Mike R is Kinda Interested in Syndication

By the purest coincidence, The Hardline briefly turned to the subject of syndication a shortly after Your Plainsman's trailblazing article on the subject a couple of weeks ago.  Mike had been browsing the latest number of Talkers Magazine that was devoted to syndication.

Michael Rhyner, Canny Market Observer

It wasn't a long conversation.  When Mike brought it up, Corby was instantly dismissive.  His position seemed to be that syndication was all right for some kinds of shows, but not for The Hardline.

Corby Davidson, Conservative Media Strategist

Mike was not so sure.  He didn't challenge Corby outright, but -- and I might well have been imagining things -- you could tell by the sound of his voice as he discussed the contents of the article that he was thinking ahead to the future of The Hardline and, possibly, KTCK Sports Radio 1310 The Ticket.

I do not need to remind faithful Confessors that Michael Rhyner was something of a visionary in this market when he cobbled The Ticket together a decade-and-a-half ago.  His musings on where the market is headed ought not be taken lightly.

Michael Rhyner, Ecstatic Radio Prophet

Now, as it happens, when I wrote the article a couple of weeks ago, I did not think The Hardline was a particularly good candidate for syndication in its present form -- and by "form," I didn't mean Mike-Corby-Danny-Grubes-Ty, which is a perfectly splendid form of very talented men.  I meant the overall flavor of the showgram, which is probably the least sportsy and most blue of the shows.  Perfectly marvelous for the long-time listeners who love the insidedness of it all (me too), but possibly a little too spicy for quick success in a new major market.

Upon reflection, though, I think The Hardline might be a very fine candidate for syndication into North Texas small-to-medium markets.  Sort of like what Wolfe was planning to try with Greggo the Hammer.  (Not only more potentially Hardline-friendly markets, but no -- or less -- danger of competition with other Cumulus properties.)   If that were successful, perhaps they could dip their toe into Texas metro generally.

And I don't need to tell you that any expansion into nearby markets -- depending on how nearby -- might help solve some of The Little One's abysmal signal problems.  Maybe not for local Confessors, but for those in outlying areas who now rely on iPhone apps and Internet streams.

Inexplicably, neither Ticket nor Cumulus management has turned to Your Plainsman for far-seeing radio advice on any of the topics upon which I have presumed to offer guidance.   

No offense taken.  

Greggo . . . Hey, Greggo

If the comments to online articles about Greggo's recent parting with John Clay Wolfe are any indication, our sympathy reserves are pretty much exhausted.  Mine too.  But, as his wife says about Willy Loman in "Death of a Salesman":   He's not the finest character that ever lived. But he's a human being, and a terrible thing is happening to him. So attention must be paid.   .  .  .  . Attention, attention must finally be paid to such a person.

As I reread Richie Whitt's report on his recent conversation with Greggo, a disturbing vision emerged:  Something bad is going to happen to Greg Williams, or to someone around him.  Destitute; erratic behavior; possibly still using; self-deluded and deluded by others; subject to depression; prospects vanished; publicly humiliated as his private business is made public.  And isolated.  And a fondness for guns.  And a brother who was a suicide.  Go back and read the first few paragraphs of Whitt's article on the Greggo/Ticket divorce, "The Hard Lie."  Things have only gotten worse for Greggo since then.

And yet, think:  We have all been hugely entertained by this man, and for years.  He got himself to work and put on a show for a long time.   It is beyond any doubt that he has brought his present troubles on himself.  But -- and I'm no expert on the ways of the mind -- in reading everything that has been written about this man it is all but impossible to escape the conclusion that his behavior has its footing in a clinical foundation that can be treated, if not altogether repaired.   Yeah, I know, you have to let addicts hit bottom.  I've had that experience with a loved one.  Two, in fact.  That strategy is fine right up to the time he doesn't get up.

Unlikely that Greggo tunes in to this site.  But I'd feel pretty lousy if one of us many pundits, bloggers, posters, or commenters, now that we're done clucking our tongues, didn't say something. 

Greggo, look around.  Nothing you see, not one thing, not one person, including the one sitting in your chair, can help you.  Not one thing you own beyond those four walls.  That includes the telephone.  Talking is nothing, it can't help you.  Nothing and no one in your current experience can help you.

But there is help to be had. 

Get up and get out of there. 

Pack a bag, or don't.  Drive yourself, by yourself, to any one of any one of dozens of organizations -- and you know some of them yourself -- who are waiting to help you.  They will welcome you. 

Your fans may be shaking their heads as they read about your recent reversals, but they are still fans, and they're legion.  They may believe that you are the author of your own low state, but they don't like it that you're miserable and failed.    Right now you're just a story to us, but if you get out there and where you need to be you can become a great story, one of the great second acts in DFW history. 

That road trip will be a hard one, the goodbyes will be agonizing, and it will never, ever end as the demons keep your taillights in view. 

But if you can stay awake and keep the car on the road as you do the difficult things you must do, there will come a day when you can pull into a parking lot, show some ID, walk down the hall, settle yourself into a comfortable swivel chair, and take a deep breath as you adjust the headphones and turn to speak into the microphone.

Just as you did for all those years.

Do it.  Get up now.  Do it.

But Greggo . . . Why One Hundred FOUR Thousand?

Radio -- it's a tough business.  Really tough.  Lotta people want to get into show biz, and they'll do anything to get a foot in the door.  Once there, they find they have to continue to work for non-celebrity wages to keep the gig.

Danny Balis, in my judgment one of the most compelling broadcasters in Dallas (and one of the most misunderstood -- I'll hit this topic another time) -- let slip a few days ago that he makes $30,000.  I don't know if he was making a humorous point in the context of what they were discussing at the time, but it had the ring of truth.  (I think he says he makes more from his music than from his Ticket engagement.)  And I'm guessing, but I doubt Cumulus has included in his compensation package a piece of Hardline-generated profits.  (Sometimes I wonder if Grubes has him on retainer.)

Anyone following the Greggo-Hammer-HeeHoo saga has already read Richie Whitt's (rather balanced)  account of HeeHoo's phone call to him to report on the climactic meeting with John Clay Wolfe.  Wolfe was offering $24,000 plus a share of the profits -- in other words, a piece of the show, a nice incentive for good behavior -- and some pretty stiff disincentives for bad behavior.   Faithful Confessors are aware that I believe HeeHoo to be a genuine radio talent, but man -- nine days and he's out.  Show of hands please -- how many of you out there think he put gasoline in the diesel's tank?  Yeah, me too.  And he and his Significant Frail held firm at $104,000.

Couple of questions:

How many stations did HeeHoo think Wolfe was going to sign up in nine days?

How did HeeHoo and the Significant Frail settle on $104,000?

What is the approximate magnitude of advertising revenue HeeHoo and S.F. believe to be generated by a one -- one, that is -- kilowatt AM station in the Seymour/Wichita Falls metroplex?  Makes The Ticket's anemic collection of signals look like a freakin' blowtorch.  I don't know KSEY's target demo other than guys trying to sell 2004 Sentras (not  .  .  .  that there's anything wrong with that), but I suspect Arbitron has detected a significant bovine share. 

Sometime Confessor "insider" suggests in a comment that there's a Wolfe-to-HeeHoo email detailing additional Wolfe proposals to keep HeeHoo before the microphone. 

I certainly hope so.  Barb Smith seekers aren't going to drive traffic to this site forever.

Greggo Dances with Wolfe

Your faithful Plainsman gets up early on Saturday so you don't have to.  John Clay Wolfe reported on his website that he would comment on the end (for now) of his relationship with Greg "Greggo" "the Hammer" "HeeHoo" Williams.  He said he would address it in the 7-7:30 segment of his Real Deal show on 97.1 KEGL today.  He got to it at 7:38 and finished at 7:40.   As Neil Young and The Hardline would say, innarestin.

First, a tip of the hat to my commenter "insider," who offered some additional information on the HeeHoo-Wolfe relationship in his comment to this article which Wolfe confirmed this morning.  First, Wolfe said that had built out his FM studio, in part, in anticipation of HeeHoo doing a syndicated show from there.  He suggested he'd built it out for other reasons, but that it was "overbuilt" now because the HeeHoo gig had fallen through.  Second, one of Wolfe's sidekicks mentioned that HeeHoo had brought a "negotiator" with him, who "insider" identified as HeeHoo's girlfriend.  Insider, my thanks.

There were a couple of other tidbits in the segment: 

     (1)    Wolfe suggests that this was more than a handshake deal.  He was pretty emphatic that this was an honest-to-god agreement, not just a "let's see how it goes."  He didn't say anything about it being in writing, but it doesn't make sense that Wolfe would have made a big capital investment without an enforceable agreement.  A little later in the program, he said that "Greggo is on contract strike."   

[You know  .  .  .  if Wolfe and HeeHoo did have a contract that was more or less complete and definitive (i.e., with real dollar figures and and specific duties to be performed on both sides), and Greggo has walked out on the deal, Wolfe could sue him.  He might be able to sue for lost profits, but even if those were regarded as too speculative, he might be able to recover his out-of-pockets in building out that studio (especially if building out the studio was part of the deal, or if HeeHoo understood that Wolfe was going to build it out in reliance on HeeHoo performing the contract).  Although Wolfe is using it for his own show, so it's not like he didn't realize any value from the investment.  Still, to the extent it was "overbuilt" for HeeHoo  .  .  .  .]
  
     (2)   Wolfe has the same love-hate relationship with HeeHoo that much of the P1 Nation has.  He started out singing Greggo's praises, said how well the two-week trial run had gone, what a great talent the guy was, how much he likes him, how he wishes they could have done the deal, how he was welcome to join The Real Deal next Saturday.  In the next sentence, he says that HeeHoo "might be a little greedy," although he acknowledged -- insincerely -- that maybe he (Wolfe) is cheap.  And, of course, by his account HeeHoo walked out on a done deal. 

Show-biz people.  You never know where you stand with them.

Is this dance over?  Will it matter to HeeHoo that his former partner called him "greedy" and a welcher on the air?    Dunno.  

But here's the deal about Greggo:  Here we have this acknowledged broadcast talent, a lot of on-air fun when he's straight.  People are still fond of him (your Plainsman, too), and even those who purport not to like the guy are fascinated by him (all the Ticket-influenced sites are still crowded with Greggo posts and comments years after his departure).  Flawed guys with talent like his get multiple chances to succeed just because the gift is so rare.  Somewhere in North Texas there is a program director or station manager who is thinking -- I can make a deal with this guy.  Even on a non-sports station, a HeeHoo sports-and-general-interest show could easily find a home.  It could even be a music station.  And syndication was already in the air.   But whatever the format, I guarantee you someone out there is thinking about reaching out.  It might even be Wolfe.  We're going to hear Greggo again.  Maybe not for long, but again.

Even if that PD or SM has to deal with the girlfriend.

You Can Depend on Greggo -- He'll Always Let You Down

So it appears that the return of Greg “Greggo” “the Hammer” “HeeHoo” Williams to non-drop radio via KSEY-AM 1230 (Seymour/Wichita Falls) has run its course. John Clay Wolfe, his benefactor at KSEY, has announced that he and HeeHoo have parted company over HeeHoo's compensation, and he will once again vanish from the airwaves.

Key phrases from Wolfe's blog entry:

       “he and I could not agree on the terms I believed we had ironed out in the beginning”

       “we couldn’t have been any further apart from getting a deal done”

       “the terms that I offered to Greg upon inception of this project . . . will still be on the table in the same form until further notice”

Sounds like an early handshake deal, a “let’s see how it goes” deal.  It apprently goes good (according to Your Plainsman's commenter Anonymous, HeeHoo "sounded better than he has in a long time").  (Thanks to Anon for the report.)

Comes time to settle on more permanent terms. Turns out, there’s no agreement. Either there was an honest misunderstanding at the outset; or J.C. Wolfe is reneging; or HeeHoo is trying to leverage his good reviews into a better deal than the one he had agreed to in order to get his foot in the door.

We can’t know the right and wrong of this situation. Maybe the emerging talk of possible syndication of the show suggested to HeeHoo that the handshake deal needed to be enhanced. Maybe some HeeHoo behind-the-scenes unpleasantness suggested to Wolfe that he take some steps to minimize his risk. And maybe there was just a plain old misunderstanding.

One thing I don’t see in Wolfe’s account is any talk of an agent or a lawyer involved on HeeHoo's behalf. An agent eager to get his client back into live radio might have been expected to counsel his client that he was no longer commanding the attention of program directors at major metropolitan radio outlets (who don’t have a lot of mad money themselves these days), but instead was sitting across the table from a guy who is trying to make a go of a 1-kilowatt AM that only reaches about 23 of HeeHoo's old fans.

Somebody in this little drama is deluded. I join most – although, I sense, a declining percentage – of the P1 Nation in wishing HeeHoo the absolute best and an eventual return to broadcasting to something other than open prairie. But just like you just gotta start somewhere, sometimes you just gotta re-start somewhere.