More shakeups in local radio: KSTP and WCCO
Posted on December 18th, 2008 – 4:01 PMBy Neal Justin
Just got a tip that that producer Jeremy Kienitz and morning-show personality Willie Clark are out at KSTP radio. I know, not Mischke-size news, but it is another sign that KSTP-AM is going to have some radical changes.
And that may not be the biggest radio news of the day. I’m hearing word that something even bigger is going down on another part of the dial. I’m looking into it and will share some info when I’ve done some more reporting….
UPDATE: The other shakeup is at WCCO - and while it’s not monumental, it is possibly telling. John Wanamaker and Cory Kampschroer from the news department were laid off on Wednesday. The two had the least amount of seniority, so they were the most vulnerable, but just how many people are left in ‘CCO news department? Seems to be like about half a dozen (still waiting to hear back from management). Is it even worth continuing if you don’t have the resources to do it properly? I chatted with Wanamaker a little while ago. His comments will be up and running over at startribune.com shortly. Hope to hear from the new boss over there, Mick Anselmo, before the afternoon is up.
49 Responses to "More shakeups in local radio: KSTP and WCCO"
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I did not know that KSTP was needing radical changes. Can you explain more about what is going on in the broader context? Did Kodiak and Willie do something dumb that caused their dismissal?
I think it all comes down to ratings. The last time I checked, the numbers, especially in the morning, aren’t hot.
Is there any point for WCCO radio to stay on the air?? I mean they were the top dog in the radio news market!! It seems to me that Don Shelby taking a pay cut was not enough to stop the bean counters from letting more people go. This radio station is a mess right now. CBS and the previous management destoyed this radio station and now Mick has his hands full trying to breath some new life into ‘CCO AM. I would have loved to see some of their so-called talent get the axe!! I fear the ‘CCO radio we have grown up with is in the midst of some big changes!!
Willie Clark is off the local radio circuit. Hurray!
He’s very sexist.
I used to listen to AM 1500 during the morning drive time, but I switched to another station because of Clark’s inappropriate commentary.
I hope KSTP can find someone more suitable for this market.
what it all comes down to is advertising income. the way the economy is crumbling, it doesn’t matter whether you stay on the ratings book, publish another with “dollar a holler” costs, or cut deals off the book just to put something between the segments… no income means cut costs. it will lead to lower ratings even if competition (iPod, satellite radio, ranting at other drivers, etc.) doesn’t cannibalize more audience.
I am sorry to see Willie go. He was a lovable curmudgeon. But since Jay Kohls loves to hear himself talk it was inevitable as Willie could not get in a word edgewise.
The whole KSTP organization can do what they like, when they like, at any time. That family flip-flops their people more than the listeners who keep their radios away from their channel’s. I guess the Twins radio contract did not help do in part to what they overpaid for it. And, ‘CCO AM is hurting by not having the Twins. ‘CCO AM is floundering with no relevance anymore.
AM1500 has made some unfortunate decisions over the years. I’m surprised Willy is gone but (apparently) Jay is still there. Their evening lineups are pretty weak, too. They could help themselves, I think, if they’d air an hour-long news program from noon to 1pm, like they had with John MacDougal. I just hope they don’t plan to give Souhan more airtime.
I won’t miss Willie much, but Kodiak was great when he was on the air. Personally I enjoyed him more than either Willie or Jay.
I used to listen to WCCO in the car always. But for several months now I have noticed that every time I tune into 830, there are a load of inane commercials running….literally. There is so little content left beyond advertising, I just leave the radio off other than for the first two minutes at the top of the hour for CBS news and the stock market stats. Then I turn it off, as the ads are just too much noise.
I agree with Kevin, Kohl brought that show down - absolutely unlistenable, other than the two Reusse updates - and Kohls too often blabbed on during those.
Please let Dark Star talk politics or let him go too please! He is no longer passionate about sports.
totally agree with the number of commercials on WCCO, how can you get into there programing as you know once the host is back from the commercial breaks, the host has about 3 minutes to do his show and bam, here comes another 5 minutes of commercials. I feel sorry for the host, WCCO is all about advertising.
You make a good point about the commercials. That’s all that radio station is anymore. All the talent get free cars, roofs, furnaces, windows, etc. so, they can talk-up the products. I am so tired of hearing Mike Lynch telling us how wonderful his free stuff is. The main reason you hear so much of this in the morning is due to the fact this is the only day-part this radio station still does well in the ratings. Dave Lee is no Roger Erickson. Since most of the tallented people have retired this station has elected to replace good radio broadcasters with cheap personality less drones!! Sid Hartman in the morning sounds like he just woke-up…Dark Starr has no radio voice and really has no expertise in anything. Who in the world and why did they hire this hack? Don Shelby comes from TV to reduce costs during the tough drive home. What weather department? What sports teams? And, Ellanor Mondale and Susie Jones? Jones sounds like she has been on a bender her whole life. This radio station is in need of a lot of help at a time when money is hard to come by. The overnight guy Al Malmberg is the only person who seems ‘CCO worthy. ‘CCO needs personalities that will be enduring. What they have now does not give me that, “Good Neighbor” vibe. Heck, if they were my real neighbors, I would not even talk to them.
The only reason I could ever tolerate listening to the show was because of Willy. He was the only intelligent one on the program. He was witty and interesting. The others spent too much time impersonating 8th grade boys.
Dark Starr hung up on me about 4 years ago when all I wanted to do is give him my feedback towards a sports talk event he had on during his ait time show. This guy was flat out rude to me and ever since, I have not listen to CCO. Al Malmberg is a class act, without Al CCO would be in the dark ages …..KFAN has got my vote……..
I stopped listening to CCO when they stopped having news and became nothing more than a hate outlet with commercials. No comedy, no analysis, no levity, nothing of any value.
They could bring back Hobbs House alone and bring back millions of listeners but they will blow it with Don Shelby providing the direction for the airplane to auger into the ground with all aboard.
I used to listen to AM1500 religiously, but they tend to shuffle their schedule a lot. The only people they have going for them is Bob Davis and Soucheray. And they fired Davis’s producer.
I’d listen to CCO’ radio, if they had anyone worth listening to. Everytime I turn to it…I don’t hear any discussion, it’s usually commercials.
They need better personalities.
Al Malmberg should have been the first one to go. For years, he was unbelievably rude to any caller who did not agree with him. Elderly people would call in the middle of the night, and he would mock them and hang up on them. I wrote to the management several years ago to complain, and I’m sure others have, too, as he has cleaned up his attitude. But he’s still an idiot, and no matter how he sugar-coats it, his condescension shines through and makes me turn the radio off.
I’m sorry to hear that the news guys got laid off. I’m sure WCCO could have handled this better.
WCCO used to have actual entertainment. Now it’s just the least costly mix of self important sports nuts droning on endlessly- between commercials. Any station that feels like Dark “Brain” belongs on the air, has already defeated itself. For goodness sake, one of the most obnoxious talents at the station is named for a horse that ran back in the 1950s! Come into the 21st cenury, or perish!
When I was growing up many years ago, WCCO was far and away the best of Twin Cities radio. But, instead of the other stations rising to their level, WCCO has ben on a steady downward fall. KFAN has a few interesting hosts. Otherwise Twin Cities radio is pretty much a vast wasteland. NPR and its local affiliate is about the only reliable radio news outlet left in town.
What happened to Terri Gruca on WCCO-TV? Was she a victim of the economy too? She has not been on the air for a few weeks now and her bio has been removed from the WCCO-TV website.
Gruca got a new gig in Texas
Terry Gruca left the station by her own decision. She took the main co-anchor job in Texsas. It’s a shame too. Jeanette Tropeter is one of the worst on-air talents in this market. She can’t ad-lib without looking stupid, she can’t read a script without making mistake after mistake. There simply was no room for Terry to advance. She moved to advance and to be honest, WCCO Television has been in a free-fall since the last news director and station manager left. Currently, WCCO TV news looks like a cheap magazine show. Their sets, graphics, cost cutting all show through each night. Paul Douglas being cut with out notice was the first blunder the womam currently in the VP position over there made. She is a sales hack that has no clue how to run a station. They could have saved face and offered Douglas a salarie cut. But, no she would not even go on the record and make a statement. Coward!! ‘CCO is run by a corporation that keeps screwing up the formula that made WCCO what it was. These sales hacks who try to run a station don’t care about the product. They care about hom many beans are coming in the front door. They got a new guy running the radio side of things and I happen to hear from the indside at the TV side, her days are numbered. Radio finnaly hired a real radio manager, now TV has to do the same before ‘CCO TV can’t be repaired. One can not expect the owners in New York to understand a market in Minneapolis when your VP and General Manager has no balls to tell them. I watch KARE now. At least, their owners understand this market and do little to upset what works here for them.
I can’t believe you people are devoting this much thought to local radio.
Kodiak did add to the morning show on AM1500. I just can’t listen to Kohls’ nervous laughter. A nice guy, I’m sure, but not someone that can hold my attention. I’ll tune in to listen to Reusse’s sports updates and catch some news, weather and traffic. The support staff helped carry that program. Anyone know where Bob Yates is these days?
The post above yours….I had to write that…LOL!!
Funny - didn’t see the post while I was typing…
1500 lost me when Mischke was yanked
Al Malmberg is the ‘CCO I remember when growing up. All we can hear now is a bumbling washed-up Sid hartman and everyone talking about sports. The news is all but gone. I guess the Thanksgivng Radio parade is the extent of the comedy too!
Bob Yates is at KLBB 1220.
When CBS axed “Jericho” I gave them the old heave-ho. And please, Don Shelby, RETIRE. You’re totally irrelevant.
Let me for a moment ask this question: Are our local radio stations too cheap to bring in top tallent from other markets? Or, is AM radio so dead in the water in this current climate of the digital age? I believe the answer to both of these questions is yes. WCCO is not the cash cow it once was due to the fact that if not for sports, they would not make it any longer.
If Al Malmberg is the best they can do, then they deserve what they get. The ‘CCO I remember growing up would never treat people like he does. He is rude, opinionated, and phoney. If you are buying into that, it says a lot about MN and why radio sucks.
I usually don’t listen to WCCO but I do sometimes in the early morning and Al Malmberg seems like the nicest guy there. I like the Dennis Miller show but he is not local. As far as the person who said Malmberg is rude I would say Mischke was known for making fun of his callers and lame jokes..Perhaps when he started he was funny but later in life he must have used up all his material.
I miss the Attack of the Killer Bread show.
Don Shelby’s is both boring and arrogant. Impossible to listen to. I have moved over to 107.1 for afternoon drive time. At least it is humorous. ‘CCO’s only worthwhile personality is Eleanor Mondale.I miss Mischke.
Eleanor Mondale?? She stinks!! What is she anyway?? What is her background that makes her worth listening to?? That whole Sussie Jones and Mondale show is nothing but a turn-off!! I might be male but, Pat Miles before this show was at least a listenable show. I remember when Mondale worked at WCCO TV. After a couple of months the TV side threw her out. She has no radio tallent. She is a name and nothing more. Don Shelby needs to be helped off his high horse. I like him as an anchor man but, he is not what the radio side needs–I agree!! I think Jeff McCinney is the real star of that show. Mick the new boss over there has a lot of work to do to get this station back on track. With the economic pressures facing him, I fear he will have a tough time. This station has lost it’s appeal in this market. I don’t know how you can attract younger listeners who percieve this radio station as dated and boring!! Get some talent over there soon. This station has none!!
willy is/was the best part of the morning show. kodiak needed to talk less….guess i’ll get my wish. jay needs to talk less….
What ever happened to having true radio professionals, like the old CCO, Bob Yates, Mischke, etc. Seems now all they want are ex or even current newspaper hacks. Other than Reusse, it fails to work. PLEASE tell me Jim Souhan is not permanent at KSTP.
I grew to like Willie, enjoyed Kodiak and have absolutley NO idea how Jay got there let alone how he survives. If Jay is what is left….Bye Bye. PS..I like Kenny!
With the changes at KSTP, does that mean that John Hines may reappear?
That would bring Hines and Berglund back together. And who says radio isn’t original…
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More proof Hubbard cant manage radio or TV. Dead last in ratings cause they cant keep anything consistent.
And, to think this is the third generation in charge. They are all clueless. Goes to show you that even a locally owned station can’t do anything right!! The Hubbard’s nepitism has gotten the best of them!!
Phil Hendrie on ‘CCO. Now that was great radio.
I too have grown extremely weary of the endless commercials on “the good neighbor.” Plus, if you listen to the internet stream, like I used to, the internet commercials aren’t the same as the on-air commercials (Double dipping going on here.) and they’re not always sychronised right either. It’s not unusual to have program content cut short for commercials if you’re listening online. I complained about it, they sent me a nice note back apoligizing and promising to look into it. It got better for a bit, but after a couple of weeks, resumed. I wrote again several times, and have been roundly ignored. I for one, like the chemistry between Don Shelby and Jeff McKinney. I haven’t been able to listen to them for a while though, due to work constraints. But the economy is giving me the “opportunity” to listen to them again, as I’m being laid off. So I know what those newsroom people are going through.
I loved listening to Willy and Jay and company in the mornings. Kodiak and Kenny complimented them. I always started my mornings with them. I loved starting my day with a laugh or two. No way will I listen to Patrick Rouse. He would depress me in a minute. Get rid of Bob Davis. He is so rude!! You can tell if he is talking to a caller or a guest speaker. He gives total respect to the guest and badgers the caller even if he has to contradict himself.
