Valley PR Blog

3 thoughts:

1) I had no illusions to begin with but the moves essentially validate Phoenix as a minor media market; we’re merely a distribution point for national content.

2) I’ve listened to Adam since he began his career as Mr. Berchum on KROQ’s morning show and then Loveline in the early 90s. Certainly, I’m a fan but not at the expense of Chuck Powell, who along with John Holmberg at KUPD, is among the most talented radio personalities we have in Phoenix.

3) KDKB or KSLX (same company) should immediately hire Chuck Powell before he leaves town for greener pastures.

-Dan

God forbid we develop and stick with local talent in this market. And then people have the gall to complain that people leave for other markets. Depressing but typical. I feel bad for Chuck Powell, who is insanely great, but hopefully this gives him the chance to find a larger platform. He deserves it.

Request: when giving station call letters, could folks also add the frequency? I’m sure, for example, that I have the Edge on one of my radio buttons, but my radio gives frequencies, not names.

Thanks

103.9fm

This is horrible news – I REALLY hope he gets picked up at another local station because I know he loves it here in Phoenix (he was just talking about that on the show not too long ago). It was nice having a morning show that, when they played music it wasn’t unlistenable, wasn’t misogynist-leaning/”risqué” and was just plain FUNNY. I’ve been a loyal listener but I wont be any longer. Adam Carolla isn’t funny without Dr. Drew to temper him, in my opinion.

*sigh*

It’s too bad Riviera is now playing the same Finance MBA Format games that Clear Channel made famous: cheaper to buy it than develop it. I’m not deluded into thinking you can bag ad revenues just to keep good personalities on air, yet Chuck is as good a local personality as you can find. Someone who’s actually creatively funny without resorting to scatalogical, sexual, salacious Howard Stern sort of humor incessantly. Adam Carolla, though blessed with a great voice, is LA’s Howard Stern….been there, listened to that.

Funny, Chuck was just extolling the virtues of living here last week, and the axe falls.

Best of luck, Chuck….my ears will miss you.

What’s the logic? Carolla already bombed in the Phoenix market on Free-FM. Although not a terrible radio show (not as strong as Chuck Powell’s Morning Ritual, though), what/how has he improved over the past year to warrent a return? A Dancing With the Stars appearance does not a radio show make. How about the demographics? Isn’t 103.9’s format geared toward a younger demographic than what Carolla brings.

I am REALLY going to miss Chuck Powell. Insanely funny. Not sure I have any desire to listen to Adam Corolla.

I don’t like Adam Carolla, I don’t like Howard Stern I like Chuck Powell. If it weren’t for him, I would not have listened to the Edge for 4 1/2 yrs.
Management at that station leave a lot to be desired.
They play the same old tired songs from the same old tired groups and I think management should have been fired. Where are all the originals going? Where is Chuck going to end up? I hope he stays in the valley so I can tune in one day and be surprised and elated.
He was the reason for getting out of bed in the morning. I will not listen to the Edge again.
The Riviera Group need to rethink their objective and come up with a better plan to lure listeners. I say everyone should boycott 103.9.

Booooo! I hate Adam Carolla – I just want to wake up to Chuck, he’s lots more funny! Adam’s just raunchy humor. If I wanted that, I’d listen to Howard Stern.

At korina: Or, the “#1 Sports” of Dave Damishek, IMHO

I whole-heartedly agree – everyone who is loyal to Chuck Powell’s Morning Ritual and can’t stand the thought of a syndicated un-funny morning show replacing them should boycott The Edge, their events and their sponsors!

I will miss Chuck Powell. I would listen to 103.9 everymorning in my car, and then on my PC for his ability to make me laugh. I hope someone else grabs him up for a morning show here in the valley. That and Adam is dull, uninspired, and drab.

Good Luck Chuck.

I’ll definitely miss Chuck Powell and the Morning Ritual. His show was creative, original and just plain funny. I listened for 3+ years, every day and my mornings just won’t be the same without his show on air.

Good luck to Chuck and the crew, I hope you find your way back onto valley radio soon …I’ll follow ya wherever ya end up

[...] Meanwhile, while lionizing Powell on its site, The Edge logo’s already changed to “Adam all morning…alternative rock all day.” Sheesh, at least let the guy leave the [...]

This is really too bad. I have been a loyal Chuck Powell listener since he came on the air. In the early days, I could only listen when I was in town for business and was elated when The Edge began streaming online. Remember back when the original owners were still around and they had the list of promises to the listeners, like “We will respect the music and not talk over the beginning and end of songs”? The station has lost some of the appeal over the last few years but not the Morning Ritual. Best of luck, Chuck. I am sure you will land on your feet.

Today, We Former Edge 103.9 listeners salute…….THAT GUY! You know the guy which just this week fired his top rated morning show jock to bring in a nationally syndicated radio show that has been twice cancelled by other stations in the valley!
Instead of keeping one of the funniest host in valley radio history on your station, that guy decided to abandon the “independent radio” label that he work so hard three years ago to perfect, and sell out to the man and bring in a “shock jock” for a few bucks saved on the company payroll, and to get what he thinks will be a few extra points in the Arbitron ratings for morning drive time.
Right now, that guy is setting in his cushy office, in his plush leather chair counting the immediate savings to the “bottom line”. But what that guy doesn’t realize that his bone-headed decision could cost his station even more money that he is saving in lost ratings, lost sponsorship, and lost respect in the station that broke away from the corporate ownership trend and vowed to listen to its listeners here in the valley. In fact, that guy tried this once before and found out what a HUGE mistake it was!
In fact, that guy feels that the station will gain more brain-dead male chauvinistic listeners in the 18 to 25 age group then he will lose in all the other age groups!
At this time, that guy is setting back thumbing his nose at all the loyal “Morning Ritual” listeners saying that. “I’d rather be that guy then keeps his listeners happy and say ‘screw the big bucks that running Adam Corolla will bring the station dude’”.
Well First off, this letter is not about, “I’d rather be that guy then keeps his listeners happy and say ‘screw the big bucks that running Adam Corolla will bring the station dude’”; it’s about THAT GUY!
Second, Adam Corolla is not that damn funny! In fact, he is a chauvinistic A** who most entertaining thing he has done in the past 5 years is embarrass himself by riding a unicycle on “Dancing with the Stars”!!! There is a reason his show has been cancelled twice in the valley……IT SUCKS!!!!
So if you think the core of what had been loyal Edge 103.9 listeners will continue to listen to your station at ANY TIME…you are sadly mistaken!!!
So if this letter offends you at any way, there is a good reason why…….YOU’RE THAT GUY!!!!!

I was also very dissapointed, and emailed the station’s producer, Bruce St. James (bruce@rbgphx.com). Here’s what I wrote:

Dear Misters St. James & Virgin:

I was so shocked and devastated to hear Chuck Powell’s farewell speech this morning on the Edge. I had no idea! Like so many other listener’s I just LOVED the morning ritual show. I thought Chuck was a comedic genius. His humor was just so…intelligent. It is a real shame.

I see on your website you’re adding Adam Carolla. I understand he is a ‘bigger’ star. Maybe that is the right decision-you are running a business. Any chance Chuck could stay on has his sidekick? Well-I’m sure you’ve already thought of this…maybe too many dominant personalities… Or what about Chuck working another shift-I would surely tune in to hear him.

Anyway, I sure hope I’m able to find Chuck on the airwaves in the near future. If not on the Edge, perhaps another local frequency.

His reply:
Dianne,

Thanks so much for your e-mail. You will get no argument from any of us about Chuck’s talent or humor level. Unfortunately, there aren’t enough “Dianne’s” in phoenix for us to sustain our business. We thought about putting Chuck on at another time, but he is a “Morning Man” and we just don’t have anyplace else.

I really hope you give Adam a chance, at least until Chuck finds a new home!

Sincerely,
Bruce St. James
Program Director

My children and I woke up to Chuck’s classy goodbye. Each one of us gathered in the front room to mourn the loss together. We all listened to him separately then talked about the funny bits on the way to school and work. Many times in the morning we were late because we were parked outside the High School waiting to hear the end of last character standing or “that guy”. My children sing the Stone Cold Steve Austin Songs to this day. My oldest son told me that if music was playing he would continue to hit the snooze button, but if Chuck was talking, he wanted to know what the subject was so he stayed awake. Over the years they would be amazed that Chuck had the same views on who should leave American Idol next. When I was young Dave Pratt was a radio god, and I am sure when my children are older they will recall their radio God as Chuck Powell.

Chuck Powell is an absolute genius. His creativity and class is second to none and for this he will be remembered as one of the top radio jockeys in the last 5 years. I wish him the best and I selfishly hopes that he stays local, even though I know he is someone that could handle and be successful in a much larger market than Phoenix. Best wishes to you, Chuck, Colin, Sam, and Thrillride…hope to hear you across the radio waves soon!

KEDJ made an incredibly stupid move in buying in to Adam Carolla’s substandard product: there was a reason he was dropped from the Phoenix markets in the first place.

Mr. Chuck Powell was not only a genuinely funny morning host; he also made incredibly intelligent decisions over his four and a half years on the air, and his crew, from Colin Boyd to Drew Hutchinson to Cori James helped him cultivate the morning market for the station he was a part of. Not only that, he breathed life in dozens of different events, devised new ways to get the listeners involved (1 vs Colin was GREAT, as was Drew’s Clues/Stews/Bruise/Ect), and people RELATED to him.

It’s a shame that KEDJ would not have the foresight and common sense to keep someone who was much more than just a “Morning Guy”, but a genuinely valuable member of their team, both on the air and off it.

In exchange, the management at KEDJ is getting a syndicated program from a Howard Stern Wannabe who had the good fortune of being in the right place at the right time.

I really hope Chuck Powell gets picked up by another station, or better yet, the management at KEDJ realizes their mistake and brings him back.

This was the last classy radio show. They took calls and had fun games and voices, none of this war of the roses or complete filth. An actual show young adults could listen to with their kids and not be embarrassed. 103.9, you messed up here. And now Adam Corolla? Didn’t this hack already lose his job before. What happened to independent radio, Adam is about as cookie cutter as they come, lame!

Underrated:Morning Ritual
Overrated:Adam Corolla
Edge is a bunch of “That Guy”’s
When Adam hits the airwaves, I’m going to 93.3

Mr. St James: “Unfortunately, there aren’t enough ‘Dianne’s’ in phoenix for us to sustain our business.”
Well, Mr. St. James, you have even one less ‘Dianne’ to sustain your business.
I am removing 103.9 from my dial and will never be listening to your station again.

I will become a loyal listener of whatever station has the pleasure of getting the Morning ritual.

I just tried to email Chuck and got this:

This is an automatically generated Delivery Status Notification

Delivery to the following recipient failed permanently:

chuck@theedge1039.com

Technical details of permanent failure:
PERM_FAILURE: Gmail tried to deliver your message, but it was rejected by the recipient domain. The error that the other server returned was: 550 550 5.1.1 User unknown. We recommend contacting the other email provider for further information about the cause of this error. Thanks for your continued support. (state 14)

I think I’m gonna cry!

Adam Carolla is a no-talent assclown. The only worthwhile thing (in my opinion) he has done EVER was be Jimmy Kimmel’s sidekick on “The Man Show.” He’s not funny. His promo spots for his show aren’t funny. And I don’t mean “not funny” as in *yawn*, I mean “not funny” like nails on a chalkboard. The Edge’s music programming has taken a huge slide (golly, can I hear The Flobots AGAIN? Really? I liked them better when they were Cake) And now, outside of The Ska Punk Show, there is ABSOLUTELY no reason for me to listen to this shithole station.

I have listened to the Edge since 2000 and was so sick of Howard, I was delighted he went to another station. Because I loved the Edge’s local connection and independent status, I stayed loyal. I listened to the morning show guy before Chuck, who was fine but he just didn’t have that magic. I watch Vince seamlessly make the transition into Chuck Powell’s Morning Ritural and it was like magic. It was always interesting, funny and you were just sucked in because you could completely relate to what they were saying. I have every Acustic CD and Calendar put out by the Edge since 2000. I can’t throw away the calendars – I still have them and have missed them the past few years.

I have listen to the Edge faithfully for over 8 years. I was so shocked to hear that my daily dose of the Morning Ritural is gone. I have been so depressed since Monday. Chuck was my prozac and I need my daily dose!!!

I am looking for a new station to listen too… right now it is KUPD (love the local thing) until Chuck is back on the radio. I am no longer an Edge listener. I am even going to pass on the Warped Tour tickets when they call to say they are in. I am just so discussed and sadden by loosing Chuck, I just can’t stomach it anymore.

Please let us know where you end up Chuck because your fan base will follow!!! Chuck should share his myspace or e-mail address so we can all keep updated on his whereabouts. Maybe a Where in the World is Chuck Powell website… I have Colin’s movie review on my favorite’s so I will be watching his as well.

I’m going home to listen to my old Edge CDs… a little more Jerry.

Amber ;O{

We Love you CHUCK!!!

Kenny, you said what I wanted to say. Maybe you even used a few less cuss words than I would have.

103.9 sucks. I hope their ratings drop even further. Maybe then they realize it is the crap music they insist on playing everyday…the same songs every 2 hours…that are why their ratings have dropped.

I just want to point out that Carolla was actually #1 when 101.5 switched formats. It was the rest of the shows that were tanking, so CBS radio threw in the towel on the entire station. I was always a fan of morning ritual and am sad to see it leave, but I can’t argue with the business sense that Riviera is showing here.

My loalty has been undermined. Powell and crew were my 3 hour break from the all-news (talk) format I am limited to in the office. Guess it will be IPod and constant scanning of stations until I can find them again. 103.9 just lost another listener; I hope they land somewhere local soon.

I agree with all the loyal listeners of Chuck Powell! It’s only been a few days and I have been checking to see if another station has picked him up yet! I am no longer an Edge listener either! I’m looking forward to hearing his show again someday! We should all set up a protest to send Chuck back! My morning won’t be the same until he’s back! Bring Chuck back!!!

Ownership changed about a year or so ago, and they have slowly, secretly, been getting rid of their “independant” status ever since. The music stopped being great, the hosts started to disappear, and the warped tour line-ups in Phoenix started to suck. I can’t handle the loss of Chuck Powell. He was at the start of every important day in my life over the last 6 years. It pains me to say this after so many years of loyal listening, but I hope the Edge goes out of business. If they were teetering before, they will not make more money with this stunt.

Just like the situation with our beloved Phoenix Suns, new ownership has come in and beauracritized one of the valley’s oldest symbols. In doing so, with their pipe dreams of slightly more money, they have turned into everything that they once fought. Like most modern republicans, they have forgotten what was once important to them. I hate that I have to say this, but The Edge will no longer be on ANY of my presets. I would rather listen to Mariachi music all day than support a faceless corporation that has taken over my EDGE 103.9 and claimed that they are one in the same. Farewell, memories of my youth, the times were good. And farewell, Chuck Powell (and Vince for that matter). Thank you for the laughs, the memories, and the best damn news cast in the valley.

The morning ritual went down hill. Once Heather left, it was still decent because Chuck and Vince were funny together. I realized once Vince went back to sports radio, that he was a big part of how good the show was. Then they brought Colin (unfunny) and some raunchy chick without any class.

I will split my listening time between Holmberg (very funny) and Adam (pretty entertaining as well). By the way, Adam did get much better once he dumped Danny Bonaducci.

I have taken the first step to boycotting The Edge. They are off my presets and I just unsubscribed as an Edge Insider. They don’t deserve space in my inbox. I was going to go to Salty’s on the 3rd but now I won’t. I will be one less listener and supporter and I hope that others join and hurt their bottom-line. My co-workers are also bummed out and I will let them know to boycott. I will keep checking Jerry the dog’s myspace page for updates and keep checking the web to see where Chuck gets hired and start listening. I will take the station off my husband’s presets as well when he isn’t looking. Boy I feel better today than I have all week!!!

Can’t wait to hear your sweet voice Chuck! I need my fix of LCS and Hometown news!!

I am THRILLED Adam is returning. Me and numerous people I work with stream him from KSLX in California everyday. I have lived in Arizona since 1991 and have never heard of The Morning Ritual. It seems to be not well known just how good Carolla’s numbers were in the Phoenix market….Awesome.

Yes! Carolla is back!

By the way, who the hell is Chuck Powell?

Ye Gods!!!! What have those greedy money grubbing swine at “The Edge” done to themselves. As a loyal, everyday-all day, listener the the Morning Ritual, I am devastated. I just moved to vegas and stream it live everyday. I tried to listen to Carolla out here and it makes me want to kill myself. That pompous blowhard should take his carpentry skills and nail the CEO to the cross because they have successfully crucified 103.9. Not only should those loyal to Chuck and crew indefinately boycott the station, events, and any other promotion provided, but to also start a petition, via internet, to show that arrogant prick that not only did he have a sustainable audience, who devoutly listened, and now they/we are gone. I will no longer listen. Period. There will be a myspace petition in days. sign it so we can email that douchebag the end of his “independent radio”.

Adam you suck. You are a great side kick but as the lead you are boring. I listened to the Edge every morning, I switched to 98.

Later

I just heard about Chuck Powell and the Morning Ritual being taken off the air and I am saddened. I enjoyed listening to them on my way to work. I loved when he talked about his hometown because I too come from the same area. I am only a couple small towns away. I hope he finds a “new home” here in the Valley soon.

So today was the 1st day of the new morning show on the edge. I was disappointed when I heard about they whole deal…I absoulutly loved listening to Chuck in the AM but I thought that I would give it a chance…to be fair right?? Well I honestly could not even beleive when I listened this morning that anyone could be so horrible. NOT funny at all!! and the whole hall and oats thing..come on are you kidding me???
I guess I have to find a new station which is to bad

I can not believe that “they” got rid of The Morning ritual. I was devastated when I found out. I do hope the gang is able to find a new station here in the valley. Chuck Powell and his crew are too talented to not find a new home.
Adam sucks!! I have tried to listen to his show in the past and have not been able to tolerate it at all. He is a Howard Stern wannabe, but is far from that also. He needs another career and fast!!
Boycotting 103.9 is a great idea. I also have deleted them off my presets.
Good luck Chuck!! Hope to hear you back on the airwaves soon!!!

I will agree about Carolla not being the best nationally (or more than locally) syndicated A.M. talk show, but Colin Boyd is definitely not any better. Oh and to the people saying “There’s a reason they pulled him when he was with FREE FM!” Well you are right, and they pulled him along with Frosty Heidi and Frank, Leykis & Big-O and Dukes BEFORE ANY RATINGS CAME OUT. And in case anyone was wondering what current ratings are for 101.5, here is a link to an online poll.
http://www.radioratingz.com/ShowRatings.jsp?tcvid=5433

Boyd used to do an hour in between FHF and Leykis when FREE FM was available in PHX and it was movie talk. It was also “Britney” talk. Who the heck over 18 cares about that stuff?? I think I could go my entire life without hearing his stuffed nose sounding voice saying another word.

Give Carolla a chance, he does have a way with connecting with the regular guy and can be funny from time to time. Hey cancel Carolla and bring back FHF, best radio show of all time.

Pat

Good shit! The Ace Man is back in phoenix. For those of you who are being cry babies about the show that got cancelled for the Adam Carolla show keep this in mind: Radio is all about ratings. They got fired, because over all the station in general has poor ratings. Most listeners tune in during the morning drive. It wasnt Adam who had poor ratings that got Free FM cancelled, it was the OVER ALL ratings that got the station cancelled. Adam has actually brought the L.A. Free FM staion’s up and his show is great. GOOD MOVE BY KEDJ 103.9 fm

Seriously who the FUCK is chuck powell? Oh wait, he is a guy who got LOW ratings and his show got Cancelled. ha! Adam never got cancelled here in phoenix. the station that had his show got fliped to a rap station. that had NOTHING to do with Adams ratings… If chuck is so good why is his show getting cancelled, while the adam carolla show is heard on like ten stations across the country? More people like Adam, then those who like this mysterious chuck person. Sucks for you guys. Anyways im glad to have the Ace Man back in phoenix. F chuck powell. hes GONE!

I like Adam, and am happy he is back in phoneix. I’ll have to see if i can fit him in with my daily Howard Stern listening. Yes…Stern! I read some of the anti-Stern rhetoric. The first couple times I listened to Stern I will admit I didn’t care for him either.
But over time the personalities, and characters that Stern has on the show, and his ability to flesh out every ounce of comedy from his environment make him far superior to any other radio/satellite pesonality. Stern’s daily show regularly runs well over his 5 hr near commercial free show time. On the other hand Corolla is done at 10am on the minute, every day, even though he has 20 minutes of commercials inserted in every hour. Who is doing a more natural realistic approach to comedy? And who’s is just manufacturing soundbites of comedy?

Chuck, you da man!

Sign the petition to bring back Chuck Powell:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/ourmorningritual

I just found out The Morning Ritual is gone… I moved out of state in 2006 to the middle of nowhere. I just got internet hooked up this week and first thing I did was hit 103.9.com to listen live and was looking forward to hear Chuck Powell again in the morning. I didn’t see any reference to him on the site, so I googled the show and him and found this. I am so saddend. I am coming out to PHX again next week and was looking forward to The Morning Ritual. Adam’s crap compared to Chuck Powell. The only thing 103.9 still has going for it is the Acoustic, live, & rare collection and the Ska/punk show… how sad. how very sad. I hope he lands somewhere where I can stream him.

[...] out the Phoenix rock radio audience: Chuck Powell’s classy goodbye from Edge 103.9 (57) Morning Ritual Out, Adam Carolla Back in Phoenix [...]

Ha ha! Today is Adam Carolla’s last day!! HAHAHA! No more Adam Carolla on the air! Finally! Bring back Chuck!

I emailed Bruce St James and asked him about the new morning show and hinted that Chuck was still kicking around the Valley w/o a gig and that many, many people stopped like me stopped listening to the Edge after the MR was dropped and his response was that I was in the “vast minority” and that Carolloser had “doubled their morning ratings in 9 months” and that “we cannot afford to go backwards”. WTF? Backwards? I just do not get it. The morning shows in PHX are CRAP. Carolloser was a corn piece stuck in that crap. None of these hacks have the talent that Chuck has for characters, story, prose and sheer entertainment value without having to always be in the toilet. (ie; the CRAP we have on all the other stations) Whatever BSJ. Whatever.

Radio guys still have names like “Bruce St. James” in 2009? Huh.

Chuck is back!! He is now doing mornings at 98.7 The Peak! Press release: “Chuck Powell has been fastened into mornings at Bonneville Adult Hits KPKX (98-7 The Peak)/Phoenix, filling the hole created when Scott Drake exited in September 2008. Powell, a 20-year industry vet with a decade of mornings under his belt, was last seen across the street doing the same shift at Riviera Alternative KEDJ (103.9 The Edge) until Adam Carolla arrived in April 2008. According to the press release that thudded into our inbox, Powell introduced himself to the Peak staff via an entertaining puppet show, then admitted, “Yes, I have done steroids in the past, but I was young and naïve. Please judge me for what I do from this point forward.”

[...] Formerly on The Edge 103.9, Powell’s “Morning Ritual” was for years one of the best locally-produced moring radio programs. Despite a passionate following — especially for regular creative comedy features such as “That Guy” and “Last Character Standing” — the show was dumped in favor of syndicated Adam Carolla in April 2008. [...]

its about time!!! 103.9 are a bunch of idiots for letting Chuck go. The only reason left to listen to Edge is the ska/punk show. Other than that it is the same 15 songs in an endless rotation. So I guess I will have to switch back and forth between John Holmberg. Carolla is not really that funny…

Hilarious reading all these posts from way back when now that they…. oh yes I’m saying it, CANCELLED COROLLA! Good thing we sacraficed an amazing morning show for a failure, who has now been cancelled 3 times in the valley. Sweet. I used to listen to the morning ritual… now I’ve gone to John Jay and Rich. Sad I know but I’ve been lost ever since

Morning Ritual out, Adam Carolla back in Phoenix

Comments

Add your Comment

Categories

Recent Comments

Blogroll

Online News

Tweetroll

Design & Strategy