What is WLS Thinking?
It was the rumor that wouldn’t die. For over two years, the rumblings within the Chicago broadcast community had been that Mancow Muller would be resurfacing on WLS after being unceremoniously bounced from Q101.
The signs all seemed to be pointing to the certainty of such a move. After all, WLS PD Kipper McGee came to WLS from Talk Radio Network, where he helped launch the national syndication of Mancow Muller. At the same time, WLS was facing the prospect of having to replace its heritage morning show of Don Wade & Roma, who have held sway in morning drive for nearly two decades.
When Mancow was bounced from Q101, he spent several months using studios at WLS to originate his syndicated show for TRN, allowing him to rub elbows with McGee and WLS management on a daily basis. Mancow eventually relocated his show to his own studios in Lincoln Park.
Then, Mike Fowler took over the GM post at WLS-AM after John Gallagher departed earlier this year. Fowler was running the show at WRCX-FM 103.5 during Mancow’s stint there in the mid 90’s. It almost seemed inevitable that Mancow would be joining the Big 89.
Meanwhile, the 9-11am slot on WLS had become something of a wasteland. Jay Marvin and Eileen Byrne were co-hosting the shift until the end of 2004 when Marvin was let go. Byrne struggled in her role as a solo host though 2005 and into 2006. Jerry Agar, who had been pulling shifts on WABC-AM in New York picked up a weekend shift at WLS, largely because of his relationship with then-ABC Radio programming guru Phil Boyce. It was only a matter of time before Byrne was moved out and Agar was moved in.
Agar, a native Canadian who last made his home in Kansas City, never really caught on as authentically Chicago. His style seemed pretentious at times, and he never seemed to find a voice for himself on WLS.
Just a few weeks ago, Phil Boyce left WABC and Citadel, perhaps a symbolic end to Agar’s favored status within the company. Reports indicate that with Mancow taking over next week, Agar will ride out his contract, filling in when needed on WLS until his deal expires. At that point, expect him to relocate to another market.
That leaves us with Mancow Muller hosting a two-hour shift on one of the nation’s top talk stations. What is WLS thinking?
The answer may be that they aren’t thinking at all, or at the very least, the right hand and the left hand don’t know what the other is doing. We’ve been told that WLS PD Kipper McGee wasn’t even told of the deal with Mancow and had to read it for himself in the Tribune. If that’s the case, it may mark the second time in recent memory that WLS had made a personnel move without consulting the PD.
Earlier this summer, WLS hired Pat Cassidy from WBBM-AM, presumably to be a regular part of a talk show. However, several months into his tenure, Cassidy has bounced around to various dayparts, without making much of a lasting impact doing anything.
Mancow brings a very shady list of credentials to WLS. He’s made his name as a poor man’s Howard Stern. His repetoire consists of the typical shock jock bag of tricks, mainly gimmicks, stunts, and off-color bits that rely on whacky characters and salacious situations to get over.
Is this what WLS thinks its audience wants?
But wait, crows Mike Fowler. We’ll see a different Mancow, he claims:
“Mancow was always intelligent, but he was always split,” Fowler said, referring to being both topical and racy. “[The new show is] not going to have any of the old Mancow-type 18-to-34-year-old elements. It’s going to be broad” in its appeal.
He went on to compare Muller to two other hosts, who just happen to air on WLS:
“It’s going to bring a lot of energy to the station,” Fowler said. “It’s a younger version of Rush [Limbaugh], with some Roe Conn thrown in.”
If I’m Limbaugh and Conn, I’m filing a defamation of character suit against Fowler for even being included in the same breath as Mancow.
Mancow is going to be a failure on WLS. There are some very simple reasons for this. Chief among them is that Mancow is not a talk show host. He’s just not. He doesn’t have the discipline or intellectual curiosity to examine and exploit stories in the way that a Limbaugh or a Conn can. Mancow has a famously short attention span on the air. The times he’s filled in on WLS or for TRN’s talk show hosts, he’s sounded erratic and unfocused. He’s a mile wide and two inches deep.
In addition, the core audience of WLS expects a fairly consistent diet of conservative-leaning talk radio. Don Wade, Jerry Agar, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and Mark Levin all fit that bill. Roe Conn is talented enough to pull off what he does without offending the core audience because he’s incredibly smart.
Mancow is neither smart nor is he authentically conservative. He describes himself as “libertarian”, which means almost nothing to talk radio audiences.
The success that Mancow enjoyed at Q101 came from his ability to relate to the 18-34 demo who were too young to appreciate Johnny B or Steve Dahl but who had graduated from Eddie and Jo Bo. Those people are now in the 25-54 demo and are looking for something else.
The bottom line is that Mancow simply has no track record of success as a talk host, and yet, he’s been signed to a two-year deal on a heritage, major market talk station.
While this should be disturbing enough for WLS listeners, what’s worse is the fact that it sounds like WLS PD Kipper McGee has been completely frozen out of any substative programming decisions at the station.
It makes me wonder if Don Wade & Roma, who are weeks away from the end of their contracts are re-considering their place on a radio station that increasingly looks less and less like the place they walked into more than 20 years ago.
WOW! WHAT A STUPID MOVE!
Mancow on WLS? What a poor choice. I had to listen to Mancow years ago (not by choice) at a place I used to work and found him to be maybe the worst, least entertaining person I have ever heard on the radio. WLS may need a morning personality to fit a time slot but I can’t imagine a worse choice than Muller for that job. My radio will be on another station for that time slot.
Couldn’t agree with your comments more. Can’t stand Mancow and his pathetic attempt at trying to be dicey. You’re right on by saying his audience have outgrown Jo Jo and Eddie ( barely ). I won’t be listining to him or much else of WLS from now on but it will be fun to hear about him failing.
If Roe Conn was as smart as you think he is, he would stop, STOP, *please* stop the dumb and borderline racist Pakistani/Indian accent he seems to trot out once a day. Sheesh.
Gees, what a stupid move. Looks like is WLS is OFF right after Don and Roma. I actually tried listening to the cow when he was competing with Howard. It was like fingernails on a blackboard – just un-funny. There’s nothing intellectual, clever, or genius about the guy.
Bad business call. Ratings are going to drop like a rock.
Welcome to WLS Mancow! I will be turning WLS on at 9:00 and leaving it on throughout the rest of the day. I can’t really relate to Don Wade and Roma.
Mancow has matured since his days at Rock 103.5, and although, I miss those days, I appreciate how his show has matured too and raises issues that aren’t raised by other hosts.
WLS, I am very disappointed in your change of talk show host…meaning….taking off John Agar. Please bring him back…soon. We need John Agar now at this critical time in politics. We need a strong republican in this seat. So sorry you tossed him out.
Well Mancow is on and as predicted he is terrible. He doesn’t fit the radio station at all. I had actually been hoping Agar could start up an hour earlier as I am not particularly fond of listening to Roma’s probiotics commercials or Don’s “Einstein Hotline” at the beginning of my drive.
Way to go WLS! It is about time the Chicago market gets their Mancow fix! This guy is a true radio talent, with an extremely entertaining approach. Pairing him with Chicago news legend Pat Cassidy, now this makes for great radio!
But, WLS, please get rid of Roker Junior and that side-kick girl that Mancow has. They bring DOWN the program.
WLS has an everyday 9am-11am listener.
The three times I’ve tuned into Mancow the past week and a day have been unpleasant. First, I hear Rush Limbaugh, whom I enjoy at 11 AM on WLS-AM, going on about how great Mancow is while Mancow is “event dropping” the things he’s done for or with Rush over the years. The next time I happened to tune in, Mancow has someone else on gushing over how incredibly smart Mancow is and how he’s always right on everything. Today, Monday, November 3rd, I tune in for five minutes, just long enough to feel overwhelmed by the barrage of on-air talent voices jumping all over the place, with a comment from Mancow saying Palin doesn’t understand the Constitution while one guest says that, actually, she does properly understand the role of the Vice President in the Senate. So much for Mancow’s “genius,” huh?
I remember Mancow from a late night television show highlighting his radio show which was broadcast in central Illinois years ago. At that time, he was doing typical shock-jock stuff, with slutty women doing questionable things and nothing of value ever being said. It was like Mancow was on drugs, and someone thought this was worth showing America.
Mancow is a disgrace to the radio industry and especially to WLS-AM in Chicago. WLS is surely losing its raft of Don Wade & Roma listeners between 9 AM – 11 AM. Fortunately, Rush is still worth tuning back to hear.
WLS, get a brain and get back someone like Jerry Agar before it’s too late.
Mancow is an idiot boy who should be selling used cars somewhere. The change made me go to WIND to listen to that Dennis Miller until 11:00 when Rush comes on.. At least when Agar was on even if I didn’t like what he said I knew he meant it..
Unlike Mancow who has less brains than the people he used to hang out with on the other station(s). I hope someone will come to their senses and bring Agar back with a large raise and an apology for the large mistake they made.
There’s nothing racist about Roe’s ME accent anymore than doing a southern accent. Get over it. Sheesh!
I really think that Mancow is doing a good job at WLS. It has been akward at times between him and Pat Cassidy. That will smooth out and we will have some darn good radio to listen to. Cow is not up to his old pranks here. He is having some passion filled conversations, which is good for everybody. If the two egos can co-exist It will be entertaning to listen to.
Well I live in Knoxville TN but I have been listning to Mancow for 10 years since WNFZ started airing his show here, It has evolved from a boys locker room to water cooler talk show I have no other reason to listen to WLS but other than Mancow is there he goes off at 10am (eastern time) here so i listen on Mancow.com then switch over to WLS online till 12pm then it’s Rush till 3 so WLS has a listner they would not have because of THE COW
Sorry to see Agar off WLS but I will be listening to him on the weekends on WGN. Not happy with Mancow just doesn’t seem to fit the WLS mold.
i belive that mancow was a good choice and for the people that do not like him are the people dont know A) how to open their minds or B) they dont really care that this country is in trouble. Granted somethings are kinda weird, but I agree that mancow right along with rush, and mark levin care and want to make sure this country does not go done the tubes like it is. I would and want mancow back on the air on wls.
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