Missing from airwaves: Jeff and Jer Showgram Day 141 | Mikey Esparza Day 22 | DSC Day 5 | Halloran Day 5
It’s worse than you think, and it’s nationwide. Since last year, major radio groups have been looking at one thing: cutting costs at any cost. The playbook was thrown out the window. For San Diego, it started in August when the Jeff and Jer Showgram’s contract was not renewed.
That’s five people involved with the show on the outside looking in. Jerry indicated that hopes were high they would be on the air very soon. Dates begin to slip on announcements of their return.
Then the dreaded end of the year came — first Mikey Esparza from Rock 105.3 was missing from the airwaves. While he is expected to resurface very soon in San Diego, no official announcement.
The unexpected left hook from 101.5 KGB happened on Monday: The Dave, Shelly, and Chainsaw program was no more. Thought to be in a contract well in to 2010, the Program Director had the unfortunate task of telling a loyal — and waiting — audience that their nearly 20-year relationship was over.
Each show paid their costs and contributed to the bottom line for the station and to the corporate office. It’s also believed that at least one show paid for the rest of the air staff’s wages and … contributed to the bottom line.
What genius thought of canning the cash shows? (Photo: Texas based programming genius and bean counter.)
As the shows exited, the outrage began.
In all, Clear Channel Communications has tinkered with most of the FM morning shows: Channel 933‘s A.J. In The Morning moved to Star 94.1. Replacing them on 93.3 FM is the Johnjay and Rich program from Arizona. To their credit, their show is local — it happens to be in seven stations in the western half of the nation. Both Johnjay and Rich know San Diego. Currently, the show is digitally delayed one hour because of the time zone change.
Up the dial at New Country 95.7, the country station has Cindy Spicer on the dial. She replaced Mike O’Brian and Linda Welby
Of course, you should realize by now that 101.5 KGB is in a transition mode in the morning. Whispers indicated that Indianapolis based Bob & Tom from Clear Channel’s premium service is the closest (and less expensive) show that could replace the DSC.
Then the saga of Rock 105.3: Mikey left the show and the remaining cast members signed with the station. Today, it’s called The Show, with Eddie, Sky, Ashlee, and Boston Rob.
Plus in other markets with Clear Channel stations, various hosts, including those in the morning, are being replaced with syndicated fare (such as Westwood One’s Kevin and Bean or Bob and Tom.)
It’s all about economics of scale and it’s all about the bottom line. It’s all about the money and in this case, most of the shots are being shot from corporate headquarters in San Antonio. They don’t have the vested listening experience with the San Diego folks as … we do.
I often joked last year not to drop any change in the Granite City hallways. If you did, and it was found, the penny, nickle, quarter were sent via express mail back to Texas to help the corporate bottom line. While that’s an extreme example, the scenario played out since August.
Each show was self supporting. Jeff and Jer, Mikey, and the DSC paid their freight and gave back to the company. Each of them were for their station and indirectly, for their company. Commercial reads, why their are commercials, and even thanking you for staying with the commercials made those shows possible.
Perhaps one of the brilliant strokes of genius was the keyword that Dave Rickards or Chris Boyer did during their live reads. Hear the key word, call in — win a prize. It just doesn’t get any better than that.
So what’s next in 2010? Corporate wise, the main owners of Clear Channel is an investment group that has a history of buying and then dismantling companies. Not suggesting this will happen, but that’s the history.
It’s a brave new world in 2010, the games have began.
See you on the radio, in ((stereo)) where available.
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