TIO-Re: Jack Armstrong Dead

[Sniffthamic]

Dittohead,  You have obviously never been a PD.  To put it into terms you might understand:

The manager at McDonald's says, "There's no more Ronald McDonald. You have to tell him, or you don't have a job.  I know you have kids and you need this job, but you have to tell Ronald."  At this point you are jobless and liverless.

Why do we need fighting in a thread to honor Jack?

[dittohead1]

How 'bout this:

Randal has a boss, too. 

Jack was his hero.  How hard must it have been to have that conversation with the man who made you want to get in the biz.

That is beyond PATHETIC!  YOU'RE RIGHT!  RANDALL BLOOMQUIST WAS THE REAL VICTIM HERE WHEN HE HAD TO FIRE JACK!  HOW HARD IT MUST HAVE BEEN FOR HIM TO CONTINUE LIVING IN THE SAME HOUSE AND CONTINUE TO COLLECT PAYCHECKS!  THAT MUST HAVE JUST BEEN BLOODY MURDER!

That's almost as pathetic as your weak "fast food" blast.  Maybe next time you'll put me in a Wal-Mart smock.  HAR DEE BLEEPIN' HAR!

[dittohead1]

ALL RIGHT!  I SAID BLOOMQUIST WHEN I MEANT BLISS!  BLOOMQUIST IS AN ATLANTA JERK WHO USED TO PROGRAM WBT.  APPARENTLY, THERE ARE A LOT OF JERKS NAMED RANDALL.  KEEP ON APOLOGIZING FOR BLISS BOYS!  REMEMBER, HE'S THE REAL VICTIM HERE!

CREDIBILITY...RESTORED!

[dittohead1]

Jack was one of the all-time great jocks.  Was he a relevant morning man in 2005?
I can't say, I didn't hear him. 

and you're credibility is spotless since you DIDN'T EVEN HEAR HIM AND ATTEMPT TO MAKE A RATINGS ARGUMENT!  NICE!

[VODood]

First... I'm one of the biggest Jack Armstrong fans out there. He and Norm N Nite are the reasons I got in broadcasting. I wouldn't call Jack a hero. I reserve a title like that for my father.

Now...the programmer and businessman in me knows that Jack's numbers the last few years weren't great. In fact, the were declining if memory serves correctly.

My former PD at WTRG/Raleigh, Steve Cannon, and myself were looking at "stealing" Jack from Oldies 93 in 2003, even with his numbers declining. Why? Because we could, and no matter what our numbers would increase from where they were. And we had devised a way to pay Jack that wouldn't hinder the already tight budget. Now, this plan never came to fruition. Sad it didn't. But I do know that we looked at Jack's AM drive numbers and there wasn't anything stellar. In fact....Jack was NOT under contract at that time. Something we both thought quite interesting given his resume.

Nothing against the man or his skillset, but AM drive wasn't working out. Not in Greensboro. Perhaps Raleigh might've been a better situation had we been able to hire him. We'll never know.

Radio is a business. And people have to make tough decisions. I recall another PD of mine, one I respect a lot...Dave Solomon...who I didn't always see eye-to-eye with, but later understood him... he told me that one day I would be a PD and would know the tough and unrewarding (and unfair) decisions one would have to make sometimes. He was right. I do almost everyday have to make decisions based on programming, revenue, personnel and more.

Revenue wins out more than it should...but that's what we face today. Especially in my market where unemployment is over 7%. And my wife has already told me she's not moving again. So..that's where I'm at. You try to do the best you can everyday. Stand your ground on what you know you can...and give on other things that you know, eventually you'll lose out on no matter what.

For Randall to tell Entercom to keep Jack "or else"....guess what. Jack would still be blown out, and so would Randall. Now what would that accomplish for both?

[MaxGM]

Excellent Chuck.

Hey Ditto, weren’t you trying to calm a “shouting” situation on the board a few months ago? You sure are inciting one here.

I wasn’t there at the time Jack was fired. Sorry, I can’t give you a name. There probably wasn’t just one. My guess is you can’t either because you weren’t there.
 
I did know Jack. Did you? He would never expect anyone to fall on their sword to save his job.  See VoDood’s post.

I never said Randy was a victim. I was defending my friend and trying to suggest that you were crucifying the wrong guy in a public forum.  You obviously don’t care because you continue to flame with no basis to do so.  So flame on my friend! Credibility back to zero. Sorry!

What is it with people on this board and personal attacks???

A couple of you guys ruined a nice tribute to a great guy. NICE WORK!

Come on kids… it’s time to grow up….

[Sniffthamic]

Amen, Max.

Sorry D-head.  We love Jack.  You can't taint it.

[dittohead1]

Never tried to taint anyone's love for Jack.  Others have pointed out delcining ratings, etc.  NOT ME!  I was trying to point out the pathetic nature of one Randall C. Bliss and people like you were making excuses for the man who took Jack Armstrong off of Triad airwaves.  I have never saidone word against Jack Armstrong.  And I never persoanlly attacked you until you did the oh-so-funny McDonald's analogy (which is still HILARIOUS, btw).

Maybe you wouldn't say things like I was trying to taint Jack's legacy if you could READ (yeah, I can take the low road, too).

[King of the City]

If you're old enough to remember Jack on WKYC,  WPOP,  WKBW and WMEX,  you already know how futile this discussion is.   It isn't RADIO that has changed.  People have changed.  Where we once were in awe of master craftsmen like John Larsh,  we are now intimidated and unnerved by them.   That is just as true outside of radio as within it.

AM Top 40 was an art form.   Sadly,  it is too recent to yet be recognized as such,  and to be funded by myriad trusts and charities at taxpayer expense,  like what you hear on NPR and see on PBS.

Commenting on Jack based on ratings taken in today's medium,  and by today's research methods is like commenting on Beethoven and his impact on Tupac.   It just doesn't hold a lot of worth.

Entercom is, in all probability,  a bunch of idiots,  who exist for the sole purpose of finding ways to generate dividends for more idiots who probably don't even know what Entercom owns.  I qualify that only because all the other group owners today certainly fit the description,  and they never cease proving it in market after market,  station after station.   There simply is no gutter filthy enough for them not to wallow in.  All of them.  Without exception.

I do have to applaud Entercom for three years of WWKB.  That was a gift.

Blaming a person or two within that entity for firing Jack is like cursing the steerage cabin boy on the Titanic because your shoes are wet.   It fails,  on both sides,  to address the pressing issues-at-hand.

Those issues are our complete willingness to trade quality for quantity,  security for the moment,  and the minds of our children for the media as it exists today.

[MaxGM]

Sorry ditto but I did not make the McDonalds remark. That was low.

But... far be for me to point out the facts that get in the way of your agenda. Flame on dude!