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97.1

Discussion pertaining to Detroit, Ann Arbor, Port Huron, and SW Ontario
ascher2
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97.1

Post by ascher2 » Fri Jul 03, 2020 7:50 pm

Rumor is out there by Detroit Sports Nation that there are big changes coming to the Ticket.
Any validity to this?



JLesinski
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Re: 97.1

Post by JLesinski » Fri Jul 03, 2020 8:05 pm

Hopefully they make a change to less callers on the air. Are there people out there that actually want to hear what joe Blow from Novi thinks about the Tigers draft? Not me.



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MWmetalhead
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Re: 97.1

Post by MWmetalhead » Fri Jul 03, 2020 8:17 pm

This is commercial corporate behemoth radio we're talking about here.

Big changes = budget cuts.

Entercom is a failing company. The other thing to remember is I believe the Tigers - Red Wings broadcast rights may be up for renewal. The agreement was last renewed in October 2015. Dating back to 2001, all deals with CBS/Entercom have been five year deals.

https://detroitsportsnation.com/report- ... 20/228438/

My guess is at least two current full-time weekday on-air personalities will lose their jobs. I could see the station dropping back to a single host in middays.

In mornings, whichever host survives will be paired with a producer who'll be permitted to talk on mic, similar to what the station has been doing in afternoon drive ever since Terry Foster departed the station.

Live & local programming in overnights will be gone. I also suspect we'll see more dayparts on the weekend filled with syndie stuff as opposed to local.

These are all predictions on my part; I have no inside info.



Deleted User 15342

Re: 97.1

Post by Deleted User 15342 » Fri Jul 03, 2020 8:53 pm

Could be more CBS Sports Radio and less localized product. And possibly a sale of AM 1270.



Mega Hertz
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Re: 97.1

Post by Mega Hertz » Sat Jul 04, 2020 7:06 am

Well, you had to see this coming.

No sports. Almost all dayparts were live, even late weekend nights. Valenti alone pulls some good coin. Things were rockin' for a long time at that station. "Cash cow" comes to mind.

Then the teams started to suck. Red Wings. Tigers. Pistons (well, they haven't been good since Bush). Losing the Lions. Then the pandemic hit. Such a shame, because for a long time, you couldn't touch 97-1. Everyone had a show. I think even the janitor had an overnight show on Saturday.

I'm gonna agree with the idea that no less than 2 major dayparts will be rolled back. I even wondered a while back if middays would be replaced with a WWJ simulcast (although that one seems a little far fetched). But I do believe middays will lose a host, mornings will be cut back, and don't be surprised to see Valenti lose someone.

I don't know who was on last night around 7:30, it was national, but it sounded like the guy had a mouthful of soggy Life cereal. Expect more of that. And we all know how Detroiters feel about national programming...


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MWmetalhead
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Re: 97.1

Post by MWmetalhead » Sat Jul 04, 2020 7:11 am

That was a national CBS Radio host from the east coast. He actually does a decent show, but he's an older gentleman with a clear accent and a bit of a speech impediment.

Many employers treated July 3 like a holiday since the 4th is on a Saturday (today).

Of course, big radio sometimes likes to use holidays as a bait & switch opportunity to fire veteran air talent.

Did that happen in this instance? I don't know.



Mega Hertz
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Re: 97.1

Post by Mega Hertz » Sat Jul 04, 2020 10:13 am

I mean, come on...how much revenue can truly be pulled from Tiger repeats from 2011 and what not? It's a common fact that Detroiters are extreme provincial, so I seriously doubt a handful of NBA games (in a town where NBA is a distant 4th) is gonna be enough to get the cash registers rolling again.

I'm wondering if a wholesale change is in the works. Rolling back to a general talk format with sports taking a backseat. How long can a sports centric format continue with NO sports?


"Internet is no more like radio than intravenous feeding is like fine dining."
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Deleted User 15342

Re: 97.1

Post by Deleted User 15342 » Sat Jul 04, 2020 10:14 am

Mega Hertz wrote:
Sat Jul 04, 2020 10:13 am
I mean, come on...how much revenue can truly be pulled from Tiger repeats from 2011 and what not? It's a common fact that Detroiters are extreme provincial, so I seriously doubt a handful of NBA games (in a town where NBA is a distant 4th) is gonna be enough to get the cash registers rolling again.

I'm wondering if a wholesale change is in the works. Rolling back to a general talk format with sports taking a backseat. How long can a sports centric format continue with NO sports?
Good point.



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MWmetalhead
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Re: 97.1

Post by MWmetalhead » Sat Jul 04, 2020 11:11 am

AQH share is still nearly double what it was as FM Talk.

Entercom has little to no track record in all-purpose FM talk.

97.1 has been one of the higher billing stations in the market for more than a decade. I don't think even David Field is nutty enough to throw that track record down the toilet. Waiting things out on a lighter budget is the right way to go.



wtfdetroit
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Re: 97.1

Post by wtfdetroit » Sat Jul 04, 2020 11:34 am

Are these changes happening on Monday?



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radiojunkie2002
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Re: 97.1

Post by radiojunkie2002 » Sat Jul 04, 2020 3:04 pm

Do you think maybe 97.1 will simulcast WWJ
950? - Till sports start back up?



Deleted User 15342

Re: 97.1

Post by Deleted User 15342 » Sat Jul 04, 2020 4:22 pm

radiojunkie2002 wrote:
Sat Jul 04, 2020 3:04 pm
Do you think maybe 97.1 will simulcast WWJ
950? - Till sports start back up?
It’s too late for WWJ to move to fm. The only change will be in programming lineups that’s my take on it. More CBS sports radio and less local.



Mega Hertz
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Re: 97.1

Post by Mega Hertz » Sat Jul 04, 2020 8:47 pm

I hate to see folks lose their jobs, but if I had to pick, I'd say Jamie, Gator and Caputo are probably the ones to keep an eye on. Stoney with his palacial Wesf Bloomfield home and two daughters in college...yeech. Any chance they try to renegotiate Valenti's contract? Because we know he ain't going anywhere...


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Gertner
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Re: 97.1

Post by Gertner » Sat Jul 04, 2020 10:53 pm

What about guys like Jeff Lesson or Riger



iloveblackpeople
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Re: 97.1

Post by iloveblackpeople » Sun Jul 05, 2020 6:26 am

MWmetalhead wrote:
Sat Jul 04, 2020 7:11 am
That was a national CBS Radio host from the east coast. He actually does a decent show, but he's an older gentleman with a clear accent and a bit of a speech impediment.

Many employers treated July 3 like a holiday since the 4th is on a Saturday (today).

Of course, big radio sometimes likes to use holidays as a bait & switch opportunity to fire veteran air talent.

Did that happen in this instance? I don't know.
I didn’t even listen to the show and I can already tell that you’re talking about Jody McDonald. Hes a Philly guy. Has done a show on WIP there for years. He’s an occasional fill in on MLB network radio on SiriusXM and ironically son of former Tigers general manager Joe McDonald.



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