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11/8: On Star’s Tom Sullivan, Bert, Drudge
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Star 94’s Tommy Sullivan yesterday said he will not be part of the new morning show with Marco, Shannon and Mikey set to come on January 2. He said his last day doing mornings will be mid-December. He is still in discussions for another possible job at Star 94 but if that doesn’t work out, he’s ready to move on. He at least has his “Atlanta & Company” job, which he said he hopes will lead to other opportunities as well. Heck, the guy has been at Star 94 since he was a teenager, going back the disco era. And that in and of itself is incredible. (Star 94 is starting its Children’s Healthcare radioathon today and understandably, Steve & Vikki chose to leave last week instead of, say, Thanksgiving, because they didn’t want to go through the radiothon.)
Sullivan was also in the New York Times Sunday in a story about people who spend mucho bucks trying out for reality shows. (“It was awesome!” he said.) He was the lead anecdote, noting that he spent $8,000 in travel, hotel, video production, et. al, trying out for CBS’s “Survivor” for five years. He said he attempted to get on the show from cycle 2 to cycle 11. He made it to the “semifinals” five times but never made the cut. He said “Survivor” casting folks said Tom came across as “too nice” for the show. Sullivan said he did a farewell casting video in which he insulted the staff, a basic middle finger to “Survivor.” “I was fed up,” he said. He has not watched an episode since.
Q100’s Bert Show took a caller this morning who asked the crew about Steve & Vikki. Bert Weiss repeated what he told me last week, that he has nothing but respect for their longevity and success. And even Jeff Dauler held back on mocking them as he has in the past because as he noted, he sees Steve and sees a mirror, that this could and may eventually happen to them. Everybody in radio has a shelf life and Bert said a bar friend compared them to a vodka brand at a bar. People will enjoy them for awhile, then move on to another brand. “We’re a commodity,” Bert said. That’s not necessarily true. That implies that the Bert Show is interchangable with anything else. They are unique and they have created their own success. When a caller was about to explain why she liked the Bert Show and why she no longer listened to Star 94, the Bert Show cut her off, saying this wasn’t the right place to do that, that they didn’t want to go there. Jeff predicted that Steve will be back on the radio “like a ninja, kissing some” you know what.
Meanwhile, 640/WGST is no longer airing the Drudge Report on the radio because Matt Drudge has dropped his Sunday night radio show, saying he wants to focus on the Web site. WGST is now using Bill Cunningham out of Cincinnati.
Comments
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By Flo Jean
November 8, 2007 9:12 AM | Link to this
I thought the Steve & Vicki “Love-a-thon” on the Bert Show this morning was odd. Were they trying to come across as nice to the S & V listeners who might have migrated to their show for a quick listen? It sounded insincere to me.
By what gives?
November 8, 2007 9:31 AM | Link to this
Can Rodney Ho have an even bigger hard-on for the Bert show?
By Thrash
November 8, 2007 9:53 AM | Link to this
Hey what gives?, isn’t that what the H-O stands for?
By Hodney Ro
November 8, 2007 9:56 AM | Link to this
It will be interesting to see who gets the bigger portion of former Steve and Vicki fans. Kelly and Alpha on B98.5 or the Bert Show.
By muffin
November 8, 2007 10:06 AM | Link to this
I don’t think anyone who actually enjoyed Steve & Vicki’s show will like the Bert Show. Two totally different audiences all together. The people who enjoyed Steve’s sense of “humor” if you can call it that, will not get the Bert Show. I myself listen to my ipod or satellite radio now because, honestly, morning radio generally sucks.
By Michelle
November 8, 2007 10:32 AM | Link to this
I don’t know why ANY radio station has to diss any other radio station. If your show can’t stand on it’s own merit vs. cutting down the competition, well, then so be it!
By F yeah
November 8, 2007 11:25 AM | Link to this
Seriously Rodney. What is with all the Bert Show stuff.
By the truth
November 8, 2007 12:15 PM | Link to this
If Bert isnt careful, he’ll find himself in the unemployment line behind Jimmy Baron, who’s still out of a job. O’h ya, BARON SAYS HE DOESNT HAVE TO WORK. WHAT A JERK.
By BertShowFan
November 8, 2007 12:26 PM | Link to this
Give Rodney a break! Until recently, (with the Big Thank you promotion and all) he hardly every writes about the Bert Show.
I didn’t hear the part where the Bert Show defended Steve and Vicki, but as an avid listener I do find it odd they would do that because they have spent the last six years mocking Steve and Vicki (Phil Terrana anyone?)
As of late, the Steve and Vicki Show was like being in an elevator and having to listen to two or three conversations at once. Unlike other morning shows the converstation never flowed and it always seemed like they were all trying to talk over one another.
Maybe the ten people on the show never got along. Who knows!
By BertShowFan
November 8, 2007 12:30 PM | Link to this
I think Bert is a more likable personality than Jimmy Baron.
Of course Barnes may be the only radio personality who is less likable than Jimmy Baron.
By me
November 9, 2007 1:32 PM | Link to this
Good for Bert- he won, he doesn’t need to gloat. In 6 years he ran the 17 year veteran out of town. Kind of like Tony Romo pushing out Bledsoe. Star wanted Bert but he stayed put and won the battle outright rather than join the enemy. Now, Star will be owned by Cumulus soon. Bert is King of Atlanta radio.
By Radio Insider
November 9, 2007 2:07 PM | Link to this
Bert Weiss just became the new Steve McCoy, in terms of radio shelf-life!
Q-100’s audience is aging, too … and the young (non-rap) crowd is about to move to the “Morning Mess” on Star 94 in January.
Don’t believe any of the “spin” from Star 94 about Steve & Vikki “retiring,” or “leaving early” - they were TOLD that their last day would be November 2, and there were indications over a year ago that their contracts would not be renewed at the end of 2007.
Sad that Tom is being let go also, but that’s life.
Fortunately, Shannon Holly is gone, too … the consensus is that she was a major cause of the decline in the popularity of the show - she just couldn’t “play well with others” on the air and usually killed the “flow” of a topic or “bit.”
There’s no shame to being “fired” in radio - it’s usually a bump UP in the career, and Steve, Vikki & Tom will be just fine!
Now let’s see if ANYBODY is still on the air on January 2 - especially if Cumulus (Q-100, 99x) buys Star 94.
By Michelle
November 9, 2007 3:40 PM | Link to this
I’m not a Tom or Shannon fan. My radio dial has ALREADY changed, never to find it’s way back to Star 94. I’m over at Kicks now! :)
By BertShowFan
November 9, 2007 6:56 PM | Link to this
Fortunately, Shannon Holly is gone, too … the consensus is that she was a major cause of the decline in the popularity of the show - she just couldn’t “play well with others” on the air and usually killed the “flow” of a topic or “bit.
Well that explains why the conversation on Steve and Vicki never flowed.