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Post by BrettVW on Apr 12, 2005 10:12:34 GMT -5
I posted this over on the radio-info.com message boards, but thought maybe we could have a discussion on it over here as well.
NextMedia's Star 104 WRTS/Erie has dropped Rick Dees Weekly Top 40 from its Sunday night lineup in favor of Open House Party. They also run AT40, Fox All Access and the TRL countdowns, and none of them were dropped – just Dees.
After Dees moved to Premiere at the beginning of the year, he lost 99% of his CC stations, which is something we all knew would happen. The only two CC stations I know of that still run Dees are Kiss Cincinnati on Saturday’s at 5am, and Hot AC WKDD in Akron runs the Hot AC version of Dees Sunday nights at 8. Any others?
We all knew the CC stations would drop Dees like the plague as soon as he left Premiere, but now it seems some of the remaining affiliates are now dropping Dees. We all know Dees' show isn't what it once was. Is it time for Rick to hang it up on CHR/Pop radio, or will he still have a good enough following with the Weekly Top 40. I know Casey Kasem left the format before he was even dropped and he is still finding huge success in the AC and Hot AC formats. Is it time for Rick to do the same and make way for the ‘younger’ sounding shows of Hollywood Hamilton, TRL, Fox Family, and the new American Top 40? Or does Dees still have some time left in the format?
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Post by Hervard on Apr 12, 2005 13:08:27 GMT -5
I believe that the Rick Dees Weekly Top 40 is living on borrowed time. It's only a matter of time before it ceases production altogether, due to more and more stations dropping it. Personally, I wouldn't really mind that, since the chart he's using is a joke. It looks more like his personal chart than what's really being played. Some of the songs on there are nowhere near either the R&R or any other radio based chart. I just hope that the station on which I catch the show (which has been running it since this very week in 1990) replaces it with something cool like AT40 (that chart might be a tad ridiculous with all those recurrents (i.e. when are "On The Way Down" and "She Will Be Loved" finally going to leave the chart?), but at least, for the most part, it's accurate (one exception - the omission of "My Happy Ending" last summer) and not just thrown together - I compare it with the R&R chart and, if not for all the recurrents on AT40, the charts would be very similar).
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Post by Deleted on Apr 12, 2005 14:06:15 GMT -5
I do not forsee the show disappearing as Chris does. I believe the show has a following on the radio and even though it may not be as widely distributed as it once was and is not as good a show as it was say 10 years ago, I am sure it still does well enough to make good money and that is the bottomline in the music business.
We always seem to judge things based on how it is doing in the US, but in this day and age, a lot of the shows we listen to have a worldwide audience and Dees's show is no exception. I do not think we have any idea how many stations across the pond air the show. Now, I know as you read this paragraph what is coming to mind of many of you.....1994: American Top 40 with its trememdous international distribution and listenership yet it was still cancelled the following January. The difference between the two though is night and day, Dees's show was just picked up by a new distribution company and I am sure they will not want to pull the plug on it anytime soon, and no one seems anxious to rid the airwaves of the show(save for a few radio listeners) which is what those in charge of AT40 10 years ago were aiming to do. Plus, again; I am sure the show is still MAKING money.
Now onto the other matter of should Dees relegate himself to Hot AC radio and leave CHR. I think the answer is also clearly he should not. I do not think Dees's HAC show gets anywhere near the penetration as his CHR show does. He would be down to what 30-40 stations maybe? I am not sure because I do not know how many air the show. I know there are only 2 or 3 known carriers of the show which broadcast on the internet, so I kind of base my number on that(similar to AT40 HAC only being on a handful of stations as well).
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Post by BrettVW on Apr 12, 2005 14:28:10 GMT -5
I'm not saying if Rick left the CHR show he should just continue doing the HAC version of the Weekly Top 40....that would not be feasible at all.
What I am saying is if Dees were to leave the Weekly Top 40 and CHR radio, he could get some sort of position with AC or Hot AC radio...perhaps on a non-countdown sort of show where he could actually do good comedy again.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 12, 2005 17:26:44 GMT -5
I guess I misunderstood your question. I would think if he wanted to he could do that now with the shows he had. So, I just dont dont see leaving Top 40 or whatever changing the show or him from what they are now.
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Post by BROWNJB1 on Apr 12, 2005 21:58:35 GMT -5
Since we are all on the subject of Rick Dees, I thought I would throw in my 2 cents worth. I checked the Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits book and it mentioned that he was born in 1950, making him 55, depending on when his birthday is, and with him being 55, would that be considered too old for him to do a countdown of CHR/Pop hits. I don't really listen to the Weekly Top 40, but after reading all of these postings, I would say that he should continue to host the show for however long he wants to, or until Premiere cancels the show, whichever comes first. Casey was still doing AT40 until his early 70's and many of the songs that were played on AT40 in Casey's last year as host were mostly hip-hop songs, and I am sure that he had reached a point where he no longer felt connected to the CHR audience since he is now in his early 70's. When he stepped down as AT40 host last year, he did it on his own terms. I feel that Rick should do the same.
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Post by BrettVW on Apr 12, 2005 22:21:09 GMT -5
No one really knows (or can ever tell if they did) if Casey voluntarily left American Top 40 and CHR/Pop radio....or if it was a move he had no control over. Although I would love for story 1 to be true, I don't always think it is.
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Post by Radioman on Apr 17, 2005 4:05:38 GMT -5
I just wonder how you came up with the idea of Rick Dees' show would be on the way down ?
For more than a decade it's the most listened to radio show worldwide, with more than twice as much stations as AT40. That hasn't changed due to what happened earlier this year.
The fact he's no longer with Clear Channel / Premiere does not necessary mean he's out of business soon.
And the show can be heard on lot's more than 2 Clear Channel stations these days, even he's no longer with that syndicator.
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Post by Jeffster on Apr 17, 2005 9:06:22 GMT -5
Rick, is that you?  |
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Post by Matt Cameron on Apr 17, 2005 11:01:30 GMT -5
Break out the butter, 'cause Dees is toast!!  |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 17, 2005 13:38:27 GMT -5
Break out the butter, 'cause Dees is toast!! Will WT40 ever be as popular domestically as it was? No. But it is not in any danger of going anywhere. |
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Post by Radioman on Apr 17, 2005 14:22:41 GMT -5
Yup ! Yo my man, Paul ..... or at least another guy who can count a little.
And NO, I'm not himself ! And you don't have to be a Rick Dees fan to came up with the fact he's leading the countdown world for many years now. Since Casey left WW1 there is no other show with that many affiliate stations to their credits.
And by the way: I'm a Casey fan only !
Put 1 Dees fan and 1 Casey fan in a room. Only one of them can leave alive ...... Decide yourself who it might be.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 17, 2005 15:38:50 GMT -5
Yup ! Yo my man, Paul ..... or at least another guy who can count a little. Thanks, I'm in college so I hope so..... And NO, I'm not himself ! Jeffster was only kidding...... And you don't have to be a Rick Dees fan to came up with the fact he's leading the countdown world for many years now. Since Casey left WW1 there is no other show with that many affiliate stations to their credits. which is why I originally posted that we have no idea what the international count is, we only go by domestic and our knowledge of that can even be skewed And by the way: I'm a Casey fan only ! Put 1 Dees fan and 1 Casey fan in a room. Only one of them can leave alive ...... Decide yourself who it might be. I think you are a little too attached to Casey then..... |
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Post by nenad on Apr 19, 2005 14:38:11 GMT -5
We always seem to judge things based on how it is doing in the US, but in this day and age, a lot of the shows we listen to have a worldwide audience and Dees's show is no exception. I do not think we have any idea how many stations across the pond air the show. Well according to his site there will be a complete list of affiliates, including international ones, available soon... so, I guess, we'll find out then! |
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Post by Radioman on Apr 19, 2005 14:41:11 GMT -5
.... and some of might become surprised !
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