Aunt Judy Cleans The Shed

[The Interpreter]

The Huntington Herald Dispatch FINALLY notices:

http://www.herald-dispatch.com/business ... al-deejays

I suppose that is one story Bill Cornwell won't be reading on the air any time soon...and it leaves out many important details.

[Tom Taggart]

And below the story on my screen, in the Google ad, was a link to apply for a job at Clear Channel.

To err is human, to really stick a knife in and twist it, you need a computer....

[The Interpreter]

It is reliably reported that one of the advertisers during the Tom Roten show is the Columbus Dispatch's radio operation, seeking someone in sales. I wonder if Tom's former producer will be applying. This whole situation is really sad. Still, many have reported Tom's attitude and show have drastically improved of late, perhaps because he is so busy doing the things he used to rely on others to do that he hasn't the time to be as venomous as in the past or perhaps because the fear of being replaced by the likes of Bill Cunningham being piped in from Cinci focuses the mind.

In any event, the entire reduction mode at Clear Channel is a very, very bad thing for all involved. Why Clear Channel would think piped in national radio is a good competitor for IPods, satellite radio and MP3's is beyond me. I really don't think they do. They think it is a way to cut costs to survive until they find someone to buy their assets at at least a high fraction of the inflated amounts they themselves paid for them. I doubt they are able to do so.

[Mike]

It is reliably reported that one of the advertisers during the Tom Roten show is the Columbus Dispatch's radio operation, seeking someone in sales. I wonder if Tom's former producer will be applying. This whole situation is really sad. Still, many have reported Tom's attitude and show have drastically improved of late, perhaps because he is so busy doing the things he used to rely on others to do that he hasn't the time to be as venomous as in the past or perhaps because the fear of being replaced by the likes of Bill Cunningham being piped in from Cinci focuses the mind.

In any event, the entire reduction mode at Clear Channel is a very, very bad thing for all involved. Why Clear Channel would think piped in national radio is a good competitor for IPods, satellite radio and MP3's is beyond me. I really don't think they do. They think it is a way to cut costs to survive until they find someone to buy their assets at at least a high fraction of the inflated amounts they themselves paid for them. I doubt they are able to do so.

The Clear Channel collapse was inevitable. As I said here years ago, CC was destined to lose/die because during consolidation fever, they were the "winner" by being the last in the musical chairs of mega mergers. They bought all their stations at the PEAK of the bubble, meaning at prices that they cannot possibly sell them at now, and are so large that they themselves can't be bought by anyone else. Going into even MORE massive debt by going private hastened their collapse.

They are doing these draconian cuts to basically cannibalize their operations in order to keep their cashflow in accordance with the onerous debt covenants they agreed to in order to take the company private.

I still think that in the end CC itself will dissolve by divesting most of their stations. They will have to start selling assets (stations) next in order to raise money to repay their lenders. Which in the long run might be better for the industry, a de-consolidation.

This is a golden opportunity for CC's competitors to snag talent that is being let go who probably wouldn't have returned their phone calls as recently as a year ago. CC's competitors have the chance to drive them into a ratings ghetto by putting a better quality product on the air... and with people who formerly had worked to put CC at the top.

[Lee]

Interpreter, are you obsessed with Tom Roten??

[The Interpreter]

Nope...I am just astounded that his show has lasted as long as it has. My intuition tells me this should not have lasted this long. And you will note the local sponsors have one by one left the shed...except for Dutch Miller Hyundai. I am obsessed with watching things that make no sense. Like when there were three or four local AM's formatted as Joy Radio. Or when this market had nearly half a dozen country stations. Or with those who say one thing and do completely another. Like saying they are loving non-judgmental Christians while spewing pseudo-science, rough understandings of complex political situations, venom and hate day after day after day. But we weren't talking about that, or were we?

[Hoosier Daddy]

I am just astounded that his show has lasted as long as it has.

It's Huntington. Say no more?

[Lee]

Nope...I am just astounded that his show has lasted as long as it has. My intuition tells me this should not have lasted this long. And you will note the local sponsors have one by one left the shed...except for Dutch Miller Hyundai. I am obsessed with watching things that make no sense. Like when there were three or four local AM's formatted as Joy Radio. Or when this market had nearly half a dozen country stations. Or with those who say one thing and do completely another. Like saying they are loving non-judgmental Christians while spewing pseudo-science, rough understandings of complex political situations, venom and hate day after day after day. But we weren't talking about that, or were we?

I remember a former CC'er who wanted to beat him senseless when he went on-air and talked about how bad this person was for taking his children to see Harry Potter.

[Bar Rat]

Nope...I am just astounded that his show has lasted as long as it has. My intuition tells me this should not have lasted this long. And you will note the local sponsors have one by one left the shed...except for Dutch Miller Hyundai. I am obsessed with watching things that make no sense. Like when there were three or four local AM's formatted as Joy Radio. Or when this market had nearly half a dozen country stations. Or with those who say one thing and do completely another. Like saying they are loving non-judgmental Christians while spewing pseudo-science, rough understandings of complex political situations, venom and hate day after day after day. But we weren't talking about that, or were we?

I remember a former CC'er who wanted to beat him senseless when he went on-air and talked about how bad this person was for taking his children to see Harry Potter.

Don't you know Harry Potter is evil? The only topic for movies and television should be the bible. There should be nothing remotely like fiction on the air anywhere. And Tom should be on all day and all night.

Just ask him, he will set you straight. He is the straight shooter after all. Unless he's hunting, then he can't hit the broad side of a barn.

[StopSet]

Harry Potter Sucks hairy balls

[cgarison]

This whole situation is really sad. I just cannot believe that the CC collapse has proceeded to completely destroied stations like WKEE, WIOQ and, WRVQ. Plus now this automation of Elvis Duran all over the nation just means that the NYC humor will have to be toned down and made more generic. Which means that the largest radio market in the nation will no longer care about Z100 or all stations broadcasting this will lose all their listeners because they don't give two shits about Roundhead's antics in Flushing.

This whole thing is bad. Really bad.

CC is dead and this round of layoffs sealed the deal. When CC comes up with a way to voice track/sat feed all but 4 to 8 hours of their top sticks in a market, those sticks will no longer be the #1 in their perspective markets.

I come here to bury CC, not praise it.

Same goes for the blue box on 134 4th Ave.

[The Interpreter]

It is reliably reported that during this morning's only local live talk show in morning drive in the Huntington market, the host said 10 people left the blue box in the latest round of layoffs, with 8 in the one before. He also noted he had been late for breaks for the past week or so, but made no mention of the reason why...and the local newsbreaks at 0:30 are no longer done by Mr. Cornwell, at least not usually.

[Big Media]

and the local newsbreaks at 0:30 are no longer done by Mr. Cornwell, at least not usually.

Bill was actually fired years ago. He just prerecorded as many possible news bites as he could before he left. Think Dana Carvey.




Further, why doesn't CC just stop the madness and take their top performing CHR station and satellite it verbatum to every CC CHR station; the take their top performing Country and pipe it to every CC Country station; and so on?

Then, all they would need in Huntington are a few sales snakes, and Elliott, who would handle everything from engineering to reading the Herald-Dispatch on the air.

[Swing'n Dick]

I'd like to draw attention to CC's original statement made during the February lay-offs saying the 9 month severance packages will stop being offered in August '09.

We ain't seen nothing yet.

[Bar Rat]

I'd like to draw attention to CC's original statement made during the February lay-offs saying the 9 month severance packages will stop being offered in August '09.

We ain't seen nothing yet.

That would be when the Judy-level folks get the axe.

Make them do all the cutting. Then cut them and don't give them any severance.

Yeah, the bloodletting will be epic.

[StopSet]

Listeners are not as STUPID as Clear Channel wants them to be....................

[StopSet]

Judy, Judy, Judy

[Swing'n Dick]

Listeners are not as STUPID as Clear Channel wants them to be....................

It doesn't matter, honestly.

[Mike]

Listeners are not as STUPID as Clear Channel wants them to be....................

It doesn't matter, honestly.

Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups...

A lesson we're all going to learn in the next 3.75 years.

[Tom Taggart]

And as anyone in this business long enough remembers, at 3 and three-quarters you get a lot of wow, hiss and flutter...........