Access Atlanta > Entertainment > Radio Talk > Archives > 2008 > January > 28 > Entry
1/28: Booted from the Regular Guys studio! (UPDATED)
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I’m sorry that I end up having to insert myself into the story but the Powers That Be at Q100/Rock 100.5 seem to have a knack for this:
Tim Andrews and the Regular Guys invited me to the radio studio this morning on the first day of the show’s third incarnation so I came up at about 8:30 a.m. I took a few pictures (below), then got kicked out by Cumulus Atlanta Market Manager Gary Lewis.
ABOVE: Eric, with a hat to hide his thinning hair.
ABOVE: “Southside” Steve, happy to be back home after a year at the Eagle.
ABOVE: Larry, wearing a wig.
The bosses decided it would be too distracting for me to be there - or something like that. In fact, I can’t even talk to Larry & Eric until they deem it okay. Eric was peeved and got into Gary’s face but Larry decided to play referee, apologized about misunderstanding Gary’s original missive and I was gone. (Larry said he only thought he wasn’t supposed to talk to me Sunday night.)
The first few songs on Rock 100.5 after the Regular Guys ended, by the way, were the Who’s “Baba O’Riley,” the first song when 96rock launched more than 30 years ago. That was followed by “Sweet Emotion” by Aerosmith, “Paradise City” by Guns ‘n Roses, “Panama” by Van Halen and “Shine” by Collective Soul. In other words, the format is pretty much the old 96rock, no surprise there. They are playing four decades of music, from Jimi Hendrix in 1968 to 2007 hit by Daughtry “It’s Not Over.”
Gary Lewis (right) used to run Z93 from 1996 til around 2000. He was the man who dumped the Greaseman, and brought in Gary McKee and Charlie & Company. When I asked why he never brought in Howard Stern, he said Mel Karmizan simply told him no and he doesn’t really know why. (Conspiracy theorists have at it!)
Since I was the cause of the first tiff between management and the Regular Guys, I asked how they were going to manage the Regular Guys, who have been taken off the air twice already with Clear Channel. His response: “They are radio professionals. I believe there’s a definite understanding. We’ll give them all the latitude they need to make great radio.”
Will there be diminishing returns for a show that didn’t quite get back its ratings when it came back a second time at 96rock? He said the show, with “Southside” Steve back, is much better for it and he expects ratings will do as well as they did on the stronger 96.1 signal. “The whole signal issue gets overplayed,” he said.
The Regular Guys modus operandi is to mock the bosses. “I’m willing to take it,” Lewis said. How much leeway will they really have to do that? “This is not a show to be micromanaged,” he said. “From an artistic standpoint, we brought them in because we like what they do.”
Ben the Bunnyman is back. So is homeless karaoke and the FU line. DUI lawyer George Stein will return, too, later in the week.
The Regular Guys are in Bert’s old studios while Bert is over at 99X’s studios.
I just spoke with John Dickey. He said he’ll make Larry & Eric available next week once they get settled down and get used to their surroundings. Whatever.
He did say there is a new mid-day person coming from outside of Atlanta but he wouldn’t say who. Axel will do afternoons and Matt C & Lewis evenings. “This station is picking up where 96rock left off,” he said. Then Dickey mocked rival Clear Channel after asked what he felt when 96rock was killed in late 2006 in favor of Project. “I was shocked, disappointed, saddened. And just puzzled. It just spiraled from there. They blew up Peach [Lite]. They disemboweled GST. They proved they can destroy brands and quite frankly, disenfranchise listeners.”
As for the Regular Guys, Dickey is on the top of th e world: “They’re excited to be back. I don’t anticipate anything but great radio out of these guys —Â and a great run for the next 10, 15 years.”
Comments
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By Buck Naked
January 28, 2008 10:28 AM | Link to this
“The whole signal issue gets overplayed,” he said.
He obviously doesn’t live north of Braselton…
By Lisa
January 28, 2008 10:41 AM | Link to this
Where is Tim Rhodes!!!!! I want SS Steve and Tim back!!!!!
By w00t
January 28, 2008 10:56 AM | Link to this
if the “The whole signal issue gets overplayed” wasn’t such a big deal, then why did they move Q100? seem’s like a cop-out to me.
By rocker
January 28, 2008 11:15 AM | Link to this
The “signal issue might get overplayed”, but I had no trouble picking up 96Rock and 99X way out here at Lake Oconee (where I live)…..I don’t expect I will be listening to Rock100.5 much, except on my occasional trips back towards Atlanta. I’m glad Atlanta got a Classic Rock station back…..wish I could listen to it.
By rocker
January 28, 2008 11:19 AM | Link to this
Lisa, Tim Rhodes is on in the afternoons on Bulldog 103.7 out of Athens (another weak signal….argggh!)
By ADL
January 28, 2008 11:32 AM | Link to this
I’m sure Eagle 106.7 listeners are glad “Southside” Steve is back with the Regular Guys too.
By Prince of Roswell
January 28, 2008 11:33 AM | Link to this
Rodney Ho loves every bit of the attention.
By JD
January 28, 2008 11:35 AM | Link to this
Are they sitting in the old 99x studio? Secondly, why don’t they (Cumulus) increase the broadcasting wattage?
By W. Aymerich
January 28, 2008 11:36 AM | Link to this
I Like Eric’s Hat… Pretty Cool… I am sure a lot of their stuff at the moment is staged for propaganda… Get the pot stirred… You will get the talk time Rodney don’t fret you know it…
By slasher
January 28, 2008 11:53 AM | Link to this
Talk about stealing Dave FM’s thunder! TRGs still suck, but they have such a built-in audience—especially with SS Steve back—that the new guy on Dave has already been rendered irrelevant. Oh, and Giant Brian and his idiot sidekick might as well start xeroxing their resumes at Kinkos.
By Brian
January 28, 2008 11:57 AM | Link to this
Hey Eric—step away from the buffet table you fat pig.
By xfan
January 28, 2008 12:09 PM | Link to this
cumulus could probably increase their power if they applied for it to the FCC.
By Vajayjay
January 28, 2008 12:27 PM | Link to this
Yawn
Same crap different station.
By BURL
January 28, 2008 12:41 PM | Link to this
WooHoo!
Regular Guys in the AM, and XM the rest of the day.
By Leslie Fram
January 28, 2008 12:44 PM | Link to this
I was replaced for these guys… They have been recycled more than my panties….
By NW
January 28, 2008 12:49 PM | Link to this
come on Rodney. It’s “Baba O’Riley”
By BadRadio
January 28, 2008 1:10 PM | Link to this
I’m sorry that I end up having to insert myself into the story…
Um, Rodney, I’d venture to say that you have trouble writing these “stories” without inserting yourself. Check back; in the last eight “articles” you’ve written for this blog, you’ve mentioned yourself in the first person seven times. “I spoke with…”, “…told me”, “my alarm clock…”; it’s becoming more and more noticeable, don’t you think? Your American Idol blog is just as self-referential.
Notwithstandig the AJC’s journalistic standards, don’t feed us crap about being “sorry” for talking about yourself. You love it, and everyone can tell.
By Rodney Hoe
January 28, 2008 1:17 PM | Link to this
why do you guys come to this website just to trash me?
By Chief Wiggum
January 28, 2008 1:19 PM | Link to this
Wait a second…Larry is wearing a wig? You mean to tell me that he doesn’t have such lovely blonde hair?
To another poster, I think that the Bert & Ernie show moved into the old 99X studio, so I would assume (but could be wrong) that Larry & Eric might be in the old Q100 studio.
By Rodney Ho
January 28, 2008 1:44 PM | Link to this
Badradio: guilty as charged.
By Linds
January 28, 2008 1:56 PM | Link to this
I was listening to the Bert Show this morning and they had Match Box 20 on and MB20 apparently grabbed a piece of marketing/sales material from the 100.5 studios which was discussing the market Rock 100.5 was going after including the target ethnicity, gender, age and income levels of the audience…did anyone else hear that? It just seems like they are ripe for failure. I was never a fan of the regular guys so I guess I wouldn’t get the appeal, but recycling old jocks didn’t work for 99x (clearly Sean D) and I don’t know why it would work for 100.5. Then throwing out Rodney, and the way they fired Steve C. it just seems so erratic and emotionally charged.
They apparently can’t increase the signal because of a South Carolina station that is using the same frequency…
By DeepSouthRick
January 28, 2008 2:06 PM | Link to this
It’s great to see this Atlanta team of talent back on the air again! Now, if Cumulus could just figure out how to get Pete & Wayne back on the air…
By DeepSouthMick
January 28, 2008 2:17 PM | Link to this
Forget Pete & Wayne, I want to see them get Martin & Lewis back together…… niccceeeee lllaaaadddddyyyy!!!!
By DeepSouthDick
January 28, 2008 2:26 PM | Link to this
What you guys are missing is that Rock formats are testing extremely well in the PPM world, and ATL gets rolled out later this year. Moving now gives them the leg up on anyone else who in the format.
These are smart guys at Cumulus.
By bdad
January 28, 2008 2:49 PM | Link to this
I don’t know why They call it The bert show they should call it the Lesbo and Numnuts show. I would much rather listen to The Regular Guy’s than some lesbo exploits and teeny bob music.
By Joey Mills
January 28, 2008 2:50 PM | Link to this
I won’t be listening. I hated 96rock. I hate Rock 100.5. The Regular Guys and Gary Lewis can go screw!!!! Rock 100.5 music - playing oldies like The Who I just felt some puke coming up.
Opie and Anthony on XM DAVE-FM in Atlanta
By Brelly
January 28, 2008 3:01 PM | Link to this
f r e e b ird
By Becky
January 28, 2008 3:17 PM | Link to this
I’ll listen just to hear Southside Steve..I’d take him home with me if I could..I’ll miss him on Eagle..
By Jim
January 28, 2008 3:27 PM | Link to this
Joey Mills - Your mom said to get off your daddy’s computer and go do your home work!
By jungleland
January 28, 2008 3:31 PM | Link to this
It’s good to hear ROCK music again on the radio. Don’t mess it up with too much project-9-6-1 stuff
SCORPIONS, VH, ACDC, NUGENT, G&R, AEROSMITH, HAGAR, THE CULT
Basically what 96 rock used to do
By Jimmy Barron
January 28, 2008 4:15 PM | Link to this
Do the Regular Guys need a third voice? I’m getting sick of being Mr. Mom.
By southside z
January 28, 2008 4:27 PM | Link to this
completely stoked, there model is a proven winner as long as there are no limitations, glad to see that b******* douche(sean d) off the air, 99x made me want to puke every second it was on the air
By Joey Mills 2
January 28, 2008 4:42 PM | Link to this
Ha ha ha…when I’m not crying about the demise of 99X on radio-info, I’m on here extolling the virtues of Opie & Anthony. If only O&A would hire Sean Demery my life would be complete! Go screw, Pete Townshend! I wanna hear Silversun Pickups all day long!
By Fred
January 28, 2008 6:01 PM | Link to this
Gee, another set of radio DJ’s who’s whole idea of “good’ radio is “I can say dick and tits on the air. This is their third time here? I listened once the first time and wasn’t amused. I got over the whole “go for the crotch” humor when I was in the 6th grade.
When will these so called radio execs learn? There is ONE Howard Stern and he’s not the Howard Stern he used to be. Cheap knock offs are just that, cheap knock offs. 15 months and NO ONE wanted to hire these guys? Think there is a reason why? How many radio stations are there in the Country and NO ONE wanted these useless pieces of dung. ‘I can say dick and tits on the radio.’ I think it’s been done before and unless you are stoned out of your gourd and burned out every brain cell you ever had, it’s just not clever. They will last 6-9 months and the radio station about 2-3 month’s after that.
Radio is NOT givi9ng people what they want and wioth satelite people have a choice. They are choosing to go to something that gives them what they want. It isn’t “dick and tits”.
By Joey Mills
January 28, 2008 6:02 PM | Link to this
I like the Silversun Pickups… Good music. O&A are the cuttting edge of entertainment. Cumulus wants to make rednecks happy. I am sure they will do well.
By I am 99X
January 28, 2008 6:54 PM | Link to this
the regular guys disgusted me the first two times around. The fact that they are on the air and 99X is not is salt in an open wound. Cumulus, this is one huge mistake you can’t undo. You destroyed a heritage rock station to put trash back on the air? I am done with all cumulus stations, the bert show too. see ya. I am sure Dave FM would welcome new listeners.
By Daniel Thomas
January 28, 2008 7:09 PM | Link to this
Glad to SEE TRG are back. Too bad I wont be able to HEAR them in Helen.
By Joey Mills 2
January 28, 2008 7:57 PM | Link to this
RE: O&A are the cuttting edge of entertainment. Riiiiiiiight.
That’s why they’ve been dropped from nearly every non-NYC market and barely pull in ratings in NY! THEY are cheap Stern wannabes. People are buying satellite for the King of All Media, not two douchebags like O&A.
And yes, Silversun Pickups are good. But nobody besides music snobs cares…Dave can play them.
By Nick Wright
January 29, 2008 2:46 AM | Link to this
I was shocked, disappointed, saddened. And just puzzled. It just spiraled from there. They blew up Peach [Lite]. They disemboweled GST. They proved they can destroy brands and quite frankly, disenfranchise listeners.”
I could say the same thing about Cumulus and 99X. What a supreme douchebag.
By Atlanta Radio Sucks
January 29, 2008 3:30 AM | Link to this
Amen Nick! You beat me to it.
By William the Conqueror
January 29, 2008 9:29 AM | Link to this
As I’m far too cheap to pay for in-car radio, I’m happy TRG is back… never thought that would happen. However, Larry and Eric, you are playing the wacky hi-jinks sound effects into the ground. Have you seen the Family Guy bit on pop-station deejays and their overuse of similar sound effects? So far, you’re uncomfortably close. Your capability for anti-PC, unfiltered commentary on culture and news surpasses the bubble-gum appeal of non-stop sound bytes.
By Rock and Roll
January 29, 2008 10:27 AM | Link to this
The more classic rock/ hard rock/ metal on the airwaves the better. Classic rock is ‘classic’ for a reason -it’s simply great music. The Who were and are an awesome band. Silversun Pickups -well, we won’t be hearing from them 5 years down the road -let alone 40. One Alternative station down and more to follow.
AC/DC, Judas Priest, Beatles, Aerosmith, Rolling Stones, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, The Who, The Clash, Van Halen, Bob Seger, Rush, the Cars, The Police, Queen, etc.. greatest music that there is -and ever will be.
By Chris
January 29, 2008 11:39 AM | Link to this
That God the Regular Guy are back! Let’s just hope the station bumps up the wattage!
By WAR EAGLE
January 29, 2008 12:47 PM | Link to this
Gary Lewis You are an idiot for dumping the GREASEMAN. He was the best. Atlanta radio has sucked since his departure. McKee was good-but is was only a matter of time before he retired. Grease Rules!
By southside z
January 29, 2008 12:52 PM | Link to this
rodney you ho
By PTC DAWG
January 29, 2008 6:20 PM | Link to this
Keep the classic rock n roll coming. I agree, don’t stray anything near what that dismal replacement for 96 rock does.
So far I like the music, the morning show still isn’t my cup of tea, I prefer music, but starting at 10AM, so far so good.
Signal is OK here in Peachtree City.
By Al
January 29, 2008 8:43 PM | Link to this
It’s good to see other radio operators publicly say that Clear Channel’s Deskins & Bloomquist are MORONS!
By Jani Jeffreeze
January 30, 2008 12:41 PM | Link to this
Come on now you guys, be nice to my boss. I mean when it comes to talking about air talent in the only major market we own, the DICKEY Bros. are the only ones that can talk. I just THINK that I know what I’m doing in all my other markets that are #80 to #425. I also have NO clue WHY they keep me on board, It’s funny how much money they really COULD save if they got rid of me and let the PD’s across the country actually do their jobs. Did I tell you about the time I was at WLS in Chicago? Oh wait that was 40 years ago! Anywho, I cannot wait for the first book of the Regular Guys, cause I tell all the PD’s in Cumulus how much I made the big move on hiring them, oh and how I showed Leslie Fram the door, I’m cool arn’t I not? Well I’m going to go now and maybe tomorrow, If the Reg Guys say anything that I feel should not be on the air, I’ll let them know, behind The Dickey Brothers back and deny it to them until I’m blue in the face. GAWD it feels good to be a HAS BEEN while the entire company of employees cannot stand me. JJ