1 of 1- RadioActive
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The Most Idiotic Radio Idea - Of 2019!
Imagine listening to the Blue Jays on the Fan 590 next spring, with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 9th, a 2-2 tie and the game on the line. There are two outs and rookie sensation Vlad Guerrero Jr. is at the plate.
Ben Wagner, Dan Shulman and Mike Wilner are calling the action, when suddenly Wagner takes a call from Abner in Markham to talk about the team’s pitching woes.
Sound insane? It could never happen right? Well maybe not here, but it could be what fans of the World Series Champion Boston Red Sox hear on flagship WEEI in the coming season.
The team is now denying multiple reports that indicate they plan to dump play-by-play for a more “talk show” oriented presentation during the game.
Yes, you read that right.
During. The. Game.
Despite the idiocy of the suggestion, they recently fired one of their best play-by-play guys in what was seen as a move towards the new format. Needless to say, Beantown baseball fans, among the most knowledgeable in the majors, are aghast at the idea and have expressed so much opposition that station owner Entercom and the Sox may be pulling back from the ridiculous concept.
Which doesn’t explain the firing of one of their main guys and an industry ad asking for just such a literal talking head to take his place. I hope they don’t do this, if only because there’s a tendency in the radio industry to copy what others are up to. And you have to wonder how long before it just might happen here, a sort of game-long Blue Jays talk.
This has to be the dumbest idea of the New Year. And it’s not even officially 2019 yet.
WEEI denies it will change Red Sox broadcasts to a talk show format
WEEI denies shifting Red Sox broadcasts to a “talk show” format after a job posting seems to confirm that rumor
- RadioAaron
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Re: The Most Idiotic Radio Idea - Of 2019!
That would indeed be idiotic, but it looks like from those links that it's not true. WEEI gets huge ratings during baseball season, so there's no motive there.
I could see a 2nd tier sports station in a local market that doesn't have the game rights maybe trying it? However, MLB is incredibly restrictive, and could possibly C&D that.
Last edited by RadioAaron (December 20, 2018 9:04 pm)
- RadioActive
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Re: The Most Idiotic Radio Idea - Of 2019!
My suspicion is that even if this was in the works, it's now done, thanks to the overwhelming negative response.
But the fact that they even considered this silly idea at all, is simply mind boggling.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Meanwhile, they how have to find a new guy for the booth. As we've seen in Toronto, that's not always an easy task.
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Thread Starter- Radiowiz
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Re: The Most Idiotic Radio Idea - Of 2019!
This is too funny!
I wish Tom Rivers could be alive today to read this article! I bet he would have LOVED mocking it in his own unique style!
"It's a swing and a mis...oh wait there's a call...hang on folks...let's see what listeners think of that miss!" 
RadioWiz & RadioQuiz are NOT the same person.
RadioWiz & THE Wiz are NOT the same person.
- Peter the K
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Re: The Most Idiotic Radio Idea - Of 2019!
It might be that far fetched, actually.
On the radio, I have heard a few interviews being conducted in the broadcast booth while the game is in progress. It works.
The thing is, the interviewee (and interviewer if it's not the play by pay announcer) knows that they might be interrupted at any instant if the play by play needs to jump in. Most of the time they don't even acknowledge the play by play when it interrupts them.
I'm not sure how well that work with Joe from Mississauga on the line who isn't aware of how things work. You'd have to be riding the mute button on the caller to make it work and coach the caller through the process. I'm thinking shades of "Am I on the air?", "As I saying to your screener..." or "I forgot what I was going to say".
Maybe it's just best to leave the talking to the professionals.
- RadioActive
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Re: The Most Idiotic Radio Idea - Of 2019!
Even if you think there's a small chance this could somehow work, the question has to be 'why do it at all?'
The Red Sox are World Series champs, have an excellent team (although it galls me to admit that!) and have mostly through-the-roof ratings for their games because of it. Why in the world would anyone even consider messing with that?
It would be like CHFI here suddenly deciding to air five hours of opera every day in the summer. They're already a proven winner. Why change what's working? The idea, whether they do it or not, makes no sense and should never have even been contemplated.
But I guess some programmers just can't resist the temptation to tinker.
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