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."
I hate to do this because I don't really have any hard information, but I did hear from a source who has been reliable in the past that things may be shaking at the 'ol Ticket. He wasn't specific and I've tried to pry a little more out of him. He did NOT mention Dan and Jake.
I agree that it would not seem to make much sense for D+J to leave.
UNLESS . . . unless iHeart has gone to them and said: We're making a commitment to KEGL. Yeah, The Freak was and is a cluster, but we're getting out the broom. You're our cornerstone. Here is a large bag of money that will pay your yard guy for six months while you hang. Then, of course, D+J go back to Catlin/Bennett and show them an iPhone shot of this big bag with a dollar sign on it and say, can you beat this?
Wild-guessing. iHeart may have identified D+J as loose in the socket from the outset and is poking at The Ticket's soft underbelly.
Here's a thought I've had: Dan, but not Jake. Jake does have reason to be grateful to The Ticket, although gratitude only takes one so far. Dan has always been something of a maverick at the station, not "one of the guys" in quite the same way as the other hosts.
Further irresponsible speculation without even a hint of evidence: Jake to an expanded Donovan show, and Dan paired with another -- although I don't know of anyone strong enough at The Ticket to balance him out. This might also fit with a Dan-solo-to-KEGL scenario.
Although, as several here have noted, given The Ticket's ratings surge, messing with success would not seem to be an indicated strategy, especially for someone as savvy as Cat.
Speaking of KEGL: It has also occurred to me that iHeart might be considering a massive housecleaning, installing professional sports broadcast teams, a rebranding, switch to sports/guy, and a more robust digital strategy, perhaps syndicating or finding a spot on Sirius/XM. Dan + Jake wouldn't be a bad start.
They were out that week, but came back into the studio for his final farewell segment.
There is no doubt in my mind that SOMETHING was going to happen with Dan and Jake or still might. And just because they may show up on air this week or next week doesn't mean something wasn't very close to happening, like with the Hardline in 2009 and with BaD Radio in 2013.
It is entirely not normal for a show to be out for 3 weeks out of 4 (assuming they're out all this week)
But they keep mentioning THZ and that people are filling in. I can’t imagine them doing that if Dan and Jake aren’t coming back. Maybe they really did hold out to get Norms money.
In a previous post the alleged insider alluded to diarrhea and holding onto butt. Is that a veiled reference to George Commander Dunham as in the Dunham zone. Musers gone?
Assuming negotiation have been ongoing they wouldn't know for sure whether they'll be back or not, no reason to alter promos. The thing that sticks out the most to me is ZERO mention of this vacation by Dan or Jake prior to it starting. I hope everything's normal and they're back next week but just imagine the shitstorm if they're still out on Monday.
This is the post that is alluding to the Musers IMO: AnonymousJuly 9, 2023 at 11:51 PM Well, MTC folk, I'm here to tell you that the local radio scene is about to be shaken up in a most serious way. The Freak is about to add the juice it needs to be a serious contender with The Ticket. In fact, it might usurp The Ticket's reign in a matter of months, across all day parts.
Hold onto your butts. Hold on for dear life. Explosive diarreah looms just beyond the morrow.
Leaving for where if not the competition? Dan and Jake are too young to Retire so are you referring to just Gordon like retiring from everyday radio to do his side gigs?
Something's definitely going on. Has it really been nearly a month worth of nonHZ proper shows? If so, that's unlike any drydock I've ever seen, and I've been listening since the loop. That is, Day 1.
Yeah, just leaving radio. It seems he's had things going on personally that sound not so pleasant. Hospital visits (he's mentioned this on his twitch stream), missed HZ and Hardline appearances, etc.
Also of note completely unrelated to HZ and Gordon, Bob is starting a paid Substack to replace his lost The Athletic gig
All this has an off vibe to it, for sure. Like 122, I too have been a long long time listener and have never seen any dry dock like this. And for one show I might add. The other shows seem to be for the most part, but not entirely, taking a staggered vacation. But not THZ. If it weren't for TF rumors coming to fruition pretty much exactly as advertised and THZ being thrown in with what we now know to be not rumor but facts--with the caveat that it would make the move this spring--I wouldn't be as concerned. We're only a couple of weeks and change into the summer, so the timing of all this might be coincidental. If it's coincidental, then it's a helluva coincidence. The more I reflect on it, the more it seems like, as Surly says, something's in the works and just because they show back up doesn't mean they nearly didn't. That their ad spots and show promos are being played, and that Donnie and the gang are saying, "filling in for THZ" doesn't necessarily indicate all is well. Anyone who's been around this long enough will well remember the silence and play along as if nothing's happened when Greggo went to rehab and later when he was fired. It took awhile before the truth of the matter was aired on both occasions. I'm gettting the sense that that's what might be taking place here. I also get the sense that other than it really is a case of THZ on dry dock and some scheduling snafus, at the very least they, like THL in '09 and BaD in '13, had one foot and 4 toes out the door. At the very least. But when you start to piece everything together, it shouldn't surprise anyone if, as a commenter said in the previous thread (reposted in this thread) the landscape around these parts is about to be dramatically altered. Perhaps and even probably resulting in lines drawn and loyalties divided in a way that will make the OG Freq stuff look like a silly string fight. Imagine this turn of event: TT goes from having an unprecedented run of numbers that in the words of Rhyner would stun a mastodon; only to have arguably its future anchor show to bolt to the station its (in their eyes, at least) turncoat founder schemed up and join forces with the rest of the ex-pats who were less than truthful on their way out.....and then have said unprecedented run ended, and now the turncoat station that was a joke (as was the turncoat founder) kills the king and turns the tables in a most forceful way. Crazy? I dunno. We've seen a lot of crazy around here over the past year.
I went back in the uSaveIt archives and it sounds like Dan and Jake did a show on Monday, July 3. That was just last week. They didn’t stay for WTDS though. Could that be wrong?
^^^^^Good chance I just don't remember, but I don't think I've ever heard a show replayed during its regular time slot like that. For a station that seems pretty damn well run, that was odd AF.
In the opening segment from that replay from last Monday, Dan mentions that he wants to put a free generator in his new contract or something like that.
I'm beginning to think you've gone back to the future, Shaggy. As in pre and early MTC days. For all who aren't aware, Surly was once a world class, and I mean world class, troll. A true master of the craft. Guess we'll find out Monday.
The thing that makes me think that this speculation is all wrong is that Corby has definitely said Dan compiled all the WTDS content at least once in the last couple of days. If I were in contract negotiation or planning a move, I doubt I would want to put forth that effort. I do think it is odd that no one has said Dan and Jake will be back on Monday (or any other day) as far as I know. That may just be part of the bit or a coincidence.
What if......Jake is going to take over the pre and post-game duties for the Cowboys games? He is burning his vacation time now because he couldn't take any time off during the season or potential post season games. Dan goes along with it because he's a "team player" these days.
Pardon my Boomer thinking but unless iHeart makes a humongous money whip here why would they walk away from the benefits, seniority, and security (as secure as anything can be in that business) to head off to an upstart?
Jske with two small kids and Dan with two that are about to hit him with out-of-state college tuition does it make sense to change horses in the middle of the stream?
I also know there’s a lot of hangzone enthusiasts, I wouldn’t call myself one, but even so, if I was them I wouldn’t assume that all their fans would just move over to the freak to listen. Example being, all the shows over there now lol.
I will be shocked if either Dan or Jake leaves. That said, it wouldn't affect my listening one bit. I enjoy Jake's Cowboys and Mavs takes, but that's about it. The rest is a big meh for me. Background noise. What I did very much enjoy today was The DoJo Cats. Donnie and Trahan make for such a good pairing. I know it won't happen due to Joe's Cowboys beat duties, but man oh man that would make 10-12 some must hear radio.
Anom 6:47 67 if it matters. It ain't always about the money. Just don't wake up one day at 55 and go "What the hell am I going to retire on"? If it's still there when you retire is basically beer money these days. Best have a backup plan.
Maybe more people were listening to Norm than we thought. Let the "sky is falling " post begin.
HZ numbers are excellent. Then again, so are all numbers, regardless of the show. My guess is that the overwhelming majority of listeners are brand listeners. They'll listen to TT no matter what. The fact that TDB in particular and TF as a whole has so far been a lead balloon attests to this. All the breathless oaths of allegiance to Sirois/Chael/Sea Cow/Mikey, and yet they barely register a pulse. All dire warnings of the end of TT, the cruelty of Cat and Cumulus, the dissertation length comments on living wages, and the ride or die with everyone's leader, Mike Rhyner - - - - all amounted to a handful of keyboard warriors pissing in the wind. If THZ is gonzo, it'll find itself in the same boat. Especially if they're waiting out a 6 month (at least) noncompete. 6 months in this business is a long f'n time. A lot of forgetting happens in 6 months. If the boys are Freak bound, mark it down: like Rhyner, they too will learn a hard lesson. Difference is, Rhyner's had his career, is a HoFer, and financially set. Neither Dan nor Jake have any of that.
Joe Trahan was OK with Donnie -- not a lot more than OK, but I'd listen -- but he needs to learn to use a radio mic. We can't see his lips move like on TV, and too often he let his voice drop to a mumble at the end of phrases.
We here at My Ticket Confession sometimes tend to, ah . . . um . . . overinterpret what we hear on the air.
In keeping with that tradition:
Just a few minutes ago on the stream, The Hardline was talking about 7-11 Slurpees and DQ Blizzards and requiring alcohol in their drinks, when everyone kind of talked at once, and there may have been a deletion that I didn't catch, and everyone laughed at whatever it was that was funny that I didn't catch, and then Bob said (not sure about the first few words, gut the last three are accurate):
"Now I guess we're all on vacation."
Could Hang Zone's absence be disciplinary in nature? Seems unlikely -- too long, and no one has suggested any on-air indiscretion that might prompt it.
Also Jake already does Cowboys post-game. I can’t tell if that was a serious post but just in case. And both of Dan’s daughters are already in college.
Well well well, TF pulled another 1.1 cume. TT fell back to its mean at 5.1, which makes sense. Those numbers were, ahem, freakishly high and in no way sustainable. No matter, they're #2 in the market over all and those numbers are still boffo. Sky's not falling, Gopher. Yeah yeah yeah, I know you're kidding, you youngster, you.
Funny how a station who's new playlist basically follows the KEOM format is #1 and got there in 2 weeks time. Funny how people actually like music. Songs that have structure. That don't wholly consist of mindless repetition. Funny, that.
Can't wait to see the day part breakdowns.
If THZ are going to TF, good bleepin' luck, boys. You're gonna need that and a miracle. I guess if they have an insane amount of money that is guaranteed, OK. Other than that, no way they go. No. Way.
OK. Just checked out that link. H/T Gopher. WTF how long will iHeart keep this facade of a station going?
Maybe that's THZ angle? iHeart sold them on an all sports flip with a reconstructed staff with them as the centerpiece? AM or PM drive, obviously. Maybe OG-ish Hardline with Rhynes, Greggo, Danny, and Sirois bookending the opposite of THZ? HZ AM / HL PM? 86 B&S and add a hungry Monty and other JVers or bring in an outsider. Coop? He's already at KEGL via The Mavs. Something has to give. As is this is a failure unlike any I can remember.
To add to the Monty middays. Anyone hear his gifts to the Tier 1 hosts bit? If that couldn't be seen as a parting middle finger, I don't know what would. He even smacked Dan Bennett. Just saying.
I think the 732p Anon nails it. P1's are more loyal to the brand than the individual shows. and I think the internet overemphasizes the importance of people on the internet. Look at those numbers, there's a lot more listeners (almost 400K) than people who post here or reddit. For all the talk of leaders, ride-or-dies, etc, the average listener doesn't hang out here or the Ticket sub redddit and just wants 30 minutes of sports and entertainment on their way to and from work. And clearly the Ticket does a better job of delivering that than the freak. they don't care about Mike Mike and Danny at the freak talking about themselves or their mindless topics, they care about catching a little sports on their drive home. And the ticket delivers that.
And here's something to consider. This is the June book. 5/25 to 6/21. No NFL draft, no campound, etc. Memorial Day weekend, school out, etc. Anybody besides me catch the promo about 'schools out, kids in the car, but you can still listen to TT and stay a P1"? TT usually takes a dive in summer before roaring back in late summer/early fall with football season. I've seen comments elsewhere that this was a bad book for them. LOL, they're still #2 overall in what can charitably be called a sports desert. C
The really interesting thing to me is the lack of linkage between the stations ratings. Like when the Eagle went away, KZPS and KVIL went up. Look at the Radio Insight link posted above. Ticket has a 'bad' month and loses 1.5 shares 6+ (6.6 to a 5.1). And all the Freak can do is go from a 1.0 to a 1.1. I'd love to see a breakdown of cume sharing between TT and TF. Because clearly, when the Ticket loses audience, the Freak isn't picking it up.
Thanks for that breakdown. Eye opening, nay, jarring to say the least. How has TF not yet been dismantled? Surely it's in the offing, no? Has to be. Rhyner's show alone is being trounced bt WRR pm drive. And it'sTF's highest rated show. Let that sink in.
Surly- maybe it’s an improvement in PM drive, but the rest of their show ratings are mired in the 20s. They have bad ratings overall and a greatly increased payroll cost. I think the closer we get to October and the 1 year anniversary, the greater the odds of changes being made. Because that’s less money they would need to pay out in contract buy outs. I can tell you any decent radio executive is looking at the ratings for the Spot , aka KLUV, and KZPS in this past book and theorizing market moves. Maybe it’s bringing back the Eagle wholesale. Maybe it’s something else. But the last 6 months of the Ticket ratings has proven Omar right. When you come at the king you best not miss. And the Freak not only missed, they actually focused the staff and the P1 to record ratings. C
it now has been posted. https://www.reddit.com/r/theticket/comments/14xp2gy/june_ratings_update/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
watching what happens in July, with Norm's departure, dry dock and whatnot that's been taking place, to see how that is reflected in TT's numbers. Has the station moved itself into "juggernaut status" where even substantial changes (internally or externally) don't dramatically impact its ratings performance or is it still susceptible to those factors. I have to believe the latter is the reality, but I also never imagined KTCK (with all its technical and format obstacles) could reach, much less sustain #1 6+ for more than half a year. so, we'll see!
If you went on one date last year and your resolution was to date more, then 2 dates the next year is a 100% increase!!! So Ben and Skin are up 87%! That’s good! Or is it? An established show in the market, experienced broadcasters who are assumed to be professionals, on the same station they’ve been on for years, in the same basic daypart they’ve had for years, and the best they can do is a 1.5 and tied for 20th. To put it another way, they’re getting beat in their target demo by stations that don’t target their target demo. I haven’t looked at this month yet, but looked this up a few months ago, the Freak is being beat in men by “chick” stations like KLTY, Kiss, Mix, etc. as someone posted above, they’re losing to WRR. I think looking at an 87% improvement is not seeing the forest for the trees. Yes it’s improvement, but they have a long way to go and a short time to get there. Iheart is not in the business of letting failing radio stations continue to eat up a frequency C
My understanding of the current state of non compete clauses, you can not accept, hold, take, promise, etc a job that violates your non compete during the period of your Non compete. For example, Danny Bayless was very specific that his non compete ended on a Friday, the Greak called him on Monday, he interviewed that week, and was hired to start the next Monday. In the days of corporate HR departments, EEOC regs and the like, I highly doubt that’s what really happened, but that is the story we hear because it’s legally the safe story. So we may hear the news that Dan and Jake are quitting. We won’t hear about them going to the freak for 6 months. 6 months for the ticket to establish Donnie and friends 10-3 and watch people forget the Hang zone. C
Don’t take Freaks numbers in a vacuum. Since the comparison is relative to the Ticket you need to see the percentage change in the Delta. Old Book Delta = Ticket share - Freak share. Now do the same with the new book. Then take old books delta divided by new book delta. The numbers on the right hand side of the decimal can be multiplied by 100. That will give you the percentage chance relative to the ticket.
The problem with that method is it still lacks context. Yes TT went down, yes the Freak went up, but a few things. TT was flush with extremely high numbers. The May 12.4 was an outlier compared to the months before that, a 9.0 and 10.2. Their “down” 9.9 is still higher than their March 9 and is probably inside the statistical MOE of the 10.2. Additionally, so the Ticket is down 2.5 shares. Both the Fan and the Freak are only up .5 each. Generally you’ll see horse trading - when Wolf is up KSCS is down and vice versa. Here looking at months past, often TT, TF and the fan are all up in the same month. It’s more p2s listening to sports than one station converting the others listeners: C
Having had contracts in TX with non compete’s multiple times I was able to sign a new agreement provided a sag out the specified time frame and fulfilled the term of my prior agreement. I was no precluded from accepting compensation to sit home, in 2 cases for a year.
Well, at this juncture ANY number exceeding .1 for him is "cookin in the right direction." So I don't blame him for hanging on for dear life to any positive news whatsoever. Though he and the rest of TF gang ought to cool their jets, find a modicum of humility, and wait for the next couple of books before taking yet another victory lap. Alas, as they've shown over and again, that's not their style.
he and KT are consistent sunshine pumpers over there, always implying that iHeart has made a long term commitment to them personally with no chance that they will go anywhere any time soon
but what else would they say, other than to simply not post on reddit so much
To be clear a non compete means you can’t compete, it does not mean you can’t be compensated to sit on the sidelines and burn off your arbitrary silent period. Hell I know people who’ve been paid millions - in Texas - to take an extended vacation.
Something's going on. Be it HZ to TF with a 6 mo or whatevs paid n.c. vacay and/or a Ticket schedule/show shake up and/or a Freak schedule/show shake up, something's brewing. Too many weirdy vibes going down. Too many who usually are sosh active are suddenly inactive. Too much 'playing radio' with drops and mentions alluding to something(s) going on behind the scenes. Now suddenly from out of nowhere, So Anonymous chimes in with a cryptic 'hello.' Just a whole lotta too much. I'm with Surly, whatever it is, it's about to drop.
@623 So Anonymous is Sirois. Who knows if this particular SA is the genuine article. We haven't heard a peep from SA since his identity (Sirois) became known. But. Wouldn't surprise me if this one is him. I could see him gloating over his show rising to 13th in their time slot (still being beat out by WRR, the classical music station, in that very time slot).
18-49: 1. KLNO 2. KVIL 3. KHKS 4. KSCS (up from #10) 5. KTCK (down from #1)
Notice the coveted 25-54 demo. TT is still #1.
Aside: The #2 in 25-54 and #1 18-49 has a playlist that damn near mirrors what KEOM now offers (60s-90s pop hits). This station, The Spot (formerly KLUV), hasn't been around 3 months. That ought to tell us something about what the public wants. iHeart would be best served going back to playing music. Maybe ditch The Eagle moniker but fill the void of modern hard rock. Hard to believe the 4th/5th largest market in the country does not have such a station.
TT's unprecedented ratings run is an outlier. Many are still trying to account for it, as it didn't add up. This book is much more like it and reflects the historical data going back now nearly 2 decades.
As far as TF goes, only TDB has made any sort of meaningful gains. But even those have to be put into perspective. When your PM drive, anchor show with a host the entire station has been built around "boosts" itself to 13th place, while it might be a sign of improvement, it's decidedly nothing to write home about. IN fact, there is a very good chance 13th place is an outlier. Meanwhile the station as a whole across all parts pulled in a whopping 1.1, up from 1.0. Do understand how awful that number is. Jeff Cavanaugh appears to think boiling water with a live frog in it is Michelin Star cheffing. Another aside: If I were the new iHeart PD, I'd place a cease and desist on Cavanaugh, KT, and any other staff member with poor self control from commenting on reddit or any other form of social media.
Been popping in TDB all week to see if either Mike lets on something's coming down the pipeline. So far, no indicators. What I have heard is an extremely low energy Sirois, a silent Rhyner, an over giggling Grubes, and Danny basically producing the show while solo hosting it. Props to Danny for actually trying, for actually doing the job he's being paid to do and yrying his damnedest to do it the right way - while simultaneously acting as another f/t position, producer, and trying to go about it the right way, as well. Saying all that, it's an awful show. Danny deserves better.
Julie leaving due to her husband getting a gig outside of Dallas, perhaps?
Back when the HZ didn't go to the Fan didn't they take some time off after they deal with the Ticket was done? I don't know if it was a week but I seem to recall they took at least some time off after to decompress and get their heads right with ball.
@833 You are correct. So Anon - Sirois's comment is gone. However, you have to post using a URL in order to delete or edit your comment. Which Sirois did not. I take it there's a workaround?
On purpose or not, eh, buddy, you just hit the nail squarely on the head. Kill shot, friendo.
Everyone best brace themselves. Come Monday the local sports guy talk radio landscape will be forever changed. Loyalties will be severely tested. Most severely tested. Heroes will become villains. Butts will be hurting. In the interim, I highly suggest each of you, one and all, clutch onto yours as tightly as you possibly can. This one's gonna be a bitch.
Yeah seems like THZ is definitely gone but I'm questioning if Monty and Blake would follow simply because they'd be in the mix for some of those seats at the table at TT to replace them. And my guess is that 10-12 at TT will no longer exist as it will be extended a few more hours. That timeslot was grandfathered in for Norm as it made sense for him but moving forward, I don't think the station would commit two hosts for only a two hour show.
Surly I'm 1:49 - Chris Arnold was 10-12 in the 90s before Norm right? But that timeslot originated at a different time for the station and in radio in general. It was a perfect spot in the lineup for Norm so it made sense to keep it going all these years. But I wonder if management will think it is worth it to continue 10-12 with a Norm replacement. Even though it's only 2 hours, it's still a host spot and a seat at the table. Especially if the noise is true about THZ leaving and opening a big hole during middays. Could be the right time for them to do some restructuring. 105.3's afternoon show goes from 2-7 PM but I believe they have 4 hosts. I could see something with Donovan + 3 others from the farm system
I guess I'll believe it when I see it...if true, this really feels like a Bad Decision, Coach....but $$$ can definitely alter a line of thinking. So if they do split to 97.1--- more than likely the 7-11am slot, I'd assume. & they'd have to sit out til around January, right? So all of college and nfl...add no Training Camp, no Radio Row ( i guess unless Freq goes full Sports and wants a seat at the table). I really thought this had more to do with new potential shift/lineup possibilities post-Norm. I still kinda do...but more and more leaning to a Show exit
Tell me more about this fighting the non compete. When Cumulus takes them to court and gets a TRO forbidding them from going on another station, and Dan and Jake assume personal liability for economic damages if they do broadcast, tell me how they’re going to fight that? Is Dan going to convince a federal judge not to grant the TRO with a killer sardonic quip? With Jake fire up the courtroom by stating “ legal processes are like super gay”? And as for adding a 4th show, I’m sure iheart is salivating at adding another half a million in salaries to a station already underperforming the Eagles billing by 30-40%.
I would think for Dan and Jake to leave it would be for a drive time spot. I’m sure they could leave for just $ reasons, but I’d think they’d want am drive.
TC? Really? He's been out of radio for what, 10 years now? You don't go from that to part of a top 5 market show...especially on an iHeart station. Fat chance.
iHeart can easily say, "we know a company you can sit at for 6 months and work on content, and get paid, then you can start"
Julie will go with Kelly, so, if he stays in hockey, she is gone.
Gordon, I suspect will leave soon. Just sensing a lot of "s going on", not sure if he is having to be a care provider or not, but random absences can be a toll on a guy caring for people, especially when said guy probably doesn't "need" the income.
Will the reorganize this schedule, they should.
Do I think Rich Phillips pairs with Donnie, yes, if they stay in that slot. Rich gives it a little older feel, which might cater to some of the Jesse types who still tune in at that time.
Can I see THZ doing AM drive... they can try, but that may also be enough to get the musers even more fired up to compete.
Not holding my butt, but I might have to have popcorn on hand soon, just to read the troll messages
Forbesy left the Stars because they wanted out of the NHL. He’s not taking a job with another NHL team unless it was a massive promotion. They have too many ties here
None of this makes sense. I’m pulling numbers out of my rear, so I’ll try not to sound idiotic, but let’s say TF is guaranteeing D&J a raise of $100K-$150K each. Let’s also assume iHeart won’t be letting anyone go since the announcement is coming on the Speakeasy’s show and B&S have incriminating photos of all DFW media members, and so TF will just reshuffle the deck chairs. Why in the world would iHeart take on even more (substantial) payroll to add to that sinking ship? From D&J’s perspective, that type of raise would be the only way I’d entertain going to TF. But, you’re not getting that bump to sit 12-3, you’re going to have to do AM or PM drive. So how much of a ratings increase will iHeart see with them going against the Musers? The only way it makes sense in PM drive is if they take over for Rhyner (iHeart reallocates Mike’s salary between D&J). Does Dan, Jake, Danny and Sirois move the needle at all for the masses (not Reddit) in DFW? You’re not putting up a billboard with that lineup. Plus, you’ll either have to sit out 6 months and hope you have a job when you get on air in January (when nothing is going on sports-wise assuming another early Cowboys bow out) or pay out the nose, lawyer up and wait for litigation to play out to fight the noncompete in court. Further, D&J have had 9 months to sample TF and hear the life get drained out of their former colleagues Julie, Danny, Mike and Mike. Have any of you listened for more than 5 minutes? Do any of these people seem like they’re enjoying any of this? If this is legit, I don’t get it from anyone’s perspective.
I still think the simplest explanation to THZ absence is that Norm's announcement threw a wrench in dry dock schedules. Maybe they were scheduled to be out Norm's last week and the following week, but with the bomb dropping of Norm leaving, that plan got scrubbed. They gave them that first week out, asked them to come back in the following week as a little bridge, and then said "now go take your two weeks." But hell I don't know.
533 nails it. Once Monday rolls around we're going to find out all of this was one giant trollin' fart of a dumpster fire started and stoked on at least 3 pages (MTC, reddit/Ticket, and reddit/Freak) by a regular, named, MTC/redditTicket/redditFreak contributor.
So why not a single word from any person associated with the ticket stating that Dan and Jake will be back on Monday? And why have Dan and Jake gone completely silent on twitter?
(533 here) no idea why the station hasn't said anything other than they're enjoying the show. Jake has been light on Twitter for some time now and has talked about that on air - how much better life is when you're not constantly online. Dan is a sporadic tweeter at best.
Unless Corby is lying (again...not a stretch) Dan continues to supply all the WTDS content and several entries sure sound like Dan commentary.
What would you have them say? I love the ticket imaging. Mildly funny, constantly new stuff unlike most music stations, etc. so write me the promo you think they should run. “ hey redditors who over obsess about the Ticket,THZ is back from a long vacation on Monday. So are the musers, but we’re not including them in this promo because y’all aren’t losing your “S” over them” Why I’d love to hear that promo, Catlin and John Michaels are too disciplined for that.
Man oh man there are a lot of irons in the fire right now. Fair warning: I'm going to be all over the place, so I'll number the points and questions.
1. Anon 1:18's assessment of TDB is 100% correct. I almost feel sorry for Danny. 2. Freak segments now mostly comprise of sports related topics. This is for all shows. Couple that with the new PD whose background is nothing but sports, I think it's obvious where they're going. 3. I don't understand why some of you think Gordon's retirement is imminent. How much money do you think these guys earn? They make a lot, true, but not enough to retire before the age of 55. As to "side gigs," how much do you think he makes spitting out what's tantamount to an op-ed piece 1-3 times per year, if that? That goes for any of his endeavors outside TT. He is a landlord, but that too won't afford him to live his current lifestyle. All these guys need the money. None of them got the considerable windfall Rhyner did when TT was sold to Susquehanna. Gordon's not going anywhere. Why would he? In case you haven't noticed, he's work averse. He will never ever ever ever find a gig that pays like this for such miniscule hours, doing the same characters over and again, year after year, doing pretty much what comes natural, and with full benefits and all the time off one could want. 4. While I'd like to think THZ is smarter than that, it wouldn't surprise me if they are gone, and have left for TF. If so, then as Surly said, it would have to be AM drive. Dan and Jake have made noise about now being morning people, etc. Oddly enough, said noise began around the time Whitt blew the roof off the local mediascape with his scoop (including THZ migrating to TF this spring). 5. If this (so far) completely unfounded rumor is true, then it would make sense that TSE's big announcement would pertain to their moving to 10-12 (aping TT schedule to go head to head vs all day parts) and to the advent of THZ AM drive. 6. The n.c. aspect of this is interesting. iHeart paying them to sit out 6 months (now 5 and some change if you think about it) isn't far fetched. What is also not far fetched is that in 6 months, a lot of the market might not give a shit about THZ. Out of sight, out of mind. If you think, "naw, I'll wait, I'm a HZ P1" that's not usually how it works. Just ask Mike Rhyner. 7. I concur that there's a weirdness to THZ absence. At this point, why hasn't anyone come out and said, "stop the nonsense, everyone, THZ will be back from vacation on ___ ." 8. If this is all a troll, then hats off to you madame or sir troll. As Carly Simon sang, "baby, you're the best." Ditto to Dan, Jake, and the rest of TT for playing along so well. 9. If real, and let's suppose for the sake of argument the market didn't move on from THZ and that they're helming AM drive, do they stand a chance vs DnM? I say they very well might. DnM haven't had a whiff of competition in nearly 2 decades. While they still have their moments, those moments are fewer and farther between. Gordo's bits now rarely clock in over 4 minutes and he hasn't had a genuinely new character in years. Moreover, due to whatever factor(s), the edginess is all but gone. Craig and George live such disparate lives now that even their chemistry isn't what it once was. In other words, there are holes in their game and those holes could be exploited. Could THZ, hang? I dunno. I think Dan is rather one dimensional and that Jake is one uncontrolled moment away from making a mess of his career. To me, at any rate, it's obvious there are times when he is literally biting his tongue. But more importantly, is THZ that good? I mean THAT good? Not so sure. AM drive means bits. Dan's bits are OK. Jake's are a poor imitation of Gordo/The Rant. Been there, done that.
Guess we'll find out soon enough. I for one hope this was all a troll.
As someone who is not a huge hangzone fan, I still do want them to stay at the ticket 100%. One of my biggest criticisms of the hangzone has been playing audio or podcasts bits. I think that works from 12-3, not AM drive.
ACL, that was a bad link talking about continuing employment after a contract ends. But anyway, if they got lowballed and decided to take an offer from the Freq, then there’s no enforceable noncompete, no?
Didn't they reup last year? Might be wrong here, but for some readon I thought they dud. At least Jake did. Also, wouldn't sich an announcement be an all hands on deck, major station announcement, and not a casually mentioned thing made by the least listened to show?
Former co-worker of mine is on-air in another market. I've seen his contract. I don't remember the exact non compete language, but it's basically 'in accepting the salary in paragraph whatever, contracted talent agrees to not accept employment with another media/radio/audio company in the (Market) MSA for a period of 6 months from the end of this contract. Don't know if that's common to all the major groups, but they're sheeple. What one does the others usually follow. And I've got a theory with nothing to back it up. Bob resigned a contract a few months ago. I bet Dan and Jake are negotiating or renegotiating their contract and with the ratings success, the 2 sides can't come to an agreement. From THZ perspective, they're probably pitching it as 'we're number 1 overall, pay us like it'. And Bennett/Catlin/Mary Burner are 'Um, no, we'll bump you up but we know these ratings will go back to the usual (#1 M25-54, not #1 6+). I bet this is a contract hold-out more than THZ to the freak.
However this plays out- they go or they stay - points have been deducted. What i have loved about the Ticket is Investment - when the Hosts open up on life, trips, thoughts etc..
-IF this is some sort of modified dry dock vacation - its one thing if its a week. It's another for as Surly points out, 3 out of 4 weeks. and NOTHING is said?!?! Thats Bullsh.
-IF this is a leave from the Mothership- - Good Luck, God Speed, We're All Counting on You. -- it feels like shooting yourself in the foot right before a Marathon.
-IF this is absolutely nothing & the show is back Monday- I'll catch the Top10 parts of it. As the name suggests...this has seriously become Tired Head. So Done. I actually hope they do go now - just to F up that already sinking ship of a station.
Jake did seem to have signed a contract last year, but it could have easily been a one year deal to sync up with Dan’s contract. Dan reported on Tony’s podcast that he signed a 4 year deal with a company option for another year in 2013. If he did the same in 2018, then 2023 would have been when that deal expired. And remember that 2013 contract was signed at the end of June
Are you suggesting TT is a sinking ship? Surely you mean TF. If you do mean TT, then please, by all means explain. If TF, please also explain how THZ further f's it up. And what do you mean by "We're All Counting on You"? Ditto with the marathon analogy. I guess I'm dense, but that comment doesn't make sense to me.
Oh boy. Ok...I'll agree with Dense. - We're all counting on you - thats from Airplane. Great flick, check it out. - Yeah the 'sinking ship' is Freq- to "F it up" means remove one of its current shows, Speak or BenSkin. -i was going to explain the other one but i felt like it'd actually confuse you more so just Disregard
FWIW, I'm pretty keyed into radio industry news, news sites, boards, and belong a few Facebook groups dedicated to radio. I even pay a monthly fee for some of news sites (I get the ratings and their breakdowns a day before they're made public). I've heard no buzz nor have I gotten a whiff of anything on this matter. I'm thinking this is all a big nothing burger. If anything it might be a contract hold out as 11:08 has suggested.
^^^^^ I hope you aren't an educator. Your understanding of proper nouns and capitalization in general is as odd as your syntax and construction. If you're going to make an attempt at being clever, you really ought to try harder. This is sad.
Gagree with 1159. Take that smug shit to reddit, dude. If that's what passes for hip and smart for you I dunno, maybe you should try harder. I mean cocky sniffin' someone for not getting a reference from a line of a movie that came out in 1980. Weak shit, bruh.
Listened in specifically because of the advertised “show announcement”, and you’re right. It was a rough, rough listen. Jeff really does seem like a nice guy, but that dude is just nails on a chalkboard to me.
When I found out Julie wasn’t present, I knew the announcement would not be a big deal. If the HZ comes over, they would have everyone in studio to announce it.
I've enjoyed DJ and Monty during the Musers' vacation adding Blake to the mix this week has been a beating for me. I'm sure he's a wonderful human, husband and father but he's just grates on me.
Re: Noncompetition agreements, sometimes called "covenants not to compete."
I've drafted dozens of them.
Of course, competition is foreclosed in any particular case depends on the language of the contract, so we don't really know what Jake's and Dan's situations are.
In general, however:
Competition is foreclosed following the expiration or earlier termination of the contract. There are exceptions -- for example, a termination without cause might not trigger the noncompete. Say there was a downsizing for economic reasons -- it wouldn't be fair under those circumstances to foreclose someone from finding a new job.
Texas law is a little screwy because noncompetes are governed by a statute. In addition to requiring that the limitation be "reasonable" in duration and geographic scope (six months to a year is usually considered a reasonable duration), the noncompete must be "ancillary" to an otherwise enforceable agreement. This unusual locution has caused a lot of confusion; however, employment contracts, where noncompetes are typically found, are considered "otherwise enforceable agreements" to which a noncompete may be "ancillary."
But here's the thing: Noncompetes do NOT prohibit an employee from PREPARING to compete, either while still employed or during the noncompete period. Whether merely being employed by iHeart without having a broadcast role would be permitted would depend on what D+J were doing during that period. Being paid to sit at home would certainly be allowed.
Noncompete controversies are frequently accompanied by disputes over trade secrets, which wouldn't seem to apply much to radio talkers.
So: If D+J have a typical noncompete of the sort we're imagining Danny, for example, had to observe, they would have to stay off the air in the DFW for the noncompete period. An interesting question is: What if they were stashed at a station outside the BROADCAST area of The Ticket? And let's assume that station streamed, so you could access their work online in the DFW? Noncompete law really hasn't entirely caught up with the digital age, so this is an open question. Another variation: They're on SiriusXM -- The Ticket isn't in that business, but they could still potentially impact The Ticket's business.
I regard whether D+J broadcasting from a non-DFW location where their work product may be heard in DFW would violate a noncompete as an open question.
But . . . my gut tells me they're not jumping from the Ticket MERELY for a slot on The Freak AS PRESENTLY CONSTITUTED. If, however, the package is part of some larger corporate strategy that does not tie them to the ACME anvil that is The Freak -- maybe.
I haven't abandoned the thought that Dan may leave without Jake. Hope neither goes, but things change; no one has a immutable interest in the status quo.
So, duck's lagoon, eh, 1221. That's a rather large body of water in S.America. I happen to know Portuguese, my wife is Portuguese, so I had to learn it. Well, I wanted to.
Yo, 1222, nice Tolkein cum Killing Joke ref. But that's where it ends. man. If yer gonna me tricky, at least stick with the vernacular. Neither post punk nor neomedieval work, my man. Nice try, but know your audience next time. Cheers.
As far as 906. and 928 -- obviously the same person -- goes, I mean, c'mon. That's John Cusack 80s stuff. No, worse. That shit's John Cusack High Fidelity trash.
Seriously. Work harder at your craft before presenting it to the public.
Pro Tip: Study The Financial Troll's work and learn from it. It has an almost preternatural sense of how to come off as genuine and yet still be fucking with everyone.
In all the years I've been doing this (14), no topic has attracted this number of comments this fast as the Dan+Jake mystery in this post and the last.
No, it's not Sirois. It's a reddit hero with stones of steel. Well, no. It's just another pathetic reddit troll. Who knows it might even be one of its OGs, that is, the OG MTC troll. You know who you are, you old fastfood fish sandwich you. You old fastfood fish sandwich with a view to harmonization. Yep. We know.
Yeah, someone posted an MTC thread on the reddit page regarding THZ stay or go controversy/conspiracy that's been going on here. As you can imagine, a lot of -ahem- love was shown towards this place. I imagine the asshat whose been leaving all the silly movie lines and whatnot is what 5:08 says, a 'brave' reddit keyboard warrior.
Moreover, I'm more and more coming to the conclusion that all of this HZ to TF stuff is one big troll. And if so, I'm leaning towards none other than Surly (Shaggy1310 on both TT and TF reddit pages) as its progenitor. They were the first to instigate this rumor on all three sites (MTC, TT - TF reddit) and have played a large role in keeping it going. I say this with massive respect and a hearty tip of the cap. If this is all a troll and if you're the source of it, Surly, then all I can say is 'bravo, 3 huzzahs, you da man, all hail the king.' Because let me tell you all, if a troll, then this is a genuine fucking masterwork. One for the ages. And I for one applaud it.
If not, let me pre say to Surly that I'm saaaawwwwreeeeee and I mean no offense.
I think something's up, although I'm skeptical that it involves D+J's departure or a the seismic shift in radio fortunes that some here have predicted.
I'm checking with sources, but so far, "radio" silence. See what I did there?
Pman's 11:52am comment only drives home the feeling that something is off. I was beginning to buy into it earlier in the week. By yesterday not so much. If Cumulus and TT staff knew THZ had left for TF, there would be obvious signs. TF hosts alone are unable to control themselves in any way, so one of them would've said something indicating something big was on the horizon. No way one of the edgier Gordo wannabe JV wouldn't have sacked up and made an oblique reference. By now someone would've have made it clear all isn't well.
I’m pretty certain, though not certainly certain, that crisis has been averted. Shouting down the hall of anonymity, from the high ground of anonymity, I can say with certainty that this particular crisis was set in motion, and had all but come to fruition, long before the rumors/trolling/panic came to a boil here and elsewhere on these sad/mean message board streets. Chalk it up to trolling if you’d like, but suffice it to say everything is going on out there more than we think it is.
Geez Anon 12:43 PM The Hang Zone and Trajan's annuity bonus adds might be gone from the Ticket and you choose to worry about how much tennis Corby will talk? Let's get real. Would be sad if those adds with Jake introducing the largest bonuses in the world were suddenly off the Ticket.
This is why I think it's a troll and being perptrated and perpetuated by none other than Surly/Shaggy (they started the entire thread on TF reddit page):
r/thefreak971 iconGo to thefreak971 r/thefreak971
• 11 days ago by shaggy1310 Join
Anticipating the Dan and Jake move to The Freq Seems like it's incredibly likely at this point. I will listen every day. Just to their show though.
Who is GN? The Ticket is going to have to say something this week. They can't keep playing us all as idiots (or can they) if THZ is still out this week? Has anyone seen any chatter on Freak sites about impending seismic shift?
GN is “Gypo Nolan”, the protagonist of the 1935 John Ford film “The Informer” played by Victor McLaglan for which he and Ford won Oscars. The implication is that GN is an insider.
Just checked out The Hang Zone website and there are NO NEW audio segments after June 30th. Bulletin from Dallas...The Hang Zone is dead. Time of death approximately 3 pm local time June 30th 2023.
Some random comment earlier mentioned the hang zone leaving to something no one has mentioned. I know the original freak rumors that came true, also mentioned hangzone going too, so that gives it some merit I guess. But I really just can’t imagine them going to the freak unless the freak is doing some 10 year contract or whatever in case the station fails.
Also, this stuff just gets so annoying. We don’t even know what’s goin on in any way, but it just reminds me of athletes holding out for more. Ultimately I want the host to be treated fairly, and want what’s good for them, but ultimately I’m just a fan. They’re my entertainment and that’s what I want them to keep being.
I hate to do this because I don't really have any hard information, but I did hear from a source who has been reliable in the past that things may be shaking at the 'ol Ticket. He wasn't specific and I've tried to pry a little more out of him. He did NOT mention Dan and Jake.
ReplyDeleteI agree that it would not seem to make much sense for D+J to leave.
UNLESS . . . unless iHeart has gone to them and said: We're making a commitment to KEGL. Yeah, The Freak was and is a cluster, but we're getting out the broom. You're our cornerstone. Here is a large bag of money that will pay your yard guy for six months while you hang. Then, of course, D+J go back to Catlin/Bennett and show them an iPhone shot of this big bag with a dollar sign on it and say, can you beat this?
Wild-guessing. iHeart may have identified D+J as loose in the socket from the outset and is poking at The Ticket's soft underbelly.
Here's a thought I've had: Dan, but not Jake. Jake does have reason to be grateful to The Ticket, although gratitude only takes one so far. Dan has always been something of a maverick at the station, not "one of the guys" in quite the same way as the other hosts.
All right, I'm hallucinating. Stay tuned
I think some type of shake up is inevitable with norm retiring
ReplyDeleteSomething does seem off. I'm still hearing Dan and Jake spots. Am I misremembering or were neither D nor J involved in even one so ling Nirm segment?
ReplyDeleteFurther irresponsible speculation without even a hint of evidence: Jake to an expanded Donovan show, and Dan paired with another -- although I don't know of anyone strong enough at The Ticket to balance him out. This might also fit with a Dan-solo-to-KEGL scenario.
ReplyDeleteAlthough, as several here have noted, given The Ticket's ratings surge, messing with success would not seem to be an indicated strategy, especially for someone as savvy as Cat.
Speaking of KEGL: It has also occurred to me that iHeart might be considering a massive housecleaning, installing professional sports broadcast teams, a rebranding, switch to sports/guy, and a more robust digital strategy, perhaps syndicating or finding a spot on Sirius/XM. Dan + Jake wouldn't be a bad start.
Hey, this is fun!
They were out that week, but came back into the studio for his final farewell segment.
ReplyDeleteThere is no doubt in my mind that SOMETHING was going to happen with Dan and Jake or still might. And just because they may show up on air this week or next week doesn't mean something wasn't very close to happening, like with the Hardline in 2009 and with BaD Radio in 2013.
It is entirely not normal for a show to be out for 3 weeks out of 4 (assuming they're out all this week)
Or maybe they're on vacay.
ReplyDeleteok yep looks like they're out all week.
ReplyDeleteAgain, I don't ever recall an entire show being gone for 3 out of 4 weeks during summer dry dock
But they keep mentioning THZ and that people are filling in. I can’t imagine them doing that if Dan and Jake aren’t coming back. Maybe they really did hold out to get Norms money.
ReplyDeleteIn a previous post the alleged insider alluded to diarrhea and holding onto butt. Is that a veiled reference to George Commander Dunham as in the Dunham zone. Musers gone?
ReplyDeleteAssuming negotiation have been ongoing they wouldn't know for sure whether they'll be back or not, no reason to alter promos. The thing that sticks out the most to me is ZERO mention of this vacation by Dan or Jake prior to it starting. I hope everything's normal and they're back next week but just imagine the shitstorm if they're still out on Monday.
ReplyDeleteyet half of reddit will be saying "stfu this is dry dock and happens every year" even if they're out again next week
ReplyDeleteThis is the post that is alluding to the Musers IMO:
ReplyDeleteAnonymousJuly 9, 2023 at 11:51 PM
Well, MTC folk, I'm here to tell you that the local radio scene is about to be shaken up in a most serious way. The Freak is about to add the juice it needs to be a serious contender with The Ticket. In fact, it might usurp The Ticket's reign in a matter of months, across all day parts.
Hold onto your butts. Hold on for dear life. Explosive diarreah looms just beyond the morrow.
This is not a test. You have been warned.
Maybe Gordon is leaving
ReplyDelete(Not for The Freak. Just leaving)
ReplyDeleteLeaving for where if not the competition? Dan and Jake are too young to Retire so are you referring to just Gordon like retiring from everyday radio to do his side gigs?
DeleteSomething's definitely going on. Has it really been nearly a month worth of nonHZ proper shows? If so, that's unlike any drydock I've ever seen, and I've been listening since the loop. That is, Day 1.
ReplyDeleteYeah, just leaving radio. It seems he's had things going on personally that sound not so pleasant. Hospital visits (he's mentioned this on his twitch stream), missed HZ and Hardline appearances, etc.
ReplyDeleteAlso of note completely unrelated to HZ and Gordon, Bob is starting a paid Substack to replace his lost The Athletic gig
All this has an off vibe to it, for sure. Like 122, I too have been a long long time listener and have never seen any dry dock like this. And for one show I might add. The other shows seem to be for the most part, but not entirely, taking a staggered vacation. But not THZ. If it weren't for TF rumors coming to fruition pretty much exactly as advertised and THZ being thrown in with what we now know to be not rumor but facts--with the caveat that it would make the move this spring--I wouldn't be as concerned. We're only a couple of weeks and change into the summer, so the timing of all this might be coincidental. If it's coincidental, then it's a helluva coincidence. The more I reflect on it, the more it seems like, as Surly says, something's in the works and just because they show back up doesn't mean they nearly didn't. That their ad spots and show promos are being played, and that Donnie and the gang are saying, "filling in for THZ" doesn't necessarily indicate all is well. Anyone who's been around this long enough will well remember the silence and play along as if nothing's happened when Greggo went to rehab and later when he was fired. It took awhile before the truth of the matter was aired on both occasions. I'm gettting the sense that that's what might be taking place here. I also get the sense that other than it really is a case of THZ on dry dock and some scheduling snafus, at the very least they, like THL in '09 and BaD in '13, had one foot and 4 toes out the door. At the very least. But when you start to piece everything together, it shouldn't surprise anyone if, as a commenter said in the previous thread (reposted in this thread) the landscape around these parts is about to be dramatically altered. Perhaps and even probably resulting in lines drawn and loyalties divided in a way that will make the OG Freq stuff look like a silly string fight. Imagine this turn of event: TT goes from having an unprecedented run of numbers that in the words of Rhyner would stun a mastodon; only to have arguably its future anchor show to bolt to the station its (in their eyes, at least) turncoat founder schemed up and join forces with the rest of the ex-pats who were less than truthful on their way out.....and then have said unprecedented run ended, and now the turncoat station that was a joke (as was the turncoat founder) kills the king and turns the tables in a most forceful way. Crazy? I dunno. We've seen a lot of crazy around here over the past year.
ReplyDeleteI went back in the uSaveIt archives and it sounds like Dan and Jake did a show on Monday, July 3. That was just last week. They didn’t stay for WTDS though. Could that be wrong?
ReplyDelete211 it was just a replay on July 3rd.
ReplyDeleteI believe that was an old show played last minute. The reason given was some sort of scheduling mishap.
ReplyDeleteNah, last Monday was a HZ podcast replay, which is what started this whole weirdness.
ReplyDelete^^^^^Good chance I just don't remember, but I don't think I've ever heard a show replayed during its regular time slot like that. For a station that seems pretty damn well run, that was odd AF.
ReplyDeleteyes, and by all accounts HZ was supposed to be in all that week except for 7/4
ReplyDeleteMaybe I hallucinated it but I swear DJ said yesterday that all shows would be back next week.
ReplyDeleteIf he didn't name HZ specifically then I think it's meaningless
ReplyDeleteIn the opening segment from that replay from last Monday, Dan mentions that he wants to put a free generator in his new contract or something like that.
ReplyDeleteWhat if The Hang Zone isn't a show anymore
ReplyDeletemindblown.gif
I'm beginning to think you've gone back to the future, Shaggy. As in pre and early MTC days. For all who aren't aware, Surly was once a world class, and I mean world class, troll. A true master of the craft. Guess we'll find out Monday.
ReplyDeleteThe thing that makes me think that this speculation is all wrong is that Corby has definitely said Dan compiled all the WTDS content at least once in the last couple of days. If I were in contract negotiation or planning a move, I doubt I would want to put forth that effort. I do think it is odd that no one has said Dan and Jake will be back on Monday (or any other day) as far as I know. That may just be part of the bit or a coincidence.
ReplyDeleteI mean, sure, it could be possible one moves on. That woul necessitate the sirt of shake up Plainsman's source has hinted at.
ReplyDeleteWhat if......Jake is going to take over the pre and post-game duties for the Cowboys games?
ReplyDeleteHe is burning his vacation time now because he couldn't take any time off during the season or potential post season games. Dan goes along with it because he's a "team player" these days.
Pardon my Boomer thinking but unless iHeart makes a humongous money whip here why would they walk away from the benefits, seniority, and security (as secure as anything can be in that business) to head off to an upstart?
Jske with two small kids and Dan with two that are about to hit him with out-of-state college tuition does it make sense to change horses in the middle of the stream?
Wow, Gopher, you're in your 69s or 70s?
ReplyDeleteI also know there’s a lot of hangzone enthusiasts, I wouldn’t call myself one, but even so, if I was them I wouldn’t assume that all their fans would just move over to the freak to listen. Example being, all the shows over there now lol.
ReplyDeleteI will be shocked if either Dan or Jake leaves. That said, it wouldn't affect my listening one bit. I enjoy Jake's Cowboys and Mavs takes, but that's about it. The rest is a big meh for me. Background noise. What I did very much enjoy today was The DoJo Cats. Donnie and Trahan make for such a good pairing. I know it won't happen due to Joe's Cowboys beat duties, but man oh man that would make 10-12 some must hear radio.
ReplyDeleteAnom 6:47
ReplyDelete67 if it matters.
It ain't always about the money. Just don't wake up one day at 55 and go "What the hell am I going to retire on"? If it's still there when you retire is basically beer money these days. Best have a backup plan.
Maybe more people were listening to Norm than we thought.
Let the "sky is falling " post begin.
https://radioinsight.com/ratings/dallas-fort-worth/
Social Security is currently beer money.
ReplyDeleteWish we had the ability to edit here.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/229408/research-director-inc-exclusive-june-23-ppm-analys
HZ numbers are excellent. Then again, so are all numbers, regardless of the show. My guess is that the overwhelming majority of listeners are brand listeners. They'll listen to TT no matter what. The fact that TDB in particular and TF as a whole has so far been a lead balloon attests to this. All the breathless oaths of allegiance to Sirois/Chael/Sea Cow/Mikey, and yet they barely register a pulse. All dire warnings of the end of TT, the cruelty of Cat and Cumulus, the dissertation length comments on living wages, and the ride or die with everyone's leader, Mike Rhyner - - - - all amounted to a handful of keyboard warriors pissing in the wind. If THZ is gonzo, it'll find itself in the same boat. Especially if they're waiting out a 6 month (at least) noncompete. 6 months in this business is a long f'n time. A lot of forgetting happens in 6 months. If the boys are Freak bound, mark it down: like Rhyner, they too will learn a hard lesson. Difference is, Rhyner's had his career, is a HoFer, and financially set. Neither Dan nor Jake have any of that.
ReplyDeleteJoe Trahan was OK with Donnie -- not a lot more than OK, but I'd listen -- but he needs to learn to use a radio mic. We can't see his lips move like on TV, and too often he let his voice drop to a mumble at the end of phrases.
ReplyDeleteDan is financially set
ReplyDeleteWHOA!
ReplyDeleteWe here at My Ticket Confession sometimes tend to, ah . . . um . . . overinterpret what we hear on the air.
In keeping with that tradition:
Just a few minutes ago on the stream, The Hardline was talking about 7-11 Slurpees and DQ Blizzards and requiring alcohol in their drinks, when everyone kind of talked at once, and there may have been a deletion that I didn't catch, and everyone laughed at whatever it was that was funny that I didn't catch, and then Bob said (not sure about the first few words, gut the last three are accurate):
"Now I guess we're all on vacation."
Could Hang Zone's absence be disciplinary in nature? Seems unlikely -- too long, and no one has suggested any on-air indiscretion that might prompt it.
Also Jake already does Cowboys post-game. I can’t tell if that was a serious post but just in case.
ReplyDeleteAnd both of Dan’s daughters are already in college.
Well well well, TF pulled another 1.1 cume. TT fell back to its mean at 5.1, which makes sense. Those numbers were, ahem, freakishly high and in no way sustainable. No matter, they're #2 in the market over all and those numbers are still boffo. Sky's not falling, Gopher. Yeah yeah yeah, I know you're kidding, you youngster, you.
ReplyDeleteFunny how a station who's new playlist basically follows the KEOM format is #1 and got there in 2 weeks time. Funny how people actually like music. Songs that have structure. That don't wholly consist of mindless repetition. Funny, that.
Can't wait to see the day part breakdowns.
If THZ are going to TF, good bleepin' luck, boys. You're gonna need that and a miracle. I guess if they have an insane amount of money that is guaranteed, OK. Other than that, no way they go. No. Way.
OK. Just checked out that link. H/T Gopher. WTF how long will iHeart keep this facade of a station going?
ReplyDeleteMaybe that's THZ angle? iHeart sold them on an all sports flip with a reconstructed staff with them as the centerpiece? AM or PM drive, obviously. Maybe OG-ish Hardline with Rhynes, Greggo, Danny, and Sirois bookending the opposite of THZ? HZ AM / HL PM? 86 B&S and add a hungry Monty and other JVers or bring in an outsider. Coop? He's already at KEGL via The Mavs. Something has to give. As is this is a failure unlike any I can remember.
P-man: Ham played the Blue Bell song which was a big issue for them years ago with some bit they did. Bob's reaction was related to that
ReplyDeleteTo add to the Monty middays. Anyone hear his gifts to the Tier 1 hosts bit? If that couldn't be seen as a parting middle finger, I don't know what would. He even smacked Dan Bennett. Just saying.
ReplyDeleteHe's done that bit on the weekends before, it's nothing new and I greatly doubt indicative of anything other than having some fun.
ReplyDeleteHe’s also done it weekdays when he fills in for Gordon
ReplyDeleteI think the 732p Anon nails it. P1's are more loyal to the brand than the individual shows. and I think the internet overemphasizes the importance of people on the internet. Look at those numbers, there's a lot more listeners (almost 400K) than people who post here or reddit. For all the talk of leaders, ride-or-dies, etc, the average listener doesn't hang out here or the Ticket sub redddit and just wants 30 minutes of sports and entertainment on their way to and from work. And clearly the Ticket does a better job of delivering that than the freak. they don't care about Mike Mike and Danny at the freak talking about themselves or their mindless topics, they care about catching a little sports on their drive home. And the ticket delivers that.
ReplyDeleteAnd here's something to consider. This is the June book. 5/25 to 6/21. No NFL draft, no campound, etc. Memorial Day weekend, school out, etc. Anybody besides me catch the promo about 'schools out, kids in the car, but you can still listen to TT and stay a P1"? TT usually takes a dive in summer before roaring back in late summer/early fall with football season. I've seen comments elsewhere that this was a bad book for them. LOL, they're still #2 overall in what can charitably be called a sports desert.
C
For those that can't wait for Welpton's post to reddit, the M25-54 rankings -
ReplyDeleteM-Su, 6a-mid, TT-1st, Fan-3rd, TF Tied 24th
M-F 6a-7p, TT-1st, Fan- 3rd, TF 21st
M-F dayparts
6a-10a- 1st, 6th, 23rd
10a-12p- 1st, 3rd, T20th
12p-3p- 1st, 3rd, T20th
3p-7p, 1st, 2nd, T13th
7p-Mid, 1st, 2nd, T22nd
The really interesting thing to me is the lack of linkage between the stations ratings. Like when the Eagle went away, KZPS and KVIL went up. Look at the Radio Insight link posted above. Ticket has a 'bad' month and loses 1.5 shares 6+ (6.6 to a 5.1). And all the Freak can do is go from a 1.0 to a 1.1. I'd love to see a breakdown of cume sharing between TT and TF. Because clearly, when the Ticket loses audience, the Freak isn't picking it up.
Thanks for that breakdown. Eye opening, nay, jarring to say the least. How has TF not yet been dismantled? Surely it's in the offing, no? Has to be. Rhyner's show alone is being trounced bt WRR pm drive. And it'sTF's highest rated show. Let that sink in.
ReplyDeleteSeems like a big improvement in Freq numbers
ReplyDelete*snort laughs*
Delete1.0 to 1.1 is a big improvement?
DeleteSurly- maybe it’s an improvement in PM drive, but the rest of their show ratings are mired in the 20s. They have bad ratings overall and a greatly increased payroll cost. I think the closer we get to October and the 1 year anniversary, the greater the odds of changes being made. Because that’s less money they would need to pay out in contract buy outs. I can tell you any decent radio executive is looking at the ratings for the Spot , aka KLUV, and KZPS in this past book and theorizing market moves. Maybe it’s bringing back the Eagle wholesale. Maybe it’s something else. But the last 6 months of the Ticket ratings has proven Omar right. When you come at the king you best not miss. And the Freak not only missed, they actually focused the staff and the P1 to record ratings.
ReplyDeleteC
it now has been posted.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.reddit.com/r/theticket/comments/14xp2gy/june_ratings_update/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
watching what happens in July, with Norm's departure, dry dock and whatnot that's been taking place, to see how that is reflected in TT's numbers. Has the station moved itself into "juggernaut status" where even substantial changes (internally or externally) don't dramatically impact its ratings performance or is it still susceptible to those factors. I have to believe the latter is the reality, but I also never imagined KTCK (with all its technical and format obstacles) could reach, much less sustain #1 6+ for more than half a year. so, we'll see!
1.2 to 1.4 (+16%) 25th to 23rd
ReplyDelete1.2 to 1.6 (+33%) 23rd to 20th
.8 to 1.5 (+87%) 28th to 20th
1.8 to 2.4 (+33%) 20th to 13th
big improvement
of course they also had a one month big improvement that went away quickly earlier this year (Feb book)
Go away, Chael. The market for you left the building months and months ago. Never coming back. Like your leader, you too have been exposed.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Surly, for clearly showing how data can be misleading when given without context. I'll explain more when I return from a meeting.
ReplyDeleteIf you went on one date last year and your resolution was to date more, then 2 dates the next year is a 100% increase!!! So Ben and Skin are up 87%! That’s good! Or is it? An established show in the market, experienced broadcasters who are assumed to be professionals, on the same station they’ve been on for years, in the same basic daypart they’ve had for years, and the best they can do is a 1.5 and tied for 20th. To put it another way, they’re getting beat in their target demo by stations that don’t target their target demo. I haven’t looked at this month yet, but looked this up a few months ago, the Freak is being beat in men by “chick” stations like KLTY, Kiss, Mix, etc. as someone posted above, they’re losing to WRR.
ReplyDeleteI think looking at an 87% improvement is not seeing the forest for the trees. Yes it’s improvement, but they have a long way to go and a short time to get there. Iheart is not in the business of letting failing radio stations continue to eat up a frequency
C
I'm getting the feeling an announcement is imminent
ReplyDeleteMy understanding of the current state of non compete clauses, you can not accept, hold, take, promise, etc a job that violates your non compete during the period of your Non compete. For example, Danny Bayless was very specific that his non compete ended on a Friday, the Greak called him on Monday, he interviewed that week, and was hired to start the next Monday. In the days of corporate HR departments, EEOC regs and the like, I highly doubt that’s what really happened, but that is the story we hear because it’s legally the safe story. So we may hear the news that Dan and Jake are quitting. We won’t hear about them going to the freak for 6 months. 6 months for the ticket to establish Donnie and friends 10-3 and watch people forget the Hang zone.
ReplyDeleteC
Don’t take Freaks numbers in a vacuum. Since the comparison is relative to the Ticket you need to see the percentage change in the Delta. Old Book Delta = Ticket share - Freak share. Now do the same with the new book. Then take old books delta divided by new book delta. The numbers on the right hand side of the decimal can be multiplied by 100. That will give you the percentage chance relative to the ticket.
ReplyDeleteMeant to say percentage change.
DeleteThe problem with that method is it still lacks context. Yes TT went down, yes the Freak went up, but a few things. TT was flush with extremely high numbers. The May 12.4 was an outlier compared to the months before that, a 9.0 and 10.2. Their “down” 9.9 is still higher than their March 9 and is probably inside the statistical MOE of the 10.2. Additionally, so the Ticket is down 2.5 shares. Both the Fan and the Freak are only up .5 each. Generally you’ll see horse trading - when Wolf is up KSCS is down and vice versa. Here looking at months past, often TT, TF and the fan are all up in the same month. It’s more p2s listening to sports than one station converting the others listeners:
ReplyDeleteC
Having had contracts in TX with non compete’s multiple times I was able to sign a new agreement provided a sag out the specified time frame and fulfilled the term of my prior agreement. I was no precluded from accepting compensation to sit home, in 2 cases for a year.
ReplyDeleteu/JeffCavanaugh says
ReplyDeleteAnd we ain’t going anywhere. This things cookin in the right direction. Much ❤️
Well, at this juncture ANY number exceeding .1 for him is "cookin in the right direction." So I don't blame him for hanging on for dear life to any positive news whatsoever. Though he and the rest of TF gang ought to cool their jets, find a modicum of humility, and wait for the next couple of books before taking yet another victory lap. Alas, as they've shown over and again, that's not their style.
ReplyDeleteWhy do you think that, Surly?
ReplyDeletehe and KT are consistent sunshine pumpers over there, always implying that iHeart has made a long term commitment to them personally with no chance that they will go anywhere any time soon
ReplyDeletebut what else would they say, other than to simply not post on reddit so much
Funnily enough, they were both completely silent in the HZ to TF thread in TF Reddit
DeleteOK. Thanks for clarifying.
ReplyDeleteTo be clear a non compete means you can’t compete, it does not mean you can’t be compensated to sit on the sidelines and burn off your arbitrary silent period. Hell I know people who’ve been paid millions - in Texas - to take an extended vacation.
ReplyDeleteSomething's going on. Be it HZ to TF with a 6 mo or whatevs paid n.c. vacay and/or a Ticket schedule/show shake up and/or a Freak schedule/show shake up, something's brewing. Too many weirdy vibes going down. Too many who usually are sosh active are suddenly inactive. Too much 'playing radio' with drops and mentions alluding to something(s) going on behind the scenes. Now suddenly from out of nowhere, So Anonymous chimes in with a cryptic 'hello.' Just a whole lotta too much. I'm with Surly, whatever it is, it's about to drop.
ReplyDeleteInteresting info coming out Monday
ReplyDelete@623
ReplyDeleteSo Anonymous is Sirois. Who knows if this particular SA is the genuine article. We haven't heard a peep from SA since his identity (Sirois) became known. But. Wouldn't surprise me if this one is him. I could see him gloating over his show rising to 13th in their time slot (still being beat out by WRR, the classical music station, in that very time slot).
Oh yeah, 6:46. Do tell.
ReplyDeleteI bet come Monday, THZ is back and an announcement is made about 10-12. Did I miss it or did Sam Gannon not sit in with Donnie?
ReplyDelete25-54: 1. KTCK 2. KLNO 3. KHKS 4. KVIL 5. KSCS 6. KPLX (up from #9) 8. KZPS (down from #3)
ReplyDelete18-49: 1. KLNO 2. KVIL 3. KHKS 4. KSCS (up from #10) 5. KTCK (down from #1)
Notice the coveted 25-54 demo. TT is still #1.
Aside: The #2 in 25-54 and #1 18-49 has a playlist that damn near mirrors what KEOM now offers (60s-90s pop hits). This station, The Spot (formerly KLUV), hasn't been around 3 months. That ought to tell us something about what the public wants. iHeart would be best served going back to playing music. Maybe ditch The Eagle moniker but fill the void of modern hard rock. Hard to believe the 4th/5th largest market in the country does not have such a station.
TT's unprecedented ratings run is an outlier. Many are still trying to account for it, as it didn't add up. This book is much more like it and reflects the historical data going back now nearly 2 decades.
As far as TF goes, only TDB has made any sort of meaningful gains. But even those have to be put into perspective. When your PM drive, anchor show with a host the entire station has been built around "boosts" itself to 13th place, while it might be a sign of improvement, it's decidedly nothing to write home about. IN fact, there is a very good chance 13th place is an outlier. Meanwhile the station as a whole across all parts pulled in a whopping 1.1, up from 1.0. Do understand how awful that number is. Jeff Cavanaugh appears to think boiling water with a live frog in it is Michelin Star cheffing. Another aside: If I were the new iHeart PD, I'd place a cease and desist on Cavanaugh, KT, and any other staff member with poor self control from commenting on reddit or any other form of social media.
If KT and Jeff were silenced, how would I get my supply of pumped sunshine??
DeleteFair point.
DeletePman - did you delete Sirois’ comment on this thread from July 12 or did he?
ReplyDeleteI did not.
ReplyDeleteWeird - I thought he was an outlaw that says what he wants
ReplyDeleteif you listen to their show you'll see that saying what he wants is mostly laughing while danny drives the boat
ReplyDeleteBeen popping in TDB all week to see if either Mike lets on something's coming down the pipeline. So far, no indicators. What I have heard is an extremely low energy Sirois, a silent Rhyner, an over giggling Grubes, and Danny basically producing the show while solo hosting it. Props to Danny for actually trying, for actually doing the job he's being paid to do and yrying his damnedest to do it the right way - while simultaneously acting as another f/t position, producer, and trying to go about it the right way, as well. Saying all that, it's an awful show. Danny deserves better.
Deleteapparently The Speakeasy has a major station announcement at 7:15 tomorrow
ReplyDeletecheck that--show announcement, not station announcement
ReplyDeleteJulie leaving due to her husband getting a gig outside of Dallas, perhaps?
ReplyDeleteBack when the HZ didn't go to the Fan didn't they take some time off after they deal with the Ticket was done? I don't know if it was a week but I seem to recall they took at least some time off after to decompress and get their heads right with ball.
@833 You are correct. So Anon - Sirois's comment is gone. However, you have to post using a URL in order to delete or edit your comment. Which Sirois did not. I take it there's a workaround?
ReplyDeleteHZ to TF mornings, TSE moving to 10-12 to go head to head v Donnie and partner??????
ReplyDeleteOn purpose or not, eh, buddy, you just hit the nail squarely on the head. Kill shot, friendo.
DeleteEveryone best brace themselves. Come Monday the local sports guy talk radio landscape will be forever changed. Loyalties will be severely tested. Most severely tested. Heroes will become villains. Butts will be hurting. In the interim, I highly suggest each of you, one and all, clutch onto yours as tightly as you possibly can. This one's gonna be a bitch.
TC producing THZ at TF?
ReplyDeleteLike, um, well, like, um I don’t know.
DeleteYeah seems like THZ is definitely gone but I'm questioning if Monty and Blake would follow simply because they'd be in the mix for some of those seats at the table at TT to replace them. And my guess is that 10-12 at TT will no longer exist as it will be extended a few more hours. That timeslot was grandfathered in for Norm as it made sense for him but moving forward, I don't think the station would commit two hosts for only a two hour show.
ReplyDeleteWhen do you think the Chris Arnold show aired?
ReplyDeleteor maybe I misunderstood the question
ReplyDeleteTC being involved would guarantee that "I never listen to the Hangzone"
ReplyDeleteSurly I'm 1:49 - Chris Arnold was 10-12 in the 90s before Norm right? But that timeslot originated at a different time for the station and in radio in general. It was a perfect spot in the lineup for Norm so it made sense to keep it going all these years. But I wonder if management will think it is worth it to continue 10-12 with a Norm replacement. Even though it's only 2 hours, it's still a host spot and a seat at the table. Especially if the noise is true about THZ leaving and opening a big hole during middays. Could be the right time for them to do some restructuring. 105.3's afternoon show goes from 2-7 PM but I believe they have 4 hosts. I could see something with Donovan + 3 others from the farm system
ReplyDeleteyeah that could be true. 10-3 just seems like a looooong slot to fill (mark)
ReplyDeleteI guess I'll believe it when I see it...if true, this really feels like a Bad Decision, Coach....but $$$ can definitely alter a line of thinking.
ReplyDeleteSo if they do split to 97.1--- more than likely the 7-11am slot, I'd assume. & they'd have to sit out til around January, right? So all of college and nfl...add no Training Camp, no Radio Row ( i guess unless Freq goes full Sports and wants a seat at the table).
I really thought this had more to do with new potential shift/lineup possibilities post-Norm. I still kinda do...but more and more leaning to a Show exit
Maybe they're gonna fight the noncompete?
ReplyDeleteHow about
6-9 Speakeasy
9-12 Ben & Skin
12-3 Dan + Jake
3-7 Downbeat
Tell me more about this fighting the non compete. When Cumulus takes them to court and gets a TRO forbidding them from going on another station, and Dan and Jake assume personal liability for economic damages if they do broadcast, tell me how they’re going to fight that? Is Dan going to convince a federal judge not to grant the TRO with a killer sardonic quip? With Jake fire up the courtroom by stating “ legal processes are like super gay”?
DeleteAnd as for adding a 4th show, I’m sure iheart is salivating at adding another half a million in salaries to a station already underperforming the Eagles billing by 30-40%.
I would think for Dan and Jake to leave it would be for a drive time spot. I’m sure they could leave for just $ reasons, but I’d think they’d want am drive.
ReplyDeleteThat would be a tough battle. Unless they also know that Gordon is leaving
ReplyDeleteOr maybe
ReplyDelete6-10 Dan Jake Julie TC
10-1 KT Cavanaugh
1-4 Ben Skin
4-7 Downbeat
And I’m outta here…
ReplyDeleteTC? Really? He's been out of radio for what, 10 years now? You don't go from that to part of a top 5 market show...especially on an iHeart station. Fat chance.
ReplyDeleteiHeart can easily say, "we know a company you can sit at for 6 months and work on content, and get paid, then you can start"
ReplyDeleteJulie will go with Kelly, so, if he stays in hockey, she is gone.
Gordon, I suspect will leave soon. Just sensing a lot of "s going on", not sure if he is having to be a care provider or not, but random absences can be a toll on a guy caring for people, especially when said guy probably doesn't "need" the income.
Will the reorganize this schedule, they should.
Do I think Rich Phillips pairs with Donnie, yes, if they stay in that slot. Rich gives it a little older feel, which might cater to some of the Jesse types who still tune in at that time.
Can I see THZ doing AM drive... they can try, but that may also be enough to get the musers even more fired up to compete.
Not holding my butt, but I might have to have popcorn on hand soon, just to read the troll messages
He’s had a weekend show on the freq since last October
ReplyDeleteForbesy left the Stars because they wanted out of the NHL. He’s not taking a job with another NHL team unless it was a massive promotion. They have too many ties here
ReplyDeleteNone of this makes sense. I’m pulling numbers out of my rear, so I’ll try not to sound idiotic, but let’s say TF is guaranteeing D&J a raise of $100K-$150K each. Let’s also assume iHeart won’t be letting anyone go since the announcement is coming on the Speakeasy’s show and B&S have incriminating photos of all DFW media members, and so TF will just reshuffle the deck chairs. Why in the world would iHeart take on even more (substantial) payroll to add to that sinking ship?
ReplyDeleteFrom D&J’s perspective, that type of raise would be the only way I’d entertain going to TF. But, you’re not getting that bump to sit 12-3, you’re going to have to do AM or PM drive. So how much of a ratings increase will iHeart see with them going against the Musers? The only way it makes sense in PM drive is if they take over for Rhyner (iHeart reallocates Mike’s salary between D&J). Does Dan, Jake, Danny and Sirois move the needle at all for the masses (not Reddit) in DFW? You’re not putting up a billboard with that lineup.
Plus, you’ll either have to sit out 6 months and hope you have a job when you get on air in January (when nothing is going on sports-wise assuming another early Cowboys bow out) or pay out the nose, lawyer up and wait for litigation to play out to fight the noncompete in court. Further, D&J have had 9 months to sample TF and hear the life get drained out of their former colleagues Julie, Danny, Mike and Mike. Have any of you listened for more than 5 minutes? Do any of these people seem like they’re enjoying any of this?
If this is legit, I don’t get it from anyone’s perspective.
I think your analysis is spot-on
DeleteI still think the simplest explanation to THZ absence is that Norm's announcement threw a wrench in dry dock schedules. Maybe they were scheduled to be out Norm's last week and the following week, but with the bomb dropping of Norm leaving, that plan got scrubbed. They gave them that first week out, asked them to come back in the following week as a little bridge, and then said "now go take your two weeks." But hell I don't know.
ReplyDelete533 nails it. Once Monday rolls around we're going to find out all of this was one giant trollin' fart of a dumpster fire started and stoked on at least 3 pages (MTC, reddit/Ticket, and reddit/Freak) by a regular, named, MTC/redditTicket/redditFreak contributor.
ReplyDeleterut row
DeleteSo why not a single word from any person associated with the ticket stating that Dan and Jake will be back on Monday? And why have Dan and Jake gone completely silent on twitter?
ReplyDeleteJake recently stated on air his deliberate avoidance of twitter before dry dock. Said he’s tired of twitter fights. As to Dan, now sure.
Delete(533 here) no idea why the station hasn't said anything other than they're enjoying the show. Jake has been light on Twitter for some time now and has talked about that on air - how much better life is when you're not constantly online. Dan is a sporadic tweeter at best.
ReplyDeleteUnless Corby is lying (again...not a stretch) Dan continues to supply all the WTDS content and several entries sure sound like Dan commentary.
My guess is we know Monday.
What would you have them say? I love the ticket imaging. Mildly funny, constantly new stuff unlike most music stations, etc. so write me the promo you think they should run. “ hey redditors who over obsess about the Ticket,THZ is back from a long vacation on Monday. So are the musers, but we’re not including them in this promo because y’all aren’t losing your “S” over them”
DeleteWhy I’d love to hear that promo, Catlin and John Michaels are too disciplined for that.
I just now figured out who the PD is at 97.1. He had a national show on Fox Sports Radio.
ReplyDeleteMan oh man there are a lot of irons in the fire right now. Fair warning: I'm going to be all over the place, so I'll number the points and questions.
ReplyDelete1. Anon 1:18's assessment of TDB is 100% correct. I almost feel sorry for Danny.
2. Freak segments now mostly comprise of sports related topics. This is for all shows. Couple that with the new PD whose background is nothing but sports, I think it's obvious where they're going.
3. I don't understand why some of you think Gordon's retirement is imminent. How much money do you think these guys earn? They make a lot, true, but not enough to retire before the age of 55. As to "side gigs," how much do you think he makes spitting out what's tantamount to an op-ed piece 1-3 times per year, if that? That goes for any of his endeavors outside TT. He is a landlord, but that too won't afford him to live his current lifestyle. All these guys need the money. None of them got the considerable windfall Rhyner did when TT was sold to Susquehanna. Gordon's not going anywhere. Why would he? In case you haven't noticed, he's work averse. He will never ever ever ever find a gig that pays like this for such miniscule hours, doing the same characters over and again, year after year, doing pretty much what comes natural, and with full benefits and all the time off one could want.
4. While I'd like to think THZ is smarter than that, it wouldn't surprise me if they are gone, and have left for TF. If so, then as Surly said, it would have to be AM drive. Dan and Jake have made noise about now being morning people, etc. Oddly enough, said noise began around the time Whitt blew the roof off the local mediascape with his scoop (including THZ migrating to TF this spring).
5. If this (so far) completely unfounded rumor is true, then it would make sense that TSE's big announcement would pertain to their moving to 10-12 (aping TT schedule to go head to head vs all day parts) and to the advent of THZ AM drive.
6. The n.c. aspect of this is interesting. iHeart paying them to sit out 6 months (now 5 and some change if you think about it) isn't far fetched. What is also not far fetched is that in 6 months, a lot of the market might not give a shit about THZ. Out of sight, out of mind. If you think, "naw, I'll wait, I'm a HZ P1" that's not usually how it works. Just ask Mike Rhyner.
7. I concur that there's a weirdness to THZ absence. At this point, why hasn't anyone come out and said, "stop the nonsense, everyone, THZ will be back from vacation on ___ ."
8. If this is all a troll, then hats off to you madame or sir troll. As Carly Simon sang, "baby, you're the best." Ditto to Dan, Jake, and the rest of TT for playing along so well.
9. If real, and let's suppose for the sake of argument the market didn't move on from THZ and that they're helming AM drive, do they stand a chance vs DnM? I say they very well might. DnM haven't had a whiff of competition in nearly 2 decades. While they still have their moments, those moments are fewer and farther between. Gordo's bits now rarely clock in over 4 minutes and he hasn't had a genuinely new character in years. Moreover, due to whatever factor(s), the edginess is all but gone. Craig and George live such disparate lives now that even their chemistry isn't what it once was. In other words, there are holes in their game and those holes could be exploited. Could THZ, hang? I dunno. I think Dan is rather one dimensional and that Jake is one uncontrolled moment away from making a mess of his career. To me, at any rate, it's obvious there are times when he is literally biting his tongue. But more importantly, is THZ that good? I mean THAT good? Not so sure. AM drive means bits. Dan's bits are OK. Jake's are a poor imitation of Gordo/The Rant. Been there, done that.
Guess we'll find out soon enough. I for one hope this was all a troll.
As someone who is not a huge hangzone fan, I still do want them to stay at the ticket 100%. One of my biggest criticisms of the hangzone has been playing audio or podcasts bits. I think that works from 12-3, not AM drive.
ReplyDeleteDid any of the other shows or hosts or Freak social media accounts promote the major Speakeasy announcement for tomorrow? Pretty weird if not
ReplyDeleteHa, the freq twitter posted one minute later
ReplyDeleteSooo, if their contracts were up, there’s no no compete, right?
ReplyDeletehttps://non-compete.law/2017/05/03/does-a-non-compete-expire-when-the-term-of-an-employment-contract-ends/
ACL, that was a bad link talking about continuing employment after a contract ends. But anyway, if they got lowballed and decided to take an offer from the Freq, then there’s no enforceable noncompete, no?
ReplyDeleteDidn't they reup last year? Might be wrong here, but for some readon I thought they dud. At least Jake did. Also, wouldn't sich an announcement be an all hands on deck, major station announcement, and not a casually mentioned thing made by the least listened to show?
ReplyDeleteFormer co-worker of mine is on-air in another market. I've seen his contract. I don't remember the exact non compete language, but it's basically 'in accepting the salary in paragraph whatever, contracted talent agrees to not accept employment with another media/radio/audio company in the (Market) MSA for a period of 6 months from the end of this contract.
ReplyDeleteDon't know if that's common to all the major groups, but they're sheeple. What one does the others usually follow.
And I've got a theory with nothing to back it up. Bob resigned a contract a few months ago. I bet Dan and Jake are negotiating or renegotiating their contract and with the ratings success, the 2 sides can't come to an agreement. From THZ perspective, they're probably pitching it as 'we're number 1 overall, pay us like it'. And Bennett/Catlin/Mary Burner are 'Um, no, we'll bump you up but we know these ratings will go back to the usual (#1 M25-54, not #1 6+). I bet this is a contract hold-out more than THZ to the freak.
However this plays out- they go or they stay - points have been deducted. What i have loved about the Ticket is Investment - when the Hosts open up on life, trips, thoughts etc..
ReplyDelete-IF this is some sort of modified dry dock vacation - its one thing if its a week. It's another for as Surly points out, 3 out of 4 weeks. and NOTHING is said?!?! Thats Bullsh.
-IF this is a leave from the Mothership- - Good Luck, God Speed, We're All Counting on You. -- it feels like shooting yourself in the foot right before a Marathon.
-IF this is absolutely nothing & the show is back Monday- I'll catch the Top10 parts of it. As the name suggests...this has seriously become Tired Head. So Done. I actually hope they do go now - just to F up that already sinking ship of a station.
Jake did seem to have signed a contract last year, but it could have easily been a one year deal to sync up with Dan’s contract. Dan reported on Tony’s podcast that he signed a 4 year deal with a company option for another year in 2013. If he did the same in 2018, then 2023 would have been when that deal expired. And remember that 2013 contract was signed at the end of June
ReplyDeleteAre you suggesting TT is a sinking ship? Surely you mean TF. If you do mean TT, then please, by all means explain. If TF, please also explain how THZ further f's it up. And what do you mean by "We're All Counting on You"? Ditto with the marathon analogy. I guess I'm dense, but that comment doesn't make sense to me.
ReplyDeleteOh boy. Ok...I'll agree with Dense.
Delete- We're all counting on you - thats from Airplane. Great flick, check it out.
- Yeah the 'sinking ship' is Freq- to "F it up" means remove one of its current shows, Speak or BenSkin.
-i was going to explain the other one but i felt like it'd actually confuse you more so just Disregard
FWIW, I'm pretty keyed into radio industry news, news sites, boards, and belong a few Facebook groups dedicated to radio. I even pay a monthly fee for some of news sites (I get the ratings and their breakdowns a day before they're made public). I've heard no buzz nor have I gotten a whiff of anything on this matter. I'm thinking this is all a big nothing burger. If anything it might be a contract hold out as 11:08 has suggested.
ReplyDelete^^^^^ I hope you aren't an educator. Your understanding of proper nouns and capitalization in general is as odd as your syntax and construction. If you're going to make an attempt at being clever, you really ought to try harder. This is sad.
ReplyDeleteGagree with 1159. Take that smug shit to reddit, dude. If that's what passes for hip and smart for you I dunno, maybe you should try harder. I mean cocky sniffin' someone for not getting a reference from a line of a movie that came out in 1980. Weak shit, bruh.
ReplyDelete"Boy, that escalated quickly".
ReplyDeleteT-minus 20 minutes
ReplyDelete7 minutes in, this is a rough listen.
ReplyDeleteAnd the big announcement is happening with Julie not there?
someone named cather is leaving the show
ReplyDeleteThank you for your sacrifice
DeleteThat was a LOT of build up for someone I have never heard of. And, yeah, weird that Julie isn't there
ReplyDeleteListened in specifically because of the advertised “show announcement”, and you’re right. It was a rough, rough listen. Jeff really does seem like a nice guy, but that dude is just nails on a chalkboard to me.
ReplyDeleteWhen I found out Julie wasn’t present, I knew the announcement would not be a big deal. If the HZ comes over, they would have everyone in studio to announce it.
ReplyDeleteAnd they certainly wouldn’t have the show most likely to be replaced make the announcement.
DeleteWhat I learned this morning is that even Ticket dry dock is miles ahead of what they are running with over on the Freak.
ReplyDeleteTHZ will be back in on Monday. All the speculation and butt-holding is about to seem very silly.
ReplyDeleteSo he quit? He say why?
ReplyDeletemoney
ReplyDeleteHe got a better gig elsewhere? And this station is gonna money whip Dan and Jake? Or is this making room for Dan and Jake
ReplyDeleteI've enjoyed DJ and Monty during the Musers' vacation adding Blake to the mix this week has been a beating for me. I'm sure he's a wonderful human, husband and father but he's just grates on me.
ReplyDeleteCather got a higher paying gig with iHeart somewhere. I kinda stopped paying attention
ReplyDeleteAnon 8:37
ReplyDeleteCather's salary is a rounding error on Dan and Jake's combined annual salary. I highly doubt that would clear the way for IHeart to add extra payroll
Re: Noncompetition agreements, sometimes called "covenants not to compete."
ReplyDeleteI've drafted dozens of them.
Of course, competition is foreclosed in any particular case depends on the language of the contract, so we don't really know what Jake's and Dan's situations are.
In general, however:
Competition is foreclosed following the expiration or earlier termination of the contract. There are exceptions -- for example, a termination without cause might not trigger the noncompete. Say there was a downsizing for economic reasons -- it wouldn't be fair under those circumstances to foreclose someone from finding a new job.
Texas law is a little screwy because noncompetes are governed by a statute. In addition to requiring that the limitation be "reasonable" in duration and geographic scope (six months to a year is usually considered a reasonable duration), the noncompete must be "ancillary" to an otherwise enforceable agreement. This unusual locution has caused a lot of confusion; however, employment contracts, where noncompetes are typically found, are considered "otherwise enforceable agreements" to which a noncompete may be "ancillary."
But here's the thing: Noncompetes do NOT prohibit an employee from PREPARING to compete, either while still employed or during the noncompete period. Whether merely being employed by iHeart without having a broadcast role would be permitted would depend on what D+J were doing during that period. Being paid to sit at home would certainly be allowed.
Noncompete controversies are frequently accompanied by disputes over trade secrets, which wouldn't seem to apply much to radio talkers.
So: If D+J have a typical noncompete of the sort we're imagining Danny, for example, had to observe, they would have to stay off the air in the DFW for the noncompete period. An interesting question is: What if they were stashed at a station outside the BROADCAST area of The Ticket? And let's assume that station streamed, so you could access their work online in the DFW? Noncompete law really hasn't entirely caught up with the digital age, so this is an open question. Another variation: They're on SiriusXM -- The Ticket isn't in that business, but they could still potentially impact The Ticket's business.
I regard whether D+J broadcasting from a non-DFW location where their work product may be heard in DFW would violate a noncompete as an open question.
But . . . my gut tells me they're not jumping from the Ticket MERELY for a slot on The Freak AS PRESENTLY CONSTITUTED. If, however, the package is part of some larger corporate strategy that does not tie them to the ACME anvil that is The Freak -- maybe.
I haven't abandoned the thought that Dan may leave without Jake. Hope neither goes, but things change; no one has a immutable interest in the status quo.
The Ticket is still running Dan and Jake's spots as of this morning. There's truly nothing to see.
ReplyDeleteIf THZ bolts does that mean Jake would be taking Trajan and his 25 percent "bonuses" to The Freak?
ReplyDeleteIf L4G is dans Cleveland friend like we’ve all heard, it would be odd if he continues to do WTDS is Dan is gone. Maybe he just likes it that much.
ReplyDeleteI really think nothing big happens, we do next week, things go one, we do training camp, football season, etc.
ReplyDeletePlainsman, might you be running out of resources for your featured redheads?
ReplyDeleteYa'll dance around
ReplyDeleteBits of info dreamed up or found
When reality thats coming round
Will take beliefs and tear them down.
Everything is different than what you think
None here yet have guessed the drink
Dos patos en el lago
DeleteThis is for the ones who stood their ground
ReplyDeleteFor Tommy and Gina who never backed down
Tomorrow's getting harder make no mistake
Luck ain't even lucky
Got to make your own breaks
-- IJB is moving to Xanga. Webcrawler is about to make a major comeback. Hold onto and into and Not but Do and Such.
The grey caller knocks thrice under the clouded moon
DeletePlease set this on fire so we may rebuild.
ReplyDeleteSo, duck's lagoon, eh, 1221. That's a rather large body of water in S.America. I happen to know Portuguese, my wife is Portuguese, so I had to learn it. Well, I wanted to.
ReplyDeleteYo, 1222, nice Tolkein cum Killing Joke ref. But that's where it ends. man. If yer gonna me tricky, at least stick with the vernacular. Neither post punk nor neomedieval work, my man. Nice try, but know your audience next time. Cheers.
ReplyDeleteAs far as 906. and 928 -- obviously the same person -- goes, I mean, c'mon. That's John Cusack 80s stuff. No, worse. That shit's John Cusack High Fidelity trash.
ReplyDeleteSeriously. Work harder at your craft before presenting it to the public.
Pro Tip: Study The Financial Troll's work and learn from it. It has an almost preternatural sense of how to come off as genuine and yet still be fucking with everyone.
In all the years I've been doing this (14), no topic has attracted this number of comments this fast as the Dan+Jake mystery in this post and the last.
ReplyDeleteI mean, I think June of 2013 was pretty hoppin’ around here.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of, where’s Gypo Nolan when we need them?
Gypo Nolan. Nice call back, Shaggurly! That contributor's words were to be heeded. Even more so than S(o) irois (Anonymous).
ReplyDeleteBTW, FWIW, IMHO, I think a return to the Shaggy moniker would be nice.
Holy S! From 906pm to 104am (excluding Wut) did things take a Dali-esque turn or what!
We're through the looking glass here, people.
ReplyDeleteWhite is black.
And black is white.
^^^^^^Hiya, Mikey.
ReplyDeleteNo, it's not Sirois. It's a reddit hero with stones of steel. Well, no. It's just another pathetic reddit troll. Who knows it might even be one of its OGs, that is, the OG MTC troll. You know who you are, you old fastfood fish sandwich you. You old fastfood fish sandwich with a view to harmonization. Yep. We know.
ReplyDeleteYeah, someone posted an MTC thread on the reddit page regarding THZ stay or go controversy/conspiracy that's been going on here. As you can imagine, a lot of -ahem- love was shown towards this place. I imagine the asshat whose been leaving all the silly movie lines and whatnot is what 5:08 says, a 'brave' reddit keyboard warrior.
ReplyDeleteMoreover, I'm more and more coming to the conclusion that all of this HZ to TF stuff is one big troll. And if so, I'm leaning towards none other than Surly (Shaggy1310 on both TT and TF reddit pages) as its progenitor. They were the first to instigate this rumor on all three sites (MTC, TT - TF reddit) and have played a large role in keeping it going. I say this with massive respect and a hearty tip of the cap. If this is all a troll and if you're the source of it, Surly, then all I can say is 'bravo, 3 huzzahs, you da man, all hail the king.' Because let me tell you all, if a troll, then this is a genuine fucking masterwork. One for the ages. And I for one applaud it.
If not, let me pre say to Surly that I'm saaaawwwwreeeeee and I mean no offense.
I've wondered that myself.
ReplyDeleteBut I don't think so.
I think something's up, although I'm skeptical that it involves D+J's departure or a the seismic shift in radio fortunes that some here have predicted.
I'm checking with sources, but so far, "radio" silence. See what I did there?
Hey, 7/14 @ 839, I like this redhead!
ReplyDeletePman's 11:52am comment only drives home the feeling that something is off. I was beginning to buy into it earlier in the week. By yesterday not so much. If Cumulus and TT staff knew THZ had left for TF, there would be obvious signs. TF hosts alone are unable to control themselves in any way, so one of them would've said something indicating something big was on the horizon. No way one of the edgier Gordo wannabe JV wouldn't have sacked up and made an oblique reference. By now someone would've have made it clear all isn't well.
ReplyDeleteI think that the fact Surly posted a comment today as Shaggy (for old times) could be seen as quite telling. I'm just sayin'. . . . . .
ReplyDeleteRandom anonoymous posters here and a few nonshaggy Reddit users were posting that Dan and Jake were gone far before I started feeling bad things
ReplyDeleteI’m pretty certain, though not certainly certain, that crisis has been averted. Shouting down the hall of anonymity, from the high ground of anonymity, I can say with certainty that this particular crisis was set in motion, and had all but come to fruition, long before the rumors/trolling/panic came to a boil here and elsewhere on these sad/mean message board streets. Chalk it up to trolling if you’d like, but suffice it to say everything is going on out there more than we think it is.
ReplyDeletePoor attempt, bruh. Go back to the drawing board and try a different approach.
DeleteWith any luck, they’ll speak to it, or at least allude to it, on air. If not, screw me, bruv.
DeleteThe Hang Zone will not be in tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteNow that would be juicy
ReplyDeleteSo how many seggys on THL on the Wimbledon final, 5? 6?
ReplyDelete(It’s been a great match. Pickleball Corbs will insist on at least 2)
Geez Anon 12:43 PM
ReplyDeleteThe Hang Zone and Trajan's annuity bonus adds might be gone from the Ticket and you choose to worry about how much tennis Corby will talk? Let's get real. Would be sad if those adds with Jake introducing the largest bonuses in the world were suddenly off the Ticket.
Soooooo more than 2 segments? How many tennis majors will pickleball Corby predict that Carlos Alakazam wins? 30 or more? 888-787-1310
DeleteIf THZ is not back tomorrow, then I'm not sure how anyone can come to any other conclusion than that at the very least sum ting wong.
ReplyDeleteHo Lee Fuk
DeleteWe Too Low
DeleteJust saw on the socials an announcement that the Musers will be back on the air tomorrow. Nothing about THZ.
ReplyDeleteThis is why I think it's a troll and being perptrated and perpetuated by none other than Surly/Shaggy (they started the entire thread on TF reddit page):
ReplyDeleter/thefreak971 iconGo to thefreak971
r/thefreak971
•
11 days ago
by
shaggy1310
Join
Anticipating the Dan and Jake move to The Freq
Seems like it's incredibly likely at this point. I will listen every day. Just to their show though.
I can confirm no Hang Zone this week. It will be Donovan and someone else from 10-3.
ReplyDelete- GN
I can confirm no Logan Ghormley and Mike Marshall this week. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. BOTTOMS NEED TO BE HELD
DeleteWho is GN? The Ticket is going to have to say something this week. They can't keep playing us all as idiots (or can they) if THZ is still out this week? Has anyone seen any chatter on Freak sites about impending seismic shift?
ReplyDeleteGN is “Gypo Nolan”, the protagonist of the 1935 John Ford film “The Informer” played by Victor McLaglan for which he and Ford won Oscars. The implication is that GN is an insider.
DeleteJust checked out The Hang Zone website and there are NO NEW audio segments after June 30th. Bulletin from Dallas...The Hang Zone is dead. Time of death approximately 3 pm local time June 30th 2023.
ReplyDeleteGN—
ReplyDeleteBut is that someone else either Dan or Jake?
What if only one of them are leaving
Some random comment earlier mentioned the hang zone leaving to something no one has mentioned. I know the original freak rumors that came true, also mentioned hangzone going too, so that gives it some merit I guess. But I really just can’t imagine them going to the freak unless the freak is doing some 10 year contract or whatever in case the station fails.
ReplyDeleteAlso, this stuff just gets so annoying. We don’t even know what’s goin on in any way, but it just reminds me of athletes holding out for more. Ultimately I want the host to be treated fairly, and want what’s good for them, but ultimately I’m just a fan. They’re my entertainment and that’s what I want them to keep being.