Sunday Morning Quick Hit

Yow.  Jake and Sean are really on it this morning with their 7 AM start. 

You may disagree with what one or both of them is saying or how they're saying it, but it is sharp, solid conversation and no punches pulled -- including a few jabs at one another.  Good radio.

We all need to step back before launching bombs.  I include myself in this caution.  One can disagree with what a host says but before we issue an opinion that isn't tied to something in particular we've heard on a showgram, at least consider whether it's thought-provoking, entertaining radio -- whether you'd rather be listening to, or doing, something other than listening to The Little One. 

I punch out sometimes during the week or JV time when I think things are getting a little too fatuous or smug or repetitive, but I almost always re-punch before too much time has passed.  I've sampled the competition -- in fact, I'm thinking of doing a multi-week Ben & Skin immersion and reporting -- but I think it's very difficult to deny that The Ticket, for all its occasional sour notes, is still the greatest radio any of us has ever heard.

Even with bedhead, it's worth getting up early to listen to That Shake Joint Thang.

Rules of the Confessional

Attend, O Confessors.

This is intended to be a site for people who like The Ticket.  Maybe they have an issue here and there, but, in general, I want Confessors to be fans, or, as they have come to be known, "The P1."

I want people to like coming here and know they're going to be treated with respect, or at least not put down by witless, content-free snark.

And, should a Ticket employee wander by, I want them to come away with the impression that they've been in the company of people who care about the station and think carefully about their reactions to it -- not a bunch of snippy teenagers.

So forgive me if I advise that I'm weary of refereeing pissy little flame wars between readers who can't express themselves without taking a shot at others. 

And weary as well of visitors who apparently don't like anything about The Ticket, this site, or Your Plainsman.

Or don't forgive me.  Don't care.

My past warnings have gone unheeded.  So, much as I hate to do it, I'm cracking down.

Accordingly:

1.   Shots.   No criticisms of the person of any prior commenter.  If you have a disagreement, express your view in a way that addresses the issue or the facts or the opinion.  However, even brief phrases:

   --   impugning intelligence or motives of a prior commenter;

   --   asserting that prior commenters are all the same guy;

   --   suggesting that a prior commenter lacks reading or comprehension skills;

   --   suggesting that a commenter hasn't listened to the station enough, or for long enough, or is otherwise not a good Ticket citizen;

   --   is generally nasty towards another,

will cause your confession to hit the pail instantly.  Criticism of opinions is OK, but do it by making your own supportable point or making a legitimate debater's criticism of the prior comment.

I don't care how good your confession is in other respects.  The most brilliant comment that contains a phrase like "here's a thought -- listen to the station" will get bounced.

Subjective?  Absolutely.  Here's a rule of thumb:  Read your post before you send it.  If you see a phrase which, if it were said about you would upset you and make you want to respond in kind -- take it out.

2.    Vulgarity.  Don't use it.

3.    Tone.  Angry, hateful, threatening, overly emotional comments -- out.  I'm serious about all of these comments, and this one may seem slight, but I'm telling you:  Tone it down.

4.    Name-Calling.  Applies not just to fellow Confessors, but to anyone.  

5.    Stuff That's Just Too Wrong.  The other day got a comment from a guy ragging on T.C. and Corby.  Same old stuff, didn't like it, but met the standards in effect at that time.  Was going to publish, then noticed that he seemed to think that the midday host's name was "Stern."

[5.5  (added 03-07-15):  Commentary on subjects' personal lives is strongly discouraged.  Exceptions may be made if the matter relates to on-air events.]

6.   Anything That Strikes Me As Designed to Pick a Fight.  You figure it out.

Here's a further suggestion:  Cut and paste your comment into a file before sending it.  If you don't see your comment within a few hours, I've probably made it go away.   If you still think it's worthwhile, go back and figure out why I bounced it.  Fix it and resubmit.

Guys, I'm sorry about this, but I'm even sorrier that the comments have gotten so sorry.  I'd say a good third to a fourth of the comments that I published on the last thread would not have made it under the foregoing standards. 

You will be amazed at how easy it is to express your point of view -- even one that is critical of the point of a prior comment -- without impugning the character or talents of your fellows on this site.

Don't write me complaining about my judgment on comments.  I'm not interested.  You want the objective standard of unfettered commentary, there are other homes for you on the plains of the Internet.

Let's clean this site up.

One more thing.

UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE, THIS SITE IS NOT ACCEPTING ANY COMMENTS, PRO OR CON, ABOUT T.C. FLEMING.  He's a part of The Ticket and fair game, but the volume of comments on him since his return to BaD Radio and weekend shows is grossly out of proportion to his significance to The Ticket.  Also, I'm mortally tired of them and no one has anything new to say.  I'll advise when this prohibition has been lifted.  I'm inclined to bounce all comments that even mention his name.

"Ragonk" is permitted.

This means you.

Come on now.  Let's keep this site going.  Let's make it a place that attracts the attention of people who matter and where you can be heard without bringing a bunch of cheap crap down on your head.

And let's have some fun.

Thank you for shopping at My Ticket Confession.

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ThePlainsman1310@gmail.com

@Plainsman1310

This is Very Disturbing

Some topics for a holiday weekend:

(1)  Cover Story.  After five years, I hope I have earned the trust, respect, and affection of the Confessor.  Oh, there are those who loathe the site and me, and why they keep returning to disturb our merry discourse I will never know.  (See item 5, below.)  But in general, I sustain myself with the thought that on the Big Subjects, the Confessor and I would manage to find some common ground.

Bart's cars salute as he passes.

 But now, I'm not so sure.

I'm becoming intrigued with those Reagor-Dykes ads.

The ones that start with the high-production-value brassy fanfare and an actual radio voice-for-hire booming in sparkling hi-fidelity:  "REAGOR DYKES AUTO GROUP -- KEEPING IT REAL."  (May not have the wording entirely right -- next time I hear it I'll make a note and come back and correct.)  Followed, however, by the same phoned-in-from-Arcturus spiel from Bart himself, demonstrating the ways in which he keeps the car-buying experience real.

I confess (of course) that this calls my judgment on other matters into some question.

But I find myself kind of getting sucked in to the aw-shucks sincerity.  I find ol' Bart's persona likable.

And anyone who will spring for the high-quality intro but won't take the time or spend the money to get himself into a studio to cut a decent-sounding spot -- there's just something quirky about that that sort of draws me in to Bart's World.

Don't know that I'd buy a car from the guy.

But I'd let him give me a lecture about leasing.

(2)  Gushing.   More ad weirdness:  Those oil-well investment ads.

In the first place, what a terrible time to run an ad talking about ever-rising oil prices, at a time when the world is absolutely awash in petroleum and natural gas (hilariously contrary to the decades of predictions we've heard from the "limits to growth" crowd) and prices are plummeting and are likely to stay low for the foreseeable future.   Unless they're giving shares away, probably a poor time to invest.

In the second place, oil-well investment, like precious metals and other natural-resource investments, are home to some of the most virulent scams out there.  I don't expect The Ticket to investigate the claims of all of its advertisers, but if you are among the numerous very wealthy P1's thinking of making an investment (they usually require some minimum investment, typically but not always in the mid-five or low-six figures), please make your first call to the Texas State Securities Board to see if the investment is registered.  If it is not, find out from the investment company why it believes it is exempt from registration, and have them cite the statute or regulation upon which they are relying.  Don't invest without reviewing a complete prospectus.

In the third place, oil production revenue and taxation are hugely complex topics, and investors at your level do not take dollars off the top.   I'm not going to get into working v. carried interest, depletion, direct participation, and so forth.  If you have the dough to invest, spend an extra few grand and engage a reputable oil and gas lawyer to advise you.

Finally, don't do it.

(3)   T.C. Isn't Going Anywhere Anytime Soon.    Okay, okay, he may not be the favorite of The Confessor.   I get the criticism, but it really does seem overblown among the commentariat.  (I do not delete T.C. criticism unless it is scurrilous, overly personal, or violent.)

But someone out there likes him.

Or maybe his rates are attractive, because he's now doing advertised promotional appearances.  Sponsors have judged that he's a draw, that he'll bring people into their establishment to meet the increasingly famous Source Ragonk, and if sponsors think that, then Jeff C is probably prescient in having taken him back on.

Doesn't mean he's great -- just means he's appealing to certain sponsors.   And I'm guessing if you went to one of his appearances you'd see lots of folks shaking his hand, getting their pictures with him, collecting an autograph, and telling him to keep up the good work with The Ticket and IJB and ragonking the absolute bejeebers out of him.

And that, if nothing else, will keep him popping on.

(4)  Jake.  Sorry.  Still think the guy has got a lot and sounds good on The Ticket.

His sports talk is no worse, and, I think, better than that some of the hosts.  Wrong about everything?  Oh?  Well, if I'm recalling correctly, he was the only Ticket person who thought the Cowboys were going to be improved this year.

Yes, his voice has a Dylan-The-Argumentative-Teen lilt to it.  And I do count myself among those who wish to hear less socio-political-current-events commentary from him, but I wish the same thing about every other talker on The Ticket.   He's smart, he can be funny, he's knowledgeable.  Smarty-smug sometimes, sure.  But jeez, it's just not going to bring down the station like some seem to think.  If he proves to be a fixture on a daily show in the future, I can absolutely deal with that.

(5)  Moderation Report.   Every time I get to a screen I check the pending comments, so hope that hasn't slowed things down too much.  Certainly hasn't slowed the hits to the site, and I hope we can all agree that the conversation has returned to its historical lofty level. 

Just to be fair, let me report that some readers, or maybe only one or two, believe that I am an idiot and a bitch.  And some are unaccountably convinced that I have been doing this so I can be good chums with Ticket guys.  If so, then I am indeed an idiot, if not a bitch, because after close to 700 posts now, I have yet to meet or speak to a single Ticket employee or former employee.

Uh, Rudolph, I've got some bad news for you.

Some of the posts I get are actually amusing in their apparent lack of clarity on the concept of moderation:  profane, furious, violent, and one or two with factual assertions that are demonstrably false.  But all of them still seem to think that someone other than me is going to be reading them.  Their words live on the screen for about 1.7 seconds, most of those words probably unread by me, and they're gone.  What satisfaction there is in this effort on the other end, I have no idea.

*     *     *

Thanks for doing your Christmas shopping at My Ticket Confession, everybody, and have a Holly Jolly Ticket.

ThePlainsman1310@gmail.com

@Plainsman1310

There's a Right Way to Confess, and Some of Y'alls Is Not It

A note of explanation:

If I delete a comment for any reason, I might also delete comments responding to that comment even though they themselves might not be offensive. That is, I'll take down the entire thread started by the deleted one. Otherwise, I get comments saying "hey, what got taken down that this guy is responding to?" Makes my head hurt and craps up the thread.

Now, I'll say this again, and if I have to issue these reminders too much more frequently I'll take this joint down and I ain't-a-bluffing.

If you are the kind Internet participant who believes it is helpful, funny, or persuasive to call someone a name or insult his intelligence, or generally act like a putz, ask yourself two questions before confessing:

(1) Is the point about which I have composed a comment (in the particular case from the last thread, whether T.C. went "postal" or reacted in some non-"postal" way) significant in the context of interesting Ticket issues? If and only if the answer to question one is "yes," go on to question (2):

(2)  Have I included gratuitous insults and demands that waste my time (because I'm going to be deleted) and that of anyone who reads it?

If (a) you reach question (2) and (b) the answer to question (2) is "no," then, and only then, hit the "Publish Your Comment" button.

Then, and only then, will I hear your Confession.

And before anyone accuses me of oversensitivity and a hair-trigger delete-button finger -- a fairly recent development, I should add, since this site has gotten a lot more popular in the last year -- please recall that there are lots of sites with standards a lot looser than this one that would welcome your patronage. If you're going to visit here, get used to mine. 

"Confess to The Plainsman in an appropriate tone, else I shall be forced to apply the soft pillows."

Away More

I'm out of town again, Confessors.  Will try to check comments.

Also:  Comment moderation and Blogger sign-in is giving me major fits.  If you don't see your comment it doesn't necessarily mean I've rejected it.  Now, for example, it's not letting me read the entire comment in the "comments awaiting moderation" list.

I will be back early next week.  In the meantime, I will indeed be holding on to my butt because I have confidence in Gypo JD, who is probably not the same guy as Gypo Nolan, but is some other Gypo who thinks he or she knows something, and probably does, although whether the news is material will have to await the event.

ALERT ALERT ALERT:  If you or anyone you know would like to work with me to develop a non-Blogger website for My Ticket Confession, please drop me an email at ThePlainsman1310@gmail.com.  I'm not looking for freebies -- I will pay the going rate for website design and development services.  If I tried to do it myself it would end up looking like Pong.

See you next week.

Tell the Truth

If you are able to get 96.7 FM, do you still listen to 1310 AM?  Some Confessors said they didn't switch over when The Ticket got its long-pants signal, but is this still the case?

A few quick hits:

A commenter at the end of the last thread beat me to it:  I thought the Norm expense report review on The Hardline yesterday was pretty bad.  Remember when Bob and Dan got yanked off the air when Dan undertook to read an internal memo regarding, as I recall, producers?  This is plainly company-confidential information, and, in my judgment, about as sorry as Dan's disclosure.  I'd be surprised if someone didn't get spoken to.  Also agree with that commenter that the expense report was not all that exceptional.  Kind of made The Hard Ones look like they weren't too hip.

I like it when people say "coach 'em up."

Wish the Dirk "Guess What Day It Is" commercial parodying the GEICO ad with the camel had run more often.  Thought it was absolute genius.  Not only was Dirk extremely funny, not only did he actually walk like that camel, the thing featured a star turn by the too-little-seen-on-major-visual-media-outlets Cash Sirois.

As a Man of the Plains, I have a pretty thick skin after coming on five years of composing this site.  For those who have not heard me say it in the past:  I compose very quickly and do not spend a lot of time on this site.  I listen to The Ticket when I can, which is maybe 2-4 hours a day, almost all of it in drive time.  I do not have time to do much else.  I almost never re-listen or to go back and find things I missed.  And I have listened to precisely one podcast, ever.  This means I will be less knowledgeable than some others who have lots more time to do these things.  I am very grateful that those people visit the site and I appreciate it when my errors are pointed out. 

But really, put a cork in the personal aspersions, OK?  I tend not to delete them because I don't want to seem like a guy who can't take criticism, and because I do get stuff wrong.  But I'm considering greatly increasing the deletions for tone around here.

Thank you, and also for Shopping at My Ticket Confession.

Demo Redux

ALERT:  Long.  Repeats comments you may have already read.  You've been warned.

*     *     *

The last thread had some very thoughtful pieces and responses on where The Ticket might possibly be headed.  Here are some of them (sorry about the formatting irregularities -- Blogger's word processing is pathetic), and then I have a couple of thoughts:

This first one, from Anon 225, doesn't focus on the Hardline, but on Ticket competition generally:

Flipped on 103.3 today. Elf and Friedo have a show. Nice to hear Elf on the airwaves again. Like B&S and Greggo, he's now done the trifecta. Except in a way, working for 103.3 is sort of a return back to The Ticket. On that note, by the way, the cross over between the two stations is already underway. Programs on both frequencies are beginning to cross reference/mention the other. In a friendly manner, too boot. While listening to Elf and Friedo (sorry, Dick Hicks, I know it's the last Race Week of the year, but I can't deal with it), I started to think how 103.3 might be about to embark upon cracking the code that is The Ticket. How? By taking the IDEA of The Ticket and making it their own. Instead of, like certain ESPN programs in the past (looking right at you, B&S) and well, every single FAN show, copping Ticket lingo, segments, and just about everything - basically aping The Ticket to a T with zero success - they've decided to take the "guys just being guys who happen to know about and have inside info on, sports" concept and run with it. But do so by actually being themselves, and not trying to be THL of The FAN or whatever. It's early in the game, but so far they have my attention. Pman's too, for that matter. I'm looking forward to the ratings books over the next six or so months to see how this shakes out.

Things got rolling with runitandrunitandrunitandrunitandrunit, expanding on Anon 225's point:

Exactly right, 2:25. What's going on at ESPn is kind of what went on during the first years of The Ticket. They're getting for the most part locally known talent who've been around the media scene for a long time who 'get' the DFW area mentality and who have lived here and know the area intimately. The demo for sports talk radio is not going down. It's still the same as it's always been: mostly approaching, in the midst of, or about to exit middle age/d white dudes. The young aren't listening, and the scant numbers that are diminish with each year. No getting around it.  *  *  *  If you've ever been to a remote or a bigger event, you see their demo first hand. All of this means that on the whole (please note that part, "on the whole" which means of course there are exceptions) the majority of the listening audience wants to "converse" with guys like them. Not snarky younger guys who come off as knowing everything (whether they do or not is not the question), are into music that is for the most part alien to them, and who are experiencing and relating their adventures that most listeners went through themselves years, decades ago. They want the guy next door who gives the knowing nod, not Jake, not TC, not Sean, not Machine, or whomever. It's not a knock on the guys I just mentioned, at all. It's just the way people are and how they relate to others and to whom they relate to. LIke seeks like. Unlike might be interesting for a bit, but in the long run it isn't. 

Thus the picture here is that with a demo that ever remains the same and yet will inevitably shrink, and an up and coming demo that really doesn't exist, and the little that does keeps dropping off, you've got yourself a shaky future for The Ticket because they have no veteran replacements. Due to the probable future of the industry a youth movement is actually counterproductive. Cheaper, yes. So the upshot is that over the next years don't be surprised if a group of vets who've passed their 20 year mark begin to set sail, a group of (absolutely deserving) up and comers take their places, and the once mighty Ticket begins to slip in a most major way. Falling prey to its sibling with big mouse ears and a largely aging talent pool that connect with a largely aging demo.

runit had some additional thoughts in the thread you may want to check out.  Anon 111 had an interesting contrapuntal observation:

As someone who is probably in the younger end of the demographic (too old to start a high school fan club but around the age of the up and comer JVers), I am amazed that we are listening to the same shows. I love the Musers but The Hardline is my show of choice. 

I started listening right around when Greggo left. Thanks to our pals at the Unticket, I've gone back and listened to the old shows and I probably wouldn't have been into the show that much back then. Greggo just isn't my thing. And maybe it's coming to the station towards the end of things with him and just not being there Day 1 but he leaves me with a big old meh when I listen to archived Hardline shows. 

Corby can be too sheltered/pompous/privileged. I like Mike's music and TV segments and hearing old band stories. But I really like the weekend guys a lot and think they're finding their niche. Shake Joint and Cirque are solid and most people I know in my age group that listen agree. Again, love the Musers too but that didn't seem to be a point of argument here.

All very interesting.  Got me thinking.  

First, I am no expert on the overall radio audience, but I have a hunch that when it comes to The Ticket and its competitors, the demo business is somewhat overblown.  The market for sports itself is huge and growing.   The NBA, MLB, and NFL are prospering even in this dismal economy.  Driven mainly, by guys, and guys of all ages and levels of prosperity.  They get in the car, they turn on the radio, they want to hear sports talk.  They stay for the guy/pop culture talk.  Maybe that talk is by guys in their 30's, maybe their 50's.  But as long as it's good, and knowledgeable, and doesn't insult their intelligence, they'll like it and hang.  Check between the three stations, see which they like the best.  But still a huge audience to go around.   This, of course, does not address the relative popularity of the shows.

Second, the Ticket has been on top since almost the day it came on the air.  That's 20 years.  If a demo is going to change, it's going to change over two decades.  And yet The Ticket is more popular than ever, and The Hardline -- which has taken it in the jewels in the comments for the past little while -- if I'm not mistaken, is the highest rated show on the station.  This, of course, does not address what some here have urged to be the waning popularity of terrestrial radio generally.

Third, I'm willing to listen to our experts who predict the coming decline of terrestrial radio.  But if anything iHeart Radio, SportsDay Talk, podcasts, and even social media have, if anything, expanded the radio audience, so I'm guessing that radio -- or programming produced for radio -- isn't going away anytime soon as a destination for sports fans.

And one more thing:

Fourth, I have a feeling that the demo for this site is not closely representative of the P1 universe.  I'm thinking possibly somewhat older.  Perhaps more critical.  Just perhaps.  So when I see lots of comments slagging The Hardline (not that it doesn't need some slagging now and then) or predicting the coming decline of The Ticket, I do wonder.  Now, of course, The Ticket will change with the passage of time.  Stars will retire or leave -- almost lost Bob and Dan there awhile back.  Rome fell.  But it took a long, long time.  Gibbon's book is three heavy and closely-printed volumes.

And with Cumulus bringing a different strategy to ESPN -- which, on the evidence of the afternoon show, may be exactly as Anon 225 described -- it should be an interesting few years.

OPEN THREAD: Various

Let's face it, every thread here is an open thread.  I'll be away for a few days.  In the manner of Lee "Hacksaw" Hamilton, here are some topics on the table to get you started:

(1) Sunday AM.  Following up on the last comment thread, what would you like to see on Sunday morning, or elsewhere on the weekends?

(2) Bass to MaSS?  I have been startled by a couple of anti-Sean Bass confessions in the comments to the previous post, complaining of know-it-all-ism and breathing patterns.  I have to disagree.  When I tune in and hear a Sean-based program, whether with Ty or Newbury, I'm in.  Always like those shows.  Would have no problem with a Sunday morning show featuring him, Ty, or David.  (Or other guys, either, but they seem to team up with more regularity.)

(3) Matt M.  Also started by the vitriol directed at the departing Matt McClearin.  Yes, Matt has "boundary" issues, although I would classify them more as "governor" or "editor" issues, and I understand the sentiment that one makes one own bed in radio, as one does in whatever freely-chosen profession in which one is engaged (not to mention the personal choices that require, um, cash money).  But they by no means dominate his performance, and on balance I think it's undeniable that Scot and Matt have earned the shot they're getting and that Matt is an equal partner in their success.  I didn't take down random P1's post, because, bitter though it seemed (and the "whore"comment did almost get it booted), it at least had some thinking behind it.

(4) Ax.  And I am hoping, really really hoping, that übercritical posts like those relating to Sean and Matt, are not folks with, shall we say, an ax to grind about these guys.  If you know what I mean.  I am extremely reluctant to question the motives of people who take the time to write comments, but when those comments tend toward the angry and personal (and oddly detailed), I am moved at least to wonder.  If I thought this site were being used to advance anyone's personal agenda to the detriment of both this site and The Ticket, it would be vamanos in zero time.  Maybe I need to get the machete out more often. 

There's a topic:  I don't moderate comments (do not have the time and want comments to reflect breaking items), but should I be more aggressive about weeding out posts that have a legitimate take but are gratuitously mean or nasty?

(5) IJB.  I really regret I do not have time to listen to podcasts.  I barely have time to knock this thing out.  But a lot of P1's really like what Jake and T.C. are slinging, and I wouldn't be offended if the CTO gave them at least a tryout on Sunday mornings.

(6) New Orleans.  What did we all think about Super Bowl Week in New Orleans? Here:  mixed.

Outta time.  Keep it cool, Confessors, with my thanks.

 

Twitter:  @Plainsman1310

Email:  ThePlainsman1310@gmail.com





Your Plainsman Respectfully Requests . . .

.  .  .  that commenting Confessors please bear in mind that not all readers (including yours truly) are not able to listen to all the shows all the time.  So if you have a comment on a specific piece of broadcasting, or a piece of other Ticket-related information (i.e., ratings, signal, stuff like that), please give us the factual predicate for your comment so that it may be understood and evaluated -- unless, of course, it's clear from the context of prior comments or a post.

BAFFLING:   "I thought Bob's comments on Tony Romo were right on the button yesterday."

SATISFYING:  "I thought Bob's comments yesterday that Tony Romo brings a kind of Etruscan elegance to  his hand gestures at the line of scrimmage before audible-ing a play that about 47% of his teammates on the field never really learned from the playbook was right on the button."

Same as you were told in that composition class you took all those years ago:  When you sit down to write, put yourself in the shoes of your audience.

Many thanks in advance for your thoughtful preparation of comments, and apologies for this schoolmarmish post.

OPEN THREAD -- More Tech Talk

OK, folks, I'm out for awhile with Mrs. Plainsman on vacay way far away.  Will not be listening to The Ticket.  I have an STD (Scorching Ticket Disquisition, for newcomers) in the hopper but it's not quite ripe yet.  Thought I'd at least get a fresh thread started so visitors wouldn't have to scroll through 50 comments.

While the out-and-out catastrophes seem to have abated for the time being, the station still sounds awful (I also have a budding  STD on that topic that needs a little more time on the vine) and there are still a lot of errors.  After a brief post-Jake-suspension period of silence, the on-air grumbling has returned.  

Commenters have noticed that Cumulus is looking for a new Chief Engineer for DFW.  I don't know enough about the hierarchy to know who this person would replace, or if it is a new position, or if it is for all the DFW Cumulus stations or fewer than all.  I was under the impression that the host-reviled Brett Blankenship was not a DFW guy but a little further upstairs at Cumulus.  On LinkedIn his title is "Market Engineering Manager, Tulsa, Oklahoma Area," but I dunno, maybe he's been posted here to supervise the bungled Victory rollout.  But I'm guessing he is not being replaced.  Anyone with a better idea, please weigh in.

Nothing to leave you with here except to get your impressions of station performance since the major meltdowns of a few weeks ago.

*     *     *

Not sure when I'll be returning, so I'll have to rely on you guys to switch gears in the comments if something comes up.  Will try to keep an eye on comments, but maybe not.   Carry on, and hope to see you down the road.

[One last note on the last thread:  Some commenters have recommended that I start screening comments.  It's not a bad idea and I'm thinking about it.  I don't do it for two reasons.  The less-important reason is that I don't have time.  The more-important reason is that it has come to pass that when something breaks ("literally" and figuratively) at the channel, this site gets swarmed and commenters have the news way before I do.  So (1) I am hoping the site can continue to be a source for breaking Ticket news, and (2) I don't want Confessors to be discouraged by having to wait until 9 p.m. to see their and their co-Confessors' comments.  Once-a-day review would also eliminate much of the entertaining and informative give-and-take that commenters provide by being able to respond to one another in real time.  For now, we'll risk the occasional inappropriate comment.]

Thank you for continuing to shop at My Ticket Confession.

*     *     *

Follow Your Plainsman on Twitter:  @Plainsman1310

Email Your Plainsman:  ThePlainsman1310@gmail

  

Who Confesses at The Ticket?

On Friday, Dan McDowell made a passing reference to "my Ticket confession" -- not referring to the site, but to a confession he was going to make.  I don't know what it was, I just missed the reference.  I refer you to the comments to the prior post.

This generated discussion among the commenters as to whether people at The Ticket read the site.  Some interesting speculations, including a fairly authoritative survey by our friend AP, who I think has it sussed out about right. 

Here's what I think:

First, AP's on the money about the JV and board ops.  Krenek dropped a comment here one time that the reason my hits went through the roof on White Elephant Day was that that population was checking the comments frequently to see if anyone had written anything about them.

As for the hosts:

I think some check in with some regularity, and some just take the occasional swim through, as Mike R might say.  I have VERY rarely received an email from a host commenting on a story, sometimes with a correction (never with any supersecret inside station stuff), and almost always with a compliment to the site, and sometimes with a remark that we're on the button here much more than we know, and inviting me to keep up the good work.  Always nice to hear that.

But the most interesting remark came from a JV who dropped me a line about something -- this was quite some time ago -- who said that he'd see the site up on people's laptops around the station and making the point that the hosts have egos and they love to see themselves written about, so yeah, they check out the site.

But, as some of you have said, I don't think they ascribe great importance to what is written here.  With their ratings, can you blame them?  I'm sure they're amused at some of the wrong guesses and perhaps intrigued by some of the right ones.  And interested in what listeners like and don't like.

I also think station hits to this site have gone up hugely since Tech Gate, since this site is saying publicly what they can't say (anymore).  I'm imagining (only imagining) that the on-air guys appreciate it that there's a place where real listeners stretch out and report in detail the deficiencies in the listening experience both before and since the move to Victory.   And say bad things about the CTO that they also can't now say.

I also think they drop by from time to time because of the way this site is pitched.  When I got it rolling, my thought was -- look, I love the damned Little One, I'm not going to run a site that gripes and complains all the time.  I try to keep a positive balance, and to keep it fair, or, when it's not, at least to admit when I just have a subjective dislike of something or other.  I'm delighted to say that most of the Confessors who join us here have picked up on that and also try to look at the station objecitvely.  Man, we have some amazing writers and thinkers who take the time to offer very thoughtful comments.  So when hosts come here, they know they're going to see commentary from me and others that attempts to see things clearly and comment with fairness and a civil tone, and, importantly, not ignoring what's great about The Ticket.

And, of course, there is the rare on-air reference.  I missed Dan's only by a minute -- I was in the car but stepped out just a moment before. You know, that may be the only time that the phrase "my Ticket confession" has been uttered on the air.  The TeeBox has mentioned us a couple of times, but didn't say the name of the site.  I think P1 Steven -- what the heck happened to him, anyway? -- did a shout-out once when BaD was rolling screenless.

Let's not forget It's Just Banter, where this (unnamed) site is occasionally slagged by T.C.

Also, I fancy that some of our commentary shows up in other ways.  I'll give you two examples:  (1) After this site made fun of the All-Pro Foundation ad in which all of the hosts said they used All-Pro Foundation Repair (http://myticketconfession.blogspot.com/2010/10/never-never-no-never-no-no-never-and-i.html), future ads say that they all ENDORSE All-Pro.  (2) I regularly bashed Gordon for his George-gay-and-minority-baiting, opining that it was tired, unfunny, and routinely stopped down the show.  (Example:  http://myticketconfession.blogspot.com/2010/06/confidential-memorandum-to-commander.html)  Well, it has almost completely stopped, much to the improvement of the showgram of Those Who Muse So Gently.  Could be my imagination.

CTO:  Jeff Catlin used to read the site and pretty sure he still does.  He's emailed a couple of times with corrections, and has been unfailingly nice. 

"Is this The Bucket in Dallas?  The Ticket?  Right, Ticket.  Put me through to Jeff Carlin.  Catlin, right.   Hello, Jeff?  This is Stu Leydenjar, Senior Vice President in Charge of Wires and Plugs.  Listen, I'm looking at this website on my electric computer -- these things are great, the station should get one! -- and I'm wondering if you can tell me what CTO and STD means.  Also, who is Mike Rhyner?"

Overall, I suspect that at a bare minimum CTO and hosts will open the site if someone has emailed it to them because it has something of interest to the recipient. 


As far as anonymous commenters go: Yes, I think there are a couple of station guys who post here from time to time.  I think sometimes Confessors think they're the same troll who pops up here from time to time, but I think some of it is legit.  (I also think Richie Whitt posted back when we were having a close look at RaGE.)  Some of the people claiming to be insiders are, I think, and some may be friends of insiders.  (Gypo Nolan, for example.)  And some are frauds.  No matter, even frauds are welcome if they have a respectful take.

The one thing that surprises me a little is that no other Ticket fan sites or blogs have popped up.  I think it's maybe because people who like to write are already posting here, and of course The UnTicket hosts comments as well.  And there's GrubesIsMyLeader.  So maybe we've got the market covered.

In sum:  This site does have some fans at The Ticket, and some curiosity seekers. It's part of the fun of The Ticket.  MTC is not an influential joint, but it has turned into a nice little community of P1's.  Thanks to you all for Shopping at My Ticket Confession.

Ah, Growing Pains

"A home for those who love almost everything about The Ticket (1310 AM, 104.1 FM, Dallas-Fort Worth), and who would like to discuss -- respectfully and fondly -- their thoughts on how (and whether) to eliminate the 'almost.'"

Those are the words at the top of this site.

When I started this little venture, I was mostly talking to myself.   Maybe I'd get a couple of people hitting the site per day.   The very first comment I ever got was from That Nice Young Michael Gruber, to a post I had done about "The Internal Clock of the P1" remarking on how if the dedicated P1 punches out on ads, he has a feeling as to when he needs to punch back in to catch the last few syllables of the Ticker and then back to fun.  Michael provided information on how long those breaks typically last.

The site first came to more general attention when Barb Smith departed.  Someone called my articles to her attention and she was kind enough to comment to let us know what was up with her.  Some of you put out the word on other sites, and a lot of folks discovered us.  (I still get traffic to those posts -- and, of course, people looking for information on Alexis Smith.)

Since then, the hits have gradually increased.  I don't know what happened, but sometime several months ago I must have hit some critical mass of daily hits, because the site really took off.  I'm sure I don't get a tenth the hits of The (Incomparable) UnTicket, but an increasingly respectable number.

But the best part, for me, is not the traffic -- it's the terrific group of readers who have taken the time to leave thoughtful, funny, informative, observant -- and, frequently, critical -- comments.  Christie, P1 Steven, Doug, cancer monkey, Anonymous B, James, T4, shaggy, and many more, including a number of readers who prefer not to give themselves a name and post simply as "Anonymous." 

But it's not just the number of commenters.  It's that almost without exception, they've gotten into the spirit of the site, keeping things light, respectful, and literate.  It's made this site a fun place to come and stretch out a little.  It's fun for me and it brings people back to the site.  And, as we have seen, at least some Ticket personnel drop by for a look now and then.  I wonder if they would do so if this were just another Corby-sux flame chamber.  I really do try to make sure that the site is fair to The Ticket, acknowledging what is superior as well as stuff that irritates.  I sense that commenters have internalized that gestalt and the comments exhibit both praise and criticism.   I can't tell you how much I appreciate the tone that almost all commenters have taken.

Almost.  Lately we've had an exception or two.  Name-calling, mostly. 

I let it go for awhile, hoping it would subside.  There seems to one Anon in particular -- and I could be wrong as to there being only one -- who is not playing well with others.  A shame, too, because he portrays himself as a semi-insider and frequently favors us with what appears to be fairly sound information.  But he seems unable to correspond without some kind of rancorous epithet.

Won't have it. 

So, much as I dislike doing it, I'm going to have to start policing this kind of stuff.  I've deleted a few Anon comments from the past few posts and will be doing more bud-nipping in the future.  I'm not going to make any rules.  Just read the site and jump in with -- as the heading says -- your fond, respectful impressions.  And, as always, feel free to veer off onto your own tangent -- off-topic comments are not off limits here.  If you feel strongly about something, it's OK to sound off with some heat.  Just stifle the ad hominem stuff, please. 

So when you sit down to unburden yourself of your latest cogitations on The Ticket we all mostly love (but you don't have to love it to visit, or to comment), just pretend that while you're composing, that "Masterpiece Theater" theme is playing in the background.

Again, my heartfelt thanks to everyone who visits the joint, and especially to those who take the time to share their thoughts.

[I'll leave comments open for a short time on this post if anyone has any reactions, but I'd prefer to move ahead with the bidness of this site, so I'll have a new blast up soon.]

On Tuesday I Heard The Musers Complain . . .

.  .  .  that they don't get any press attention.

What's Your Plainsman, chopped liver? 

Well, I suppose I can't expect everyone to have found this mighty engine of responsible Ticket journalism.

I mean, where else can you get stuff like this?  Before I started this site I looked for an unaffiliated Ticket blog with extended commentary and thought I'd find a bunch but didn't find one.  (Richie Whitt really can't be expected to spend all his time on Ticket matters.)  The UnTicket is outstanding and a great resource but has a different agenda.  GrubesIsMyLeader.com is also great, but pretty flame-y and doesn't really have a consistent editorial voice.

So tell your pals:  It's Great to Read My Ticket Confession.

(Hey, I just did a self-promo, just like The Little Ticket.)

===============

PS:  Speaking of journalism:  This morning (Wednesday) Junior was talking about the horrific, hateful comments left by some readers of the online Dallas Morning News in response to news articles, and how some media sites are starting to monitor and regulate their message boards.   I'm delighted to say that so far, I haven't had to take down a single comment from a visitor to this site.  One anonymous poster called Cat a douche, but I can tolerate the occasional ad hominem  remark, as long as it doesn't catch on.  My thanks to all civilized Confessors.

Where is Barb Smith? She May Be Right Here

If you have come to this site for the first time looking for Barb Smith news, it is possible that Your Plainsman has some for you -- although I cannot be entirely sure.

Welcome.

Scroll down or review the archives for the entry for January 28, 2010, titled:  "Prediction:  Jason Walker  .  .  ." and read the comments.  You will see a series of communications from "Anonymous" that purport to be from the very same Barb Smith.  I suppose Anonymous could be having us on, but to me the posts have the ring of truth.  I believe it is indeed the departed Barb Smith, as does frequent visitor JS.  If you don't have time to check it out, I can report that she says she departed The Ticket on amicable terms, is still friendly with the lads, and that her departure had something to do with the difficulty of a spread-out schedule, a long commute, and the demands of motherhood. 

I thought her (?) communications were quite sweet and thoughtful.  In fact, I now regret having used the word "incoherent" to describe some of her traffic reporting.  (Truth is, I haven't paid any attention to traffic reports to actually plan a commute in any metro area I've ever lived in.)  She really was a part of the Ticket ether, and the fact that we're all curious about what happened to her is some indication of the fondness the P1 Nation feels for her. 

Anyway, check it out and decide for yourself if Ms. Smith has indeed checked in. 

Thank you for shopping at My Ticket Confession.  Hope you will take a moment to look around, and stop back again soon.