Posted on 11/05/2004 8:14:20 AM PST by 1 spark
Now that Disney/ABC Radio has appointed a new boss for news/talk WLS-AM (890), the fate of morning stars Don Wade and Roma finally may be resolved at last.
But in taking so long to get down to business, ABC unwittingly allowed a door to open for the Wades at another Chicago station.
Four months after Zemira Jones left as president and general manager for a top operations post at Radio One, ABC this week named John Gallagher, a 19-year ABC veteran, as his successor. Gallagher, who most recently was director of sales at WJR-AM in Detroit, also will head Radio Disney's WRDZ-AM (1300).
Gallagher inherits a station that has been without its morning-drive franchise since Sept. 14, when the Wades' last contract extension expired.
Long-stalled negotiations with WLS are getting under way in earnest just as a new suitor has entered the picture.
Salem Communications, which is about to acquire WIND-AM (560) in a swap with Univision Radio and transform the Spanish-language station into a general market news/talk outlet, is believed to be a serious alternative for the Wades.
Although Salem's official plan for WIND is to air Bill Bennett's syndicated morning show, luring the Wades from WLS would be a major coup.
Fueling the speculation is the fact that Salem's director of network programming is Tom Tradup, the former president and general manager of WLS who retained the Wades when the station turned to news/talk.
While most observers expect WLS to come to terms with the Wades eventually, the sudden emergence of another player provides a distinct advantage to the husband-and-wife team.
Exactly!!
"I'd love to see Garry Meier back with Roe, too. They often got pretty juvenile...but they always made me laugh. Roe and Garry had a chemistry that i don't get from Roe and Jim. IMO, Roe and Jim are "ok"...but Roe and Garry were a party everyday. I miss that."
they play well for the after work crowd..
nick
Hey...i heard you! Great call. The name stuck because of another "Nick" i know.
"Don and Roma are just phony showbiz radio acts. Art and Terri are the real deal. Wouldn't surprise me if Art and Terri get lured over to the new station."
Yes, they are both strictly showbiz. They always try to make nice-nice with the listeners that critize them. What a couple of phoneys. With WLS you get about 15 minutes of actual talk and 45 minutes of commercials, most of which D&R hype on their show just like a couple of side-show hucksters. Maybe they will both overdose on Healty Trinity and keel over on their Cambria counter tops!
I respect the fact their son is a Marine aviator, but if I wanted to listen to the D&R show, which is basically Oprah-Lite then I might as well listen to the liberal WGN AM720 Punch & Judy show or whatever those two women on the morning sho are called.
With Big Daddy Bob Bennett and Laura Ingraham on the WIND, it's going to hard to work my way back to WLS for the drive.
I've pretty much lost my interest in WLS...but will tune in to Don and Roma again. First it was Dr. Laura, then Gary, then Don and Roma. While i didn't always like Laura's style, it was kind of entertaining to see certain idiots get slapped up side the head. I think WLS did a weak/lousy job of replacing her.
HAHAHA! I'm sick and tired of hearing those ads during almost every commercial break on the WLS internet stream.
Just heard it on the radio, they are back on Monday.
I'm glad I'm not the only Jim Johnson fan.
I only started listening to WLS a few months ago, so I never heard Gary, but Jim is a great counter to Roe's antics. The two are great together.
Gary was great. Johnson is a northwoods Wisc. guy from an area I visit for two weeks every year. No bs type people up there. I hope to spend my retirement summers there someday.
They have Larry Elder on at three in the AM or some nonsense, he should be syndicated earlier IMO.
You almost sound bitter..? However, i do agree with you about all the incessant commercials. At least now i know now that i have an alternative station.
I swear, I was listening to Roe Conn the other day -- listening to his show, that is. Not him.
Anyway, it was news and commercials from like 4:30 to 4:50. Then 5 minutes of Roe. Then 5 minutes of commercials before the news at 5:00.
Un-fricken-believable. Maybe they were doing some catch-up, I don't know.
Screw it. When I can get it, I switch to Mark Belling on AM1130 (Milwaukee).
"Screw it. When I can get it, I switch to Mark Belling on AM1130 (Milwaukee)."
Charlie Sykes in Milwaukee at AM620 is also a good, morning, conservative talk show host. http://www.620wtmj.com/620programs/charliesykes/
Same here on not listening to Roe. I think Gary kept the show out of the gutter. After he left it seems like everything is about Roe's sex fantasies and other lurid content. No thanks.
With Big Daddy Bill Bennett and Laura Ingraham on the WIND, it's going to hard to work my way back to WLS for the drive.
They love "the game" much more than the players or their ideologies. They have a common ground.
What I can't take anymore is Jay & Eileen. After Don & Roma, I switch over to Laura Ingrham.
Becki
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