Posted on 02/29/2008 12:08:17 PM PST by SilvieWaldorfMD
Citadel Cuts MAL's Core & More - 2/29 - DCRTV gets confirmation: Longtime DC radio talker Chris Core has been let go from Citadel talker WMAL, which has promptly erased him from its 630wmal.com website, including its program schedule (right). We're told that it was "not personal," just "part of a massive cutback country-wide by Citadel." Core has worked at WMAL more than two decades, doing the Bill "Trumbull And Core" afternoon show in the 1980s. And there are rumblings of more cuts at Citadel's three DC stations - WMAL, WRQX, and WJZW - including the latter's entire airstaff (see newsblurb below). Also, DCRTV is also hearing that Citade
this is on the WaPo’s front webpage (and then a link to the story):
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
WMAL Fires Host Chris Core
After 33 years on air, D.C.’s longest running radio talk show host is let go by cash-strapped owner.
Speaking of Noory, I’m listening to him right now (Plante’s show just ended) and he’s talking about the Federal Reserve and Bernacke (sp?) as well as many UFO sightings worldwide — all in the same breath. That guy is nutso.
Thanks, R!
Someone also posted a link to that article on FR:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1978513/posts
I remember listening to Core and Brooks in the afternoon.
That slot seems to be a loser for a lot of folks. I wouldn’t take it unless I was getting ready to retire.
I’ve been less and less enamored with Core through the last few months, but I guess I have to say that I’m sorry to see him go. Even if I didn’t listen to his program that much anymore. He seemed like a nice enough guy.
Can anyone remember who has had that slot over the last few tears Core, Sam Donaldson, Michael Graham??
They better not dump Andy Parks or I’ll take 630 off my auto-dial.
Hasta la vista, Chis. Hope that you manage to pop up somewhere else.
“I used to like Chris, but over the last 10 years or so he’s really turned liberal”
I thought his lib bit was all a bit of schmaltzy schtick. I think that it was just a put on. And for somre reason Core thought that people were into it.
I didn’t necessarily like it, but with the airwaves all blocked up with pure conservative talkers I think Core thought this was his niche.
Libs don’t go moderate though,...they listen to FM and NPR. So, if it was just a routine it was a bad play for Core.
I know that’s the way the biz is, but isn’t it creepy how they just go in and zap Core from the website and corporate memory.
Actually, I heard Parks make a joke about Michael Graham this morning. First time I heard his voice mentioned on MAL since he was sacked.
That’s going back.
I actually first remember AM talk via Trumbull and Core.
The government shutdown in ‘96.
Back before I was even really a conservative.
Word has it that he’s being replaced by The Greaseman....
And that goes for your cat, too!!
I know what you mean- My wifes van calls me an airbag every time I turn on the key.
He wasn’t nearly as outspoken as Michael Graham was about it, but occasionally he went out on that same limb. I remember once writing him an e-mail asking if he was worried about what happened to Graham. I don’t think he responded.
But probably he said nothing that would actually get them to work to get him fired — and if they HAD anything to do with it, they would have bragged about it, so that was probably not the reason.
And probably nothing he said was the reason — they just are looking to make more money. My guess is they are going to try to make Chris Plante into another national talk show, owned by citidel, because that’s where the big money is in radio — paying a guy once and having him talk on 100 of your stations. They can pay him 10 times his salary and still come out 10 times ahead.
I don’t think Chris Core would have gone well nationally, nor am I sure he would have wanted to — he liked talking local.
My hope is that some station that is just below top tier will see this as an opportunity to make it big by picking Core up for a local talk show. WBAL has done OK so far by taking that route, running a lot of local shows for Baltimore.
It would be a shame to lose that local talk-show voice — Chris was an excellent source of information about what was happening here in Northern Virginia, issues that the national guys have little interest in, but that we talk about here on FR a lot (like the kid getting suspended for calling the administrator at home to complain about school closings).
I heard the same thing about Grandy and Andy. Frankly, I wish they could push Core up to that group. Not sure who I’d get rid of. Maybe we should do a poll and make a recommendation. I get tired of Fred Grandy more than the other two, but I would have said Brian if not for his new kid, I’d hate to see him lose his job.
Andy Parks has been turning into the “grumpy old man” lately, so maybe it’s time for him to go.
Sadly overlooked is that fact that WMAL News Director John Matthews and reporter Matt Bush were also sacked. Matthews was a 25-year vet of WMAL. I particularly enjoyed his “Storm Center” school closings during winter storms, aside from the fact that the had an extraordinary sense of humor. They will both be missed.
He reminds me of 'Crankshaft'. :-)
Core was a class act.
I am kinda worried about Plante in the mornings, though. I mean, you know how he blows up once in a while with incoherent callers — and when he gets on his non-stop rants about the “Troglodytes From Hell”... I do hope it all works for the average morning sedentary listener... Plante has been able to get away with A LOT during the evening hours...
Igf Citadel screws this up they will lose a whole bunch of ad revenue/
I am not interested in listening to Al Sharpton's B**CH.
Well, good for Chris! If it'd been me, I would have brought the entire house down on WMAL, much like Michael Graham did, when the station's management caved into CAIR.
I did not always agree with Chris, but he was instrumental in keeping local officials' feet to the fire on things like illegal immigration and the usual Montgomery County stupidity. I'm going to miss him, and I hope he finds a good home somewhere else.
Both, I would suspect. Just this past week, he called everyone from Bush and Chertoff on down liars for backing off the virtual fence for three years. I can't imagine that the local politicos are sad to see him go.
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