KTOK shakeup?

[SoonerDave]

Has been forever since I listened to KTOK regularly, but heard via the Twitterverse that apparently their long-time news directory Jerry Bohnen has been let go, along with the Eggman.

Anyone have any more details?

[OKCTalker]

All eggman did was read national light news feeds and polls. He wasted an opportunity to dig into meaningful local issues, but squandered it. Hope that his replacement will be better.

[SoonerQueen]

Losing Jerry Bohnen is a real loss. Local talk as we used to know it is gone.

[oneforone]

I am wondering what's going on... All the clear channel radio websites are down.

[FFLady]

Losing Jerry Bohnen is a real loss. Local talk as we used to know it is gone.

So is the America we used to know.......

[Larry OKC]

Read more: http://newsok.com/david-garrett-laid...#ixzz1qbwIwJjV

David Garrett was laid off Thursday as KGHM-AM 1340 sports director as part of nationwide layoffs at Clear Channel Communications. ... In Oklahoma City, at least three other veteran on-air broadcasters were dropped, including KTOK-AM news director Jerry Bohnen, a 32-year news veteran; KTOK afternoon personality Eggman (Greg Moore) and KXXY-FM 96.1 morning personality Dan Stroud. ...Bill Hurley, Clear Channel market manager, could not be reached for comment.

Hmmm, maybe he got fired too???

[kevinpate]

of these folk, Dan is the one I will miss the most.

[oneforone]

Clear Channel already remote programs most of their stations including news from larger cities. It won't be long and technical people will be the only people in OKC.

[RadicalModerate]

In a statement, Angel Aristone, VP/Marketing & Communications, Clear Channel Media + Entertainment, tells RBR-TVBR: “We are constantly evaluating our organization and structure to make sure we are as well positioned as possible to continue to lead in the evolving marketplace. We’ve been looking closely at our business to ensure that we are properly staffed and operating as efficiently as possible with the right balance of services and personnel to meet the needs of our listeners/consumers. Like every successful business, our strategy continues to evolve as we move forward as a company and that creates some new jobs, and unfortunately eliminates others. In the process, some employees were affected. These are never easy decisions to make; we thank them for their service and wish them all the best for the future.”

I look forward to the day when a holographic projection of Angel Aristone--rather than the more expensive version of Angel Aristone his or herself--will be delivering statements like that.

"....lead in the evolving marketplace."
What can that possibly mean but "have the most money"?
It certainly has little to do with the interests or desires of the local listeners to their near monopoly.
Thank goodness for the Internet.

[Larry OKC]

There you go again....

[MikeOKC]

Clear Channel is directly responsible for ruining the very business they're now sinking with. You reap what you sow. The unfortunate part is a lot of CC workers are having to pay the price. They gave pink slips to even 30+ year employees - all over the country. It's sad.

[JohnH_in_OKC]

News Directory Jerry Bohnen has been about the only thing that KTOK had that gave the station any presence. Most of KTOK's talk show hosts spout garbage and hate (Except Coast to Coast AM & most of your weekend programming). The bean counter or supervisor who fired Bohnen should be fired and Bohnen should be reinstated with back pay. The best newscasters on radio & TV really care about our city and state. The best ones are usually not transplants from somewhere else or at least have long time roots here. Bohnen probably gave half his life here in OKC reporting to us & for us. I've never met Bohnen, but he's a darn fine anchor and reporter.

Clear Channel: No wonder you're in financial trouble!

[UncleCyrus]

Well, I think a lot of people saw something like this coming. It doesn't make it any easier to take when it actually happens though. I wish Jerry, Dan, and Eggman the best.

[oneforone]

I wouldn't blame this entirely on management of Clear Channel. Terrestrial Radio is slowly dying because of technology. Everybody owns an iPod, mp3 player or satellite radio. That means fewer listeners and fewer advertisers which equals lower revenue. Then radio has done a lot to drive ppeople away. Such as replaying the same songs over and over, too many commercial breaks and crappy morning shows that spend more time talking about nothing than anything else.

[Soonerman]

I'm sure going to miss Dan being on KXY in the morning.

[Steve]

No, you really can blame this ENTIRELY on Clear Channel. They went around gobbling up radio stations throughout the country with leveraged debt with the assumption they could cheapen the programming through a virtual monopoly stranglehold and that people would have no choice but to listen anyway (gosh - didn't see iPods and Sirius coming, did they?). With audiences nose-diving, and the CEO unwilling to give up multi-million pay packages, there was but just one choice left - to gut what was left of local operations and automate it as much as possible. Citidel was guilty of the same business model and went bankrupt. Clear Channel likely won't be far behind.

[Lindsay Architect]

They should have gave Mr. Bohnen a gratious exit at least if they can't afford a 32 year veteran or whatever the deal is. That being said, eggman tried to hard to be funny and it was mostly childish, so not entertaining. I like Reed Mullins hope they keep him. I started listening to Neel Boortz on 1520 on the way home, thats an example of serious issues but its still entertaining. Who is Eggmans replacement, the McCain Brothers?

[Lindsay Architect]

...or a gracious one.

[Midtowner]

All eggman did was read national light news feeds and polls. He wasted an opportunity to dig into meaningful local issues, but squandered it. Hope that his replacement will be better.

Eggman was terrible. I used to regularly listen to Mark Shannon, but Ron Black was probably the best local radio has had in a long time. Wish KTOK would do whatever it would take to lure him away from his present employer (I believe CHK).

[Steve]

I liked Greg (Eggman), but I agree, he was best suited to be a second fiddle to a lead like Shannon.

[MikeOKC]

No, you really can blame this ENTIRELY on Clear Channel. They went around gobbling up radio stations throughout the country with leveraged debt with the assumption they could cheapen the programming through a virtual monopoly stranglehold and that people would have no choice but to listen anyway (gosh - didn't see iPods and Sirius coming, did they?). With audiences nose-diving, and the CEO unwilling to give up multi-million pay packages, there was but just one choice left - to gut what was left of local operations and automate it as much as possible. Citidel was guilty of the same business model and went bankrupt. Clear Channel likely won't be far behind.

Absolutely. No doubt. Spot-on. +1. And all the other things that say, "I agree." You nailed it.

It's angered me so much I even removed my 'I Heart Radio' app from my iPad (it's owned by Clear Channel). Tune-In is better anyway.

[metro]

Eggman was no loss, now I don't have to listen to his anti-OKC diatribe on the drive home.

[ctchandler]

What is the status of Calvin Wright?
C. T.

[RadicalModerate]

Shannon and The Eggman were great (back in the day).
Then Shannon continued to be great by himself.
Then Shannon and That Larry Guy were pretty darn good.
Then Shannon was great again.

I guess Mark Shannon would have to be considered to be the last great radio personality in the OKC Metro.
(although ron black was no slouch hisownself . . . not great, but no slouch.)

[SoonerDave]

Shannon and The Eggman were great (back in the day).
Then Shannon continued to be great by himself.
Then Shannon and That Larry Guy were pretty darn good.
Then Shannon was great again.

I guess Mark Shannon would have to be considered to be the last great radio personality in the OKC Metro.
(although ron black was no slouch hisownself . . . not great, but no slouch.)

Sad thing is that the current radio trend seems to be specifically against great radio personalities. I'm no big radio/pop music person myself, but it doesn't take a genius to realize the whole radio thing seems to be homogenized and decidedly non-local. I remember how cool it was as a kid to break out this big radio I had and listen overnight to distant AM radio stations after their broadcast pattern changed. I even picked up a California station once or twice, Chicago pretty regularly, and it was so cool to hear the different styles and stations. Now its just about all the same