WDFN: Detroit sports talk radio goes belly-up!?!?!!? :-(

[Mike Lowe]

I was wondering why my podcasts hadn't been working lately...

http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090122/OPINION03/901220383/1345/OPINION0303

This is so sad and I'm so angry! This sucks! And why I'm at it, how come no Detroit reporters are ever on Around the Horn? That shows sucks anyway, didn't people at ESPN realized we have WAY better to offer than Rob Park-ah?

Ugh, this is so LAME! The reason for this post though, has there been any speculation as to when/where these guys might turn up on the radio again? Beligian sucked but Stoney/Wojo and especially Matt Sheppard (retained but in a smaller role?) were terrific to listen to! This is especially needed with the NFL draft (Lions Superbowl) on the horizon! Dang-it!

[JonInMiddleGA]

I doubt there's many openings for them, but in general it's always possible that the other sports talker in the market could pick up one or two of them for something but when you're coming from the #21 (overall 12+) station in the market and the other guy is already #11 overall and pulls over triple the number of listeners I think there's a pretty reasonable question why they'd be interested.

On the whole the station was just part of one of the biggest radio cut down days ever, as Clear Channel laid off roughly 9% of their total workforce, just short of 2,000 people from their radio, outdoor, and corporate divisions. The majority were sales reps but air staff was also cut in virtually every market.

[DeToxRox]

Stoney and Wojo are gonna collect huge checks until 2012.

I just don't see them getting picked up. 97.1 is a cheap place. Valenti and Foster, #1 i nthe Afternoons, make 150 K between them, whereas Wojo alone made 400K.

WDFN will be around until the Pistons are done, and then the channel will be gone.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Stoney and Wojo are gonna collect huge checks until 2012.

I just don't see them getting picked up. 97.1 is a cheap place. Valenti and Foster, #1 i nthe Afternoons, make 150 K between them, whereas Wojo alone made 400K.

And as much as I hate to say it, you highlight one of the pretty good reasons that CC had to do the cuts sooner or later. They were spending too much many on too many people that couldn't be justified in too many places and eventually that had to come home to roost.

It's a shame that nearly 2,000 people end up getting blown out when it finally did but the ridiculous prices that were being paid for stations when the big players were in acquisition mode (and CC wasn't the only one doing it, they just did more of it), well, it almost had to crash at some point.

[Mike Lowe]

I know Wojo makes $400k annually but I was always under the impression that the vast majority of that came from the Detroit News?

[Honolulu_Blue]

Yeah. It sucks. I will definitely miss WDFN. I really didn't care for Matt Sheppard in the morning, and that's really most of what I listened to given when I go to and leave work, but I loved the station. I'll miss the personalties and, most of all, the local focus. The nationally syndicated shows are simply awful.

My favorite moment listening to the station had to be back in 1996 when they broke the news that the Wings traded for Brendan Shanahan. I remember all the reports, the limo driver calling in, all of that. It was super exciting.

I really like Valenti and Foster, but the rest of 97.1 is pretty meh.

I'll miss the station and my commute just got a bit more boring, but, luckily, it's only around 25 minutes or so.

[Matthean]

Back when I lived in the Detroit area WDFN was the sports station I listened too. I remember one year when the broadcasters for the post Lions game threatened to only mention the Lions score and then talk Cleveland football for the rest of the show if the Lions lost the following week. Those post game shows were great weekly comedy. We used to have another radio station in Lansing, but that got axed and the quality of sports talk radio here is bare minimum. It's basically Tim Stout and how much you can handle Rome.

[cuervo72]

I doubt there's many openings for them, but in general it's always possible that the other sports talker in the market could pick up one or two of them for something but when you're coming from the #21 (overall 12+) station in the market and the other guy is already #11 overall and pulls over triple the number of listeners I think there's a pretty reasonable question why they'd be interested.

On the whole the station was just part of one of the biggest radio cut down days ever, as Clear Channel laid off roughly 9% of their total workforce, just short of 2,000 people from their radio, outdoor, and corporate divisions. The majority were sales reps but air staff was also cut in virtually every market.

I was considering creating a thread on this actually, prompted by the latest changes to the semi-entity called "FSR". "The First Team" is clearly being rebranded "The Steve Czaban Show" now. Sheamon and J-Dub are out, I *believe* replaced by Dan Patrick's show. Siciliano and Fernandez are gone, Sean Farnham was shuffled off of Chris Myers' show to be replaced by a guy from an LA channel (in some regards they merged their current lineup with the LA one...I think).

Al Galdi is also mysteriously missing from the morning show...

[Subby]

!?!?!!? :-(

[cuervo72]

Well First Team at least is mostly the same - same lineup, just any reference to "First Team" is now "Steve Czaban Show" (except in the 90's Rewind bumper). Galdi may just not be able to continue doing updates both for FSR and for ESPN980...dunno.

[gi]

Doug and Scott in the afternoons are okay, I usually listen to them. I enjoy Valenti and Foster. If Valenti isn't on air though, Foster has a hard time with it and the show isn't as good. Never enjoyed WDFN, I've always listened to 1270/97.1

[DeToxRox]

I know Wojo makes $400k annually but I was always under the impression that the vast majority of that came from the Detroit News?

No, he has a seperate salary from the news. He was making serious cash.

[DeToxRox]

I miss the Sports Junkies still.

Best sports show ever.

[wade moore]

I miss the Sports Junkies still.

Best sports show ever.

Are you talking about the Sports Junkies out of DC or another show with the same name?

[DeToxRox]

Are you talking about the Sports Junkies out of DC or another show with the same name?

The same. They were syndicated on West Wood One, I think. They did nights, not sure when it aired there, but this was like 6 years ago or so. Like 10-12 it was on here.

[wade moore]

The same. They were syndicated on West Wood One, I think. They did nights, not sure when it aired there, but this was like 6 years ago or so. Like 10-12 it was on here.

They broadcast out of WJFK (in DC) in the morning timeslot. They are just "The Junkies" now and podcast their full show - you can find it at wjfk.com or on iTunes. It is my #2 most listened to podcast behind CT & Jivin.

Edit: They also have a live stream on the website.

[DeToxRox]

They broadcast out of WJFK (in DC) in the morning timeslot. They are just "The Junkies" now and podcast their full show - you can find it at wjfk.com or on iTunes. It is my #2 most listened to podcast behind CT & Jivin.

Edit: They also have a live stream on the website.

You are a savior.

I gotta know .. does Cowboy Todd still call in?

[JonInMiddleGA]

I was considering creating a thread on this actually, prompted by the latest changes to the semi-entity called "FSR". "The First Team" is clearly being rebranded "The Steve Czaban Show" now. Sheamon and J-Dub are out, I *believe* replaced by Dan Patrick's show. Siciliano and Fernandez are gone, Sean Farnham was shuffled off of Chris Myers' show to be replaced by a guy from an LA channel (in some regards they merged their current lineup with the LA one...I think).

Al Galdi is also mysteriously missing from the morning show...

You pretty much nailed it with LA, as they dropped a lot of the staff from the local affiliate & then added a few of those local talents to the FSR national staff, basically turning the LA affiliate into full-time FSR national programming.

Here's yesterday's description from Tom Taylor's newsletter available through radio-info.com
The Content Factory’s Dan Patrick will occupy the 9am-noon hours (Eastern time) of the Fox schedule – a significant boost to a syndication effort that already came out of the box looking strong. Patrick replaces Craig Sheamon and James Washington. Fox also teams “The Drive” host Chris Myers with KLAC, Los Angeles’ Steve Hartman and Vic Jacobs. (A posting on the Radio-Info.com “Sports” board says former Drive co-host Sean Farnham goes to weekends.) KLAC hosts Petros Papadakis and Matt “Money” Smith are also now on Fox, starting at 7pm Eastern. And the new overnight show is “The Fox Daily Rewind”, bumping Ben Maller. (“Rewind” is a best-of “clip show” – apparently with no live host.) Weekender Jorge Sedano’s benched. “Fox Game Time Live” personalities Andrew Siciliano and Krystal Fernandez are off the field.

[wade moore]

You are a savior.

I gotta know .. does Cowboy Todd still call in?

Not really. There was a rumor for about 4 months that he was dead. Supposedly his "brother" called and told them that.

He called umm.. December? and said it was false and that he was in Alabama doing some sort of shady roofing work or something. Anyway, rarely calls anymore.

[Mike Lowe]

Well I now live in the Chicago area and I can't get my podcasts of WDFN any longer!

[Balldog]

Doug and Scott in the afternoons are okay, I usually listen to them. I enjoy Valenti and Foster. If Valenti isn't on air though, Foster has a hard time with it and the show isn't as good. Never enjoyed WDFN, I've always listened to 1270/97.1

Couldn't agree more, though Doug is such a Michigan homer he makes it hard to listen at times. I can't stand Jay and Bill in the mornings anymore, they seem to know nothing about sports so they just venture off to other topics. And the more I hear Tony Ortiz the less I think of him. Last week I actually stopped listening for a little while after he said he's confident Tim Tebow was going to be the #1 QB in the draft next year.

Valenti and Foster are great, but when Foster is by himself I usually just put in a CD.

[kurtism]

Cuts everywhere - in the past 6 months, Chicago's sports talk scene has witnessed the forced exodus of Mike North from WSCR and Dan McNeil from WMVP. Big salary purges, plus too much controversy?

[JonInMiddleGA]

Last Friday was Cumulus' turn for cuts, with "dozens and dozens" dismissed in markets all over the place, the partial list includes:

Flint, MI - drops a news director & a morning co-host, 2 PD's, a GSM, the office manager & 5 sales bodies

Ann Arbor, MI - a morning host & a news director

Myrtle Beach, SC - a PD, a morning co-host, a midday jock, and the production director

Montgomery, AL - a nighttime jock

Huntsville, AL - a morning co-host, a jock who doubleshifted middays on one station & afternoons on another, and the entire news department of a news/talk station (not sure how the "news" part of that is going to work out for them)

Toledo, OH - a PD, an afternoon jock & a traffic reporter

Youngstown, OH - an afternoon jock & two other air staff

Bridgeport, CT - a total of 5 on-airs, including a 36 year veteran

Columbia-Jefferson City, MO - 9 bodies including a morning host, two afternooners, and a recently hired meteorologist

Danbury, CT - A production director, a morning co-host & news person, on the heels of laying off their chief engineer a few weeks back

Fayetteville, NC - 2 morning talents

Brewer, ME - an afternoon drive guy

Meanwhile, rumors say Clear Channel Miami talker WINZ/940 AM will soon be all sports while in Washington, DC "Obama 1260" WWRC goes all-business later today with syndicated Mancow taking over mornings & on sister WTNT where Ed Schultz now occupies the afternoons (having been dumped from 1260 in the switch)

All in all, just another day in radio.

edit to add: Also, first ever major layoffs by Bloomberg, likely to be about 100 people between TV & Radio operations (which have each been losing $20m annually). That doesn't seem so big for them since broadcast is largely an afterthought but those folks have been generating content for the flagship product too.

Oh, and rumors persist about another round of cutbacks for Clear Channel, supposedly coming up in just under two weeks from now.

[SackAttack]

You pretty much nailed it with LA, as they dropped a lot of the staff from the local affiliate & then added a few of those local talents to the FSR national staff, basically turning the LA affiliate into full-time FSR national programming.

Here's yesterday's description from Tom Taylor's newsletter available through radio-info.com
The Content Factory’s Dan Patrick will occupy the 9am-noon hours (Eastern time) of the Fox schedule – a significant boost to a syndication effort that already came out of the box looking strong. Patrick replaces Craig Sheamon and James Washington. Fox also teams “The Drive” host Chris Myers with KLAC, Los Angeles’ Steve Hartman and Vic Jacobs. (A posting on the Radio-Info.com “Sports” board says former Drive co-host Sean Farnham goes to weekends.) KLAC hosts Petros Papadakis and Matt “Money” Smith are also now on Fox, starting at 7pm Eastern. And the new overnight show is “The Fox Daily Rewind”, bumping Ben Maller. (“Rewind” is a best-of “clip show” – apparently with no live host.) Weekender Jorge Sedano’s benched. “Fox Game Time Live” personalities Andrew Siciliano and Krystal Fernandez are off the field.

Petros and Money are in syndication? Do you know if any stations in the Green Bay area are picking up their show?

[JonInMiddleGA]

Petros and Money are in syndication? Do you know if any stations in the Green Bay area are picking up their show?

Looking at the programming lineup & the affiliate lists, I think WNFL/1440 AM might be your best bet.

No idea whether they'll actually carry it but their station website listed them as carrying Siciliano so if Petros & Money simply replaced him then there's a decent chance they're on there.

Interesting to note that the FSR website hasn't even noted the lineup changes themselves as of this afternoon.

[SackAttack]

Looking at the programming lineup & the affiliate lists, I think WNFL/1440 AM might be your best bet.

No idea whether they'll actually carry it but their station website listed them as carrying Siciliano so if Petros & Money simply replaced him then there's a decent chance they're on there.

Interesting to note that the FSR website hasn't even noted the lineup changes themselves as of this afternoon.

Hmm. I think 1440 is the station that usually carries the NFL games, so they should already be on my presets. I'll have to listen to them for a bit and see if their show gets mentioned in promo spots.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Well, Clear Channel has reversed course and WDFN is back to local programming.

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20090903/FREE/909039981/-1#

WDFN ‘The Fan’ plans to bring back more local programming

By Bill Shea

Six months after cutting most of its staff and local programming, sports talk station WDFN 1130 AM said today that a new primarily local show lineup will return Tuesday.

The station, which bills itself as “The Fan,” switched to mostly syndicated Fox Sports Radio programming and gutted its staff in January as part of its parent company’s cutbacks. San Antonio-based Clear Channel Communications Inc. planned to trim $400 million in part by trimming its U.S. workforce by 1,850 jobs, or about 9 percent.

The station’s new weekday lineup is:

• 7-10 a.m.: Sean Baligian, who is also doing an afternoon show for a Grand Rapids sports station and is a color commentator for the Plymouth Whalers.

• 10 a.m.-noon: Ryan Ermanni, a WJBK Fox 2 sports reporter.
• Noon-2 p.m.: ESPN’s Colin Cowherd.

• 2–6 p.m.: Detroit Free Press columnist Drew Sharp and local play-by-play announcer Matt Shepard.

• Tom Kowalski, who covers the Detroit Lions for Booth Newspapers, will contribute news and commentary throughout the day.

Other than Sean Baligian in the mornings and contributions from Kowalski, it's a pretty weak line-up. No Stoney & Wojo and Drew Sharp and Matt Shepard will likely be brutal.

Still, it's great to have the local station return, since I never listened to any of the WDFN syndicated other than a few minutes of Dan Patrick every once in a while. Over all they were awful, awful shows. I will have to reset my dial to put WDFN back in the rotation.

[stevew]

Since this thread is about radio(I guess). Are the numbers in for WNOR, now that Tommy Griffiths has been gone for a month? Just curious how the Rick Rumble(clearlier the douchier of the two) show is performing.

[M GO BLUE!!!]

I wondered what station Clear Channel was looking to put local content on.. These have been on the jobs board for a minute:

Clear Channel Radio Seeking a Few Good Talk Radio Pros
We are looking to add a more local flavor to our Talk Station. We are seeking experienced Show Hosts as well as an experienced Producer. Our Show Host must be a great talker and an even better listener, a news hound and a current events junkie. This is a great opportunity to make an impact on the listerner’s of a great city. Previous ratio/tv host experience required as well as personal knowledge or tenure as a Detroit area resident.


CLEAR CHANNEL RADIO DETROIT IS SEEKING A PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Clear Channel Radio Detroit is searching for a programming wizard. We need a Program Director that is very comfortable in programming across multiple platforms including on-air and on-line content. This position is also responsible for quality production, public affairs and coaching the on-air staff. Must monitor station programming and activities in compliance with FCC rules and regulations, company policy and applicable federal, state, and local laws. Position reports directly to the Operations Manager.

Other responsibilities include increasing station audience, monitoring and evaluating current research and trends, and coordinating with programming and sales staff to plan and execute marketing, promotions and grow revenue.

The ideal candidate must have an Associate’s Degree or equivalent from a two year college or technical school, and four years related experience and/or training. The ability to be flexible and work under short deadlines, possess problem solving skills, and perform as an on-air announcer is a must!

[JonInMiddleGA]

Heh.

Knowing how CC structures their operations, they ought to just call that position "designated fall guy to protect the operations manager from one round of firings".
What they don't say about primary & secondary responsibilities is that the eventual applicant chosen will receive neither the authority nor the resources to do any of those things.

[Balldog]

Baligian has to better than those dbags on The Tickets in the morning, right?

[Honolulu_Blue]

Baligian has to better than those dbags on The Tickets in the morning, right?

They are awful, those guys. Just awful.

[rkmsuf]

Love it!

[fantom1979]

I put Sirius in my car about 6 years ago and never looked back. I never really cared for Stoney and Wojo and would rather listen to the national guys. For me, WDFN was never the same after Jamie and Gregg.

[wade moore]

Since this thread is about radio(I guess). Are the numbers in for WNOR, now that Tommy Griffiths has been gone for a month? Just curious how the Rick Rumble(clearlier the douchier of the two) show is performing.

Whoah, what?

Tommy is gone?!

Wow - since I've gotten my radio that plugs straight into my car I really haven't been listening to local radio at ALL apparently..

[stevew]

Yeah. He quit a month or so ago. Details on the wiki page

[Balldog]

They are awful, those guys. Just awful.

Nothing worse than guys who know nothing about sports trying to talk about sports. I think they know they don't know anything so they just talk about other stuff, mostly about themselves.

[wade moore]

Yeah. He quit a month or so ago. Details on the wiki page

Yeah, went and looked it up after you wrote.

a-ha.. I had only looked at news articles.. none of them mentioned him getting suspended just a few days before quitting...

lame.