Access Atlanta > Entertainment > Radio Talk > Archives > 2007 > October > 11
Thursday, October 11, 2007
10/12: Rhubarb being phased out? (UPDATED)
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
If you’ve noticed a recently reduced role for Rhubarb Jones on Eagle 106.7, your ears aren’t deceiving you. He is now only doing the show live from 7ish to 10 a.m. He does some taped bits for the 6 to 7 a.m. hours. “Southside” Steve is in the studio live from 5:30 to 8 a.m. and doing street bits as usual. Dallas McCade is on the entire four-plus hours. Victor Sansone, the boss, said he simply wanted to give Rhubarb an extra hour of sleep and this is nothing alarming. “He’s part of the woodwork,” Sansone said. “He’s been doing this for 25 years. He deserves to come in an hour later.”
The show has also started playing more music and cut back on talk, although the show was never known to be heavily talk anyway.
No word from “Southside” or Rhubarb. This is a strange arrangement and it’s unclear how tenable it is long term. I’m also not sure how much time Rhubarb has left on his contract but this certainly doesn’t bode well for a contract renewal next year. Rhubarb is the longest-running morning host in the market at 22 years. Many of his peers have left or are leaving the scene. Kimmer and Tom Hughes were cut from GST last December. Spiff Carner was let go from the same station Wednesday. And Steve & Vikki are gone from Star 94 November 2.
After I posted this entry, Sansone sent me an angry email, saying I interpreted this situation wrong. I initially wrote it appears Southside and Rhubarb are being separated. Sansone denied that and he also said Rhubarb is not being phased out. He said some morning shows are split from 5 a.m. to 8 a.m. and 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. He wrote that this is “very common when you have a long tenured institution.” Seriously, I have never heard of such an arrangement, at least in Atlanta or during the time I’ve been covering radio since 2001. “Maybe you shouldn’t bother calling if you’re going to write your own version,” he wrote. “Southside is on the street, it might not be sexy enough for you, but its the truth. Don’t call me if you write what you just feel like writing.”
