Posted on 04/14/2010 2:36:35 PM PDT by SilvieWaldorfMD
Fred Grandy (a.k.a Gopher from "The Love Boat) and Andy Parks are out. FishbowlDC sources have confirmed and DCRTV (www.dcrtv.com) is reporting that WMAL's (630 AM) duo has been fired. Grandy is a former Republican member of Congress.
It won't happen immediately -- their end date is still up in the air. The news has been circulating at the station all day long. Word has it that corporate-wide cuts of the most expensive employees are necessary to save money.
Station manager Paul Duckworth did not return a phone request for comment at FBDC press time.
I guess the suits at WMAL decided to use the Reid / Pelosi marketing strategy.
Laura Ingraham gets on my nerves, though.
Disagree.
Maybe the station is prepping for a more younger audience-oriented program? In which case, I can see Bryan carrying something like a news talk/sports show on WMAL, along with a young gal or guy... their producer Ann Wog is one of the best radio producers in DC... I've heard this from many people...
Luckily for me, Laura doesn’t get on the air until 9:00...
Yeah. She rode my last nerve during the whole Harriet Miers confirmation thing. And now that she's adopted 2 kids, that's all she talks about on-air, kinda like another Kathy Lee Gifford... it's nerve-wracking...
Whoa.
The problem with that strategy though is that the vast bulk of the audience for the 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. Andy & Grandy slot are the hundreds of thousands of middle-aged commuters stuck in the DC traffic jam during those hours. A slimmed-down, more hip program will have ZERO appeal.
And if they are thinking about replacing Grandy & Andy with Imus, all I can say to that is that I'll listen to the Grease Man before I ever listen to Imus again.
WMAL Melodrama: Parks Present, Grandy Absent - 4/15/10 - Well, Andy Parks and newsman Bryan Nehman were there today, but Fred Grandy was absent. No more news about yesterday's bombshell that DCRTV first broke about the WMAL "Grandy And Andy" morning team getting "fired." A reliable source told DCRTV that the talk station's owner, Citadel, has set a termination date (we don't know when) for the highly-paid G&A to end their show due to its Chapter 11 bankruptcy-related cutbacks.
And, apparently, the show will continue until then, or until listener reaction forces some sort of change in Citadel's plans.
DCRTV sources tell us that Citadel, which also owns WRQX and WVRX in the DC area, is in serious financial trouble and could soon be selling stations, perhaps all three in DC, and even shutting down some money-losing operations in smaller markets. More as we hear it....
Fred's independently wealthy and does the show because he enjoys it. I would imagine that he would just say screw it and stay home after getting the news yesterday, since what can they do to him?
Silvie, can you post Duckworth's email so that we can right in! I would, but am leaving for work right now.
This is a bigger problem than G and A, very sadly.
I have noticed and I am sure have you that there are the same 3 commercials run over and over throughout the day.
I don’t know how that can carry a station. OK, I have new windows, my rugs are spotless and a great dentist, now what?
Frankly, the local show is a rare thing these days. Its so flippin cheap to do it on Radio America or another internet franchise, that is where they all need to go, to XM or Sirius or somewhere where the music stations carry the talk, kind of like the booze carrying a fine food restaurant.
Well, that would be the end of WMAL. I’m hoping Citadel changes their mind or G&A find a home elsewhere. I’ll follow them and replace WMAL on the dial.
Whoever picked the DC Hyatt has a head up their butt.
Do you know there are no AM radio's in the place?
DUH!
Gee I wonder why we had 2 hotel emptying false alarm fire evacuations during our Eden-like stay?
CHARLES TOWN RACES AND SLOTS!
I can’t hit the mute button fast enough when that commercial comes on.
Bummer, but I bet the Fred makes a little pile of cash and MAL simply can’t keep pace with ad revenues being down.
I’ll find Parks where ever he goes ~ and if I can’t I’ll simply have to listen to the “cranky, old, white guy” in my head.
“Or US Senate to replace DungHeap Harkin.”
Gopher it!
Personally, I like Nehman, but as “young voices” go, he is part of what is wrong with this country; young, liberal, government schooled, misinformed voters.
My guess is that I would not be able to stomach Nehman, were it not for Parks being there to set him ~ and the listeners ~ on the straight and narrow.
Back to playing music CDs on my drive to work.
Shame.
With the audience WMAL gets, I really don’t see how they are having financial issues. Their ad revenues should be high.
It makes me so sad when they break up an absolute institution like G&A, but I don’t want them to sell off or close down the station, either. Looks like they should bring in some efficiency expert to figure out where the $ leaks are.
Or better yet, download Levin's show and play it during your drive! I take the MARC train and listen to Levin on my Zune. :-)
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