Mark Davis officially out, Ben Ferguson officially in at WBAP

DFW.com ^ | 5-4-12 | Robt Philpot

[Dysart]

t was tempting to continue the Mark Davis update theme with this post, but that wouldn't really be fair to Ben Ferguson, who has been named permanent host of the 9-11 a.m. slot that Davis held for years on WBAP/820 AM.

Ferguson has been filling that slot for the more than a month since Davis left the WBAP airwaves in an apparent contract dispute. Although the release announcing Ferguson's permanent gig doesn't say so explicitly, it's official: this is the end of the line for Davis and WBAP, where he worked for 18 years. Davis has noted that his issue is not with the station but with its owner, Cumulus Media. (No sooner did I type that than I got a curt "yes" from a Cumulus rep in response to a query about whether Davis is indeed out. Awaiting comment from Davis, who has been gracious to DFW.com throughout this whole thing.)

UPDATE: Davis has just posted about his exit on his Marksworld blog. The post is lengthy and heartfelt, but for me, these are the key paragraphs:

"I received word this morning that regarding my status with them, they are 'moving in another direction.'

"As will I."

[gop4lyf]

Me too. I think it’s funny how the ticket plays the “a cumulus station “ promo anytime something screws up on the broadcast .

[Free in Texas]

When Davis emphasized a point he talked.......real.......slow. And that habit drove.......me.......nuts. I couldn’t stand him.

[tflabo]

Wow I used to think it was just me but reading so many comments I’m not alone. I didn’t dislike Mark Davis but he wasn”t too appealing to listen too.

[McBuff]

I will only listen to him to remind myself how utterly irritating it is to try to listen to him. Is it the way you can tell he just loves himself and the sound of his own voice?. . it literally makes me want to Barf!

[berdie]

At one time I like Mark Davis. It has been a while ago, lol.

When he first started, he was really good on local events and not so “it’s about me.”

Then he had a short lived national show and starting to sub for Rush, he got pretty obnoxious. All the prominent people that called into his show and high profile events he hosted only inflated his head further.

THEN...he became totally ADD. And pompous.

I don’t really like the new guy, but I don’t miss Mark..I’d stopped listening anyway. I’m not real tolerant in the morning. Music preserves my mood. My coworkers appreciate it.

[fella]

Haveing listened to Davis in his early years at WBAP I’ve disliked him from the get go. He was for abortion claiming that Roe vs. Wade was “the law of the land” when no law ever passed the Legislature. Same for school prayer and gun control. have always turned him off since. A good move by WBAP, now Rush needs to dunp him.

[PROTESTBYPROXY]

I agree! Could not stand him!! Could... not....stand.....him!!!

[miss marmelstein]

Talk Radio is very AM - which means fast and furious. Dull speakers belong on FM - and NPR in particular. I don’t think it’s an accident that AM radio was once Top 40 all day long. That brashness has carried over to Talk Radio and I, for one, love it. Mark Davis STINKS.

[MaxMax]

Fried my brain when CtC was outed. The person who replaced the show hurts my ears
with his proper uppity voice. I'm a ctc subscriber anyway but still.

[MaxMax]

The thing about online streaming is that I can't press the snooze button for one hour play,
and press it again until I fall asleep. I can't control streaming from the puter unless the
program is from the CtC site, and a day old. Unless you know of a program that
can control streaming in such a way that the show could be streamed and stopped automatically.

[redhead]

Well, goodie. I hope this means we never have to listen to him on Rush’s show again. Ignernt doof.