In the fickle world of radio, change happens at breakneck speed, often without mercy. Yesterday the hatchet of death reached across the country, and heads rolled.
I’ve been listening to KUFO (101.1 FM) since the beginning. As in the very beginning. I was up at midnight when KRCK (?) officially went away, and the new call letters and format were announced. “Circling high… over planet Earth…” It played a mix of classic rock with newer stuff, leaving Steve Miller and Bob Seger to the left of the dial. Over time, the music got harder, and the personalities more engaging. Being a fan of knucklehead cookie monster rock, it became *my* station.
Before Howard Stern came along and f*cked everything up, I’d get up in the middle of my night (early morning) to listen to the Bill Prescott Show. A mix of comedy, commentary, news and rock & roll, it set the tone for my wacky-ass day. I’d call in, enter the contests, play the games. I had several audio cassettes of me making a fool of myself. Bill brought in famed Los Angeles DJ Tawn Mastery, oh she of teh sexxy voice. Luscious!
There was a kid in the background, an intern. Cort Webber. He inadvertently gave me the answer to a contest one day:
Bill P.: “Cort, what’s the question?!”
Cort: “Brett Favre!”
Bill P.: “No, the question…”
I won the contest…
One night KUFO had a meet and greet at the sports bar around the corner from where I lived. I went, and got an autographed postcard from Cort and Tawn. Cort looks so darling in his Chris Isaak hairdo. I still have it somewhere.
Howard Stern came along and took over the morning. I still haven’t forgiven him for killing off my favorite radio show. But if there was a bright side, Cort kept his job as an intern. He started working with Craig the Dog-Faced Boy and Pork Chop. This evolved into an evening slot with Boomer. For whatever reason Boomer disappeared, and soon there was a NKOTB.
Enter Bob ‘Fatboy’ Roberts. (Well, don’t literally enter Fatboy Roberts. I don’t think he’d like that. “Oh, Voltron!…) He brought a snappy wit and an intelligence that compliments Cort’s everyman demeanor, without curbing the sophomoric spirit of the show(s). He started my favorite radio contest, Stump the Movie Douche. (Fatboy being the douche.) You name two actors in a movie, if he doesn’t guess the movie, you win a prize. (Robin Williams and Florence Henderson* won me Nine Inch Nails tickets!)
Thunderdome? It’s a weekly chance to hear your own voice on the radio. It’s a simple call-in, voting for your favorite of two songs; brownie points if you can crack up the DJs. Some are better at it than others, ahem.
I got to work yesterday and turned on the radio, surprised to hear Cort’s voice in the afternoon. WTF? I kept shushing co-workers and soon got the details. Marconi had been fired/laid off, and the Cort and Fatboy Show has been moved to the afternoon.
While I wish Marconi all the best, I’m glad ‘my boys’ made the cut. It’s gonna be a little weird hearing them first thing in my morning. They’re usually finishing up about the time I get off work; my time-space continuum is going to be a bit warped for a week or two.
The afternoon shift is probably great for them. Home with the spouses and kids at a reasonable hour. TV without TiVo. Have they hit the big-time?
I hope they don’t dilute the spirit of the show, although I don’t expect to hear the unedited version of Marilyn Manson’s Cake and Sodomy anytime soon. Oops! I bet they wish people would forget about that one. If the FCC comes calling, just blame Bozyk…
The afternoon will bring a fresh audience, I hope it’s a tolerant one. Cort has shown longevity, and Fatboy brings nothing but good things to the show. Yesterday they described themselves as “a Nuclear Cockroach and a Radioactive Twinkie.”
I certainly hope they are around that long.
*Shakes the Clown.
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In other CBS Radio news, Tim Riley, from the Rick Emerson show was also axed over the weekend. I’m not sure I’ve gone a day without listening to the show. Tim Riley was a key element that really tied it together. It’s times like these where we really need good entertainment to help us muscle through the day.
It truly sucks for Marconi, Tim, and Portland listeners who were big fans. Let’s also hope that CBS doesn’t tighten their belt even further.
http://timrileylive.wordpress.com/2008/12/08/947/
I’m sad to see Marconi go, but i loves (in a very platonic way) fatboy
i love marconi. WHY CBS? WHY!!!!!!!!!!!
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