Comments on: Boston’s talk devolution http://www.dankennedy.net/2008/02/15/bostons-talk-devolution/ By Dan Kennedy • The press, politics, technology, culture and other passions Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:09:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Anonymous http://www.dankennedy.net/2008/02/15/bostons-talk-devolution/comment-page-1/#comment-35968 Anonymous Mon, 18 Feb 2008 12:55:00 +0000 http://www.dankennedy.net/2008/02/15/bostons-talk-devolution/#comment-35968 The sound that's getting to you<br/>in Severin's voice?<br/><br/>It's desperation.<br/><br/>Especially since he's hitched his wagon to <br/>that "Rushmorian president,"<br/>Willard Mitt Romney.<br/><br/>As the ad revenues go down<br/>for the time slot devoted to Boston's Best...<br/>-I'm sorry, I just can't write it-<br/>the clock is ticking on the Adjustable Rate Mansionian Mortgage on the fixer upper<br/>in MBTS.<br/><br/>Let me live long enough to see this racist, lying oops-I-guess-I-didn't-graduate-from<br/>BU<br/>non-journalist<br/>slide his way out of town on the oozing slime that WTKK pays him to sling.<br/><br/>And the guy from South Carolina who arrived on Monday and attacked Boston and the rest of Massachusetts on Tuesday?<br/>Then please, leave. The sound that’s getting to you
in Severin’s voice?

It’s desperation.

Especially since he’s hitched his wagon to
that “Rushmorian president,”
Willard Mitt Romney.

As the ad revenues go down
for the time slot devoted to Boston’s Best…
-I’m sorry, I just can’t write it-
the clock is ticking on the Adjustable Rate Mansionian Mortgage on the fixer upper
in MBTS.

Let me live long enough to see this racist, lying oops-I-guess-I-didn’t-graduate-from
BU
non-journalist
slide his way out of town on the oozing slime that WTKK pays him to sling.

And the guy from South Carolina who arrived on Monday and attacked Boston and the rest of Massachusetts on Tuesday?
Then please, leave.

]]> By: Tony http://www.dankennedy.net/2008/02/15/bostons-talk-devolution/comment-page-1/#comment-35967 Tony Sun, 17 Feb 2008 22:02:00 +0000 http://www.dankennedy.net/2008/02/15/bostons-talk-devolution/#comment-35967 Great point Dan. <br/><br/>And, BTW, in case no one saw it, there have been a slew of layoffs during the last week at radio stations across the country, including at CBS, Entercom, and Clear Channel. These layoffs include jobs lost in Boston and New England. <br/><br/>The hammer is really coming down on folks who like/love to work in the media. <br/><br/>I wish I could have some hope for the future, like a Democrat could get into the White House and force the deregulation of the telecom industry and go back to the way it was before 1996. But I keep reminding myself that it was Democrats AND Republicans who brought us to this place in time. And the Dems have control over the Congress and the Senate and we can't get them to have a hearing about the Fairness Doctrine, never mind the corporate consolidation of radio and television stations. Hell, the Democrats had a mandate to end the war - they were soundly swept into office to end the Iraqi occupation - and they keep voting to fund it! The two Dem candidates left for president agree the troops will be there through 2013!! <br/><br/>The earth is flat ... the sky is green ... up is down ... why are there only a few of us out here who see this? Great point Dan.

And, BTW, in case no one saw it, there have been a slew of layoffs during the last week at radio stations across the country, including at CBS, Entercom, and Clear Channel. These layoffs include jobs lost in Boston and New England.

The hammer is really coming down on folks who like/love to work in the media.

I wish I could have some hope for the future, like a Democrat could get into the White House and force the deregulation of the telecom industry and go back to the way it was before 1996. But I keep reminding myself that it was Democrats AND Republicans who brought us to this place in time. And the Dems have control over the Congress and the Senate and we can’t get them to have a hearing about the Fairness Doctrine, never mind the corporate consolidation of radio and television stations. Hell, the Democrats had a mandate to end the war – they were soundly swept into office to end the Iraqi occupation – and they keep voting to fund it! The two Dem candidates left for president agree the troops will be there through 2013!!

The earth is flat … the sky is green … up is down … why are there only a few of us out here who see this?

]]> By: Dan Kennedy http://www.dankennedy.net/2008/02/15/bostons-talk-devolution/comment-page-1/#comment-35957 Dan Kennedy Sun, 17 Feb 2008 02:14:00 +0000 http://www.dankennedy.net/2008/02/15/bostons-talk-devolution/#comment-35957 Amused: Surely there must be <i>some</i> suckers out there. Isn't that why they have a rate card? Amused: Surely there must be some suckers out there. Isn’t that why they have a rate card?

]]> By: AmusedButInformedObserver http://www.dankennedy.net/2008/02/15/bostons-talk-devolution/comment-page-1/#comment-35956 AmusedButInformedObserver Sun, 17 Feb 2008 00:13:00 +0000 http://www.dankennedy.net/2008/02/15/bostons-talk-devolution/#comment-35956 The next company to pay rate card for radio advertising will be the first. The next company to pay rate card for radio advertising will be the first.

]]> By: Kellybelly http://www.dankennedy.net/2008/02/15/bostons-talk-devolution/comment-page-1/#comment-35955 Kellybelly Sat, 16 Feb 2008 23:24:00 +0000 http://www.dankennedy.net/2008/02/15/bostons-talk-devolution/#comment-35955 I couldn't agree with you more! Don't let Jim see you calling his show that it's Jim and Marjorie. LOL! I couldn’t agree with you more! Don’t let Jim see you calling his show that it’s Jim and Marjorie. LOL!

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.dankennedy.net/2008/02/15/bostons-talk-devolution/comment-page-1/#comment-35953 Anonymous Sat, 16 Feb 2008 21:10:00 +0000 http://www.dankennedy.net/2008/02/15/bostons-talk-devolution/#comment-35953 This whole kerfuffle pales in comparison to the news that Jess Cain, Boston morning radio's last class act, died this week at 81. This whole kerfuffle pales in comparison to the news that Jess Cain, Boston morning radio’s last class act, died this week at 81.

]]> By: Dan Kennedy http://www.dankennedy.net/2008/02/15/bostons-talk-devolution/comment-page-1/#comment-35951 Dan Kennedy Sat, 16 Feb 2008 14:15:00 +0000 http://www.dankennedy.net/2008/02/15/bostons-talk-devolution/#comment-35951 Tony: It is astounding that WBZ continues to be stuck with hockey. David Brudnoy used to tell me occasionally that management was promising to put the Bruins on a sister station, but it never happened. What a lost opportunity. When you look at the stations CBS owns in Boston, you can only wonder why management chooses to hamper its best nighttime program. Tony: It is astounding that WBZ continues to be stuck with hockey. David Brudnoy used to tell me occasionally that management was promising to put the Bruins on a sister station, but it never happened. What a lost opportunity. When you look at the stations CBS owns in Boston, you can only wonder why management chooses to hamper its best nighttime program.

]]> By: Tony http://www.dankennedy.net/2008/02/15/bostons-talk-devolution/comment-page-1/#comment-35950 Tony Sat, 16 Feb 2008 13:57:00 +0000 http://www.dankennedy.net/2008/02/15/bostons-talk-devolution/#comment-35950 I meant to blog about how frustrating radio is right now earlier this week - but we got bombarded with snow and now I have this nasty cold. Anyhow, Tuesday night, I'm driving home from work at around 9 p.m.-ish, and I want to hear some live commentary on the Potomac primaries. Since I'm stuck in the car for an hour, I figure I should be able to find something on the air. I thought wrong. <br/>I put on WBZ to see if Dan Rea was on. Nope, it was hockey. I spin over to WRKO. Michael Savage is on off the bird. He makes a random comment about Barack Obama winning. I'm surprised that he doesn't say Barack Hussein Obama and I flip the dial over to FM. WBUR has a repeat of "On Point." Wow, one of the largest public radio stations in the country and they are on repeats at night. Shocking. I clicked on NHPR, which comes in scratchy until 495, repeats of "The Exchange." I flip over to WTKK and Michele McPhee is talking about crime. Sigh. So, not one station in the Boston area had live election coverage during one of the most important presidential elections of our time. I meant to blog about how frustrating radio is right now earlier this week – but we got bombarded with snow and now I have this nasty cold. Anyhow, Tuesday night, I’m driving home from work at around 9 p.m.-ish, and I want to hear some live commentary on the Potomac primaries. Since I’m stuck in the car for an hour, I figure I should be able to find something on the air. I thought wrong.
I put on WBZ to see if Dan Rea was on. Nope, it was hockey. I spin over to WRKO. Michael Savage is on off the bird. He makes a random comment about Barack Obama winning. I’m surprised that he doesn’t say Barack Hussein Obama and I flip the dial over to FM. WBUR has a repeat of “On Point.” Wow, one of the largest public radio stations in the country and they are on repeats at night. Shocking. I clicked on NHPR, which comes in scratchy until 495, repeats of “The Exchange.” I flip over to WTKK and Michele McPhee is talking about crime. Sigh. So, not one station in the Boston area had live election coverage during one of the most important presidential elections of our time.

]]> By: Aaron Read http://www.dankennedy.net/2008/02/15/bostons-talk-devolution/comment-page-1/#comment-35948 Aaron Read Sat, 16 Feb 2008 03:48:00 +0000 http://www.dankennedy.net/2008/02/15/bostons-talk-devolution/#comment-35948 To add to the fiction, expect to see these numbers change DRASTICALLY...yet with much griping...once the Arbitron Portable People Meter hits Boston in less than a year. In its prototype markets, the PPM has already show dramatically different listening habits than the ridiculously old and inaccurate diaries.<br/><br/>Interestingly, though...I'll bet you'll see WEEI/WRKO ad rates get even higher during Red Sox games than they already are, since the ad breaks are time-constrained just enough to prevent tune-out during the games themselves...whereas during most of the rest of the day I'm sure the PPM will show massive tune-out as the 10 or 15 minute (no joke) commercial breaks on WEEI drone on and on and on and on.... To add to the fiction, expect to see these numbers change DRASTICALLY…yet with much griping…once the Arbitron Portable People Meter hits Boston in less than a year. In its prototype markets, the PPM has already show dramatically different listening habits than the ridiculously old and inaccurate diaries.

Interestingly, though…I’ll bet you’ll see WEEI/WRKO ad rates get even higher during Red Sox games than they already are, since the ad breaks are time-constrained just enough to prevent tune-out during the games themselves…whereas during most of the rest of the day I’m sure the PPM will show massive tune-out as the 10 or 15 minute (no joke) commercial breaks on WEEI drone on and on and on and on….

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.dankennedy.net/2008/02/15/bostons-talk-devolution/comment-page-1/#comment-35947 Anonymous Sat, 16 Feb 2008 02:49:00 +0000 http://www.dankennedy.net/2008/02/15/bostons-talk-devolution/#comment-35947 Concur with the "don't listen to either" statement. All radio has changed, and not for the better. But in several ways, the talk radio well has been poisoned forever.<br/> Before his fall I thought the first hour of Imus was terrific radio. Bringing additional voices to the show has been a net-minus. Concur with the “don’t listen to either” statement. All radio has changed, and not for the better. But in several ways, the talk radio well has been poisoned forever.
Before his fall I thought the first hour of Imus was terrific radio. Bringing additional voices to the show has been a net-minus.

]]>