How Are Stations Handling Suspicious Devices Story?
by Brian Maloney, January 31st, 2007 at 03:14pm
Once again, WRKO’s bizarre decision to terminate its entire newsroom staff has left it in a terrible place during a major developing news story.
With WRKO now in no position to cover these events with reporters live from the scene, listeners instantly head elsewhere. It’s WRKO’s gift to WBZ and WTKK!
It’s astounding to think the former newsroom budget has now likely gone to bail out a sleazy, convicted felon like Tom Finneran. What were Kahn & Company thinking?
Where did you turn for radio news coverage today: WBZ, WTKK, or another station? Leave a comment below.
UPDATE: with major developments breaking on this story in the late hours of the day, it was a great opportunity for news-talk stations to feature live and local programming.
Instead, WRKO was running yet another Celtics game, as the team attempts to achieve 13 losses in a row. Wasn’t this story big enough to warrant dumping sports and going with extra talk programming? Of course it was.
ALSO: I’m covering this in depth over at the Radio Equalizer.
Entry Filed under: General
9 Comments
1. raccoonradio | January 31st, 2007 at 4:40 pm
I heard the tail end of WRKO’s 3 pm top of hour news via Fox and it sounded like they went to a reporter named “Mary” (Mary Blake?? One of the let-go announcers)…Howie is talking about it.
One weird theory is that it could be a promotional campaign for a Cartoon Network show. As of 4:40 pm, it’s said nine of these devices have been
discovered.
2. swami | January 31st, 2007 at 4:51 pm
When did ‘RKO blow out its news staff? Listow Fisher is gone?
3. Maggie | January 31st, 2007 at 6:04 pm
I stuck with WRKO because I can’t stand Jay Severin.
4. Andrea | February 1st, 2007 at 12:56 am
I go to WBZ for news and weather now. The host should not be doubling as a weatherman. They should have kept Joe Zona; great weather guy, great personality. I loved listening to him and it kept me from changing stations.
I do not understand how a radio station can get rid of the news department. Hello, everybody needs to know what’s going on, and since talk show junkies don’t watch a lot of TV, as WE ARE LISTENING TO THE RADIO, we need radio news for our info. Thank you WBZ for being there all the time!
Whether or not the news budget really went to Tommy Felonious I don’t know; pity if it’s true.
BTW, I think pulling his law license is a kind of going through the motions move; I’d bet a few bucks that he gets it back within a few months. He should be broadcasting from Prison Radio.
5. raccoonradio | February 1st, 2007 at 3:30 am
WRKO fired its news staff a week before Thanksgiving, opting for the Metro/Shadow
news & traffic service. Six days afterward
was the Danversport explosion, and the news-
staff-less ‘RKO was behind the curve in
coverage.
Turns out the weird theory about Cartoon
Network is true…Howie devoted his show to
this today; Paul Sullivan and Steve Leveille
on WBZ are also doing wall-to-wall talk, etc.
6. Together We Can | February 1st, 2007 at 7:34 am
What?! You can’t stand Jimmy Severino. I am deeply saddened!
I went straight to ‘BZ.
WRKO formerly was my “go-to” station. But not any more!
Ta-ta, Julie and your lackey Jason… that giant sucking sound is the advertising revenue on ‘RKO going down.
7. BigBish | February 1st, 2007 at 12:55 pm
I’ll be the first to admit, and RKO should realize this, that sometimes I go to WBZ when that moronic fox news comes on AND DON’T COME BACK. Don’t peddle that “live & local” crap when your syndicated newscast doesn’t open up with the most important story of the day.
8. MLS | February 5th, 2007 at 7:50 pm
After this week I’ll definitely be listening to WBZ….but I’ll keep checking this website to see if RKO has come to its senses…fired the ones that should be going…..and keeping the ones who keep the show going and most importantly their listeners informed..Like I wrote to them weeks ago–they could care LESS about what we think or what we want…I hope we have the last laugh. Scotto–it’s a blessing in disguise..you are too good for them. I just hope you are on a radio show in Boston…It’s definitely our loss but until we hear you again–best of luck…you will do great!!!!
9. Bertolucci | February 27th, 2007 at 11:08 pm
its a damn shame. WRKO had a long history of providing full service to the Boston area . Back to WNAC with local and Yankee network news, through the “Big 68″music years with Bill Rossi, the late John Masters, with 20/20 news, and sports with Curt Gowdy. The talk years with hourly news sports, weather, and traffic. But WBZ always did it better and will continue its dominance.
So be the state of radio in 2007. Before ya know it WRKO will provide “local” talk from hosts in Cleveland!