Access Atlanta > Entertainment > Radio Talk > Archives > 2006 > November > 19 > Entry
11/20: Whip speaks & other 96rock detritus
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I got a hold of Whip on Sunday. Yes, he was fired Thursday after 18 months as the morning host at 105.3/The Buzz. (He was also fired from 99X a few months before that.) He said he knew the Buzz was going away and had a sinking feeling a couple days before that he might not make the transition. He said he joked with mid-day guy Fin from 96rock that one of them was not going to make it. In the end, he said, neither made it.
Based on promos on Project 9-6-1, Aly, the midday gal, and Chris Williams, program director and afternoon host, will be back the Monday after Thanksgiving. They are seeking a new morning show. Ironically, Whip said Williams told him just a couple days before that “I’m the well-behaved child I don’t have to pay attention to.” In fact, Whip said he got virtually no guidance and no personnel support. Unlike other morning shows, he had no sidekick, no phone screener, no producer, not even an unpaid intern. But he’s not bitter. He said he enjoyed his time there, that he figures his firing was not Williams’ doing. “It was a nice run,” he said. He just had no idea who didn’t like him at Clear Channel and decided he woudln’t fit on Projecct 9-6-1. He said he would have been willing to even take another shift to stay on but wasn’t given that option. His kids, ages six and eight, weren’t happy because Whip figures he’s going to have to find a job elsewhere.
I also finally reached Mike Wheeler, regional vice president of programming for Clear Channel Atlanta and the boss of Project 9-6-1 program director Chris Williams. (Williams was PD at 105.3/The Buzz and PD at 99X before that.) Wheeler was perfectly nice but offered me zero information about 105.3’s future, why they created Project 9-6-1 or the future of Fin and Jennifer Reed except to say, “We’re just going to do focus on what we’re doing” and “We’re under no obligation to talk to you.” Clearly, someone up high has told them not to talk to the media. It’s possible the leveraged buyout of Clear Channel announced last week may have led to some corporate guy at headquarters in San Antonio to impose a systemwide media blackout. Or it could be fallout from the Regular Guys firing and lawsuits. Or maybe not. Wheeler wouldn’t say. He also wouldn’t lay the blame on his boss Chuck Deskins, market manager for Clear Channel Atlanta. He said maybe he’ll be able to speak Monday when Deskins is back from Clear Channel headquarters in San Antonio. We’ll see!
It’s interesting that Larry Wachs, formerly of the Regular Guys, had about as much luck as I did trying to talk to someone at Clear Channel Atlanta Friday, according to his blog about 96rock’s demise. Here’s an excerpt:
Truth be told, the Rock succumbed to a long illness that started in 2004 when we got fired the first time. That triggered an avalanche of events which were compounded by more bleeding and malpractice (Hint: Overpaying for the Braves).
By the time we came back in 2005, the Mays Family had quietly begun their exit strategy, realizing what budding monopolists throughout history have; without guns, you can’t own everything. The managerial disarray had metastasized by then and today it’s 1945 in Japan. If only war crimes tribunals were applicable in radio.
Today was simply the first public acknowledgment by Clear Channel of what everyone has known for years. Without TRG, Clear Channel/Atlanta was doomed. Saddam has a better chance. Everyone bowed and scraped to the gods of baseball in there, but they’re still around and the station is through…
I called over to 96Rock this afternoon when I heard the news, and, of course, got no human to speak with. That’ll play well with the public when the new formats launch soon. If I know Atlanta, I know one thing for sure. Southerners love cold, impersonal radio stations that play the hits.
Comments
Commenting is now closed for this entry.
By bud
November 20, 2006 8:59 AM | Link to this
Who knew that Kurt Cobain would unwittingly destroy Rock music by all of his impersonators taking over all hard rock bands after his death in 1994. The atonal screams over plodding chords have obliterated bands that have any melody or harmony to them, and project 961 is hear to push this crap on us, with an occasional Black Sabbath or Aerosmith song thrown in for good measure. Classic Rock held on so long as a format because so little of the post disco-era rock is worth listening to. Yeah, we’re all burned out on the Eagles/Elton/Fleetwood mix, but the new stuff has no soul.
By Craig
November 20, 2006 9:17 AM | Link to this
Wow, look at Rodney comparing this to WW2. I mean it’s bad, Whip my brother you were by far the funniest person in ATL, but it’s just radio. But, with that said, I love Rodney’s passion.
By Dom
November 20, 2006 9:26 AM | Link to this
Atlanta Radio Really Blows. I guess it’s a Steve and Vickie Kinda Town. “Wussy’s” I guess I’ll take some of my disposable income and get with the program and purchase a xm or sirrus radio. Hey folks any suggestions on which is better XM or Sirrus? Clear channel you SUCK……..And so does your corporate people. Another Atlanta culture Bull-Dozed, by people who think they have the better Solution. Chris Rude Where are YoUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!
By mel
November 20, 2006 9:26 AM | Link to this
Craig… I think that the WW2 reference is from Larry’s blog.. I could be mistaken though.
By Norma Lee
November 20, 2006 9:43 AM | Link to this
Greg such a god soon. He takes me and daddy on trip for tanksgiving. clear chanell never should fire Larry and Erik. They might well pack up move out town. L so shy. LOL
By The Projects suck
November 20, 2006 9:56 AM | Link to this
Don’t know Whip personally, but I hated him as a host—so I’m glad he’s gone.
And Ally? She sucks even worse!! You know Ally, some of us like to hear the entire song and hate listening to some idiot dj blab over the entire intro. I really like the intro to SOAD’s “Hypnotize,” but you would never hear it on Ally’s show because she would just yack and yack and yack (including pauses) until the first lyric. Shut up, you stupid bee-yotch, and let me hear the song!!
By Byron
November 20, 2006 10:27 AM | Link to this
RE: XM or Sirius for Dom
Hi, Dom.
As a current subscriber to both XM and Sirius, I’ll try to address your query.
XM has more channels than Sirius. However, Sirius has more in QUALITY of Content than QUANTITY of Content.
I listen to my Sirius about 90-95% of the time while my XM receiver collects dust.
For me the only advantages XM has over Sirius is a ’40s Music (Big Band/Swing) and a 24/7/365 Hockey Talk channel.
Clear Channel actually has a stake in XM and provides the song libraries for several of the channels there, even the commercial-free ones. That tidbit alone may help drive you to Sirius.
If you have any other questions about satellite, I’ll do my best to answer.
Good Luck.
By gttim
November 20, 2006 1:29 PM | Link to this
Sirius carries Little Steven’s Underground Garage which I now listen to all the time. (You can get a taste of that from his website, google Underground Garage, or on 92.9 Sunday evenings.) I had XM but dumped it. XM seems to have more 80’s and New Wave, but I find Sirius far superior overall.
By Rodney Ho
November 21, 2006 10:43 AM | Link to this
Yes, the WW2 reference is from Larry’s blog. Sorry if I didn’t make it clearer that the last few grafs are from him.
By Slo
November 21, 2006 4:32 PM | Link to this
Funny about Whip and the Buzz… They bashed 99X for months, but look who is still standing… 99X!
Good Riddance and Good Bye.
By Bill Thomas
November 27, 2006 3:49 PM | Link to this
To the Genius who runs WGST…….
Congratulations on successfully attaining your goal of making WGST Irrelevant Radio. Not since Nancy Haystack and Planet Radio has WGST attained such a lofty position. Everyone I have ever enjoyed listening to at WGST has been fired. I guess I will have to go see my shrink to find out what is wrong with me. Obviously I am deficient! Thank heavens I’ve still got enough brain cells left to be able to change all of the presets on our radios to remove WGST. Never again will I have to wait for the next talk show host I enjoy to be terminated. With the advent of the Internet, I am enabled to listen to Rush without ever coming in contact with your station again.
So long Irrelevant Radio, and good luck. You are going to need it!!!!!
Regards,
Bill
By K.Hamby
November 28, 2006 2:38 PM | Link to this
Thanks to whomever is responsible (clear channle) for taking a radio station which had existed for over 30 years and dissolving it in 1 day. I am native to Atlanta, and grew up listening to 96rock. It was one element I could always count on in my daily routine, and now its just gone. Whoever runs clear channle has no clue about what it takes to keep listeners, and you think the solution is to change everything. Project 961 is terrible, your attempting to combine multiple generations by combining classic artists such as ac/dc, Led Zep, Aerosmith, and combining them with KORN, Godsmack, Virvana. It won’t work and within a year your ratings will be in the toilet and project 961 will become another hispanic station. Word of advice to DJ’s on Project 961, keep a resume updated and at the ready, for soon, you’ll be out of a job and your station will be gone in a day. Clear channle should hire me, an auto mechanic, I know better than they what I, the listener, wants to hear. It isn’t what my kids are listening to, as if that was to be considered music in the first place. Guess I’m being forced to news radio on the AM dial. Thanks clear channle, idiots!
By ccsux
November 30, 2006 12:40 PM | Link to this
CLEAR CHANNEL YOU SUCK! Take your San Antonio Mexican station back to Texas and stick it up your Lone Star BUTT! You destroyed a station that people loved, took away the people that we like to hear all because you THOUGHT you could do better. Stop thinking-that is your down fall. Good luck with your news channel project of telling illegal Mexicans how they can cross the border in rapid fire spanish with your cronies Tapia and Carreras or Taco and Bell-what ever their Gazpacho name is. TRAITORS!