Access Atlanta > Entertainment > Radio Talk > Archives > 2007 > January > 24
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
1/24: Q100’s Bert/Kimmer updates
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Bert Weiss has been signed for another five years, guaranteeing him a spot on the dial at Q100 through 2012, according to John Dickey, executive vice president of Atlanta-based Cumulus Broadcasting, which owns Q100 and 99X. He said there will be a press conference next week to provide more details once Weiss returns from vacation.
Weiss pulls in strong numbers among women ages 18 to 34 and has expanded his show’s appeal to older women in recent times. Since he came aboard in 2001, his show has consistently outperformed the rest of the station.
In other words, Cumulus needed to sign the Bert Show to keep Q100 afloat. (Dickey doesn’t agree with that assertion, saying the station ratings have improved outside of Bert’s time slot since they took over the company last year.) And five years is a serious time commitment for any morning show when typical contracts run three years.
Dickey also claimed Star 94 chased after Bert to no avail but Mark Kanov, general manager of Star 94, denied that, saying he has never spoken to Weiss’ agent Bob Eatman and has met Weiss just once a few months back at a function. “He’s good where he is,” Kanov said. “We have no place for Bert.” (Dickey said it was Kanov’s boss Don Benson who made the negotations, not Kanov. I left a message with Benson to see whether that was true.)
And though their contracts are not aligned directly with Bert’s, “the other three [on the Bert Show, Jeff Dauler, Jenn Hobby and Melissa Carter] are extended for as long as Bert,” Dickey said.
And I keep getting emails from fans wondering about the future of Kim “The Kimmer” Peterson, who was let go from WGST in November. He’s riding his Chopper and playing lots of golf while he awaits offers through his agent, who is also Eatman.
Eatman said he’s got something in the frying pan for the Kimmer but wouldn’t say what. “My agent is checking on one, maybe two leads in town,” the Kimmer said. For 60-year-old Kimmer to leave town, he said it would have to be a huge offer because he’d like to stay in Atlanta.
In fact, he said if he can’t get a decent radio gig, he’ll retire. “I can’t imagine myself starting a new career,” the Kimmer said Wednesday. “I don’t really have to.” Right now, he’s going a bit stir crazy because there are great topics he’d love to gab about with his fans such as the Michael Vick situation and Hillary Clinton running for president. “I’m chomping and anxious,” he said. “Until I hear from my agent, I’m just hanging loose.”
