Just a Quick Refresh

Got nothing much on my mind.

I've had a big change in my work which, alas, means a lot less Ticket listening.  I'm hoping that will change soon, but for now I've missed a lot of shows I used to listen to frequently.  Let's hope I can continue to make this site worthwhile.  For now, I'm not planning on ending it.

Yesterday, I was able to hear a lot of 12-3.  I was impressed.  I know this may be a minority position, but I thought the show sounded really good.  Dan seems to have gotten a lot more comfortable with the new arrangement, and I liked listening to both him and Jake.

A lot of you have not liked 3-7 for the same reasons you didn't like the Mike R Hardline -- too much Corby, too much annoying virtue-signalling political talk from him and Danny.   Before my schedule got in the way, I had the opposite impression.  I liked the new arrangement much better and I thought Corby and Danny both were more focused, more mature-sounding.  After some initial uncertainty, Bob stepped up and provided the balance that show had lacked for some time.  I have not been able to listen to much of that show since sports came to an end, but I can see how those improvements could wither with the lack of any sports to talk about.

Anyone out there actually liking the "new" Hardline?  I'm going to make a special effort to tune in here in the next few days.

By the way:  No excuse for not finding new names for these two shows.  Maybe we should give Cat a hand and suggest some.

#The Ticket Too?

A long, long time ago, I wondered on this site if The Ticket were going to get in trouble with women.

At the time, my concern was with The Hardline.  With Greg Williams, Mike R, Corby, and Danny, the show would frequently take what I characterized at the time, and still recall, as a frankly misogynistic turn.

Even after HeeHoo got the boot, the show would frequently veer into that territory.

I'm not a politically correct guy at all.  But I really disliked the attitude toward women I heard from The Hardline from time to time, all three of the remaining personalities.  And I would also sometimes hear it from Dan McDowell.  Real disrespect and even hostility that was not just a bit.

At the time I thought:  Man, some of this Hardline stuff is really rough.  I wondered what would happen if some women's group decided they were going to make a name for themselves by urging listeners to boycott The Hardline and, more importantly, boycott advertisers who bought time there.  Get some picketers outside the building for photo opportunities for the local journal.

Never happened, of course, Dallas not being a hotbed of feminist activism.

And then, over time, The Hardline seemed to drop the hostility towards women, or greatly reduce it. In any event, I stopped noticing it.

I have noticed it some with Dan and Julie -- not too much, maybe just Dan trying to figure out if he's still the Sports Humorist with the realignment, nothing that made me punch out (I'm liking the show) -- but apparently something popped up the other day.  I didn't hear it and I'm not entirely sure what took place (something to do with Tyson Fury's training regimen and his wife) but the subject of The Ticket's relationship with women seems to have moved closer to the front burner.

We've all noticed The Ticket's recent celebration of The V1, a phrase I personally dislike -- talk about objectification of the female -- but looks like it's here to stay.  And Julie's participation in noon-3 seems to have been a success.  So seems to me that things are taking a turn for the better in terms of gender outreach.  Which I don't necessarily favor when it looks like pandering or bowing to PC pressure (which Julie's elevation doesn't feel like), but it beats what the station was throwing out in its earlier years.

But perhaps there's some way to go.  With #MeToo reaching even Dallas, there may be women out making picket signs as I sit here typing.

Ticket Seismic Change Thread

React here.

Your Plainsman will try to be by his keyboard to comfort or celebrate.  (Considering the range of opinions on what's good and what's not, probably both.)

The Ticket at the Crossroads

Two items we're keeping an eye on:

(1) "The major station announcement" on Monday afternoon.  There was a flurry of comments to the last post, some of them promising seismic changes at The Ticket, although the Confessors claiming gigantic swings in the personnel lineup are short -- zero -- on details.  Please continue to comment.

At this writing, I have no special inside information.  If anything comes my way, I'll let you know.

(2) Ratings:  Bad news continues at The Ticket.  From Richie Whitt in SI (thanks to James for forwarding):  Ticket v FAN Ratings -- Richie Whitt report

I have no information on this, either.  I will say that I find the delta between the stations very difficult to believe.  There will come a point where it won't make any difference if The Ticket doesn't like the way Nielsen does its job -- if these numbers are right, and they don't change over several books, it won't matter what technique is used to measure listenership -- the numbers as reported will do more than the passage of time to end The Ticket's run in Dallas.

Today's Red reflects Your Plainsman's apprehension:

 

ThePlainsman1310@gmail.com

@Plainsman1310

Duelling Insiders

I like it when Confessors have inside information and share it with us.  Or claim to have it.  Truth to tell, persons claiming special knowledge in this space do not have a great record.  Many years ago I heard from a Ticket person who said that he got his laugh for the day every time he would see in social media someone claiming to have inside information.  But I'd love to have a reliable pipeline, even if anonymous.

In the last thread, we had one confessor saying that Bob Sturm was going to move to The Hardline.

More recently, another said that a Muser, tired of the early mornings, was going to move to PM Drive.

Either would be fine with me.  Even if Jake ended up being a Muser, I'd absolutely listen to an AM show with a George/Jake/Gordon lineup.  I think the sparks would soon fly between Jake and Gordon -- Gordon isn't always  .  .  .  welcoming to other funny people on the show, and Jake has done some fantastic bits filling in when Gordon's gone.  But that would be a good Muser lineup for me.  And would love to hear Craig on PM drive, when I can hear a bigger chunk of the show most days.

Ditto with a Jake and Dan show.

But I think those scenarios are not likely.  One show was blown up by Mike's departure.  I do not see the CTO blowing up another historically successful show.

Unless  .  .  .  contract time is coming up for the likes of Craig, and he has the leverage of his own retirement.  But wait -- didn't the Musers all just re-up a month or so back?

So my money is on Jake to The Hardline.  Transforms a stale show with a jolt of energy that "the kids" who, we hear, are deserting The Ticket, find lacking in the aging hosts.

The real controversy Cat will have to deal with is:  Who will replace Jake as BaD producer?  My money would be on either Justin Montemayor or David Mino.  I'm a fan of Justin's "radio sound" and attitude, but David has sharpened up his act on Work in Progress.  There are some other JV guys, Ticker and board op guys, who will probably toss their chapeaux in the ring.

Good luck to all.  The Ticket is in for a wild social media ride.  Stay tuned to My Ticket Confession, Your Source for Quality Ticket Journalism.

No disrespect:  Kobe Bryant, RIP.

A List, and Some Thoughts

I'm still thinking Corby and Danny stay where they are in the positions they now have.  I don't think Danny will be elevated, if he even wants that with his other outside interests.  He may not.


The thought I have is that the replacement must have sports knowledge.  Must.  This is where The FAN eats The Ticket's lunch.  It's where The Hardline has weakened over the years in a way that there simply was almost no serious sports talk on the show except maybe when Corby would talk tennis or college football, and even then  .  .  .  .

The second thought I have is that the replacement needs to have some weight, some heft, some adult credentials to rein in Corby/Danny's more juvenile tendencies.  Although, on further consideration, maybe The Ticket is looking to get younger at all positions, bring in some guys at the lower end of the demo that they seem to be losing.

So let's go through the list:

Of the current hosts, only Donovan strikes me as a potential Hardline replacement, and I don't see that working, much as I like Donovan.  Just not enough razzle-dazzle, and I think Corby and Danny would be tiptoeing around him to some degree.  While he and Corby do seem comfortable together and can put on a good show, that combo just doesn't spark for me.

Cat isn't going to break up BaD, and is not going to move BaD into The Hardline slot -- I don't think.  


That leaves, in no particular order:

Jake:  Leading coming out of the turn.  Sportsy, loquacious, smart, snotty.  At first I thought Jake with Corby would be too much snot for one show, but of the people at the station, he's probably tops.  There's no weightier Ticket guy available except Donovan, assuming neither Bob nor Dan graduates to The Hardline.  (And, if so, it would have to be Bob.  Dan -- Corby would say, "Are you kidding me?"  Besides, I think both Bob and Dan really like their time slot and massive intern support where they are now.)

Mike Sirois:  Love Mike Sirois.  Sportsy enough?  A little thin-skinned sometimes, makes for some interesting radio.  Cirque is frequently replaced, although he seems to be present for his producer duties with The Invasion.  He doesn't suffer fools gladly and he and Corby/Danny might be a tense fit.

Sean Bass:  Oddly, Sean seems to be a polarizing figure with the Confessor.  I like him.  Is he flavorful enough to boost The Hardline?  He's been moved into a semi-management role at The Ticket, so there's some weight there, and he is sportsy.  I don't recall a Sean/Corby pairing in the past but I'd like to hear it.

I don't see anyone more junior than Jake, Mike or Sean being serious candidates, as talented as some of them are.  Both Justin Montemayor and David Mino have turned into accomplished hosts on the Work in Progress Sunday show, they're both very good.  But with them there's the weight problem.

Ty Walker:  Like him on Country Force, and he can talk baseball.  He's gotten kicked in the cojones for so long by hosts -- all in fun, sure -- could he be elevated?

Dave Lane:  Again, a guy I like whenever I hear him.  I didn't think his +1 coat-and-tie "interview" appearance last week showcased him to good advantage.  His Mike tribute was great, but overall he didn't seem to be at his best.

I like Eli Jordan quite a lot, but I just don't see him leapfrogging more tenured in-house candidates.

One possibility is to do nothing.  No replacement.  Leave it as the Corby/Danny show.  Anyone else thinking that Corby sounds more responsible without Mike present?  Danny too?  Maybe I'm imagining things.  The Confessor seems to think that would not be a good idea, but I wouldn't mind it.

Let me throw out a couple of longshots:

David Moore.

Mike Doocy.

They're both sportsy; they're both adults.  I have no idea whether they are available or willing.  I do believe that Doocy, at least, could keep his current gig and still do the afternoon show.  David has to be present at Cowboy events and skulk around the locker room, so his availability is less certain.  However -- what is it that is making me think that David Moore is not a young man?  I went looking for his age and couldn't find it, but I think I heard somewhere that he's actually out of the demo.  (David, sorry if I've misheard that somewhere.)  He may be ready for a regular radio gig and broadcast paycheck.  Both are familiar to Ticket listeners.  Both have a sense of humor.  Doocy would need to tamp down his natural inclination to deference.  And again -- The Ticket may not want to replace Mike with an actual adult.  No idea whether either would blend with Corby/Danny.

And I think Lee "Hacksaw" Hamilton is available.

I'm probably forgetting someone's favorite, and when you tell me who I've forgotten I'll smack my forehead and apologize.

Let's Continue the Discussion of Gbag v. Hline

Fascinating news for Dallas terrestrial sports-guy-talk radio junkies.  G-Bag going to 2-7.  A bold and smart move by the Fan.  In the past I've given GBag a try and didn't care for it, but that was a long time ago.  I'll try to check it out and see what I think. 

This news is of particular interest in light of the analysis of the last set of ratings.  Confessor DA posted an article analyzing them.  The big news in that article was that, while in general, The Ticket was still #1 overall, listening to sports radio was way down from the same interval the year before.

However, buried in that article was this statement:  "One positive for The Fan, they defeated The Ticket in weekday prime (M-F 6a-7p) with Men 18-34."

That datum should send a shiver down the spine of Dan Bennett and Jeff Catlin.

This sets the stage for a program that attracts a younger demo to go against a Hardline largely believed to have grown stale and complacent (although not so much by me).

I caution that we have seen other programs that were thought at the time to pose a serious threat to The Hardline.  That includes Ben & Skin, and remember the hoohah surrounding the entry of the Richie Whitt/Greg Williams into the fray?

But Gbag seems to be a more serious contender, an overall better and more professional presentation than past contenders.

Will Mike R arise from his torpor and reassert control over The Hardline?  Will Corby prepare segments in advance of the commercial break preceding said segments?  

I would be interested in knowing how streaming factors into the economics of terrestrial radio competition.  The Ticket is one of the most-often streamed radio stations in the world -- am I correct in recalling that it comes in at #2 behind the BBC?  If Gbag is to be considered a success, will it have to make a dent in that segment of listeners?  Beyond my radio expertise, I'm afraid.

Anyway, let's continue the commentary on this.  I'll conclude by excerpting a fun comment from the last thread from Anonymous 656:

"Very very interesting stuff, fellow Confessors. Game on, indeed. THL had best step up their game, like, NOW. People, I believe we might be about to experience one of the coolest things a listener can witness, something that hasn't occurred around these here parts since the mid-80s (and really doesn't happen anymore, anywhere): Ladies and Germs, I think we might have a station war on our horizon. If so, buckle up buttercups, because it's gonna be one b-i-t-c-h of a ride. G-BaG has been and continues to be on the rise. Their fanbase keeps growing and growing more and more rabid. VERY reminiscent of the nascent Ticket years--especially with THL. THL, on the other hand, lost its fastball long ago. It's coasted on having damn near zero competition in its time slot. Can they step it up and be the true juggernaut that inspired the masses to walk out on a Rangers game or will they in a few books fade into a perennial second? How will B&S fare v. The Invasion and BaD? Will the CTO offer a counter move? If so, what? And will those (and there are many) who listen to G-BaG and switch to The Ticket once B&S are up now flip flop, leaving THL with less listeners but perhaps giving BaD more (though the final hour of BaD will go against G-BaG)? Whatever happens, best pop ya popcorn, pimps, ladies, and playas, because it's gonna be thrill ride. Bring. It. ON!

"And you were pondering on whether to close up shop or not, Pman..... THIS is what MTC is all about."

 

My Zack Greinke Story

A couple of days ago The Hardline was telling Zack Greinke stories.  I believe it may have been on Mike's Mind. 

Mike was actually able to get in a few fun Grienke facts without interruption.

I have a Zack Greinke story.  It's not much of a story.

Greinke first played major league ball for the Royals, from 2004 to 2009.  I believe this story took place during a time when he was fairly celebrated, which would have been early on, and then again starting in 2008.  Timing isn't important.

He lived in a nice condominium building in Kansas City.

My sainted Aunt Norma lived in the same condominium building.

She had two Royal fan sons and two Royal fan grandsons.

It was well known even at the time that Greinke had a social anxiety disorder, and condo residents had been instructed to leave him alone.  Which they did.

But Aunt Norma thought perhaps she had a harmless way around it.  She baked a big batch of cookies and left four baseballs at his door with a note respectfully requesting autographs.

Greinke obliged.  I don't know if he left the baseballs back at her door, or left them outside his door which she then picked up when checking on her scheme.  But he signed 'em.  Mike R remarked that, for all his shyness, he is much better with young fans.

That's my Zack Greinke story.  Aunt Norma, RIP.

Look Deep Into Your Hearts

There comes a time in the life of every P1 and Confessor when he pauses, thinks:

that he must really be honest with himself,

no matter what he is saying to the outside world,

or in the comments he leaves on Reddit or My Ticket Confession,

or in the emails he sends to Jeff ("The New World Catman") Catlin,

or what he mutters under his breath when he's driving home from work;

and he asks himself:

Is The Hardline really as bad as I've been saying and thinking it is?

Corby and The Hardline get more grief from readers in these pages than do any other host/showgram.  Is it deserved?


I acknowledge the obvious:

The Hardline lads are very light on show preparation.  We can hear it, and we hear other Ticket notables acknowledge it on the air (Mike Sirois being a recent example).  Corby is a bit of a celeb-sniffer and has a strong attraction to the kickass lifestyle he is able to enjoy because of his local celebrity, and has a stylistic addiction to hyperbole.  Danny's cynicism can be wearing.    Each of them is at or near the bottom of apparent sports knowledge among all of the hosts.  (No?  The only evidence we have is what comes through the buds, sorry lads.)  The political leftism is just so unnecessary and trendy and contrary to the iconoclasm one would hope from a show called "The Hardline."

And the jewel in the crown of the show's issues:  Hall-of-Fame Mike too often becomes Checkout Mike.  This site has offered the thought many times that Mike, not Corby, is the author of the weaknesses of the Hardline.  He has -- yes, I think he still has, I don't think it's atrophied from disuse -- the authority to sharpen up that show, and to beat back the browbeating he takes way too often and at too-great length from Corby and Danny.  But he seems to have decided that, most of the time, it easier not to.

It's can be sad to hear, because I and many of you have observed that Corby is better, much better, away from the Hardline when he's had to step up his game, or when he's running a Hardline on his own.  When Mike is engaged or has a sportsy co-host during a Corby vacay, he can rise to the heights of the pre-Greggo-meltdown days.  Danny may be the wittiest off-the-cuff guy on the station.

So let me stake my position here:  I still love The Hardline. I almost never punch out.  I'm in for the sometimes genuinely hilarious stuff they get going.  Corby can be a very funny man -- I probably laugh out loud at him more than any other host on the station (Junior and Gordon in a tie for a close second).  Yes, I'd like much greater balance.  Yes, I'd like to feel like segments didn't get planned during the just-completed commercial break.  Yes, I'd like to hear Mike get up on his hind legs and sound like a real old grey wolf who has had enough.  But in the meantime, there's plenty to enjoy on The Hardline.  The ratings back me up -- still on top despite the repeated efforts of the competition to cull a compromised calf from the herd.  Corby is a frequent leader to those who correspond with Why Today Doesn't Suck.  It isn't just that there isn't any competitor worthy listening to -- on its merits, The Hardline is -- is still -- great radio.

I'm not going to tell anyone to stop listening if they loathe Corby, although that would seem to be a simple route to a better life if you really can't stand the guy.  You may be weary of this characterization, but I really think Corby is the Howard Cosell of The Ticket.  (Uh, do Confessors remember Howard Cosell?)  An annoying on-air presence, a weird voice, but a superior interviewer -- come on, guys, he's really good -- and somehow oddly compelling enough that you can't turn away. 

Now, you don't have to stop criticizing Corby or Mike or Danny or the show as a whole on this site (with the usual cautions regarding vulgarity, anger, and ad hominem attacks on co-Confessors).

But I do want you to search your soul and consider whether, on balance, The Hardline really, really lets you down with regularity.

Speaking only for myself (who else?), it does not.   It's about as good as it's ever been, if not better.

I'm with you, Pdunce.  And that Mino is dreamy!

Change is Good

As we approach the 25th Anniversary of The Ticket and this year's TicketStock, I've been thinking of what I should put in this space to commemorate it.

I couldn't think of anything.

I don't have a lot of interest in Top Ticket Moments for some reason, astounding and entertaining as many of them have been.

I've been listening to The Ticket since 2004, the year I arrived in Dallas -- 15 years.  The singular fact about The Ticket during that period -- and before -- is that it hasn't changed much.  With a few changes, some of which occurred very early on, it's been the same hosts in the same time period for all those years.  Amazing, and certainly a reason for its continued success.

But The Ticket has changed, sometimes in subtle, gradual ways.  I was hoping to come up with three, but I've settled on two:

(1)  The Ascendance of The Musers and Craig "Junior" Miller.   The shows have never been ranked, but in my early years of listening I would have said, if asked, that The Hardline was the quintessential Ticket show and certainly the one most closely identified with the station.

I think that has changed not because The Hardline has declined -- I don't think it has, contrary to the views of some Confessors -- but because The Musers have continued to grow and improve.  "The Musers" is now the most prominent and celebrated show on the station and I would say that even if the ratings didn't bear me out.

And I think the rise of The Musers is because of the rise of Junior Miller, the Fred Astaire of The Ticket.  When I began listening, George Dunham was "The Commander."  You don't hear that much any more.  Instead, Craig Miller is the Judge and Lord High Executioner for station controversies, and the creator of "tiers" to rank the relative prominence of persons appearing on the station.  He is the most prominent host on The Ticket, eclipsing Mike Rhyner and even his podnuh George Dunham.

(George -- love the guy, but there came a period some years back where his interest level clearly waned.  I don't know if it was because he was building a house or building a band, but there were some segments where he simply wasn't ready to broadcast, and you could hear Junior's irritation.  Not really a knock on George -- he's still great -- but not the station leader he once appeared to be.  (And his occasional unpreparedness seems to have abated in recent years.))

(2)  The Growing Prominence and Quality of the Junior Varsity.  I credit Jeff Catlin for hiring and showcasing down-tier talent.  Yes, there have been some flameouts, some misses, some jerks, and some who just flat failed to launch, but by and large the non-daily-host on-air people are very good and getting better and better.  There's not enough room in the broadcast day to give some of them the prominence they deserve.  Too bad you can't sell enough advertising off hours to give some of these guys (and Julie) their own shows other than on weekends.  (Or can you -- while leveraging the broadcast day on the Ticket Top Ten is genius, could you do better with a live Work-in-Progress from 7-10 nightly?) 

I hesitate to name names for fear of leaving out some top-quality folks, but in no particular order, there's Justin Montemayor, Mike Sirois (honorable mention -- Cash), Jake Kemp, Sean Bass, Ty Walker, Julie Dobbs, David Mino.   (I don't count Danny Balis as JV, but he's kind of equivalent to Jake on BaD, so you could list him here too.)  Dave Lane as a cameo JV.    Hey, I'm sure I'm leaving out some real good up-and-comers, so help me out here in the comments.

(3)  The Hardline?  I said I was going to do two, but of course the show with the most wrenching change during my listening history has been The Hardline, with the separation of Greg "The Hammer" Williams a decade or so back.  Of course that's a "change," but here I'm going to offer a view which I know will be at odds with those of some long-time listeners:  I think The Hardline is in some ways a better show now than it was when HeeHoo was on it.

Yes, it is true that Mike's interest has declined and he doesn't pay a whole lot of attention sometimes.

Yes, it is true that Mike allows Corby and Danny to browbeat him when he should be putting them firmly in their respective places.

Yes, it is true that Corby is a mic hog.

Yes, it is true that the lack of show prep can verge on disrespect of the P1.

But for all that, I listen.  And I laugh more at The Hardline than at any of the other shows.  I've said it before:  Corby Davidson is the Howard Cosell of The Ticket -- he'll irritate the living bejeebers out of you, but still you tune in and (usually) don't tune out.  And I and other Confessors have observed how good he can be when he's away from the nurturing biosphere of the who-cares Hardline.

I was tired of Hammer's ignorant redneck act before he got the heave-ho, and his various issues were plainly affecting his broadcasting long before he crashed and burned.   I'll punch out on Corby and Danny from time to time (Mike isn't present or flavorful enough to excite the punch-out finger much anymore, although he's still a mesmerizing broadcaster when he's engaged -- that is, when he's got a subject that really interests him, or with a co-host who engages him), but for me, The Hardline is great entertainment and better than it was 15 years ago.

*     *     *

I'm not going to make TicketStock this year, so send your photos of TicketChicks and other watchables to:

ThePlainsman1310@gmail.com

*     *     *

How has The Ticket changed for you?

Random Items

          (1) The Hardline is not out of the mainstream on this, but I am:  Season Two of "True Detective" was not terrible.  I thought it was very good, if not as linear as Season One.  Hard to follow, but I loved the atmospherics of sun-baked Los Angeles.  Had kind of a Twin Peaks getsalt that I enjoyed.

          (2)   Ditto Season Three:  It is being hugely overpraised by The Hardline (The Hardline?  Overpraising something?  Surely not)  and most other observers.  Again, I'm an outlier here.  The writing is sharp, but it suffers terribly from the Breaking Bad Disease -- endless lingering takes of Ali looking anguished, a la Bryan Cranston.  For having a two-hour premier, precious little happened except for shot after shot of said anguished Ali.  Hey, did the True Detectives kill that ex-con in the trunk?

          Two stars.

          (3)   Is that new Desperados ad the cheapest, cheapest-sounding, and overall worst commercial ever aired on The Ticket, with the possible exceptions of The Bulldog and those wall-removal guys with their ten-year warranty?  (What -- the wall might reappear after 10 years?  if the house falls down after ten years for lack of a supporting wall, no problem?)   Wait, I forgot those mortifying Tight Ends Sports Bar and Grill girls.  Good Jah, the mumbling, almost incomprehensible, unconvincing copy by some offspring of someone followed up with the goofy coda.  Awful.

          Is Desperados as good as the Ticket guys who get the free grub make it sound?

          Which makes me wonder if there is some review of commercials for suitability for the air.  Actually, I guess I don't wonder:  There must not be any.

          (4)  Any of you out there voting for the top Ticket moment?  I've heard so many of them so many times over the years I don't have much interest in it.  I've assumed the Nolan Ryan Great Snow Monkey Battle will win, but dunno.

I Heard It on the Handoff

Danny Balis:  "We're [the Orphanage, with Dave Lane] going to do something today that the Hardline hasn't done in probably fifteen years."

Mike Sirois:  "Prepare?"

Loved it.

So we're not the only ones.

(Oh, yeah, the actual answer was:  Take calls.)

Check Me on This

It has become a commonplace among Confessors -- and, from time to time Your Plainsman -- that Mike checks out more than he should.  There have been periods of time when The Hardline seems to have become The Corby Show, Featuring Danny.

Now mind you -- I am not a major Corby basher, and some time ago I likened Danny to bacon -- everything is better with a side of Danny.  As far as Corby is concerned:  Yeah, he's not as prepared as he should be, and he's Superlative Corby, and maybe he isn't hip to absolutely all of the facts a host might be expected to have when holding forth on one topic or another, he's a bit of a celebrity-sniffer, and he has a kickass life, but I must say that the man amuses me.  I'm OK with most of that -- I'd like to have a kickass life myself and sniff a celebrity now and then.  (Lately, the Siroisie are pretty much it for me.  They smelled great!)  I find myself laughing out loud at some of his remarks, which I don't do that often during my solitary listening to The Ticket, amusing as it often is.  I know this departs from the views of some Confessors, but there you go.

But lately, it seems to me that Mike is in one of his Engaged Mike Eras.  They emerge from time to time, and their duration cannot be predicted.  Seems to me that I'm hearing More Mike than I have for awhile now.  That's a good thing, makes for a better showgram stem to stern.  He's a legend for a reason, and that reason, I think, is that he is simply an engaging adult presence. a guy whose voice one likes to hear on the radio.  Not even a past-middle-age-trending-towards-older-guy adult presence, but more of a get-off-my-lawn guy who doesn't take that pose all that seriously, and who is seriously fond of his co-host and producer.  I like that attitude.

In the words of a keen formerly-inside observer of All Things Tickety:  Am I wrong, guys?

This probably invites the usual Corby-bashing, and that's OK, but let's keep it civil.  Keep the focus on The Founder, if you can.

I'd pay eight dollar d-dollar dar in 1950 dollars for the chance  to have a drink with The Old Grey One.

  

Glad I Caught the Line of Hardness Today PLUS BREAKING BREAKING: FAHY SEPARATION FROM TICKET NOT A BIT

I've been away from the waves for awhile, but I was in the Conestoga today during PM drive and caught two fantastic segments.

The first -- I have no idea what it started out to be, something about George Clooney being the father of a one-year-old in his fifties, but it finished up with speculation on the Mikes (Rhyner and Sirois) becoming fathers at their respective stages in life.  Haven't laughed so hard at The Ticket in months.  Bent over the steering wheel laughing at Corby's -- yes, Corby's -- remarks and baby-mother riffs.

The second was a segment on artists (like Harry Styles) who shift genres after success in one genre.  Not hilarious, but very solid.  One of those segs that had more information in the bag -- more, ahem, "preparation," if you will, but they ran out of time.  Hope they reprise this when I'm listening again.

The Hard Ones take it up the keest on this site once in awhile, but today reminded me of why I don't spend a lot of time investigating the competition.

*     *     *

BREAKING BREAKING ON 2018 06 09:   A usually reliable Deep-Cumulo-Source confirms that one of my personal favorites, John Fahy, has indeed been let go by The Ticket.  I do not have details but it was not, shall we say, for financial reasons.  Very sorry to see him go, he was a cool voice on The Little One.  Hope he lands somewhere cool.

I Give My Leader the Benefit of the Doubt + Bonus STD on Drops

And that leader, you may recall, is Jeff Catlin, Program Director of KTCK (The Ticket) and Operations Manager for it, KESN, KLIF, KPLX, KLIF FM, WBAP, and KSCS (that is, Cumulus Dallas).

I think he is a pretty smart chap and has made some pretty smart decisions about The Ticket.

So I can only assume he has some reason -- a market study, perhaps; micro-ratings analysis; maybe getting a feel from his email; could even be sponsor feedback -- for countenancing what seems -- isn't, but seems -- to be nonstop talk on a number of the shows about cable/Amazon/Netflix dramatic presentations.

A day or so ago, it was The Musers with "The Push."  Today, I look forward to one of my rare tune-ins to BaD, and I hear Bob say that they were not able to properly finish their discussion of "The Push" in the prior segment(s?), and so they were going to trash the sports talk they had planned on the run sheet so they could talk about it some more.  Then, on The Hardline, E-news is all about that subject, then, following a single segment about Cowboys stuff (Dez Bryant absolutely, 100%, take it to the bank, absolutely no way, will renegotiate his deal), Corby announced they were going to discuss another Netflix show in the next segment.

Maybe the Confessor is interested in these things and the New World Catman has made another wise choice.  Maybe lots of P1's watch them and enjoy our lads' extensive and frequent discussion about these shows.  And the discussion itself -- hey, for all I know they may be television analysts of the most sublime perspicacity.  But, speaking here only for myself, I'm interested in none of it, and, to the extent I am, I am certainly not interested in the cascade of spoilers these guys sling.  I heard Corby say that viewership for these shows is plummeting and he once again assured listeners with absolute certainty that in 5 years there would be no Netflix, no Showtime, no HBO, so one wonders why a disproportionate slab of showgram time up and down the broadcast day is devoted to these presentations.

Now -- I invoke Jeff here, but in fact, I don't think he has much to do with the programming of individual segments on these shows.  He's not telling them to devote segments to TV/cable/internet dramatic programming.  His role, if there is one, is pretty much a negative one -- stop doing this, don't do that, clean up your tweets, throw some cold water on the social commentary.

Anyway, that's my STD (Scorching Ticket Disquisition) for the day.

"Corby said this show was the greatest in the history of human communication."

*     *     *

Wait, there's more.

What's this about The Ticket being ordered to -- erase? archive? stop using? -- certain, or a certain number of, or a certain volume of, drops?  Heard it mentioned a couple of times this afternoon, most notably by Mike R observing that a station like The Ticket, which basically carries some of Cumulus's less popular offerings, should be forced to cut back on drops for any reason.

I didn't get the impression that this was a programming move -- Jeff saying, per my suggestion above, "use a lot fewer drops."  Don't think that's what's happened, although could be in error about that.  I believe that for some reason, a large batch of Ticket drops are no longer available for use; D Mino suggested to that effect.   Mike, and I think Corby, both suggested that this was some kind of an economic move.  But how is that possible?  Digital storage costs approximately nothing (or am I wrong here, guys?).   Someone out there knows more about this.  Please advise in the comments, or drop me a line.

ThePlainsman1310@gmail.com

@Plainsman1310

Hardline News

First, thanks to Confessor DRW1961 for the link to the Corby story and interview:

https://sportsday.dallasnews.com/other-sports/moresports/2017/10/04/tickets-corby-davidson-reluctant-hardliner-thrived-since-forced-joined-show

The response that will get the Confessor going:   "Our whole lives are prep. But I start thinking about the next day while driving home from work, trying to piece it all together. But the whole show is in my head before noon. I've got it all planned out."

Skepticism-inducing responses aside, I think it's a pretty good interview with Corby.  He comes across likable and menschy.

Second, thanks to Confessor 1106 (two posts back) for this account of the end of E-News yesterday:  

"Corby and Danny getting each other worked up on gun control issue. Corby says to Mike, "you are awfully quiet over there. What do you think about this?" Mike responds, 'I don't think this is what people listen to us for.' Corby and Danny were both a little taken aback and they went to break almost immediately after."

Considering the response we got to the last post, think how many more emails these guys must get on this subject.  Not to mention My Leader COTA.  Email can be an unreliable barometer of listener reaction, of course, but I'll bet they've heard on the subject of excessive political coverage -- if you can call it that -- for a long time.  If 1106's account is correct, it's refreshing, and bravo Mike. 

In these dreary days of partisanship and slaughter, we need something to smile about:

 

BREAKING: Ticket Ratings Rule, with Particular Attention to The Hardline

Some Confessors seem to think The Hardline is sinking in the ratings, running behind the competition, or otherwise not doing well. 

This is not correct.

I recently heard from a Dallas media source who I believe to be reliable.  S/he was concerned about passing along this information as even the immortal Barry Horn seems to be forbidden from publicizing it, so I'm going to withhold some details to avoid any problems with the ratings people.

However, at extreme personal risk, I can report generally on the numbers representing an average of the last four monthly books (as of the time I received this information, which was a few weeks back now):

--   All Ticket shows are #1 in their time slots in the target demographic (men 25-54).

--   The Musers are the top-rated Ticket show, ratings in the low double-digits.

--   The Hardline is a very close second to the Musers, only a point behind The Musers and also in the low double-digits.

--   Hardline ratings have risen steadily over the past "many" months (source was not more specific).

--   BaD and Invasion ratings are about equal, and only a point behind the Hardline.

So:  Ticket continues to dominate.  Hardline doing extremely well and improving.  Musers still tops.  Middays also extremely strong, only two points behind the galaxy-class Muser ratings.

None of this means you have to like The Hardline or any of the other shows.  But running down its ratings just because you want to see (for example) Corby get some kind of comeuppance is wishful thinking. 

If one believes these numbers, and I do, one can only conclude that The Ticket continues huge throughout the weekday daylight broadcast hours.  This suggests that the CTO has zero incentive to impose the slightest tinkering on any of those shows.

*     *     *

I will say this:  While I do defend Corby and The Hardline in these pages, I am in agreement with many Confessors on much of the criticism leveled at The Hardline.   Weak show preparation, dumb political talk, shaky sports talk, Mike's very inconsistent interest in the show (it seems to be on the rise lately), Corby's mic hogging and noisy berating of Mike for having variant opinions -- it's all true.  It's obvious.  And yet, I don't tune away very often and when I do, it isn't for long.  And the numbers are saying that, if anything, The Hardline is getting more popular. 

So while on balance I give The Hardline an MTC thumb's-up -- when it's clicking, it's still very entertaining despite everything and Mike remains the most charismatic broadcaster on the air -- I have to ask myself if better competition wouldn't see a meaningful migration away from 1310/96.7 after 3 pm.  

I just don't know, so hard to say based on the current choices.  ESPN's substitution of Steve Dennis for Matt Mosley has been a step backwards.  Ben & Skin -- man, every time I tune in there it seems like they're doing some dumb game show thing or homering for the Cowboys or Rangers or otherwise failing to attract my interest for more than a few minutes.  The whole show just seems canned, the enthusiasm manufactured.  Maybe I need to do a power-listen on B&S to see if there's more to 'em, because as much as I feel at home with The Hardline, I'd give a PM drive show staffed by human beings who seemed comfortable talking to one another -- which is how I would characterize The Hardline even when it's weak -- a real shot.

Inaccurate reportage of Hardline ratings makes me melancholy in kind of a tragic, Jane Austen sort of way.

Excellent 2017 07 05 Shake Joint AND Mike R v "Not a Podcast"

(1)   I never went to church camp but today's segment on it was one of the most entertaining things I've heard on The Ticket for a long time.

(2)  Not attributable to Shake Joint, but:  Charlie Gray is asking listeners to let him know if Hidden Cost Motors and Heavy Metal Motors should be permanently retired.  Think his email might have given him a clue?

(3) Can't believe Sean will be interviewing one of my favorite crime writers, Don Winslow, here in just a little while.

(4)  Thanks to Jake for asking Sean to explain what "pitch framing" is from a stats point of view.  I kept hearing it mentioned on The Ticket, but had no idea what it meant.

===========

This Machine/Mike R issue is intriguing.  It only came up yesterday, so here's the string from the commentary for your reading pleasure, and a late unrelated comment from a reader.  I doubt we'll see much more about this on Twitter, but I think it's a large-pulling back of the curtain.

Shaggy said...

Rhynes-Machine controversy brewing on twitter...

July 4, 2017 at 12:27 PM

Anonymous said...

Can you give a little detail, Shags, por favor? I'm not on the Twitters.

July 4, 2017 at 1:23 PM

Gopher said...

Shaggy: I'm not seeing anything on either feed. ?

July 4, 2017 at 5:03 PM

The Plainsman said...

I haven't taken the time to learn the structure and practices of Twitter, so it's hard to tell exactly who is saying what to whom. However 16h ago (as of July 4 at 5:27p), Father John Zesty tweeted: "When the people you look up to shit on you on the internet." Attached to that tweet was a shot of what appeared to be another tweet of someone who was "Replying to @FYFMethod, k@BracketDan, and 6 others," with the following text: "Hopefully his tastes are discerning enough to turn off 3-7 today."

Circumstantially, it looks like whoever was the original author of that tweet -- and I can't find it anywhere, including @OldGreyWolf -- was taking a shot at Monte + The Machine filling in for The Hardline.

That's all I know. If anyone else can excavate what's going on here, let me know. If that was Mike R shooing people away from The Hardline's fill-in show, that would be news.

July 4, 2017 at 5:31 PM

Shaggy said...

Nope, the original tweet was a P1 wife "complaining" (but not really) about her husband listening to the ticket on his phone on vacation in Florida. Completely innocuous/complimentary of the ticket in general. Not related to Not a Podcast in the least. Mike's shot seemed to come out of nowhere

https://twitter.com/fyfmethod/status/881984097274527744

July 4, 2017 at 5:52 PM

Shaggy said...

(It was Rhynes that said "Hopefully his tastes are discerning enough to turn off 3-7 today")

July 4, 2017 at 5:55 PM

The Plainsman said...

Thank you, Shaggy.

Mike's shot doesn't feel like a bit; nothing about it suggests he's teasing.

That's extraordinary. Mike R apparently displeased at the prospect of Monte + The Machine's stewardship of his time slot.

We wrote last week speculating -- well, mostly speculating, but also crediting some rumbles -- that perhaps The Musers aren't the warmest home for certain factions of the JV.

Now we have Mike R going radio silent (NPI) on David Mino and suggesting, quite gratuitously according to Shaggy, that people shouldn't listen to his distant-tier JV drydock replacement.

This site likes to pump up the JV when it has the slightest excuse to do so, but in this connection I must report that on a startling number of occasions when I've been tuned in Machine has presumed to dish it out to some weekday hosts and other of his Ticket way-betters. I hope he's as prepared to take it.

July 4, 2017 at 8:07 PM

Anonymous said...

A few questions to anyone and I will hang up and listen.

1) Is "not a podcast" a reference to IJB? I know a lot of the JV'rs are annoyed with the way one of that group left and made it back as if it never happened.

2) Who is running the ESPN station? I know cumulus owns their signal, but how does that work? JJT was fired at ESPN but still runs a radio show. The reason I ask is it is stated it is less expensive to run national instead of local each night. Yet several nights their is local programming with Elf and others on ESPN.

3) If host are stretched for content during the summer, why not a soccer segment? plenty of MLS and Gold Cup or other tournament action. I guess we could have another will the Cowboys win 12 or 11 games this summer. There are plenty of things going on besides the Rangers or whatever they pull off ESPN headlines and just repeat the article. Several shows last week seemed like they were just stretching to get to that next break. Certain host def need a strong second host with them.

July 5, 2017 at 8:36 AM

Mike R or Mike M?  Do I have to choose?  They're both so  .  .  .  radio-handsome.

A Happy Thanksgiving to All Confessors

Hope it is a safe and happy one for you all and that you can spend it with loved ones other than the ones with stars on their helmets.

While I have liked hearing The Hardline this morning, I could not believe that they replayed "Thanksgiving Loves the White Man," composed and performed some years back by Corby Davidson.  I suppose they play it every year, but I've never heard it before.  Hitting a woman -- an "Injun 'hore" -- with a rolling pin and a frying pan wasn't funny in the 90's and it's not funny now. 

The Ticket lost countless timeless drops in the move to Victory but for some reason this ordure survived.

If The Musers are listening, they must be horrified that their hearty laughter at this bilge -- it was when Corby was on with them in the morning for some reason -- has been preserved for the ages.

CONFIDENTIAL TO JEFF CATLIN:  Get this piece of crap out of heavy Thanksgiving rotation.

Other than that -- pretty good little show.

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.)