Access Atlanta > Entertainment > Radio Talk > Archives > 2006 > April > 03 > Entry
4/3: Was today Jimmy Baron’s last day on 99X?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
After more than 12 years on the air, 99X’s Jimmy Baron said he was told after this morning’s show that he will not be returning on air. He said his contract technically ends on Wednesday but he was informed by his boss Mark Renier that he couldn’t have a goodbye for reasons unknown to Jimmy.
“Why do a farewell?” Renier said to me. “We don’t know that he’s going away. We’re still in negotiations with him.” (Complicating matters is the fact 99X and its parent company is about to be sold to Atlanta-based Cumulus Media in a deal slated to close with federal authorities May 5, according to Lew Dickey a couple weeks ago.)
Baron declined to comment about the negotiations but gave the impression that things weren’t progressing. “I wish I could have been given the courtesy to say goodbye and thank people for how fantastically they’ve treated me here all these years,” Baron said, “I certainly have no intention of throwing anybody under the bus.” As he noted, both Steve Barnes in 2003 and Fred Toucher a couple of weeks ago got to say goodbye on the air. (No word yet on what job Toucher has gotten but his blog says he’s got one in the bag.)
A couple of years ago, Baron revealed his pay on the air: $315K with incentives. But 99X’s ratings have dropped sharply in recent years and the pay may no longer be commensurate with the revenues the morning show generates.
(Leslie Fram”s contract isn’t up until later this year.)
Baron’s obsessions on the air about dogs, Neil Diamond, Bruce Springsteen. bidets, wrestling and the Thrashers helped 99X draw huge ratings throughout the 1990s. He even stuck around when the Morning X was partly blown up in 2003 and Toucher replaced Barnes.
Recently, he has been testing a talk show at a radio station in San Francisco. He certainly will have job options if he leaves 99X though it’s unclear whether he’d stay in town or not.
If he’s truly gone, will you miss him?
Comments
Commenting is now closed for this entry.
By Dan
April 3, 2006 04:37 PM | Link to this
If I was asked this five years ago, I’d say yes but not anymore.
By DM
April 3, 2006 04:42 PM | Link to this
I think Jimmy has worn out his welcome in Atlanta. It’s time for him to move on.
By who cares?
April 3, 2006 04:46 PM | Link to this
Who cares?
By 99excrement
April 3, 2006 04:46 PM | Link to this
Good riddance!! They should have dumped the little creap years ago.
By Qwertyuiop
April 3, 2006 04:47 PM | Link to this
I like Jimmy, but he’s out of touch with 99X’s target demographic.
By emobatl
April 3, 2006 04:49 PM | Link to this
I think that times have changed and 5 yrs ago Jimmy was great. Unfortunately Jimmy has not changed with the times. I say - Time to Go!!!
By Linds
April 3, 2006 04:49 PM | Link to this
Jimmy is old, out of touch, boring, hackneyed and I can’t wait for him to leave!!!
By Barnes
April 3, 2006 04:50 PM | Link to this
Bye Bye! How much longer until the station goes off the air? The station has sucked for well over 5 years now. How long did the station think it would last playing all the new bands? All the new bands out today or the last 4 years blow. One hit wonders at best. Please move to San Fransico. Now if we can just get Leslie ‘Vicky’ Fram off the air!
By Jason
April 3, 2006 04:50 PM | Link to this
Hopefully this means we’ll never have to hear him fill in at Thrashers games anymore when Steve Craig is too sick to do P.A.
By Ben
April 3, 2006 04:51 PM | Link to this
Don’t let the door hit you on the way out! This is good news for fans of 99x. He is the reason that I couldn’t tune in to 99x anymore in the mornings. Plenty of entertaining personalities to replace that loser. He is a nuisanse!!
By mike
April 3, 2006 04:52 PM | Link to this
Who cares!!!!!!!!!!! I hate 99x and all of the wierd emo’s whoi listen to the station, If he does get another job I hope its not in ATL. 99x SUX
By Leslie
April 3, 2006 04:54 PM | Link to this
He was enjoyable back in the early years but it is about time for some change to take place..
By Anna
April 3, 2006 04:55 PM | Link to this
Jez…what whiney posters. Can any of you make 315 K a year….or in a lifelife, delivering pizza like you do?
By Morning X Sucks
April 3, 2006 04:55 PM | Link to this
The entire “Morning X” show sucks! I have turned to talk radio. All Atlanta morning shows are horrible! I used to enjoy them. Leslie just caves in and never voices her own opinion. Be a woman and stand up for what you REALLY believe! When is it time for her to go? 99X need to consider some Major Revamping.
By Julie
April 3, 2006 04:58 PM | Link to this
nah nah nah, hey hey, good bye!!!
By Amy
April 3, 2006 04:59 PM | Link to this
I would miss him! With both him and Toucher gone I’ll have to find a new show to listen to!
By Julie
April 3, 2006 04:59 PM | Link to this
Nah nah nah, hey hey hey, good bye!!!
By Tommy
April 3, 2006 05:01 PM | Link to this
First Crash, then Toucher, now Jimmy? This station totally sucks now. Are they changing formats are what? Station has totally lost myself as a listener.
By peter
April 3, 2006 05:01 PM | Link to this
I won’t miss him. Toucher was at least amusing to listen to b/c he would make comments that were very controversial, whether he truly believed that or not. Now, it’s not even worth listening to. It’s basically just managing the morning for 4hrs. There is about as much entertainment value as watching TV at 4am. 99x in general has lost its way on everything. 105.3 the Buzz plays the music they used to.
By Buddy Grizzard
April 3, 2006 05:01 PM | Link to this
Jimmy Baron became irrelevant a long time ago. He won’t be getting a new contract because 99X is about to get flipped back to Power 99 as soon as the Cumulus deal is final. Good game, 99X, the Buzz just kicked your a* up a peach tree.
By 3WAY
April 3, 2006 05:05 PM | Link to this
It’s just one less blabbermouth on the airwaves.
And not for nothin’ that Baron’s wife’s diatribes are published each week in The Sunday Paper, though.
Will it ever end?! Will it EV-(HER) REAL-(EE) end?!
By audrey
April 3, 2006 05:07 PM | Link to this
I do not care that barron is staying or leaving 99x. My only hope is that he takes his talentless, pretentious hack wife with him. She pretends to write a column and in doing so gives all educated, qualified writers a bad name. 30 year old self involved, pretend hipster, socialite wannabe’s are not very interesting.
By lisa baron
April 4, 2006 09:30 AM | Link to this
You people need to leave me and my husband alone! Can we help it that we make piles and piles of money even while we’re both talentless hacks? I mean, I know I got my job because of Jimmy and because the publisher of the Sunday Paper is a right-wing fanatic just like I am, but that’s just how it is. All of you haters need to quit being jealous of us, go watch some more of your NASCAR, and move on!
By Kevin
April 4, 2006 09:58 AM | Link to this
Jimmy is a good guy. He may be a little out of the demo, but he is not a “Talentless Hack.” BTW, what have you ever done? Also, for all you Clear Channel Buzz Geeks who are posting in here, get a life. You do know that you work for a company that does exactly the same kind of crap to their air, sales and support staff every day in markets all over the country.
Good luck Jimmy, we will miss you on the glass at the Thrash and hopefully you can land in SF and do a great show the way you want to do it.
To 99x: As one of your advertisers call me concerned,…again.
By Dawn
April 4, 2006 10:55 AM | Link to this
People still listen to 99X?
By Rock
April 4, 2006 11:03 AM | Link to this
I’m not the biggest Jimmy fan but they should have at least let the man say a goodbye. He does have a history in this town and does have some fans out there.
By Buzz Off
April 4, 2006 11:26 AM | Link to this
Let me guess - Management at the Buzz promised free popsicles to all employees who posted negative and eloquent respones like ‘Baron Sucks and used words like ‘hack’ and’ talentless’ and ‘demograpic?’ Normal people don’t use words like ‘demographic’ you pre-pubescent slackers. Good luck with YOUR radio careers.
By Kristi
April 4, 2006 12:16 PM | Link to this
Yes, I will miss him greatly. Yes he has kind of gotten a “grandpa” look on things but I am loyal to my radio personalities and I really will miss him. Without Toucher Jimmy is a bit too flat for the morning. Good luck Jimmy. (if your leaving).
By Mike K.
April 4, 2006 01:51 PM | Link to this
Please let Fram be next. Please let Fram be next.
By Clearly Creative
April 4, 2006 02:31 PM | Link to this
It’s funny that the posts stopped yesterday right around 6:00 pm and started up right around 10:00 am or so..translation: when the clear channel and creative loafing people left for the day the posts stopped and when they logged in this morning, they started again. Yeah, I bet that’s really lisa baron posting…
By jeanine
April 4, 2006 03:22 PM | Link to this
Wait, you mean that wasn’t Lisa Baron responding in a cynical, self-depricating, sarcastic style? Oh, clearly creative you are so sharp, thank you! you should work for like…NASA or something, you think good! You figure stuff out and stuff.
By jacob c
April 4, 2006 03:53 PM | Link to this
I am sad that my morning routine is being uprooted.I ha te regular guys and steve\vickie.I guess sports talk and viva are in my future
By Dawn
April 4, 2006 03:54 PM | Link to this
“It’s funny that the posts stopped yesterday right around 6:00 pm and started up right around 10:00 am or so..”
Clearly Creative is clearly stupid: the “post comments” link is turned off at 5 pm and doesn’t get turned back on until business hours in the AM. First post today was 9:30…about right, given traffic, getting your first cup o’joe from the breakroom, checking email and your project list for the day… ;-)
By shannon
April 4, 2006 04:46 PM | Link to this
Barnes, Leslie and Jimmy were a hard to beat radio team. It will be a long time before Atlanta see’s the likes of them again. It’s time for Leslie to bow out gracefully. I do feel it’s a shame that after all this time, he was not allowed his goodbye’s. RIP - BL&J
By Robert
April 5, 2006 08:39 AM | Link to this
Native Atlantans never liked Jimmy. Barnes was the only real reason anybody ever listened. What turned me off was an elitist comment he made along time ago about being “in the media” and the special treatment that he demanded. Get real Jimmy, go back to a blue state and die.
By Risky Business
April 5, 2006 04:36 PM | Link to this
I guess Jimmy will have to go back to peering through Tom Cruise’s window.
By bertfan
April 6, 2006 09:40 AM | Link to this
I came to Atlanta and was a faithful BL&J listener at 99X. I got a little older (so did they!) and switched to the Bert Show at Q100. Barnes made me want to scratch my eyes out, and Jimmy was a little whiney, but I enjoyed it when I listened to it. It’s just they are a bit too old to be hosting a show like that…I’m 35 and I got too old to listen about 4 years ago. If you’re searching - try the Bert Show. And NO, I am, not affiliated, I just happen to be at work listening to it right now.
By Buffalo Alex
April 6, 2006 10:18 AM | Link to this
I will miss him. He is one of the last talents on that station. They shouldn’t let him go. Keep him and save your station. Leslie sucks and Jimmy makes that morning show tolerable. I guess if he leaves my cd’s will get alot more AM play.
By phatz
April 6, 2006 11:47 AM | Link to this
Egad. The Bert show? …not exactly the 99X-type listener content.
Look, Jimmy is hardly a “hack”. The man entertained listeners for a long time. It’s lame for people come on here and just slam the guy. That’s a indication of a very miniscule knowledge of the radio business.
It’s true it’s time go for Jimmy. He’s in his forties, married and rich. That’s not the target demo of 99X. Basic business logic here.
…personally, I am like one of the previous posters who said he “outgrew” 99X and really any station similar including the Buzz but love’em or hate’em the Buzz is coming on strong. I know a lot of people that listen to the station. Most people think it’s new never having heard it on that weaker signal (97.9, i think) …personally, I am like one of the previous posters who said he “outgrew” 99X and really any station similar including the Buzz.
…and to the 99X advertiser that posted here - dude, get out fast. I did it in 2003 and never looked back. And it only solidifies my decision when the latest 23 year-old, newly graduated UGA priss-puss calls me to try to convince me to advertise again.
No way. Sinking ship and sinking fast.
By keith
April 6, 2006 12:34 PM | Link to this
The common listener does not need a “knowledge” of the radio business to know whether a guy is a hack or not. Baron has zero credibility because of the 13 years of contraditing himself every morning and insulting the intelligence of the listeners by not expecting them to pick up on it. He is not well liked here and should move on. Say what you will about gary mckee, kimmer, hell even mike bell and crash clark, they were consistent and honest to a fault and listeners either loved or hated them for it. I had, at least, respect for them for being true to who they were and not pretending to be something else. ceeya JB!
By Former 99 X Listener
April 7, 2006 12:37 PM | Link to this
Now that Toucher and probably Jimmy are gone I can’t listen to that morning show anymore (it was the only one in town that used to be tolerable). Axel is awful and Leslie doesn’t really do much. At least when Toucher made fun of Jimmy and did those bits where he talked like him you could crack a smile. That station is totally weak now….the music is better on the BUZZ!