BREAKING: Changes at ESPN

Per Anonymous at 7:06p on September 24:

Per Reddit, Mosely and Friedo out at ESPN.

Steve Dennis to replace Mosely on Afternoon Show.

Friedo-Dennis to be replaced by Jean-Jacques Taylor and an unnamed partner.

This is all I have on this, and if it turns out to be in error, apologies in advance.   My thanks to 706 Anonymous, unless it's wrong.

I liked Cowlishaw and Mosely, but I think Steve Dennis and Tim Cowlishaw will be worth a listen.

Interesting -- in the last thread, I was wondering if Dennis might find a home as a host somewheres.  I speculate that this has nothing to do with these changes.

UPDATE:  Looks like Anonymous had the goods.

http://sportsday.dallasnews.com/other-sports/moresports/2016/09/23/matt-mosley-espn-1033

Article places Will Chambers with JJT.  Looks like JJT was reporting on his assignment via Facebook on Friday, so I'm a little behind the times here.

A Couple of Quick HIts to Get a New Thread Going -- UPDATED [2]

(1) My schedule has changed so I'm sometimes not in the car as much during drive, so my Hardline listening has diminished a bit.  When I tuned in this past week, I have to say, I enjoyed the show.  I thought the Danny rat story was overrated, but they did some car talk that got me laughing, and it seemed to me that I heard More Mike than I'd heard in recent months, which always makes for a better show.

(2) I sometimes punch over to ESPN, and heard something that I really liked on Monday afternoon:  a couple of hours of "Football Firing Line," which I guess has been going on for awhile.  It was Tim Cowlishaw and Matt Mosley, the usual Afternoon Show hosts, with Steve Dennis, Nate Newton, and another guy whose name I wrote down and now I can't find the slip.  The Internets say Ed Werder is on the panel, but it wasn't him, it was an AA with a four-letter first name, a middle initial, and a last name.  One of you guys can tell me who it was.  [UPDATE 2:  The other guy had a four letter last name:  Clarence E. Hill, Jr., of the Star-Telegram.]  Anyway, I thought it was a lot of fun with some trenchant Cowboys analysis thrown in for good measure.

What's the story on Steve Dennis, anyway?  He seems pretty spicy and zero-BS but it seems all he does is fill in around the Dallas sports media scene from time to time.  Would he make a good full-time host somewheres?

(3) Danny has a great radio voice, but in recent months it's gotten rough and a little breathy and sometimes cracks, as though perhaps he smokes and perhaps smokes a lot.  (I don't know if he smokes.)  Maybe he's been performing a lot.  (You can tell when Mike's not far past a Petty Theft performance -- his voice gets noticeably tired.)  Maybe he has to yell a lot at the Twilite Lounge.  Maybe he's using a different mic or he's getting EQ'd so the treble is turnt up.  His habits are none of MTC's business; I'm just saying his on-air sound has frayed some.

(4)  UPDATE:  Hey, how long has Matt McClearin been hosting the Cowboys post-game on ESPN?  (Since there's only been one other game, I would think that's probably the answer.)  Maybe the better question is, how long has Matt McClearin been working at KESN?   I punch over from Norm and Donovan once in awhile just to see what's airing on ESPN or The Fan, and he was running the show (it sounded like) with Steve Dennis and Tim McMahon, if I caught it correctly.  I thought it was pretty good.

I knew that he and Scot Harrison had lost their WJOX Birmingham show back in July but hadn't heard anything further.  Since Cumulus is operating KESN, maybe Jeff C welcomed him back.  (Scot's LinkedIn page says that he's "Director of Marketing and Public Relations at Taco Mama."  Matt's says that he's "Account Executive at New Home Guide," which sounds like something you do until Cat can find a spot for you.)

BREAKING: The Ratings Go Up, the Ratings Go Down

Thanks to Anonymous 718 for passing along the latest ratings in a comment to the last post:

October Sports Radio Ratings

The Ticket is still comfortably ahead overall in prime time in the prime demo.  Cat should give The Musers a nice gift card to All-Pro Foundation Repair, as they seem to be shouldering the burden of keeping The Ticket on top when everything is averaged out.

I don't know if there is much to be made about the rest of it.  I think it's fair to say that over the last several ratings periods, The Hardline and Ben & Skin are in a pretty close battle.

All of this must be viewed against the backdrop of continuing controversy nationwide over the accuracy of radio ratings since Nielsen switched to the personal people meters.  (What other kind of a meter would a personal meter be?)  (I wrote about the controversy in this post.)  As I also wrote in that post, The Musers' steady dominance tends to undercut the argument that the methods for measuring ratings are seriously flawed -- although I think that its much broader appeal means that it will tend to weather random ratings variations better than the other shows that don't offer as much variety.

I find The Hardline/Ben & Skin race less interesting than Norm & Donovan + Bad Radio's struggles against G-Bag Nation.  Norm & Donovan are significantly behind, while this time around the delta with BaD is about the same as between The Hardline and Ben & Skin.  I guess the jump in The Ticket's ratings at noon means some people are switching from G-Bag to BaD -- but not enough to vault BaD into the lead.

 The Hardline continues to get slagged in these pages, but as I wrote after Cat's AMA, it does seem to me like Mike is making his presence felt to a greater degree than he was there for awhile.  And it makes it a better show.   Show prep seems a little better.  Not a lot, but better.  But I do hear those Confessors who are weary of the lo-info cultural criticism that seems to have become a feature of most episodes.

I've been thinking about auditing Ben & Skin and G-Bag to see if I can discern its appeal.  My very hit-and-miss listening to Ben & Skin hasn't impressed me, but I haven't really given it a fair shot.  Maybe I'll take that up.

In the meantime, your views always welcome.

 *     *     *

A few readers need to revisit The Rules of the Confessional.   I've rejected several comments lately that were fine with the exception of entirely unnecessary shots or insults of other Confessors.  That's a deletin'.

bubba begs somewhat to differ

Confessor bubba had some thoughts at variance with Larry in Mowry's.  I'm not sure they're contrary, but bubba does pitch matters a little differently.  He thought they might work as a post, and I did too.

I am delighted to receive proposed posts from Confessors.  However, if you want to suggest some text for a post, please send them as emails and not as comments.  It is easier for me to handle them that way.   If I like your submission but decide not to use it as a post, I'll stick it in a comment myself with attribution if it meets the Rules of the Confessional (link at bottom of this post).  So one way or the other you'll get published.  Thanks.

I'm hopeful to have Larry in Mowry's exegesis on ESPN's offerings sometime soon.  

I have edited bubba's text very lightly for cleanup and clarity.

*     *     *

Back to Larry's main comments re: the Fan/Fail (to be referred to as the ‘F’ in this post for ease) and the way it has so effectively ripped from the Ticket as to make it their own  --  I disagree. And by that I mean no disrespect.

Yes, they have done a decent job of the whole "guys talking guy stuff in addition to sports," but their station totally lacks the thing that makes the Ticket so unique (and nearly impossible to copy):  a steady, long-term relationship with its listeners.

Maybe they will get there at some point, but that rapport takes years to build.

Just look at this blog and others (unTicket, reddit etc) as an example. What other radio station (anywhere) has enough dedicated listeners to put together multiple sites in which all they discuss is all things related to that station? We’re like a bunch of women gossiping about "The Bachelor" or some soap opera for heaven's sake.

And the ways that relationship was built will not be easily duplicated (by the F or anyone). The inside jokes that take months or years to get up to speed on as a listener, the vast library of drops, the way you feel a kinship with each host in some personal way (which requires a steady hosting lineup over long periods of time), the way the hosts and the whole station laugh at themselves and celebrate their own mediocrity.

I truly don’t think we will see another station/relationship like this in our lifetimes. Which I guess is kind of distressing in itself. What will we turn to when/if the beloved Little One is no longer?

Does the Ticket have problems? Absolutely. I don’t disagree with what people are saying about their complacency nor the need for Corby to back off/Mike to step up and for the web site to get out of the 90s. But to worry that the F will be able to supplant the relationship the Ticket has with its P1s seems a bridge too far (though why doesn’t someone at the Ticket use some version of the ‘F text’ during shows? It would be easy to do and it’s a great tool).  

The main thing the Ticket needs to worry about is NOT the F or ESPN taking their place. They need to worry about staying relevant and bringing the next generation of P1 into the fold. Because if they can’t create a relationship with the new P1 like they have with us, then all they have is "guys talking with guys about sports," and THAT’S where the F and ESPN could have an in. In fairness to Larry, he hammers this point home as well.

I am pretty comforted by the fact that BaD could easily take over for THL when Mike hangs it up, and there are several good choices to fill after noon (TSJ, Sirois). Norm is virtually irreplaceable from a knowledge/chops standpoint, but his time slot isn’t as important and can be filled with current talent. But when the Musers hang it up, especially if it’s near Mike’s retirement, then we’ll really need to hold on to our butts. Here’s to hoping things change organically enough that the Little One remains relevant for us and the next generation of P1 long into the future.  

Likely not bubba

Likely not relevant to bubba's post

[Comments to this site are moderated.  

Before posting, please read Rules of the Confessional.  Thank you.] 

ThePlainsman1310@gmail.com

@Plainsman1310  

Hello, Larry

A week or so back an Anonymous Confessor who later identified himself as Larry in Mowry (love it) submitted a three-part comment.  (He said he had commented in the distant past, but was recently inspired by the uptick in comment quality.)   Many of his observations will have been made by Confessors from time to time, but I thought the presentation was original and thoughtful and the writing colorful.  I'm going to give you all three parts here, so it will go on a bit.  I have edited very slightly for for clarity.

I was purposely flipping between TSJ and The FAN this morning. Heard an interesting B&S ad: "Two best friends who grew up in Richardson and who relate to you...The Ben and Skin Show." Those weren't the exact words, but damn near. Obviously it's a double-edged sword strike. 

     --  1. "THL doesn't get you anymore, they're too big time." 

     --  2."We're like The Ticket and THL used to be; we live like/where you do, think like you do, have the same problems you do." 

Maybe I'm a sucker, but I thought it was a pretty effective commercial. There was another spot that touted K&C Masterpiece being "guys like you and your buddies," and one more about how The FAN has more local programming than the other two stations. Again, me, a sucker?, perhaps; but I found them effective.

Overall I've tried to give The FAN a fair amount of listening the past few weeks--during all hours of the weekdays/nights and weekend days/nights. In full disclosure, I'm a D1P1, so yeah I'm biased towards The Ticket, even if I'm trying my best not to be. Having said that:

Flat out, The Ticket is better than The FAN across the board where weekdays are concerned. Flat out. "No question," as Corby would say. I'd go as far to say that other than Mike Bacsik (Ticket ex-pat) and AT TIMES B&S (Ticket ex-pats), the shows and hosts are not good to plain awful. GBag, the show Bacsik is on, might be the worst of the lot (though he's solid). Then again New School might be the worst. But.

I can see why The FAN (I'm going to devote likewise listening time to ESPN for the next 2 weeks beginning Monday, so I'm not discussing them) has gained on and in some places tied or even surpassed The Ticket. Moreover I can see why this isn't a trend, why it'll most likely continue, and thus how we are probably witnessing, barring some big gestures by The Ticket, Rome fall. Not go away, mind you, but to no longer be an empire.

     -- 1. The FAN has, on every level, coopted damn near everything The Ticket does. This includes lingo, attitude, aping Ticket hosts, copying promotions and listener-love events such as Ticketstock and Summerbash, and damn near everything and anything else and in every possible way that makes The Ticket, The Ticket. They have been doing it long enough now that, they've gotten really really good at it. To the point that it sounds organic, seamless. It used to not be that way. However, they have hired enough Ticket ex-pats and have done enough homework, and have hired management types such as Gilbert and now Spittle who either helped shepherd The Ticket to its heights (Gilbert), or aped The Ticket to such a degree (and to such a success) in another market (Houston) that that station's hosts and listeners actually get pissed and think The Ticket has ripped them off (Spittle).

      --  2. I also heard the Corby "I love you Jeff (Staubach)" moment last week. That plays right into [the] B&S spot I heard. Frankly, the spot has a ring of truth to it. One thing I didn't hear from any FAN host was the self-promotion for one's band or the kickass concert seats/suite or being in some local celeb's suite for the Mavs or Stars game or about hanging/texting/chatting with local musician celeb A, B, or C. You might hear a sports figure's name dropped. But it's always tied into the sports topic at hand, and not in a personal "my close friend/running buddy"kind of way like we find on The Ticket (mostly THL, to be fair).

      --  3.While the guy talk aspect of the equation is definitely a player on The FAN, sports takes precedence. Other than Norm and to some extent BaD (at least for the B side of BaD), it's the other way around at The Ticket. I know this is going to sound crazy to the bit lovers out there, but the majority of sports-guy talk listeners tune in primarily for sports talk.

      --  4. Signal. Signal. Signal. You can hear The FAN anywhere in the DFW area and even into the vast hinterlands. The Ticket, not so much. The FM signal is not good. It's better in some places, worse in others. Indeed it's the perfect counterpart to its AM sister.

      --  5. "I" know who CBS is, what's a Cumulus Station?

      --  6. Website, apps, and web presence in general. The FAN = solid, industry standard job; Ticket = Y2K disaster did happen, but only to The Ticket -- which never recovered.

Final Analysis: [LiM is engaging in a little theater of the mind here; he's a D1P1, recall.  Sorry for the overexplaining.] I'm new in town/I'm 15-16 and discovering sports radio.   Hmmm. OK. Here's a CBS station called The FAN. I know what CBS is, and hell, it's the station that comes in the best. They have the Cowboys and the Rangers. If there was another station, I've never been able to pick it up where I live, or not very well. Wow. These guys speak to me. They're besties from Richardson who dig what I dig and have the same problems I have (maybe not the young "discovering" listener). They have cool listener appreciation gatherings. Etc. Oh, I finally found out about and gave The Ticket a try. I don't know, their supposedly badass show, THL, does nothing but gossip like my wife or gf with her friends about tv shows and Hollywood and talk out of their asses about everything they have no knowledge on (and about music like a teenager or college student does) .  .  .  and has no interest in talking about what they actually know, or are supposed to know (sports and everyday mundane guy crap). Besides, both stations sound just alike in lingo and for the most part in presentation. Except The FAN breaks at regular intervals and has more content per hour.

Then you have the Ticket listener, from D1P1 to P1 to P2 who, after having been kicked out of the treehouse so to speak by the cool kids, says "I'll try something else for a while," and finds out that yes, The FAN isn't as good on the whole, but the dialogue and language itself is familiar; and you know what? they actually seem to want me in their club. These guys are dealing with the same bulsh I am. We're all sitting in Section 233 at the Stars game, having some beers, having a good time.

The Ticket IS a much better station. But The Ticket is in trouble. Not sure if they can fix it. One thing is for sure, they did it all to themselves.

Not Larry in Mowry

*     *     *

[Comments to this site are moderated.  

Before posting, please read Rules of the Confessional.  Thank you.] 

ThePlainsman1310@gmail.com

@Plainsman1310  

This is Pretty Interesting, but Not Really

From The Observer's "Best of" list, including text, excerpted without permission:

Best Sports Radio Station Dallas 2014 - KESN-FM 103.3 ESPN Radio

Readers' Choice: KTCK-AM 1310 The Ticket

Sure, many might object to this choice. That one station, the one that just turned 20, inspires such rabid passion among its followers that it's hard to fathom that sports fans might tune their radios to anything other than that other station — you know, the one that's won this category here forever. This year, we thought we'd offer some praise to the other guys. Being an ESPN fan is almost like being a Texans fan in a Cowboys city, but for listeners who want mostly unadulterated sports talk without the frills, 103.3 is their destination. We're sure there are people like that out there, and for them ESPN is just the ticket.

*     *     *

I confess:  When my attention wanders between 3:30 and 6, I switch to 103.3.  I do like Cowlishaw and Mosley.  Not that it happens very often, but it happens.

As one of the commenters to the Observer article said, ESPN wins the award basically for just showing up.  It is interesting, though, that the "other guys" they chose to recognize was the partly-outsourced ESPN, and not the homegrown Fan.

Of course  .  .  .  Cumulus programs KESN.

Pensive in Pensacola -- T.C. Out at The Buzzer

T.C. Fleming:  Terminated at WBSR in Pensacola.  Read from the bottom:

1. TC Fleming ‏@TC1310  1h

   @sportssturm thanks man

    View conversation

   •  Reply 
   •  Retweet 
   •  Favorite 
2. TC Fleming ‏@TC1310  1h

   Also if you have any job leads…. I kind of need them :) Radio is the preference, but I'm open to new experiences!

   Expand

   •  Reply 
   •  Retweet 
   •  Favorite 
3. TC Fleming ‏@TC1310  1h

   @jffcrmr Very excited about the Marshall extension

    View conversation

   •  Reply 
   •  Retweet 
   •  Favorite 
4. TC Fleming ‏@TC1310  1h

   Sorry for hijacking your feed. Since I don't have a show to prepare for, I'm going to go watch that new Godzilla now. Thanks for listening.

   Expand

   •  Reply 
   •  Retweet 
   •  Favorite 
5. TC Fleming ‏@TC1310  1h

   It's a pretty embarrassing episode. I'm gonna try to learn as much as I can from it and try to be a better person going forward.

   Expand

   •  Reply 
   •  Retweet 
   •  Favorite 
6. TC Fleming ‏@TC1310  1h

   We didn't put on an amazing show. It was worse than everything on KTCK. But for a first try, I thought it was passable and getting better.

   Expand

   •  Reply 
   •  Retweet 
   •  Favorite 
7. TC Fleming ‏@TC1310  1h

   I've uploaded all of the shows we recorded here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/38gralluahcbrrn/AAAgq_5-QgB-jbvgq7atemJja … Those shows are far from perfect, but I think they're good

    View summary

   •  Reply 
   •  Retweet 
   •  Favorite 
8. TC Fleming ‏@TC1310  1h

   The owner also fired my cohost, Tommy, saying our show was not working out. I disagree and invite you to listen and judge for yourself.

   Expand

   •  Reply 
   •  Retweet 
   •  Favorite 
9. TC Fleming ‏@TC1310  1h

   I remain stunned by that because, though I admit my faults, they are the same faults I had two months ago when he hired me

   Expand

   •  Reply 
   •  Retweet 
   •  Favorite 
10. TC Fleming ‏@TC1310  1h

    I did work there that I am proud of. If this were decided by a vote among my coworkers, I'd still be there but it's the owners' call.

    Expand

    •  Reply 
    •  Retweet 
    •  Favorite 
11. TC Fleming ‏@TC1310  1h

    Well guys, I got some bad news. I was informed today that things at ESPN Pensacola are not working out, and I've been let go.

Regrettable.  I rather loudly said that I thought T.C. would succeed.  That's not why it's regrettable.  Guy pulls up stakes, makes the move, two months, gone.  Seems unfair.

Some interesting things in that thread.

He reports he was cool with his colleagues, but the "owner" didn't like the show.

Or  .  .  .  maybe didn't like T.C.  He says he is going to "try to be a better person going forward."  Present faults are the same ones he brought to the show to begin with.   Shows don't usually get cancelled after that short a time because ratings didn't improve.  Oh, it's happened, but usually a show gets a chance to get its feet under it, find its audience (vice versa, actually).  So there's probably some inside baseball there.  Maybe It's Just Banter will get the scoop.

I never heard any of the show.  My recollection is that the few listeners who checked in said it was OK, and that wouldn't surprise me.   Any radio boards on the T.C + Tommy Show?

No, I'm guessing there may have been some conflict other than the owner not liking he on-air content.  Just guessing.  My last T.C. guess was wrong.  Well, just as I and others wished him well on his Pensacola adventure, I wish him well again and hope he lands somewhere where he can make a stand.