WEEI axes "Dale & Holley": Michael Holley moves to Big Show

[birdwatcher]

I did grow up listening to Big O doing the C's broadcasts on the radio...great memories of being young, a rabid fan and not having cable in central Maine...funny but true..

[arctic 3.0]

Holley shouldn't have moved to the Big Awful Show he should have moved to The Sports Hub. I would agree with your assessment... Dale and Holley had the only tolerable show on WEEI.

I agree.  Dale & Holley was the only show I cared listen to.  I only listen to the Big Show when Max is there on Thursdays.    I guess they're hoping Holley saves the Big Show.  Wish they had scrapped D&C instead.

cosign

[Chris]

I think it made sense to move Holley to the Big show.  That show was just getting worse and worse, and he adds a level of professionalism that I think could help them stop the bleeding a bit. 

I have no idea what they were thinking with the midday show though.  Mutnansky is terrible (talks way too much with nothing to say), and Merloni does a good job for a former athlete, but that isn't actually a compliment.  Merloni is a good guest host, because he can give some perspective on baseball, but as a full time host, its going to be a disaster. 

Honestly, I think the Midday show was the only thing WEEI had left, and they just conceded it to the Sports Hub, in the interest of saving some cash, and slowing the sinking of the drive time ship.  Unless they can get some real personalities in there, and change the perception of being the station where you just get shouted down by mindless blowhards, they are not going to be around much longer.

[Redz]

I think it made sense to move Holley to the Big show.  That show was just getting worse and worse, and he adds a level of professionalism that I think could help them stop the bleeding a bit. 

I have no idea what they were thinking with the midday show though.  Mutnansky is terrible (talks way too much with nothing to say), and Merloni does a good job for a former athlete, but that isn't actually a compliment.  Merloni is a good guest host, because he can give some perspective on baseball, but as a full time host, its going to be a disaster. 

Honestly, I think the Midday show was the only thing WEEI had left, and they just conceded it to the Sports Hub, in the interest of saving some cash, and slowing the sinking of the drive time ship.  Unless they can get some real personalities in there, and change the perception of being the station where you just get shouted down by mindless blowhards, they are not going to be around much longer.

good points all

Amazing to think how ballsy it was of 98.5 to take on WEEI so aggressively and how quickly they've wounded them.

[Chris]

Also, I think the rationale behind this whole thing was that they are losing a ton of money, and needed to cut someone loose, so they decided that they could afford it the most on the midday show, since Gresh and Zolak are the easiest to beat.  So, they brought in two much cheaper guys who basically have the same schtick (well spoken ex-athlete and mediocre media guy) who can hopefully hold their own there for a heck of a lot cheaper, hopefully revitalize the Big Show with Holley, and cut out Dale's salary (which was likely pretty big based on his tenure and success).

I hope the Sports Hub bring in Dale, just to spite EEI...plus, it would be funny, since John Wallache has been talking crap about Dale ever since he came to the Sports Hub.

[birdwatcher]

I think it made sense to move Holley to the Big show.  That show was just getting worse and worse, and he adds a level of professionalism that I think could help them stop the bleeding a bit. 

I have no idea what they were thinking with the midday show though.  Mutnansky is terrible (talks way too much with nothing to say), and Merloni does a good job for a former athlete, but that isn't actually a compliment.  Merloni is a good guest host, because he can give some perspective on baseball, but as a full time host, its going to be a disaster. 

Honestly, I think the Midday show was the only thing WEEI had left, and they just conceded it to the Sports Hub, in the interest of saving some cash, and slowing the sinking of the drive time ship.  Unless they can get some real personalities in there, and change the perception of being the station where you just get shouted down by mindless blowhards, they are not going to be around much longer.

good points all

Amazing to think how ballsy it was of 98.5 to take on WEEI so aggressively and how quickly they've wounded them.

Its almost a supply & demand scenario--WEEI monopolized that sector of the airwaves for so long that they got to the point where they felt they could put out any half a$$ effort and people would soak it up. The truth is, lots of people wanted quality sports talk and were waiting for a new suitor to come along, and they pretty much have it for now. I do believe it will be a long honeymoon period, but I think EEI will come back around and it will even out.

[xmuscularghandix]

Dale and Holley was the only show on WEEI i listened to. I love Holley and Ordway but i can't stand the other guys that are on The Fat Show. WEEI is dead to me.

[Rondo2287]

I really don't get it, the morning show on 98.5 is terrible.  They know nothing about sports.  D&C know infinitely more about sports and while they have their right wing schtick is no worse than Felgers Universal contrarian schtick.

Personally I would have loved to see Meter and Lou doing the afternoon show.  I think that would have been a great combo.

And you are right, Gresh and Zo are terrible too, Lou and Mut shouldnt have a problem taking down that time slot.

Felger and Maz are the only thing that 98.5 has going for it, and they are unbearable when they try to talk celtics, and i can't take the bruins talk. 

Felger actually said that KG was a pansy, and that nobody on the celtics are real athletes compared to the bruins....

[Mad Hatter]

livin in RI, i hear 103.7 FM. i listen to D&H and the Big Show daily and i'm a huge fan of both shows. this is definitely a big surprise to me. the static reception for 98.5 is not that good here,  and their shows are ok (out of all shows on the Sports Hub, i like Damon Amendolara). Gresh & Zo i don't listen to, even though i liked them at 790 The Score. i always listen to 'EEI, especially during the Celtics season.

as for the Big O, i don't mind him. i actually think he's funny. D&C suck, and Planet Mikey is good (called that show more times than any other show). we'll see what happens.

[crownsy]

I really don't get it, the morning show on 98.5 is terrible.  They know nothing about sports.  D&C know infinitely more about sports and while they have their right wing schtick is no worse than Felgers Universal contrarian schtick.

Personally I would have loved to see Meter and Lou doing the afternoon show.  I think that would have been a great combo.

And you are right, Gresh and Zo are terrible too, Lou and Mut shouldnt have a problem taking down that time slot.

Felger and Maz are the only thing that 98.5 has going for it, and they are unbearable when they try to talk celtics, and i can't take the bruins talk. 

Felger actually said that KG was a pansy, and that nobody on the celtics are real athletes compared to the bruins....

While i respect that view even if i don't agree with it (I love T & R and could care less about hearing political radio with the occasional snarky "God athletes are stupid" segment on D& C)

to say that "Felger and Maz are the only thing 98.5 has going for it" is not born out by the numbers.

T & R are pretty much dead even with D & C and are actually beating them at a pretty good clip, and growing all the time, and they are killing D & C in the 18-35 year old range as of january's rating book. D & H were beating gresh and zoe, who are terrible, but now they'll lose some listeners if this new show doesn't click.

But the big show is getting slaughtered, and DA is absolutely killing mike adams ratings and fun sports variety show wise (I love DA as well)

I think it's more accurate to say D & H winning midday was all WEEI had going for it. This stinks of a panic move, it will be interesting to see if it changes the ratings dynamic at all or 98.5 starts picking up even more ground in the midday.

[Mike-Dub]

livin in RI, i hear 103.7 FM. i listen to D&H and the Big Show daily and i'm a huge fan of both shows. this is definitely a big surprise to me. the static reception for 98.5 is not that good here,  and their shows are ok (out of all shows on the Sports Hub, i like Damon Amendolara). Gresh & Zo i don't listen to, even though i liked them at 790 The Score. i always listen to 'EEI, especially during the Celtics season.

as for the Big O, i don't mind him. i actually think he's funny. D&C suck, and Planet Mikey is good (called that show more times than any other show). we'll see what happens.

For me when I'm home (Rhode Island) and my family when I'm back home 98.5 comes in ok, but obviously EEI much better.  I bet that EEI dominates in Rhode Island because of the FM feed and that the Sports Hub doesn't come in great all throughout RI like EEI. 

IMO if WEEI wants to get back on the map they have to move to FM.  I bet once Sox season comes though the numbers will swing back into WEEI's favor.

[snowball]

quite honestly, I find myself listening to
National ESPN Radio a lot more lately.
I am so tired of the fixation on small, tiresome
issues on both WEEI and 98.5. Yes, they are local
but does every single topic have to be about beating local
questions to death ? Talk about myopic. Tunnel Vision.
The national sports radio I listen to is 1450 AM
out of Rhode Island.

[Mike-Dub]

Very disapointed by this move by the way since I live in RI and the Sports Hub doesn't come in that great in the part I live.  I really liked Dale and Holley and thought they had good stuff.  Now I'm going to have to be listening to Lou who I don't mind and Mut who I don't like at all.

Always B101  .

[snowball]

btw - ESPN RADIO is
http://www.wlkwradio.com/

1450 Rhode Island
1340 New Bedford

[Donoghus]

"Dale & Holley" was the one show on WEEI that I always liked.  It was pretty consistent and a good change of pace from the other WEEI programming.

I always thought they had the most level-headed Celtics talk on their show and even used to talk Celtics pre-New Three era when it felt like the other shows abandoned Celtics talk altogether.

Big Show was always about the day's co-hosts for me.  Some of the guys were absolutely awesome and those are the days that I usually find myself switching over to "Felger & Mazz" or just rocking out to tunes on Sirius & Pandora. 

WEEI seems to really have been unable to deal with the competition from Sportshub.  It certainly appears like they're reeling although I do feel there is enough room in Boston for two sports radio stations.  Its amazing how far Sportshub has come in less than 2 years on the radio.  Something that ESPN Boston and the Zone didn't come close to doing. 

People like hearing new voices and fresh opinions not the same redundant talk like EEI has been trotting out for years now.  Yelling & screaming were always turnoffs to me and I found "Dale & Holley" to be that exception on WEEI.  Now they've gotten rid of that.

It'll be really interesting to see how Ordway & Holley coexist.  One thing is for sure, though.  With those two guys side by side, there should be plenty of Celtics talk going on from 2-6.