Entercom’s Dash-For-Trash ‘Revival’
by Brian Maloney, October 22nd, 2009 at 01:37pm
For our Entercom friends, these are strange times indeed: while they await the verdict in the water-drinking contest death trial in Sacramento, continue to fret over unexpectedly strong competition from new WEEI sports rival WBZ-FM and watch their stock price surge as part of the 2009 Dash-For-Trash stock bubble, the firm’s future prospects have never been more unclear.
And what is The Empress doing during all of this chaos? Painting the walls, of course!
Yes, our sneaker-cams are capturing all kinds of future classics, thanks to what we hear is her recent obsession with finding exactly the right color to impress Guest Street visitors. According to one perplexed observer, the walls were covered in “puke yellow, then loud green, then gaudy orange, then bone white, then back to the gaudy orange again,” with a lucky paint crew reaping the benefits of her indecision.
Apparently, this went on for weeks!
That’s keeping your eye on the ball!
As for the market surge, Entercom has benefited greatly from the Dash-For-Trash rally, where the most beaten-up stocks in the worst sectors benefit from cash pumped into the overall markets by the feds. Hundreds of dubious issues (including nearly every radio broadcast firm) are up 1000% or more since March as the bubble reaches what could be the popping point.
It’s good news for Pops, who had been reducing the number of shares available to the public through open-market share purchases (NYSE:ETM). But if he were to suddenly dump them, it would send the price tumbling.
Where is radio headed? The same place it’s been going for years: into the toilet. Nothing has changed. At least we have Entercom to keep us amused while we await its demise.
Entry Filed under: WRKO
32 Comments Add your own
1. Dr. Quincy, M.E. | October 22nd, 2009 at 6:39 pm
During yesterday late morning, a WRKO newsreader with the last name “Marks” kept pronouncing “vigilant” as “vil-a-jint.”
2. swami | October 23rd, 2009 at 7:53 am
Was it the same newsreader who said the Titans beat the Pats 59-0?
3. raccoonradio | October 23rd, 2009 at 12:57 pm
yes, Kristen Marx (Marks?)
4. NHradiofan | October 23rd, 2009 at 3:15 pm
I would like to suggest some remedial reading classes for the WRKO news readers. How can this many people be poor readers ALL ON THE SAME STATION?
But, as AD Man likes to remind us, the poor news quality is more than made up by the terrific cost savings. Jesus H. Christ!
Radio Truism # 1: If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys.
5. New York Pizza | October 23rd, 2009 at 4:49 pm
During today’s Felger & Massarotti contrived passionate difference of opinion show on 98.5, Felger might have crossed the Rubicon by childishly & loudly insisting it was Danny Ainge who bit Tree Rollins instead of vice versa.
Is Felger trying to be the Jewish Joe Ligotti of sports radio now?
6. piratetoby | October 23rd, 2009 at 6:07 pm
OK, nothing to do with radio whatsoever. Just wanted to piggyback onto the good Doctor’s reference of mispronouncing “vigilant”. So happens yesterday I was in a meeting with a major Boston developer, reps from EOT and the MBTA. The “team” has submitted a proposal for a $ 417 million grant to redo a bus line in Boston. It’s tied into available stimulus money and has yet to be approved; however meetings have begun to pre-plan.
Anyway, to make a long story short, the two reps for the developer were giving their presentation and then answered questions. I asked a question regarding some specific data or stats and the woman answered it by responding, “We don’t have the pacifics yet and therefore can not answer your question.” My eyeballs almost popped out of my head. The “pacifics”? This is one of the two bigwigs representing the developer of a $400+ million dollar project? I was speechless. Maybe I mumbled something like, “thanks anyway”.
7. DuPont | October 23rd, 2009 at 8:39 pm
Yo pi-rate,was the aformentioned “pacifics” wo-man in a “protected” class??? I get the feeling this wo-man could not be described as melanin deprived. Oh well,back to the porch for me, give my regards to your lovely bride-Vay Cay Jay and its twin brother Magpie.
ps. All of Boston’s talk radio shows are crap. I wish someone would find some new blood for this industry.Maybe when Entercom and all the others go belly up we can go back to local owners with some sense of community.And an ear for talent.Or at least ears,so that there are no more mistakes like Michelle McScreech.
8. Jim from Boston | October 24th, 2009 at 7:48 am
“yes, Kristen Marx (Marks?)”
I thought her first name was Krista.
(”I don’t care what the newspapers say about me as long as they spell my name right.”)
9. Jim from Boston | October 24th, 2009 at 7:52 am
On October 19th, 2009 at 3:26 pm, the real Barbara wrote:
“They just don’t make ‘em like they used to, the dead air, the felon’s snooze fest, bill kelly’s snooze fest, the unexpected soccer games, unexpected football games, an hour of plastic surgery talk, hours and hours of boring financial talk, listening to one program and all of a sudden you’re listening to another (Roy Masters right in the middle of Bill Cunningham), the ads playing one on top of the other and the news readers who don’t understand what their reading, yep, they just don’t make ‘em like they used to! Sheesh.”
Good overview of the state of WRKO, but to paraphrase Shania Twain, “That don’t depress me much.” For some reason, I like the snooze fests, and the plastic surgery and financial talk shows, and don’t forget that Talking Religion is back on the air too. I agree that the unexpected sports and dead air are maddening, and I tolerate the news readers, especially one who is almost a laugh riot. The only program I actively avoid is the Gardening Show.
I have though recently acquired an I-pod and can listen to music, and I’ve downloaded a lot of hours of Howie Carr without commercials, but I still listen most of the day to WRKO, as broadcast. LOL
10. Ad Man | October 24th, 2009 at 3:21 pm
Thanks for the shoutout NH. Yes, since WRKO is not now and was not then a meaningful news destination, I don’t think the mispronounciations amount to much. While I’m offering reality checks, I would suspect that the paint and spackle debacle (couldn’t resist) was funded by trade, and since we all agree that there is plenty of unused inventory these days, I doubt The Empress’ machinations carried significant cost.
11. Dr. Quincy, M.E. | October 24th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
pirate: Do anyone else at da meet-in say “pacific,” oh own-lee dat wun poys-son?
12. Dr. Quincy, M.E. | October 24th, 2009 at 3:47 pm
BREAKING WEEI NEWS: Today at least two geniuses waited on hold to complain on the air about J.D. Drew not displaying enough emotion when our precious little Jacoby stole home plate recently .
I can’t wait for the Yankee Elimination Party-
Jambalaya!
13. piratetoby | October 24th, 2009 at 4:42 pm
Doctor: No, she was the only one. And if anyone reading my post is thinking “affirmative action”, let me tell you, this woman was NOT some lower level administrative asst. When we went around the table to introduce ourselves, she was a highly qualified white female architect in her mid-late forties. In addition to being with the present developer for 18+ years her professional background was impressive and she was extremely well spoken……except for that ONE word.
That is what bothers me. It makes no sense. It was so awkward- complete silence- waiting for her to laugh it off and correct herself. But that didn’t happen. Very strange.
14. Joe Perry | October 24th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
So if this was an affirmative action person it would have been acceptable? You Liberals confuse the hell out of me.
15. piratetoby | October 24th, 2009 at 10:00 pm
Joe: Yeah, sounds like you do have some confusion…. please don’t blame liberals for it. YOU own it.
Now, tell me how you came to the conclusion that I would find a blatant butchering of a common word acceptable if it was spoken by an affirmative action hire?
16. bob | October 25th, 2009 at 8:51 am
Ah be kun-fewz’d. Wha wood inny-wun be thankin’ uv
affermative akshun bkuz uv da woid “pacific”? Me ‘n da hip hop kmyooonity don’t see nuttin’ rong here.
Long as we stik tgevva, evythang jes fine. Kwit pikkin’ on affirmative akshun hires. Da publik skool edjamakashun worked f’me!
17. Medic | October 25th, 2009 at 10:30 am
NY Pizza. The thing about Mr Cheesehead Felger, he not only a dumb ass, he really does NOT like New England sports. He, unfortunately, believes everything HE says. He’s a dope, and I will not listen to ‘BZ FM EVAH! I want Maz back on ‘EEI.
18. New York Pizza | October 25th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
I think I’ll start pronouncing jewelry as “joo-ler-ree.” That bass-ackwards logic could get me a newsreading job on WRKO.
19. New York Pizza | October 25th, 2009 at 3:47 pm
I forgot, I should also start pronouncing Newton as “New-in,” Clinton as “Clint-in,” & Brighton as “Brite-in.” That would work to get a gig on WEEI also, given how Rob Bradford talks (if you call THAT talking.)
20. piratetoby | October 25th, 2009 at 6:41 pm
I could get a gig on TKK reading the weather forecast if I followed in Magpie’s lead….hurry-cane.
21. piratetoby | October 25th, 2009 at 6:45 pm
It’s annoying to me that we can’t edit our posts. Take out “in” between “followed” and “Magpie”. I can’t believe I had to write this …….BRIAN get an “edit” feature. Pleeeeeeze!
22. Dr. Quincy, M.E. | October 26th, 2009 at 5:59 pm
pirate: “hurry-cane” might be the proper pronunciation in some Commonwealth Nations, with their hell-ee-copters.
23. New York Pizza | October 26th, 2009 at 6:21 pm
Further eroding whatever credibility Felger might’ve had remaining is the fact that he loves the most overrated “band” in history, The Grateful Dead.
Felger on Fri was ecstatic as some terrible late ’70s song by the Dead (or was it some solo Bob Weir garbage?) was played as a bumper.
Speaking of 98.5, Zolak needs to moderate the ex-athlete’s fake passion & his constant fake raspy-sounding delivery. Tanguay, of course, is worthless with his phony broadcasting school voice & relative lack of knowledge. He’s a lasek-surgeried pretty boy who should be restricted to teleprompter reading on TV.
24. piratetoby | October 26th, 2009 at 7:09 pm
OK, Doc so who’s gonna tell Magpie she’s broadcasting in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts?
Is a hell-ee-copter similar to an air-ro-plane?
25. Dr. Quincy, M.E. | October 27th, 2009 at 6:54 pm
pirate: Hell-ee-copter is a similar craft to an aeroplane.
BTW, did you or anyone else ask the developer’s rep how she defined “pacifics?”
Perhaps she was employing this info in her usage:
Main Entry: pa·cif·ic
Pronunciation: \pə-ˈsi-fik\
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English pacifique, from Latin pacificus, from pac-, pax peace + -i- + -ficus -fic — more at pact
Date: circa 1548
1 a : tending to lessen conflict : conciliatory b : rejecting the use of force as an instrument of policy
2 a : having a soothing appearance or effect b : mild of temper : peaceable
3 capitalized : of, relating to, bordering on, or situated near the Pacific Ocean
— pa·cif·i·cal·ly \-fi-k(ə-)lē\ adverb
26. piratetoby | October 27th, 2009 at 8:26 pm
Funny you should ask. Tonight I attended a community meeting where Ms. Pacific was also in attendance. The developer got their ass kicked.
Anyway, I shouldn’t poke fun at anyone. I had the cost of the project at $ 417 million……when it’s a mere $ 147 million. At least I have an excuse- I grew not knowing I had a learning disability. It wasn’t until I was an adult before I found out I have dyslexia. Luckily I was above average in learning. If not, I would have wound up in special class. It’s true. That’s what happened to kids. Special class.
27. piratetoby | October 27th, 2009 at 8:42 pm
BTW, Ms. Pacific could have used her skills to pacify their audience tonight…..that was one angry mob.
28. Dr. Quincy, M.E. | October 28th, 2009 at 5:56 pm
pirate: Do you work for a municipality?
29. piratetoby | October 28th, 2009 at 8:48 pm
^^^^^^
No, Doc. I work for peanuts.
30. will | October 29th, 2009 at 4:32 pm
Entercom has been found negligent in the Jennifer Strange “Hold Your Wee” trial to the tune of $16.57 million.
http://www.kcra.com/news/21466354/detail.html
31. will | October 29th, 2009 at 4:40 pm
Actually the local radio station was found negligent, not the parent company Entercom…
32. raccoonradio | October 30th, 2009 at 2:32 am
Entercom on the hook for a mere $16 million in the hold your wee for a wii contest
Sac. Bee
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