Access Atlanta > Entertainment > Radio Talk > Archives > 2007 > October > 01
Monday, October 1, 2007
10/2: Future of Steve & VIkki
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Since Vikki Locke made a surprise announcement in the spring that she was leaving at the end of this year for medical reaons after more than 17 years at Star 94. With three months to go, it’s unclear when she will actually depart and what will become of Steve McCoy, her long-time morning show partner. McCoy, now in his early 50s, has reached the age where many a top 40 DJ has been given their walking papers.
Mark Kanov, their boss, said news about Locke’s impending departure date and possible replacement could be announced as early as this week.
Back in June, my colleague Richard Eldredge reported that Locke was hospitalized last year after doctors detected a blood clot that had traveled from her arm to her shoulder. Despite weekly tests and monitoring, Locke’s doctors have been unable to completely dissolve the clot or diagnose its origin.
10/1: Christy Henry out at B98.5
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
With Lite out of the picture this year, B98.5 has enjoyed a resurgence in ratings and revenue as the only true soft rock station in town. But that hasn’t stopped the bean counters from finding ways to cut costs. Thus, Christy Henry, the news woman on B98.5’s morning show Kelly & Alpha for the past five years, was recently cut loose, replaced by sister station news director Marjorie Coley at R&B station Kiss 104.1.
“We found greater efficiency using Marjorie,” said Chris Wegmann, market manager for Cox Radio Atlanta. “She’s well respected in the community. She had time on her hands. Christy did a fantastic job but we looked at the resources we had and decided, let’s use our resources better.” (The station also got rid of a board op, who screens phone calls and editing, and is using producer Will Gara.)
Other radio clusters regularly share traffic and news people. Art “Mad Man” Mehring, for instance, does traffic for GST, the Bull and Project. And Jamie Massey does the same for Q100 and 99X.
“It did surprise me,” Henry told me. “I was having a great time. I desperately miss my morning show with Kelly, Alpha and Will. I’m heartbroken. It’s the radio business. The only regret was it didn’t last longer.” She’s now looking for a job and freelancing with CNN. She was also Randy & Spiff’s morning producer from 2000 to 2001.
I can pass on her email if you want to send your regards. (Email me at rho@ajc.com)
Cox Radio is part of Cox Enterprises, which also owns ajc.com.
10/1: In studio with Project’s new show
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“Giant” Brian Carothers and Shaffee finished their first morning show today at Project 9-6-1 intact with no apparent FCC violations, no apparent tensions between the pair and me wasting several minutes of airtime.
Here’s Brian Carothers sitting in the same spot that Larry Wachs used to be during his first show at the Clear Channel building this morning:
And this is Shaffee, who possesses a gravelly voice (though not nearly as grainy as Scott Ferrall) sitting in “Southside” Steve/Tim Andrews’ old spot. Note the “99Sux” bumper sticker behind him.
Overall, it was a fairly soft opening with Shaffee and Brian still feeling each other out. Except for a 30-minute audition, the pair had spent virtually no time together. Shaffee in fact just arrived a couple of days ago and is staying in an extended-stay suite while he finds a place to live. Besides a segment called “You stink” in which they insulted a couple of sports teams (the Detroit Lions and the New York Mets, for instance), they didn’t do anything remotely gimmicky. They took a few calls and gabbed mostly about sports. They do plan to add an on-the-street person and find characters as they go along.
*”We’re the new show on the Project,” Brian said on air near the end of the show. “I really love being here. If you think this first show has been okay, tell your friends. If you don’t like it, I’m Sean Demery.” (That’s the host over at 99X.)
Brian, 27 and married, is much thinner than he looks in photos. He’s been in Atlanta the past two months learning the city and helping boss Chris Williams find his on-air partner. After 900 applicants and five in-studio auditions, 29-year-old Shaffee got the call after five radio gigs in eight years in Michigan. Brian himself has interned at David Letterman’s show and worked with now-XM radio hosts Ron & Fez.
Shaffee, described as a pro wrestler on the Giant Show MySpace page, doesn’t look like one. He said he’s been in a few wrestling matches but actually manages a wrestler named Sabu. His primary focus, though, is career. “We’re at the same point in our careers. This is our first shot at morning radio in a major market where it’s our show. This is what I’ve been working for since day one.” Like former 99Xer Fred Toucher (now in Boston), Shaffee first did a morning-style show at night in cities such as Flint, Detroit and Kalamazoo.
Chris Williams, the boss, used to be program director at 99X and when he wanted to create a more aggressive younger-male station, Leslie Fram resisted and he lost his job. He eventually joined Clear Channel and launched Buzz 105.3, a successful alternative rock station, then segued last year to Project 9-6-1. the station he probably wanted 99X to be. So far, so good.
“The circle of life continues for him,” Brian says. “Here he is several years later, with a show he wants on that’s young, fresh and real.”
“He was willing to take a chance on us without a proven track record in mornings,” Shaffee said. “That speaks volumes.”
There’s probably some financial pragmatism in hiring two newcomers with modest backgrounds to the table. With their experience, they are probably getting salaries that are a small fraction of what Larry & Eric of the Regular Guys were getting. And for now, they will be playing a lot of music, along the lines of eight songs an hour. They are ultimately going to have to earn more airtime over the next couple of years with good results, and if they are ultimately successful like the Regular Guys, the financial rewards could be substantial.
Brian says he’s heard good things about the Regular Guys and expects to be compared to them. “I know we’re not the Regular Guys. I feel bad about how they left here. But they hate each other. They’re never coming back.”
Brian has had time to check in with 99X’s morning show and other competitors. (“I like Rude [at the Fan] and Bert [at Q100] is hitting it out of the park.”). As for 99X’s morning show, he said he likes Rob Jenners and Sean Demery but thinks Leslie Fram is past her prime. “I feel like they’re being held back by one particular female,” he said. “I’d like to hear more Sean Demery. I feel bad for Jenners. He’s trying to sell an angle. They’re staring at him like deer in headlights.”
John Dickey, who oversees programming for Cumulus, which owns 99X, said he’d never publicly criticize any individual at the station, much less Leslie. “We’re trying to get better every day,” he said of the New Morning X. “It’s a pretty good show. It can always strive to be more compelling, more entertaining, more relevant. We are holding ourselves to an extremely high standard.”
He said he feels Atlanta listeners can now better differentiate the “clean witty” show on 99X to the younger, more “locker room” humor of Project.
10/1: Hour one for Project’s Giant Brian
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Here’s a summary of hour one of the Giant Brian show with Shaffee on Project 9-6-1 featuring eight songs, two commercial breaks, two traffic reports and four talk segments totaling about 14 minutes.
5 a.m.: “Cult of Personality” Living Colour
5:05 a.m.: Chris Williams introducing the show from Friday afternoon followed by a drum roll and a theme song.
“Welcome to the Giant Show,” Brian Carothers said. “Here on Project 9-6-1. It’s been 11 long motnhs without a show. That’s what Chris said. That’s audio from Friday, the work-release party. My only question… there was 25 cases of beer. There were like 100 really hot chicks and sales guys. Everyone was shaking our hands. Thanks for coming here. We love you. We don’t really love you. Here we go. Not a soul in the building. Where are all the people?”
“We have to give them a reason to love us,” Shaffee said.
Carothers teased Shaffee about his name and said his mom thought he was Middle Eastern.
“I’m from Michigan, man,” Shaffee said.
“Just admit you are a descendent of Osama Bin Laden and move on,” Giant Brian joked.
5:10 a.m. “The Dope Show” Marilyn Manson
5:15 a.m. “So Hott” Kid Rock
5:20 a.m. First call with Shane, who congratulates them.
5:21 a.m. Supercross series promo, Just Brakes ad, Vick’s Dayquil, The Sarah Silverman Show,” Subway, Ford Lincoln Mercury dealerships
5:25 a.m. “Loser” Beck
5:29 a.m. A second caller, a semi-coherent person complaining that they didn’t start the show with “Detroit Rock City” by Kiss and said he has lived in Atlanta for 13 years but can’t wait to move back to Detroit. Then they air audio of a video of a Florida TV station showing a dude in a wheelchair fighting cops in a courtroom while talking about a paralyzed football player Kevin Everett.
5:32 a.m. “Animal I’ve Been” Three Days Grace
5:36 a.m. “Dream On” Aerosmith
5:40 a.m. traffic with Art “Madman” Mehring
5:41 a.m. ads with Starship, Sarah Silverman again and Shane Co.
5:44 a.m. “Scar Tissue” Red Hot Chili Peppers
5:49 a.m. Giant Brian thanks Art “Madman” Mehring for mentioning the show and that he was so nervous coming on the show and wonders if that is the case every morning with Mehring.
Then Shaffee and Giant Brian gab about boxing for awhile, followed by VH1’s finale of “Rock of Love” as a promo to the Atlanta woman on the show.
5:55 a.m. “Animal” Nickelback
5:59 a.m. traffic report with Art “Madman” Mehring
In the second hour, some dude Dennis complains that they aren’t playing music. “I don’t like that guy’s attitude,” Giant Brian said. “Here’s your music.” Shaffee: You let him boss you around,man… Dennis made you his bitch.”
