Dave, Shelly, and Chainsaw confirmed gone for KGB-FM

Blarg, and anyone else interested, here’s a working link to my blog with the 12/18 show podcast links.

They have removed permission to view the podcast page, but you can still download from the links. Directions on the page:

http://elizabethlacy.wordpress.com/2010/01/04/dsc-1218-show/
enter “satriani” for password.

I understand that Coe and Bryan have to follow the company line, but as it has been pointed out it is an insult to the listeners to think that we will buy the crap that CC is dishing out. Coe, Bryan if you are reading these posts just stick with they couldn’t reach a deal and please stop making it look like CC was the good guy – we don’t buy it. Just look at all the other talent that they have let go in the past months. They may have made an offer to keep Dave, Shelley and Chainsaw, but just as they did with the other shows it likely didn’t include Boyer, Emily, Ruth, Sarah, or anyone else that makes this show great. This is a very sad day in San Diego radio.

I think we all need to take a breath here and relax. When have you all known Dave to act rashly and with poor judgment in regards to the show and the livelihoods that depend on it? Heck, CC might not even be at blame here, maybe they truly did offer as much as they possibly could in their current economic state to keep the show. But DSC has a plan. Don’t worry!

What does suck is that regardless of what their next move is, whether it involves a new local station or satellite, we won’t hear the show for a while. But Dave & Co. clearly have a plan and we’ll find out what it is when it’s time for us to hear about it.

In the meantime, put those old podcasts to work!

the new reality in radio seems to be tough for some to grasp. the industry is failing about as fast as print media, and these over-leveraged companies like cc, who are also run by cheap right wing swine to boot, won’t, with a very few exceptions, be paying the money that they used to. i never thought the dsc show was interesting (outside of chainsaw’s obvious comedic talent) so i couldn’t care less, but clearly their greed – just like worthless mikey’s – forced cc to show them the door. unlike dsc though, mikey has no talent and is going to be paid nearly a million dollars a year at 94.9. there really is no justice.

I was so happy this morning listening to DSC over the web as I do everyday, knowing I would hear alll about their vacations and just getting caught up. Then I heard they were GONE. I felt like crying. As a 20 year listener to DSC, they WERE KGB for me. In fact those of you lucky enough to hear their last show on 12/18, got to know how happy I must have been as I sent alll of them gifts and they were kind enough to open them on the air during their annual gift exchange. It was the highlight of the year for me. And then to top it off, Dave called me during the show and put me on the air to thank me. I cannot say enough good about Dave, Shelly, Chainsaw, Boyer, Ruth, Emily and Sara. I also cannot say how badly it hurts right now to not have them on the air. I do not know the details, nor is it my business. What I do hope is that they are all together back on the air soon. And those of us who no longer live in SD and listen over the web can join back in the fun soon as well. I wish you well guys! You have made my day for 20 years.
Listener Brent in Vermont

I knew it wouldn’t be long before the axe fell on the DSC…despite the fact that I’d hate to have San Diego radio WITHOUT them. But this is just one more nail in the coffin that is radio not just in this county…but in this COUNTRY! It’s been companies like CC…regardless of how good/bad the economy got…to cut talent because they didn’t want to pay them. Coe may have said they were offered “millions of dollars”, but let’s face it—SHE wasn’t IN that meeting, so we have NO IDEA what was offered—it’s all mere speculation. Let’s face it: CC is nothing more than a corporate entity that cares for nothing more than its bottom line—-making money for the shareholders. Radio as an industry is dying because all it is anymore is homogenized medium. Stations don’t have much identity anymore, and these days, you’re better off listening to your ipod. It sickens me that stations cater to labels and have to pay licensing fees to play music on the air. And without personalities to help sell the station…what’s the point in even listening? Unless you want traffic reports, or care to get brainwashed by the garbage they spew on AM radio…what’s there to really listen to? DSC made radio fun….and without them…radio is just boring—-at least to those that looked for entertaining programming.

This is just MY opinion, though…

Don’t blame Clear Channel, DSC were too complacent and dealt their cards wrong. They thought they were in the glory days of radio, read my lips folks. “They are past their prime,” now that they’re meandering in the meadows with the heifers and swine it’s time for KGB to get down to business and make a real radio station for the Generation Y. Oh and Shelly! The one who smelt it dealt it. Don’t ever forget that babe.

Well as long as John Jay and Rich are on the air we will still be able to hear DSC’s bits…

Looks as though the economy isn’t as bright as the news media moguls try and paint .
kind of makes one wonder what else they’re hiding or not investigating ?.

DSC Show wasn’t always funny , however it was entertaining . Hopefully someone comes to their senses
and puts them back on the Air REAL SOON . Because I’d hate to have to break out that 55 gallon can of Whup Ass .

I am both sadened and disappointed. I associated the DSC with KGB and they made my mornings very enjoyable now that they are gone I have no reason to listen to the 101kgb.

I understand everyone is upset and like you all I’m waiting to hear where the DSC will land and hoping it will not be satellite radio. But since CC owns basically all the good stations in the US why would they make a deal with the DSC to go to another City?

Now for those of you who are pointing any waving your fingers at CC the bottom line here is business. The DSC’s contract was up, most likely they wanted more money and CC said no and maybe even said we have to cut some big salaries. Uh oh here comes a Boyer moment, did you know that the word “salaries” comes from roman times when soldiers were paid with salt? Wow that just slipped out.

So is CC the 800lb gorilla crushing our beloved DSC and other favorite DJ’s? That is debatable but what we do know is that radio is hurting badly and as Mike said above, CC is looking out for it’s bottom line period.

Hey I absolutely love the DSC but I bet J & J are having a laugh over this, Dave was not shy about putting it to those 2 guys.

In conclusion, long live the DSC no matter where they land, hope the future station is on Iheartradio and last but certainly no least, that they are not swallowed up by Satellite.

~P

Now now, I stand by my initial observation: this isn’t about money, but about CC wanting to break the group up. I’m just surmising, and I’m not an insider, but remember how hard Dave and the gang fought to get Ruthie her job back? Ruthie even sobbed on the air during the closing moments of the last KGB DSC show ever, December 18, “Thanks for gettin’ me my job back.”

I will bet you nearly anything that this had to do with CC wanting to can Ruthie again, and maybe even Boyer… and maybe more. I choose to believe that Dave and the entire gang chose to walk rather than leave their brethren out in the cold. Give me people with a spine over money grubbing jerks anyday.

@Hardsix

But what would that do for CC? How would they profit from that action? If they are nothing more than a corporate entity that is looking out for the bottom line I don’t understand how the action of splitting them up other than not having to pay other salaries would help their bottom line.

I understand where you are coming from when you say they might have all walked on principal to keep the group together but when you have been making the money they have been pulling down and you know that you are able to go anywhere and make good money it’s easier to stand your ground.

~P

Well, I admit I’m no expert with the industry or business, but it makes me happier for now to believe something a bit more positive about the DSC crew in this crap pile us loyal listeners have been handed to start the new year off with. I’m going to assume something positive for now until I hear otherwise. As far as KGB ratings sliding, maybe it has to do with all the other great talent they let go last year. I mean, seriously, who can listen to Gunnar on the air for more than 2 minutes without thinking of college radio? They got rid of Bobbie Hill for that? They got rid of Ditch who was actually pretty cool because Bryan Schock would take less money? Sometimes, cheaper is not always better. Bryan seems like a really nice guy on the air, but his delivery lacks personality to my ears. I wish him no ill will… I just don’t find him entertaining to listen to. Great taste in music on his iPod though.

CC strikes again. The podcasts are on iTunes, but try to subscribe! You’ll need authorization, in other words, CC is doing their best to try and stamp out 20 years of SD radio history. Screw ‘em!

I am with you, Dann. Love your show.

I was devasted when I turned on the radio this morning & heard that DSC was no longer at KGB, I WILL NOT listen to ANY Clear Channel Radio Stations ever again unless they bring the DSC show back!
Shame on you Clear Channel, DSC is the best there has ever been, they keep us smiling while times are tough!

This is what we are heading to as the big dogs get bigger. CC or who ever that made the decisions totally axed the one station I listen to for a two hour commute. No indications, no warning, no nothing. This listener will no longer be tuning the dial to 101.5. Last time I asked, Radio don’t mean crap without a listening audience.
When Howard Stern moved everyone knew why!!!!!

I couldn’t believe my ears this mornng! I kept changing the stations, maybe it was a joke? This SUCKS!! I have been listening since I was a kid and my dad used to drive me to school. I really hope you people out there are right …..and we will be able to listen again….soon
Oh! and by the way… I will never listen to KGB again (unless DSC is back)

I loved that DSC wasn’t a “morning zoo” type of program. They were funny and silly, but still had a touch of class to them (admittedly, when you think of things like the chowder blow and Boyer doing naked laps around the building, you have to dig deep to find said class… oh, c’mon, you’re really not smiling at that?) The thing I liked best about the show, however, was that the male and female talent was balanced. Dave, Chainsaw, Boyer and Shelly, Ruth, and Emily. So much morning radio these days is infantile, insipid, and downright cruel… and very heavily male oriented, where the women have cutesy voices and act vapid or their voices are just plain drowned out by fart jokes and no fat chicks rants.

DSC was different. 15 or so hours since I first heard and it’s finally starting to sink in. Maybe this is it. Maybe there’s going to be no more show no matter what. Maybe they’re moving on.

Ruth’s twitter address is Ruthie66.

I had the good fortune of stumbling onto DSC back in the summer of 1997, and I was hooked. They were funny, innovative, improvisational, and even controversial now and then. Their sketches were frequent and hilarious, their bits were either great classics or they always seemed to have a great new idea. Every time a recurring character voiced up, it was an occasion to prepare to laugh uncontrollably. I listened for years when I was up during the morning hours and my enjoyment was endless. I even had the good fortune of attending their live show from 4th & B about 11 or 12 years ago, and I got to see Bromo trounced in a mud wrestling pit by a girl. I miss those heady days back when Abromowitz was new to the show…he served as an endless fountain of comic opportunities at Dave’s whims. Everything felt raw and riotous, and I loved every minute.

But as time went on, when I started listening less (around 2005), I could tell that the edginess was fading. Bromo’s angles were played out, the edginess and the semi-youthful exuberance that they appeared to derive from pushing the envelope of decorum was faded, and it felt more and more like they were just going through the motions. Those fantastic recurring characters and sketches became less and less frequent, to the point of nearly vanishing. Sure, bits like Lash Wednesday and Baby Talking always got laughs. I think that the last shakeup they were involved in was the “Sell Your Baby” billboards that got Stan Miller up in arms. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that a certain ethereal “something” was leaving the show.

In the last year or two, whenever I tried tuning in to their evening reruns, it just felt flat. Routine. Still going through the motions, but with an edge as dull as a butterknife. They didn’t even release a charity “Best Of” album for 2009, probably because they saw their termination coming months and months ago. I’ve been silently wondering how much longer the DSC was going to last before they announced their retirement. It’s a shame that it had to go this way; with broken contract negotiations. I hope they don’t pull a Brett Farve by staying in the game longer than they should. It’s time to let the show rest.

I don’t know about the rest of you all, but I thought I might not survive the drive up 67 with all the radio channel changing I did…there is NOTHING out there!! It’s like starting the day off without a cup of joe. I miss laughing all alone in my car on the way to work. DSC you are missed.

It IS a valid point that the economy plays a BIG part in why the DSC is gone. But, the other factors such as possibly wanting the split up the group (they tried that with Jeff & Jer, and they walked), and Ruthie HAD been terminated before—so I can see that as a reason. Also, CC is in financial straits, needs to cut back on salaries, and lowballing their talent is a way to do it. Besides…they can potentially “save” themselves by having people voice track during the day, and pay them less. It’s also getting to the point where, at some juncture, there won’t BE a need to have that building on Granite Ridge when they can simply have someone voice track from the home office in Texas, and have that transmitted to the tower via satellite. It’s already happening across the country, where they have one person voice tracking for various stations in different markets. That’s the new radio DJ for the millenium. It’s cost-efficent, gets the job done, and MOST of all—-puts more money back in the shareholders’ pockets. Radio isn’t about personality or honestly trying to connect with an audience anymore….it’s about advertising, maintaining the bottom line, and putting out a product that the corporate heads THINK we want to hear, at a fraction of the price. They look at nummbers, do market research, and cater to demographics—all the norm. However…the execution of the product leaves little to be desired.

This is why I honestly believe that mainstream radio as a medium is dying. Sure, the economy may recover, and advertisers MAY come back—-but I believe that companies that can turn a profit with half a staff now, won’t be so willilng to hire anyone back once it DOES recover—they won’t feel the need to. This economy will be a jobless recovery…and radio is a part of that. I was a casualty of the bad times in radio 2 months ago, when I was let go from MY job—and they’re practically automated at the place I worked…and I have a feeling it will stay that way for a long time to come.

While radio has always been a business…it also used to be about connecting with the people…about communication. Nowdays…it’s just about money. Those in charge can honestly care less about that personal connection.

I really miss the DSC and have absolutely no reason to listen to KGB without them.