guys who know a lot about sports, who possess creative talent, and who are locally born and bred. Hmmmm. Who does that sound like? (Maybe not the born and bred part.) Ah, Dunham and Miller! Difference is, D&M have a chemistry and an “it factor” that B&S never will. We know this because B&S have been at it for almost 20 years in the market and on various stations, and each stop ends with the same result: poor to middling ratings. While at first blush they resemble D&M, they in no way have that sort of comedic talent, that indefinable element that makes you want them to be your buddy, to have beers with. Moreover, they have no Gordo.
Cavanaugh and KT are a lesser known B&S commodity. Cavanaugh is a comp to Matt McClearin but without the creep factor, which means he’s a solid listen but nothing special. That is, nothing different than what The FAN has to offer (which is where he last called home). KT, again, nice guy. Can even be funny. But, again, no one that is going to compel listeners to switch the preset.
Julie seems like a nice person. She landed a job with FSSW based on talent and let’s be real here, her looks, was made The Stars on-ice reporter, married someone on the coaching staff, and parlayed as much as she could as far as she could. Fine. All well and good. But is she any good at hosting? Good enough to go against The Ticket? The Ticket has an issue with not having diverse voices on its staff. It needs females, persons of differing ethnic backgrounds, etc. I for one was happy when she came aboard. But just because she’s female doesn’t mean she’s compelling. Other than the “women really think this” type segments and her Tickers, she wasn’t all that. Sorry, it’s true. That, and if her pod with Emily Jones is indicative what what we’ll get on a daily, weekly, monthly, yearly basis, I’m afraid things don’t bode well. At least as it stands. Doesn’t mean she can’t improve leaps and bounds. But she needs to, and by leaps and bounds, if she’s going to genuinely compete.
Sirois is the wild card here. We’re going to very soon find out if he’s a genuine talent or not. He’s going to be the lynchpin for this thing. If he’s merely “Up for Anything Man,” who also happens to be in the middle of middle age, the endeavor is in trouble, and real quick like. I know there is (or at least seems to be) a legion of Sirois fanboys champing at the bit for their leader to give them the goods. But if original bits like the Miami Dolphins are whatever it was stolen painting gag he and his brother cooked up is indicative of his creative abilities, it might be a slough. I’ve watched his Twitch performances. Not good. Drunk, middle aged, cool guy gets real old, real fast. His antics on Gordon’s stream were unbecoming. I’m sure there’s a lot more to Sirois. Positive there is. But he’s going to have to show it and show up every single day. It’s easy to pick your spots, catch a buzz, and play everyone’s favorite uncle who likes to have a good time. Hosting 5 days per week and all that that entails and implies is a whole different bag. There is no live-chat on radio. He has to bring it everyday. There will be no mailing it in. That comes after you’ve succeeded, else you’ll be thrown out on your keister. While he might be up for anything, I’m not sure he’s up for this. Hope I’m wrong, because I’d love to see the competition, to have a genuine alternative to listen to when The Ticket bogs, as it is wont to do so often.
PT III:
ReplyDeleteAll of which is to say, I think that after an initial and very very brief buzz The Freak will quickly settle into a battle between itself and The FAN and that's where it will stay. That is, unless a major defection(s) from The Ticket occurs. I'm talking Jake and Dan or even Bob. Then all bets are off. But as things are, I'm inclined to think we'll get about year maybe two of Mike before he signs off again. This time saying he just wanted to get the thing off the ground and help foster new, different talent make their way through the mediascape or something along those lines. During that time, again, there'll be a short lived buzz and even some initial ratings scares for The Ticket. But within 4 months that'll all be long gone and we'll get back to our regularly scheduled program already in progess. I also bet we'll see at least one if not several lineup changes within the first 6 months. Which could include a hero or two moving on.
Yes, I do have something to say about all this, and here it is:
ReplyDeleteBand of Gold Part II, thanks for using the phrase "champing at the bit."
More at a time of my choosing.
In the meantime, thanks to many of you for your thoughtful posts on this subject.
Anom 3:33
ReplyDeleteThey already have a Reddit page up.
So what happens if Friday comes and there's no Freaking going down? What if this is all an elaborate hoax?
ReplyDeleteIt's not. Rhyner confirmed it.
ReplyDeleteSo is Sirois gonna mete out some of his host salary to his board op, producer and whatever sorta ticker person they have? I hope he does. I hope he does very much.
ReplyDeleteStill waiting for the caller-driven presentation we were promised by this Summer? Or was it Fall. Wait, it's Fall now. Hm.
ReplyDeleteNope, looks like it was Summer
ReplyDelete"Not an edict. It's what's coming down the pike. Moreover, it pertains to day-to-day programming, not something like the campound. As I said, certain mainstay/heritage segments will continue (ditto events like Summer Bash and Campound). Look, ShaggyBevo, I know the progressive in you needs immediate fruition else you pounce and declare bulsh (everything's a crisis or it's not and is treated as such). But this isn't going to consist of some dramatic announcement or on-air pushback or the likes from the hosts. It'll be gradual, until it's not. But rest assured, by the end of July you will notice caller driven segments creeping in. Genuine ones, like THL used to do in their early days (anyone remember Rhnyer starting off calls with "let's mosh"?). So come back at the beginning of August, SurlyShaggy. If nothing's changed, I'll gladly eat crow. If it has, well, don't worry, BevoShurly, I won't expect you to admit you're wrong. I think it's evident why that's the case."
Gopher, I searched for a sub-reddit for "the freak" I couldn't find anything (searching the internet for terms with "freak" in it is a scary proposition). r/thefreak is taken and I'm not going there.
ReplyDeleteI remember when Ben & Skin moved to KEGL they tried to establish something on reddit but it didn't seem to stick (can't remember the name). There is a r/RealBenAndSkinShow and it is currently banned, I can't remember if that where u/ktfuntweets used to post B&S show stuff.
It is surprising how active r/theticket is and is driven totally by P1s.
Believe it or not, r/russmartinshow is still around and getting more than a few posts a week. One from three days ago, Start or buy out a station. The post was "Guys over on discord had the idea. Let’s start a gofundme and start or buy out a station. Make a real rock station and get the boys back on the air"
Yeah, do that
https://www.reddit.com/r/971thefreak/
ReplyDeleteCreated by and all but one thread started by ChunkyFingers. (Grubes?)
Not that I think Rhyner is not going to do this, but he did not "confirm" anything. A word and a video on twitter. And to Mac Engel “I can neither confirm nor deny this.”
ReplyDeleteI've seen the proposed line up and it all seems plausible until I see Grubes. Seems like he already has the job of his life.
Ok def not Grubes
ReplyDeleteSurly you know u/Grubes1310 responds to any mention of his name on reddit in about five minutes
ReplyDeleteRhyner posted another vid. "I'm back, bitches." Uh, OK, gramps. What is he, 19 again?
ReplyDeleteLol Rhynes used to hate on consultants but I wonder how many consultants he used that "workshopped" to come up with these social media videos to "enhance his brand". I guess he will get on TikTok next
ReplyDeleteWill definitely listen to Rhynes. Still a big fan of his and always will be. Have no interest in Ben and/or Foreskin or they guy from the fail that was on D Bag Nation or whatever it was called.
ReplyDeleteBig fan of GXD so I'm glad he's been added to 3-7 but I can't tolerate Sturm. Also out on Jay Gimp from 12-3. Love Dan and Blake but the other one is a punch out.
Stay hard.
Hey Bevo, my word is good. So, I am eating crow. A lot of it, for sure.
ReplyDeleteI would be nice to see you apologize to those you implicitly "lol'd" for posting up Whitt's scoop.
Crow, eaten.
Do we know if The Freak (gaaaawwwd that's a stupid name) actually goes live tomorrow? Seems so odd to start on a Friday. Then again, I'm not in the industry.
ReplyDeleteI’m sorry if you were offended by anything I said
ReplyDeleteIn this particular case t's not a question of you offending anyone; rather, it's admitting you were wrong.
ReplyDeleteThat was a Dan joke
ReplyDeleteYou prved my point, Surly Horns.
ReplyDeleteHuh.. No Freak this morning. October Fools joke?
ReplyDeletePerfect tease, Gordo --- A Legend leaving his Home.....Trevor Noah!
ReplyDeleteMaybe it was never true
ReplyDeleteHe's back? Was he ever gone? Started two podcasts, subject of that documentary, popped on The Ticket occasionally, and even filled in on Ben and Skin.
ReplyDeleteI went over to KEGL (didn't he used to call that station kegel?), still rock music, still DJ's (Rhyner's not a DJ). Please tell us when "he's back".
I bet it starts Monday or in conjunction with the Freaker's Ball. The Friday start never made a lick of sense.
ReplyDeleteFriday didn't make any sense to me either. I would assume the contracts run through the end of the month so Monday makes a lot more sense if anything is actually going to happen.
ReplyDeleteIt's happening.
ReplyDeleteI tuned in via the KEGL website stream and at first I got music, and when it died and I hit the arrow again, I got Ben & Skin doing one of their contests with Kevin Turner. Hoping I can find a reliable stream for 97.1. Suggestions welcome.
ReplyDeleteI do have a number of prospective thoughts (translation -- shaky predictions) about The Freak I will try to have up shortly.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to it, Pman. Bring the juice.
ReplyDeleteFor any remaining doubters out there, If you listened to the end of Ayo's (I believe that's his name) shift before B&S, he said his goodbyes and thank yous for the opportunity. Also, the on-air schedule has been taken down from the KEGL site.
ReplyDeleteAnd then there's this:
ReplyDeletehttps://twitter.com/971thefreak1?t=YaJu7zwx-ei6_3o3uWNY3A&s=09
If you scroll down you will see that the leaked lineup was real. It's been reTweeted by The Freak (terrrrrribbbbbbblllllle name) Twitter account. Yes, Virginia, Grubes is a part of it.
ReplyDeleteBad week or so for some of our fellow Confessors and their confident nay sayers. Including the Grubes angle.
*nay says*
ReplyDelete84% chance that twitter account its just a random P1. Check the Following list
ReplyDeleteThen there's the fact I'm at Plucker's in Addison. B&S are here giving away every piece of KEGL swag you can imagine. They're also openly talking about The Freak while in break. From what I've heard that lineup seems to be legit. Guess we'll find out soon enough.
ReplyDeleteAfter B&S signed off they have been playing all Freak songs. I would guess we’ll hear the Freak starting Monday.
ReplyDeleteYup. Superfreak followed by The Freaks Come Out At Night. Bedt tunes played on that frequency in decades. Too bad it ends Monday at 3pm with an unwanted format.
ReplyDeleteBad week for ya, Surly "Solid Info" Horns. The Twitter account is The Freak's.
ReplyDeletePutting Shurly's know-it-all smugness aside, I think The Freak is going to go from peak interest to forgotten in about a 6 weeks. Once Rhyner's issued The Issuances for the 28th time and returns to his '16 going forward form and once the Sirois fanboys get a daily dose of their champ and realize, "eh, yeah buddy, maybe Cat knew what the f he was doing after all," which will all be in fairly short order, this thing goes off the rails in a hurry. Lineups will be quickly reconnoitered and talent will fall by the wayside. As far as B&S, Julie, Cavanaugh and the rest go it won't matter. That part of the thing is already slotted. I mean, come on. Exactly how many times is it going to take B&S to summit Mt. Suboptimal to finally no funeral the thing? What kinda photos/vids and of whom do they possess? Their run is utterly amazing. Julie & Co. will be an awkward at first then later decent show you'd find on The FAIL. Nothing that will challenge The Ticket. OK, maybe the first week and change will show a dip in D&M's ratings. But that's it. Back to biz as uuuus in no time flat. Plus, and it's already happening a bit, look for The Ticket to beef up its day with a lot of cross show stuff. Stuff by Varsity that usually don't participate in anything other than what they're contractually obligated to. Hiya, Gordo. There was a time, The Halcyon Days, when Gordo did bits for both THL and D&M. Look for that sorta thing to make a comeback. Isn't GK debuting on THZ next week for a weekly seggo? Why yes he is. Coincidence, my flat, flabby, fat ass.
What's going to happen is anybody's guess. IMO, Rhyner never lost his passion for radio, he lost his passion for doing radio on The Ticket. With microphone hog Corby on board, Mike could put it on cruise control. He did he bits and then spent the rest of the show booking Petty Theft. And I think he either directly or indirectly felt the winds of political correctness starting to blow through the station. So he checked out. How long he likes this gig remains to be seen.
ReplyDeleteLooks like the Ticket is already taking shots at The Freak. Apparently they ran this promo a few days ago.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9VEOduO_MA
I find the idea that Corby and/or Danny made Mike lose his zeal for his show to be risible. It was Mike's show make no mistake about it. If he didn't like its direction or how he was being cast or whatever, all he had to do was snap his fingers and changes would've been made. Mike brought both Corby and Danny onboard. Regardless of Greggo's revisionist history, it was Mike who wanted Corby on the show and not the other way around. It was Greggo who had serious reservations, felt insecure over it. How do I know? Because about a month after Corby officially joined the crew I emailed Greggo asking why a perfect show needed a 3rd host (at the old Hardliners AOL address). Greggo replied in a far more candid way than I would've ever expected saying he had his doubts and that he Mike saw it a bit differently, but regardless they did agree on being extra careful not to change the feel of the show.
ReplyDeleteMike checked out because he got bored. Band of Gold has it right about why and when. Anyone (like myself) who was a Ticket early adopter, that went to the remotes, to the old school Diamond Talk broadcasts in Arlington, and in general got to know at least to some extent these guys also knows boredom is what changed Mike's attitude. I have a feeling that dealing with Greggo wore on him and contributed as well. His being "over it all" was palpable at remotes. Corby gets a lot of well earned shit. He also gets a lot of unmerited shit. Mike does exactly what Mike wants to do and when and how he wants to do it. He is well aware of his "power" and his station in the local media landscape. Very well aware. If his exit and now re-entrance videos haven't shed light on that for you, I'm not sure what to say. As regards political correctness, exactly how has that changed things for Mike? For any of these guys for that matter? What, so now Gordo says things in a sideways manner. He's still saying them. Et cetera and so on.
I'm not sure if The Freak's flag will fly for too terribly long. For being an iHeart station it sure seems to be a slapdash effort. Which, in big business often means something is on a short leash. From the assembled talent with little to no leverage/genuine skins on the wall and the lower-end salaries that they will command to the non-build-up-build-up of the format change to the focal point being a 72 year old on a short term contract, all of it point toward "if it works, great, if not, no big loss and we move on the next format." I also wonder how long this has been in the offing and who knew what and when. Because if he was popping on The Ticket playing Godfather, gracing his former coworkers with his imprimatur, all the while planning this, it says much.
As to the name, just as The Ticket was dubbed by Mike's ex-wife, Renee, The Freak is a nod to the KZEW Zoo Freak (the elephant).
I'm on a kick for classy-looking reds. Got a new one up.
ReplyDeleteAlong with some very hastily-assembled thoughts on the debut of The Freak, thoughtfully numbered for your convenience.
I want to thank the Confessors for some really thoughtful commentary on this thread. And a special call-out to Anonymous 3:13 just above for "risible."
OK, The Freak has given us some meat. Let's go.
Pre-recorded Rhyner is telling his story
ReplyDelete