Woah! That right there is some scoop! Thinking back on the article written about Freido's exit that "this may not be the last shoe to drop", looks like someone knows what they are talking about.

Nicely done Richie! Something to be said for loyalty and not always going for the deeper pockets!

Sincerely,

Stunned

Amazing that there was a bidding war for a show that's unlistenable.

105.3 will be thanking their lucky stars they didn't "win" this.

I'm thankful that The Hardline will remain limited by 1310's week signal.

And to think that Rhyner would have taken Davidson with him tells me all I need to know about his judgment. Fail.

I'm a P1 that would have followed them to the Fan. I'm glad that he's happy with the decision, I hope that Cum ulus follows through and takes care of the 'ole grey wolf!

Crap on a stick. This would have been addition by subtraction, to coin the worst all time sports clich­e.

Corby is funny as hell sometimes, but as a main-line sports station side-kick....I just don't get it. If they were a Kid Craddick type show, then I get Corby, but Rhyner is probably not bubbly enough.

The Ticket may be going through an identity crisis,...are they a sports station or not?

maybe the hardline found out that the fan is a sports station and they would need to talk about sports. i don't see how they would have adjusted to that format.

First off any station that has Ben and Skin is not a "sports station." I think the Hardline would have done well on the Fan, but I am very happy that they staying with the little Ticket. Thanks for the info RW.

Nice work Richie. Glad to see them staying with the ticket.

The idea of a Gentle Musers/BAD Radio morning/afternoon drivetime combo makes my sports listening pants go crazy, but then the terrible reality of Disinterested Mike and Corby sets in and my sports pants hide in the corner cowering while awaiting a slow painful death.

Richie, is there a chance that The Fan will go after BAD radio? I think that show is far better than the Mike and Gang Show and believe if they went head to head BAD radio would come out the winner.BAD radio deserves to be on during a drive time period. I agree with Coop DeVille.

I don't mean to rehash the weak signal issues noted many times previously, but why don't they broadcast on 93.3 and go head-to-head with the 105.3?

I am glad to see them staying on The Ticket.

ET P1

I agree with the others above. I would have loved to see BAD Radio moved to afternoon drive since it is the best show on the ticket. also less Corby.

Since the Tardline is staying, they desperately need a full time third. I think they should add Elfenbein. He's sportsy, he's funny, and for god's sake, less Corby.

"BAD Radio best show on the ticket"

Thats like saying Ringo was the best Beatle

if any of you guys went to ticketstock you would have seen that these guys were treated like royalty. 15,000 or so folks hanging on every word. and you know who the biggest star of all was? corby. so mix in an event before you go thinking the guy and that show has no fans. it was really unreal, chicks all over him and shit like that. good dude though, spoke with him for 5 minutes or so. its good they are staying. the ticket lives on.

if any of you guys went to ticketstock you would have seen that these guys were treated like royalty. 15,000 or so folks hanging on every word. and you know who the biggest star of all was? corby. so mix in an event before you go thinking the guy and that show has no fans. it was really unreal, chicks all over him and shit like that. good dude though, spoke with him for 5 minutes or so. its good they are staying. the ticket lives on.

good news!!! best show on the ticket stays. i heard at ticketstock they mght be leaving and didnt believe them. seems it was close. looks like corby was the one who didnt want to leave. awesome.

I didn't say BAD radio was the best show on The Ticket I just think they are better than The Mike and Gang Show. The Musers are the best show on the Ticket hands down. I think BAD Radio should get a chance to go get paid as if they were a drive time show. If The Fan was smart they would go after BAD RADIO. They could get rid of Newy and Ego and hire Radigan and Bassick to replace them. Keep K-Scott and hire Dick Hicks to do 9 to noon. It's just a thought so have good and get a little give.

dude the hardline would wax bad radio's ass in the ratings. dont you think they would have moved them up if they thought it would help? long live mike and long live corby.

NO!

BaD Radio is the best show at The Ticket. Hand's down.

You have to wonder if the FAN set their sites on BaD radio to make their next push when their contract is up. (if it is even up soon)

They are going to be in that midday slot until the end of time.

The FAN would give them mornings or drive time. It would also get Bob more access to Cowboys coverage where he could really carve out a nice niche.

Plus getting Sturm pulls out 50% of the hardcore sports host cred (Norm being the other half) from the Ticket.

already trying to get rid of Ben and Skin at the fan. This is also the signal that the end is near for the ticket. With the down hill slide that Cumulus was already on and them throwing bad money at an old man look for the morning show to be gone as soon as their contract is up

Let's just say Mike Rhyner, Cobra and Danny went to the Fan then KTCK was forced to cannibalize some of the spares in the current DFW radio market. God help us all.

@ Mark Perez -

Isn't the Musers contract good til 2012?
What other good news do you bring us from the future?

Sports!

if i am not mistaken the entire lineup on the ticket is now signed for the next 4 years or maybe even 5. by that time the fan will be long gone. no way they can compete with the ticket. even if their signal is massive, their shows are awful. mike and corby just personally sunk the fan. they had a chance with them, not any more though.

Are those contracts good if Cumulus Radio files for bankruptcy? They're stock has run along the same lines as GM. Do you think The Fan is going anywhere since they have the Rangers and soon they'll have the Cowboys? Mike Rhyner, himself stated that The Fan has things going for them that The Ticket doesn't.

all i know is kije that 105.3 has now changed their format a bunch lately. whos to say it wont happen again. and the cowboys dont care where they are, hell they were on kvil and kluv for years and years. its a money thing for them. i dont know about the bankruptcy thing, thats a little over my head. im in sales for christs sakes.

The Fan has nothing going for it except CBS's ton of cash and hapless habit of wasting it.

Why the Ticket is left on low-powered signals is beyond me, but the thing is a money maker. It will survive. Even if the current parent company goes under, some other media company will buy the Ticket.

At the end of the day, my guess is that the Hardline boys saw what happened to Russ Martin and factored that into a long period of mismanagement and realized that CBS radio can and will screw this whole thing up.

The Fan will flip again, and The Hardline would be as out-of-place in what ever format comes next as Jagger is now.

Did I mention I was a guest on the Wild Ass Circus?

Jorples.

Gee gary, nice recap of Richie's blog!

KFAN needs to get BAD if possible

@Rev Jack, concerning the low signal strength.

A post about a month ago mentioned that The Ticket could not increase the signal on 104.1 because of some small station in East Texas. I live out here and that station is some kind of golden country format. By the damned thing and increase the range.

Also, I actually listen on am 1700 and have no clue where the transmitter is located but it is clearer than 1310. Having The Ticket buy all the low power stations may be an option. Although switching to 93.3 would be best.

ET P1

The Hardline should stay on the Ticket. Mike is a radio legend in my opinion. His creation is without equal. However, Bob and Dan and Donovan are a better show than the Hardline. The Muser are the best show on the Ticket. Who says the Fan won't last. Gordon Keith's friggin crappy TV show still lives.

@ JC Bastard

re: Gordon's show - if you were paying attention, Gordon's show was cancelled last month.

No question the Ticket has long been stale and lives off it's hey day rep. If I ran that place I'd move Sturm to Hard Line and remind Corby that he's a hell of a side kick yuck monkey. I'd roll with a brand new mid day show. The Ticket will still roll as #1 (Newy and Sean? Really?) but no question they need some turnover.

wow, nice breaking news RW. I've been kind of trying to decide lately, whether to make a full break from the Ticket. I live in north Plano and can't get their signal consistently. It would have been cool to have the Hardline on the Fan because that's who I listen to 90% of the time, but I'm still a big Musers fan.
I can't stay a Ticket P1 until something happens with this signal.

Part of me thinks I'd rather see BaD radio at The Fan - they are far and away my favourite program at The Ticket.

I really don't need some stupid song for every segment, and BaD Radio is bad about that? It's become tiresome and repetetive, subsequently lacking in creativity. I would really like to see some kind of a spark from 1310 soon... God knows they've started to fizzle out in recent times. Almost like they're on life support...

you will rue the day you stayed

Thank God they are staying. Who in the hell wants to hear BAD RADIo give their crappy HOCKEY HSO'S, and thier opinions about "The Shield".. WHO CARES!! Vaginal Slice Born Bron

Listening to Ben and Skin is like listening to Billy Crystal or something. God awful....

For those saying the Ticket is stagnant, etc, their ratings keep going up! The hardline has been better without cokehead Greggo (the numbers prove it). Corby is great at what he does. All you armchair QB's need to realize that they aren't going anywhere, anytime soon.

Who goes for the ticket is it?

Richie Witt is a douche bag.

I agree that BaD radio is head and shoulders above any show on the Ticket. I like the Hardline too but the The Musers are a joke because of Craig. He has zero sports knowledge and is the most unfunny person I've ever heard broadcast. They need to boot him like the Hardline booted Greggo, Gordon and George carry that show but I rarely listen b/c of Lance Armstrongs taint supporter. Norm is good for what he does.

Glad to see Mike (Rhyner is dead) stay with the little Ticket! It's funny that it didn't take long for the Fan to realize that Ben & Skin stink like a bad elevator fart.

@byrdman: you were a little too kind to Junior, but yeah, what you said. His arrogance to talent ratio approaches infinity.

But that being said, D&M have been a team for too long, and will never get rid of Craig. Just make peace with the fact that Junior is the luckiest guy in the history of radio, to be paired with those two.

Speaking of BDH, did he land anywhere?

Also, I've always kinda liked Ben and Skin. I can't stand much else on The Fan right now.

What is PPM, in the penultimate paragraph? Neither "parts per million" nor "pages per minute" seem to fit.

@mm:

PPM = Portable People Meter - the new way that Arbitron tracks listeners

http://www.arbitron.com/portable_people_meters/home.htm

When I first read this, I was shocked that Rhyner would even consider such a thing. The Fan must be throwing around some serious cash.

Then, I had a feeling of disappointment.

Granted he started The Ticket, but listening to him the last few years has just been painful. He simply doesn't sound like he cares anymore. He'll force himself to perk up for one sportsy segment a day, and then he'll disappear into the background as Corby and Dan take over, boring us with music talk and sports talk that comes close to rivaling that which I have with my wife at the dinner table.

I was kinda hoping Rhyner would either leave or quit, but it's hard to quit any job when you're making about $600K+ a year. The Hardline needs a massive shake-up, or they'll lose this P1 during afternoon drive.

I'm sick of Corby's hyperbole, Dan's "if a song was ever played on the radio it sucks" is so holier-than-thou. I hate how Corby delivers E-news when he knows next to nothing about any of the stories he's reading. Hell, Ben and Skin do the same thing, except they have some hot chick who can barely read deliver E-news. I'll take that version.

Whoever said the Musers have a bad show and Craig Miller is not funny is a freaking moron. We're all entitled to our own opinion, but yours, frankly, is just wrong.

BaDD Radio is great, as I've stated in many of my other Ticket rants. Great production value. They have ZERO competition during lunchtime. Michael Irvin is terrible, and The Fan show with Kevin Scott and Dumbass is laughably bad. Greg Hill is as stupid as Newy is fat.

I don't have an answer as to what the Hardline needs, but at least they would have had to try something if Mike had left.

@Rhino
I know these guys were making a lot before the economy tanked but do you think they offered him 600+K a year? Cumulus just announced that they were laying off 7% of their employees. I've noticed less sponsors on The Ticket. Hell, once in a while Cumulus' own radio personalities make fun of them being cheap. I bet if Mike was younger he would've bolted. I think he felt responsible for The Ticket and that if he left listeners would start second guessing the whole station. I like Mike but I can't stand the rest of the guys on that show. I guess new Ticket listeners like Corby but I didn't like him when he was on Chris Arnold's show. I wish we could go back in time to The Hardline 11 to 2 days when Gordon would drop in occasionally.

Rhino you are the moron, how can you say that everyone is entitled to their own opinion and the the same sentence say my opion is wrong, that doesnt even make sense. Craig is a closet homo who spits out someone else's sports opinion that he read the day before on ESPN.com and his attempt at humor is ridiculous. And his and Corby's gay tirades about how great OU are just stupid, NEITHER OF YOU WENT TO F'ING SCHOOL THERE!!!!! Support the schools where you went, especially Corby, at least TCU has a good football team.

Ranking the Ticket shows:
1. Musers
2. BaD Radio
3. Norm
4. Ticket top 10
5. Hardline

Rhyner doesn't give a crap, he's the old veteran holding out for that one last big contract.
Let me tell you why these guys suck:
1. They are not know it alls when it comes to music, but they think they are for damn sure.
2. Cokehead Greggo is 10x better than Corby as the #2 guy. I might be in the minority here, but losing Greggo, his lies and coke and all, was a huge blow to this thing. The way they turned their back on him afterwards was even worse.
3. Rhyner doesn't give a damn about anything, and none of them give a damn about the listeners. Yet when you go to Ticketstock, they're fawned over. They don't give a damn about you, they say it on the radio and they mean it.

Old Man, thanks for the info on PPM.

Rhinosaur, I agree with most of what you wrote, other than the part that calls me a "freaking moron" for having a negative opinion of Craig Miller. Thanks for THAT cogent analysis.

mm -- I aim to please.

Kije -- There's a good chance they offered even more than that. That's ballpark of what he made before, Rhyner was able to use The Fan as leverage this time around.

byrdman -- Irony is funny, isn't it?

@all: Swear I don't know the specifics, but there's no way Rhyner avoided taking a healthy pay cut in this latest contract. The days of $600,000 radio hosts is gone, or at least temporarily on hold. Plus, I betcha a nickel he took less money to stay at The Ticket. FYI.

Richie, don't disagree with Rhinosaur, unless you enjoy being called a freaking moron.

They should've never gotten rid of Coop. They should also bring back Greggo and just give him all the coke he wants and put him on the air with Rocco and Paul the Damn Viking.

The sh*t almost hit the Fan. Maybe Corby can head over there.

Why do people keep trying to stick up for Greg. HE IS A DRUG ADDICT. He brought little to the show. I had been advocating they get rid of him for years. Ignorant redneck.

I think Rhyner is earning a little cash on the side from Partnership for a Drug-Free America.

good work richie.. love ya man. WTF, why has this not leaked out earlier? How long before they nab greggo for a "drivetime" slot?

would they have taken line 4 guy also?

they could have changed the name of the segment from "why today dosen't suck" to " Why we suck today" starring the cobra, and the rest of the crew.

somebody please....

byrdman, I think you have the wrong idea about Craig. I've been going to Ticket events for 10 years. Craig doesn't know me from Adam, but he always treats me like an old friend. He is as down to earth and friendly as it gets, which is not always the case with celebs. He and George also do so much for Special Olympics, which touches my family.

I also love him on the air. He seems to set the tempo for the show, allowing George and Gordon to do their thing. I worked in radio for a while, so I know how important each of their roles are to their show's success (I couldn't cut it in radio because I have no talent. NO talent!) I'm a fan of the Musers, and it's because of their chemistry. I think if one of them left the show, it wouldn't come close to being the same.

Of course, I like all the guys on the Ticket. I've heard talk radio in other markets, and nothing compares. I guess they are doing their job if people love AND hate them, and I guess their ratings are proof that they are doing their job. You don't stay on top for 15 years if you have no talent or a bad product or any weak links. I hope these guys stay on top and stay popular for another 15 years.

I find it amusing that people continue to criticize The Hardline and say it needs change even though ratings continue to improve. From a business perspective, this logic makes no sense at all and wouldn't get passed the BOD.

When I first moved to DFW in 2003-I began to listen to ESPN 103.3--simply because I was familiar with the 4 letter network. I grew tired of mike & mike and decided to try the local station with the horrendous signal--I love the Musers, BAD Radio is greatness but I was let down IMMENSELY by the Hardly-LINE. Unless they talk baseball, they bring a big bucket of NOTHING everyday for 4 hrs--I am amazed that the Hardline outdraws GAC on 103.3 and quite honestly Ben & Skin do a great job on the FAN--The old man's time has past--Cumulus will be asking for there $$ back in a few years...Rhynes & the UN-funny Snake are DREADFUL.

Although there are many opinions about the different shows on the Ticket and the Fan, on balance, I like the shows on the Ticket. (the Hardline could use another person for "Corby balance" though) The Hardline probably did get a raise, because despite what is going on a Cumulus, the Ticket makes money. It's good to see that despite the many opinions about radio, we can all agree "Ritchie is a douchebag".

And yes, if I cared enough, I would learn how to spell Ritchie's name.

So crazy how fast things changed. Heard that the Old Grey was so ready to go early last week.

For the first time in his career - anyone up there at the Ticket for that matter - engaged a agent/lawyer to broker this deal. Saw them talking to someone who most likely their agent throughout Ticketstock.

Wonder if a non-compete actually blocked the move as opposed to traditional contract negotiations. Maybe Rhyner could not stand being off the air while it played out in court.

Maybe the agent knows the whole story? Anybody identify him?

oh how i love the hardline bashers. so you guys like the "old" hardline? really. i have listened since the outset and what they do now is 10 times better than what they did back in the day. rhyner is soooo much more into it than he used to be because he hated greg, and that went on for years and years. ive always said that you guys who post on blogs are the lowest form of humanity, and i still agree with that premise, even though i am doing it myself. its like crying to the principal. good for corby and mike and good for the ticket. you peolple are mostly flat out stupid, including you ritchie. have a good day.

@P1 Longtime:

FYI - Agents negotiating for talent at the Ticket go back to the first day.

the shelf life for the ticket has just about expired. afternoons are much more competitive now than they used to be. change is a comin

really noneya? change where? these guys at the ticket are signed now thru something like 2014. they kill every sports station in the ratings, so tell me how things are changing? its people wishing ill will on something for no apparent reason. 15 years of great radio, head to toe, and people still bash. name another station that has done that EVER in this market. you cant. thats why i and the rest of the hard core listeners laugh at these rediculous posts. give credit where credit is due.

to anyone who gets their panties in a wad about Danny's elitism about music: Why do you care THAT much about what he thinks?
Or whether Rhyner (no, I refuse to go along with that joke) cares or not? He's always been an aloof bastard. Hello?
Does anyone remember the utterly stupid shit Greggo would bust out with over the last couple of years he was on the Ticket? (Look at my orange socks, Rhynes! Um, yeh, those are nice, Greggo)
When I get annoyed by the Ticket, I (now listen up, y'all) change. the. channel.
I'm giving expensive webinars on how to do that. Email me.

The anus?

So is it safe to say George and Craig now make more than the guy who "built this station", since their contract timing was much better last year?

I have a feeling cumulus will find some way to screw this up. 105.3 is becoming a real sports station, not the locker room equivelent that KTCK has become over the years. Id like to see D&M leave their slot and take over mornings at The Fan, as it would be infinitly better than Jagger

"the The Musers are a joke because of Craig. He has zero sports knowledge and is the most unfunny person I've ever heard broadcast. " - byrdman
*
truer words have not been spoken!
...
i recently exhanged e-mails with him about football. it became VERY obvious that his opinions are formed by what he reads and hears.
he obviously does not watch the nfl, nba & mlb.
he's disinterested and only reading boxscores kinda like greggo did during his last 2yrs.
how else can you explain not knowing mavericks & cowboys opponents?

actually, craig is one of the few guys who does know sports. but, sometimes his opinions are harsh and hard to take.

craig = simon cowell
george = paula abdul

at least craig was on to the frauds ron washington and wade phillips earlier than anyone. george recently said wade was one of the top 10 coaches in the nfl! craig has always been right on about the mavs, too. i would rather hear honest opinions than cheeleading.

@written to werder
Are you describing Craig Miller or Corby Davidson? I remember when Corby was suppose to be reporting on a sporting event(at the event) and he was caught reporting from his couch at home.

good for rhynes that he is staying at the ticket.staying power is good for him.all this bitching about who should stay and go. want more sports? as the dude said above, put elf in there in you need a sports person with cred. his sunday show rocks and he would take hardline to another level.

To all the people who love BAD Radio - can you really stand to listen to Dan's whiny highvoice on a regular basis? He sounds like a cartoon character. An annoying cartoon character. And he's also a jerk.

good for all of us. For those of you who enjoy having the option to listen to a local product this is an important win for the metroplex as well as the ticket and their listeners. If CBS and ESPN succeed in running the ticket and the on air talent out of jobs guess what we get to listen to. Crap. They will then give a rats ass about the DFW sports radio market and we'll be left with the crap that both of them are putting out currently. it's kind of similar to how Walmart operates. run all the local mom and pop shops out of business and then dominate and control the local market with crappy service and eliminiate our ability to choose where we want to shop.

Not a fan of the HL, but I respect Rhyner's decision. Loyalty counts.

But here's the problem--Cumulus' drive towards a penny stock continues--its market cap is now just $70 million for the entire company. Radio properties are notorious for casting off revenue-producing talent prior to a sale or repositioning (ask Russ Martin!) and Rhyner could still find himself on the street anyway.

Maybe Spence Kendrick can buy back the station...lol

Richie, thanks for the info love the blog but for christ's sake please take this horrifying picture of Rhyner off the website - it scares the F out of me every time I open the page

Regards

@Dane:

I will ask him..........

I think Corby and Dr. Boothe should do a show.

I'm relatively new to the ticket (2 years). I like Corby. I don't agree with most of his HSOs but he's a good story teller and does some funny interviews. If you want straight sports listen to espn. If you want straight sports and to be bored to death, listen to the Fan. If you want half sports and half schtick listen to the ticket.

First of all- ESPN sucks just as bad as the Fan. Does it do sports better than the Ticket? Yes, but aside from Galloway (sorry Mr. Irvin) they don't understand the mindset of the Dallas sports fan for jack, and around here that's all that matters.
I blame Mike's "boredom" on Greggo's shenanigans and think they were right in turning their back on him. I also do not think Corby and Danny are as awful as you say. Being a young guy I must say I identify with the two of them much better than I do with anyone else, but I do think the Hardline needs another person.
On Bob and Dan: if the leave it's a major loss for the station. Sure they talk about hockey and tv dramas a little too much, but they are key to part of the Ticket's demographic, The Transplant. Because there are so many people from the north/midwest who have relocated here, BaD Radio becomes very important in winning them over. Two guys who root for teams no one around here cares about and speak with accents that stick out like sore thumbs and were born and raised in the north are key to reeling in the newcomers. Why? Because of the perspective they have on how batcrap crazy the sportsfans from this city are.
On the Musers: They are The Ticket's most valuable show. Why? Imagine if the Hardline's Greggo fiasco had happened instead on the morning show.

That's right, you can't. The fracture that would ensue if that ever happened would sink the ticket right then and there. And splitting up the musers would essentially do that. Can Craig be a rick-with-a-P most of the time? Yes. But do his outrageous sports opinions that you just love to hate make the show better? Of course. He is the perfect foil to the conservative George and it just wouldn't be the same without him. If it was just George and Gordo then the morning show would ultimately turn into Tom and Jerry with Jub being driven crazy by Gordo. Craig is truly the mediator for the show's bigger personalities. Oh, and Gordo's sports knowlege? Laughable. Make fun of Corby all you want, but at least he knows enough of what's going on to be able to voice his opinions. If Craig really were to leave then I am convinced that George would become as bored sounding as you say Mike has.
Lastly, the Ticket's signal. Could it be better? Yes. Should it be better? Of course. Should The Ticket go and claim 93.3 as their signal? Definitely. But would it be the same? A million times no. The Ticket's oddball signal has become their Wrigley Field. Much like that outdated ballpark is to the Cubs, the infamous Ticket signal is all part of their down to earth charm. It would be smarter to move, but at this point I think the station has bigger fish to fry.

(sorry for being so long-winded)

It's funny how people talk about leaving The Ticket for the The Fan like it's some easy transfer. Any host on the Ticket is a fool for leaving the Ticket because you lose that guaranteed built-in audience and culture which you simply cannot copy elsewhere. Even bringing the Hardline to the Fan would not have given The Fan a Ticket culture. As for leaving for a better time slot, the best you could do at the Fan is maybe half the audience of what you had since some of the bigger hosts people want to leave (i.e. BAD Radio) would be pitted against their Ticket peers. Plus each of those stations has their behind-the-scenes politics and corporate baggage, so it's not as simple as just leaving for the stronger signal and a better time slot.

Thanks for the report Richie and it's good to see The Ticket may be intact for another 4-5 years. It's easy to take success for granted and these guys are smart to re-sign where they are. The Ticket will never have problems finding new owners. Jump to the Fan and who knows?

Long live The Ticket, or somesuch.

I laugh when I hear "all sports all the time". For the love of god I don't care what is on your Tivo! as for Rhyner, keep mailin it in pal. corby adds nothing, just there for shock value and to praise OU. i hope the fan takes a larger portion of the ticket listeners away. maybe then they'll get back to what made them great. btw, i never listen.

Greggo, thanks for your 2 cents brotha but you should not be posting on here.

The Hardline is right where they need to be. Glad to see these guys resign.

Be glad you have The Ticket! I now live elsewhere and still listen via the web for several hours a day. I wish that I could just flip it on in my car, or turn on the stereo. If I turn on the radio, my choices are national network schlock. I love The Hardline because of Mike, Corby, Danny, and Grubes. In fact, more DANNY! I enjoy the camaraderie of all the crews. The non-sports talk is why I continue to listen, so keep it up. Stay hard.

I think Craig is pretty funny, I thought he was the straight guy at first, but he drops deadly humor and he knows as much about sports as anyone except for Bob, but Bob is not funny, I like him, but he is not as funny. Anyone else notice that he is trying to change his image? Learning the guitar, starting to joke about sex...trying to be more ticket-y

ReincarnatedRocker put it best - the Ticket has succeeded, and not by a small margin, by checkerboarding sports and non-sports entertainment. It's not just the top-rated sports station, but it frquently boasts the top-rated show(s), for the most sought-after market demo, in both morning & evening drive. No small feat. Yeah, 105.3 may have deep pockets, but $$$ does not equal top-notch performance (see also, 2008 Dallas Cowboys).

It's a free country, listen to whatever you like. But for 15 years KTCK has developed an unparalleled camraderie with its listeners, despite its crappy signal. They must be doing something right. The anus is on the other stations to catch up with the little Ticket.

And to the person who thinks the HL is worse without Greggo, have you listened to his show on 103.3? Terrible. Mike may be aloof but he's a helluva lot more engaged now than he was in 2005-2007.

If I were going to make any talent changes, it would probably be to cut Dan McD, but I'm not the PD, and, as someone pointed out earlier, he & Bob do represent the Midwest transplant well. We're having fun here, no?

Ben & Skin fit well at KTCK (they mix sports - albeit a bit Mavs intensive - & entertainment). It's too bad they could not find a time slot there. Lured away by money & a prime slot. Suck it.

VSBB

I find it amusing that there's so much discussion about whether the Ticket is past their prime. Just the fact that it's even discussed seems to indicate that there's still enough substance to provoke such discussion.
Sure, the Hardline is different now. But even in the glory days of Greggo, I can remember being infuriated at times when the backporch country witticisms seemed particularly ignorant and too redneck for my liking. But it was all part of the mix and what made the show interesting.
I like Corby and Danny for the most part in their enhanced roles. Corby's absolute musical ignorance and Danny's elitism get to me at times. Such as when a musician the caliber of David "Fathead" Newman is immediately dismissed for trifecta consideration, but some hack from Lynyrd Skynyrd is admitted, but I never thought the show was about trying to please everyone.
And I have tried listening to the Fan at times, but the contrived, forced humor and moronic hosts like Newey and Ben and Skin make it impossible to think the station will see the end of the year. So, for better or worse, I'll still take the Ticket anyday, and I am glad that the Hardline will still be a part of it.

Like Jerry says, I don't care if you talk about the Cowboys in a negative or positive light, just as long as you talk abou them. How many other blogs are there out there talking about GAC or The Fan? It took me over an hour to read through all these posts...The Ticket will be around forever. Maybe not Cumulus, but the little ticket will. I think Corby has done an admirable job since Hammer left. He got thrown into a situation and has done the best he can. I think he's adjusted well. With the Hardline, you either love'em or hate'em, but either way, you're still going to listen, and that's all they care about.

As for the Musers...that chemistry is phenominal. If you want to hear chaos, tune into Irvin and Kevin Kylie(sp?) and freaking illiterate Nate Newton. It is just painful. The Ticket still rules all radio land and always will.

do i get a tostada?

OK, even if Mike Rhyner took a pay cut because of the economy, he's still pulling in some pretty big money. I'm guessing he's still getting somewhere near his $500,000/year salary.

But what about Corby. What in the world does Cumulus pay him? He's a yukmonkey (a good one) that was forced into a bigger role when Greggo disappeared. Does Corby pull in over $250,0000/year?

corby sucks, I like when we tries to convince everyone he is the most attractive guy in the ticket, he did it the other day with the gay round table, what a douche that guy is.

I am glad there is another station to keepthese guys are there toes. They are getting alittle cocky. Norm needs to go as well as Dan. Corby blows.

Bad Radio the best show? Dan Macdowell is the biggest loser on the planet, let alone Dallas radio.

For those of you whining - dont listen, or ah, yes - you can always listen to GAC or 'where is Newy' in afternoons if you dont like Corby. Good luck with that.

If you want sports listen to another station. If you want to laugh, listen to the Musers, the Hardline and the top 10. Simple as that.

Yes, I listen to GAC because Corby and Danny are f-ing horrible.

I'm a former P-1 who now only listens to the Musers and Norm. Dan ruins BaD Radio as do Corby and Danny on The Hardline.

Rhyner should have taken the gig and ditched Corby.

Hello, super post, I truly enjoyed reading this. the blog gave me the push to try my own post, please check out my blog by clicking my name at the top of this post, thanks