101.5 FREE-FM pulls plug on FM Talk format
As if we needed further proof that radio people are the world’s most impatient and incompetent marketers and that Gen X is the least desireable mass marketing demographic, 101.5 FREE FM is switching formats to hip hop/CHR.
Imagine my surprise this morning when I tuned in expecting the gravelly voices of Adam Carolla and Danny Bonaduce and got some lispy guy wanting to “free” Paris Hilton (note: will not dignify with a link). Current format: playing her (terrible) songs. It’s not even a good launch stunt.
As an L.A. guy, I will sorely miss Tom Leykis and Carolla; I have followed both for more than 10 years and was thrilled when they showed up here last year. I don’t know if Chuck Powell’s Morning Ritual and Holmberg’s Morning Sickness, will be enough to keep me away from Sirius or XM. Howard Stern and USC Trojan football broadcasts here I come.
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Comments
June 22nd, 2007 at 6:15 pm
Please tell me this isn’t the truth. I was truly hoping that this “free paris” BS was an actual stunt by a disgruntled gay employee at the Free FM station who loves paris hilton and couldn’t take it anymore.
I will sorely miss Adam Carolla and the gang in the morning…
June 23rd, 2007 at 10:38 am
I absolutely LOVED the Big O and Dukes show at night…and, admittedly was intrigued by “Dad” (Tom Leykis)and his male followers in the afternoon.
Called my friend over at a Clear Channel station and she said that Free FM is looking to compete with Kiss FM and Power 98.3…I am confused by these moves, as there is also Moving 95FM out there with dance and hip-hop and pop music too.
I requested a chance to be at the next Arbitron radio book breakout…will share my findings on the ratings of local radio and what is happening here in the Valley with these constant format changes. I actually enjoyed finding some talk on the FM channels (other than just KTAR).
June 23rd, 2007 at 9:59 pm
Very disappointing to see the Free FM format leave the air. I too was horrified to hear the Free Paris ploy for ratings, which I thought was a gimmick. I was very disappointed the next day when I turned on the radio and did not hear the reruns of my favorite programs instead I heard hip hop. I am going out to buy Sirrus Radio to follow my friend Howard and to find my old friends Adam and Tom.
June 24th, 2007 at 12:28 am
This has got to be a joke ! Big o and Dukes were the best thing going in local radio, and now without Tom who is going to teach all of the guys how to live a true happy life.
June 25th, 2007 at 8:45 am
I turned on 101.5 on sunday lying by the pool expecting the best of Adam, Heidi, and Tom and got Hip Hop. Well 101.5 just hip hopped off my preset. You guys are losers, this was a top show nad had a great following.
June 25th, 2007 at 9:21 am
It’s bad enough when every radio station in AZ sounds like every other radio station but when you have highly entertaining, unique shows like the Corolla show, Tom Lykus, Big O and Dukes all on one station, where is the problem? Can you get any better? Do we need another Hip Hop station? Might I add it already sucks more than the other 2-3-4 who knows how many other HH stations. My cd’s are back in rotation. Shame on the execs who made that call. Take me out with a bong hit.
June 25th, 2007 at 9:51 am
I am so bummed too. I already wrote a letter to the new JAMZ letting them know what I think. I am going to miss the talk-radio format. It was all I listened to during the day.
June 25th, 2007 at 10:34 am
Does anyone know where to find the silly “shoes” song played by that dj (yah, thought it was fake too) that day?
June 25th, 2007 at 10:57 am
I encourage everyone to go to this site and leave a nasty letter to these guys as I did…
http://www.1015jamz.com/pages/601410.php
June 25th, 2007 at 11:02 am
This new radio format blows. The execs that made the decision to change the format of the station need to relook at what they did. This used to be the best station out there and now it sucks. Big O and Dukes are the shit and now they are gone.
June 25th, 2007 at 11:20 am
PS- Judging by that little thumbnail, Amanda Vega looks smoking hot!!
June 25th, 2007 at 11:44 am
Incredible…ANOTHER mindless hip-hop station to avoid on our radio dial. Apparantly, idoitic music with an emphasis on ryhming has a home here in PHX over clever humor, thought-proking discussion and exposure to new and fresh opinions. Have fun catering to your audience of 13 year-old girls 101.5. Adventurous listeners will be once again forced to endure KTAR for our market’s attempt at Talk Radio!
June 25th, 2007 at 12:27 pm
Typical Monkeys (Radio execs and Programmers) doing what Monkeys do which is braindead BS. Wonder if Tom going to CBS may be the root of this or not. I’m sure CBS affiliates will get him back on pronto, however in the mean time, we’ll still get our dose of “Dad” at Blowmeuptom.com and stream it. Also for Adam Corolla and Frosty Heidi and Frank, stream it here @ http://www.971freefm.com/. Don’t know where Big O and Dukes will end up at.
June 25th, 2007 at 1:06 pm
This is the worst!! ..thought the ‘free Paris’ thing was some satirical humor, but when it didn’t end and morphed into HH, I was crestfallen!! Corolla/Bonaduce/Strasser on the way to work and Dad (Leykis) on the way home… what a commute, I was even willing to endure the commercials!! Looks like I’m going to be migrating to internet radio. Hope the station (101.5 jamz) goes under and has to be sold.
June 25th, 2007 at 5:36 pm
101.5 sucks big time!!!!! Why in the F*** would they do such a thing? F’in idiots.
June 25th, 2007 at 10:01 pm
The switch of formats is just another sign of the downward spiral Phoenix is heading towards! Just when the valley had a morning show that didn’t make me feel like I was listening to my Grandmother’s friends (99.9) or a bunch of white guys trying to ‘relate to the folks’ (104.7), the execs pull Adam Corolla! I am enraged! XM here I come….
June 25th, 2007 at 10:13 pm
Here are two petitions to sign, there’s going to rally’s going on…. according to my sources 2 weeks from now. Myspace has a huge uprising about this, and many people organizing ways to tell CBS radio how unhappy Arizona is.
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/savetom/
and
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/fuckKZON/
June 25th, 2007 at 11:58 pm
I remeber listing to the my favorite show(Frosty, Heidi and Frank) and they were doing shots to say good bye to Phoenix. I had know idea what was going on. Screw XM Radio, and Screw 101.5 I’m packing up and moving to California. I can’t take the same crap all the time on every damn channel. Phoenix radio is now the worst in the United States!
June 26th, 2007 at 6:12 am
Call CBS Radio not Jamz, they just bought up a station. FreeFM was #18 but they really didn’t give it time at all.
June 26th, 2007 at 7:49 am
What a crock!! More F***kin crappy music!!!
How many people do you know that you can say Leykis 101, and they know exactly what you are talking about! This is the worst thing I think that has been done to Pheonix radio!!! Gonna miss Frosty, Heidi and Frank, Corolla in the morning w/Bonaduce, this really SUCKS!!! Morning drives will never be the same.
Maybe another station will pick them up, hopefully!
June 26th, 2007 at 3:21 pm
I hope 101.5 goes under after pulling this. Maybe someone eles will pick them up.
June 26th, 2007 at 4:17 pm
This is unreal! When I called to lodge a complaint with the local CBS number and asked to whom I should direct my letter/email, I was told “The Program Director.” When I asked if the PD had a name, I was told, “We are in-between Program Directors at the moment.” So, I nicely said to the young woman on the phone, “Essentially I am sending a letter/email to a person who does not exist?” She replied, “Yes, but we take all listener complaints very seriously.” OMG!!!!!
June 26th, 2007 at 9:05 pm
You’re a bunch of idiots!!!! Finally an interesting talk radio station, finally an audience tuning into it and then again….a management resembling the mis-managed decisions made in this country since Bush came into power. Good job you morons, yeah…go ahead and compete with the other 500 stations playing the same crap 24/7! Can’t wait to see the chapter 11 headlines pertaining to your station in a few months.
Good luck!
Yuerg e.
June 26th, 2007 at 9:23 pm
Sad…I have actually have to plug my ipod into the car and listen to it because, aside from KTAR there are officially no more interesting stations in PHX. The loss of Free FM talk radio is truly devastating. What am I going to do without my Frosty, Heidi and Frank? And further, more what do you expect us to do with yet another HipHop & R&B station? Thanks a lot!
June 27th, 2007 at 10:17 am
Just another example of my theory on the world forming to the gen Y principle. I for one am welcoming of the station, but that just means more of the market shared…
-Celeste
June 27th, 2007 at 11:13 am
I miss the station, like talk shows, hate jamz hip hop, who needs another station that plays that crap. I’m sorry but songs about drugs and thugs just don’t do anything for me.Can’t they put something creative and real on like Dr. Dimento all day.
June 27th, 2007 at 12:34 pm
I too am disappointed with this new format. I love Big O and Dukes. But if everyone wants a good morning show, The Morning Ritual on 103.9 is freaking awsome. You will NEVER hear a Paris Hilton “song” there. Like we need another 104.7 radio station. So sick of hip hop. grrrrrr……
June 27th, 2007 at 3:27 pm
It is truly disappointing that one piece of radio that made Phoenix begin to emulate a real city with a real radio station is gone. I have already removed 101.5 off my tuner as hip hop is shit……
The owners of the station must have stock in satellite radio, becuse that is where I am going.
June 27th, 2007 at 3:28 pm
“Genwhynot” is an idiot….
June 27th, 2007 at 4:37 pm
WTF! Where is Big O and Dukes?!?
Big O and Dukes was great! I listen to the whole show and even the commercials.
I agree this quote:
“Called my friend over at a Clear Channel station and she said that Free FM is looking to compete with Kiss FM and Power 98.3…I am confused by these moves, as there is also Moving 95FM out there with dance and hip-hop and pop music too.”
Why?
If people want to listen to music they will listen to their CD players, MP3 Players, and the people that do listen will turn the station during commercials because they want to listen to music.
People that pay for Satellite Radio do so for the Talk Shows…I found myself hearing more advertising when listening to Free FM talk shows because I was so drawn in by the show and what would be the point of changing the channel to listen to half a song?
But moreover, I was about to advertise on the Big O and Dukes show but then they pulled the plug!
Yuan
TradeUrban.com
June 27th, 2007 at 5:17 pm
You need to bring back the FM talk format. We have enough hip hop stations out here. This is crap. I look forward to listening to Frosty, Heidi and Frank while I am at work and not everyone can listen to the show online. This is sickening to me. WE DO NOT NEED ANOTHER HIP HOP STATION. BRING ALL THE TALK SHOWS BACK!