Entercom Fires WEEI Station Director Jason Wolfe

[nickagneta]

WEEI's whole downfall started about 3-5 years before The Sports Hub came about. At the time, Wolfe had his mainstays with four shows, Dennis and Callahan, Dale Arnold, The Big Show with Glenn Ordway, and Mike Adams. D&C became way to politicized and started spouting off some fairly hateful far right wing stuff that got them in trouble. Dale was so bland he just was filler in the afternoon because there was nothing else sports related to listen to. The Big Show became all about ego with Ordway, Sheppard, Smerlas and DeOssie constantly belittling callers, shouting over them, shouting over each other and making listening to the show unbearable. Mike Adams, well, he will always be Mike Adams, comic relief in the world of sports.

The ratings were through the roof because the Boston Sports scene had taken off with the Red Sox and Pats becoming kings in their sports. Boston and New England couldn't get enough sports talk. But Wolfe and WEEI let the personalities rule and they ruined what they had. This coincided with all Globe writers being kicked off the shows and things got progressively worse as the hosts started making fun of the Globe writers on air.

Wolfe started interjecting new people and then The Sports Hub came. And then once real competition was added, Wolfe didn't have a clue how to handle it. His pride and personality just killed everything.

I am really surprised it took this long and sadly, it might be too late. Possibly the greatest sports radio station ever might now be relegated to an afterthought due to the horrid management at the top and from Jason Wolfe.

[action781]

Kinda shocking.

Here's an idea I keep thinking about for EEI:

In this day and age, aren't a TON of people getting out of their job well after 5 o'clock? Why not push Sulk & Holly (who I do like) back an hour to 6-7?

If you're in your car between then (and I'm guessing a ton of people are like me and are probably leaving work closer to 6 then 5) you're forced to listen to Mike Adams, who can't help them winning key demos or Mazz talking strictly baseball.

Wouldn't a great way to win people back to push Sulk & Holly to an hour more people can hear them when the competitions not that bad?

I think certain demographics (younger) and certain sectors of the workforce are getting out of their job well after 5:00.  I'm 29 years old and almost all of my friends fit into that group that's working later into the evening.

But the traffic leaving boston is still MUCH heavier from 5-5:30pm than it is at any time later in the evening, which tells me that 5pm is still the more often departure time.  I know you're somewhere around my age, SO, so I think your idea is based mostly on the people you know.

[action781]

WEEI's whole downfall started about 2-3 years before The Sports Hub came about. At the time, Wolfe had his mainstays with four show, Dennis and Callahan, Dale Arnold, The Big Show with Glenn Ordway, and Mike Adams. D&C became way to politicized and started spouting off some fairly hateful far right wing stuff that got them in trouble. Dale was so bland he just was filler in the afternoon because there was nothing else sports related to listen to. The Big Show became all about ego with Ordway, Sheppard, Smerlas and DeOssie constantly belittling callers, shouting over them, shouting over each other and making listening to the show unbearable. Mike Adams, well, he will always be Mike Adams, comic relief in the world of sports.

This is such a spot on description of the shows.  I don't listen as much as I used to, but Mikey was definitely my favorite show.

Big show's motto:  "Whoever yells louder is more right"

[Interceptor]

I think certain demographics (younger) and certain sectors of the workforce are getting out of their job well after 5:00.  I'm 29 years old and almost all of my friends fit into that group that's working later into the evening.

But the traffic leaving boston is still MUCH heavier from 5-5:30pm than it is at any time later in the evening, which tells me that 5pm is still the more often departure time.  I know you're somewhere around my age, SO, so I think your idea is based mostly on the people you know.

You can throw me in this bucket as well: I deliberately stay late to dodge that nightmare every day. There may be an age correlation here.

I've moved on from radio, though; I'll listen to Grande on the way home if there's an early C's game, but it's podcasts all the way these days. I have no patience/interest for anything else.

[Prof. Clutch]

WEEI's whole downfall started about 3-5 years before The Sports Hub came about. At the time, Wolfe had his mainstays with four shows, Dennis and Callahan, Dale Arnold, The Big Show with Glenn Ordway, and Mike Adams. D&C became way to politicized and started spouting off some fairly hateful far right wing stuff that got them in trouble. Dale was so bland he just was filler in the afternoon because there was nothing else sports related to listen to. The Big Show became all about ego with Ordway, Sheppard, Smerlas and DeOssie constantly belittling callers, shouting over them, shouting over each other and making listening to the show unbearable. Mike Adams, well, he will always be Mike Adams, comic relief in the world of sports.

The ratings were through the roof because the Boston Sports scene had taken off with the Red Sox and Pats becoming kings in their sports. Boston and New England couldn't get enough sports talk. But Wolfe and WEEI let the personalities rule and they ruined what they had. This coincided with all Globe writers being kicked off the shows and things got progressively worse as the hosts started making fun of the Globe writers on air.

Wolfe started interjecting new people and then The Sports Hub came. And then once real competition was added, Wolfe didn't have a clue how to handle it. His pride and personality just killed everything.

I am really surprised it took this long and sadly, it might be too late. Possibly the greatest sports radio station ever might now be relegated to an afterthought due to the horrid management at the top and from Jason Wolfe.

TP for this incredibly apt breakdown.

[Chris]

WEEI's whole downfall started about 2-3 years before The Sports Hub came about. At the time, Wolfe had his mainstays with four show, Dennis and Callahan, Dale Arnold, The Big Show with Glenn Ordway, and Mike Adams. D&C became way to politicized and started spouting off some fairly hateful far right wing stuff that got them in trouble. Dale was so bland he just was filler in the afternoon because there was nothing else sports related to listen to. The Big Show became all about ego with Ordway, Sheppard, Smerlas and DeOssie constantly belittling callers, shouting over them, shouting over each other and making listening to the show unbearable. Mike Adams, well, he will always be Mike Adams, comic relief in the world of sports.

This is such a spot on description of the shows.  I don't listen as much as I used to, but Mikey was definitely my favorite show.

Big show's motto:  "Whoever yells louder is more right"

The most frustrating thing about the Big Show, is that they had access to so much talent with the guest host.  Felger, Mazz, Sean McAdam, etc.  But somehow those guys seemed to very rarely be on compared to guys like Smerlas and Deossie (and I actually like Deossie, but he became a charicature when he was with that crew).

And after Sportshub came on the scene, the only thing EEI had left was the midday show.  I actually thought Dale and Holley was perhaps the best pure sports talk show in the city...along with perhaps Felger and Mazz, although Dale and Holley had a lot less Edited.  Profanity and masked profanity are against forum rules and may result in discipline.yness to get past.  But, then they dumped Dale and moved Holley, and it was all over.

Ironically though, in the last year or so, I think Dennis and Callahan had made a comeback, as they made a concerted effort to tone down the political talk.  But, I think they regressed ever since the Whitey Bulger case started. 

[Donoghus]

I always thought if EEI had teamed up Felger & Holley, they could've had an awesome show. Instead, Felger jumped to ESPN radio or whatever that station was back in the mid to late 2000s.

Those two could've had some real balance.

Dumping Dale was a mistake.  Not necessarily the greatest talent but his teaming with Holley was a good one and the best show in the lineup during that timespan. 

I never understood the Mikey Adams thing.  I loved when Ryder used to cover for him. 

[Chris]

I never understood the Mikey Adams thing.  I loved when Ryder used to cover for him.

I can't handle Mike Adams.  To me, it is the most boring, unentertaining, and grating show on the radio.  I just don't like the schtick...and that's all it is.  Constant schtick.

[Neurotic Guy]

I never understood the Mikey Adams thing.  I loved when Ryder used to cover for him.

I can't handle Mike Adams.  To me, it is the most boring, unentertaining, and grating show on the radio.  I just don't like the schtick...and that's all it is.  Constant schtick.

You hit the nail on the head earlier with D&C -- they had toned the politics down a lot and they are much better to listen to when they talk only sports.  But they have absolutely reverted back in recent weeks (months).  They become quickly intolerable (for me) when they talk politics.  You get the feeling that Gerry is constantly chomping at the bit to get his views out there.

I also echo your thoughts about Mikey Adams.  Hear one show and you get the schtick, and there is really nothing more.  And I agree that the schtick isn't all that funny or entertaining.  He knows no more sports than the average guy and his humor is pretty much middle school locker room.  Not good radio as far as I'm concerned.

[rickyfan3.0...]

WEEI is really talentless right now, outside of Holley and Gerry Calahan IMO. Is that Jason Wolfe's fault?

[PhoSita]

Chances are a couple years from now 93.7 will be just another ClearChannel Top 40 station.

Interesting. An off topic, as upset as I am to lose 96.9 the comservative station (to counter the npr that is basically the only news station left), i must admit the addition of the new 96.9 and their not so oldies oldies and rush hour mix amd the new evolution on 101.7 the boston radio lamdscape has dramaticaly improved. Now i have the variety of listening to top 40, dance, news (especially bbc world news), and add some sprinkles of the emerson station i have everything i need.

Eh, it's gotten a lot worse in recent years from my view, but that's because I'm part of the younger generation and I enjoy listening to alternative / local music.

I was really bummed when WFNX was taken off the air and replaced with a ClearChannel clone.

[twistedrico14]

They should fire those two republican idiots that are on in the morning. Can't even listen to that crap anymore. Horrible.

[Prof. Clutch]

Just saw this on Boston Sports Media Watch

According to an industry  source, the choice to replace Jason Wolfe is likely to be current 1320 KFAN Salt Lake City Program Director Kevin Graham.

http://www.bostonsportsmedia.com/2013/08/source-kevin-graham-to-replace-jason-wolfe-as-weei-program-director#comments

[Donoghus]

Just saw this on Boston Sports Media Watch

According to an industry  source, the choice to replace Jason Wolfe is likely to be current 1320 KFAN Salt Lake City Program Director Kevin Graham.

http://www.bostonsportsmedia.com/2013/08/source-kevin-graham-to-replace-jason-wolfe-as-weei-program-director#comments

The cure to their woes is to bring in an outsider from Salt Lake City, of all places?

Wouldn't they be better bringing on a local who knows the fickle Boston market?

[86MaxwellSmart]

Now if someone would Fire Donny Marshall....then we'd be on the right track-!