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."
Saturday, December 24, 2022
A Merry Christmas to All Confessors, P1s, and Freak-Curious P1s
German Bearer Bonds seem to be a particularly risky investment as according to Hans Gruber whom was noted by Anon 5:33 above, you need to retain physical possession of the physical pieces of paper to to covert to dollars. Not registered to a particular owner and traded online evidently although there was no online circa 1988.
"whom as noted," not "was." If yer gonna comment on your own comment, at least get the grammar right. Sheesh.
As to the dry dock whiners out there, flip 'er on and see what you got. This is what we used to be treated to for 2 weeks straight back in the old days. Give me Tier 9 any day of the week, brutha.
So I got an emergency call to come into the office for a broken pipe (45 minutes each way) on Christmas Day. Not much being on I listened to Elf on the way in and the countdown to the Dirk statue unveiling. I have not listened much lately because of drydock, work issues, family, etc. but I thought he, and his sidekick (Todd?) were pretty good. (Side note: I have always liked Elf.)
But on the way home when they were signing off, I think around 11:30 to go to network football, he went on a long soliloquy of his history with the Ticket and now he is "back". "Back to where it all started", etc. Did a quick Google search and evidently he is back on Sunday mornings, per the Ticket website, and just not dry dock duties.
Maybe this has been out there, I just didn't know.
No idea. I just know he returned in October of 2020, when all of the ESPN castoffs started doing duty at The Ticket as their contracts were left to expire. (McClearin, JJT, etc)
Ratings are out. From what I’m told, call hospice, the Freak (as we know it) deathwatch is officially on. I’m told flat to down is an accurate description and they’re hovering barely out of the 30’s with men 25-54. C
"The market you have selected has been updated, but under our publishing agreement with Arbitron, it can not be displayed until after 5pm Eastern Time."
The book is out. The Freak went from a 1.0 to a 1.3. Ticket went from 4.2 t0 5.1.
The Freak still hasn't bested The Eagle's worst books (1.5). A .3 jump is not good. Not good, at all. That is decidedly not progress.
I'm not seeing the day part breakdown yet. Let's see if we can find any positives for The Freak when Peter Welpton or someone else publishes the day parts.
Looking like The Freak basically took .2 away from The FAN. The Ticket's leap upwards is one of the largest recorded in the market since 1968.
I'm thinking Julie and Chael bet on the wrong horse. Seeing a scenario where both are back in the Nurturing Biosphere no later than June. Humbled. (Finally) Appreciative.
Great Fire of Rome, Great Fire of London, Great Chicago Fire, Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, Cocoanut Grove fire, Beverly Hills Supper Club fire, Sirois Boy torching any & all bridges to the little ticket.
Not necessarily, Wut. Meaning, when you take into consideration the first book reflected only the first 2-1/2 weeks of Freak programming, the 1.3 is, if anything, a push. It's still tied with the worst book for The Eagle. A "push" here being a positive way to view it. The format is in trouble. I can guarantee you iHeart was expecting more, and in short order, all based on a grossly overestimated namesake. Whoever (sg or pl) sold this idea to iHeart ought to get out of the radio game and into sales. Like yesterday. Because they could sell an electric blanket to a denizen of Hell.
Just to be clear, I’m not a fan of the station. I like Danny, Sea Cow, Grubes, and Julie. Mike’s arrogance is on full unchecked display now and ruins what could be a decent listen with The Downbeat. The morning show is bonkers bad and Ben and Skin have whined and bitched on four different stations. I don’t know why they are tread out time and time again.
I just assumed (naively) the station would be given time to find its footing…
Well, for one, you're giving Sirois far too much "credit" or "a/effect." And two, it ain't like he'd be coming back as a f/t host. Julie? Shit, she's from a wealthy fam and married to a successful dude who's also from a wealthy fam. No one in the N American hockey game comes from anything but wealth. At least not since the mid-80s.
"December 2022 (11/10 – 12/7) Nielsen Audio PPM Ratings Day 1: KTCK Punches A Record Breaking Ticket While All-Christmas Leads To Big Gains".
Meanwhile The Freak, in its first full book, RISES to equeal The Eagle's lowest ratings period, ever. That all-time signal low of 1.0 was comprised of its first 2 weeks. Two weeks that should have garnered gang buster ratings. If "I'm back, bitches" is all he thinks he is/has sold himself as, those first couple of weeks should've had The Ticket thinking "oh shit." Instead, it was a total clusterfuck of rotating hosts, victory laps, carts put before horses, and conflicting narratives -- from the format's origin to former employers and former coworkers. Danny? Bad decision, coach. But like Julie, he'll be just fine. So too will Sirois.
If only Cumulus and Cat would've paid __ and __ and __ The Ticket wouldn't be in the world of hurt it's in right now!!!! Just wait until THZ jumps ship and swims over to The Freak!!!! The Freak = CueCat of DFW radio.
The other factor here is 93.3. Not only has the Freak failed to make a dent in the Tickets ratings, but looks like they’ve pissed off the Dan Bennett/Jeff Catlin duo to the point that they change 93.3 from top 40 to best of 90s and 00’s. How is that not a direct punch at Mix, Edge, and Kiss, all iheart properties. And all more successful than the Freak. If they have a program director on the Parkway, do you focus energy and effort on saving successful stations or your money pit? And the Freak needs a PD to fix their imaging, fix their content, and coach the exceeding subpar talent. But no, now the PD will be trying to protect the stations they have that make them money. As I said, the deathwatch is on. C
+ they were already competing (very poorly) against KISS-FM. 93.3 has constantly changed formats w/ little to no luck. This move is to compete against 102.9 NOW (formerly MIX 102.9) & STAR 102.1 (formerly The Edge).
Peter W has the day parts up on the reddit site. It's worse, much worse than the pic the cume paints. I mean really bad. The Freak has actually sunken further. WED was included, btw. TDB Greggo stunt had zero effect. THL slated TDB. If I were iHeart, I would cut my losses and flip. Today.
Are they back from dry dock? If not, I'm wondering if some don't return. Those numbers are shocking. The morning show is basically not registering a number. B&S can't even sniff NaD. And TDB, while barely registering a number, is so far off in THL's rearview mirror, it really can't be made out.
How about those FAN numbers. They too are going further into the shitter.
Loving this Followill-Demaris show.
Is The FrEaK back from its dry dock? What a poor decision that was, to go on an extended vacay after barely 3 months of programming--and after that first abbreviated ratings book. Then again, poor decisions seem to fall under the aegis of doing and saying what they want. Thus far it's their forte. I have to think some sort of change is coming. The morning show didn't register. B&S, barely. The Downbeat, the "juggernaut," the flagship show, anchored by I'm Back Bitches garnered a whopping 1.5. Do you realize, especially considering all the factors involved in this particular situation, how awful that is? It is. Going to be interesting to see how they handle this. They knew these numbers were coming down and began a "hey, we're just starting out, The Ticket didn't begin as #1" bulsh spin. What's the next move? Do they return with a genuine focus and even a bit of humility? Or do they double down with I'm Back, Bitches, This is the greatest most original format ever and we say what we want crap? Not sure if the latter is in Rhyner's DNA. He might give it a go, but it'll be short lived.
Another SEXY! JJT Sota spot. CAT! FIX THIS SHIT. Enough already with that horror show. For f's sake, gimme another Galleon's campaign. ANYTHING but SEXY!
1. A responder above already correctly noted the reason on the half flip on Hot93. My radio dial invariably heads that way when the daughters are in car. All their pre-produced interstitials bragged about how they play more songs per week than KISS. I guess the boys in Atlanta were tired of getting dragged by KISS so expand the song universe to get more earballs listening. Pre flip 93.3 and KISS seem to mix in a decent amount of early 2000s music anyway.
2. The morning show and B&S numbers are hilarious but not all that surprising. AM drive featuring 3 not ready for prime time players and Ben and Skin are Ben and Skin. But that downbeat number. Goodness. If the Mikes can’t even get within shouting distance of the Fan, that’s what is going to get the plug pulled on the Freak. Every iHR egg is in the BoomerMike basket and he is faceplanting.
3. A question for those in the know. Do the Mavs have any say on the format of their flagship? Say in April, iHR says screw it, we’re going Tejano, does Cubes get to say “nope” or can they re-shop their services to the radio open market if there is a format change?
The thing people keep pointing to is how people who weren't getting paid at the Ticket, are at this new place.
But here's what no one really discusses: The new place isn't providing the same level of support staff as the Ticket does for each of their shows. Board Op, Producer, Tickers - every show, even the weekend ones, get three supporting staffers - the new station is essentially, hosts and a board op. The Ticket is unusual in this aspect, I can't think of a lot of stations in 2022 that are funding that level of support staff - and have for as long as I recall. IMO, it is one of the smaller details that feed the success of the station. Letting hosts be hosts and focus on hosting and entertaining - is a wickedly valuable element to successful talk radio. B&S had a producer, but they moved him to AM Host (a role new to him). Is Sirios' girlfriend technically their new one? If so, she doesn't have any experience in that role.
Hosts or board ops now are left up to doing all the producing work, and based on what we're hearing - that isn't really happening. It's so clear each show is basically 2-3 people just "showing up and winging it" each day - and if you want to tell us otherwise, then what producing is being done, sucks. Talk Radio 101 - your board op should not also be your producer. If you have one person doing both, you don't really have either properly covered.
While maybe there isn't a need for a Ticker person, do not discount the role those people play on the Ticket - both in terms of personalities and effort in times of need for someone to do on-the-fly research or breaking news situations. So yeah, maybe those that left are now getting "grown man money" - but that's because the new station isn't having to cover the costs of at least two other people their former employer does. Trust me, part of why they're able to get "grown man money" is because of the savings of what they were getting in their previous roles.
so, why is the new station not willing to shell out the cash for a proper support staff? And, what is the amount a producer, board op or ticker person in market #4 worth? Should they be full time with benefits? Contract? Maybe a board op is making more at this new place, but there also isn't two other support staffers along side them.
Are any of these same people still at the Ticket today if they'd gotten a 20-50% raise? 100%? Of course not - because the new station offered them "grown man money" - which is (a guess) a factor of 2-3 more than they made in support roles.
Rhyner's ego festival aside, the other former Ticket-peeps taking their shot and getting paid is totally understandable. But with that comes the realities of post pandemic radio station budgets and if everyone's a host ( and getting paid as such) and there are not enough support roles, the station was not a real contender from the start.
Surly's point about the Musers numbers, I would love to see what Norm was drawing at his highest point while at KLIF. What show over the course of Dallas radio has pulled the best numbers? Ron Chapman at KVIL/KLUV, WPAB at the peak of Rush Limbaugh's run, Russ Martin, the early days of R&R KLIF on 1190AM.
Are all of the iHeart stations in one building like Cumulus is? I know Jer has talked bout cutting tape and taking feeds for WBAP and Steve Lamb at WBAP thanking the Ticker guys for various audio bits. Do the iHeart stations support each other with production it every man for themselves?
If I had to guess on highest rated show evah, either KVIL Chapman or late 90s/early aughts Kraddick for locally produced shows and Piolin or Tom Joyner for syndicated shows
Was Tom Joyner‘s local ratings better when he was he was AM drive on K104 (& then would subsequently fly to Chicago to do PM drive on WGCI for 8 years) or when his show was syndicated?
Point of order. It was still day part v day part. The book doesn't discern particulars like that. Moreover, it was the reunion of Hardline Proper, Halcyon Days Hardline. Something that hasn't happened since 2007. Something that was always thought of a "when hell freezes over" event. And yet it couldn't do dick vs. the umpteenth WED pm drive crew. The fact that Gordo and the rest were on each others' shows for the month prior, made this WED a lot less special. It was all set up for the stunt to pay off. It was also a Sirois Industries joint. It fell flat. Point. Of. Order.
Fact of the matter is, The Freak blew their wad, that is their first 2-3 weeks, patting themselves on the back, confusing the shit out of anyone listening by not having any show with its proper hosts solely hosting their show, and the overall crapping on former places of employment while convincing themselves, each other, and anyone listening that they're good people doing a good thing for good reasons having a real real real good time. That and incessantly reading lists and playing convoluted games. (OK, those two things have yet to go away.) The upshot is, this is at least in part the reason why it's gone over like a lead balloon. Instead of capturing the attention of listeners with edgy talk, truly saying what they want, they opted to personify (as a station) lazy en masse. Perhaps that's all a function of talent level. Seeming more and more that it might be. Whatever the case, while they may claim they're not a sports station, they sure do a spot on imitation of The Cowboys org. They front run like no other. It's a damn shame, because it would've really been sweet to have two amazing options for our listening pleasure. One, the vaguard of local sports and guy talk that is The Ticket; and two, what could've been a super cool station that digs into pop culture and even some more serious topics of the day in an edgy, insightful, but relatable way, and done by people we all know and love. The two stations could've had a neat symbiosis of sorts. Could've even had both station employees loving on each other. But The Freak don't play that way. When you begin your campaign by referring to your potential audience as bitches, what do you expect. That's how second rate go.
KT showing he doesn’t understand the industry he currently works in. (Currently, because at this rate he may be flipping burgers by June). Zero serious advertisers care about podcast downloads. I’ve been in this industry a long time, I’ve never seen an advertiser ask for podcast stats. And revenue may be up but I wonder if that is sustainable. When I listen, I hear a lot of trackable, local direct clients. Car dealers, AC companies, mortgage lenders, etc who can ask “where did you hear about us”. I hear very little mass appeal “agency”advertisers. Think fast food, beer, retail, etc. agency business is a huge slice of the revenue pie, and you’re not getting served any pie when your ratings are in the low 20s. Will be interesting to see advertisers reaction to a 2nd horrible book. C
The real headline should be how well the Ticket is performing both in the face of a new competitor and the fact its other competitor is the flagship station of the local NFL team having a very good season. If you're a Ticket P1, you can't ignore the gear change the entire station and Tier 1 hosts went into with the introduction of their former co-workers trying to steal their dinner. Maybe after all this time winning, it's too be expected, but these are really impressive results even for a station that has stomped expectations for 25 plus years.
So the first hour of Ben and Skin got a 0.7 and the rest of their show got a 1.0. How are these clowns still getting paid to be on the radio? It’s truly a great DFW radio mystery.
Totally depends. A good amount of the regular advertisers buy annuals, promising to spend X amount per month. Then they get freebies, bonus spots, free inclusion in events (summer bash etc) discounts on remotes, etc depending on the spend level. More you spend, more you get free, bigger discounts, etc. Some of the advertisers you hear a lot of are in that bucket. Then there’s the 2nd tier of the annuals. They spend X amount but maybe only part of the year. Or month on month off. Then some clients are seasonal. Sports teams obviously, but TurboTax doesn’t run Q4 but is everywhere q1. Then there’s run of the mill local clients. Might not be annual but are good for X amount of ad buys on a regular basis. But here’s a fun game you can play at home. Listen to the Freaks ads. How many of them are from mass appeal retailers where ad costs can be prorated over multiple locations.like McDonald’s, Beer, cars, etc How many are small local chains How many are mom and pop type businesses with maybe a couple of stores. And how many of those spots are freebies. Ticket was running podcast spots for Titus and Taint. Freak runs a bunch of ads for their podcast network shows, those aren’t paid. I invite anyone to listen to any station and play this game. How many of the spots are from advertisers thst clearly have a big budget. And how many are from smaller, local companies. You can get a feel for yourself how well a station is doing. C
Revenue is up because there was a nice uptick in preboughts prior to launch. Once those campaigns/contracts (however you want to term it) run out, gonzo, buh bye.
12/29 11:15am is correct. When you begin to spin publicly, you're admitting things aren't going well. Freak hosts already began this spin prior to the book's release. Julie and KT being the most vocal. Both are also part of the most expendable show on the station. The show that in all likelihood will be the first to have changes made to it. I'll let you all make that causal connection.
You'd think of all the hosts, KT and Julie would keep mum and place all their energies on stepping up their game and that of their show. You'd think. Then again, they say what they want.
The idea that "it will take time to grow an audience" conflicts with how radio ratings are done in top markets: PPM.
In the same time frame, other stations have either shown ratings increases because of abandoned rock listeners (KZPS, KJKK) or started playing xmas music (KDGE).
The fact KEGL as a talk station, with as best a media/promotional blitz as they were able to muster, has shown nothing so far in PPM is more problematic than the old diary system. That was one where "it took time" (and was, btw, the system in place when KTCK-AM started).
My personal, informal surveys tell me I've yet to talk to someone who is now a KEGL P1. I'm sure they exist, but none of them are on the current panel. If anyone does listen, they're clearly a P2 or less, and the majority either don't/haven't listen, and as one Ticket listener said me to just the other day, "I just don't care".
So get in the car this evening, and if I remember it coordctly heard this stop set: New fine arts, weather sponsor 15 (total traffic?) lone star Toyota, traffic sponsor, a podcast promo, specs, an ad for the iheart Ap, , another 15 sponsor, another podcast promo, then a morning show promo. So pm drive, and you’re running 2 podcasts spots, and an App spot? And New Fine arts in PM drive? I’m sure other advertisers being in the same break with the dildo store. “Hey upscale advertiser like Cadillac or financial advisor, how would you like your product running next to the store where people buy butt plugs?” . And to the previous point: how much money do you think new fine arts spends on advertising? Maybe the margins on dildos is huge, and they have plenty of money, but what do we think their advertising budget is? Thousands of dollars? 10s of thousands? 100s of thousands? I’m thinking it’s the former. C
Not kink shaming. If dildos and butt plugs are you’re thing, more power to you. Just pointing out that that is what most people would consider a fringe advertiser. Yet they can afford PM drive. That tells you how low the rates are at the freak and how desperate they are for paying customers. It’s a death watch now. They can’t turn around what they have. It’s either get rid of 2 shows and basically rebuild completely, or a return to metal… C
Anon 10:08 re: Arachnid (spider) store. I heard that as well and actually thought it might be a parody ad. Don't know if it is real and don't care to find out.
Funny thing about living and working out in East Texas this time of year. The KTCK signal starts degrading about the time the sun hits the horizon and 97.1 is also fuzzy. But once the sun sets 97.1 usually starts coming back. Also, with my work schedule, as the sun is setting I am driving 30 miles closer to DFW. (Not sure where the broadcast antenna is in relation to my drive down I-30.)
I have really tried to give 97.1 a listen because there aren't that many choices for me out here. Yes, I have the Sports Day app but also Bob is a beating to me. Is there a point to this? To paraphrase the great Dale Dye in Casualties of War; "There ain't no point, Ericson, my job is to simply illuminate the terrain in which we find ourselves currently deployed".
And I think the terrain in which 97.1 finds themselves is tenuous, at best.
Listening to the Freak this afternoon was embarrassing. B&S and Krystina went and showered accolades to each of the hosts. Rhyner- old grey wolf, goat, legend etc. Sirois- B&S said Sirois is the funniest guy in DFW radio and they couldn't believe he never was elevated to main host 16 yrs at the ticket. Something about Sirois naming his volleyball serves was comedy gold to them. And they were going to build this station with him as the foundation. KT- B&S said the fan was crazy for not giving him the main host gig after they left the Fan. Said " the Fan better watch out in the ratings from KT and speakeasy." It's laughable now that we see the ratings. All the praise and kiss assery was an entire segment. who would ever think that makes edgy listenable radio? They love to talk about each other all the damn time. They say what they want and they say all they want about themselves.
It's rather obvious ALL Freak hosts are reading everything posted about them online, be it Twitter, reddit, and oh you bet your ass MTC. That tells you all you need to know regarding the situation.
To be successful at the talk game, you have to be either: A psychopath who doesn't give a shit (for real) who will say anything about anyone or anything (e.g, POS Alex Jones), or be a genuinely excellent communicator with a specific POV who is able to articulate it day/week/month/year in and out (e.g., love or hate them: Rush Limbaugh, Larry King, Art Bell, Oprah).
No one at The Freak, including I'm Back, Bitches and Twitch Guy with Mirrored Sunglasses, possesses either.
Didn't someone here theorize that "C" is Jeff Catlin? This may be a small potatoes blog but with its history with having a mysterious KTCK informant, it wouldn't surprise me. C seems to have a dearth radio industry knowledge and well thought out points and the comments are all posed to argue for the Freak's imminent demise. When I read the posts, I can hear him saying them. The blog comments allow for 100% anonymity, unlike reddit or other socials so he wouldn't ever be connected to them. And if I were him, I would label them "C" so he can tell some people which comments are his.
Who could blame him? If I were Cat, and given the people involved in the Freak and the auspices under which its creation transpired, I would be taking the Freak's competition very personally, if not seriously. Regardless of whether it presented a legitimate threat to KTCK ratings or not, I would aggressively program the station to not just beat them, but to rub their faces in their own vomit for even thinking for a second that another station in the market could compete with KTCK at being KTCK. It is, after all, his life's work.
With plugging of Gordo in every show in Nov/Dec and also specifically not acknowledging the station or anyone on it, there's a good chance that is what he's after. Full scorched earth. I also suspect there might be some shilling against Freak going on with some accounts posing as objective p1s in r/theticket since October.
Anyway, I actually like both stations and frequent flipper, but this inside struggle might be the most compelling of all KTCK/KDGE storylines. Call me a conspiracy theorist if you like. If I'm wrong, fine. But what if I'm right? Wouldn't that be interesting?
First letter of first name. So if I was Jeff, I’d be signing these J not C. Only other clue, I have worked at Cumulus in the past, currently in sales in a different radio station in the market. C
Its hard for me to believe these latest numbers, since this was right when the GLEN-train was powering up. A game-changer of a bit, brought to you by the funniest personality in dfw!
Hang in there, sea-cow & jules....i'd need to double-check with Dan on if this would fall into the Humbling category.
Hold onto our butts? Lemme guess: THZ is going to The Freak, just like Whitt said. Or. One or all of The Musers are retiring. Either scenario is bulsh. So instead of your bulsh, just tell us.
I'm digging your stuff, C. So as an insider of sorts, what say you on (a) the possibility of THZ migrating over the The Freak, (b) scuttlebutt on Ticket hosts retiring/leaving, (c) how much more rope will The Freak be given by iHeart, and (d) what changes if any are rumored to be coming down for The Freak gang?
See post below for (a). From what I see, Ticket is still a top biller in the market and just had the best ratings for 1310am since 1978!! If any hosts leave I think it would be Norm and medically related. Do I see the musers retiring at some point? Of course, but AM drive money is hard to walk away from. As for (c) I think we start to see some tweaks after dry dock. They’ve got to cut out the nonsense segments. Nobody cares about your favorite Xmas tradition if they don’t care about you as a broadcaster. And clearly no one cares about them, they have a 1 share. If I’m an iheart exec, I hire someone to do a better job of imaging that station and get rid of the we talk about what we want attitude. Get better topic selection, give that a few months, THEN replace 1 or 2 shows. C
I’ve made this comment before but will repeat it. Danny Balis, a producer, had to sit out 6 months before joining the Freak. Mike Rhyner had to wait 6 months before starting his podcast (anybody else remember his countdown to that?). The idea that the Hang Zone isn’t tied up in some kind of similar deal beggars belief. So at best, if they could walk away tomorrow, it’s going to be 6 months before they are on the air. If you’re Dan or Jake do you gamble a known thing, successful station, easy time slot, etc, for the Edmund Fitzgerald facing a November storm? Maybe the good ship Freak makes Whitefish Bay, but every month that goes by increases the chances that SS freak splits up, maybe capsizes or breaks deep and takes water. Look at the numbers Welpton posts. A downward trend. Do you really not think there’s some iheart executive someplace looking at the Eagles ratings and the Freaks ratings and doing this: (looks left) 3 share (looks right) 1 share. 3. (Looks right ) 1. 3 (looks right) 1. How many times do they do that before a light bulb goes off that they can cut their losses and get higher ratings with music? Or at the minimum, get an experienced morning show in studio, and get rid of the midday show that’s never been successful anywhere they’ve gone. C
Good on ya, C, for addressing my q's. I'm thinking The Freq needs first and foremost a local PD. A local PD who's de facto on the hotseat to suss and sort this shit show out. Because make no mistake about it, it's a shit show. A shit show created by Mike R n Mike S. The B&S we got MIke R's juices flowin' narrative is total bullshit. The two M's put the entire lineup together. Yes, they had input from B&S, but it's their recipe that comprises this shit show. The Mike n Mike shit show was given the green light and has been allowed to "say what they want" because of some rather singular circumstances in what's normally a rigid, this is how we succeed, industry. They inadvertantly (to their own detriment, btw) slipped into one of the rare combined creases of apathy and transition of a particular station that allows for as close as you can get to anything goes, and they took advantage of an outgoing management sector that gave zero fucks and a company who's focus lies on more substantive debt issues/recovery than a single station among several (of theirs) in a top 5 market. In other words, the dog was being wagged prior to their pitch. Their pitch only served to further extend the wag.
Agreed on the PD. The other issue, cumulus just repositioned 93-3 to take more of a run at Mix and Star. It used to be aimed at KISS, but Kiss before Kraddick passed was head and shoulders ahead of the pack. Now they’re not. So repositioning 93-3 takes a more direct shot at 2 stations making a lot of money for iheart. The PD they have probably doesn’t have the time, or the inclination to mess with an unfamiliar format. I think the Freak as we know it(speakeasy, b&s, downbeat) doesn’t clear Memorial Day. But I think if they replace 1/3 or 2/3rds of the shows, possible that the Freak lasts longer. C
If I'm The Freak PD, I'm coming back from dry dock with either an entirely new or revamped morning show. To the latter I'm moving Sirois and Krystina to mornings with Julie, letting KT and Cavanaugh go. Ben and Skin are told this IS IT. Either produce numbers over the next two books (ESPECIALLY during the Norm and D hours) or you're gone. I also tell them, as C said, to cut the obvious time kill segments and talk about things that actually interest you and go about it authentically. Stop the fake laughing, stop the ass kissing-circle jerk with your coworkers, and be yourself. Actually, I'm saying these things to all hosts and shows. Finally I let Mike Rhyner know that NO ONE is safe, that he had better whip the troop into shape, broadcast like he knows how (that is, like he did from '94 - '06), and stop treating this like he did his podcasts and last 12+ years at The Ticket. That HE wanted this. HE got the ball rolling on this. And HE's the face of it (and agreed to be so - I'd say embraced, even encouraged it). I'd also let Danny and Sirois know that either they step things up and hold themselves and Rhyner accountable or they won't see September. I include Sirois with The Down Beat if I don't rework The Speakeasy (bad name for a morning show, a Speakeasy denotes evenings and late nights, not rush hour traffic and energy). If I do redo the morning show, same speech but only for Danny and Mike Rhyner.
Yeah but there is no PD and none of those conversations will happen anytime soon. Which is how Mike R wants it. Last time a PD told him to step his game up, he pitched a hissy fit and Irish goodbye-ed the little one. Dude came out of retirement so he could take shots at the Ticket/his old coworkers, surround himself with sycophants to fluff his massive ego, and cash checks while doing so. Boomer vanity project
Just my two cents (and I think I may have posted this in a previous post): I would love to have Mike Rhyner do a Dallas-centric segment every day. Say at 5:30 or 6:00 catching everyone in drivetime.
Hell, Rhyner knows as much about Dallas as R. Wilonsky and that is saying a lot. If it was at the same time everyday then listeners could plan for it. For me, it would be must-listen, if done right. Make Wilonsky a part of it if it fits. My first guests would include: Jim Schutze and discuss "The Accomodation"; Dwain Carraway, discuss prison and redemption; Laura Miller (former mayor), why did she oppose a downtown stadium for the Cowboys; Sharon Grigsby of the DMN and whatever excellent article she just posted; the guy who started Bonton Farms (can't remember his name); the chef who started Cafe Momentum. The list goes on.
I am not a radio person, just a guy who crunches numbers for a living. But, IMO, the above would be a building block on other segments. Make the "we talk about what we want" something that has some teeth. Not just kissing ass and laughing at things that aren't funny.
As I typed this I remembered Rhyner years ago, talking about Stevie Ray Vaughn and how SRV brought something back from Hawaii for Rhyner. Another topic to talk about. Also, JD Tippets son who was in Rhyner's class when his dad was killed. So much history.
I don’t think Rhyner could hang with Schutze, Wilonsky, or anyone that understands politics or history. He’s strictly Dallas pop culture or Dallas music scene relevant. Even then, if it doesn’t involve him he doesn’t care.
TUNE IN NOW!!! Bring in 2023 with the newest and most unusual all-talk station in America! Outlaw radio with the industry bastards on 97.1 THE FREAK. @Speakeasy971
The industry bastards, huh. "Hey, bitches! Come listen to us bastards!"
This is Ron and Don writ large.
It's become apparent over the last handful of years that Mike R used to make fun if, rail on those he most closely resembles. Only at one point in his career he wore a mask.
It is the most unusual station in a couple of ways. Most stations put their best or most interesting show in morning drive. Since success in AMD usually helps carry shows later in the day. The Freak is unusual in that they’ve put 3 people (with zero major market experience of carrying a show) into arguably the most important daypart. And they’re unusual in that they flipped formats, but kept the perennial failures that are Ben and Skin. And they’re unusual in that most stations have clear, cogent imaging, designed to appeal to listeners and easily explain the format in just a few seconds. When you hear the following imaging do you have an idea of what you’re going to hear: Classic rock 92.5 New country 96.3 Star 102.1, best variety of 80s,90s and today Klif Dallas’s news and information station WBAP news talk 820 News radio 1080 KRLD CLASSIC hits 98.7 Compare and contrast that to “97.1 the freak, we say what we want.” If iheart was smart they’d throw a ton of money to John Michaels or Steve Cactus Pryor- the guys- besides Catlin- responsible for the Ticket imaging, and have them reimage the station why they still have some hope of turning it around. C
meanwhile, Lex and Terry continue to broadcast their morning show from the same building iHeart is in off the tollway.... not saying that their people have talked to anyone...
Do you think Norm's the reason Sirois is no longer here and as a result not only have NaD's rating's plummeted but also the station's as a whole? That due to Norm's ego and selfishness and Cat's greed, a generational talent was left with no other choice than to leave for greener pastures?
If so..... you might be a reddit commenter. (And utterly delusional on all fronts.)
Anon 435, mostly agree, somewhat disagree. Reddit dorks and confessor nerds, myself included, I think we would all generally be in agreement that Mikey was prettay, prettay good on the little one. Great 3rd voice on 10-12, great paired with Donovan, fit in easily when popping on other shows, solid fry dock fill in. What the Reddit DOOM LAST SUPPER squad missed on Mikey’s exit I think is…none of them actually listened to 10-12. So Norm’s core listener group carries on. Hell they might prefer the more milquetoast seabass to zany Mike
Personally, I still hate that Sirois left and is floudering at the Rhyner vanity spite project. Whatever “it” is that has made the little one so successful for 26 years and running, he seemed to understand what it was and did capture P1 hearts and minds. So it goes…
Me gets the sense that there's sooner rather than later a few exes will begin making the I don't know what I was thinking, I mean, c'mon, I had to give it a shot, I mean, hey, nothing personal I love you and I mean it, it was never personal I swear, it was just ___ apology tour. Hoping beyond hope to find some spot path back into the nurturing bosom of The Biosphere. There's also the late comer, the who will recede into that evening gloam of mozarella encrusted, neo soul cum Dylan cum butt rock Twilite, never to be seen again. And finally, there's another who'll be doing the same but instead of seeking a Coriolanus like return will take the St. Anthony path, knowing he must pay penance. A long penance, at that. There be demons to battle in that desert; thorny briars to hurl oneself upon in recompense.
Freak aired as many live football games as The Ticket over dry dock. Not counting Mavs games as that deal was in place prior to The Freak and who knows what that contract looks like.
"There's also the late comer, the who will recede into that evening gloam of mozarella encrusted, neo soul cum Dylan cum butt rock Twilite, never to be seen again."
Ok I’m generally curious- how many games did the Freak carry, and which games? How many games did Ticket carry in comparison? I was out of town for almost a week, so didn’t catch a lot of either station. But I’ll offer this observation- the Ticket just had its best book since 1978(6+). Almost all of their main hosts take off, and their 2nd and 3rd tier only stretches so far. So makes sense for a sports station to run bowl games. Contract to the freak- they all too off, despite most of them only being employed for 2-3 months. Who earns that much PTO in 75 days? And the Freak has zero bench. None. But they’ve gone out of the way to say they’re not competing with the ticket. So why are you carrying a bunch of bowl games, that by definition appeal to sports fans? Because you’re desperate for programming? If they’ve got nothing, they could pot up the HD channel and go back to music, but I can see where watching ratings spike only to fall when your failures of hosts return would be embarrassing. C
Well, C, considering when they cut to network it's a national sports feed.... Nothing and I mean NOTHING makes sense. I'm shocked iHeart is letting this happen, and happen in all places in the 5th (4th, but that's not how it's listed by Nielsen) largest market in the country. The only way I can make sense of it is that there's a master plan that has yet to be put into place. Even if true, then why go about things as if Sirois Industries conceived, executed, and maintains the operation? Flat. Out. Bizarre. OK, one more scenario: It's merely a placeholder format until they put together the desired talent (non competes from this or other markets, etc.), etc. That if for some crazy reason The Freak has a meteoric rise and quickly becomes a Ticket-like force, then all the better, they get a ratings/ad rev machine....and on the relative cheap. And if it flops? No biggie, as Plan A will soon be implemented. These scenarios are the only way any of this coheres, IMHO.
Oh, Surly, I for one recognize them. Actually attempted to listen for the first time this past Saturday. Had no idea TC was a 14 year old girl from a gated community in the burbs. It's unlistenable. As far as Jordo goes, there's nothing more obnoxious than one who's tasted the bittiest of bits of some semblance of a semblance of success in the entertainment industry (regardless of avenue) and who then becomes The Expert, The Insider, The One Who Knows Where The Bodies Are Buried And Will Tell You All Grave Locales. They're not. Not by a longshot. Not in a million years.
TC is beyond unlistenable with his verbal clutch word "like" flying out of his mouth 20 times per minute....like...like...like...like.....like....like.....
TC is a dude I totally don’t get. To paraphrase old Greggo, “what’s he ever done?”. He was a bad ticker person, so bad he became the butt of jokes. And not a small, cute butt. It was the oversized, plumped up with filler, baby got back sized butt. So bad that he gets a job as a PD in Florida, only to fail miserably because who jumps from being a ticker guy to a PD with no experience? Someone with ego but no brains. He somehow gets hired back, only to fail again and leave a 2nd time. TC has to be in the running for the least talented person ever to work in DFW radio. Again, they hired people they knew, people they were friends with. Clearly past radio success or talent weren’t important in the hiring decisions. And their ratings are proving that out. I remember hearing back in the day that KEOM was good for .5-1.0 on average. The freak is approaching the point that people would rather listen to inexperienced high schoolers than the crap the Freak puts out there. C
anyine catch bob's jab? 'it's like doing radio. the first few days or weeks it's all good. but then you have to keep taling about things week and week month after month year after year.'
Interesting off hand comment just before 5p on Friday. One of the downbeat mentioned end of the segment, and Rhyner responded with something like”I was in the meeting on Tuesday, I follow their directives”. Clearly implying they had a show or staff meeting on Tuesday and following the clock was discussed. Funny for a couple of reasons: Ben and skin in their media interviews made a big deal of no one telling them what to do or what to talk about, the whole “we say what we want” theme. 2 months in and the leash is being tightened. Clearly they’re trying to fix formatics if they’re trying to hit the clock on time. Problem being, if you have interesting content, a well built clock can help you grow ratings. Does anyone think the Freak is on target content wise? The 5-530 segment was what if animals teamed up to kill humans, who would survive? Funny as an aside, but my god, 30 minutes of in depth discussion over whether spiders, mosquitos, bears, eagles or hippos are the most dangerous to humans. If that’s their content, it won’t matter how well they run their clock, that’s not going to peel off listeners from the Ticket or Fan C
I thought not having directives was the selling point for Rhyner, for the whole shebang? Hmmmm, so yer sayin' iHeart IS a giant corporation, after all.
Cat knows talent. Who has it. Who's a support player. Who's a main attraction.
Ed Wallace is correct about Rhyner (though he's not following his own advice, so it seems).
His "retirement" consists of sitting in on every single Wheels and by the 3rd commercial break he completely takes over. All the while peppering his handpicked successors with criticism and at times is outright insulting. As much as I like Ed, insulting others is unfortunately one of his "fortes." That and at times cherry picking sources and data to back up his pet pinatas and pin cushions.
C, I also tuned in on a long drive to Godley this past Friday and was flabbergasted that I was hearing segments devoted to that inane hypothetical!
Did you hear Danny? At one point during the endless drivel about humans vs. animals Danny said "Hey, what happened to your mic" referring to the almost completely silent Rhynes from that segment.
It's crumbling all around and Rhynes has reverted back to disinterested Rhynes of the last few years of THL and guys it's just UNLISTENABLE!
Ok a couple of things. Yes, I would have expected more interested Mike. He chose to get back into radio, if he didn’t want to participate in a show, he could have stayed home on his couch. And he could probably get away with letting Corby carry the show when your top in your daypart, killing the competition, etc. if I’m iheart brass and I’m paying Mike a quarter mil a year or more, I expect more. A lot more. 2- comment up thread about bowl games on Ticket. Just realized Ticket is carrying the game tonight. I know generally stations can’t cherry pick best games- if you want to carry the super bowl you have to carry X number of spare NFL games all season long. If Catlin knew there was chance TCU would be playing for the Natty, why not carry the Poulan Weed Eater Bowl or the New Gine Arts Dildo bowl if it gets you rights to TCU in the natty. At worse, you’re carrying Georgia Michigan for the natty, which probably has an audience. Not as much as a local team, but still. But I think that’s what happens when you have a PD paid to think and plan. But the Freak doesn’t need a PD**, they say what they want. **ratings near a 1 share tell me you DO need a PD…
A few other things to add onto C's comment. No real new ground, but just to reiterate. I presay that I do listen to at least one Downbeat segment each day. The car wreck-I can't avert my eyes effect, you might say.
1. Rhyner effectively stopped trying around 2006 (its genesis was prior to '06, that is, the moment he decided to to Petty Theft), going into full check out mode about 3 months after Greggo was canned. To say he stopped giving a shitd\ during his last few years on The Ticket is incorrect. The years spent not caring exceeded the years he was engaged. And by a considerable margin.
2. Rhyner's silence during the animal segment (which, I heard) is nothing new on The Down Beat. I think it's meaning is twofold. First, once the initial kissing of the ring in a show of fealty by all Freakers wore thin --took about a month, it was obvious even he knew enough was enough, which is saying something for Rhyner, as he loves his place in this particular world being recognized -- his energy level audibly lowered. It was sort of a case of "OK, that was great, what's next?" Truthfully, I think all parties except B&S who keep on doing what they've always done (be suboptimal) have wrestled with this question. Perhaps none more than KT, Julie, and Sirois. Cavanaugh seems like he knows what to do next but is no longer in that type of format. And secondly, Rhyner also has to know that this isn't good. In fact, it's more than not good, it's downright crap. I can't imagine Danny isn't thinking the same thing. It's Rhyner's passive aggressive way of setting the table for either his exit or the laying bare of "evidence" to present to others when the thing is shut down. "Evidence" of him laying out because he knew it wasn't good; that this isn't what he signed up for but was riding it out, hoping others around him (who presented themselves as having the goods, but in fact didn't) would step up and display the talent they claimed to possess.
Possibly Related 3. So there's a major station announcement Weds at 5:50. Hmmm. The last two Hardline late in the show announcements consisted of: Bob moving to THL, Jake promoted to the Varsity squad, and the creation of THZ; and the addition of Davey Lane to THL. This time around could be about Ticketstock. It's that time of year. But that's usually a Musers announcement, and usually accompanied with its George-centric theme song that we'll hear ad nauseam for 2 months. Perhaps it is and having it during THL's slot is a smart move by Cat to garner as many ears as possible vs. TDB? Why would the record smashing ratings grabber of a morning show need the announcement's cache and its attendant listeners? Let's move it to THL. Makes sense. What also makes sense is pattern and uniformity. We've just returned from dry dock and it's a new year. Is someone moving on? Are big changes afoot? Well, it wouldn't be a Muser because they'd make such an announcement on their show on their own terms. Bob going national? Norm retirement and farewell tour, then to take on emeritus status (drafts, select pop ons)? If either, perhaps this is what Cat meant when he said in the DMN interview regarding Rhyner and Sirois that told Sirois he didn't understand it because he'd run the race, was on the final lap, and about to cross the finish line. Imagine if Norm does retire, if Bob leaves, or some other shakeup that would've opened up that spot for Sirois. And yet there he is bombing at The Freak. To say he's bitten off more than he can chew is an understatement. Silly names for segments with even sillier premises on a pm drive show in a top 5 market while constantly kissing your partner's and girlfriend's posteriors does not make for a compelling on-air personality. Sirois at best has been mis-partnered. That wouldn't have happened at The Ticket.
Bob going National would be a loss for the Ticket. He is a local treasure in his ability to combine a counterintuitive pop culture sensibility with very top in any market sports analytical skills. He is awesome.
Well, I did say that it aligned with the annual Ticketstock announcement. But, for the reasons I laid out and two others, it might not be (probably is, though). The other two reasons are (i) THL crushed TDB so there's no possible ratings advantage (and for a single show/hour I might add), and (ii) the, since The Freak's debut, omnipresence of one Gordon Keith on all shows, every week. Have no idea as to what or why, but there's something about the sustained Gordon Tour of Ticket Shows I can't put my finger on but seems to be pointing toward something bigger.
Having said all that, yes, it's probably Ticketstock. Though it wouldn't shock me if we get a stunner of an announcement. And no, Norm retiring wouldn't be a stunner. Who/what replaces him, that could be a different story.
HZ Tuesdays with Gordon is on life support. He missed a week (or two?) before dry dock and he wasn’t on last Tuesday when all the regular lineup shows were back. Cumulus may have been spooked initially by the Freak launch but as we have all seen and observed, they’ve got less than nothing. You know how you can tell Cat and Dan B don’t give a crap about the Freak? They let the HZ continue to use the Mike R descriptor of Ham in their opens every show.
If Norm is going to retire, he’ll announce it at 10:10, not on a random Wednesday 6 hours after he goes off air.
The only “major” announcement on the week leading up to Cowboys wildcard weekend is Ticketstock
^ I’m pissed I didn’t think of this. Of course this is the tie break answer. The only thing worse than 20 hours on a bus to your paid work vacation is 20 hours home on a bus
That might've been the worst Ticketstock reveal to date. Forgot to mention Daryl Johnston, remembered, then forgot. That and made mention of the venue itself twice. No song? I was kinda hoping Cat would've pulled the ultimate slap to The Freak/Downbeat's face and got Greggo to be a guest, replete with an off air AMA.
No one claimed it wasn't going to be. Indeed, any semi literate person would've read here that it was agreed that Ticketstock was the most likely outcome. That it could be something else and if it were, what might it be.
Please return to reddit where you belong. Additionally, there's an excellent program for folks with issues such as yourself: RIF (Reading Is Fundamental). It's free and it really will bring your ability to read, as well as your comprehension, up to literacy standards in no time.
I’m going to go with a REALLY hot take here- what does Greggo bring to the table for your average ticket listeners? Let’s review - station on air in 1994. Greggo leaves in 2008. So 14 years. 2008 to 2023, 15 years. So he’s been off as long as he was on. If you’re a listener in the bottom half of the demo (25-40) you have never heard Greggo on the ticket. Why would a station moving forward go back to Greggo? It certainly didn’t help the Freak when they pulled that stunt
A similar argument could even be made for Rhyner. I'm in my later 20's, and have truly been listening since probably 2010 (here and there prior with my dad). My memories of Rhyner on the ticket were some occasional funny moments, like the masks at the restaurants bit and some others, but I can't say he was a huge draw for my listenership. He was the godfather of the ticket, had a way with words, and for that he was cool. But I completely missed out on the era of him being really involved and a must listen guy.
I understand the appeal of Rhyner. Until 2020 he was a big part of one of the most successful radio stations in Dfw. But Greggo is washed up, drugged out, and has been fired from every sports station in town. THAT is the guy you’re using to counter program white elephant? dream: hey let’s get Greggo, yeah great idea! Reality: hey let’s get this notorious drug addict that half of our target audience has never heard of because he’s been off the air for a decade.
Good point. I wasn't really really trying to lump in Rhyner with Greggo. Rhyner is a much bigger deal. I guess I was just getting at, they are both past their prime and maybe not the draw they once were. Greggo, obviously, much more so.
I think the over all gist of the point is solid. I say this as a loop listening (and so, obviously) D1P1, which means I'm an old. Old as in more than twice your age. Greggo at Ticketstock would only serve as mud in Rhyner's (and to a lesser extent, Danny's and Sirois's) eye. It would also serve as an enticement for an ever smaller demo of listeners (my demo). Not just an ever shrinking demo, but an age group that does not fall into that coveted demo and an age group that will and in the outer range already has/is in the process of listening less/no longer listens. You guys and gals are the future. We had our time and now we enjoy what we enjoy and when we're able to enjoy it, on our own terms. Fair enough. That's the way life go. But, yeah, as far as Greggo goes, very few remember him. And the ones (like me) that do, are far fewer than we once were. Plus, like you said, that stunt went over like a lead balloon.
More importantly, you're correct about Rhyner. By his own hand, by the way, during his last handful if not more years at The Ticket, Rhyner allowed himself to become a punchline, a running joke. And it's mostly how the younger demo knows him. Why on earth would you follow over to a new station a running gag? A station built around that very same running gag. Why would ANYONE under the age of 45 be interested in a 72-3 year old senior citizen ex-sports talk show host who talks of nothing even remotely that interests them? Frankly, the premise is risible, asinine. To the quick, insulting. Yet that's what The Freak's masthead is predicated upon. And the rest of the crew? Well, other than Julie and Krystina, they're all in various stages of middle age. Julie, btw, isn't too far behind. Yes, Virginia, Mike Sirois is closer to being a senior citizen than he is to not being middle aged. Let that sink in. "Outlaw Radio," my considerably large and flat ass.
I'm not in the radio business. But I do have an acquintance who is in radio sales (not Cumulus and not the commenter, C, who's in that line). He tells me it's not looking good for The Freak. Not looking good in that there's already a not so faint whisper going 'round that the DFW might be getting a new hip hop station on a rather prominent frequency sooner rather than later. Money talks. Everything else walks, people.
Agree with the above. The Freak has been promoting their Freaky Friday all week. So I tuned in to see what it was, and AM drive was Cavanaugh, Sirois and K-Ray. They’re big “bit” is mixing and matching talent. Couple of things- didn’t they do this for the better parts of 2 months with the downbeat? Is another day of mix and match really that big a deal? Enough to waste promo time on? And so far, you’ve got what has to be disappointing ratings. People aren’t listening to the current line up, why do you think they want to hear the same people just in slightly different combos? Unless… Unless… Unless they’re realizing that the chemistry sucks on every show they have. And this is a test run to see how a different mix might sound. So what this tells me is either they’re desperate and pulling staff mix ups as a stunt to try to draw listeners, or they’re desperate and test driving new combos because a change is gonna come. C
There’s a lot of freak talk, but let’s remember a few things. Pretty sure Krystina Ray worked in production for Cumulus, that means 9/11th of their programming staff are former Ticket employees. Everybody but Cavanaugh and Cather. So there’s that. Not like these are unknowns. It’s people we liked, who we listened to, who we watch succeed on our favorite radio station. And now we watch them fail miserably at a station that Can best be described using a tense Norm drop “an abortion”. Furthermore, while radio isn’t a zero sum game, there clearly has to be some expectation that Freak success would come at the Tickets expense. And if you think that’s wrong, why hire that many Ticket ex-pats? So Freak success would threaten the Ticket status quo. Just as an example, when you’re leading your demo you can justify sending the whole crew to the Super Bowl. Paying to Get Micah Parsons at ticket stock, etc. harder to justify things like that if you’re 5th or 10th or 15th in your target demo. So yeah, I understand the Freak focus. It’s the new competitor. And it’s a train wreck. People love watching train wrecks and car crashes. C
The Freak has claimed that they are trying to build their own audience and not just P1's. I feel like that was a lie from the beginning, but it was very obvious on WED. If they are not trying to compete with the Ticket for listeners, why would they try and go toe to toe on WED? Also, a dumb choice in my opinion. On WED, idc who the freak had on, I was gonna listen to WED. The Freak would have been smart to try and do it literally the day before or after WED.
They may be telling us that, but the facts speak for themselves. If they really wanted to draw an audience separate from the Tickets, they would have hired experienced people with proven track records of ratings success. Instead, we get the Ticket’s Island of misfit toys. The people who left (Ben, Skin, KT) the burnout radio retirees (Rhyner, Grubes) and the ego-bruised (Sirois, Julie, Danny). I think we’re willing to see why Catlin was willing to let some of those people walk. They don’t have that “it” factor. Nice folks, good as producers or ticker people. But not quite major market talent. C
1. Trolling about The Freak being heavily discussed here is laughable. You're going to have to try harder. If you can't understand why TF and especially TDB is a point of discussion, why exactly are you here? (Other than to troll, and to troll poorly I might add.)
2. Per his own words, Rhyner, too, is ego bruised. Perhaps, and inexcplicably by any account, more than the others.
3. To quote an oft repeated line by a certain frequent commenter: "Cat knows talent."
4. My guess (and that's all it is) is the latest game of mix and match the hosts pertains to C's latter suggestion. That is, they are subtly / not so subtly trying to find chemistry between hosts, and so, find some sort of winning-ish combination that (a) at least registers a number in the a.m., (b) can at least best NaD from 10-12, and (c) at least compete with The FAN from 3-7. All that's to say: a last ditch effort to keep the assembled talent aboard, thereby giving the format as conceived and constructed an extended line of credit if you will -- before iHeart starts shedding hosts, bringing in their own talent (i.e., "outsiders" to Rhyner's new Bunker), implementing changes (another affront to Rhyner's Bunker), and most likely, only to ultimately flip formats when it fails.
I'm out for about two weeks on unexpected overseas visit. Internet access unclear.
ReplyDeleteSo wishing you each a wonderful holiday.
And please be kind to one another.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to ya Pman and all Confessors.
ReplyDeleteHans Gruber has fallen from Nakatomi Plaza. Be of good cheer!
ReplyDeleteGerman Bearer Bonds seem to be a particularly risky investment as according to Hans Gruber whom was noted by Anon 5:33 above, you need to retain physical possession of the physical pieces of paper to to covert to dollars. Not registered to a particular owner and traded online evidently although there was no online circa 1988.
ReplyDelete"whom as noted," not "was." If yer gonna comment on your own comment, at least get the grammar right. Sheesh.
ReplyDeleteAs to the dry dock whiners out there, flip 'er on and see what you got. This is what we used to be treated to for 2 weeks straight back in the old days. Give me Tier 9 any day of the week, brutha.
So I got an emergency call to come into the office for a broken pipe (45 minutes each way) on Christmas Day. Not much being on I listened to Elf on the way in and the countdown to the Dirk statue unveiling. I have not listened much lately because of drydock, work issues, family, etc. but I thought he, and his sidekick (Todd?) were pretty good. (Side note: I have always liked Elf.)
ReplyDeleteBut on the way home when they were signing off, I think around 11:30 to go to network football, he went on a long soliloquy of his history with the Ticket and now he is "back". "Back to where it all started", etc. Did a quick Google search and evidently he is back on Sunday mornings, per the Ticket website, and just not dry dock duties.
Maybe this has been out there, I just didn't know.
MFC, bitches.
ET P1
lol yes Elf has been back on Sundays for more than 2 years
ReplyDeleteNormathon begins in 7 hours, lads.
ReplyDeleteNo idea. I just know he returned in October of 2020, when all of the ESPN castoffs started doing duty at The Ticket as their contracts were left to expire. (McClearin, JJT, etc)
ReplyDeleteLoving Normathon. Donnie and Seabass are doing a fantastic job. It's nice to hear adults plying their craft and knowing their roles.
ReplyDeleteRatings are out. From what I’m told, call hospice, the Freak (as we know it) deathwatch is officially on. I’m told flat to down is an accurate description and they’re hovering barely out of the 30’s with men 25-54.
ReplyDeleteC
It might not come back in full from dry dock. Regardless, it won't see April.
ReplyDeleteWhere are you seeing the ratings, C? I subscribe to Radio Insight and the latest book has not been posted.
ReplyDelete"The market you have selected has been updated, but under our publishing agreement with Arbitron, it can not be displayed until after 5pm Eastern Time."
ReplyDeleteThe book is out. The Freak went from a 1.0 to a 1.3. Ticket went from 4.2 t0 5.1.
ReplyDeleteThe Freak still hasn't bested The Eagle's worst books (1.5). A .3 jump is not good. Not good, at all. That is decidedly not progress.
I'm not seeing the day part breakdown yet. Let's see if we can find any positives for The Freak when Peter Welpton or someone else publishes the day parts.
Wouldn’t ANY growth be considered progress for The Freak?
ReplyDeleteLooking like The Freak basically took .2 away from The FAN. The Ticket's leap upwards is one of the largest recorded in the market since 1968.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking Julie and Chael bet on the wrong horse. Seeing a scenario where both are back in the Nurturing Biosphere no later than June. Humbled. (Finally) Appreciative.
Great Fire of Rome, Great Fire of London, Great Chicago Fire, Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, Cocoanut Grove fire, Beverly Hills Supper Club fire, Sirois Boy torching any & all bridges to the little ticket.
DeleteWhat do all these disasters have in common? They didn’t rise from the ashes in less than a half a year.
DeleteNot necessarily, Wut. Meaning, when you take into consideration the first book reflected only the first 2-1/2 weeks of Freak programming, the 1.3 is, if anything, a push. It's still tied with the worst book for The Eagle. A "push" here being a positive way to view it. The format is in trouble. I can guarantee you iHeart was expecting more, and in short order, all based on a grossly overestimated namesake. Whoever (sg or pl) sold this idea to iHeart ought to get out of the radio game and into sales. Like yesterday. Because they could sell an electric blanket to a denizen of Hell.
ReplyDeleteFrom R/Dallas. Might explain some things.
ReplyDeletehttps://old.reddit.com/r/Dallas/comments/zs7gz9/does_971_just_not_play_music_anymore/
Oct had about the new format's first 10 days of programming, Nov (last month) and Dec (this month that arrived today) are its first two full months.
ReplyDeleteWhich is why I say to call the .3 increase a push, at best.
ReplyDeleteJust to be clear, I’m not a fan of the station. I like Danny, Sea Cow, Grubes, and Julie. Mike’s arrogance is on full unchecked display now and ruins what could be a decent listen with The Downbeat. The morning show is bonkers bad and Ben and Skin have whined and bitched on four different stations. I don’t know why they are tread out time and time again.
ReplyDeleteI just assumed (naively) the station would be given time to find its footing…
Another thing, for a station that has achieved NOTHING, they sure are smug.
ReplyDeleteThey follow their leader, Wut. Their way, so they've been led to believe, is through Mike Rhyner.
ReplyDeleteWell, for one, you're giving Sirois far too much "credit" or "a/effect." And two, it ain't like he'd be coming back as a f/t host. Julie? Shit, she's from a wealthy fam and married to a successful dude who's also from a wealthy fam. No one in the N American hockey game comes from anything but wealth. At least not since the mid-80s.
ReplyDeleteHere's the leading headline from RadioInsight:
ReplyDelete"December 2022 (11/10 – 12/7) Nielsen Audio PPM Ratings Day 1: KTCK Punches A Record Breaking Ticket While All-Christmas Leads To Big Gains".
Meanwhile The Freak, in its first full book, RISES to equeal The Eagle's lowest ratings period, ever. That all-time signal low of 1.0 was comprised of its first 2 weeks. Two weeks that should have garnered gang buster ratings. If "I'm back, bitches" is all he thinks he is/has sold himself as, those first couple of weeks should've had The Ticket thinking "oh shit." Instead, it was a total clusterfuck of rotating hosts, victory laps, carts put before horses, and conflicting narratives -- from the format's origin to former employers and former coworkers. Danny? Bad decision, coach. But like Julie, he'll be just fine. So too will Sirois.
If only Cumulus and Cat would've paid __ and __ and __ The Ticket wouldn't be in the world of hurt it's in right now!!!! Just wait until THZ jumps ship and swims over to The Freak!!!! The Freak = CueCat of DFW radio.
The other factor here is 93.3. Not only has the Freak failed to make a dent in the Tickets ratings, but looks like they’ve pissed off the Dan Bennett/Jeff Catlin duo to the point that they change 93.3 from top 40 to best of 90s and 00’s. How is that not a direct punch at Mix, Edge, and Kiss, all iheart properties. And all more successful than the Freak. If they have a program director on the Parkway, do you focus energy and effort on saving successful stations or your money pit? And the Freak needs a PD to fix their imaging, fix their content, and coach the exceeding subpar talent. But no, now the PD will be trying to protect the stations they have that make them money. As I said, the deathwatch is on.
ReplyDeleteC
The Edge has been gone for over 6 years now. KVIL kinda/sorta took over their playlist when they changed formats.
Delete+ they were already competing (very poorly) against KISS-FM. 93.3 has constantly changed formats w/ little to no luck. This move is to compete against 102.9 NOW (formerly MIX 102.9) & STAR 102.1 (formerly The Edge).
DeleteWhere's the day part breakdown?
ReplyDeletePeter W has the day parts up on the reddit site. It's worse, much worse than the pic the cume paints. I mean really bad. The Freak has actually sunken further. WED was included, btw. TDB Greggo stunt had zero effect. THL slated TDB. If I were iHeart, I would cut my losses and flip. Today.
ReplyDeleteC is correct. The death watch is on.
THL slayed TDB, is what I mean.
ReplyDeletePeter's breakdown is here: https://www.reddit.com/r/theticket/comments/zx9iwl/december_ratings/
ReplyDeleteHas there ever been a station that flipped within 6 months to a year?
ReplyDeleteAre they back from dry dock? If not, I'm wondering if some don't return. Those numbers are shocking. The morning show is basically not registering a number. B&S can't even sniff NaD. And TDB, while barely registering a number, is so far off in THL's rearview mirror, it really can't be made out.
ReplyDelete@1025, yes.
ReplyDeletewow. those are really bad.
ReplyDeleteAnd that Musers number.
Ticket = #1 station in DFW 6a-7p M25-54.
How about those FAN numbers. They too are going further into the shitter.
ReplyDeleteLoving this Followill-Demaris show.
Is The FrEaK back from its dry dock? What a poor decision that was, to go on an extended vacay after barely 3 months of programming--and after that first abbreviated ratings book. Then again, poor decisions seem to fall under the aegis of doing and saying what they want. Thus far it's their forte. I have to think some sort of change is coming. The morning show didn't register. B&S, barely. The Downbeat, the "juggernaut," the flagship show, anchored by I'm Back Bitches garnered a whopping 1.5. Do you realize, especially considering all the factors involved in this particular situation, how awful that is? It is. Going to be interesting to see how they handle this. They knew these numbers were coming down and began a "hey, we're just starting out, The Ticket didn't begin as #1" bulsh spin. What's the next move? Do they return with a genuine focus and even a bit of humility? Or do they double down with I'm Back, Bitches, This is the greatest most original format ever and we say what we want crap? Not sure if the latter is in Rhyner's DNA. He might give it a go, but it'll be short lived.
Another SEXY! JJT Sota spot. CAT! FIX THIS SHIT. Enough already with that horror show. For f's sake, gimme another Galleon's campaign. ANYTHING but SEXY!
1. A responder above already correctly noted the reason on the half flip on Hot93. My radio dial invariably heads that way when the daughters are in car. All their pre-produced interstitials bragged about how they play more songs per week than KISS. I guess the boys in Atlanta were tired of getting dragged by KISS so expand the song universe to get more earballs listening. Pre flip 93.3 and KISS seem to mix in a decent amount of early 2000s music anyway.
ReplyDelete2. The morning show and B&S numbers are hilarious but not all that surprising. AM drive featuring 3 not ready for prime time players and Ben and Skin are Ben and Skin. But that downbeat number. Goodness. If the Mikes can’t even get within shouting distance of the Fan, that’s what is going to get the plug pulled on the Freak. Every iHR egg is in the BoomerMike basket and he is faceplanting.
3. A question for those in the know. Do the Mavs have any say on the format of their flagship? Say in April, iHR says screw it, we’re going Tejano, does Cubes get to say “nope” or can they re-shop their services to the radio open market if there is a format change?
The thing people keep pointing to is how people who weren't getting paid at the Ticket, are at this new place.
ReplyDeleteBut here's what no one really discusses: The new place isn't providing the same level of support staff as the Ticket does for each of their shows. Board Op, Producer, Tickers - every show, even the weekend ones, get three supporting staffers - the new station is essentially, hosts and a board op. The Ticket is unusual in this aspect, I can't think of a lot of stations in 2022 that are funding that level of support staff - and have for as long as I recall. IMO, it is one of the smaller details that feed the success of the station. Letting hosts be hosts and focus on hosting and entertaining - is a wickedly valuable element to successful talk radio. B&S had a producer, but they moved him to AM Host (a role new to him). Is Sirios' girlfriend technically their new one? If so, she doesn't have any experience in that role.
Hosts or board ops now are left up to doing all the producing work, and based on what we're hearing - that isn't really happening. It's so clear each show is basically 2-3 people just "showing up and winging it" each day - and if you want to tell us otherwise, then what producing is being done, sucks. Talk Radio 101 - your board op should not also be your producer. If you have one person doing both, you don't really have either properly covered.
While maybe there isn't a need for a Ticker person, do not discount the role those people play on the Ticket - both in terms of personalities and effort in times of need for someone to do on-the-fly research or breaking news situations. So yeah, maybe those that left are now getting "grown man money" - but that's because the new station isn't having to cover the costs of at least two other people their former employer does. Trust me, part of why they're able to get "grown man money" is because of the savings of what they were getting in their previous roles.
Just food for thought.
If those people are so important, and I agree that they are, then the company should pay them.
Deleteso, why is the new station not willing to shell out the cash for a proper support staff? And, what is the amount a producer, board op or ticker person in market #4 worth? Should they be full time with benefits? Contract? Maybe a board op is making more at this new place, but there also isn't two other support staffers along side them.
DeleteAre any of these same people still at the Ticket today if they'd gotten a 20-50% raise? 100%? Of course not - because the new station offered them "grown man money" - which is (a guess) a factor of 2-3 more than they made in support roles.
Rhyner's ego festival aside, the other former Ticket-peeps taking their shot and getting paid is totally understandable. But with that comes the realities of post pandemic radio station budgets and if everyone's a host ( and getting paid as such) and there are not enough support roles, the station was not a real contender from the start.
Surly's point about the Musers numbers, I would love to see what Norm was drawing at his highest point while at KLIF. What show over the course of Dallas radio has pulled the best numbers? Ron Chapman at KVIL/KLUV, WPAB at the peak of Rush Limbaugh's run, Russ Martin, the early days of R&R KLIF on 1190AM.
ReplyDeleteAre all of the iHeart stations in one building like Cumulus is? I know Jer has talked bout cutting tape and taking feeds for WBAP and Steve Lamb at WBAP thanking the Ticker guys for various audio bits. Do the iHeart stations support each other with production it every man for themselves?
If I had to guess on highest rated show evah, either KVIL Chapman or late 90s/early aughts Kraddick for locally produced shows and Piolin or Tom Joyner for syndicated shows
DeleteWas Tom Joyner‘s local ratings better when he was he was AM drive on K104 (& then would subsequently fly to Chicago to do PM drive on WGCI for 8 years) or when his show was syndicated?
DeletePoint of order. Greggo on TDB was not up against THL. It was White Elephant day.
ReplyDeleteContinue.
Point of order. It was still day part v day part. The book doesn't discern particulars like that. Moreover, it was the reunion of Hardline Proper, Halcyon Days Hardline. Something that hasn't happened since 2007. Something that was always thought of a "when hell freezes over" event. And yet it couldn't do dick vs. the umpteenth WED pm drive crew. The fact that Gordo and the rest were on each others' shows for the month prior, made this WED a lot less special. It was all set up for the stunt to pay off. It was also a Sirois Industries joint. It fell flat. Point. Of. Order.
ReplyDeleteFact of the matter is, The Freak blew their wad, that is their first 2-3 weeks, patting themselves on the back, confusing the shit out of anyone listening by not having any show with its proper hosts solely hosting their show, and the overall crapping on former places of employment while convincing themselves, each other, and anyone listening that they're good people doing a good thing for good reasons having a real real real good time. That and incessantly reading lists and playing convoluted games. (OK, those two things have yet to go away.) The upshot is, this is at least in part the reason why it's gone over like a lead balloon. Instead of capturing the attention of listeners with edgy talk, truly saying what they want, they opted to personify (as a station) lazy en masse. Perhaps that's all a function of talent level. Seeming more and more that it might be. Whatever the case, while they may claim they're not a sports station, they sure do a spot on imitation of The Cowboys org. They front run like no other. It's a damn shame, because it would've really been sweet to have two amazing options for our listening pleasure. One, the vaguard of local sports and guy talk that is The Ticket; and two, what could've been a super cool station that digs into pop culture and even some more serious topics of the day in an edgy, insightful, but relatable way, and done by people we all know and love. The two stations could've had a neat symbiosis of sorts. Could've even had both station employees loving on each other. But The Freak don't play that way. When you begin your campaign by referring to your potential audience as bitches, what do you expect. That's how second rate go.
ReplyDeleteKT says:
ReplyDelete"Our podcast download numbers are through the roof and revenue is up a ton since launch. That’s what I can tell you with 100% confidence."
KT showing he doesn’t understand the industry he currently works in. (Currently, because at this rate he may be flipping burgers by June). Zero serious advertisers care about podcast downloads. I’ve been in this industry a long time, I’ve never seen an advertiser ask for podcast stats. And revenue may be up but I wonder if that is sustainable. When I listen, I hear a lot of trackable, local direct clients. Car dealers, AC companies, mortgage lenders, etc who can ask “where did you hear about us”. I hear very little mass appeal “agency”advertisers. Think fast food, beer, retail, etc. agency business is a huge slice of the revenue pie, and you’re not getting served any pie when your ratings are in the low 20s. Will be interesting to see advertisers reaction to a 2nd horrible book.
DeleteC
The real headline should be how well the Ticket is performing both in the face of a new competitor and the fact its other competitor is the flagship station of the local NFL team having a very good season. If you're a Ticket P1, you can't ignore the gear change the entire station and Tier 1 hosts went into with the introduction of their former co-workers trying to steal their dinner. Maybe after all this time winning, it's too be expected, but these are really impressive results even for a station that has stomped expectations for 25 plus years.
ReplyDeleteYeah. Because that’s what advertisers and execs salivate over. Podcast downloads
ReplyDelete"We aren’t getting canned anytime soon. That’s a ridiculous notion. We just started."
ReplyDeleteThat,s basically the same shit Whitt would spout out (sans pod dls) back when RaGE was floundering but acting like they'd won the 'ship.
ReplyDeleteThe moment you feel compelled to say things like that is the moment you publicly admit "yeah, we're fucked."
"When you begin your campaign by referring to your potential audience as bitches, what do you expect. That's how second rate go.*
ReplyDeleteThat pretty much sums it up. Well said.
So the first hour of Ben and Skin got a 0.7 and the rest of their show got a 1.0. How are these clowns still getting paid to be on the radio? It’s truly a great DFW radio mystery.
ReplyDeleteDo advertisers generally book a month at a time? A quarter? A week?
ReplyDeleteTotally depends. A good amount of the regular advertisers buy annuals, promising to spend X amount per month. Then they get freebies, bonus spots, free inclusion in events (summer bash etc) discounts on remotes, etc depending on the spend level. More you spend, more you get free, bigger discounts, etc. Some of the advertisers you hear a lot of are in that bucket. Then there’s the 2nd tier of the annuals. They spend X amount but maybe only part of the year. Or month on month off. Then some clients are seasonal. Sports teams obviously, but TurboTax doesn’t run Q4 but is everywhere q1. Then there’s run of the mill local clients. Might not be annual but are good for X amount of ad buys on a regular basis.
DeleteBut here’s a fun game you can play at home. Listen to the Freaks ads. How many of them are from mass appeal retailers where ad costs can be prorated over multiple locations.like McDonald’s, Beer, cars, etc
How many are small local chains
How many are mom and pop type businesses with maybe a couple of stores.
And how many of those spots are freebies. Ticket was running podcast spots for Titus and Taint. Freak runs a bunch of ads for their podcast network shows, those aren’t paid.
I invite anyone to listen to any station and play this game. How many of the spots are from advertisers thst clearly have a big budget. And how many are from smaller, local companies. You can get a feel for yourself how well a station is doing.
C
Revenue is up because there was a nice uptick in preboughts prior to launch. Once those campaigns/contracts (however you want to term it) run out, gonzo, buh bye.
ReplyDelete12/29 11:15am is correct. When you begin to spin publicly, you're admitting things aren't going well. Freak hosts already began this spin prior to the book's release. Julie and KT being the most vocal. Both are also part of the most expendable show on the station. The show that in all likelihood will be the first to have changes made to it. I'll let you all make that causal connection.
You'd think of all the hosts, KT and Julie would keep mum and place all their energies on stepping up their game and that of their show. You'd think. Then again, they say what they want.
The idea that "it will take time to grow an audience" conflicts with how radio ratings are done in top markets: PPM.
ReplyDeleteIn the same time frame, other stations have either shown ratings increases because of abandoned rock listeners (KZPS, KJKK) or started playing xmas music (KDGE).
The fact KEGL as a talk station, with as best a media/promotional blitz as they were able to muster, has shown nothing so far in PPM is more problematic than the old diary system. That was one where "it took time" (and was, btw, the system in place when KTCK-AM started).
My personal, informal surveys tell me I've yet to talk to someone who is now a KEGL P1. I'm sure they exist, but none of them are on the current panel. If anyone does listen, they're clearly a P2 or less, and the majority either don't/haven't listen, and as one Ticket listener said me to just the other day, "I just don't care".
anyone with access to the MillerKaplin monthly report?
ReplyDeleteThat would tell you how any of the stations are trending in terms of revenue performance.
So get in the car this evening, and if I remember it coordctly heard this stop set: New fine arts, weather sponsor 15 (total traffic?) lone star Toyota, traffic sponsor, a podcast promo, specs, an ad for the iheart Ap, , another 15 sponsor, another podcast promo, then a morning show promo. So pm drive, and you’re running 2 podcasts spots, and an App spot? And New Fine arts in PM drive? I’m sure other advertisers being in the same break with the dildo store. “Hey upscale advertiser like Cadillac or financial advisor, how would you like your product running next to the store where people buy butt plugs?” . And to the previous point: how much money do you think new fine arts spends on advertising? Maybe the margins on dildos is huge, and they have plenty of money, but what do we think their advertising budget is? Thousands of dollars? 10s of thousands? 100s of thousands? I’m thinking it’s the former.
ReplyDeleteC
I heard one about the arachnid store or some such the other morning, no lie
DeleteKink shaming isn’t cool, C
DeleteNot kink shaming. If dildos and butt plugs are you’re thing, more power to you. Just pointing out that that is what most people would consider a fringe advertiser. Yet they can afford PM drive. That tells you how low the rates are at the freak and how desperate they are for paying customers. It’s a death watch now. They can’t turn around what they have. It’s either get rid of 2 shows and basically rebuild completely, or a return to metal…
ReplyDeleteC
What are your credentials? Work in sales?
DeleteAnon 10:08 re: Arachnid (spider) store. I heard that as well and actually thought it might be a parody ad. Don't know if it is real and don't care to find out.
ReplyDeleteFunny thing about living and working out in East Texas this time of year. The KTCK signal starts degrading about the time the sun hits the horizon and 97.1 is also fuzzy. But once the sun sets 97.1 usually starts coming back. Also, with my work schedule, as the sun is setting I am driving 30 miles closer to DFW. (Not sure where the broadcast antenna is in relation to my drive down I-30.)
I have really tried to give 97.1 a listen because there aren't that many choices for me out here. Yes, I have the Sports Day app but also Bob is a beating to me. Is there a point to this? To paraphrase the great Dale Dye in Casualties of War; "There ain't no point, Ericson, my job is to simply illuminate the terrain in which we find ourselves currently deployed".
And I think the terrain in which 97.1 finds themselves is tenuous, at best.
ET P1
Listening to the Freak this afternoon was embarrassing. B&S and Krystina went and showered accolades to each of the hosts. Rhyner- old grey wolf, goat, legend etc. Sirois- B&S said Sirois is the funniest guy in DFW radio and they couldn't believe he never was elevated to main host 16 yrs at the ticket. Something about Sirois naming his volleyball serves was comedy gold to them. And they were going to build this station with him as the foundation. KT- B&S said the fan was crazy for not giving him the main host gig after they left the Fan. Said " the Fan better watch out in the ratings from KT and speakeasy." It's laughable now that we see the ratings. All the praise and kiss assery was an entire segment. who would ever think that makes edgy listenable radio? They love to talk about each other all the damn time. They say what they want and they say all they want about themselves.
ReplyDeleteI thought they were on vacation.
DeleteThey are. Which makes it even worse to replay something like that.
ReplyDeleteIt's rather obvious ALL Freak hosts are reading everything posted about them online, be it Twitter, reddit, and oh you bet your ass MTC. That tells you all you need to know regarding the situation.
ReplyDeleteTo be successful at the talk game, you have to be either: A psychopath who doesn't give a shit (for real) who will say anything about anyone or anything (e.g, POS Alex Jones), or be a genuinely excellent communicator with a specific POV who is able to articulate it day/week/month/year in and out (e.g., love or hate them: Rush Limbaugh, Larry King, Art Bell, Oprah).
No one at The Freak, including I'm Back, Bitches and Twitch Guy with Mirrored Sunglasses, possesses either.
Didn't someone here theorize that "C" is Jeff Catlin? This may be a small potatoes blog but with its history with having a mysterious KTCK informant, it wouldn't surprise me. C seems to have a dearth radio industry knowledge and well thought out points and the comments are all posed to argue for the Freak's imminent demise. When I read the posts, I can hear him saying them. The blog comments allow for 100% anonymity, unlike reddit or other socials so he wouldn't ever be connected to them. And if I were him, I would label them "C" so he can tell some people which comments are his.
ReplyDeleteWho could blame him? If I were Cat, and given the people involved in the Freak and the auspices under which its creation transpired, I would be taking the Freak's competition very personally, if not seriously. Regardless of whether it presented a legitimate threat to KTCK ratings or not, I would aggressively program the station to not just beat them, but to rub their faces in their own vomit for even thinking for a second that another station in the market could compete with KTCK at being KTCK. It is, after all, his life's work.
With plugging of Gordo in every show in Nov/Dec and also specifically not acknowledging the station or anyone on it, there's a good chance that is what he's after. Full scorched earth. I also suspect there might be some shilling against Freak going on with some accounts posing as objective p1s in r/theticket since October.
Anyway, I actually like both stations and frequent flipper, but this inside struggle might be the most compelling of all KTCK/KDGE storylines. Call me a conspiracy theorist if you like. If I'm wrong, fine. But what if I'm right? Wouldn't that be interesting?
First letter of first name. So if I was Jeff, I’d be signing these J not C. Only other clue, I have worked at Cumulus in the past, currently in sales in a different radio station in the market.
DeleteC
Its hard for me to believe these latest numbers, since this was right when the GLEN-train was powering up. A game-changer of a bit, brought to you by the funniest personality in dfw!
ReplyDeleteHang in there, sea-cow & jules....i'd need to double-check with Dan on if this would fall into the Humbling category.
oof. Stay Hard, triple fake Ticket.
Hold on to your butts
ReplyDelete@5:36 I don’t think “dearth” means what you think it means
ReplyDeleteHold onto our butts? Lemme guess: THZ is going to The Freak, just like Whitt said. Or. One or all of The Musers are retiring. Either scenario is bulsh. So instead of your bulsh, just tell us.
ReplyDeleteI'm digging your stuff, C. So as an insider of sorts, what say you on (a) the possibility of THZ migrating over the The Freak, (b) scuttlebutt on Ticket hosts retiring/leaving, (c) how much more rope will The Freak be given by iHeart, and (d) what changes if any are rumored to be coming down for The Freak gang?
ReplyDeleteSee post below for (a). From what I see, Ticket is still a top biller in the market and just had the best ratings for 1310am since 1978!! If any hosts leave I think it would be Norm and medically related. Do I see the musers retiring at some point? Of course, but AM drive money is hard to walk away from. As for (c) I think we start to see some tweaks after dry dock. They’ve got to cut out the nonsense segments. Nobody cares about your favorite Xmas tradition if they don’t care about you as a broadcaster. And clearly no one cares about them, they have a 1 share. If I’m an iheart exec, I hire someone to do a better job of imaging that station and get rid of the we talk about what we want attitude. Get better topic selection, give that a few months, THEN replace 1 or 2 shows.
DeleteC
I’ve made this comment before but will repeat it. Danny Balis, a producer, had to sit out 6 months before joining the Freak. Mike Rhyner had to wait 6 months before starting his podcast (anybody else remember his countdown to that?). The idea that the Hang Zone isn’t tied up in some kind of similar deal beggars belief. So at best, if they could walk away tomorrow, it’s going to be 6 months before they are on the air. If you’re Dan or Jake do you gamble a known thing, successful station, easy time slot, etc, for the Edmund Fitzgerald facing a November storm? Maybe the good ship Freak makes Whitefish Bay, but every month that goes by increases the chances that SS freak splits up, maybe capsizes or breaks deep and takes water. Look at the numbers Welpton posts. A downward trend. Do you really not think there’s some iheart executive someplace looking at the Eagles ratings and the Freaks ratings and doing this: (looks left) 3 share (looks right) 1 share. 3. (Looks right ) 1. 3 (looks right) 1. How many times do they do that before a light bulb goes off that they can cut their losses and get higher ratings with music? Or at the minimum, get an experienced morning show in studio, and get rid of the midday show that’s never been successful anywhere they’ve gone.
ReplyDeleteC
Good on ya, C, for addressing my q's. I'm thinking The Freq needs first and foremost a local PD. A local PD who's de facto on the hotseat to suss and sort this shit show out. Because make no mistake about it, it's a shit show. A shit show created by Mike R n Mike S. The B&S we got MIke R's juices flowin' narrative is total bullshit. The two M's put the entire lineup together. Yes, they had input from B&S, but it's their recipe that comprises this shit show. The Mike n Mike shit show was given the green light and has been allowed to "say what they want" because of some rather singular circumstances in what's normally a rigid, this is how we succeed, industry. They inadvertantly (to their own detriment, btw) slipped into one of the rare combined creases of apathy and transition of a particular station that allows for as close as you can get to anything goes, and they took advantage of an outgoing management sector that gave zero fucks and a company who's focus lies on more substantive debt issues/recovery than a single station among several (of theirs) in a top 5 market. In other words, the dog was being wagged prior to their pitch. Their pitch only served to further extend the wag.
ReplyDeleteFreak is kaput by May 21. No later.
Agreed on the PD. The other issue, cumulus just repositioned 93-3 to take more of a run at Mix and Star. It used to be aimed at KISS, but Kiss before Kraddick passed was head and shoulders ahead of the pack. Now they’re not. So repositioning 93-3 takes a more direct shot at 2 stations making a lot of money for iheart. The PD they have probably doesn’t have the time, or the inclination to mess with an unfamiliar format. I think the Freak as we know it(speakeasy, b&s, downbeat) doesn’t clear Memorial Day. But I think if they replace 1/3 or 2/3rds of the shows, possible that the Freak lasts longer.
ReplyDeleteC
Interesting back and forths going on here.
ReplyDeleteIf I'm The Freak PD, I'm coming back from dry dock with either an entirely new or revamped morning show. To the latter I'm moving Sirois and Krystina to mornings with Julie, letting KT and Cavanaugh go. Ben and Skin are told this IS IT. Either produce numbers over the next two books (ESPECIALLY during the Norm and D hours) or you're gone. I also tell them, as C said, to cut the obvious time kill segments and talk about things that actually interest you and go about it authentically. Stop the fake laughing, stop the ass kissing-circle jerk with your coworkers, and be yourself. Actually, I'm saying these things to all hosts and shows. Finally I let Mike Rhyner know that NO ONE is safe, that he had better whip the troop into shape, broadcast like he knows how (that is, like he did from '94 - '06), and stop treating this like he did his podcasts and last 12+ years at The Ticket. That HE wanted this. HE got the ball rolling on this. And HE's the face of it (and agreed to be so - I'd say embraced, even encouraged it). I'd also let Danny and Sirois know that either they step things up and hold themselves and Rhyner accountable or they won't see September. I include Sirois with The Down Beat if I don't rework The Speakeasy (bad name for a morning show, a Speakeasy denotes evenings and late nights, not rush hour traffic and energy). If I do redo the morning show, same speech but only for Danny and Mike Rhyner.
Yeah but there is no PD and none of those conversations will happen anytime soon. Which is how Mike R wants it. Last time a PD told him to step his game up, he pitched a hissy fit and Irish goodbye-ed the little one. Dude came out of retirement so he could take shots at the Ticket/his old coworkers, surround himself with sycophants to fluff his massive ego, and cash checks while doing so. Boomer vanity project
ReplyDeleteJust my two cents (and I think I may have posted this in a previous post): I would love to have Mike Rhyner do a Dallas-centric segment every day. Say at 5:30 or 6:00 catching everyone in drivetime.
ReplyDeleteHell, Rhyner knows as much about Dallas as R. Wilonsky and that is saying a lot. If it was at the same time everyday then listeners could plan for it. For me, it would be must-listen, if done right. Make Wilonsky a part of it if it fits. My first guests would include: Jim Schutze and discuss "The Accomodation"; Dwain Carraway, discuss prison and redemption; Laura Miller (former mayor), why did she oppose a downtown stadium for the Cowboys; Sharon Grigsby of the DMN and whatever excellent article she just posted; the guy who started Bonton Farms (can't remember his name); the chef who started Cafe Momentum. The list goes on.
I am not a radio person, just a guy who crunches numbers for a living. But, IMO, the above would be a building block on other segments. Make the "we talk about what we want" something that has some teeth. Not just kissing ass and laughing at things that aren't funny.
As I typed this I remembered Rhyner years ago, talking about Stevie Ray Vaughn and how SRV brought something back from Hawaii for Rhyner. Another topic to talk about. Also, JD Tippets son who was in Rhyner's class when his dad was killed. So much history.
Just my 2 cents
ET P1
I don’t think Rhyner could hang with Schutze, Wilonsky, or anyone that understands politics or history. He’s strictly Dallas pop culture or Dallas music scene relevant. Even then, if it doesn’t involve him he doesn’t care.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you've had some personal interfacings with him, Wut.
ReplyDeleteNaw, just something I think about him after listening to him for so long.
ReplyDeleteSo Jer is now Jillian. He's been transitioning for some time now. Hey, whatever makes ya happy as long as it doesn't hurt others.
ReplyDeleteKinda makes sense. His wife doesn’t know what he looks like. - Norm H.
Delete"That is a most callous response."
ReplyDelete5 hours until our heroes return to the airwaves.
weird messaging imo
ReplyDeleteTUNE IN NOW!!! Bring in 2023 with the newest and most unusual all-talk station in America! Outlaw radio with the industry bastards on 97.1 THE FREAK.
@Speakeasy971
@BenandSkin
@DownbeatDFW
We back!
I'm back, too.
ReplyDeleteYes, Surly, that is weird.
To characterize a product as mild as The Freak is proving to be as "Outlaw Radio" is embarrassing.
The industry bastards, huh. "Hey, bitches! Come listen to us bastards!"
ReplyDeleteThis is Ron and Don writ large.
It's become apparent over the last handful of years that Mike R used to make fun if, rail on those he most closely resembles. Only at one point in his career he wore a mask.
Just like what Howard Stern has become.
DeleteBtw, the all talk station aired every it as much if not more football over the past two weeks as The Ticket.
ReplyDelete"This is Ron and Don writ large." Best description of The Freak yet.
ReplyDeleteIt is the most unusual station in a couple of ways. Most stations put their best or most interesting show in morning drive. Since success in AMD usually helps carry shows later in the day. The Freak is unusual in that they’ve put 3 people (with zero major market experience of carrying a show) into arguably the most important daypart. And they’re unusual in that they flipped formats, but kept the perennial failures that are Ben and Skin. And they’re unusual in that most stations have clear, cogent imaging, designed to appeal to listeners and easily explain the format in just a few seconds. When you hear the following imaging do you have an idea of what you’re going to hear:
ReplyDeleteClassic rock 92.5
New country 96.3
Star 102.1, best variety of 80s,90s and today
Klif Dallas’s news and information station
WBAP news talk 820
News radio 1080 KRLD
CLASSIC hits 98.7
Compare and contrast that to “97.1 the freak, we say what we want.”
If iheart was smart they’d throw a ton of money to John Michaels or Steve Cactus Pryor- the guys- besides Catlin- responsible for the Ticket imaging, and have them reimage the station why they still have some hope of turning it around.
C
meanwhile, Lex and Terry continue to broadcast their morning show from the same building iHeart is in off the tollway.... not saying that their people have talked to anyone...
ReplyDeleteThey need hire a PD to reign in Mike’s insane ego
ReplyDelete^^^^^Which Mike? Both might be the correct answer.
ReplyDeleteAnd Cash is only fueling the ego of his brother and the OGW
ReplyDeleteThe Sirois twins have a bunch of PT Barnum in them I’d like to add.
ReplyDelete^ That ^
ReplyDeleteI'm very much enjoying Donnie and Seabass this week. Hopefully, this will be the show going forward from whenever Norm retires.
ReplyDelete^ ^
ReplyDelete*dies*
^^
ReplyDeleteGhoul.
You accidentally misspelled “ghost”. As in when Norm dies, he’ll still be broadcasting as a ghost.
ReplyDeleteIt’s likely somewhere in that ironclad contract of his.
ReplyDeleteThe Musers created “Norm Dracula” (Yeesss….) & we have “Jr Goblin” (OOOooo). Might as well have “Norm Ghost”.
ReplyDeleteDo you think Norm's the reason Sirois is no longer here and as a result not only have NaD's rating's plummeted but also the station's as a whole? That due to Norm's ego and selfishness and Cat's greed, a generational talent was left with no other choice than to leave for greener pastures?
ReplyDeleteIf so..... you might be a reddit commenter. (And utterly delusional on all fronts.)
^ That ^
ReplyDeleteAnon 435, mostly agree, somewhat disagree. Reddit dorks and confessor nerds, myself included, I think we would all generally be in agreement that Mikey was prettay, prettay good on the little one. Great 3rd voice on 10-12, great paired with Donovan, fit in easily when popping on other shows, solid fry dock fill in. What the Reddit DOOM LAST SUPPER squad missed on Mikey’s exit I think is…none of them actually listened to 10-12. So Norm’s core listener group carries on. Hell they might prefer the more milquetoast seabass to zany Mike
ReplyDeletePersonally, I still hate that Sirois left and is floudering at the Rhyner vanity spite project. Whatever “it” is that has made the little one so successful for 26 years and running, he seemed to understand what it was and did capture P1 hearts and minds. So it goes…
*dry dock
Delete*floundering
This Anon obviously not doing dry January
Anon 435 here & I have to say I agree more than I disagree w/ your assessment. Good 2023 to ya.
DeleteMe gets the sense that there's sooner rather than later a few exes will begin making the I don't know what I was thinking, I mean, c'mon, I had to give it a shot, I mean, hey, nothing personal I love you and I mean it, it was never personal I swear, it was just ___ apology tour. Hoping beyond hope to find some spot path back into the nurturing bosom of The Biosphere. There's also the late comer, the who will recede into that evening gloam of mozarella encrusted, neo soul cum Dylan cum butt rock Twilite, never to be seen again. And finally, there's another who'll be doing the same but instead of seeking a Coriolanus like return will take the St. Anthony path, knowing he must pay penance. A long penance, at that. There be demons to battle in that desert; thorny briars to hurl oneself upon in recompense.
ReplyDeleteThe Freak: "Not a sports station"
ReplyDeleteAlso The Freak:
Today on
@Speakeasy971
7:00 - AFC Playoffs / fun
7:30 - GWDII
8:00 - Cowboys/NFC
8:30 - Scuttlebutt
9:00 - Jeffrey Time /
@VochLombardi (Cowboys/NFL Draft guy)
9:30 - Mavs + Weekend Warmup
10:00 - Mythical Creatures
10:30 - Mopup / Mix
Freak aired as many live football games as The Ticket over dry dock. Not counting Mavs games as that deal was in place prior to The Freak and who knows what that contract looks like.
ReplyDelete"There's also the late comer, the who will recede into that evening gloam of mozarella encrusted, neo soul cum Dylan cum butt rock Twilite, never to be seen again."
Good shit. That line cracked me up, 11:42PM.
Ok I’m generally curious- how many games did the Freak carry, and which games? How many games did Ticket carry in comparison? I was out of town for almost a week, so didn’t catch a lot of either station. But I’ll offer this observation- the Ticket just had its best book since 1978(6+). Almost all of their main hosts take off, and their 2nd and 3rd tier only stretches so far. So makes sense for a sports station to run bowl games. Contract to the freak- they all too off, despite most of them only being employed for 2-3 months. Who earns that much PTO in 75 days? And the Freak has zero bench. None. But they’ve gone out of the way to say they’re not competing with the ticket. So why are you carrying a bunch of bowl games, that by definition appeal to sports fans? Because you’re desperate for programming? If they’ve got nothing, they could pot up the HD channel and go back to music, but I can see where watching ratings spike only to fall when your failures of hosts return would be embarrassing.
ReplyDeleteC
Well, C, considering when they cut to network it's a national sports feed.... Nothing and I mean NOTHING makes sense. I'm shocked iHeart is letting this happen, and happen in all places in the 5th (4th, but that's not how it's listed by Nielsen) largest market in the country. The only way I can make sense of it is that there's a master plan that has yet to be put into place. Even if true, then why go about things as if Sirois Industries conceived, executed, and maintains the operation? Flat. Out. Bizarre. OK, one more scenario: It's merely a placeholder format until they put together the desired talent (non competes from this or other markets, etc.), etc. That if for some crazy reason The Freak has a meteoric rise and quickly becomes a Ticket-like force, then all the better, they get a ratings/ad rev machine....and on the relative cheap. And if it flops? No biggie, as Plan A will soon be implemented. These scenarios are the only way any of this coheres, IMHO.
ReplyDeleteThe Freak does have a bench of TC and Jordan Richardson, which I don't think you're recodnizing
ReplyDeleteOh, Surly, I for one recognize them. Actually attempted to listen for the first time this past Saturday. Had no idea TC was a 14 year old girl from a gated community in the burbs. It's unlistenable. As far as Jordo goes, there's nothing more obnoxious than one who's tasted the bittiest of bits of some semblance of a semblance of success in the entertainment industry (regardless of avenue) and who then becomes The Expert, The Insider, The One Who Knows Where The Bodies Are Buried And Will Tell You All Grave Locales. They're not. Not by a longshot. Not in a million years.
ReplyDeleteAnd I pre say this before I posted yet after I posted that: I mean no offense to either gentleperson. I'm sure they're fine carbon based lifeforms.
ReplyDeleteTC is beyond unlistenable with his verbal clutch word "like" flying out of his mouth 20 times per minute....like...like...like...like.....like....like.....
ReplyDelete^^^ Verbal crutch not clutch
ReplyDeleteTC is a dude I totally don’t get. To paraphrase old Greggo, “what’s he ever done?”. He was a bad ticker person, so bad he became the butt of jokes. And not a small, cute butt. It was the oversized, plumped up with filler, baby got back sized butt. So bad that he gets a job as a PD in Florida, only to fail miserably because who jumps from being a ticker guy to a PD with no experience? Someone with ego but no brains. He somehow gets hired back, only to fail again and leave a 2nd time. TC has to be in the running for the least talented person ever to work in DFW radio.
ReplyDeleteAgain, they hired people they knew, people they were friends with. Clearly past radio success or talent weren’t important in the hiring decisions. And their ratings are proving that out. I remember hearing back in the day that KEOM was good for .5-1.0 on average. The freak is approaching the point that people would rather listen to inexperienced high schoolers than the crap the Freak puts out there.
C
https://www.theunticket.com/gbl-it-aint-easy-being-greenman-and-tcs-vagina/
Deleteanyine catch bob's jab? 'it's like doing radio. the first few days or weeks it's all good. but then you have to keep taling about things week and week month after month year after year.'
ReplyDeletekeom in the mid 90s was a good listen, hits from the 70s and almost no commercial breaks
ReplyDeleteInteresting off hand comment just before 5p on Friday. One of the downbeat mentioned end of the segment, and Rhyner responded with something like”I was in the meeting on Tuesday, I follow their directives”. Clearly implying they had a show or staff meeting on Tuesday and following the clock was discussed.
ReplyDeleteFunny for a couple of reasons: Ben and skin in their media interviews made a big deal of no one telling them what to do or what to talk about, the whole “we say what we want” theme. 2 months in and the leash is being tightened. Clearly they’re trying to fix formatics if they’re trying to hit the clock on time. Problem being, if you have interesting content, a well built clock can help you grow ratings. Does anyone think the Freak is on target content wise? The 5-530 segment was what if animals teamed up to kill humans, who would survive?
Funny as an aside, but my god, 30 minutes of in depth discussion over whether spiders, mosquitos, bears, eagles or hippos are the most dangerous to humans. If that’s their content, it won’t matter how well they run their clock, that’s not going to peel off listeners from the Ticket or Fan
C
I thought not having directives was the selling point for Rhyner, for the whole shebang? Hmmmm, so yer sayin' iHeart IS a giant corporation, after all.
ReplyDeleteCat knows talent. Who has it. Who's a support player. Who's a main attraction.
Ed Wallace is correct about Rhyner (though he's not following his own advice, so it seems).
What's Ed doing now?
ReplyDeleteHis "retirement" consists of sitting in on every single Wheels and by the 3rd commercial break he completely takes over. All the while peppering his handpicked successors with criticism and at times is outright insulting. As much as I like Ed, insulting others is unfortunately one of his "fortes." That and at times cherry picking sources and data to back up his pet pinatas and pin cushions.
ReplyDeleteC, I also tuned in on a long drive to Godley this past Friday and was flabbergasted that I was hearing segments devoted to that inane hypothetical!
ReplyDeleteDid you hear Danny? At one point during the endless drivel about humans vs. animals Danny said "Hey, what happened to your mic" referring to the almost completely silent Rhynes from that segment.
It's crumbling all around and Rhynes has reverted back to disinterested Rhynes of the last few years of THL and guys it's just UNLISTENABLE!
Did anyone here think Rhyner would be any different this go-round? I wonder what kind of commitment iheart has to him.
ReplyDeleteOk a couple of things. Yes, I would have expected more interested Mike. He chose to get back into radio, if he didn’t want to participate in a show, he could have stayed home on his couch. And he could probably get away with letting Corby carry the show when your top in your daypart, killing the competition, etc. if I’m iheart brass and I’m paying Mike a quarter mil a year or more, I expect more. A lot more.
ReplyDelete2- comment up thread about bowl games on Ticket. Just realized Ticket is carrying the game tonight. I know generally stations can’t cherry pick best games- if you want to carry the super bowl you have to carry X number of spare NFL games all season long. If Catlin knew there was chance TCU would be playing for the Natty, why not carry the Poulan Weed Eater Bowl or the New Gine Arts Dildo bowl if it gets you rights to TCU in the natty. At worse, you’re carrying Georgia Michigan for the natty, which probably has an audience. Not as much as a local team, but still.
But I think that’s what happens when you have a PD paid to think and plan. But the Freak doesn’t need a PD**, they say what they want.
**ratings near a 1 share tell me you DO need a PD…
That was me, btw.
ReplyDeleteC
A few other things to add onto C's comment. No real new ground, but just to reiterate. I presay that I do listen to at least one Downbeat segment each day. The car wreck-I can't avert my eyes effect, you might say.
ReplyDelete1. Rhyner effectively stopped trying around 2006 (its genesis was prior to '06, that is, the moment he decided to to Petty Theft), going into full check out mode about 3 months after Greggo was canned. To say he stopped giving a shitd\ during his last few years on The Ticket is incorrect. The years spent not caring exceeded the years he was engaged. And by a considerable margin.
2. Rhyner's silence during the animal segment (which, I heard) is nothing new on The Down Beat. I think it's meaning is twofold. First, once the initial kissing of the ring in a show of fealty by all Freakers wore thin --took about a month, it was obvious even he knew enough was enough, which is saying something for Rhyner, as he loves his place in this particular world being recognized -- his energy level audibly lowered. It was sort of a case of "OK, that was great, what's next?" Truthfully, I think all parties except B&S who keep on doing what they've always done (be suboptimal) have wrestled with this question. Perhaps none more than KT, Julie, and Sirois. Cavanaugh seems like he knows what to do next but is no longer in that type of format. And secondly, Rhyner also has to know that this isn't good. In fact, it's more than not good, it's downright crap. I can't imagine Danny isn't thinking the same thing. It's Rhyner's passive aggressive way of setting the table for either his exit or the laying bare of "evidence" to present to others when the thing is shut down. "Evidence" of him laying out because he knew it wasn't good; that this isn't what he signed up for but was riding it out, hoping others around him (who presented themselves as having the goods, but in fact didn't) would step up and display the talent they claimed to possess.
Possibly Related 3. So there's a major station announcement Weds at 5:50. Hmmm. The last two Hardline late in the show announcements consisted of: Bob moving to THL, Jake promoted to the Varsity squad, and the creation of THZ; and the addition of Davey Lane to THL. This time around could be about Ticketstock. It's that time of year. But that's usually a Musers announcement, and usually accompanied with its George-centric theme song that we'll hear ad nauseam for 2 months. Perhaps it is and having it during THL's slot is a smart move by Cat to garner as many ears as possible vs. TDB? Why would the record smashing ratings grabber of a morning show need the announcement's cache and its attendant listeners? Let's move it to THL. Makes sense. What also makes sense is pattern and uniformity. We've just returned from dry dock and it's a new year. Is someone moving on? Are big changes afoot? Well, it wouldn't be a Muser because they'd make such an announcement on their show on their own terms. Bob going national? Norm retirement and farewell tour, then to take on emeritus status (drafts, select pop ons)? If either, perhaps this is what Cat meant when he said in the DMN interview regarding Rhyner and Sirois that told Sirois he didn't understand it because he'd run the race, was on the final lap, and about to cross the finish line. Imagine if Norm does retire, if Bob leaves, or some other shakeup that would've opened up that spot for Sirois. And yet there he is bombing at The Freak. To say he's bitten off more than he can chew is an understatement. Silly names for segments with even sillier premises on a pm drive show in a top 5 market while constantly kissing your partner's and girlfriend's posteriors does not make for a compelling on-air personality. Sirois at best has been mis-partnered. That wouldn't have happened at The Ticket.
Bob going National would be a loss for the Ticket. He is a local treasure in his ability to combine a counterintuitive pop culture sensibility with very top in any market sports analytical skills. He is awesome.
ReplyDeleteIt’s just Ticketstock my dudes
ReplyDeleteWell, I did say that it aligned with the annual Ticketstock announcement. But, for the reasons I laid out and two others, it might not be (probably is, though). The other two reasons are (i) THL crushed TDB so there's no possible ratings advantage (and for a single show/hour I might add), and (ii) the, since The Freak's debut, omnipresence of one Gordon Keith on all shows, every week. Have no idea as to what or why, but there's something about the sustained Gordon Tour of Ticket Shows I can't put my finger on but seems to be pointing toward something bigger.
ReplyDeleteHaving said all that, yes, it's probably Ticketstock. Though it wouldn't shock me if we get a stunner of an announcement. And no, Norm retiring wouldn't be a stunner. Who/what replaces him, that could be a different story.
HZ Tuesdays with Gordon is on life support. He missed a week (or two?) before dry dock and he wasn’t on last Tuesday when all the regular lineup shows were back. Cumulus may have been spooked initially by the Freak launch but as we have all seen and observed, they’ve got less than nothing. You know how you can tell Cat and Dan B don’t give a crap about the Freak? They let the HZ continue to use the Mike R descriptor of Ham in their opens every show.
ReplyDeleteIf Norm is going to retire, he’ll announce it at 10:10, not on a random Wednesday 6 hours after he goes off air.
The only “major” announcement on the week leading up to Cowboys wildcard weekend is Ticketstock
They both lost Picks with Friends they both should ride the bus. One going there and one coming home.
ReplyDeleteDon’t cheat the P1s or the other “friends” that didn’t finish last.
Have a playoff to see who is riding there and who is riding back.
^
ReplyDeleteI’m pissed I didn’t think of this. Of course this is the tie break answer. The only thing worse than 20 hours on a bus to your paid work vacation is 20 hours home on a bus
Have they announced that they are going to the Super Bowl?
ReplyDeleteThey’ve been talking about the Picks loser riding the bus to the Super Bowl for months. They don’t need to announce the station is going to Arizona
ReplyDeleteWell, 738, not only was Gordo on THZ today, he made a point of saying he'd be on every week.
ReplyDeleteThat might've been the worst Ticketstock reveal to date. Forgot to mention Daryl Johnston, remembered, then forgot. That and made mention of the venue itself twice. No song? I was kinda hoping Cat would've pulled the ultimate slap to The Freak/Downbeat's face and got Greggo to be a guest, replete with an off air AMA.
ReplyDeleteExcept The Ticket still has shame and wouldn’t stoop to having him on air, ever
ReplyDeleteAny ticketstock reveal is the worst. It’s always a beating. Glad it’s done with.
ReplyDeleteWell said, Surly.
ReplyDeleteMTC nerds, major station announcement in Junuary is just Ticketstock. What happened uhhhh
ReplyDeleteNo one claimed it wasn't going to be. Indeed, any semi literate person would've read here that it was agreed that Ticketstock was the most likely outcome. That it could be something else and if it were, what might it be.
ReplyDeletePlease return to reddit where you belong. Additionally, there's an excellent program for folks with issues such as yourself: RIF (Reading Is Fundamental). It's free and it really will bring your ability to read, as well as your comprehension, up to literacy standards in no time.
Thank you for shopping MTC.
I’m going to go with a REALLY hot take here- what does Greggo bring to the table for your average ticket listeners? Let’s review - station on air in 1994. Greggo leaves in 2008. So 14 years. 2008 to 2023, 15 years. So he’s been off as long as he was on. If you’re a listener in the bottom half of the demo (25-40) you have never heard Greggo on the ticket. Why would a station moving forward go back to Greggo? It certainly didn’t help the Freak when they pulled that stunt
ReplyDeleteA similar argument could even be made for Rhyner. I'm in my later 20's, and have truly been listening since probably 2010 (here and there prior with my dad). My memories of Rhyner on the ticket were some occasional funny moments, like the masks at the restaurants bit and some others, but I can't say he was a huge draw for my listenership. He was the godfather of the ticket, had a way with words, and for that he was cool. But I completely missed out on the era of him being really involved and a must listen guy.
ReplyDeleteI understand the appeal of Rhyner. Until 2020 he was a big part of one of the most successful radio stations in Dfw. But Greggo is washed up, drugged out, and has been fired from every sports station in town. THAT is the guy you’re using to counter program white elephant?
ReplyDeletedream: hey let’s get Greggo, yeah great idea!
Reality: hey let’s get this notorious drug addict that half of our target audience has never heard of because he’s been off the air for a decade.
Good point. I wasn't really really trying to lump in Rhyner with Greggo. Rhyner is a much bigger deal. I guess I was just getting at, they are both past their prime and maybe not the draw they once were. Greggo, obviously, much more so.
ReplyDeleteI think the over all gist of the point is solid. I say this as a loop listening (and so, obviously) D1P1, which means I'm an old. Old as in more than twice your age. Greggo at Ticketstock would only serve as mud in Rhyner's (and to a lesser extent, Danny's and Sirois's) eye. It would also serve as an enticement for an ever smaller demo of listeners (my demo). Not just an ever shrinking demo, but an age group that does not fall into that coveted demo and an age group that will and in the outer range already has/is in the process of listening less/no longer listens. You guys and gals are the future. We had our time and now we enjoy what we enjoy and when we're able to enjoy it, on our own terms. Fair enough. That's the way life go. But, yeah, as far as Greggo goes, very few remember him. And the ones (like me) that do, are far fewer than we once were. Plus, like you said, that stunt went over like a lead balloon.
ReplyDeleteMore importantly, you're correct about Rhyner. By his own hand, by the way, during his last handful if not more years at The Ticket, Rhyner allowed himself to become a punchline, a running joke. And it's mostly how the younger demo knows him. Why on earth would you follow over to a new station a running gag? A station built around that very same running gag. Why would ANYONE under the age of 45 be interested in a 72-3 year old senior citizen ex-sports talk show host who talks of nothing even remotely that interests them? Frankly, the premise is risible, asinine. To the quick, insulting. Yet that's what The Freak's masthead is predicated upon. And the rest of the crew? Well, other than Julie and Krystina, they're all in various stages of middle age. Julie, btw, isn't too far behind. Yes, Virginia, Mike Sirois is closer to being a senior citizen than he is to not being middle aged. Let that sink in. "Outlaw Radio," my considerably large and flat ass.
I'm not in the radio business. But I do have an acquintance who is in radio sales (not Cumulus and not the commenter, C, who's in that line). He tells me it's not looking good for The Freak. Not looking good in that there's already a not so faint whisper going 'round that the DFW might be getting a new hip hop station on a rather prominent frequency sooner rather than later. Money talks. Everything else walks, people.
Agree with the above. The Freak has been promoting their Freaky Friday all week. So I tuned in to see what it was, and AM drive was Cavanaugh, Sirois and K-Ray. They’re big “bit” is mixing and matching talent. Couple of things- didn’t they do this for the better parts of 2 months with the downbeat? Is another day of mix and match really that big a deal? Enough to waste promo time on? And so far, you’ve got what has to be disappointing ratings. People aren’t listening to the current line up, why do you think they want to hear the same people just in slightly different combos?
ReplyDeleteUnless…
Unless…
Unless they’re realizing that the chemistry sucks on every show they have. And this is a test run to see how a different mix might sound.
So what this tells me is either they’re desperate and pulling staff mix ups as a stunt to try to draw listeners, or they’re desperate and test driving new combos because a change is gonna come.
C
Do we ever talk about Ticket happenings in here anymore?
ReplyDeleteNo, we don’t. We sit around and wait for the monthly ratings book to post so we can point and laugh at the Freak again
ReplyDeleteWe just talked about the big station announcement/Ticketstock.
ReplyDeleteGo Hang Zone
There’s a lot of freak talk, but let’s remember a few things. Pretty sure Krystina Ray worked in production for Cumulus, that means 9/11th of their programming staff are former Ticket employees. Everybody but Cavanaugh and Cather. So there’s that. Not like these are unknowns. It’s people we liked, who we listened to, who we watch succeed on our favorite radio station. And now we watch them fail miserably at a station that Can best be described using a tense Norm drop “an abortion”.
ReplyDeleteFurthermore, while radio isn’t a zero sum game, there clearly has to be some expectation that Freak success would come at the Tickets expense. And if you think that’s wrong, why hire that many Ticket ex-pats? So Freak success would threaten the Ticket status quo. Just as an example, when you’re leading your demo you can justify sending the whole crew to the Super Bowl. Paying to Get Micah Parsons at ticket stock, etc. harder to justify things like that if you’re 5th or 10th or 15th in your target demo. So yeah, I understand the Freak focus. It’s the new competitor. And it’s a train wreck. People love watching train wrecks and car crashes.
C
The Freak has claimed that they are trying to build their own audience and not just P1's. I feel like that was a lie from the beginning, but it was very obvious on WED. If they are not trying to compete with the Ticket for listeners, why would they try and go toe to toe on WED? Also, a dumb choice in my opinion. On WED, idc who the freak had on, I was gonna listen to WED. The Freak would have been smart to try and do it literally the day before or after WED.
ReplyDeleteThey may be telling us that, but the facts speak for themselves. If they really wanted to draw an audience separate from the Tickets, they would have hired experienced people with proven track records of ratings success. Instead, we get the Ticket’s Island of misfit toys. The people who left (Ben, Skin, KT) the burnout radio retirees (Rhyner, Grubes) and the ego-bruised (Sirois, Julie, Danny). I think we’re willing to see why Catlin was willing to let some of those people walk. They don’t have that “it” factor. Nice folks, good as producers or ticker people. But not quite major market talent.
ReplyDeleteC
1. Trolling about The Freak being heavily discussed here is laughable. You're going to have to try harder. If you can't understand why TF and especially TDB is a point of discussion, why exactly are you here? (Other than to troll, and to troll poorly I might add.)
ReplyDelete2. Per his own words, Rhyner, too, is ego bruised. Perhaps, and inexcplicably by any account, more than the others.
3. To quote an oft repeated line by a certain frequent commenter: "Cat knows talent."
4. My guess (and that's all it is) is the latest game of mix and match the hosts pertains to C's latter suggestion. That is, they are subtly / not so subtly trying to find chemistry between hosts, and so, find some sort of winning-ish combination that (a) at least registers a number in the a.m., (b) can at least best NaD from 10-12, and (c) at least compete with The FAN from 3-7. All that's to say: a last ditch effort to keep the assembled talent aboard, thereby giving the format as conceived and constructed an extended line of credit if you will -- before iHeart starts shedding hosts, bringing in their own talent (i.e., "outsiders" to Rhyner's new Bunker), implementing changes (another affront to Rhyner's Bunker), and most likely, only to ultimately flip formats when it fails.
Totally different topic, but what is Jacob (Detty) Detamore’s role at the little ticket. I’m not familiar with him.
ReplyDeleteHe's a JV Ticker/board op dude, I believe.
ReplyDeleteThanks.
DeleteNew STD (Scorching Ticket Disquisition) up.
ReplyDelete