Posts with the tag 'Reese Hopkins'
Let me get this straight: after hiring a convicted felon (and former Democrat House Speakah) as morning host and an alleged child rapist for the midmorning shift, we’re supposed to feel sorry for two of the radio industry’s most notorious mismanagers?
The very public effort by Coffee Boy (in Herald image below, making his first-ever visual appearance at SaveWRKO!) and The Empress to be seen as victims of an angry WEEI listener is beyond belief. In broadcasting, threatening calls come with the territory, to the point where they’re mundane.
Not for a moment am I condoning the actions of one David Banner, who definitely doesn’t moonlight as The Incredible Hulk:
The man charged with leaving death wishes and menacing messages for WEEI sports yakkers John Dennis and Gerry Callahan and their bosses is a down-and-out wedding photographer who says he’s sorry and insists he never would have harmed them.
“I’m really sorry. I’m more angry at myself than anything else,” said David Banner, who says he’s getting help after he allegedly left messages wishing the radio bigwigs would “die.”
In an interview with the Herald yesterday, Banner said he’s been having “a bad couple of years.” He said his mother has Alzheimer’s and he’s been under a lot of stress. He said he also suffers from depression and has had a couple seizures over the past few months.
“It’s been tough. It’s not an excuse. I meant them no harm,” said Banner, 57, who appeared mild-mannered as he spoke from the multi-family Cambridge home where he lives. “If I could take it back I would.
“I’m just an average guy just trying to live a life, and I made a mistake,” he added.
At the same time, anyone with significant tenure in broadcasting who hasn’t toughened up to this kind of crap by now should find a new career.
Want to hear about REAL threats? In 1997, while working the afternoon drive shift at KOH 780 AM in Reno, somebody driving by the rear of the station (which unfortunately fronts a major thoroughfare) took a shot at my engineer, with the ammo stopped only by the interior bulletproof pane. If not for that protection, it would have hit him in the head, the positioning was perfect. Because it occurred during the wintertime, it was already dark, so he didn’t see who did it.
Who did I tick off that day? In Nevada, rather like Boston’s mobbed-up era, there are certain people one must avoid angering.
Before that, I worked at a Monterey Bay, California station that had absolutely NO security. The front windows were shot out repeatedly by friendly passers-by.
And in 1998, just as I was arriving at Seattle’s KVI to begin a new position as evening host, a violent demonstration took place in the building’s lobby, spilling out into the streets. The reason for the OUTRAGE (!!!): KVI hosts were adamantly supporting Initiative 200, which banned certain racial preferences. It ultimately passed.
When Rush Limbaugh visited the station a short time later, it took a full security team to protect him after angry threats of violence were made by dozens of supposedly peace-loving Seattle “progressives”. Standing next to KVI’s newsroom fax, I watched as these unhinged nuts spread this vision of “tolerance” from one machine to another.
Finally, sometimes the most dangerous people in broadcasting are inside the building, not out in the parking area. While at Seattle’s KIRO-AM, then owned by our good friends at Entercom, a fellow host with an unpredictable personality carried a gun with him at all times. Later, he was murdered by a drug addict who had moved into his home several months earlier.
Talk radio, with WEEI’s sports chatter most certainly included, is a medium with both friends and enemies. Whether one is a host or manager, working in this field requires a thick skin.
Though Boston’s a tough town, most of our broadcast outlets are run by touchy egomaniacs. In a dangerous business, that’s not a good fit.
That’s why I see right through The Empress and Coffee Boy: with their track records, they resemble perps much more than victims.
Tags: Brian Maloney, Entercom, Jason Wolfe, Julie Kahn, Reese Hopkins, WRKO
January 9th, 2009
One nice thing about below-freezing temperatures in New England is that it sure does kill off those nasty bugs. But some Rhody radio fans are fed up with what they see as a lingering pest: WPRO’s John DePetro.
Here, Jessica Heslam has an update on their drive to remove the former WRKO host. In addition, you can visit their site here.
One thought: why not simply wait until Citadel goes bankrupt and cans everybody?
Also:
— After former WRKO talker Reese Hopkins pled not guilty to child rape charges, the AP made sure its top priority, smearing conservatives, was fulfilled:
Ex-radio host pleads not guilty to NYC child rape
NEW YORK (AP) ‚Äî A former conservative radio host who dubbed himself the “Crossover Negro” has pleaded not guilty in New York City to charges he raped his stepdaughter’s former friend when she was 11 or 12 years old.
Reese Hopkins pleaded not guilty Wednesday at his arraignment on an indictment charging him with first-degree rape and endangering the welfare of a child. Hopkins is being held on $300,000 bail.
The charges say Hopkins sexually assaulted the girl between Sept. 1, 2004, and Oct. 31, 2004, at his Upper East Side Manhattan apartment, within weeks of her 11th or 12th birthday.
Luckily for us, the AP is cutting 10% of its staff, so we can now expect 10% less bias from the left-wing news agency, right?
The Herald’s far more reasonable coverage is found here.
— While their paper’s overall value has fallen below the price of a number two special at Dunkin’ Donuts, how do The Globies remain so arrogant? Just asking.
Tags: Jessica Heslam, John DePetro, Manhattan, New England, New York City, Reese Hopkins, WPRO, WRKO
November 20th, 2008
Could things be any worse for the Corruptocrats on Beacon Hill?
Just days before the election, senators are meeting to determine the fate of Bay State Bra Bandit Dianne Wilkerson (D-Robbery). They could move to oust her, but she might retaliate and finger them for their own crooked behavior.
In a particularly precarious position is mean-spirited, anger-filled Senate President Therese Murray (D-Ragebury), who may prove to have had a role in the alleged Beacon Hill bribery/extortion racket.
This makes it tough for SE Mass papers like the Patriot-Ledger, which normally lionize Murray and support corrupt, single-party rule. Today, however, that paper did report on her troubles.
Especially hilarious is watching Mayor-For-Life Mumbles Menino claim his hands are clean.
At this point, we don’t even know what impact this could have on the elections, where area Democrats now caught up in this meltdown are the very ones who’ve pushed hard for Barack Obama.
That may not affect the Massachusetts vote, but remember that Boston television and radio outlets dominate New Hampshire, where the race between Obama and McCain is very close.
With Wilkerson and the rapidly-growing corruption scandal now dominating headlines for almost two days, this can’t be good for their cause.
Meanwhile, The Felon’s sick attempt at defending Wilkerson and Beacon Hill’s corruption is making news today. From the Boston Herald’s Media Biz column:
And as Finneran defended the scandal-plagued Wilkerson yesterday, co-host Wendy Murphy let him have it.
“The fact that you want to say ‘just cause somebody’s giving me money and I happened to help them with their special legislation doesn’t mean the money was a quid pro quo’ - you can say that all day long and I hope it helped you sleep nights,” Murphy said.
Finneran cut her off and shot back: “Don’t even get up to a line let alone cross a line on that bull (expletive). I’m dead serious.”
Finneran’s foul language didn’t make it onto the air, said program director Jason Wolfe, but it was heard loud and clear on the Internet, where listeners can tune into WRKO-AM (680) live.
“When you nail him he just gets angry and resorts to abusive language,” said savewrko.com blogger Brian Maloney . “Wendy went for his throat and he couldn’t take it because he’s trying to defend the indefensible.”
Finneran didn’t return a call to MediaBiz yesterday.
Potential WRKO hosts should be required to take a character test. With last week’s arrest of Reese Hopkins, the station can add alleged child molester to its roster of ex-personalities.
Yesterday wasn’t the first time Finneran lost it on the air.
Back in February, Finneran fumed “bull (expletive)” twice on his show but the producer pushed the “dump button” in time and the profanity wasn’t heard on terrestrial radio. Offensive on-air language can mean a steep FCC fine.
Finneran has failed to attract a large audience, and it’s pretty clear why.
Mumbles, Wilkerson images: John Wilcox, Boston Herald
Tags: Jason Wolfe, John Wilcox, New Hampshire, Reese Hopkins, Tom Finneran, Wendy Murphy
October 30th, 2008
As Entercom’s share price sinks below two dollars a share, layoffs hit the company hard today, with deep cuts coming across the country.
Here at home, the Herald’s Jessica Heslam reports that 10 were let go in Boston, including “Reese Hopkins” of WRKO, The Felon’s producers and even a sales manager:
The ax came down hard today at Entercom-owned radio stations in Boston and the casualties include WRKO host Reese Hopkins - who was whacked after his mid-morning show.
About 10 employees at Entercom’s Boston stations have been canned so far as the company’s stock tumbled to under $2 for the first time ever during trading today.
Two producers of Tom Finneran’s morning-drive show were also ousted, including Rich Teter, and Andrew Strecker, according to sources. The head of promotions at WRKO-AM (680), Laura Rieder, and the head of national sales, Donald St. Sauveur, were also let go. A producer for the “Hillman Morning Show” with Greg Hill on WAAF [website]-FM (97.7 and 107.3) was also canned.
But if they can’t afford these people, then how can they continue to pay Finneran a high salary for subpar performance? How many programming managers will really be needed to oversee a shrinking on-air staff?
Judging by the rapidly-collapsing stock price, Entercom (NYSE:ETM) may have much less of a future than anyone could have imagined just a few months ago.
Between the credit crunch, loss of traditional advertisers such as car dealerships, still-bloated managerial costs and heavy debt levels, it’s a wonder how any radio company is able to survive this crisis.
At Entercom, however, these moves could prove much too little, way too late if the hidden financial picture looks as bad as one might suspect.
Tags: Andrew Strecker, Boston, boston stations, Jessica Heslam, Laura Rieder, Reese Hopkins, Rich Teter, Tom Finneran, traditional advertisers
October 16th, 2008
Today’s Boston Herald Media Biz column is a doozy, with Entercom and WRKO looking foolish on many fronts.
First, Jessica Heslam reports that the beleaguered broadcast firm has asked sales execs not to bring clients to the company’s Fenway luxury box this weekend so that elitist CEO David Field can entertain his friends and pretend all is well.
Next, she has an update on the Reese Hopkins meltdown over any suggestion he might have misbehaved at the ballpark:
Meanwhile, over at Brian Maloney’s savewrko.com, the Entercom suite was getting attention for another reason.
Maloney wrote that it was a “risky proposition” for WRKO-AM (680) to send host Reese Hopkins to Gloucester earlier this week to do his show after the “Fenway incident” last spring. Hopkins broadcast his show live from Fenway on Opening Day.
Naturally, many Web visitors wanted more details and Maloney told them to ask Hopkins or WRKO. One radio listener did. Hopkins responded to the listener with an e-mail and Maloney posted the response online.
“For the record, after my show I went up to the luxury box to watch the game, had a few and got in the face of a few media types that had been giving me crap while hiding behind their articles and cameras,” Hopkins wrote.
Yesterday, Hopkins wouldn’t comment on the “private e-mail” he sent to his listener. The host told MediaBiz that he has talked about the Fenway incident on his show, telling listeners he “went upstairs and had a few.”
Finally, she reports that Tom Finneran couldn’t successfully auction off a spring training trip, with proceeds going to charity. Number of bidders: zero.
See the column here.
Tags: Brian Maloney, Entercom, Jessica Heslam, Reese Hopkins, Tom Finneran, WRKO
September 11th, 2008
It’s one thing to keep Reese Hopkins on the air because WRKO management is unwilling to admit they’ve made a grave error, but quite another to send him out in public.
After the Fenway incident, why haven’t they learned their lesson?
From the Gloucester Daily Times:
Reese holding ‘Town Hall meeting’ at George’s on Monday morning
By All Hands
One of Boston’s leading talk radio show hosts will be talking, and listening, to residents in Gloucester Monday morning.
“Reese on the Radio,” the 10 a.m.-to-noon show featuring host Reese Hopkins on WRKO AM-680, will broadcast its entire program Monday from George’s coffee shop at the corner of Washington Street and Centennial Avenue, with the show serving as a “real Town Hall meeting” on teen pregnancy from Gloucester High to other areas of New England and beyond.
The remote show is designed to “allow listeners and local members of the community to visit Reese at the coffee shop to talk about the teen pregnancy issue,” said WRKO marketing coordinator Christina Anders.
George’s proprietor Dean Salah said he was contacted by WRKO and agreed to host the broadcast once coordinators noted that the show is meant to generate positive and open discussion about teen pregnancy, not negative talk about Gloucester and its teens.
Host Hopkins has dedicated parts of several programs to the Gloucester teen pregnancy issue and teen pregnancy in general since the local story broke. He has talked on the air about his own family’s ties to the issue ‚Äî he has a sister who was a teen mom ‚Äî and has said he believes this is one issue on which talk radio can make a difference through open discussion.
The Reese on the Radio midday show regularly includes guests in the studio and on the phone, as well as phone calls from listeners. The show runs Mondays through Fridays in WRKO’s 10-12 time slot, sandwiched between the likes of former State House Speaker Tom Finneran, Rush Limbaugh and Howie Carr.
Tags: Howie Carr, Reese Hopkins, Tom Finneran
September 8th, 2008
