99XWatch.org

Toucher Teases Next Gig Announcement

From Toucher's MySpace Blog:

Thanks...[f]or the last 7 years.  Rich, Crash and I know what were doing and where we are headed now and can't wait to tell you.

Buzz PD Talks about 99X

Whether you agree with it or not, Chris Williams has a vision for programming the Buzz.  One need only drive around town and compare the number of 105.3 The Buzz Billboards to the number of 99X billboards to see that Clear channel is buying into that vision. 

In this Week's FMQB (Friday Morning Quarterback, a radio trade) Chris has some interesting things to say about the his rivalry with 99X.

99X kind of made some decisions and reacted to a Triple A station [dave fm] finally coming into the market.  It made everybody re-think getting rid of the Buzz. It opened up a doorway. We want to be as mainstream and as mass appeal within the parameters of the format as we possibly can be
...
You rarely get the chance to try to prove yourself in a situation where somebody said they didn’t believe in you. Professional athletes get the chance to do it every now and then, but not many other careers.  You get fired from a bank; you go to the next bank.  You’re not really directing competing against the bank across the street.  It’s kind of a much bigger thing than that. But here, for me it’s a great thing.
...
We talk about [99X] often. They’re the station that’s been here the longest and we’re sort of the upstart underdogs. We’ve certainly made them the butt of many jokes. There are enough glaring differences between us and enough dissatisfaction in the market for us to grab a hold of and run with on the air. It just makes sense for us right now to point out the differences and point out where 99X’s shortcomings are and where we feel we are doing a better job.

Thanks to Joey Mills for pointing out this article.

Lisa Baron's Column Part of Reed's Strategy?

Many people know that Jimmy's wife Lisa moonlights from her job as Ralph Reed's spokesperson to write a column for the Sunday Paper.  What they don't know is that her column is part of an elaborate strategy.  From the Washington Times:

Some Republican eyebrows were raised when Mr. Reed's campaign for lieutenant governor hired Atlanta publicist Lisa Baron, whose column in an Atlanta weekly has ventured into risque subject matter in language not often publicly employed by Bible Belt social conservatives.

It's apparently part of a strategy by Mr. Reed to downplay his Christian Coalition past and play up his "mainstream" Republican credentials.

Is this part of the same strategy where Reed lobbies on behalf of casinos, lies about it, and golfs with people indicted for felonies?

Wally II

Joey Mills, local activist and long time 99X listener, supplied the following email from Wally:

I think we got it worked out.  Jimmy and Axel really went to bat for me and I appreciate it very much.  thanks to you as well.  I think the e-mail from you and the others helped very much.  take care

and from Leslie:

We're working it out.....please keep listening! 

As another 99X listener observed:  "Stuff like this is why I love radio and the internet. A few passionate people can actually make a difference."

Update 03/21/2006 1:19 PM

Corrected attribution of "Stuff like this..." quote. 

 

Third Audition Show in Works for Baron

Sources close to the show indicate that Jimmy Baron and Co. are slated to do a third audition shift with 106.9 FreeFM. 

Developing...

Wally

Sources close to the show indicate that Wally was "told not to speak" on today's show.  Wally has been working without a contract since last year. 

Update 03/21/2006 8:29 PM

Joey Mills shared this email from Leslie Fram:

It's really trying to keep it to 3 main voices as to not confuse the audience. With 4 people on mic on any show it tends to become a pile-on and hard to distinguish.  Wally is going to come in on certain breaks.

Developing...

Closing on Cumulus-Susquehanna Merger Delayed

From radio-info.com, AJC Radio Writer Rodney Ho posts:

I ran into Cumulus CEO Lew Dickey at Bones today. He said the current target date for the FCC to finalize the Cumulus purchase today of Susquehanna is May 5. The hope had been to get the deal finished by mid April but this is the FCC we're talking about.

106.9 FreeFM Audition II

Jimmy Baron lead a slightly different group of players during his second audition on 106.9 FreeFM in San Francisco.  This time, I knew to tune in via the Internet, so I have some comments. 

I suspect in an audition shift like this, a prospective program director is more concerned with the upside of a show than the occasion when a bit falls flat.  Despite a forgotten set of show notes, and couple of flat bits, the vast majority of the two hour show was strong.  A couple of times, I laughed out loud.  Despite fact that the cast, to my knowledge, had not worked together more than a handful of times, there was a great chemistry.

Jimmy seemed more comfortable on point than times he took that role in Toucher's or Barnes' absence.  Alex McClure*, the new addition, provided a lot of good one liners.  Kim Lichtenstein also had some funny quips and did a great job reading the news.  While only on the air for a short while, Calandro proved he has not lost his radio chops.  The show was best when the cast was able to riff off of callers, despite their short supply.

While not the best bit of the show, of most interest to former TJ&L listeners is this bit where Calandro describes his home healthcare treatment regimen (1:36 364KB) during his MRSA recovery.

*A Google search and the fact that Jimmy on one occasion called him by a different first name, suggests that "Alex McClure" may be a new radio name.  In what might be a tip of the hat to this fact, "Alex" joked that nothing came up when you googled his name.

Toucher & Rich on WBCN Boston Next Week

Calls to the the WBCN listener line confirm that next week the Toucher and Rich show will tbe on WBCN Boston, 104.1, nights next week.   A source close to the show confirms that this is temporary.  What remains to be seen is whether this is another audition or a warm up for a permanent gig in a higher profile timeslot at WBCN.  It's unlikely that anything has changed since Wednesday of last week when Toucher said in his interview  "I really don't know where we will end up yet."

It does not appear that WBCN streams at this time.

Thanks to Joey MIlls for his help with this story.

Morning Show Name Change

The 99X Website has published the name of the new morning show with Axel: "The Everything Alternative 99X Morning Show...With Axel, Jimmy & Leslie."   This precipitated an interesting discussion on Radio-Info.com.  Media buyer Roddy Freeman speculates:

The fact that Cumulus seems so interested in getting the morning show right suggests they plan on keeping the format, at least long enough to learn if a new morning show could save 99X in its current incarnation.

Another poster, "troone,"  offers additional analysis:

[99X] had a gigantic book in early 2001 and then like all the other rock formats, they settled into a 2 share mode, while flirting with a 3 in 12+ every so often. A lot of that was greater ethnic sampling in the Arbitron formula, which hurt a few of the white stations. Some of it was the fade of alternative music.

As one of the better posters on this board put it a few months ago: a rock station is boxed in somewhat by the competition and the reality of having to carve up a smaller audience. There are simply more people who "settle" on Elton John on Mariah Carey in their car than on Cake or Weezer.

I dont necessarily think 99x has become a "worse" station over the last four years. I do think they caught lightning in a bottle for a short period of time and now are having to - unfairly - answer for why it didnt continue.

At least they dont VT [voice track] like 94.9, 96, 98.5, and most of the black stations.