The P1 mind is reeling with possibilities, questions, speculations, all occasioned by the gaping hole left by Mike Rhyner's retirement. In mulling this over for the past day, I'm thinking a couple of things:
(1) Corby and Danny aren't going anywhere.
(2) And they're going to stay in that time slot.
Recent ratings uncertainty aside, The Ticket is a gigantic success. (I don't want to downplay the ratings angle, but I don't see it playing a major role at least until current procedural issues are sorted out with Nielsen, and a number of ratings books have passed thereafter -- year or so at least.) And I think that anti-Corby sentiment is disproportionately expressed on social media, including this site. A lot of people, and I think a lot of female listeners, as odd as that may seem, love Corby. He is frequently mentioned as a "leader" on Why Today Doesn't Suck. And despite his approaching middle age, he comes across as the kind of immature (and I mean that in only the nicest, most complimentary sense) frat-boy type that will not turn off the younger demographic.
But I wandered off-point there: The point at which I was aiming is that The Ticket isn't going to mess with success. There is not going to be a rejiggering of the show times. There is not going to be a reshuffling of hosts. They're going to fill that slot with someone and soldier on. Or maybe put Danny in that chair full-time and slide producers and board-ops around, much like when HeeHoo was invited to spend his afternoons elsewhere -- keep the team as is, maybe give a new producer (Justin? Mino? Sirois?) the chatty-producer role that Danny has now. Maybe change the name of the show, but I'm very doubtful that we will even see that change. In any event, it's going to be Corby and Danny at a minimum, and it's going to be 3-7 PM, and in all likelihood it's going to be The Hardline.
(3) The Ticket is, as drops so frequently remind us, A Cumulus Station.
And Cumulus is a big company.
And big companies have policies and procedures.
And among those policies and procedures are those governing job openings.
Because of (1) and (2) -- that is, because (my opinion, no inside dope) they're not going to make fundamental organic changes -- Mike's departure will be regarded as leaving a "job opening." And if that's what ends up happening, it means the CTO (Cumulo-Ticket Overlords) in the person of The New World Catman will have to "post" the position and consider internal applicants for the job.* That is, Ticket colleagues will have the opportunity to request the slot and compete for that position in a formal kind of way. I don't know what the Cumulus employee handbook says, but it wouldn't surprise me if the job will be externally posted as well.
So while Mike's departure will mean Big Changes, my guess is that it will likely only mean one Big Change: Who will sit in Mike's chair. If it's Danny, then sure, there will be a producer/board op ripple effect, and that's not a small thing. But after all is said and done, unless Cat ends up hiring Kathy Griffin for the slot, the changes will not be seismic.
____________
* I will want to consider this at a later date, but when things like this happen, politics that simmer below the surface tend to take on much greater importance. Rivalries, interpersonal conflicts, and personality mismatches that don't mean much when ain't nothin' goin' on will erupt when an extremely rare and valuable advancement opportunity arises. Although it is a pretty cohesive bunch, some JV aren't crazy about other JV; very doubtful any will report to me, but if I get wind of anything . . . .
ThePlainsman1310@gmail.com
@Plainsman1310
More Danny would be a terrible thing. There's already too much Danny. Most likely it will be the Snake 'n' Jake Show. With Monty to BaD producer?
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking Jake and Corby are just too much alike, although I would listen to a Jake/Corby show.
ReplyDeleteAnd I think Danny is there to stay either as producer, or, if he applies for the job and is successful, the Mike seat. I'd be OK with that, too. I'm not thinking there's too much Danny.
On balance, I'm thinking he'll be producing for awhile longer.
If it's the Snake 'n' Jake show, might as well call it "The One 'n' Done" show! Lol!!
ReplyDeleteWith all due respect to the entertainment content Corby, Danny et al, would provide. I think they need to bring somebody in to that timeslot that knows something about sports just in case we need to tune into a sports radio station for sports information at some point in the future. Breaking sports news first, guaranteed! Say what you will about the old gray wolf and his preparation but he knows the great game of baseball backwards and forwards and every show needs some true sports content Don’t get me wrong I am all for broad content that strays far away from the world we live in today, sports. But when major stories break I want someone to be able to tell me more than what I can already find out by reading stuff on the Internet
ReplyDeleteIn the meantime I’m working as many Mike Rhyner words and phrases into my generic business meetings as I possibly can. Today, I used, “the nurturing bosom of the mothership”. Tomorrow I’ll try, “I don’t think anyone’s too terribly interested in that”. 10 Old Gray Wolf points to anyone who can slip, “hither and yon” into a sales presentation!
Mike not being there 3-7 is going to suck. Been listening since the beginning and he's been part of my life for 26 years now and this is a tough one pal. Really bummed last night as I was thinking about the days events.
ReplyDeleteIf they elevate Jake to 3-7 co-host I'm out. I'm a big fan of Corby, Danny and Mino but adding Jake to the mix will make me switch channels. He's a Jim Rome starter kit. He's not entertaining in the least. He reads stats and thinks he's an expert. No thanks. I will find something better to do 3-7 M-F if that is going to be the case.
Stay hard Mike. Hope you enjoy your retirement. You've earned it. Hope Petty Theft continues because I'm coming to see you.
Tangent (and anyone else who's interested) there's a Facebook group dedicated to Ticket discussions, and I started a thread last night asking everyone to post their favorite Rhyner idioms. That is, any phrase that we believe originated with him, whether it's nicknames for buildings or teams (The Temple, The Greatness) or terms such as "somesuch" or "former Ranger great (fill in the blank)".
ReplyDeleteAs of this afternoon, over 250 entries had been submitted. Hopefully you can work all of them in to your work conversations as you see fit.
The Facebook group of which I speak is at https://www.facebook.com/groups/2209609978/
ReplyDeleteHate to change subject from the great Rhynes, but this new coaching hire will prove to be a total disaster. Jerry managed to find someone more uninteresting than any previous hire! At least we know who will be Cowboys coach at the time of Jerry's funeral services.
ReplyDeleteOn the Cowboy front, McCarthy is better than Garrett, Wade, Campo, Gailey. That's not saying much, but I think he can win if Jerry gets out of the way (which he won't)
ReplyDeleteAre all the current pairings safe? Not a chance of separating George and Craig, but is there a scenario that would separate Bob and Dan?
ReplyDeleteNot advocating it, BTW.
Thanks James!!
ReplyDeleteStill trying to get my head around this. I mean, yes, we all knew it was coming at some point, but now? I didn't see it, but in retrospect I should have.
ReplyDeleteI've watched the video 5 times, read the DMN piece, MTC, reddit, and all social media outlets. I get it. If this is what Mike wants, then dammit, I hope he's riding off into that good night (Irish style, of course) one helluva happy man. But f***ing bloody hell I'm going to miss him. Miss him badly. Mike is my leader. Mike is the cool father, uncle, brother that I never had. His voice has been a part of my life since I began listening to KZEW--in 4th grade! I always just *knew* that if we ever got to meet we'd be the best of buddies. I'll always kick my own ass for never going to a remote. I'm a D1P1 loop listener, I was tuned in when Skipped breathed our beloved station into life, and yet I never once went to a remote or an event. Screw me. I wish that I would have. I wish that I would have and expressed my gratitude to Mike. To tell him how much he's meant to me--since I was a bleepin' grade school kid. Now here I am middle aged and one of the constants in my life (and for so many of our lives) is gone. Poof. Gone. No, he's not dead (thank God). But he is gone. People like Mike don't pussyfoot; when they make an important decision, they know what they're doing and they stick to it. They're the sort of folks who eat at Genghis everyday for 15 years. While not dead, he is gone from our lives. From my life.
Why did he retire? He said it all in his video and in the interview with Wilonsky. I, like Plainsman, suspect there's more to it. I also think that there's something to the ratings parity that appears to be occurring. He created and built up this juggernaut, shepherding it through its stages of success, having to regroup and make it even better (e.g., Greggo's firing), and watched it become a bona fide legacy station, a true original, pioneer--not just here, but nationwide. None of it happens if not for Mike. Perhaps I'm wrong, but I can't see him wanting to be around as the natural decline sets in. And I do believe we're already at that point. Mike is an intuitive thinker's intuitive thinker. If you heard BaD's first segment on Mike today then you might've picked up on something Dan said: "I know he told Corby that he thinks he's lost his fastball." Both Dan and Corby disagree. As much as the man means to me, Mike knows himself, and Mike is correct. Like I said, he's the supreme intuitive thinker. It's why The Ticket was a success from day one. He *knew* it would be and also how to choose the right people to make it happen. I think Mike losing a couple of rpms on his fastball is analogous to The Ticket reaching that precipice that all things in life hit and his retirement are not coincidences. Mike *knows* when it's time. And to quote the Laddie: "It's time buddy, it's time."
The Ticket as we've known it for 26 years will never be the same again. It'll go on, but it won't be the same. Can't be. It was fairly evident during the first segment of THL today that that name will not be the name of the pm drive time showgram for much longer. As to what comes next? When Corby said last night that the change will happen in the next couple of weeks and that we'd definitely know when it did, that led me to believe that either BaD and the Corby/insert cohost/Danny/with a new name will swap spots or that Cat is basically doing in-house plus ones/auditions to see who has the best chemistry. Whatever happens, The Ticket as we've known it will never be the same.
As Mike once said, "once this thing is gone, there will never be anything like it again." He was right. And my fellow P1 Confessors, that time has come.
Mike, you'll always be my leader. Stay hard. Keep jammin'. And we'll see ya.
Mike and I are the same age. No reason for it to be more than what he said it was.
ReplyDelete@ anon 6:43pm. Couldn't agree more on everything concerning Mike. However, I did make a couple of Ticketstocks back in the as well as a couple of remotes. I disagree with the "being better after Greggo" tho. I wish I had known he was retiring; I would have made an attempt to listen his last few days on air. When Galloway retired, I made a point to be off his last show so I could listen.
ReplyDeleteNot sure what being the same age as Rhyner has anything to do with having special insight about what's in Mike's mind. Gagree Mike probably said exactly what the deal is in the vid, but it doesn't mean there's not more to it. Shit, anyone who's heard the guy for even a few months gets it that he's an introspective and layered thinker. I tend to agree with the long winded comment that those factors could be in play in addition to the what he said on the vid.
ReplyDeleteYeah man, yesterday was the day the music died.
ReplyDelete"Bye bye Mike Rhyner, I cried. Turned on 3-7 but it didn't feel right. It'll never be the same, I'm not gonna lie. This is the day The Ticket died, this is the day The Ticket died."
Hey, hey, hey now, I didn't think 643 was "long-winded." A heartfelt cry of pain such as many of us are feeling but too inhibited to express.
ReplyDeleteLook, think of it this way: We've been complaining that Mike has been disengaged and the OverCorby has taken over for a long, long time. Well, that is going to change. Mike will be replaced by someone who will most assuredly be more engaged than Mike was in his later years, and will balance out Corby. Corby will up his game, as many of us have observed he is inclined to do when he is away from The Hardline. And you know something, I think Corby might welcome it. A couple of times today, he threw the show over to Jake, to good effect.
Personally, I like Jake a lot. I originally thought that a daily dose of Jake AND Corby in one show might be too much Dylan the Argumentative Teen for one show, but today was pretty good.
I'll have more to say about today's show, especially its conclusion, but wanted to give 643 an attaboy.
I just watched Mike's video again. It's sad but I'll admit, I was thinking it would be funny to hear the Fart and Fall Down bit after he closes the door, and the boys were all over it today. I swear, Gordo cracks me up, and Rhynes would think it was funny too. I'm really going to miss him. On another note, apparently that's Jordan Rhyner's youtube channel; I had no idea she was such a good singer.
ReplyDeleteFrom reddit. Check this out. As well, go back and listen to The first two segments of Monday's show. Corby says a few things he probably shouldn't have regarding the genesis of the retirement. One doesn't have to go into deep thought to come to the conclusion that the retirement is more about seeing the writing on the wall than anything else.
ReplyDeletehttps://21153.mc.tritondigital.com/OMNY_BENWOODSONDEMAND_P/media-session/fcd702c0-4246-4f02-8f9f-af5a39c06a9d/d/clips/4b5f9d6d-9214-48cb-8455-a73200038129/6157cd85-dfc1-466b-a888-aa6800dec7ea/4b804628-cc30-45f6-917b-ab3b011f7cf7/audio/direct/t1578418040/1-7_Hour_4_Woodsy's_Radio_Hero_Joins_The_Show.mp3?t=1578418040
Anon 10:05am: Recognizing the "right" time to retire is often about seeing the writing on the wall. It's better to go out on your own terms (if you're lucky enough to) than someone else's, especially in a high-profile job like drive time radio talk show host of a ratings behemoth in a major media market.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete1005, thanks for posting that link. (It's an interview with a San Diego sports station with a guy who, I guess, is some kind of protege of Mike's who he actually seems to be on friendly terms with.)
ReplyDeleteAs you suggest, he does drop a clue in there -- complaining (as he always has) about the "overconsulting" that he believes has messed up the radio business. Suggesting -- and I'm only reading between the lines here -- that The Ticket may be in for a round of advice from outside, and what might occasion that but the concern over recent ratings books?
The corby comment about the Campout retirment speech (lets just say those are the terms thought of by just about everyone) and how they were being courted by another channel due to poor ownership; was breaking to me. I thought this was like 2016-2017 and they were already Cumulus? Even if they are second in ratings but stay competitive then i dont see management making huge changes so Mike wasnt leaving because he thinks the station was about to be changed into an easy listening station with everyone fired.
ReplyDeleteIt was like 10 years ago
ReplyDeleteMarch of 2011, to be exact
ReplyDeleteHey Plainsman, thanks for upping your games on the redheads recently; the last three have simply been stunning.
ReplyDeletePlainsman, I caught that comment about the consultants on the first go-round. He built the station by doing the opposite of what every consultant would do to start a new operation. That won't work, they said. Mike said watch me. He had been the loudest voice in the room about outside consultants until the Cumulus takeover. He was no longer a plank holder, just another voice in the room. Perhaps he was tired of the fight.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I have read the Dallas Cumulus cluster is the star of the company as far as profits go and KTCK is the leader. Hopefully, Cumulus won't mess with their moneymaker but as we have seen in the past in San Francisco and Atlanta they can be a bit heavy-handed.
For the record, the Ticket has always had consultants. Every radio station has consultants. Yes, KTCK largely thrives because they bucked the advice of consultants. However, they were there at the beginning. If you listen to the stories about the early days, the consultants were saying "more sports" and "get to calls faster" and "take more calls."
ReplyDeleteMissed The Hardline today. Who was the +1?
ReplyDeleteI don’t think there was one.
ReplyDeleteBasically Bob was on for a couple of segments following the McCarthy presser.
ReplyDeleteGot home last night and was listening via the Sportsday App. CQH came on and Corby was telling the story of some guy attacking his wife/girl for commenting on his farting. Danny & Corby immediately devolved into frat house, 5th grade comments.
ReplyDeleteImmediate punch out for me. I fear this is where the THL is now headed.
ET P1
As opposed to measuring tits at the Nelson for 3 straight segments?
ReplyDeleteI hear you but I think most of the ticket host and certainly the audience have grown up a lot since those days.
Delete...disgruntled bikini girls?
ReplyDeleteAww...disgruntled bikini girls, gay not gay, the good old days before paranoia swept our mindset.
ReplyDeleteSurly...question, do you ever get of grammie and grampie's basement? Get out there son!
.
ReplyDeleteInteresting deal over on the Ticket subreddit... A user - u/Jubalaya - claims that Rhyner was more or less forced out by Cat, Bennett, and Corby after a confrontation about being a team player: https://www.reddit.com/r/theticket/comments/emgrq2/was_the_way_mike_left_a_dick_move/
ReplyDeleteI didn't take it seriously, but then saw that the same user appeared to know Rhyner was leaving 3 weeks ago:
https://www.reddit.com/r/theticket/comments/ed33n1/rhynes_is_staying_busy_during_dry_dock/
WOW
ReplyDeleteWho wants to bet Richie “breaks” this news at some point
ReplyDeleteI doubt that story in that particular form, i.e., that Mike was "forced out" by some three-headed cabal.
ReplyDeleteWhat I would not doubt, and what I sort of think happened in some form, was that the changing landscape of DFW sports radio caused the CTO (Cat, backed by Dan) to go to The Hardline -- and maybe all the shows -- and tell them it was time to sharpen up their act. And I think we would all say that of all the shows, The Hardline needed the most sharpening, and that of The Hardline hosts, Mike needed the most to step up his game. Corby, needing the gig, said sure. Mike, not needing it, said -- time to go.
That's a lot of speculation based on zero knowledge. But I will continue to think that there was some kind of switch, something that caused Mike to say "enough with bosses," and out he went. Not with hostility or resentment -- I thought his announcement was very sincere on this point -- but understanding that things were going to change, and he wasn't interested.
I don't believe that reddit story, either.
ReplyDeleteI would agree with The Plainsman that the changing landscape of DFW radio probably told Rhyner it was time to leave. As it's been pointed out, he's been kind of disengaged for sometime now. Over time with over talking Corby and sarcastic Danny, he just kind of checked out. Even segments which were to feature him (like "Baseball Jesus") would get hijacked by Corby. So, it was probably a combination of things, but I seriously doubt he was forced out.
As to what The Hardline is now, I've listened with Jake as a +1 and with Donovan yesterday and Jake seems to be the better fit. He doesn't get dominated by overbearing Corby and, frankly, knows his stuff better than Davidson. Donovan, while knowing his stuff very well, too, seemed to fade into the background with the Danny and Corby show. Maybe they'll try Sirois or even Julie. Who knows?
I was wondering if the changing landscape or wind in the air or whatever you want to call it might portend the introduction of more female voices. The boys club at the national broadcasting level has trended in that direction for several years now.
ReplyDeleteNice "What's on Dave's Mind" today, where Dave Lane talked about his history with Mike R.
ReplyDeleteHorrible Bookends to the week:
ReplyDelete- Mike retires on Monday
- Neil Peart death announcement hits during WTDS on Friday
A week I would like to forget
And Bill Wisener (Bill's Records) died sometime Friday night or Saturday morning to cap off the weekend.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I was going to come on here and say I wish Rhyner would be here to discuss Bill Wisener maybe on Mike's Mind. I'm sure Danny will have a pretty good tribute tho: I'll tune in Monday.
ReplyDeleteWow, Bill (of Bill's Records) died? I remember going to his store countless times. Unorganized as crap! You could never find anything unless you lucked upon it. Also, Bill only dealt in cash and he pretty much made up the price of what you wanted at the register. Maybe it changed since I stopped going, but that's how I remember it. Bill was "interesting", let's just leave it at that.
ReplyDeleteSo, sad about Neil Peart. I am still in mourning over the loss of one of the greatest drummers in rock who played for one of my favorite bands EVER.
Finally, to Rhyner, he was at E Bar in east Dallas yesterday, but I didn't get to talk to him. My friend just said, "hey, man, much love to you" to which Rhyner thanked him and got up to leave. I saw him once at would have been one of his last remotes, but I was intimidated to say anything to him. I remember the dude all the way back from "Rhyner's Sports Snorts" on the LaBella and Rody morning show on KZEW. That was a great team.
PS I always wanted to go head to head against Rhyner for "name the members of band(x) line up". He was REALLY good at knowing the line ups of classic rock bands. Without bragging too much, I was better :D. Still, I would like to have had the opportunity to prove it.
I had one encounter with Mike.
ReplyDeleteThis was some time ago. The Hardline was doing a remote at a meat shop on Preston in Plano a little south of 121. I don't remember the name and don't know if it's still in business.
The place was empty except for employees, The Hardline, and The Ticket technical guys. Maybe one or two puzzled customers there to pick up a steak. I bought a bottle of wine and when a commercial hit, I called out "Thanks a lot" as I walked out the door. Mike hollered back "Thank YOU."
That's it.
Wait -- ran into him on my way to the men's room at a remote. He was in the hallway making a phone call. No exchange other than brief eye contact. A moment to remember.
ReplyDeleteBill used to crack me. Even after Dallas had passed the final "no smoking" ban (where you couldn't even smoke in bars and pool halls) Bill would stroll all around his store with a big ol cigarette! He didn't give a crap! He was like 'You don't like...don't come in my store!' I love people that stand up to the crap of the day. I think he did eventually try to quit.
ReplyDeleteSo I listened to the link that 1005 provided (thanks for that). As well I went back and skimmed through last Monday's Hardline. Pretty interesting on several fronts. I wanted to wait a full week before I commented in order to soak it all in as much as I could.
ReplyDeleteAside: Euronymous (Freezing Moon!), your assessment of Bill is spot on. I began going there in jr. high in the 80s to buy metal and punk records, and man, there was a lot taking place there and yes, "interesting," is an apt descriptor. I can think of a few others, but I'll keep them to myself.
Here goes nothing.
1. Somewhere between 5:30 and 6pm on last Monday's show (sorry I don't recall the exact time) Corby does indeed say that he thinks the seed of Mike's departure could've been planted after a meeting with Cumulus this past fall.
2. Mike both directly and indirectly places blame on Cumulus during his (frankly puzzling all things considered--more on this below) appearance on the San Diego show.
3. Unless I missed it, I can't find anywhere in either print or on video/on radio where Mike himself says "I retired," In fact the phrases he most often used were along the lines of "I left" and "i knew it was time." He also said several times that if he finds something that interests him enough who's to say he might not get into something else. It was obvious by the context of what he was saying that "something else" meant something media related.
When you put this all together and add in the fact that The FAN is now equaling and in places surpassing The Ticket in ratings (as a sometime FAN listener, I can tell you that they are now often and loudly proclaiming they're the top rated sports station in town) and that there have been unmistakable changes in Ticket formatting (for example, "and we'll talk about it in 3 minutes" as they go into break) that obviously came from Cumulus (a meeting this past fall perhaps to discuss the ratings and whatnot) and the well known fact that Mike loathes radio consultants and being told what to do by them, it kind of adds up to Mike not so much retiring as moving on from something that will soon no longer be the thing he created.
The Ticket got to be "The Ticket" by Mike's intuition, which told him to ignore the consultants and so-called experts and go with his gut. He did and it worked like magic. That time has passed. Mike, relying on his intuition once again, listened to his gut and acted accordingly. The upshot is that he's gone and that's that. What comes next is more interesting.
I for one hope The Hardline is retired. It's not The Hardline. The day Townshend is no longer a member of The who, it ain't The Who. If it's Pete and a gaggle of spares and he wants to call it The Who, it is. Same with The Hardline. Mike's gone, so's The Hardline. My guess is that Jake will pair with Corby. I think they'll actually make a good duo. Jake will force Corby to be better prepared. He'll also call Corby out. Something Mike never did. If it's the Danny and Corby show, it'll fail. I really like Danny but he's not a daily 4 hour host. Just isn't. As far as the calls for Davey, I'm sorry but that's nonsense. He's less fit for the role than Danny. Having said that, I'm starting to come around to the idea that Corby's new cohost doesn't work at The Ticket yet. I think they might bring in an outside hire. Could be a well known local name. It makes sense to me. Other than Jake, there is no JV with enough chops to handle it. Sirois is a fan favorite and seems like a great dude to hang out with, but I'm sorry, other than his lifestyle he's just not that compelling of a figure. There is no sense of "authority" with him. Unlike Jake and when he's actually prepared, Corby.
I also think the idea of BaD taking over drive time is a pipe dream for BaD P1s. Highly doubt that will happen.
It would be foolish to terminate the brand of "The Hardline" after 25 years. No matter who is on the show, it should still be called The Hardline.
ReplyDeleteHave to side with 1112. THL is donzo. Move on from the past. It moved on itself. Did so purposefully. Foolish how? Foolishness is hanging on to something that is gone. You actually think that keeping the name will what, save the ratings that are no longer there? Seriously, for what reason? Those days are gone. Have been for some time.
ReplyDelete@1112 \m/ I bought a bunch of punk and metal at Bills in the late 80's and 90's.
ReplyDeleteGood insight! The Hardline should be "Buried by Time and Dust" now that Rhyner is gone. It needs a re-brand.