Name: The Bob and Tom Show
Age: 34
Occupation: shitty morning radio show
Last Seen: Indianapolis, IN
Bee-otched For: losing a HUGE affiliate
--
As we reported yesterday, The Bob and Tom Show is gone from WGFN 98.1/97.7 The Bear in northern Michigan and has been replaced with the local Omelette and Coates program. B&T had been on The Bear since 1998.
Before there was The Bear, there was WGFM 105.1 (now Rock 105 & 95-5 with WGFE 95.5 Glen Arbor), WGFN 98.1 Glen Arbor (still part of The Bear) and WCKC 107.1 Cadillac (now unrelated classic rocker 107.1 The Drive). The station's owner, Del Reynolds was the morning man with Greg Fletcher middays (now at sister station WMKC/Big Country 102.9) and Deb Michaels afternoons (now at country WKJC 104.7 in Alpena). When Del sold his stations to Calibre Communications in 1998, he stepped down as morning man at WGFM. He insisted the new owners air the newly-syndicated B&T given their ties to northern Michigan.
Yes indeed, Bob Kevoian and Tom Griswold started their career up north in the early 80s together at the old WJML in Petoskey. Back then, they were the hottest radio station in the market. The two met at a bar in nearby Harbor Springs when they worked at different stations in town, but one insisted the other to work at WJML. They ended up in Indianapolis in 1983 when allegedly, Tim Moore, the owner of cross-town rival 106 KHQ sent struggling radio station WFBQ/Q95 an aircheck. Within weeks, the two were working in Indy and WJML's ratings crashed, allowing KHQ to top the ratings.
In 1995, B&T began syndicating and in 1998, they re-debuted on The Bear. Thanks to their bawdy humor and the fact that they ripped a lot of stuff off of Howard Stern, their show once again dominated the northern Michigan radio ratings.
But in 2004, a wardrobe malfunction changed everything.
During that year's Super Bowl, Janet Jackson accidentally exposed her right breast, prompting the FCC to boost indecency fines. Because of this, Clear Channel canned some of their shock jocks, including Howard Stern and Bubba the Love Sponge. Some would thought that Bob and Tom would be thrown under the bus, too, but instead, they decided to kiss CC's ass and retired some of their more edgier bits. You guessed it: the ratings went down and so did The Bear's. Things only got worse when WKLT 97.5/98.9, which The Bear had been beating in the ratings added Omelette's radio show and their ratings overtook The Bear's. Bob and Tom's ratings started to sputter and the increasing fees to carry the show weren't helping. With The Bear being sold to Black Diamond Broadcasting and Bob Kevoian retiring, the show was definitely on its last legs.
Plus, it's worth noting that The Bob and Tom Show is down to only three affiliates here in Michigan: WZUU Kalamazoo, WJXQ Lansing and WILZ Saginaw. The show used to be carried on stations all throughout the state, even Detroit. Hell, I think the show aired on three different stations here in Grand Rapids to hardly any success.
The point is, Bob and Tom is simply old and it's time for new blood. The show, filled with fake comedy bits and fake laughter probably worked best 25 years ago, but not now. It must suck for them to be off the air in the market where it began for them, but oh, well. It's time to move on.
Laughter is the best medicine, but not when it's forced.
--
Age: 34
Occupation: shitty morning radio show
Last Seen: Indianapolis, IN
Bee-otched For: losing a HUGE affiliate
--
As we reported yesterday, The Bob and Tom Show is gone from WGFN 98.1/97.7 The Bear in northern Michigan and has been replaced with the local Omelette and Coates program. B&T had been on The Bear since 1998.
Before there was The Bear, there was WGFM 105.1 (now Rock 105 & 95-5 with WGFE 95.5 Glen Arbor), WGFN 98.1 Glen Arbor (still part of The Bear) and WCKC 107.1 Cadillac (now unrelated classic rocker 107.1 The Drive). The station's owner, Del Reynolds was the morning man with Greg Fletcher middays (now at sister station WMKC/Big Country 102.9) and Deb Michaels afternoons (now at country WKJC 104.7 in Alpena). When Del sold his stations to Calibre Communications in 1998, he stepped down as morning man at WGFM. He insisted the new owners air the newly-syndicated B&T given their ties to northern Michigan.
Yes indeed, Bob Kevoian and Tom Griswold started their career up north in the early 80s together at the old WJML in Petoskey. Back then, they were the hottest radio station in the market. The two met at a bar in nearby Harbor Springs when they worked at different stations in town, but one insisted the other to work at WJML. They ended up in Indianapolis in 1983 when allegedly, Tim Moore, the owner of cross-town rival 106 KHQ sent struggling radio station WFBQ/Q95 an aircheck. Within weeks, the two were working in Indy and WJML's ratings crashed, allowing KHQ to top the ratings.
In 1995, B&T began syndicating and in 1998, they re-debuted on The Bear. Thanks to their bawdy humor and the fact that they ripped a lot of stuff off of Howard Stern, their show once again dominated the northern Michigan radio ratings.
But in 2004, a wardrobe malfunction changed everything.
During that year's Super Bowl, Janet Jackson accidentally exposed her right breast, prompting the FCC to boost indecency fines. Because of this, Clear Channel canned some of their shock jocks, including Howard Stern and Bubba the Love Sponge. Some would thought that Bob and Tom would be thrown under the bus, too, but instead, they decided to kiss CC's ass and retired some of their more edgier bits. You guessed it: the ratings went down and so did The Bear's. Things only got worse when WKLT 97.5/98.9, which The Bear had been beating in the ratings added Omelette's radio show and their ratings overtook The Bear's. Bob and Tom's ratings started to sputter and the increasing fees to carry the show weren't helping. With The Bear being sold to Black Diamond Broadcasting and Bob Kevoian retiring, the show was definitely on its last legs.
Plus, it's worth noting that The Bob and Tom Show is down to only three affiliates here in Michigan: WZUU Kalamazoo, WJXQ Lansing and WILZ Saginaw. The show used to be carried on stations all throughout the state, even Detroit. Hell, I think the show aired on three different stations here in Grand Rapids to hardly any success.
The point is, Bob and Tom is simply old and it's time for new blood. The show, filled with fake comedy bits and fake laughter probably worked best 25 years ago, but not now. It must suck for them to be off the air in the market where it began for them, but oh, well. It's time to move on.
Laughter is the best medicine, but not when it's forced.
--
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Bee-otch of the Day is a production of Chuck69.com, Grand Rapids' site for Stern, politics and more!
Bee-otch of the Day Archives can be seen on http://beeotchoftheday.blogspot.com
Bee-otch of the Day is a production of Chuck69.com, Grand Rapids' site for Stern, politics and more!
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