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[Sports Radio] Jim Rome no longer aired in "H-Town"

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout' started by Kam, Dec 28, 2011.

  1. Kam

    Kam Member

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    http://www.chron.com/sports/article/KILT-610-AM-will-end-Rome-s-14-year-run-with-2429495.php

    Jim Rome, whose hard-edged, opinionated talk show has been a fixture on KILT (610 AM) for almost 14 years, will be dropped by the CBS Radio all-sports station after Friday’s show after more than a year of declining ratings.

    Rome’s syndicated show will be replaced by a new local show hosted by Mike Meltser and Brad Davies called MAD Radio. Morning show hosts Marc Vandermeer and John Lopez will work from 6 to 10 a.m., followed by Meltser and Davies from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Rich Lord and Josh Innes from 2 to 6 p.m. and Barry Warner and Shaun Bijani from 6 to 10 p.m.

    Rome is now heard on more than 200 stations nationwide in addition to his ESPN television show, but Houston was one of his first major market affiliates outside the West Coast when he debuted on KILT in March 1997.

    The show quickly became one of the most popular parts of KILT’s lineup, and Rome visited Houston at least four times for promotional stops, including an October 1998 appearance that drew more than 4,000 at Sam Houston Race Park.

    However, KILT program director Gavin Spittle said Rome’s listenership, as measured by Arbitron ratings for the men 25-54 demographic that is the key demo for sports radio advertising rates, has been in decline for more than a year as ratings for the rest of the station's dayparts have increased, particuarly in the wake of the Texans’ recent upsurge.

    “This is a performance-based business, and we have exhausted our options,” Spittle said. “We like Jim and thank him for all he has done for the station. He has been a huge fan of Sports Radio 610, and we have been huge fans of Jim Rome.

    “Unfortunately, for whatever reason, the ratings in Houston have slid to the point where a change is necessary."

    For the December ratings book released this week, KILT ranked first among Houston’s four all-sports stations and 10th overall in the weeklong ratings for men 25-54. The station has been in the top 10 for three consecutive months as the Texans, whose games are heard on KILT, have climbed to the top of the AFC South Division standings.

    In weekday ratings for the same demo, KILT ranks ninth overall in morning drive, eighth overall in afternoon drive, 12th from 7 p.m. to midnight and 14th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the midday demo that includes the Rome show is the only one in which it does not lead all four Houston sports stations.

    “I wish I had better news for the Rome listeners, but I hope they will enjoy our live and local lineup,” Spittle said. “We have the ability to talk about our local teams all day long. Even though we are Houston’s sports leader, I’m so proud that we continue to look for ways to improve.”

    Former Rice and NFL player N.D. Kalu will work on Mondays and Fridays with Davies, who returns to full-time radio work after an earlier stint on KBME and recent work on Texans studio shows with KILT, and Melstser. Brien Straw will replace Meltser as the news anchor during KILT’s morning show, and Robert Henslee will remain on the afternoon show.

    Rome is on vacation this week, so he has made his final on-air appearance on KILT. A spokeswoman for Premiere Radio Networks, which syndicates the show on more than 200 stations nationwide, was not available for comment Wednesday afternoon.

    Premiere’s options to place Rome on another sports station in Houston appear to be limited. Premiere is owned by Clear Channel Communications, which owns KBME (790 AM). However, that station’s midday lineup anchored by Matt Thomas is beating KILT in the ratings, so a change is not likely.

    KFNC (97.5 FM) airs the final hour of ESPN Radio’s Colin Cowherd show from 11 a.m. to noon, followed by local programming, so a change is unlikely. KGOW (1560 AM) is the flagship station of Yahoo Sports Radio, which features Houston-based host Craig Shemon from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., so it is not a feasible option for the Rome show.

    Rome was a dominant figure during his early years on KILT, which changed to all-sports in 1994 and took a flyer on Rome when longtime station manager Dickie Rosenfeld added the show in 1997.

    "We were trying to carve out a niche, and I think he helped put us on the map," Lord said in 2007. "His show was radically different from anything we had heard, and he got a lot of attention early on.”

    Rome’s listeners, in fact, sparked a coup of sorts at the station in 1998, when Rosenfeld attempted to tape-delay an hour of the show. Listeners’ protests persuaded Rosenfeld to back down and air all three hours live, a practice that continued throughout the show’s tenure on KILT.
     
    #1 Kam, Dec 28, 2011
    Last edited: Dec 28, 2011
  2. TheresTheDagger

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    I know he has a certain fanbase, but I never liked Rome or his show.

    This is good news to me.
     
  3. Kam

    Kam Member

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    Honestly, when I think about it, I'm a little bit sad. It's one of those reasons why I listen to Sports Talk Radio, and why anyone who rides in the car with me make fun of me for listening to sports talk radio.


    I remember first listening to Jim Rome back in the Fall of 1997. I first caught it at 230 PM, the final two segments. I was flipping around the AM dial in my sisters car after school, and I stopped to listen to it. I was like, WTF is this ****? It was good stuff.

    Then I realized it was replayed at night at 7PM. I was like yeah, I can finally listen to the whole show, the hell with prime time tv.

    I remember the following summer, I would listen to it from 11-3 in the dark in my room off my clock radio. It was too hot to do ****, and Nickelodean was ****, and I didn't want to watch Soaps, and I don't recall what crap MTV had at the time.


    His show has turned to **** the last five years, so tough cookies for Jim.
     
  4. pradaxpimp

    pradaxpimp Member

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    Good. That fool sucked hard.
     
  5. A_3PO

    A_3PO Member

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    Won't miss Rome at all. On occasion, he's very funny.
     
  6. Stacy's knee

    Stacy's knee Member

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    Good riddance, he has become one of the douchebags that he made fun of in the past.
     
  7. Kam

    Kam Member

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    Oh hell no, Reread the article.


    Brad Davies and Mike Melster? Might as well keep Rome on, or put Country Music on like it used to be (i think?)
     
  8. TMAC3

    TMAC3 Member

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    I'll miss this

    <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/F9PbfdCIl-s" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
     
  9. tehG l i d e

    tehG l i d e Member

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    Pretty happy about this. I've always avoided listening to 610 from 11 to 2PM which is when Rome is on. Guy has an annoying, grating voice
     
  10. Bandwagoner

    Bandwagoner Member

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    Matt Thomas has been spanking him in the ratings for a while now. When the Texans season is over, the rest of the 610 lineup will fall back to earth. Boo Hoo.
     
  11. Oski2005

    Oski2005 Member

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    I still listen to Rome from time to time, I make fun of him, but that doesn't mean I wanted him off air.

    Two things I'll never understand:

    1. How is it that in 2011 we are still using Arbitron Ratings books? Essentially, "random" people physically write down what they are listening to into a log. There is no way that you are getting a true random segment of population this way because who in the f***ing hell has time to write down what they are listening to on a daily basis except for retired people and people with no jobs?

    2. How is Matt Thomas so popular? His show is more boring than plain cheerios. The only thing I can think of is that his show is mostly callers. That sucks, people who call into local sports talk shows suck. I mean they really freaking suck. The kind of people who constantly call into sports talk shows are the kind of people who have the free time to fill out Arbitron tracking books.
     
    1 person likes this.
  12. Major Malcontent

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    My feelings for Rome are similar to my feelings about Stevens and Pruett. There was a year or so where I thought it was the best thing ever.

    Then I started to think "Gee, this is exactly the same as yesterday's show, with barely any difference whatsoever." (The fact that it took me a year to figure this out is, I guess, a testament to my limited brainpower)

    In both cases I would occasionally tune in (for nostalgia's sake) 2, 3 or 5 years down the road. Smile as I recognized the familiar rhythms for maybe 15 minutes...then have to turn it off because my brain was turning into runny cream cheese from sheer boredom.
     
  13. across110thstreet

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    why does Romey take so much vacation?

    oh that's right no one in H-Town listens to the Jungle anymore
     
    #13 across110thstreet, Dec 29, 2011
    Last edited: Dec 29, 2011
  14. val_modus

    val_modus Member

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    "I bet you wont call me that again.."
    "I bet you i will..."
     
  15. Rocket River

    Rocket River Member

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    Smack Off is good for a chuckle

    Rocket River
    then again . . .it is not when you kind of out of the joke on some folx you don't know
     
  16. Bandwagoner

    Bandwagoner Member

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    I used to think so, but his show is awesome under stated funny. If you give it a while I think you might like it.
     
  17. Dairy Ashford

    Dairy Ashford Member

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    Amazing that it's been fourteen years; I still remember him being psyched about Harbaugh wanting in on the Smack-off. The last thing I remember was hearing him rag on Ashlee Simpson's Orange Bowl performance.

    Very influential format, loved his cynicism and anecdotes; but his forced enthusiasm could be a bit simplistic at times.
     
    1 person likes this.
  18. Dairy Ashford

    Dairy Ashford Member

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    Unlike television, this may be less about pure ratings than just about getting a decent enough feel for the demos to price their advertising. If you get similar results in 50 or 100 different markets and then just extrapolate for population, that may be enough. But I've heard Opie and Anthony in particular level the same criticisms you do about its inaccuracy.
     
  19. meh

    meh Member

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    I agree. But I think part of the problem is that Rome talks about national stuff that really don't affect us as Houston fans. Especially since Houston sports are virtually non-existent at the national level. A lot of sports radio people have the same tendencies. I remember back when I listened to Matt and Adam back when they were on at night. Today they still have that same feel. But the difference is that they talk Houston sports, which has changed over the years. So I don't get bored. I just enjoy listening to them talk about what's going on with the local teams from time to time(I download podcasts now since I'm no longer in Houston).

    But at a national level, it's really the same stuff day after day. Just replace one player with another or replace one team over another or one issue with another. So a show gets boring quickly because I don't have any inherent interest in these stuff.
     
  20. ClutchCityReturns

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    I find Matt Thomas painfully unfunny, and part of that reason is because he tries too hard. He's also constantly fumbling his words, almost like he's nervous.

    Understated funny? Are we talking about the same guy?
     

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