Radio earthquake: Mancow & Cassidy out at WLS
Mancow Muller
The Chicago radio odyssey of Matthew Erich “Mancow” Muller took another unexpected turn Wednesday when he was fired after 16 months as midday personality on news/talk WLS-AM (890). The surprise move just after he got off the air was part of a swift program realignment by the new management team of the Citadel Broadcasting station. In his first public comment after his ouster, Muller said:
“There’s no rhyme or reason to this business. I’ve stopped trying to figure it out. I thought we were doing a great show. I think it had a lot of interesting elements, and I’m proud of the show we did.”
Also out in the shakeup is 40-year radio veteran Pat Cassidy, who had been Muller’s co-host and straight man. Cassidy is expected to be returning to CBS Radio all-news WBBM-AM (780), where he’d anchored mornings before joining WLS in August 2008. His former bosses have kept the seat alongside Felicia Middlebrooks officially open since Cassidy left. “Pat Cassidy was Felix to my Oscar — and I loved every minute of it,” Muller said of their “Odd Couple”-like partnership.
Replacing Muller and Cassidy from 9 to 11 a.m. weekdays, effective Thursday, is Cisco Cotto, who’s been co-hosting Roe Conn’s afternoon show on WLS since he returned to the station last month from Salem Communications news/talk WIND-AM (560). By most accounts, Conn and Cotto did not mesh particularly well on the air. New partners for Cotto in middays and Conn in afternoons are expected to be named soon.
Earlier this week, Ron Magers returned as a regular contributor to Conn’s show. The top news anchor at ABC-owned WLS-Channel 7 had been a staple of the afternoon show for 12 years before he was axed in a budget cut last December.
The latest talent shuffle was engineered by Michael Damsky, who was promoted to president and general manager of WLS on Jan. 15, and by Drew Hayes, who was hired by Damsky as operations director two weeks later. Reached for comment Wednesday, Damsky said:
“Mancow has been an outstanding talent and an ideal employee in every respect. Unfortunately, he does not fit the needs of the radio station as we try to fulfill a very clear vision of what listeners expect, and try to restore credibility to conservative talk. We thank him and Pat Cassidy for their contributions, and wish them both well.”
Muller, 43, has been a captivating and polarizing figure on the local media scene since 1994 when he arrived from San Francisco to host mornings on the former WRCX. After four years there, he jumped to alternative rock WKQX-FM (101.1). His firing from Q101 in 2006 remains the subject of a multimillion-dollar lawsuit Muller filed against parent company Emmis Communications. He joined WLS in October 2008, and hit No. 1 in the Arbitron ratings just four months later. Though off the air here now, Muller continues to host a nationally syndicated morning show from Chicago for Talk Radio Network. He identifies his politics as libertarian.
At the time of his hiring at WLS, Muller was described by then-general manager Mike Fowler as “a younger version of Rush [Limbaugh], with some Roe Conn thrown in.” But Damsky and Hayes pointed to audience research that showed Muller’s edgy, hyperkinetic act did not appeal to the core audiences of Don and Roma Wade’s morning show preceding it or Limbaugh’s midday show following it. “The two hours [from 9 to 11 a.m.] has to be a very consistent bridge between those two programs, and Mancow’s show just wasn’t the bridge,” Damsky said.
A lightning rod for publicity throughout his career, Muller made worldwide headlines last May when he staged a live waterboarding stunt on his WLS show to determine whether the interrogation technique was a form of torture. After several seconds of being doused, he concluded that it was, indeed, “absolutely torture.” (Here is the link to video of the incident.)
blogs.vocalo.org
Feder, you always have the scoop. WLS is wrong! Mancow was phenomenal on WLS!!!
BRING MANCOW BACK!!! That is just wrong and WLS is going to suffer without Mancow. I only turn on WLS when Mancow is on. This is terrible!
And yet they keep Roe Conn?
This lines up nicely for the knuckleheads running WGN-720. Now they can fire John Williams or Steve Cochran, hire Mancow, and continue their dismantling of the best radio station in Chicago.
I will completely avoid any comments about Mancow. I look forward to hearing Pat Cassidy and Felicia on WBBM. No disrespect to John Hultman, who is a total class act, but I loved Pat with Felicia.
Too bad, that nutty Mancow and Cassidy show was the best thing WLS had going, IMO…
Who thought this would be a good idea?
It’s about time. This ignorant pseudo-intellectual has no business being on the air in Chicago, or anywhere else for that matter. He was and remains an embarrassment to our city. If I never hear his whiny, misinformed, hate-filled voice again, I’ll be a very happy man.
WOW!
So, is Roe a lone-wolf again?
” try to restore credibility to conservative talk.”
Well, good luck with all that!
Holy Crap Batman!!!!
Don’t understand they bring in Cisco Cotto to be the sidekick for Roe Conn, I start listening to Roe Conn.
They bring back Ron Magers – another good move.
Firing Mancow is absurd – “Just wasn’t the bridge”. Well what will the “bridge to nowhere be” Steve Dahl?
Mancow’s new home should be Vocalo!
Conspiracy Theory. Please WLS do not bring in Johnny B. He can wait for WGN to get enough money and a spot for him.
Oy, please not Johnny B.
Wow- and they keep Amy. Go figure. Hope she makes a ton of cash from her law suit and gets off the air. She sounds and talks like she is the princess.
Here’s the provocative part of the story:
>>>>we try to fulfill a very clear vision of what listeners expect, and try to restore credibility to conservative talk.<<<
If by "conservative talk" Damsky means "Republican," then WLS is headed for disaster. Mancow indeed is a libertarian, with all the rough edges and hyper-kinetic energy that can entail for a political philosophy that rejects boundaries. Libertarians aren't a "bridge" to anywhere (to use Damsky's word). They stand complete. And outside.
WLS and WGN: two rudderless ships…on a collision course?
At the end of their show this morning, Mancow mentioned that Pat was pulled out of the studio. I wonder how long Pat and Mancow knew about this.
This is very disappointing. I enjoyed the two hours of Mancow before I tuned into Tom Hartman.
Mancow’s Bridge is falling down,
Falling down, falling down.
Mancow’s Bridge is falling down,
My fair LADYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
Does anyone have any audio of the final moments?
You know Mancow cannot catch a break in Chicago.
I am done with Chicago radio.
About time, I have been listening to Wgn because I couldn’t stand to listen to Mancow, maybe Wls will have someone that isn’t betting up on Sarah Palin like John Williams does day after day.
Thank God, now if only they had enough sense to take Wade and his Roma puppet off the air and do the same with that racist America-hating, self promoting, drug addict Linburger( I know the the right spelling, but I’ll afford him the same respect he has for our President…..none) then WLS would be free of the tear down America so we can run it idiots. Thank you and have a nice day, and enjoy the rest of President Obama’s term, the next 4 years of Obama, then 8 of Hilary, God Bless America!!!!
I won’t be surprised if Bill Leff comes back to Roe’s show. He was a class act knowing his contract wasn’t going to be renewed by the previous GM, and he and Roe obviously got along very well. I listened to Roe/Cisco once, and Cisco just seemed out of place.
Now let’s see if WLS can get rid of some of their weekend programming, like the two hour infomerical about real estate investment properties (how the mighty John Davis has fallen).
Bababooey
UGH! I loved Mancow and Cassidy and I was starting to like Roe again with Cisco on his show. Looks like I’ll be tuning in for Don & Roma and that’s it.
“build around Don and Roma”?!? maybe that’s the problem—maybe the building should START with replacements for them!!! johnny b in am drive…..kevin matthews mid days….roe in the pm….now we’re getting somewhere! let don and roma do overnights like johnny and whoever at gn…..
WLS mixes stuff up so much I dont know what show is on when? It seems like they are willing to try anything, yet nothing is really working. I LOVED Mancow and Pat, like oil and water. They will be missed.
Good riddance. Mancow is nothing more than the mouthpiece for white-trash America. I’ve never met a listener of his that was actually intelligent.
Why Feder has championed this guy for so many years is beyond me.
Are you kidding me? WLS worships Sarah Palin! *Of course* there won’t be anybody “beating up on her” there.
Thank God————— There is a God.
Cisco Cotto and Roe Conn absolutely did not mesh, Roe works best with Jim Johnson period. 9-11 will not be the same without Mancow and Cassidy and I know I won’t be listening to Cotto, but now I can go back to Roe Conn since he is not going to be there. The controversy between Majors and Jacobson should stop right now, their differences are all “rear view” and WLS is trying to go forward; I also think Roe Conn should apologize to Amy Jacobsen for throwing her under the bus, not a very classy thing for a man to do. She has only had good things to say about Conn and always expresses her graditude toward him for helping her out during a very bad time in her career. The gals all like her and she would be an asset to the Roe Conn show even if she can’t speak during the 3-3:30 time slot. I don’t think she would have a problem with this. Get your act together LS, you are fast becoming the not to go to station. Oh, and you might want to do something about the Don Wade and Roma show, way way way too many commercials and Healthy Trinity is way to expense for the average person; there are many other probiotics that are as good or better than Trinity and 1/4 the price, also Don needs to stop auditioning for the Don Corleone part of future movies, he’s not that good.
The airwaves are owned by the people, and not the conservative tea baggers. WLS will be successful again when it eliminates all canned, satellite programming and returns to its roots of live and local. Taking calls from all sides of the issues, and not just one side. Please write the FCC to demand that over the air broadcast stations make this change right away!
Yes…yes…YES! Finally, WLS rids itself of the phoniest, most disengenuous, despicable “personality” on their air! I’ve never heard a host who had more lack of respect and contempt for his on air partner, and more importantly his audience, than this total jerk. I did listen just enough to figure out his failed radio-as-theatre concept, which was to ridicule relentlessly his partner (Pat Cassidy, who showed total class throughout this ordeal and HAD to have seriously doubted that career move), tease and promote numerous upcoming segments that either never happened or ended up lasting all of two minutes, and rail endlessly against all government and politicians. Throw in lots of paranoid conspiracy theories, a massive loud mouth ego (ever notice how he was a claimed “good personal friend” of pretty much anybody important or in the news, had been everywhere and witness to most historical events of modern times, and done pretty much everything)? Plus the obvious and admitted hyper Attention Deficit Disorder attempting to fabricate a show resulting in the proverbial 10 lbs.-in-a-5 lb. sack. Muller’s degree from Kansas was in guess what field? THEATRE! True, and explains why his whole radio act was created as just that- all a farce, sold to listeners who bought it. To summarize: THIS IS EXCELLENT NEWS!
WHOA!!!
WTF is WLS friggin’ thinking. I think Mancow/Cassidy were just really starting to roll!
I’m devastated. I liked them both, great compliment to each other. Not like Roe and the other Roe (Cisco). Roe and Mancow, I’d buy that.
WLS mgmt are A-holes. You know, I am a devout WLS listener. F YOU! Thank God you still have Rush. I listened to Garry yesterday, ya know what, f you, I don’t care if Ron is back and I like Roe, f you, I’ll listen to Rush online from WTAM Cleveland.
And you lost me because I like Coast to Coast, but you don’t play the whole show, but I can catch it online from Milwaukee or Cleveland. F YOU!
Nelson Muntz is casually setup to deliver his usual last words, but this time, he’s looking into a mirror.
Nelson:
“Haw! Haw!” “Hey, that really hurts.”
1) I am surprised Mancow didn’t see this coming, the black helicopters have been hovering over WLS for a couple of days.
2) Waiting for the obligatory Bruce Wolf post reminding everyone that he is still sans gig.
3) How about Johnny B? The rooster has always wanted to say the call letters WLS.
Pair Roe with Bob Sirott: Bob & Conn.
Cisco’s not interesting enough for a show of his own. Parole Terry Savage from that cruel Morons & Mopes TV punishment and set her up along side Cisco in a show led by Kevin Matthews.
If anyone disagrees with me about the intelligence of Mancow’s groupies, please see the above post by “Dank Dillweed”. Thanks for proving my point, Dank.
Putting Mancow in-between Don & Roma and Rush is the radio equivalent of booking Marilyn Manson between Steve & Edyie and Barry Manilow. ‘not a good fit’? YA THINK!?
That said, it’s not surprising at all this happened. Mancow needs to find a more radical formatted station to ply his unique (and richly deserved) wares. Not to fear ‘cow fans…he WILL land on his feet.
Good riddance. Maybe he’ll finally grow up. Trash, garabage, loser.
Did WLS dump Mancow and Cassidy so they could cough up some dough for Ron Magers’ 30 minute spot with Roe ?
(Or maybe “the suits” anticipate that the carpet cleaning bills for Steve Dale’s pet show will sky rocket?)
All I can say is, we’re all crazy in Chicago.
Anything I can do for you, GZ, is my pleasure. Let me if I can ever lend a hand in the future, just say the word.
Listening to all this political stuff all day and night, sometimes it’s good just to have a guilty pleasure like Mancow. It’s not a sign of intelligence or lack there of, just as enjoying “The Three Stooges” is a direct reflection on one’s intelligence. But you’re SO much more intelligent by calling people “white-trash”. So glad you can tell my race from typing, maroon.
The fact that Mancow can even be a major radio star in a major market pretty much says it all about how this medium has devolved slowly for decades. As for Cisco Cotto, gee, just what we need…another “newsman” turned conservative “activist.”
The fact that 90% of radio can be divided between set-playlist music formats, political jabbering (mostly right-wing) and overheated sports talk, reveals how little respect the people who run radio have for the possibilities of this medium. Thank god for public radio and podcasts.
While I hate to see more people lose jobs, I kind of hope the hard times keep hitting radio. Maybe if the creatively bankrupt corporations start to feel not enough money can be made in radio as new technologies take over, they will sell some of these stations and more independent ownership will return. Hey, it’s a nice dream anyway.
This is excellent news. I thought Mancow could have potential if he was willing to slow down and work a more traditional news/talk program. His show was too fast and involved too many of the characters from his syndicated morning show.
Quite personally, I think Pat Cassidy would have fit well with Conn – not as an equal co-host, but at least someone who can contribute to the conversation.
I wonder who they will try to pair Conn with next. Any speculations?
Thanks for the scoop!! I learned to like Mancow but Cassidy didn’t fit. Will Amy Jacobson be the next one to leave? Roe really tossed her under the bus yesterday. I thought they were friends!! While LS is making all these changes why don’t they bring back Jake???
I can’t believe this! I love Mancow and Cassidy. They worked well together. And I also like Cisco Cotto w/Roe. I also like Amy….and agree that Magers is arrogant. Bummer!
Elizabeth wrote this about Amy Jacobsen – “The gals all like her”
Excuse me, but please don’t include me, and all of “the gals” out there in your comments. Speak for yourself, maybe you like her, but I don’t. She doesn’t belong on the radio, period.
I vote they bring back Larry Lujak and Tommy Edwards and spin oldies from 9-11.
To me, this is generally good news. I don’t listen to anything between 9 and 11, so I don’t care about who is on. I do listen to WBBM in the morning and I really miss Pat Cassidy from that station; I hope he does return. It’s also good news that Cisco is being taken away from the Roe Conn Show (it never changed in my mind) because I though the show suffered with him on it. I hope they get Roe a good partner and they de-politicize the show.
It will be interesting to see what they do with Amy Jacobson. Roe played the remarks she made earlier in the day on his show and I was pretty stunned how inappropriate they were. Any employer – whether a media outlet or any other business – has the right to expect its employees not to make disloyal or critical remarks in public. Not only did she make them in public, she did it on the station itself! She may perceive Ron Magers as arrogant; I sense that Ron just never considered her a great journalist. I’m sure Ron has no respect for the tactics she has employed. Amy obviously has issues with others from Channel 5 (where she worked with Ron at one time, I believe) as well. When Bob Sirott was interivewed by Roe after he was canned, he was cordial to Amy but Amy made it clear that she did not like Bob. She has issues. Instead of appreciating the lifeline that has been thrown to what is left of her career, she is coming across very badly.
I was an avid WLS listener from Don and Roma, Agar, Mancow, and Roe Conn. Since the Presidential campaign, I have found Don and Roma, Agar, and Mancow extremely annoying with their political agenda to constantly criticize Obama and his admin. Roe Conn is the only sensible voice on WLS. I now listen to WGN all day until Roe’s how.
Note to “Dank Dillweed.” Maroon is a color. Moron is, well, you.
Good riddance! Get lost Mancow with that contrived, loud, nauseating BS. Couldn’t happened to a better person. Loser! Next
The only thing I hate about this mess is that the suits at WBBM may just be dumb enough to want Cassidy back. WBBM Radio pleeeeease do not bring Pat Cassisdy back. You threw him a life line when you picked him up after his former radio station went out of business. I understand John Hultman retired and unretired and you needed a replacement, but what about your current qualified and dedicated staff members? Keith left for Milwaukee after being passed over. Others have worked and produced for the station for years and deserve an opportunity for this spot and should have the chance. How many top notch staffers and listeners will you loose chasing Cassidy? Stop trying to reinvent Cassidy and move forward with your current in house team.
Rich–
I guess you don’t watch Warner Brothers cartoons much? Bugs Bunny would say “What a maroon!” a lot. Dank’s use of “maroon” was intentional.
“Radio Earthquake: Mancow and Pat Cassidy out at WLS-AM.”
Much like the quake at 4am, I still don’t feel anything.
Oh wait. Now I am feeling something.
Oh. Oh, yes ! YES !!!
Sorry, I had my cell phone on vibrate.
Can the solo Roe Conn now reach the levels of Ask the Lieutenant Governor (but with four sound effects)?
Thanks, Juliepie! At least somebody knows a little TV history.
Richie, the last laugh is on you, maroon.
Some funny shite on ‘LS just now. They just ran a NIU commercial narrated by….CASSIDY! WLS, you’re making my old Br. Rice A/V club look good. Keep it up.
I simply do not understand their research of the audience.
I use to always turn off the radio between 9-11am. I then got hooked on Mancow. Management expects me to listen to Cisco? I don’t think so. Back to recorded pod-casts of other talk shows as I do my work. Today’s show was one of the better ones. It’s sad. Maybe Cisco will go to #1 too.
Mancow, Mike North, Ed Tyll, Murphy in the Morning … It’s just a variation on the same thing, the same stale act day after day. Guys, it’s over. The sun has set on your careers — please don’t go away mad, just go away!
I cannot believe this! Mancow and Cassidy was the whole reason I switched to WLS from WBBM in the morning, they were great! What a stupid, stupid move on WLS’s part. They will regret it.
Oh, I hope they bring back Bill Leff. His gentle, slightly goofy style was the perfect balance to Roe’s world-weary cynicism.
No loss…what and they forgot Amy? Please let her be the next one on the block!
I like Mancow, but he has great things to say, but his constant use of profanity was annoying and I have got to say I am kind of glad that WLS finally figured out that their audience didn’t want to hear jokes about having prision shower room gay sex talked about. Which he did in november of 2009. That kind of stuff get you in trouble with the FCC
“Mancow and Cassidy” was a sleazebag show from the beginning. They might as well have brought Drew Peterson in to co-host. The problem is Cisco Cotto isn’t a particularly exciting replacement. Bring back Jerry Agar!!
Removing Mancow is a start to revamp WLS. Don and Roma tho have to go. So tired of them pretending to be something they are not. Doesn’t take much clicking on the internet to find out they are in their late 60s—not in their 30s like they pretend. I turned off Roe a long time ago. He won’t let anyone talk and if they don’t agree with him, he is really done with them. Why not a Christina, Bill Leff and Jim Johnson show?? And Amy – she needs to go. She created her own problems but just tries to blame everyone else.
Now, I’ve been a big Roe Conn Show fan since 2002. While I’m sure that WLS would not be able to get Garry Meier back (and I’m sure Garry’s happy at WGN), it would be nice to get the foursome of Roe, Jim Johnson, Bill Leff, and Christina Filiaggi back. They were the reason I would stay late at work during the evenings or listen to WLS on my radio or cell phone on my way home. I thought the management at WLS made huge mistakes in replacing Christina and Bill with Amy Jacobson, removing Ron Magers, and then bringing in Cisco Cotto. My listenership of the show decreased dramatically. Hopefully the “unscrambling of the egg” that Roe mentioned will bring the fun back to the show.
Eh….
Mancow’s dismissal is to Brandmeier’s dismissal what our earthquake is to Haiti’s earthquake.
By the way, today’s funniest comment goes to #52, even if he missed the Bug’s reference.
Can we as a whole just agree that there are plenty of people in the US that could probably throw together some great radio for the city and the burbs that don’t need to be named Dahl, Mancow, Brandmeir, Landecker, or the 5 other radio personalities that always seem to get a fresh shot at a job, even though they are 15 years past their prime? Chicago media has always appointed its heroes, and the program directors always bring these guys in , and then fire them once they realize that they are doing the same thing they did when they were let go in the first place. Solution, actively scout new talent and producers and give them a chance.
This is a real disappointment to me…and it continues a pattern at WLS not being able to get its act together for this 9-11 time slot. When I moved back to Chicago from grad school, I really enjoyed that Eileen lady who used to have Cisco Cotto as her newsman/sidekick (whose last name I can’t remember for the life of me). I was very impressed with her knowledge of local politics and the manner in which she argued points.
Then, all of a sudden, they bring in this Jerry Agar character. I really disliked his show at first, but he slowly started to grow on me. After a while, I admired his choice in daily topics and the guests he was able to have on his show. Unlike Don & Roma, he didn’t often have “newsmakers” but he interviewed journalists to discuss their research on various current events. Yes, I really started to like Jerry Agar.
Then, all of a sudden, they bring in Mancow!?!?! Of all people in radio, they decide that the guy who hosts the “Morning Madhouse,” who sends his sidekicks to perform potentially illegal stunts, who makes sexually-explicit paradoy songs and prank phonecalls a staple of his show?!!? Then they decide that Pat Cassidy would be a reasonable co-host?!?! And the weird thing is…it worked. Chocolate and Tobasco shouldn’t go together…but somehow they do. The same was true of Mancow and Cassidy; I absolutley enjoyed their show.
The pattern that’s developing is that that 1) WLS seems unable to figure out what to do before Rush Limbaugh’s show begins; 2) Even the most talented radio hosts (who are able to make the most of a cruddy time slot) seem unable to please schizophrenic management; 3) lots of people on this blog seem to really love the true has-beens of Chicago media (Brandmeier, Sirott, Matthews, Dahl).
Sorry Sandy, what I meant was my own gal pals, we are going to miss her because we won’t be listening to Cotto.
Sorry to see that the WLS management believes that the Wade/Roma demographic requires a “bridge to Rush” in the form of a pure company man with (apologies) little personality of the Mancow/Dahl-Meier/Conn et al school of original thought. No way this Cotto fellow will be the least bit controversial — which happens to be why people like me listen to talk radio anymore. The last few weeks of him with Roe have been tortuous to say the least, so I’m gonna just flip down the dial and listen to Glenn Beck on WIND or go online and find good conservative/mixed talk. Simple. WLS is going to lose even more of us with lunkhead decisions like this one.
Now if management will get rid of the “canned, satellite” shows on during the other parts of the day I’d listen again. Live, local hosts talking about the issues, from all sides, as they relate to the Chicago metropolitan area.
This is terrible news. Seems WLS is just throwing it away. Mancow’s segment had more personality than Don and Roma. Amy needs to be fired, not Mancow. If they seriously get rid of Rush, I’m done with AM Chicago radio forever. I want entertainment and that’s what they’ve been giving me (entertainment that I can agree with, no less)
It’s a mess. What next? I sure hope Ron Magers doesn’t talk about horse racing so much.
Cotto will last 6 weeks – maybe less. He doesn’t even have the social/political wherewithall to be a sidekick – trying to carry a whole show will be nothing less than a total disaster. He really needs to get his head out of the bible and brush up on some current events and US History to be able to discuss the issues with any sort of proficiency. I am glad he is leaving Roe – I have listened to Roe since he was on Sunday afternoons and was seriously getting close to turning it off because of Cotto.
Roe hasn’t been as good without Meier, but it was tolerable with Jim, Bill & Christina. Anything else has been just slowly sliding downhill into the abyss that is now talk radio in Chicago.
Put Mancow and Mike North together. Both like to hog and mug shamelessly for the camera,
shout other people down with brute force, make loud, offensive, stupid and unfunny comments.
. . . . .
They could hit each other over the head with sledgehammers – or walk hand in hand
into the sunset and head the Illinois Mad Tea Party. A very happy unbirthday to you . . .
Roe hasn’t been the same since Garry left. He’s boring on his own, and no one else has helped him up his game. I never listen to Don and Roma, as it seems like it’s one, long commercial (and Roma’s voice is like nails on a chalkboard). Mancow and Cassidy were the only orignal programming on WLS, and I will miss them. A previous poster said that a better strategy might be to change the early morning slot, and build around new talent. I agree – Don and Roma have run their course and need to retire to their sailboat or their referbished condo that was underwritten by Buyers Direct Warehous(or whetever the hell the place is). Most disturbing is the fact that they completely sandbagged listeners by not allowing Mancow and Cassidy to end their run in a respectful manner. I’m done with WLS – there are too many original and interesting radio shows available online!
From the start, I felt Mancow and Cassidy were an odd couple and a misfit for WLS, but somehow it worked! I really enjoyed it. Unlike GZ (a poster) who thinks ‘the unintelligent’ listened to the show, I believe it took a higher degree of intelligence to appreciate where the teaming of the two was coming from. Unlike GZ, I don’t need to demean others to try to get support for my point of view. And that’s all it is, GZ, a point of view, not the results of an IQ test, obviously.
The good part of this is separating Roe and Cisco. From day one, it’s been awkward. I’m surprised to see that the reason for dropping Mancow/Cassidy is because ‘the suits-and-ties’ didn’t think they ‘bridged’ Don/Roma and Rush. But then, why would guys who wear suits-and-ties every day understand that ‘variety is the spice of life’?
Though Cisco is a nice guy, I don’t think he’s going to make it as a solo act. In time, WLS should offer Ron Magers the 9-11am spot. No, I don’t think they have the insight to do that. But, it would work! And, if they really want to blow WGN out of the water, they could team Ron up with Carol Marin. But then, they probably couldn’t afford all that talent…
Best of luck to Pat Cassidy, a remarkable Chicago talent who deserves better than he’s had, and Mancow.
Mancow the Tea Bagger can swing them back and forth full time now.
Please leave Christina wherever she is. She’s nice to look at but she contributed nothing to the show other than comments about being drunk the night before.
@John: “Bring back Jerry Agar!!”
WGN should be so lucky.
Mancow and Cassidy broke the “same old same old” talk show schedule.
I din’t care for Cisco with Ro,,, so not sure I will even listen between
9-11… I hope WLS does not start playing around with Rush’s time. I will totally let go of LS if that happens. These moves are a MISTAKE LS!!
I agree with Rooby, Christina had nothing to add to the show but her talk about drinking and having no money. Really, working on a very popular radio show day after day and no money. I’m sure there were alot of people who work hard for a living took offense to her constant poor mouthing. Please do not bring her back. WIND with Dennis Miller, Glenn Beck and Garry Meier maybe the next best thing. I’m going to check it out.
I’m a recent transplant from California where I was hooked on “John & Ken”. Stumbled into WLS and WIND. After just a few minutes, it was clear that Don & Roma are clearly of retirement age which an internet check confirmed; Mancow & Cassidy were a hoot; Rush was Rush; and, Roe Conn sucked until Cisco Cotto came along. I had listened to Cisco on WIND in preference to Don & Roma and followed him to WLS. It was a true pleasure to hear Cisco stick a skewer into the bag of pomposity which is Roe Conn and I cheered when Ron Majeurs was taken off that show. Arrogant is not the word to describe that man. Boring is more accurate. Enough about the horses already. I think pulling Mancow and Cassidy is a mistake. Leave Cisco with Roe Conn. Eventually Roe will get his ego under control and learn to work with someone with real talent.
WLS is 80% commercials anyway. Add Don and annoying Romas voice and it worse! I only listened to WLS because of Mancow and Cassidy..totally skipped Limbaugh hes and a$$hole the we got squeaky Roe with wannabe Cisco..WGN here I come!
Rich —
You are a Maroon! Your comments really define you as one — maybe you should check this before attacking someone else and demonstrate your stupidity. http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=maroon
As Bugs would say —”What a Maroon!” “Will ya get a load of this maroon”
Bye Mancow. I hope the door didn’t hit you on the way out.
I do believe you are finally through in Chicago.
A 37 y/o professional male talking here: They should have fired that geriatric morning snooze-fest, Don & Roma and not Mancow. Those two truly suck and should have been put out to pasture long ago. So Mancow didn’t bridge well between the cranky senior citizens and the drug-addled gasbag, Limnbaugh? That radio station is so seriously mismanaged, it’s unbelievable. The Chicago area is crying out for an engaging current events driven talk show for the morning commute, and Mancow could have fit the bill.
Just don’t get rid of Roe Conn. He’s grat and the only reason left now to tune into that sorry awful station.
Well I’m not surprised at WLS hair brained programming ides.
First, I have been a WLS listener for 25 years.
Man cow was not big on my list when he was with the other
radio stations but when he moved to WLS I listened to him and
Cassidy and thought this Show blows Roe’s show off the map
and Roe Conn was great with Bill Left and Christina now it is
just a snooze fest with his sports commentary with sweet Lue
I thought it was ESPN Hour and their show of record that didn’t
last very long.
Oh but Rod Blagojevich can have his own show like Fast Eddy V.
And Dan Rostenkowski on WLS, yes their programming managers
Really have it together.
Well good luck WLS with your show I’m no longer a listener.
Bob
Maybe they should get rid of Limbuagh if they want to keep credibility!
Mr. Feder,
I really don’t care about Manlow—
But on a different subject, perhaps you could do a Pam Zekman-esque expose explaining why Chicago TV reporters feel the need to wear such ridiculously large headwear any time they are reporting outdoors in less than 60 degree weather. I don’t know what species was being worn by Julie Unruh on Ch 9 last night, but I fear she was being held hostage by it. (Perhaps it was an escapee from one of Steve Dale’s shows? Hoover— anyone…) Since Suppelsa reads this blog, I want him to know that it was very obvious he could barely keep from cracking up when he introduced her report. You can see it at: wgntv dot com , Video, News At Nine, “City coping with snow fall”
Any other station that Mancow, Cassidy or Jacobson ends up at I will listen to. I e-mailed Big John Howell 2 weeks ago to pick up AMY!!!! WIND here I come!
Roe Conn is a total jerk. Never liked him or his dumb show. WLS and WGN are absolutely terrible. I listen to WBBM constantly now. At least I can get good, solid information all day long without “attitude” and way too much stupid opinion. The great stations of yesteryear in Chicago are in the hopper, except for WBBM.
Leave Cisco alone. He’s talented and will be just fine. Mark my words. John Howell
MANCOW SUCKED!
Kudos to Sis-Ko Ko-To. Also to Mr. By the Dawn’s Early Light if he goes back to anchor with Rev JJ’s Very Own BBM Girl. These guys are two of the most talented professsionals in Chicago radio.
@Rooby Roo: I agree with you. Christina Bambina is a typical brainless party chick. You find a few on the radio in every market. They’re like little Paris Hiltons…basically useless. Her schtick is tiresome. Bragging about getting drunk the night before is fine in your twenties…by the time you’re on the mean side of forty maybe you need to talk about it in an AA meeting instead of on the radio. M Squared on the Mix more or less cleaned up her act. Christina seems to be mired in muck.
Although…think about this for a minute. Christina and She Who Swims With The Wife Slayer might make a great team. Especially coming off a night of partying to do a morning show!
@John Howell…you’re a class act, brother.
What the ????!
New radio line-up for Chicago:
WLS for Don & Roma to 9:00
WIND for Beck 9:00 to 11:00
WLS for Rush 11:00 to 2:00
WIND for Michael Medved 2:00 to 5:00
Silence 5:00 to 6:00; I’d rather listen to Air America (Oh! wait that is silence!) than that ass clown roe conn!
WLS for Hannity at 6:00
Medved is not much better than roe, but, he is better. The reality of it is that anything is better than roe and his hind-ass ron magers. michael damsky better hope this works. Given the finical issues at Citadel, I doubt upper management will allow damsky’s dabbling if there are no immediate positive result. damsky could find himself behind Mancow in the unemployment line if this does not work.
damsky would have been better off getting Beck from 8:00 to 11:00, moving Mancow to the 2:00 to 6:00 spot and cutting roe (isn’t roe fish eggs?) loose.
damsky, enjoy your tobiko!
Mancow’s show is no great loss, he’d only spew assertions. If that’s valuable to the listener learning more about issues, it’s lost on me. He’s obviously very bright, and behind the obnoxious persona he seems like a decent fellow, who knows how to gather a radio following. If his act is in demand, he’ll bounce back.
WLS is in violation of the terms of their broadcast license.
12 hours a day of far-right conservative talk does not serve the public good of the mostly liberal city of Chicago.
Their license should be revoked IMMEDIATELY if they do not offer up at least 6 hours a day to either liberal, independent or libertarian viewpoints.
Citadel/Disney does NOT own am 890, the PEOPLE of this city do.
The privilege of broadcasting on this frequency needs to be stripped from these mega-corporations who are intentionally misinforming and disinforming the people of this great city.
DEMAND that this station be returned to its rightful owners – the public!
Amen.
Love him or not, Howard Stern is a SUCCESSFUL self-promoter (right down to his current contract negotiations with Mel and American Idol?) who can pull it off because he can deliver the goods. Again, I said love him or not. Erich has ALWAYS been the poor man’s Stern, a Stern wannabe who could never pull it off. I guess we can bitch slap Jimmy the Deacon and Larry the Wuss for bringing the wannaclone to Chicago. Thank God he is off the Chicago airwaves.
My condolences are to the head scratcher, Pat Cassidy. Pat has the patience of a saint to have put upo with this Fowler shotgun wedding. I was there when Mike Alexandroff at Columbia College bought 600 S Michigan, leaving 540 LSD, the floors were stripped shells and only three people from the “media” were there – I was editor of the newspaper, my counterpart from Columbia Radio was there and a young reporter from WBMX was there – Pat Cassidy. What a class act the man is.
Pat got screwed in this deal. He is a terrific journalist and has a lot to contribute, but not on a cheap burlesque show. Citadel castrated him in the Don/Roma/Mancow deal. I cannot wait for Patrick to say “by the dawn’s early light” at 5:05 AM each morning back on ‘BBM, right where he belongs. Thank you, CBS, if you have kept the door open for him.
Cisco is a fish out of water. I could take him as a newsman but as a host – he is a lightweight. Roe’s personality and tenure in the show is overwealming. He ran over Leff and Cisco who had nothing to give or add – Garry was treated as an equal because of Roe’s awe of a true Chicago radio legend. WLS – an American Heritage station that is in the toilet. It was funny, this morning when the quake hit, ‘BBM was taking live calls from eyewitnesses, Steve and Johnny were taking live calls, and WLS? The Wall Street Journal. Thanks for the lack of live, local, meaningful and most importantly – curators of OUR government mandated airwaves, not Farid’s.
WLS is painful to listen to. Once the live local balance of Jay Marvin and Ed and Ty left, the station began to hit the crapper. Zemira was a yes man Disney moron who further stripped the station Bringing Blogo into thr mix was a cheap trashy stunt on par with hiring Mancow.
Maybe blowing out Mancow is the beginning of the realization that edgy and “too old to be on rock stations so let’s try them on talk” jocks are not now nor will then ever be the answer to the ratings challenges of talk radio. So, kiss those plans of hearing Dahl or Johnny B on a Chicago talker goodbye. And, Garry Meier’s days are numbered. Talk lives and dies on listeners that are 35+ not on the tiny slice they can garner in the 25-25 group by “going younger.” To capture the interest of that group you end up chasing the older core away. Then, you have nothing.
Loved your Tweet Robert – RobertFeder Mancow on his ex-partner: “Pat Cassidy was Felix to my Oscar — and I loved every minute of it.” http://bit.ly/9RBn8T
Glen Beck gave some competition to Mancow, so WLS cut and run. Bring back Gary Agar even if he is Cisco’s Side Kick.
I think you should get rid of Roe. I stopped listening to his show. He is very annoying with his whiney voice and if your opinion isn’t that of his then he cuts you off. I liked Mancow and Cassidy.I looked forward to their radio style every morning. It kept me awake. I am truly disappointed.
The only reason listen to LS Rush Limbaugh radio god the conservitive man of men. Roe, Cotto , Mancalf WHO CARES!!
Re: Don & Roma.
Absolutely the best locally produced show on all levels – current events, politics, cultural events and anything else of interest in the news. Keep up the good work, Don and Roma.
G. Gruenwald/Schaumburg
WOW! Personally, I thought Mancow and Cassidy were a good team. Total opposites, but Pat had the class, and Macow was the ass, but it worked. I still listen to Roe, but I was taken aback when he threw Amy under the bus. I thought she added something positive to the Mancow and Cassidy show. Female perspective, insight, parenting, etc.
I will listen to Cisco. I will miss Mancow & Co, and I hope WLS doesn’t change Amy’s employment status.
Anybody got a scorecard?!!!!!!!! Oh, I need a pencil with an eraser. I would use a pen, but I think I will still be making some corrections here in the near future.
Thank god for internet radio!
WOW! The list for podcasting is growing by leaps & bounds in this city. I’m still surprise with all the money some of these jocks . . . I’m sorry, ex-jocks have saved up, you’d think they’d start podcasting. It’s just a matter of time before we start seeing the Smart Ones doing podcasting.
Maybe Pat and Cisco would hit it off. Mancow was too brash and I got so tired of him saying how he hated Pat. I will keep my radio on now. And I never miss Don and Roma even here in Florida. Best show on.
mancow and cassidy were great together. Mancow haters can’t handle the truth. And the other blogger who said 4 more years of Obama, I say, Obama is a 1 term President and that’s way too long. As for that blogger, wait for it, you are “RETARDED”. HAHA!! Hope your not ultra sensative. Eat that. As far as WLS goes, I will not be listening to that station anymore. Hurry up and find another radio station Mancow, please. You are the only one that makes any sense. Peace
People – while I admit Mancow had too much of his syndicated program on WLS, he still fit the demographic WLS was looking for 25-54 == Pat Cassidy was too old but counterbalanced him. I hate Don and Roma and listen to Drex when I wake up in the morning. Roe is annoying and makes no sense, Ron Magers is arrogant, and who the hell is Cisco — WLS should have paired Eric Muller with someone else (maybe this Cisco guy).
For those of you who keep bashing “Mancow”, yes, he was a “shock jock” at one time, but he got married, grew up, and now is one of the few promoters of free speech. Give the guy a break – on WLS he was more Eric than “Mancow”.
Maybe WLS should drop Old Dona and Aroma and pickup Eric Muller for morning drive.
Looks like I will be listening to Beck during the 9am – 11am spot.
If you want liberal talk, go somewhere else. And if you want to lose your country, go there also.
WLS-AM? Are they still around??? Pat Cassidy was too good for the second fiddle status he got even though he was promised more. Pat could continue talking and land at GN as a principal anchor or newsman, The Cow can live in syndication in Des Moines, Ft Wayne or Rockford, Chicago won’t miss him and his radical angle. Good luck to Pat, a class act who will do it his way if he goes back to BBM
Why do all the liberal, leftists get their britches in a bunch over Rush, Mancow, etc.? Your guys (Al Franken, Keith Olberdouche, and the now defunct Air America) spew the same, if not worse, vile hatred towards the other side.
I thought lefties were all for the first amendment, am I wrong? Oh, we know. Free speech for all as long as it’s what we’re preaching.
The Mancow is dead, long live the Mancow!
And Cisco would be better on NPR, he’s THAT exciting. I could just hear the letters, “WGBH” coming from his wussy lips.
Bye bye WoMancow. No loss at all. The only reason I listened to WLS this morning was to hear Amy J try to explain what the beef between her and Magers was. Of course, Eric The Terrible dragged the damned tease out for 2 hours. At the end, Pat Cassidy says to Manstank “C’mon, let Amy tell her side. Are you going to box her in? There’s only 5 minutes left”. Amy eventually tells her lame side of the story with voice cracking. That lasted about 90 seconds. FAREWELL!
Normally when a quality talent like Cassidy (or comparable) is added to a lineup, that would elevate everybody’s game on the team. Instead, Manjerk lowers everything to the lowest common denominator. It’s like having an infant in the room that hijacks everyone’s attention. His ADD style is like watching TV with someone else holding the remote constantly changing the channel every 2 seconds. It’s nauseating.
Contrary to an earlier commenter, Eric has not grown up. He was the same hack, different station. The same putdowns of sidekicks, homophobic jabs, crass rants, all in the name of free speech.
So, the carnival barker Muller is gone. And I say not soon enough.
Don’t agree with WLS on this one. I’ve always enjoyed Mancow’s comments on conservative views and always made me laugh as well. Sorry to see him go.
BRING BILL LEFF BACK.
HE WAS GREAT, AND YES … A CLASS ACT.
If they don’t bring Bill Leff back we’ll be looking for a new radio station.
Are you kidding me? Mancow was terrible & anyone who claims to have been “hooked” on his lame act needs to get a clue…his rants were ridiculous.
Tune in Stephanie Miller 8-11 AM on WCPT 820-AM for an entertaining alternative. You’ll like what you hear – she’s funny & smart.
So what poor b*****d gets custody of psycho-news-bitch Amy in this radio divorce?
The only reason I listened to LS on the way home from my nightshift was to catch Mancow. The banter between him and Cassidy worked. Kept me entertained. Now I need another podcast for the drive home. I am positive Cotto is a sleeper. Maybe the next management team will bring back Mancow after this team is fired for loosing the #1 9-11 spot.
WLS hires a new Suit who has to prove himself to the higher-ups. Who knows? It may have been personal, maybe the new Suit just didn’t like Mancow. A lot of people fell out of their chairs 16 months ago when WLS rolled out the red carpet for Mancow who didn’t deserve the job and didn’t deserve the red carpet treatment. Mancow thought the show would be his show only. But there’s Pat Cassidy floating around WLS filling in as a “contributor” to Don & Roma’s show, then over to Roe’s show and believe me, Pat did not contribute anything. Mancow was beside himself when he got stuck with Pat. WLS is nothing but a train wreck, a once great station in shambles, nothing but a game of musical chairs. Very disappointing. No wonder everybody hates radio. Just automate it or syndicate the entire line-up. That’s exactly what you’re moving toward.
boy chicago radio is changing.i thought mancow and cassidy were good. mj
I gave up on Chicago radio a long time ago. I listen almost exclusively to streaming radio. WBEZ of course, and a lot of WNYC. Its sad, but I am glad to have an alternative to over-the-air offerings.
Of course Mancow didn’t fit in as a “bridge”. Because the bridge starts with Don and Roma. Great at one time, now past their prime. The WLS “Bridge to No Where” starts in morning drive, NOT at 9am.
Signed,
A former news/talk PD
Amazing – Dahl, Brandmeier… and now Mancow. The three ‘biggies’ are no longer on the air. Talk Radio Network and Mancow ought to find a Chicago outlet for his syndicated show – take on Chicago as a loss leader and forget about fees to the station in these hard times – just so that he is on in his home base (and a very important market #3).
nonsense, loved mancow and cassidy very sad to see them go, cant understand the thinking Damsky?
It’s not fair but Cisco, your show is good to take a nap. Dont understand the thinking with the suits. Good “filler” between Don and Roma and Rush? Went to Glen Beck, might try back in a couple of weeks.
What surprised me about all this is the fact that, while it’s true Mancow and Cassidy stuck out like a sore thumb..THAT’S THE POINT. I can still, at this point stomach the tired Wade and Roma show. Rush is Rush, take him or leave him. And Conn long ago jumped the shark. And I NEVER turned in after 6pm. The canned stuff is boring.
WLS can do whatever they wish. It’s their money. I will say this. I am 56. If there ever comes a radio station that has the mindset to feature a Johnny B, Mancow, Dahl, it’ll be goodbye to the AM hacks like ‘ls and ‘gn for good.
Will never listen to wls again….Bring BACK MANCOW… ARE YOU CRAZY????????????? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH MONEY HE BROUGHT TO YOUR SHOW AT LEAST 30 WELL EDUCATED PEOPLE I KNOW PURCHASED MANY OF THE PRODUCTS ON WLS WITH DON WADE AND ROMA ALSO ,,, MY PHONE AND EMAIL HAS BEEN UNDER SIEGE THIS MORNING…, THIS IS WITHOUT A DOUBT THAT THIS IS A RACIST THING…. AGAIN…. NO MORE WLS FOR ANY OF US……..
How is this racist?
Finally; Mancow’s gay antics with Pat Cassidy was an embarssement and not needed. Mancow’s personality needs to be a late-late show after the UFO geeks.
I will miss Mancow and Cassidy terribly. They were our mid-morning caffeine. :(
This is just another step in woeful Chicago radio. Mancow and Cassidy were solid together because they were opposites. Younger and older, mixed policital views and engaged their audience to debate, to think, what is wrong with that. Who wants to hear anyone with the exact same thoughts as us, how boring. Their ratings were solid considering they were lead in by the geriatric Don and Roma, good God everytime she speaks her dentures seem to fall out of her mouth. It is like speaking with marbles in your mouth. They are not fresh or engaging. Turn the dial to FM and everything is programmed for you, again nothing new, nothing worth changing the dial. WLS made a huge mistake by trying to engage boomers and forgetting that generation x, is now married with children and settleing down, just as Mancow has done. Gone are the days of having porn stars and hookers on his show, you heard more about his children and family than anything else. This could be his last act as it has been for most talkers, talk is dead in this town. Top 40 is so manufactured and awful, Taylor Swift can’t sing for the record, but hell give her and Britney awards. This is Chicago and if you arent part of the machine, well you are out. Ugh, thank God for the IPOD.
IM SOO PISSED! MANCOW AND CASSIDY WERE AMAZING AND JUST STARTING TO FLOW FABULOUSLY! I MAY JUST BOYCOTT THIS STATION ALL TOGETHER AND LISTEN TO RUSH, HANNITY, MARK AND COAST TO COAST ONLINE. YOU GUYS DONT KNOW TALENT ! THE ROE CONNS SHOW IS THE ONE THAT SHOULD GET CANNED…NO ONE WANTS TO HEAR HIS STUPID LIB IDEAS! DON AND ROMA ARE GREAT AND MANCOW AND CASSIDY WENT WELL NEXT TO THEIR SHOW…BOTH QUIRKY. CITADEL BROADCASTIN SUCKS…MICHEAL DAMSKY SUCKS AND HIS LITTLE FRIEND DREW HAYES SUCKS!….DONT GO BACK TO FELICIA MIDDLE FINGER CASSIDY ! YOU AND MANCOW BELONG TOGETHER!…..YOURE NOT A STUPID LIB ANYMORE YOUVE BEEN REFORMED…DONT GO BACK TO THE DARK SIDE!!!! I JUST WANT TO KICK DAMSKYS ASS!
DING!
Hey, Roe just mentioned this site on Cisco’s show, Robert! I hope ‘LS mgmt reads this too.
Cotto is as boring as they come, Kahn should be removed, he and his show are pathetic. He purports to know something about things he has NO clue about….get rid of Kahn and replace him with Mancow….Rating will skyrocket!
Can’t WLS see the real problem with the ratings; it’s Roe Conn. How many co-hosts has he gone though already? It seems that the ex-cohosts land on their feet, i.e. Garry Meier now on WGN during the same time slot as Roe Conn on WLS. Bring back Mancow and Cassidy then dump Roe Conn!
It sounds like Mancow was too expensive and Cisco Cotto is the company man-buddy of the new program director. I like Don and Roma, Limbaugh and Roe Conn(even though he is a raging, liberal). They are not boring. I am conservative, but, I don’t want to be put to sleep. Glad to hear Glenn Beck is on in this time slot.
Roe Conn, a “raging liberal”? Oh, come on. I highly doubt he would fit in at WCPT. I guess conservatives can see only black and white and can’t fathom that there are people with views that are more MODERATE!!
I LOVED MANCOW AND PAT I WILL NO LONGER LISTEN TO WLS. GARY MAYER IS NOW THE BEST THING TO HAPPEN TO TALK RADIO
CAt-a-tonic, Conn a raging liberal? You got to be kidding me. I am about as far-right as you can get, but there is NO WAY one could think of Roe as a liberal. In fact, I think he’s moving more and more to the right as the years go by.
I started listening to Conn in the early ’90s when he was by himself, and I remember calling him up and arguing about guns. I think he’s a gun owner now.
Conn is very sneaky. He pretends to be super intellectual yet he has no common sense. I’m sure listeners are turned off by his defense of Obama. No one wants to hear Roe spout that Obama is not a socialist. Open your eyes!!!
He can also be dangerous. He states things as fact when he is flat out wrong and has not done any research to back it up. He never retracts his inaccurancies because he is too arrogant to admit when he is wrong.
“He states things as fact when he is flat out wrong and has not done any research to back it up. He never retracts his inaccurancies because he is too arrogant to admit when he is wrong.”
Wow, that’s what Fox News does 24/7. Roe MUST be a conservative then!!
The Mancow photo is hilarious. He’s sporting the prerequisite goatee, the uniform of the douchebag.
“There really is nothing like a shorn scrotum, it’s breathtaking, I suggest you try it.” – Dr. Evil
Maybe he can shave that off and use it as a head topper for that dome of his.
I really liked Roe and Cisco together. I really disliked Mancow and Cassidy together. I won’t miss Mancow; he was way too vulgar.
mancow is a entertaining fool…
WLS is almost entirely,
(now sans mancow= ENTIRELY),
devoid of entertainment.
Adding cisco cotto, who is a (non-persuasive) idealogical water-carrier, but as entertaining as a root canal, to Roe Conn,
who LITERALLY fills TIME until his show is over by doing worthless interviews with B or C-list celebrities has-beens who are in town for a few hours trying to sell tickets to a show or promote a book..
On top of this, the remainder of the stations programming are a grandma and grandpa in the morning..
grandpa doing his best to imitate Rush Limbaugh..
and the rest of the day is FILLED with nonstop identical talking points from RL, Hannity, Levin,
who even if you are a person who somewhat agrees with them, no one (in a demographic of value to advertisers) is going to listen to that same -
”rich people are so persecuted – Goldman Sachs deserves a trillion dollar bonus, and anyone who disagrees is a commie”
this is why the typical advertiser on these shows is a endless array of =
1) pay us to negoitiate down your credit card debt
2) pay us to declare bankruptcy for you
3) take these snake-oil non-FDA approved herbal tablets which will make you potent/grow your hair/wake you up/cleanse your colon
(basically all scammers insulting our intelligence)
The current genius put in charge of this station,
apparently has decided that the way to fix the abhorrent, unlistened-to mess that his station has become is to double-down, discharge anyone of even modest entertainment value / with a actual following, and ensure that you must unfailingly spew the same nonsense demanding banker-bailouts in order to keep your job..
WELL.. Im gone from WLS, totally and permanently- you guys at this station have no ratings for a very good reason as detailed above. I figured this out with no backgorund in radio, only common sense, so maybe I should be your next station manager- I will do it with no salary- commission only, based strictly on RESULTS..
will your current genius manager, who opted for more of the same offer this arrangement?..I think NO.
I will instead start to listen to Gary Meier on WGN middays and recall fondly the early era of steve/garry before american radio was consolidated by transnational corporate scammers selling perverse ideology to desperate shut-ins, and supporting itself peddling valueless dishonest services/tablets to those gullible shrinking few who yet listen.
the path to real ratings of value to ones advertisers is not auditioning pathetic clones doing their best to conjure-up sean hannity and explain the great benefits of financial speculation and monoplies to their listeners-
Its showcasing local talent with actual inherent talent to entertain/inform, and for that I would seek someone who could conjure eddie schwartz instead of mind-numbingly imitating rush limbaugh.
the one in need of firing is the fool who runs this station.
Wow, that’s what Fox News does 24/7. Roe MUST be a conservative then!!
Roe’s liberal wife chiming in with her daily Fox News bashing.
Um, no.
You’re the one who’s bashing…anyone who dares to have an opinion that’s the slightest bit different from yours.
WLS problem=
Roe Conn = very boring
Cisco Cotto = boring to the point of wondering if this is a joke
Don/Roma = should be doing a variety show at friendship village nursing home
Limbaugh/Hannity/Levin= exactly the same/repeat”great american” every 2 minutes, you can only listen to so many false commercials supporting their show promising (to charge you for) you “YOUR BAILOUT from credit card debt”
this station is a perfect storm of how to NOT serve the public interest(s)
“I will instead start to listen to Gary Meier on WGN middays and recall fondly the early era of steve/garry before american radio was consolidated by transnational corporate scammers selling”
Garry,
Spelling your name wrong isn’t fooling anyone.
Everybody I enjoy listening to is off the air…….
Mancow is a great talent, like him or not.
Roe was pretty good with Cisco….Cisco made him look looney though.
Jonny B was funny.
Mancow was fun to listen too. It made my 9-11am time at work go by a lot quicker. It was a serious mistake to let him and Cassidy go. I hope he gets picked up somewhere in Chicago. I can guarantee you that I won’t be listening to Cisco.
Roe Conn is funny. He has a great show…I’ll still listen to him.
Amy is awesome. I hope they don’t get rid of her…or that she gets picked up by a TV station. I liked what she brought to both Roe’s and Mancow/Cassidy’s show. Ron Majors is a jackass…I feel like i’m listening to some geriatric talk about the good ‘ol days everytime he gets on. And I especially do not want to hear about his damn race horses any more.
Farewell Mancow we hardly knew ye….
Will some of you folks just exchange phone numbers?
i am 46 years old and enjoy talk radio. what chicago needs is new talent.murphy in the morning steve dahl were all god johny b. is still good.mike north was great at first but he sucks now.i notice these are smart people that comment.i would like to see fresh blood.i listen to a fellow on friday mornings on 1530-am. 9.00 am, he is funny and edgy at the same time.he does voices he reminds me of north, matthews andjohny b rolled into one.his name is scott alan,he should be on a bigger station.the suits should give this guy a chance, i am sure they could get him cheap, also i think don and roma are getting real old. thanks ron
ron my grandparents are in there 70,s and they stopped listening to them. don and roma,i will check out that mr alan beth
Discovered WIND AM560 awhile ago and enjoyed John Howell and Cisco Cotto as an alternative to Archie Bunker Don Wade. Eventually Cisco left a bad taste in my mouth after using air time – while John Howell was absent – to entertain running for Senate. And then shortafter he jumped ship to return to WLS. While he proved to me (via WIND) that he can handle a show on his own, Cotto lost my respect as a listener through his recent actions. I won’t tune in.
They fired Mancow/Cassidy because of the spectacle on Wednesday where they spent a good deal of time being critical of a later show ON THE SAME NETWORK!! And reaffirming what many listeners already know – of what a pompous man Ron Majors is. Roe Conn lost my interest a long time ago. Michael Medved is much, much better on that slot.
Used to listen to 890 more than any station but now only tune in for Rush and Levin (if I’m still awake). WLS890 seems to show very little regard for both the hosts and the audience; very shabby PR to say the least.
WLS management has their heads up their collective _ss. They fire Mancow/Cassidy and keep Roe Conn and Don & Roma??? Good thinking… Roe Conn is insufferable. If there was a drinking game for every time Roe uses the word “literally” there would be no sober people left. I would sometimes leave WLS on after Rush until Roe says “literally.” I usually turned the channel within 2 minutes. Talk about someone who uses verbal crutches! Yikes. I can’t imagine how anyone can stomach Conn and the First Prima Donna Ron Magers.
Ron Magers is a glorified teleprompter reader who thinks he is Ed Murrow. If you put Conn and Mager’s brains in a bird it would fly backwards.
I was surprised when Jerry Agar was let go to be replaced by Mancow. When I was able to listen to the stream, Pat Cassidy seemed like the professional, Mancow the adolescent.
However, from a business stand point, live and local is expensive. WLS could just as easily turn on Laura Ingraham live from the bird, and save a lot of money. I’m sure her syndicators would prefer being on a 50,000 watt blow torch than suburban smaller contour stations like Waukegan and Elgin.
Can not beleive it ! BIG Mistake ! No Mancow & Cassidy, No WLS !
wls you screwed up big big big time, who do you think made the radio show no#1 . in ratings ? it&s the listners who tune in to your station. when we like a show you take it off. If its not broken why fix it.mancow was the best addition to the radio on W L S station. think about it, every station mancow goes to ratings have skyrocketed. seems to me every station that hires mancow takes advantage of him by hiring him to boost their ratings, then they let him go as soon as their in there comfort zone. Get ready WLS your ratings are going to start plummeting.
I can’t believe that LS believes that Roe Conn is the answer for ratings in the afternoon drive. Listening to his arrogant personal opinions on EVERY subject is one of the reasons I stopped listening him. I was pretty comfortable with Don Wade & Roma in the morning, but find myself listening to WIND or watching cable more frequently. I’m tired of Roma’s rambling questions that takes forever; or her frivolous “cutesy” questions to guests. Me thinks that she soetimes takes too much “Trinity”.
Bring back Mancow and Cassidy, you fools!
For years I enjoyed all the personalities at WLS.Roe puts on a fabulous show(although lately its been stumbling a bit)Don and Roma are fantastic in the morning,and then came Mancow.An interesting point of view he has and I enjoyed listening along with Pat Cassidy who has a point of view of a large segment of the Population.Prior to them I also liked Jerry Hagar ,who mysteriously went to WGN.Of cource noone beats Rush though.But WLS had a Great thing going and messed it up.Such as in every aspect of life in Schools and work places around America.I cant help but think that Jealousy and Politics played a huge roll in this.I for one wonder who was the Jealous one.I think—— I know!!!
Let’s review so I got this straight.. Roe stabbed Garry Meier in the back, couldn’t do a show by himself so Bill Leff came on board and soon was gone, proved he couldn’t do a show by himself again so he auditioned with a multitude of partners, none who were kept, brought in Amy Jacobson who didn’t tolerate his BS so she was shipped out, then paired with Cisco who he didn’t mesh well, and somehow got the new management to dump Mancow & Cassidy who actually liked working with Amy who had the guts to speak the truth about Ron Magers, a close personal friend and fellow horse owner pal of Roe…. So a top ten show like Don & Roma feeds into an entertaining show like Mancow & Cassidy, who then hands off to the most listened to show in America hosted by Rush, only to have the station’s ratings dragged down by Roe’s show…. and yet Roe stays…. Guess I’ll just keep switching to Garry on the ‘G’ after Rush
In the beginning it was a good idea, Mancow/Cassidy. They played off of each other very well. Less than a year later, the format was too silly – Morning Zoo. Too many 5 minute on air guest visits. If your going to invite a politician, intellect or entertainer on as a guest, give them at least 40 minutes. Cut out the contests and the obnoxious background noises. As for Cotto, he’s very good. I thought he and Conn would have made a very good team. It’s too bad Conn has gotten a very big head. Glad that Christina and the Comedian are gone. Not very good. Also glad that Meier’s contract was not renewed. WLS, SHAKE THINGS UP A LITTLE WITH YOUR CONSERVATIVE POLITICS. CONSIDER STEVE DAHL or THE 2AM-4AM GUYS. Oh and one more thing. Please,please let Rush go.
I will sorely miss Mancow and Cassidy. I think WLS is making a grave mistake replacing them with the talentless Cisco Coto.
Does new management have rocks in their head!
I can say I will be turning my radio to NPR in the morning now!Burn.
Roe should go. His patrician attitude toward his listeners is boring and off-putting. But Mancow was no hero. Here’s a guy who, on his last gig in Chicago, did a bit where he supposedly found out he had a long-lost daughter and “talked to her on the phone”. He promised to “take care of her”. She (the actress) pretended to be happy and was going to run across the street to tell her grandmother. After a few minutes of self-congratulations on the air, one of Mancow’s flunkies came on the microphone to tell Mancow his “daughter” was run over by a car and killed as she crossed the street. That was ignorant, low-class and a stupid bit. It was REALLY bad Karma too. And apparently it just caught up to him. At least Cassidy is getting his old job back. He seemed like a good guy.
i have a idea try something new, try this format a good solid morning personality. then classic country hits from the 60.s 70,s and 80,s. just a thought rich.
With the feminizing of the American male and people wanting to be so politically correct Mancow was a refreshing change. He was the perfect lead in to the Rush Limbaugh show. He just didn’t take crap from liberal callers and I respect that. WLS screwed up big time letting him go. I guess I’ll just listen to WLS two hours less every day!
It’s Friday morning Feb. 12, 9:14 am. It is obvious that WLS fucked up. Cisco just doesn’t have it. Good riddance WLS.I’m turning my radio off.
I quit WLSAM years ago on account of some of the smart ass comments about people who live in other areas of the United States. They would give the impression that people from Chicago were more intelligent then country people, Roe Conn and the Don & Roma show mainly. Yeah you guys are smarter than country people by electing the same idiots all the time and then complaining, but thats a different subject. So we quit listening. Then we found out about MANCOW, so I broke my promise to myself and listened to him. Well I was back to WLS. Now I cant ever come back. I think its political in every way. Good by Progressives, and good riddance
John Kovatch
Wenona, Il 61377
I would have dumped that guy Roll Can.
“Good by Progressives, and good riddance”
Progressives? ON WLS? Not since Jay Marvin…!
Mancow and Cassidy were the only thing that WLS had going for it. Management at WLS must being taking lessons from Leno and Conan handlers; on how to screw up something that actually worked. I must admit Mancow and Cassidy were much more entertaining than Rush could ever hope to be. My guess is WLS needed a boring show before Rush, now they got it. Mancow is online at http://www.mancow.com and his show this morning was pretty good, I must admit I will miss him kicking around Cassidy. I have no use for my WLS app on my iphone, goodbye.
does anyone think the dung and aroma stink’s,like healthy trinity????Dung&Aroma mornings,we need that in da windy??
Bring back Jerry Agar.
Mancow SUCKED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Immature ass-clown shouldnt even HAVE a show.
How this guy even got onto radio is beyond my understanding.
Mancow and Cassidy were great–together and separately–I don’t know what that is supposed to mean that they didn’t “bridge” Don and Roma with Rush well. I would think a little spice would be called for about then. I can’t say I always agreed with Mancow but then what is a Mancow–the name is absolutely appropriate and I am going to miss his telling it like it is style–not afraid of stepping on toes–too bad those toes are vindictive which says more about them than Mancow or Cassidy–Love you Mancow and Cassidy–going to miss you a bunch–
Roe a man whose name is synonomous with fish ovulate,
is the problem at WLS along with a pat-their-prime elderly couple in the morning who a few years ago began suddenly to try to act like rush limbaugh.
These are not engaging to listeners unless you are really old or not too particular about content.
It seems this mgmt thinks that anyone who starts acting like rush is there meal ticket. Rush frankly is not the rush of old.. the old rush was a conservative, the current post-drug scandal rush is a guy who survives to spew conceit at working conservative people by the nature of being on every 50k watt station in the country.
you could put fish breeding on every 50k watt station and get listeners. its called a monopoly. Now they force cisco cooto on us, a man who like don/roma is revising himself into a rush-clone.
no thanks- lame
Hi mr feder, i am not here to bash any on air people. i decided to take a chance on a different radio station.i saw a couple of people mentioned wjjg 1530 am.my husband had heard of it i had not.so we listened to aman named ray haninia.my husband said he was writer for the sun-times. very interesting show a nice interview. very mellow then came this other guy scott alan i think his name is.he was crazy but had so much energy. he did trivia talked about politics made me and my husband laugh interviewed someone from the auto show.then he did different voices . i guess he does comedy shows in chicago.so all the people who nothing but complain try different stations. they were fantastic.ray h and scott alan. thank you mr feder. i miss you tuesday- fridays valorie
Don and Roma rock!!very informative and age is just a number!Cant belive all these comments about there age.Must be closet libs.Good luck mancow!I enjoyed your show,sometimes I think people just forget how to have a little fun.This country is big enough for everybody!You have the freedom to chose who you want to listen to and were to get informed.The system works even if you dont like the message or who is delivering it.Let the debates continue!
i would not care frankly if Roma was a 18 year old hooters waitress, her nonsense with these pills.. selling these pills, i will not listen to that trinity garbage.
**if you think your listeners are stupid you dont deserve them – hence WLS ratings**
No one really hates don and roma because they are old, they dont like people putting on a act trying to cash in (hey im rush now) after years of knowing their real personality. If roma really thinks these trinity tablets are so great why not buy them in bulk at costco for 2.99 (vitamin C is vitamin C)instead of trying to convince people that some herbal pill is exclusive to this multi-level mktg company that pays her.
thats hugely disrespectful to her audience and offends me.
Mancow kepted it real and exciting. I am dissappointed and a little angry. Because management thinks credibillity means alway behaving nice is accurate. I have no reason to tune into boring political commentary. I want to listen to someone who is passionate about what they believe.
Paul, seriously dude, Don and Roma suck the big bah-dong-a. I’m as right wing as a quasi-militant militia man can get, and I can tell you first hand, it’s just not libs that despise these two shillers for any product they can hawk.
Wade/Roma go on too long with one subject. In the morning, I want all the news I can get. That’s what I liked about Mancow and the great Cassidy. They reviewed the news, made some commentary, and moved on to the next subject.
I’m a forty year old, pot-smoking alcoholic. If I ever wanted to clean my life up, the LAST thing I would do is take “Healthy Trinity”. Those fuckfaces will put their name on a sack of shite and say it’s the best thing since sliced bagels.
When my 72 year old father moved back from AZ when Mom died, he ordered a bunch of choclate covered strawberries for everyone in the family. He ordered them because of a Wade/Roma commercial, and felt like he got f-ed in the drive thru. 4 strawberries for $30 times 14 orders. My dad is the biggest cheap-ass, ex-military conservative, and even his old, drunk ass said, “F these whores”.
So don’t be so sure it’s only libs not lovin’ the Roma/Wade train, ok?
I started listening to WLS around 1994, when I heard about Roe and Gary,,, (with a little bit of Jim Johnson), those were the days!
I can handle my 20 minutes of Don and Roma on my way to work in the mornings. I really enjoyed Mancow, although his water boarding stunt was about equal to my 3 year old daughter getting her hair washed in the bath tub with a wash cloth over her face! Not torture! I think Mancow was just in the wrong time slot, for I couldn’t hear him until I got off of work. Why not try and throw Hannity in there before Rush, so everybody can get their dose all at once! Then put Mancow on after Roe, or even put Mancow in Don and Roma’s spot, and put them in Hannity’s at night. Yeah, I like that even better! As far as Cotto, I don’t care for him. Eventually you will want Mancow back for your younger if not “middle aged” audience, soon. And what was wrong with Jerry Agar? The only hope I see for Roe, is to put it back to the Roe and Garry show, with just a little bit of Jim Johnson. Or even better, put Mancow with Roe, but Roe’s ego would never allow that to happen. The trend WLS is setting with its talent will soon find itself engulfed in numerous law suits, for if you listen while driving, you’re sure to fall asleep at the wheel!
Don Wade and Roma are still there? They’re one of the main reason WLS sucks. WLS is definitely off my presets.
One thing to always count on, WLS making stupid decisions!! I’m done listening…Cisco to replace Mancow, you’ve got to be kidding?!! Does anyone in management ask the listeners because you continually screw up the good stuff. Those two hours were real,true and funny. Mancow is the only one not afraid to tell the truth about the current issues, including the deplorable state of the Chicago school system and our current, inexperienced and failing miserably, Washington government! I truly enjoyed both Mancow and Cassidy’s show and will look for them elsewhere. Gary Meier’s show is very good on WGN and I’ll find Rush somewhere else. Stupid, stupid management!!! Shame on you.
Bye-Bye Mancow!! I never understood why this “transplant” from California got popular in Chicago in the first place. I remember when Anthony Bourdain had a show here and Mancow took him to some place for the “Chicago Food Sandwich” experience. What did this California loser now about the Chicago food experience? Didn’t even have Bourdain try an Italian Beef. That’s chicago! Not some weird monstrosity of a sandwich that Mancow said was “Chicago”. The producers should have had Dahl on their, or Meir, or Brandmeir, those are Chicago Jock legends. Mancow just will be a low-rent conservative Howard Stern. Nothing more.
Now if WLS would get rid of the rest of FoxNews trash from their station, I might go back to listening to them. Mancow always was a hack anyhow, never had an original idea and stole from any top talent he could
Radio management take note! Check out the number of passionate listeners who waded (no pun intended) in on the ouster of Mancow and Cassidy. Chicagoans do care about local radio. What I feel is being overlooked is how Rush Limbaugh factors into all of this. His show is carried live on WLS each weekday starting at 11:00AM. Don and Roma go off at 9:00AM (again, not a traditional sign off time for morning drive). That two hour gap has been a challenge for every program director. It’s hard for a 5-day a week show to get traction in two hours. Eileen Byrne and Jay Marvin did a pretty good job of it but even that failed. Mancow in a 2-hour format was never a good idea. His political leanings were a good fit for WLS but he was evolving out of “Mancow’s Morning Madhouse” too slowly for that audience. Quite an FM radio talk radio station line up available right now. Mancow, Brandmeier, Dahl, Mathews and, of course, Pete McMurray doing overnights.
I HATE WLS FOR THIS!! Are you so stupid to cancel the best show that comes out of Chicago. Have you ever heard of Chemistry? Have you ever asked your listeners what they think? I have no reason to listen to the big 89 anymore except for Rush. You LOSERS!!
I was totally shocked when I found out that Mancow and Pat Cassidy were fired after Wednesday’s show. I was on hold for over an hour with the Wls screener with I hoped was the answer to what song was on Cassidy’s ringtone. It was the 4th time I got through to the station with my guesses, unfortunatly I was wrong again but it was fun trying and calling in otherwise! I spoke to the station manager at WLs the next day and all I was told that they had a program change at WLS and that was the reason for letting Mancow go. I listened to his show right after Don Wade and Roma, and I found Mancow to be a great spokesman for th “little guy”, and the disenchanted hardworking middle class worker. I feel WLS made a big mistake by fireing Mancow.
To
Alex who made the comment about Maancow being just another “transplant from California” YOU”RE A MORON!”
I am just an old lady at 73 years old, but I really enjoyed Mancow and Cassidy. I am really sad about this news that WLS fired them. Cisco Cotto has no substance. He thinks he is so smart has very average intellegence based on what I have heard. I think the bosses at WLS are in a real fantasy world. Go keep Roe Conn and the rest of the borring bunch. I will try to get used to am 560. Sad bunch at WLS.
Please put Mancow and Cassidy back on. Cisco Cotto is borring!!!!!!!!!!.
Cisco is corporate voice who IMO abides by the timed breaks to the ‘minute’ He has a monotone voice that is boorish. It seems he constantly asks rhetorical questions to the listeners while oh so subtly voicing his beliefs. I do not need some radio host discretely voicing his opinions. Speak your mind man!
Bring back the Cow! Citizen X vs. Cisco… that is a clash I would like to see.
i am a manager for sawas old warsaw. we sponser the scott alan show and have gotten alot of new customers.he is alot of fun to listen to. i think a program director should take a shot with the scott alan radio show, we did.i have listenrd to cisco this week, i think he is trying real hard, he needs a side kick. thanks
I have lost all faith in WLS at this point and will probably just find another station to listen to. Mancow and Cassidy were the only bit of energy the station had, and now some moron decides it’s better for business to let them go. Bad, bad idea….
If it’s not broke, why try and fix it? First they get rid of Christina Filiaggi in the afternoon and brought on that dolt Bill Leff.. Then they scrapped him and brought Amy Jacobson on? How much crack is being smoked in these corporate boardrooms, and are their dealers giving them a bulk discount? This is especially evident after they Blago in on Sundays.
What were they thinking???
I am going to make a long-distance DX antenna to pull in the far-away stations at night, considering that WLS has nothing to listen to now. Great job guys, I hope your new programming/staffing choices go well…NOT!
Oh, and I forgot to mention that I am angry for WLS deciding to scrap Jake Hartford! I know this was a while ago, but ever since he went to WCPT, I joing him there on Saturday morning and have been giving the station a chance, despite the low-power and the fact that I may not agree with everything that is said…
I try and vary my listening. If I listen to Rush a little in the afternoon (I never could sit through an entire show), I would make up it on the bus ride home at 6PM on 91.5 FM. WLS had a good mix going like this with Jay Marvin and Eileen Moore (I think that was her last name at the time) in the AM, but nothing good lasts anymore…
And what happened to the Drudge Report????
Matt Mroch,
I too like to do DX at night. WTAM (Cleveland, 1100AM) comes in REAL good usually about an hour and a half after sunset. I have regularly picked up Texas radio (can’t remember call sign or frequency). All this on just an old Sony Dream clock radio with an extended antenna!
But, I have to say, almost all the big stations are on that internet-thingy, and it’s crystal clear. So, I find myself just pulling out the laptop and listening to Milwaukee, Madison, at night now, to pick up Coast to Coast AM (geniuses at ‘LS cut the show off half-way for Midnight Trucker Radio (which is pretty good, if you give it a chance).
The Don Wade show would be more enjoyable and ratings would increase without the “snake oil saleswoman” who interrupts Don and guests like a 2 year old kid who wants attention.
Now I only have 1 reason to tune into WLS (Rush)…. Mancow got me started in listening to both WLS and Rush…..
FUCK YOU WLS YOU MORONS
The only reason I tuned into WLS this morning was to listen what Tiger Wood’s had to say at his so called “press conference”. I would’ve loved to heard Mancow’s opinion on it if WLS hadn’t fired his ass! I’ve listened to WLS since I was 13 (I’m 62 now), and the fireing of Mancow has got to be right up there with the station fireing Dick Biondi back in the 60’s when he told WLS radio listeners that he took his wife to a Cubs game and he made a deal with her where he would kiss her on the strikes, and she would kiss him on the BALLS! WLS, you screwed up again!
PAPA JERRY,
I never heard that about Biondi, but I’m a spring chicken to you (I’m 40). LOL.
I can’t wait to use that line on my wife, priceless. They fired him for THAT? Well, it was the sixties, period of rampant LSD use, unprotected free love, and revolution, right. Geez.
Thanks for the laugh, and yes, Mancow would of put it all in a sick, perverted perspective, which is what I like.
Hey Papa Jerry,
You are wrong. Biondi was fired after a fight over the amount of commercials in his program. In 30 minutes he had 18 minutes of spots, and he blew a gasket. For documentation refer to Clark Weber’s book about radio in Chicago. On a personal note, I have confirmed it as well with Biondi, a true radio legend.
I heard the ‘dirty joke’ version of Dick Biondi getting fired back in the day, also. A Chicago radio researcher pointed out many errors in Clark Weber’s book after it came out – perhaps he errored on the Biondi story as well.
Scott,
It is entirely possible SuperClark erred on parts of the book.
I also have talked in person with Biondi. The dirty jokes, either more hair to comb, or balls and strikes are urban myths.
Bob in Beijing: Thanks for your response. I appreciate it.
Mancow will now be working on satellite radio.
Is it possible that Mancow will be installing satellite TV dishes instead of actually performing on satellite radio?
“At the time of his hiring at WLS, Muller was described by then-general manager Mike Fowler as “a younger version of Rush [Limbaugh], with some Roe Conn thrown in.” But Damsky and Hayes pointed to audience research that showed Muller’s edgy, hyperkinetic act did not appeal to the core audiences of Don and Roma Wade’s morning show preceding it or Limbaugh’s midday show following it. “The two hours [from 9 to 11 a.m.] has to be a very consistent bridge between those two programs, and Mancow’s show just wasn’t the bridge,” Damsky said.”
That sounds like a description of a radio station in Hell. Pretty much the state of most radio stations in general. The tape player and then the CD player saved me from having to suffer through such dreck.
I have been a long time listener to the station, but find that this loyalty is challenged by idiotic choices by management. Mancow was a fresh voice & many of us could identify with some of his opinions. He was unorthodox but at least he kept it fresh.
What you have replaced him with is BORING, WGN-type radio talk. Cotto did not work in the afternoon with Roe & he didn’t work years ago, when someone in management then got rid of him. I am now tuning off WLS. The only one who benefits from Cotto on the air is ANY other station! Admit the mistake & fix it! PLEASE!
WLS blew it again, nice going management, I’m done listening!!
What a crock.. I thought the duo was great. Libertarians cant catch a break.. Guess its back to WBBM for my AM drive.
Cotto….. snore, snore, snore. At least Mancow and Cassidy were entertaining!
WLS wants to appeal to the folks waking up in the nursing homes or what? Big Mistake. Now I’ll just listen to Pandora Radio on my phone until 11:00 am.
Why do “managers” always want to screw with talent that can do things on the air that they can’t?
WLS — We Love Snoring !
P.S. Puhleeeze! not Bill Leff again! Action figure collecting jokes get really old fast, and he needs to have that left nut surgically decended to keep his voice from cracking!
I would reather listen to Mancoe then Roma ant day of the week I turned to WLS when the Mancow came on and stayed the rest of the day. I fave found a new station since Mancow is gone from WLS
Dang it all! Who thought that was a good idea??? I’m gonna find out where he goes & follow him there. No Mancow, no WLS! I’ll listen to Rush on a dif channel, WLS can kiss my posterior!
well now i can listen to sports at 9 am.
I will miss Mancow. Cassidy could be annoying but he actually got to grow on me.
I felt energized with Mancow on, living in Champaign.
He is down to earth and smart.
I cannot stand the sound of some other of the voices on there…
WLS used to be my favorite now I just go online and do not like much on radio.
I will find Mancow online, I can find Rush on the local stn here in Champaign,. and as for the traffic and weather and commercials, not needed.
I would deal with them for Mancow and Roe and Rush and Sean and Mark Levin.
Do not ever get rid of Mark Levin!
I do not care for Cisco and cannot listen to Roma either.
Snooze fest.
Wonder what this is about, but I am probably going to find much better stuff online!
No problem!
you are so wrong to get rid of mancow and cassidy myself and family only listen to this station because of them. You are changing all the good people. Please do not fire Roe or you will lose alot more listener. Big mistake.
@Tracy – Odd that you’re such a big fan and just now posted about it. He’s been gone quite a while now…
Good riddance to Mancow! He’s a self-absorbed man masquerading as an alarmist on a conservative station! He didn’t care a lick for his audience. His schtick didn’t change from his FM101.1 days.
Actually, WLS better review their line-up from AM to PM. Don Wade is getting very smarthy and whiny now and Roma sounds confused at times. Roe Conn has lost his luster since Garry Meier left the show. Hannity is an shrill alarmist and Mark Levin makes sense as long as he keeps the decibel level below 100. He tends to ramp up when he gets on a rant.
Thank God I have baseball to listen to…however I’m tired of Ron Santo of the Cubs getting lost and Ed Farmer of the Sox getting cocky.
Maybe I better just listen to CDs…..
It’s obvious that WLS-AM Chicago is too Conservative now. Twenty years ago Mancow would have been King!
ARE YOU KIDDING MANCOW/CASSIDY GREAT COMBO LOVED LISTENING TO THEM ALONG WITH DON AND ROMA, THEN RUSH. CISCO IS SOOOOOOOOOOOO BORING, I WILL NOT LISTEN TO HIM, A WASTE OF TIME. ROE IS IMPRESSED WITH HIS OWN IMPORTANCE, HE WAS AND IS A LIGHT WEIGHT, NEVER WANT TO HEAR HIM AGAIN OR THAT FAKE HALF LAUGH OF HIS. I VOTE TO BRING BACK MANCOW AND CASSIDY.
Mancow and Cassidy was the only show I listened to on Wls. Because Mancow mentioned Roe Con I listened to Him too. Mancow mentioned Don and Romma. So I listened to Wls a lot. As a mail delivery person I listen to a lot of radio. Mancow introduced me to twitter and Now I have over 2500 followers. I will miss Mancow,Pat Cassidy, Mora Miles, and John Dempsey, Some of the best shows. Now during that I’m listening to Laura Ingram show. Am radio is not the same any more. Rush, Glen Beck, Roe and Laura is what is left on talk radio for me. Mancow and Pat’s words came from there heart’s and I feel like I know these Guys well. God has Better Plans and something Good will come out of it.
Roe Conn should stick to theatre talk, at least he seems to know something about that topic. I can’t stand when he talks politics or finance,because he doesn’t have a clue about what is going on in the world. I give him credit for at least having people on that do understand the situation in the world today. My favorite is Rick Santelli, now Santelli would have a great show!