OK,
here's the deal. I went under the knife
this morning. All well, not
life-threatening. Thanks in advance for
your good wishes. Mrs. Plainsman has
ordered me not to email as I recuperate whilst drugged.
I don't think she cares if my blog work is narcotics-influenced. But I've got nothing to do except to listen to Dallas-Fort
Worth Sports Radio. So you may be
getting lots of little observations of varying coherence over the next few
hours.
And
right now, I'm listening to Ben and Skin's inaugural showgram.
I
haven't heard Ben and Skin since their weekend Ticket show. But it doesn't sound like the show I
remember.
These
guys are talking very fast, very animatedly.
I am recalling a much more relaxed presentation those several years ago. Haven't yet heard any Ironic Observation on
the Just Previous Ironic Observation.
I
missed the Derek Holland interview (and a brief clip sounded interesting, where
DH reports that he's still DH-like, even sang a little song), Now they're talking to Dirk and it's a real
nice conversation. Greggo can sneer at
their strategy of endearing themselves to athletes, but this is pretty good
stuff. I'm waiting for their actual sports
talk -- looks like one more segment with Dirk.
They’re
running CBS Sports Minutes reported by
Jim Rome.
Now
they’re talking to some old-timey-sounding sports guy but I missed who it is. [LATER: Mike Fisher.]
And
they’re rolling out DeMarcus Ware at 4:30. [LATER: Fun interview with him.]
Next
is a segment called “The Other Part of the Paper”—non-sports stories. Apparently some guy – they later identified
him as an intern -- named Brendan – they later identified him as Smith -- is
going to report on these stories, and I
can’t believe it but they managed to find yet a third guy that sounds just like
the two of them, especially now that they’re talking faster. They’re talking about a bobcat
sighting. Needs some fine-tuning. I'm resisting the thought that this may be Community Quick Hits.
Unusual
jazz piano trio background music, kind of nice.
In fact, all of the background music is quite unusual. I was so
intrigued by it, I found myself listening to the music and not the
talking.
I’ve
been listening for an hour and I haven’t heard an actual Ben and Skin
segment. I’ll tell you, I’m very
startled by the near-manic pace of the segments. Trying hard to have a goodo time. Opening-night jitters? Or a deliberate move to a new style of
broadcasting? I would appreciate if one
of you familiar with their more recent work would report on whether this is a
different sound for them.
 |
| You know . . . the show sounds just like this. |
Oh
oh. Oh oh. Someone
-- I have no idea who – said “My favorite segments are the one where all
four of us (B, S, KT, and Brendan Smith)
are talking.” Through my drug-induced
haze, I can’t tell if he was kidding. Confidential to Ben and Skin: I hope so.
Hmm. Looks like a fairish amount of rap flavoring.
OK,
here we go. Ranger talk. One
thing I can say about it is that it is definitely Ranger talk. I’m getting a Yahoo Sports Radio vibe.
I
want to get this posted and let you guys have your say. Small sample size but .
. . man, there is just not much distinctive about
the sound of this show. I’ll look
forward to a future shows when they’re not leaning on the interviews – four so
far -- wait, five, looks like they're going to wedge Jon Daniels in before 6 PM – and talking about putting the show together. (Or maybe the show will rely heavily on interviews all the time. That would be unfortunate.)
As I sign off, they’re playing the
intros they’ve created for Emily Jones, Tim Cowlishaw, and others.
And
– I swear – they all kinda sounded the same.
Hey, listen -- this show deserves a more thoughtful review than this. Really. I don't want to be down on these guys after one show, it's not fair and the opening show isn't going to be representative of the day-to-day performance. So take this drug-addled rambling for what it's worth.
WAIT: They're giving KT a shot for the next segment, can't sign off just yet. He teased news about Beyonce and Barbara Walters. I'm resisting the thought that this might be E-News.
Time
for more narcotics.
And to check in on The Hardline.
* * *
Twitter: @Plainsman1310
Email: ThePlainsman1310@gmail.com
I have listened to the little ticket since early 1997 and I am finding myself growing tired of what is now called the hardline. That being said, I listened to the 1st hour of this train wreck (B&S) and I'm pretty sure that I will never get that wasted hour back. As bad as the hardline is now, it will always be better than that mess.
ReplyDeleteI see I've referred to the intern as Brandon and Brendan. Sorry Brandon/Brendan. I don't know which one is correct.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with Tommy Lee. I had decided I would listen to Ben and Skin all this week and make a decision after that. I made it an hour. That's it. I guess sometimes we take The Ticket for granted.
ReplyDeleteAs disgruntled as I am with The Hardline, there just isn't a better option out there. I guess I'll just keep listening and being pissed off at Corby every day.
Did Ben pick up his Sports Figure Interrogation Technique from the Bob and Dan "Interview This!!" instructional video?
ReplyDeleteWelcome to Tommy Lee and Cristobal. Don't recall your monikers from past comments, but if you've posted before, sorry if I neglected your debuts.
ReplyDeleteI felt a little sorry for KT. All four of the on-air presences for his segment were contributing in what seemed to be equal measure. It was like WTDS being performed by four guys with the same vocal register all auditioning for WTDS.
ReplyDeleteBut again, Kevin, best wishes on this big professional leap.
Managed to endure about 15 minutes of B & S. There was something odd about the presentation and I think the Plainsman nailed it. A very frenetic, disjointed feel. I had hopes that this would be a convenient punch out to THL but I never ventured back after the initial listen.
ReplyDeleteB&S is B&S. It hasn't changed from their first incarnation at The Ticket. It did fine for a Saturday afternoon show. Somehow, someway, they've parlayed it into now 3 big time gigs. This will last less than a year. They were hired to little FANfare (rock me) for a reason. Spittle was brought in to make one last run at trying to take some of The TIcket's market share. He doesn't have a long rope. Neither do B&S, since they are his hire. As the success of Spittle's moves go, so do B&S and whatever else show(s) that he either brings aboard, reshuffles, or reboots. This thing called The FAN, in this iteration of it, is not long for the earth. It will sooner rather than later look a lot like FOX Sports Radio did when it made its go-around in the DFW market. Yes, there will be some local programming--e.g., Cowboys related shows (pre/post and specifically Cowboys dedicated programs)--but on the whole it'll be nationally syndicated shows driving the bus. It's been said before here, and I'll say it again: When Rhyner made the claim a few weeks ago that we'd soon enough see how THL will do against the Coastal big boys, he knew what the hell he was saying. These guys know what's coming around the corner. While Greggo's blog is full of crap (much like its proprietor), he did speak the truth when he said that they all know what's coming long before it happens. Things are heard. Things make the rounds. Just because it doesn't happen immediately doesn't mean it's not. Wholesale changes along the lines I'm talking about take, sometimes, years in the planning. CBS as f'd up this station several times over now. They're not about to again. At least in their minds they're not. Reality is a different thing. Reality, as we all know, can be a bitch. Just as The Hammer.
ReplyDeleteTo add on. The goal is to make terrestrial radio more like satellite. Why? Because once it all goes satellite, and companies like CBS have their own satellite networks, well, you're already used to it so it's no big deal. Because like DA likes to point out, terrestrial radio is going the way of the dinosaurs.
ReplyDeleteShot fired by Ryhnes at the sign off. He thanked Carmen Policy, Troy Aikman and Mike Madono for being on the show. A call back to when Fish was on 660 am, (I think) his first show and bragged that he would have those kind of guests everyday, he didn't have much left after that. Kinda blew his wad the first day, sounds like B&S I think.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to see B&S in p.m. drive. While they do sound the same, talk fast, and sometimes wear me out, they always put a lot into show prep. That's more than anyone can say for THL these days. I've been a P1 for 15 years and over the last few, have found myself rarely able to get through an entire segment of THL before bailing. It seems like Mike has just lost his passion for it and Corby seems to have such a sense of entitlement that he doesn't even need to try. I don't care if B&S ever catch THL in ratings but I hope they at least shake things up enough to force an improved product at the little ticket.
ReplyDeleteWe clearly have some radio-savvy folks following the site. I am very interested in this terrestrial-giving-way-to-online-and-satellite stuff. Please continue to give us your thoughts as time goes by.
ReplyDeleteI've got nothing against the change, if and when it really hits, but I wonder -- is there a security aspect here? Knock out a few satellites and a big piece of civil defense is gone with respect to that mode of communication. As to the Internet -- how robust will that likely be in times of civil unrest or enemy attack (or clever cyberinvaders)? Anyone out there hip to that?
I don't know whether it's Greggo or his girlfriend or whatever she is Jenno doing it, but his comboxes have for the most part been scrubbed of all non-positive comments. Even critical or questioning ones that weren't cruel or aggressive have been mostly deleted. I can't believe it only took a week before the blog ran aground. Or maybe I should've known.
ReplyDeleteI listened to a little bit of their presentation this afternoon, and I agree with you guys--same ol' Ben & Skin. They seem like nice enough guys, but man, there's just not much there in the way of entertainment. And so many freaking guests! Like someone else said maybe that's just their kick-off strategy, but it wasn't a great one. The Ticket has shown that a few guests per show, per week (tops) is a good way to mix things up, but I can't imagine anybody wants to hear 5 or 6 guest interviews per show.
ReplyDeleteIt's like they're so impressed with their Rolodex of athlete friends that they've neglected to figure out how to do actually do entertaining radio.
It's also funny that Greggo is already calling in sick to his very own blog. Overall, the whole blog is a mess. But I am fascinated with it and concerned at te same time. His rants seem to be those of a man who's going off the deep end. Like he's live blogging as he goes past the point of no return. I'm concerned for his well-being.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'll leave one final drug-influenced observation before turning matters back to our sober phalanx of sensitive Confessors (unless, of course, something strikes my fancy):
ReplyDeleteI make a big deal of trying to make this a fair site, make sure all even slightly colorable points of view get a fair hearing. I don't always succeed, but I always have it in mind.
That policy is intended to extend to non-Ticket broadcasting.
We've been a little rough on Ben and Skin's debut, but let us look at one another and acknowledge that it is their first show on The Fan. There will be rough edges; there will be errors of enthusiasm; there will be false starts on bits and segments. I will certainly be devoting some time to 105.3 as the weeks pass and, like I've changed my mind on certain persons and things Tickety over time, I may well feel more charitably toward the efforts of those gents, aided by their sergeant-at-arms Kevin Turner, as matters progress.
Thanks to all for shopping at My Ticket Confession.
757, do you really have evidence that negative comments have been removed from the greggosgiganticblogandcafe? I mean did you see one, check back later, and find it gone? More than once?
ReplyDeleteIf it is true: It would be interesting to know what all of the folks who believe strongly in the singular integrity of that blog would think about that.
And please, Confessors -- don't run an "experiment" on Greg's blog, planting a deliberately negative comment just for the sake of it, or the sake of the present inquiry.
Yeah, as in I've had 2 comments removed. Both were questions pertaining to if whether he was going to continue the blog or is this new contributor now running it. I also have seen many comments that were there earlier today, yesterday, etc. that are now gone. Plus there are a few comments to the effect of 'why did you delete my comment?' 'So now you're deleting all negative stuff, I thought this was about keeping it real and telling the truth and being unafraid to hear what we have to say' posted. By the time I'm typing this those comments too might've been taken down. But yeah, it'd definitely happening.
ReplyDeleteThere is one funny comment posted right now. It says "Where's Greggo, Pt. 8."
ReplyDeleteAin't that the truth.
I just checked out some of the comments sections and it seems like there are plenty of negatives. I also saw a question about who is now running the blog.
ReplyDeleteI think you, 757/913 might be having browser issues with that particular site.
I paste below the plans for the blog and Greggo's status, courtesy of the new contributor and from what it looks like, major domo, of the blog, Will:
"Greggo will be back tomorrow. He just needed to knock out the cold and flu symptoms he had gotten over the weekend. I will be contributing on a daily/semi daily basis as well. You will start to see more and more additions to the site as I complete them including:
- Greggo’s Gear
- Greggos Gigantic Blog & Cafe Merchandise
- Daily Podcast from Greggo
- And more
I am fully committed to helping him be successful with this blog as well as other things, and vice versa. Hang in there with us, and I promise we will take you on a hell of a ride!
Thanks for reading!"
You know, I wasn't going to comment negatively on B & S, but all the first confessors summed it up. I gave it the first hour, more like 20 min, and was back to BaD! I kept thinking about their old "cougar meat sandwich" jokes. I'm sorry, nice guys, but just not good radio. Shoulda kept RaGE till something better came along.
ReplyDeletePlainsman, don't listen to this idiot. Terrestrial doesn't want anything to do with sattelite. Satelite has had more lives than clear channel itself. Cbs is invested in this format people. They know what you obviously don't have the foresight to ponder. One day... the ticket will not be the same as it is now, and when that day comes, the fan will be there with LIVE and Local programming and the younger demo already in tow. They're making money, they're experiencing growing pains, but they ain't CLOSE to giving up. And don't forget, all the fan has to do for now is beat espn, that's it. So don't go making bold claims about what cbs and the radio industry are doing until you're actually living it. Hearing bar stories from the sales guy or midday board op doesn't count.
ReplyDeleteThis certainly has not been a boring Monday -
ReplyDeleteB&S are hard working professionals who will make the effort to improve their product - Unfortunately , CBS probably has them on a short leash , no doubt their are some higher up's at CBS who need to cover their butt's after the RAGE mess.
As presented B&S are engaging in small doses , drive time will demand they be much more diverse in subject matter if they hope to garner a respectable rating . I wish them luck .
KT will be a big part of their success , if they embrace what he brings to the party .
Greggo is toast - on and off air , hope he figures it out and gets on with life .
I also agree that the HL is stale , Corby brought a younger listener to the show , it is very apparent he is looking for an on air identity , that will work for him long term . I don't think he has the right kind of life experiences that he can mold into a marketable on air personality .
There is not a crystal ball to tell us about celestial or terrestrial air waves of the future , I do think the industry is preparing for both venues to be competitive with a substantially condensed station base -
A side note : I wish the Astros were sill on FSSW , crazy story about their GM quitting today - greggo might make it as an Astro announcer - nobody listens or watches them , he would have time to reinvent himself ....
Get well soon Plainsman .
GJW: Thanks, I'm doing fine, outpatient slicing with limited trauma to the brisket.
ReplyDelete959: I'm not entirely sure what idiot (don't try that again, by the way) I'm not supposed to be listening to. I do think some of the "earth-stick radio will be dead soon" commenters are overstating things to a considerable degree, but in the course of their steamy prophecies they do bring forward some interesting information about the market these days, it has a credible tone to it, and I'm happy to have it.
I think Ben and Skin will have a longer leash. I don't know what went on with ESPN, but apparently it dangled some kind of a deal in front of them that was not big enough. So they would take a deal at The Fan that was riskier? Maybe Ben/Skin got some guaranteed money and could be canceled next month without endangering their daughters' weddings, but I'm thinking that, for better or worse, this is a defeat-ESPN play that could be with us for a long time. I'm thinking that the Ben and Skin show is regarded as a safe play that isn't going to embarrass CBS and will certainly do no worse than RaGE and has a fair shot to do better.
I've listened to Ben and Skin a little here, a little there over the years, and I kid you not...I STILL can not tell their voices apart. I had absolutely no idea who was talking unless one of them said the other guys name. I find it very frustrating, I mean...I'm not a stupid person. I feel like I should be able to decipher between 2 people's voices. It only got worse when that Brendan guy was involved in the conversation. I was just guessing who was talking by that point.
ReplyDeleteOn another note, I had to listen to Elf and Slater today due to certain circumstances, and I honestly believe its the worst show in the market. Worse than Norm. Worse than Durrett and Fitzsimmons or whatever they are calling their show on 103.3. The Little Ball of Hate Show was better. Elf begins every segment with saying something about how they are the Elf and Slater show and that they are on everyday between 10-2. Shouldn't the audience know that by now? It doesn't need to be said every. single. segment. Oh, and their sports talk is atrocious. I love the little ticket more and more everyday.
959 is the same rah-rah FAN employee who gets his or her nose out of joint every time something negative is said about CBS and its employees. Well alright, swell. I'll give this person this much: s/he is a loyal employee. I just hope they aren't being instructed to monitor blogs and comboxes in order to "plug holes in the dam." That would be both sad and nuts. But we are talking about the radio business after all. Nothing would surprise me.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to fly ausgang's flag and say that (1) I'm over Greggo and barring something super major, this is my last mention of him; and (2) I think it would be best if more of us adopted ausgang's (and now my) stance. What else is there possibly to say at this point -- again, unless something actually newsworthy happens?
Ben and Skin appear to be menschy fellas. Unless they were talking Mavs, I never "got" them. Ben does seem to bring a little something to the table when he discusses Rangers baseball, but other than that, if they're not talking Mavs my sports/guy talk weenie experiences shrinkage. No offense 959 (AKA FAN employee), but I don't see this ending well for anyone. By anyone I mean Gavin Spittle or Ben and Skin. Indeed, I think CBS's final, desperation move will be to replace them with The G-Bag Nation (AKA the only show on The FAN that gets good ratings -- due to it having zero competition). That experiment will last shorter than Ben and Skins first swim through 105.3 Live. After which we'll see, finally, a totally restructured station with a new approach.
It seems like some people gave us a chance today. That's cool!
ReplyDeleteA couple things...first of all I think you have to realize that everyone on the crew was excited and ready to rock today. If I were B&S and had been off the air for 2 or 3 months I think I would have had radio blue balls and would have been ready for my release ASAP. If it seemed a little crowded or fast or clustered or whatever today, please understand that we're getting used to a new studio.
New equipment, new audio system, new board for Brendan to work with, etc. Today felt like a lot of those first days of moving from Maple to the downtown studios. It's been a chaotic few weeks.
We'll settle in. We're determined to put on a good show. It's a little odd for me because those 3 have all worked together. I'm kind of the outsider, but i'm going to get opportunities to mix it up. It's just going to take at least a week or so to get used to the new digs.
Thanks to everyone who listened today. Please keep giving us a chance whenever it's convenient for you.
Have a good week!
KT
I'll be checking in from time to time, KT. I hope it works out. As I and many other have said, the better you guys do, the better we all do.
ReplyDeleteStay Hard.
Keep Jammin'.
And We'll See Ya.
I listen to B&S out of boredom (I was where I couldn't pick up K Ticket) and OMMFG this was HORRIBLE (Big Bob voice) 2 months off the air you would think they would have their 1st show down to the letter but alas it was over talking like nothing been on air forever. And the BLATANT rip off of CQH and E News, to the let's shoot our wad with guest on Day 1...I give them 6 months before they gone
ReplyDeleteOne more thing, Plainsman thanks for the kind words over the last couple of posts.
ReplyDeleteTo the end of this one though, you seemed to be disappointed by the fact that I was at the helm of an entertainment based segment. The clock at The Fan is different. It's 4 segments per hour instead of 3 at The Ticket. I can't be 100% sure but there will likely be a pop culture segment every day. We have 16 segments to kill instead of 12. If I do a good enough job of presenting the material, then that will become a daily segment.
I can promise pretty much zero Rolling Stones stories.
KT: No issue with pop culture segs whatsoever, or with you doing them. My concern is that the two non-sports segs that I heard might give rise to the chorus of critics that greeted RaGE that they were trying to copy The Ticket. And, as you saw above, that is what has happened both with your seg and with Brandon's "The Rest of the Paper" seg.
ReplyDeleteNothing can be done about it. Anything non-sports seg will be accused of Ticket-copying, and why not? The lack of success of competitors to date is not that they're too much like the Ticket -- it's that they're not enough like it. After a grand total of one day of Ben & Skin I have a fully-developed theory of the main reason competitors aren't in the same ratings galaxy as The Ticket, but I do have a certain amount of shame and will hold off on it and pretend later that it was the result of long and careful thought.
Here's the good news, Kevin -- I'm still recuperating and will be tuning in to Ben & Skin today.
Good news: No cutesy name for the show. Just Ben and Skin.
Hey, Kevin, that reminds me: Here's something you can do to help out a Plainsman: Find out if Ben/Skin prefer to have "and" spelled out, or if they prefer an ampersand ("&"), or if they don't care. It looks like it is usually spelled out. I personally think that the ampersand offsets the phrase better as an entity name rather than just two guys, I like to respect the trademarking preferences of my subjects.
Ben 'n' Skin? Nah.
I was interested in Kevin's information that they'll be having four segments per hour rather than three, which means shorter segs and more commercial break. No doubt the total duration of hourly breaks will not exceed the Ticket's but it does raise the question of strategy.
ReplyDeleteLook at the number of people who say "we'll switch over and check out Ben and Skin when the Ticket Brontobreaks come on." I think it would be interesting to know whether the decision for a four-seg hour was designed to maximize the possibility that B/S will be broadcasting when the P1 punches over. The offset won't be perfect, of course, but maybe some of our radio-savvy guys out there can advise if Your Plainsman is wrong yet again. Collect 'em all!
I'm not real sure what they prefer. I see it as Ben & Skin a lot. I feel like they probably don't care, but i'm not sure.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the clock goes (and i'm still getting used to it), It's breaks at :11 :25 :41 :55...usually around 10 minute segments with 4 minute breaks. 2 Fan Flashes (tickers) at :00 and :30.
As far as counter programming, it's something I have thought about.
For example, I've pitched the idea that when we get settled, maybe we do the 315-326 segment as something really interesting or fun, just because 320 is when the 10 minute commercial break takes place after WTDS.
In the long term that's maybe not a good way to think about things. You should probably just do your show and not worry about everyone else, but i'd be a complete fool to say that's never crossed my mind.
Why would Midas employ a pitchman ("never bet on a horse named Tripod, etc. etc. etc.") who sounded like his own muffler is broken? One of those guys who, when you hear him talk, you start clearing your own throat.
ReplyDeleteThis surgery recoup is plainly resulting in excessive blogging. I shall endeavor, as Archie Bunker used to say, to stifle myself.
By the way, for you literature lovers, the Midas schtick is a loose lift from Nelson Algren: “Never play cards with any man named 'Doc.' Never eat at any place called 'Mom's.' And never, never, no matter what else you do in your whole life, never sleep with anyone whose troubles are worse than your own.”
Midas thinks we're all too stupid to associate "Doc" with a cardsharp, so they've changed it to "Lucky."
Plainsman and other doubters of satellite: Think about the cell phone and the landline. That is where radio is heading. At first cellphones were clunky and niche. Now they've taken the place of landlines in nearly the majority of houses in the US and it's even more so trending that way in Asia and the rest of the world. Satellite radio will be tied into (already is) cellular technology. Yes, terrestrial will most likely always be with us; why wouldn't it be? The radio frequency/waves are just "there." But make no mistake about it, it is going away as the means by which broadcasting is done. And so is the idea that a station programs itself. If you think things are listener driven now, you ain't seen nothing yet.
ReplyDeleteWill the FAN have a problem with KT posting here?
ReplyDeleteBe careful, son.
A blog is a blog. It's not like i'm giving away private information.
ReplyDeleteAfter tuning in to B&S for the afternoon I realized how good THL can be even when they are operating at less than full potential.
ReplyDeleteB&S seem to offer just generic sports opinions and with no HSOs (probably in fear of pissing off a Rolodex card.) If they added Nancy Lieberman who knows how many interviews they would have a day (name dropping queen!)
THL appeared to be more on top of their game yesterday. A couple of times I noticed Danny quickly reeling in offtrack Corby for the sake of good SPORTS segment. I hope to see more of this.
@ May 14 9:32AM
ReplyDeleteYou forgot to mention that on global smartphones, the FM tuner chip is activated. That chip is currently not activated on US carriers. Sprint will be the first to do so on their Andriod and Windows phones, but it will not be fully available until the end of the year. The NAB pushed for it and the FCC approves of the move for "emergency updates" which satellite radio cannot provide on a local scale.
Satellite radio now has commercial-free music competition in Spotify and Pandora, however the royalties Spotify must pay are 50% than terrestrial radio and its streaming services (iHeart and radio.com)
I don't believe that I or anyone else on this site is a "satellite doubter." We've all had satellite radios in our cars for years and have observed that they carry sports-talk radio and many other formats. Many Confessors take advantage of Ticket podcasts.
ReplyDeleteI do, however, believe that some of our radio savants have made some fairly extreme claims about terrestrial's demise. It doesn't have its former authority to dictate musical tastes, thank God, but for more immediate and evanescent consumables like news and talk, it's still out there and that infrastructure isn't going away anytime soon.
And again -- as far as this blog is concerned, delivery modalities are a sideshow. You still have to have stuff people will listen to. Content, content, content. (As Greg Williams is discovering after two weeks.) Yeah, The Ticket signal and Cumulus's failure to consider signal change is an ongoing disgrace, but would I listen to The Ticket on satellite? Sholy. Ticket Radio on Demand through Time-Warner on the old Admiral? You betcha. I haven't gone with iHeart yet, but I'm sure I will soon. (I'm near a radio most of the day.)
So, while I like learning about what's up with technology and I appreciate the info, I am getting pretty tired of the snark directed at people who, you know, still appreciate the free, simple, act of listening to a radio that works every time you turn it on and instantly delivers the desired content -- even under bridges and in buildings!
@DA You're correct.
ReplyDelete@Plainsman It's not snark. This isn't a metrics vs. old school argument where the metrics guy thinks the old school guy is, uh, old, outdated, and ignorant. It's about trying lay out the bigger picture of where this thing called talk radio (which is what The Ticket is) in particular and radio in general is going and how the implementation of this technology is and will continue to change the landscape of and how we will listen to, radio.
Back to Ticket Talk proper. Am I the only one who wonders if Norm is aware of the inconsistencies and contradictions in his ever evolving (if that's what you'd call it) opinions on the Cowboys? One day he's agreeing with Goose that the franchise has doomed itself for years to come; the next, (e.g., today) he's saying we shouldn't feel so bleak, that things can and very well might work out. Weird dude, that Norman Orestes Hitzges.
I meant to say this, too: If modalities (i.e., technology and its related issues) are a sideshow, then--and please, I'm not trying to be a smartass, I'm merely making a point--I take it the months of stream threads, most of which were dominated by techno-jargon, and you're self-admitted love of overdriven mic talk ought to be viewed as...????
ReplyDelete1049: . . . relevant to the Ticket radio listener.
ReplyDeleteAlthough you brought me back in with "Orestes."
Orestes is a wonderful and underused name. I hope it makes a comeback.
ReplyDelete". . . .relevant to The TIcket." Precisely. And that's my point about satellite/terrestrial radio talk. But hey, it's your bus America, you are the driver, so I'll leave the issue alone.
I didn't get to listen to much of B&S or THL yesterday, so its been really cool to read all the info, opines, and rhetoric.
ReplyDeleteI did pop on THL yesterday and Corby kept talking about how there's a new Fast and Furious movie, and how only Mexicans watch F&F movies (I not much of a F&F fan myself, but that is an unfair and inaccurate reduction, over-the-top racism aside).
I'm generally pleased with Mike's segments as well as THL sports coverage. But man, E-news has become increasingly terrible. Unlistenable a lot of times. The third or forth time Corby mentioned that just Mexican people watch F&F movies, I flipped on over to 105.3 and caught the end of Hollywood Shuffle. It wasn't bad; I liked it better than any Corby segment I've heard in a while, despite them talking fast.
I don't care whether B&S are "successful" as long as they are on the air (I prefer the Ticket, but I'm grateful for the alternative). I realize it's an unpopular opinion, but I enjoy Ben & Skin, despite their voices sounding alike (although, I've listened to them enough that I've differentiated their voices for some time now.)
For what it's worth, I use to think the Muser's all sounded alike (especially Jub and Gordon) when I first started listening to them.
Uh, Paul in, uh.....
@GJW
ReplyDeleteYou've mentioned in more than one comment that you think that Corby is trying to find his voice. I'm not sure I follow. What do you mean? He's been doing this for quite some time now and has been rather consistent, like it or not, in his presentation. I do think you made an interesting point about his life experiences not providing for the makeup of a truly compelling host. Really interesting point. Specially when I think about Mike R's, Gordo's, and even Bob's and Dan's lives. But when it comes to Craig and George, I see more of a Corby connection. And yet they are fantastic hosts. Like I said, interesting.
@Plainsman
ReplyDeleteAbout taking the Fan deal rather than ESPN's. I think B/S have made it pretty clear that they took the opportunity to come to the Fan to do the show they wanted to do. Remember, you're dealing with "creative" types in Radio. It's the same reason Josh Lewin turned down BOFFO $ to stay with the Rangers, more creative lisence. ESPN preaches all branding and straight sports talk, not to mention no creative or PPM coaching whatsoever. I don't know the $ differences between the ESPN deal and Fan deal (though I heard ESPN low-balled the hell outta them), but they've been pretty open about taking this opp. because they felt it was the best for their show.
Another note, noone has instructed me to "plug the damn." For the most part I stay away from the Fan bashing. I was a p1 long before I found this place. I just try to curb the rediculous speculation and misinformation, that is all. Thanks gents.
Still on the mend from surgery, still on the good good drugs.
ReplyDeleteBen & Skin, Day 2.
Thought the Felix Jones talk was good.
The Josh Hamilton internal dialogue with God re taking himself out of a game will be pretty risky with the God-tells-me-what-to-do set, but pretty interesting radio. Strange, but interesting. (I had to laugh at the line where God and Josh are talking and one of them says "I don't know which one of us is talking.")
Caught just a bit of the Rick Carlisle interview. Sounded like Coach was engaged and informative. Threatened to kick Ben's (or was it Skin's) ass in table tennis.
And they do seem to have slowed down the show-we're-having-fun-at-all-costs pace.
So a better listen today, to my narcotic-influenced ear.
@219
ReplyDeleteUh, no offense, friend, but you might want to look in the mirror before you cast stones. Josh Lewin was not offered "BOFFO $" to stay on with the Rangers. In fact, he was unceremoniously told right before the '10 playoff run that his services would not be required after the season. That's a mater of public record, by the way. And Josh discussed it several times on both The Ticket and The FAN.
I'm not looking to start a battle with you. We've had too many commenter on commenter clashes around these parts over the last few months. I don't like them; nobody does. But to state that you're just trying to dispel "rediculous" (your spelling) speculation and misinformation, only to spread the latter, well, you get the picture I'm sure. So whaddya say we all just state our opinions on stuff and leave the "unvarnished truth telling" to Greggo and his blog?
@Plainsman
I also thought today's B&S presentation was better than yesterday's. I thought Carlisle was great. Compare that interfacing with his and Norm's rapport. While his palatable impatience with Norm's all too obvious flattery/ask a question/flattery/ask it again in a different way tactic is quite uncomfortably funny, the chemistry between he and Skin is great because it brings out a different side to the usually surly Mavs head coach.
538: Carlisle: Yup. Yup.
ReplyDeleteBeen switching back and forth today.
Hmm.
Hmmm.
ReplyDeleteregarding Anonymous said ,The Musers present their boring white toast street days as fact and they are who they are today because of that , their audience surely accepts that as part of their presentation , I do .
ReplyDeleteCorby's experiences fall somewhere between the Muses and the original Hardline . I am not a GW fan and Corby is OK , I should have said Corby seems to be reaching to define himself , Hes not Muser material , just as he is not Hardline material as previously defined .
I hope he carves a successful niche in Schtick driven industry .
I tried to listen to the Fan today. I really did. I lasted about ten minutes with Elf and Slater. Norm had the golf official on and I was not in the least interested in that so I decided to check on the other band. I don't know why exactly she irritates me so much, but she sure does. Hello KXT.
ReplyDeleteI need a larger sample size for Ben und Skin. If I hadn't heard the Musers already break down Jerry speak earlier I might have stuck around for it. Hypothetically, I had rather hear about Ben's latest encounter with an arachnid more though. I'd pay a dollar to see him jump if he turned the corner into a web. Maybe they need some time to relax into what they used to be on the Ticket. I genuinely liked them back then. When it was fun because it wasn't their main gig and they could talk about whatever they wanted to at any given moment. If they ran long so what? Content over clock.
But, it ain't that way now and probably never will be at the other 2 stations. I can't imagine GAC or ESPN being as responsive to the moment as the Ticket can be. What happened with Mike and Mike and the rest of the week when 9/11 went down? I couldn't tell ya because I was glued to CNN and Junior at that moment. Was ESPN even here then? God, that seems ages ago.
Would Ben/Skin be allowed to talk like they would off the air about things like West? An event close to home but entirely unrelated to sports. I don't expect these jokers to know a damn thing about the particulars. Muse in the News, more questions than answers. It is not just Corby. They are guys with a microphone and wondering at the world around them. Perhaps I was expecting too much for Corby to have known about Milosevic. Could I go down my FB list and find ten who would know him now? Maybe. Five for sure, I'd put the other five at 50/50. Why should I expect them to know that the ammonium nitrate that blew up in West was the same stuff as Texas City? Does it irritate me sometimes that they are clueless? yes. Does it amuse me other times? yes.
But, the original question remains can the Fan do the same things? Are they going to be so sports-centric that a discussion of community, Dwaine Carraway (one or 2 r?) or Angelina Jolie's boob cancer preemptive strike is out of the question?
Time will tell.
and KT you keep right on rocking. Good luck
and take yer vitamins Plainsman.
I caught about the last 2 minutes of B&S's show -- Josh's internal dialogue and the mix with the next show -- and it was an entertaining couple of minutes but I have no idea who was talking at any point. I know it's next to impossible to just jump in blindly and know who's who, but I thought I'd be able to tell people apart more than I did. I'm definitely going to give them a chance over the next few weeks. I've always been a fan of those guys, even if I'm not always a fan of their show and/or host station.
ReplyDeleteAdd me to the list of people growing tired of THL. I'll usually flip formats to KXT or pandora when I hear the daily "poop talk" segment or Corby's annoying crutch phrase "to be honest with you". Maybe a just need a change of pace, so I'll give B&S a try. That said, I enjoy the Ticket weekend programming and wouldn't mind hearing Seabass, Serois' and Jake fill in more often.
ReplyDeleteI've gotten burned out on THL as well. I know it's not just me because I still love the musers as I have since the 90's and have grown to like BaD a well. I give THL a chance every day and ALWAYS end up punching out. Usually at Corbys mention of OU or some uninformed sociological opinion. (i.e. his hso on guns yesterday) As it was said earlier, maybe he just doesn't have the life experience to relate. And Mike is just drawing a paycheck.
ReplyDeleteB&S on the other hand, make me feel like I grew up with them when they tell stories about finding Playboys in the creek, Orange Julius humor, and the cricket plague at Richardson square mall. And if KT promises no Rolling Stones segments, I'm in. They couldn't compete with the musers in the ratings and they didn't have a chance at 105.3 the first time b/c they had to take a million calls. But now, I think THL may be in trouble.
I hope other people will give them a chance. This P1 now becomes a P3 at 2:00p.m.
-M
Oy vey. Why do I get the feeling the same voice or 2 voices are posting up very like-written "I can't listen to THL , mostly because of Corby, but I still love the other shows-I'm trying to make this comment read like the others I've seen so it'll look legit" comments? They seem to kick up whenever there is a genuine grumbling about THL due (usually )to something Corby said, K&C Masterpiece does something of note (like fill in for pm drive), or in this instance, now the reboot part 4 of B&S.
ReplyDeleteAm I wrong? Oh I'm sure the "no dude, I'm legit" reply will be posted up in 1,2,3,4.......
But I don't think I'm wrong.
ATTN FAN employee(s) who believe they can influence opinions, start a "movement" vs. THL or The Ticket in general, or entice others to listen to whatever FAN show over a Ticket show: I appreciated your loyalty and giving it the good old college try. But. It. Isn't. Going. To. Work. So. You. Might. Want. To. Use. Your. Time. More. Constructively.
Well, here's your "no dude" reply. I think elf and slater are unlistenable, as was Rage, and the Fan morning show isn't much better. I laugh at what a K ticket ripoff the fan is. But I used to find myself disappointed when THL came back from dry dock after B&S had been filling in. I'm just a fan of theirs I guess
ReplyDelete. While I can't speak for others, I'm certainly not a CBS employee or even a friend. And i don't want to get into spats with other confessors here. Just want to share my thoughts/opinions. If you have blind loyalty to THL, that's fine. I think that, along with lack of an formidable opponent is what has given THL good ratings for several years now.
-M
127 You are spot on, Madam or Sir. I've thought the same exact thing. They all are worded alike, have some of the consistently same misspelled words, have the same feel and same message, and have the definite smell of an orchestrated dog pile. Yeah you're on to something for sure.
ReplyDeleteI want to address 127's point.
ReplyDeleteWhen I started this thing I didn't expect it would ever be influential. To this day I have zero evidence that it is. Ticket guys and P1's may read it, but, as we have noted, they write and read emails, Tweets, Facebook posts, and listeners end up voting with their ears and advertisers with their dollars. This site is not, as they say these days in the biz world, an opinion leader.
I am aware that this site has been used by advocates in the past, persons with an interest in one or another show, host, or employee. I concluded that there wasn't much I could do about it -- the talent would sort itself out irrespective of what's happening here.
There are legitimate concerns about what The Hardline has become. They fall into the usual categories: The OverCorby, the Prepless Show, Checkout Mike. I share a lot of them but they have not kept me from enjoying the show or from tuning it in whenever I can. It may not be a show where I'm any longer going to expect really top-flight sports thinking or pop-culture analysis, but it's a reliable several hours with guys I've come to like that is sometimes very funny.
The Fan is now offering what sounds to me like a credible, harder-sports alternative with the usual frisson of guyish talk. One doesn't have to be a Fan employee or Ben & Skin partisan to post that he's going to make the move from THL to B&S, like some of the last few we've seen here.
My working assumption is that they're sincere and "real" listeners.
That's my working assumption.
Having said that, I hear some of the same strains that 127 is hearing.
Here's the deal: As long as the post meets the usual standards of decency and civility we're trying to promote around here, it's not going to be taken down as an initial matter no matter how much it sounds like a shill. I will allow a certain amount of "you're a shill/no I'm not" back and forth, but only a certain amount before I shut 'er down.
We have lots of great, identified and identifiable Confessors on this site who, if I were you, I would rely on for a clear-eyed view of the upcoming face-off between Ben & Skin and The Hardline.
And I will have a thing or two to say in the meantime as I listen in. It's already intriguging, after two days (and day three starts in 3 minutes).
So IF any of you who have posted to date are persons with a rooting investment in either show, please refrain. You're likely to be spotted, and, truth to tell, your efforts are useless. Listeners are going to tune in or not according to the quality of the product on the air.
Thanks.
I am 1027, and my comment is sincere. THL is growing old for me. I really don't care who succeeds and who doesn't in radio. More or less, I was venting and a selfish attempt to get rid of pooptalk and Corby's mindless crutch phrases.
ReplyDeleteI will listen to any station that gets Grubes as a yuck monkey though. I just want The Ticket to be stop down radio for me like it once was. If there are any new listeners on this site, I would like to hear their opinion. Maybe I'm just getting old and grumpy.
This is off topic (although I'm loving the lively B&S/THL talk) but I have an important question, and frankly, this seems like the best place to start looking for answers.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone have the straight dope on Summer Bash?
The google doesn't seem to know anything, and if memory serves, we should be about three weeks away.
So if anyone knows anything (including the identity of the real MLK assassin), the sharing of that information will make me happy.
The Dude abides....
I want to say that there will be no Summer Bash this year. I think I heard THL make reference to there not being one held this year. As to why, I haven't the foggiest. But don't take my word for it. There may very well be a Summer Bash this year. Though you'd think if there was going to be one, it'd have been announced by now.
ReplyDeleteProgram Reminder: Be sure and tune in tonight when Robert and David interview George Andrie about the Trinity River Project on "Intentional Grounding".
ReplyDeleteGet off the dope, 550.
ReplyDeleteAwesome.
ReplyDeleteWhat time?
You Confessors all take care out there, hear?
ReplyDelete@ anon 1:27, well I too am no employee or big fan o the Fan, tho I did catch Jesse Holly and kinda enjoyed that. Nope dude, I just don't like Corby! Never have. He's a wind bag with empty bit's being propped up by Danny and Mike. Sorry Bro!
ReplyDeletei enjoy the b&s vs THL comments. i think the real threat to the ticket from the fan is the gbag nation. that my friends is a solid show with ratings. more of an edge than b&s. sports with a bite. i dunno. that would be seem to be the one to "wake the ticket up". i'm a p1 but my favorite show is becoming gbag nation. still trying to find out what a gbag is though.
ReplyDeleteJeez 1227, give it up already. It's sad.
ReplyDeleteExactly whose buttons are you trying to push, Slinky? "Sorry bro." What, are you in high school or something?
@slinky I agree with you on your thoughts on Corby. In the beginning the "over the top" demeanor that he had was natural and took you by surprise.
ReplyDeleteBut now....it's almost like he is trying too hard to keep that bit. Because of that he hasn't quite evolved from Yuck Monkey to Main Host, which is holding back the show.
I wonder how the show would play if it were Danny and Mike discussing the sports of the day and Corby in more of a Gordo roll? I think we need the Cobra's bit venom in small doses....
I listened to Ben and Skin for two segments yesterday. First thing I noticed was they do sound alike. They didn't sound as similar when they were at the Ticket (I haven't listened to them since they left). Ben was talking and I it was him, but I wasn't sure. When Skin chimed in, it was more obvious. I guess Ben's voice has changed with all of that weight loss.
ReplyDeleteAs far as what I thought:
I give the first segment a B. Rangers talk - Mitch and Nathan mostly. Nothing groundbreaking, but better than anything I've heard from Corby lately. KT even made me laugh when he said he thinks "the Rangers just clinched the division" after Cruz hit a 3 run bomb.
The second segment was called "Love Shack" and people wrote in with their love problems. I'm all for bits, but this wasn't funny. I don't know if the e-mail were real or fake, but it didn't matter. D- and I switched back over 6-8 minutes in.
I extol the greatness of Danny, but only because we get him in small doses. Look what happened when Corby went from a couple of segments a day to above-the-title host.
ReplyDeleteDanny doesn't have the energy for a four hour host gig. He and Davey can't get through two hours on Saturday without mounds of give-up.
@Anon Ron
ReplyDeleteYou're speaking the truth, brutha. Danny's great because he's not forced to elaborate on anything that he already doesn't have a well formed opinion on. He chooses his spots and makes a good or at least interesting point then backs off. To have to sustain that for 4 hours a day, 5 days per week is something I think beyond his current capabilities. Maybe one day, but not right now. An example of "bad" Danny is when yesterday Corby was, without any basis of truth, claiming with absolute certitude that actors only work on a CBS show for the money. Not because they believe in the show or whatever (duh, of course the money is uber important!). Danny exclaims "Totally!" Sure, it's a small thing. But it's also a telling thing.
The B&S show was good at the end when I caught the segment on Jesse Holley, he has a great story and you should take time to check it out.
ReplyDeleteI don't get to catch much of B&S but I'll be trying to just to give them a shot. I kind of forgot they were even on radio still when they were at ESPN, the only time I go there are for Rangers games. Noone on here has mentioned how B&S checked out their last month at the Fan before they were let go. They completely gave up on the show, their broadcast was mainly about whatever bracket they decided to do for the day. I guess there are short memories in radioland decisions, but the listeners typically don't forget.
THL is what it is. To me, the only time I see "excited" Mike is when they're talking music. The rest of the time he's the OGW they you can take or leave. Corby is what he is, 50% ok, 50% annoying and overly racist. It might be funny to us whities, but trust me it isn't to minorities and I've had people tell me as much. BDD(big dumb D) is funny in small doses or when he's not hung over or disinterested. When Corby's not there and he's filling in, well I won't dog on him because he's a producer, not a host.
Does anyone wonder what they did with all the $$$ saved after GW got canned? I mean, you don't pay Corby over $200k do you? And Danny? GW was pulling in $500k easy. I'm just wondering because the ratings haven't gone down, just sucks reading Mike Marshall's blog about just scraping by when the station is making just as much money as it ever has.
Corby's the co-host of the number 1 PM Drive show in its demo in a Top 5 market. If he's not making $500K he's got a bad agent.
ReplyDeleteThis thread is pretty funny now.
ReplyDelete