I figured something was up when they never got around to calling the mornings "The Nicole Sandler Show," and I got a tip on this earlier today. It was just a matter of which syndicated product Ken Charles would bring in. That's radio...The site is already promoting the change.
25 comments:
Nicole Sandler was actually beating conservative talk station WIOD in the Men 25-54 demographic
and was just a tenth of a point behind in Persons 25-54. Probably the first liberal to beat the leading conservative competitor in morning drive. Sandler is being punished for success.
One has to ask whether WINZ's owners are deliberately setting out to tank liberal talk radio stations, thus "proving" that the format can't work. They did this in San Diego with KLSD (soon to be the subject of a documentary) and the replacement format has TOTALLY disappeared from the ratings!
What a shame - we NEED local talk radio! Nicole did a great job of getting a variety of influential guests on her show so she could ask them tough questions most media outlets wouldn't - now where will we get the opportunity to hear that?
Nicole is one of the best things to happen to South Florida. Period. Someone's trying to influence the outcome of the election by removing a strong and successful progressive voice. Time to rise up.
DISGUSTING!!!!
IMUS? This is not "smart" "competing" opinion- this is a shrill hatemonger / misinformation in the grand tradition of Limbaugh and his ilk. WHY ON EARTH would I take the trouble to find 940 WINZ in order to hear some faux-conservative (a "real" conservative would believe in SMALL government, the constitution, and human rights- back to basics) windbag. SHAME ON YOU 940WINZ. You've lost my support!
Nicole brought us local information we can not get from a franchise. Give us back our voice. Bring back Nicole!
I cant believe you all would bring this guy to our progressive air waves. I mean isnt this or was it a progressive radio station? Nicole was fantastic and really had some balls. Why on earth would you take that from us? Nicole if you read this thank you so much for having the guts to say it how it is. You will be missed. 940 winz you just lost a listner....shame on you. Imus on the radio...psssss, this is a slap in the face to all of us faithful listners.
this was posted on another site:
The response from Ken Charles, programming manager from Clear Channel
QUOTE
Bryan,
Yes, Nicole is no longer with WINZ. The station is a difficult station
to operate. The progressive format has not translated to revenues like
other formats have. So we are in the position where we have to evaluate
its ability to generate dollars as we are a business. Plus, the morning
ratings were the lowest on the station.
That said, especially in this important election year we are dedicated
to the format, to choice and to providing an alternative to the other
side of talk radio. Don Imus is a big name who does entertaining radio.
He is some one familiar, sometimes for the wrong reasons to many people.
Some of that is very unfair. Regardless he is a name we hope will bring
needed attention and revenues to WINZ. And he has access to guests no
other host on WINZ has.
Have you ever actually listened to his show? Please give it a try. You
might find him more entertaining then you think. Change is always hard.
Trust me, this one was very very hard. However I hope you will give
Imus a try and also stay with WINZ for the many programs you do enjoy.
Thanks for caring enough to write.
... In my opinion she wasnt there long enough to have the millions of listeners you all wanted. I find it hard to believe that her ratings were that low. The longer she was on the more I noticed the calls coming in. I mean there were even listeners that were streaming via internet from other states calling. She was a much needed voice in this communtiy. Shame on you all for taking that from us. You'll see this will turn into Fox news in no time.
940 winz, this is a sad turn of events. Im extremely dissapointed.
So I guess it's back to CD's and iPod in the morning for me...'cause I can't even stand Imus' voice. WINZ has just lost a great deal of listeners for that time slot. They will get others who will then tune out at 9:00 AM or force the removal of other shows because they are too liberal. So let's see who's next to go. Progressive talk? When has Imus been progressive?
Nicole was really starting to take off locally. She is well known here, and she brought the local politics front and center. I AM VERY SAD to see her go. Me and my wife listen to her every morning before getting to work.
this move sucks for So Florida listeners. I don't think Imus will ever talk to any locals
Honestly, Nicole was a no-talent and sorely underinformed about key issues. I'm not sorry to see her go, although there is NO way I will be listening to Imus.
Nicole if you see this know that we love you and hope you'll seek other venues here locally in S. Florida. Lord knows we need all the help we can get. Keep us informed with anything that may be in the works.
Thanks for being a voice.
crossposting from Thom Hartman forum:
Thom's show is broadcast on a local affiliate here in South Florida called "940 Winz". It's supposedly a progressive channel, with various of the people from Air America being broadcast there in addition to Thom's show. Actually I believe that the host interviewed Thom just a few weeks ago.
This morning on my way home (yes home, i work nights) from work, to my great surprise I don't hear Nicole's voice, I hear some weird male voice and then country music. I thought I was being warped into a different dimension or something. I kept checking the "dial" (who actually still has one?) but the display confirmed that I was on the right station. So I called up the station as I tend to do from time to time and I ask the call screener where the freaking show went, morover Nicole Sandler. I was told that they no longer "carry the nicole sandler show" - there's nothing to carry man. It's a local show, talking about local issues, only shows such as Thom's get "carried" to different places.
I found a one line post on a broward county blog where Nicole states the following:
QUOTE:
Hi Ron,
If you look at the WINZ website, you'll find I'm no longer on the homepage, and there's a big box in the middle saying that Imus will now be heard from 5-9am weekday mornings.
I was let go when I got off the air this morning.
Nicole
--------------------
Contact Program Director
kencharles@clearchannel.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
I know many people probably couldn't care less about a tiny radio show in South Florida but people have to understand that although there are a boatload of people here, I don't think there's any other show that informs people of local issues. There's an NPR affiliate, but it doesn't quite compare since they are of course also in some way syndicated and use some content from the npr site.
Nicole Sandler fought the fight that nobody seems to want to fight down here, although the education system and many other things down here are more comparable the old days of the Wild West than a modern society.
I hope that somebody reads this and at least either writes to the program director and calls their show. I'm posting this information on as many sites as I can, and hopefully something will come from this.
Thanks People
Sandler out at WINZ
A major shakeup occurred late last week at progressive talker WINZ in Miami, as morning host Nicole Sandler has left the station due to contractual issues.
Sandler has hosted the show solo since September 2007 and produced and co-hosted the show alongside Jim DeFede in 2006-07. She also served as Promotion Director at the station.
The departure is a bit surprising, as Sandler's ratings have been very good. In the most recent Arbitron ratings survey, WINZ's morning show topped conservative talk rival WIOD in the same time slot among the core talk radio demographic of men 25-54, and just a tenth of a point behind them 25-54 overall, 1.3-1.4.
Sandler is currently shopping for a new job. And judging from the emails sent to yours truly, her fans aren't too happy. WINZ has picked up ABC Radio Networks' Don Imus to replace Sandler.
Meanwhile, Sandler's predecessor DeFede has apparently left his most recent afternoon gig at WFTL in Ft. Lauderdale. "Unfortunately I never meshed with the rest of the station so rather than continue working there, I asked them to buy me out of the remaining 14 months of my contract," said DeFede. "We were able to reach a deal this week and my time at WFTL is now over."
Imus is boring a bad replacement for Sandler
Nicole Sandler was a breath of fresh air in the morning. Right voice and right temperment for the morning show. Will miss her and will not be listening in the morning anymore. Nicole I wish you the best of luck in your bright future.
Again, let's emphasize -- Sandler was BEATING all conservative talk radio stations in South Florida in her time slot in 25-54, including most particularly WIOD. WINZ and WIOD are co-owned. They decided to fire Nicole and wreck WINZ to prop up the conservative talker that was not able to compete with WINZ in morning drive. Of course, this will cause WINZ to crater and when it does, management will change the format and say "see, liberal talk doesn't work!" Don't any of you see what is going on here?
WHAT KIND OF SINCE DOES IT MAKE TO HAVE IMAS ON THIS RADIO STATION AT THIS TIME. NICOLE WAS THE BEST FOR LOCAL AND NATIONAL TOPICS. BRING HER BACK.
I pray to God Nicole finds another
station in South Florida. Love her spirt and passion for the issues that means so much for those of us who live in this community. I do not what to be listing to some fool by the name of "Imus" clowning around on the radio in these most important times. Especially first thing in the morning. Nicole did wonderful job for your station and this community. She will be missed. And I will not be listing to to no "Imas Show" in the morning.
Nicole Sandler was a breath of fresh air in the morning. Right voice and right temperment for the morning show. Will miss her and will not be listening in the morning anymore. Nicole I wish you the best of luck in your bright future.
I'm glad to see the post I made on Thom Hartmann's forum was cross posted here. I know there's probably not a damn thing we can do about this, but I'm going to try and create as much negative publicity as possible. Here's my letter to the director:
Hi Ken,
I realize you are just doing what every manager/director has to do in a company which is to keep an operation profitable. The problem is that down here in South Florida, there’s no other choice. Imus won’t talk about local issues, he’ll talk about garbage that I’m sure nobody cares about at 6:00AM. We have no journalists that keep us informed, a national media that’s been reporting about a presidential election for over a year and South Floridians like myself are asking themselves where to turn to.
read the rest of it on my blog, spread the word people
http://www.meranting.com/media/my-letter-to-the-director-of-940-winz/
If that link gets cut off, just click on my name and you'll get taken to my site where you can read the full letter.
let's remember these companies only have profit in mind and a negative PR campaign will at some point make them think - just spreading it people
IMUS in the morning??? Are you all OUT OF YOUR MIND??? What kind of "progressive" radio station hosts such garbage first thing in the a.m.? The only difference between Rush Limbaugh and Don Imus is about 250 pounds of CR*P!. Tuesday, 8/26 he said he "loves O'Reilly", "loves Hannity", can't stand to watch any other "cable news" except FOX, couldn't wait for Beijing and Denver to burn! Get him off (what used to be) my favorite station
Clear Channel (WINZ, WIOD, Big106, Y100, Love 94, Mega 94, 103.9 the beat) is only concerned about profit and budgetary constraints. Believe it or not, it's cheaper to have networked shows (like imus, steve harvey etc)on the air then a local person.
Local programming is dead in radio.
Nicole has started a blog and podcast at www.RadioOrNot.com.
Let's all support her there. Hopefully, we'll get her back on the air at a station that will support her, but in the meantime, let's support her efforts to keep progressive talk alive in South Florida.
But we have to go there, listen and call in to make it work.
The Miami Herald reports that WINZ
will change format to Fox Sports Radio in March -- giving Miami its 5th sports station.
SURE there's no master plan to spike liberal talk radio...
http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/football/inside-the-nfl/story/879179.html
The only rational reaction to five sports talk stations is to groan. Talk about a bubble! Subprime radio!
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