BREAKING NEWS: Russ Martin Returns to Radio?

By Richie Whitt Thu., Jun. 3 2010 at 8:49 AM

Categories: Radio, TV and that Damned Media

Two radio industry sources say that CBS Radio and Clear Channel Communications are in negotiations on a deal that could bring controversial and wildly popular radio host Russ Martin back to Dallas radio early this summer. The sources indicate that, should an agreement be reached, Martin -- whose Russ Martin Show was taken off the air in December 2008 when CBS flipped formats from guy talk Live 105.3 to sports talk 105.3 The Fan -- will host a morning drive show on Clear Channel's 97.1 The Eagle as early as July.

"Russ and his gang are ready to roll," said one source. "They've already got their start date."

Martin did not return an e-mail inquiry and CBS Senior Vice President and Dallas Market Manager Brian Purdy offered only a "no comment" when asked about Martin's status.

The move, which will require some tricky contractual manuevering, would give a voice back to one of the most clever and combustible hosts in Dallas radio history.

Martin, who I profiled in this Dallas Observer cover story last summer, was taken off the air by CBS via a combination of the format flip and his arrest and ensuing plea bargain surrounding a domestic abuse charge involving his girlfriend.

Martin, whose CBS contract is scheduled to pay him an approximate $1 million salary through April 2011, would need Clear Channel to buy out the remainder of his CBS contract. In exchange, CBS would drop Martin's non-compete clause.

Stay tuned.

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105.3 The Fan, 97.1 The Eagle, Live 105.3 FM, radio, Russ Martin

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What is Your F'ing Point Now?
russ has no place in morning radio. kids here radios playing all over while on there way to school. does he care if your kid hears him. no.He does not care about how what he sais impacts people.
I miss Eddie Boyd...why didn't he try to get his own show or something...that guy was friggin hilarious.
You idiots in this forum - sometimes your funny, but we all know you would trade places with Russ, Lex and Terry, Kid ect... You're all jealous bitches. Must suck to try to get you're 15 minutes out of a BLOG. That's all the talent you have then good on ya!
russ martin is a woman beater
hey, haters... 97.1 "rocks with Russ"
happy happy joy joy!! Russ is great!!!
how sad has the state of radio sunk to when they have to put Russ Martin back on the air. Good Lord the $1 million CBS was giving him to stay off the air was the best money they ever spent. If they're hard up for cash tell me where to send the check. Listening to his show was like watching a room full of pimple faced junior high school boys jacked up on ritalin and Red Bull. The only redeeming feature of this pathetic event is I won't have to change the presets on my radio. I haven't listened to KEGL in years and this won't get me to switch over either. God he was boring, tell him to shave the mullet,get some new material and get rid of his yuck monkeys. What a bore !
I just heard a brand new spot on the eagle for tomorrows announcement. It said, " Batman is comimg...He is coming" right after they played Heath Ledgers Joker. Then it said again to listen Thursday at 5:30. That more than confirms that it's the rms!! Woo hoo!!
russ may b a drunk wifebeating dick but he makes me laugh. so let that monkey out of his cage and lets see him dance! if you dont like him dont listen, but as for the rest of us we wait and listen....cmon 97.1 stop teasing that cock and give us what we want. give. us. the. monkey.
I am SO excited about the return of The RMS!! Radio has sucked so bad the past couple years!! As far as Russ' off air / personal business, we don't know the whole story. If it was so bad why did his gf take him back and file a complaint on the police dept? Not only that, what he does off the air is his business. Not mine, not yours. As long as he comes back and is funny I could care less what he does at home. It affects me none.
I wish I was such a perfect human that all I had time to do was to engage in blog battles all damn day. Especially over something as trite as entertainment. Get a grip, fawkers. It's not like Russ and Crew are being appointed to the White House...it's just a radio show. One that I will enjoy again.
I can't believe all the people on here ragging on Russ. I've been waiting for a long time for something halfway decent on Dallas radio again. Music these days sux. How much bs sports talk can a single person seriously listen to? And that pretty much leaves u with NPR. And I mean, come on. Or Sirius if u don't mind paying. Which is what I started doing the week after Russ was canned. And about him hitting his girlfriend. I HATE all u holier than thou bible thumping morons who have apparently never EVER lost ur cool and done something dumb as s**t. Good lord talk about glass houses. So HELL YEA!!! WELCOME BACK RUSS!!!!!!!!!
The following opinion takes issue with the initial sentence of the article and proceeds on for quite a while making it clear how the commenter did not read any longer.
THE TREE HOUSE IS RETURNING!!!! And to all the hater u dont no sh!@ about Russ off air so I would drop it!!!! Or learn to reserch someone before u start bashing them........
OMG!!! Thank you lord he is finally coming back on the air. I have basically given up on radio but now that he is coming back I will be tuning in regularly. It pissed me off when they flipped formats on 105.3. The Reverend is back!!
Ray - even with all the details out concerning the incident, you're still bent on remaining an idiot.
Sarah u dont know crap....Newy at least talks about sports...freaking idiot...as for rms i listened to him for years and he for his shows they started repeating themselves. that gets old like rms did. i cant believe you are supporting a woman beater. thats why i dont feel bad calling you an idiot.
So excited to find out that RM is coming back! Sad that it will be during the Jagger show. Personally 105.3 made a mistake by going to Sports. We lost so many that year. Pugs and Kelly, Russ Martin and his crew...what happened to Ben and Slim? (was that his name?) Then Pugs and Kelly left to the Bone....are they still even there? I can't stand listening to Newy from 9-11pm. Ritchie must have dated and been dumped by a girl in Southlake because he truly has issues with SL women....Can't stand listening to Greg either. Gavin is so far okay.... not quite sure about Greggo....first time hearing him. I have a love/hate relationship with Arnie....mostly hate.
I'll be listening!!!!!
It was a great show I'm glad it's back. Russ often took a good spin on news stories that could be funny but also prove a point and the club house usually made a good point. I liked how JD or someone would make serious attempts at holding up the other end of the argument. I tend to think very logically which makes news stories irritating to understand when people make enormous mistakes or have some kind of messed up flash bulb moment which Russ will latch onto and get me to laugh about while sharing those irritations with the audience.
Really... sounds like most of you would rather listen to music. Music that the eagle has played for the last 25 plus years. Really? And AM Radio? really? Maybe If I was 55 plus and didn't know that my radio had FM or Sat functions. And really the Fan? I flipped it on for the first time in 2 years just to hear the train wreak. Yea I believe their afternoon show was talking about the decay of Malls in DFW...Wow...Riveting. So much excitement in that topic they had to take a break and come back to it... Really? I think my car committed suicide. So yeah, even if it is on the Eagle, and in the morning, thank GAWDA! for some entertainment. I only hope he negotiates NOT to play music. Oh and take a look at anyone that is a Persona, you think they don't have skeletons in their closets? You don't think that more than 80% of the sports figures playing today haven't done drugs or beat some one, or shoved a gun in someones puss? Can you say naive?
@ Chris von Danger WTF are you talking about?
Is it true that Russ is going to replace Seacrest as the voice of American Top 40? Yo DJ Spin that wheel
You have got to be f**king kidding me, the white trash woman beater/failed car salesman is getting another air shift, they dropped L&T for this guy, Jesus H Clear Channel must be hurting for on-air talent. Im wondering if JD has finally told the guy off for treating him the way he has for years. Its another reason i'm glad I have other options to listen to outside the market and the country as well..
I'm excited about this news. I can't wait to hear Russ again.
"was taken off the air by CBS via a combination of the format flip and his arrest and ensuing plea bargain surrounding a domestic abuse charge involving his girlfriend." Richie I enjoy your show but REALLY? His arrest had ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with him being laid-off. Dude I realize you don't like the guy but this is some horrible reporting that is completely unnecessary. The WHOLE station flipped to sports talk, everyone was laid-off but The Jagger Mafia. R.I.P KLLI Live 105.3
who never listened to the RMS in the first place. Clear Channel would not be willing to eat nearly $750K in salary owed Martin through April 2011 by CBS if it didn't think there was ratings around the corner, and given the dismal state of drive time radio in this market
A lot of sour grapes from P1's who never listened to the RMS in the first place. Clear Channel would not be willing to eat nearly $750K in salary owed Martin through April 2011 by CBS if it didn't think there was ratings around the corner, and given the dismal state of drive time radio in this market, this may be just the ticket...no pun intended, but as far as Craig, George, and T. Gordon Keith are concerned, business is about to pick up.
its about time, the fan sux, the eagle sux. Russ is hilarious. DFW needs him. I dont understand how people dont like his show. JD's the man too!
i cant believe ritchie supporting "popular" russ martin that brutally attacked a defenseless woman. so unlike ritchie .its ok to bash tigr woods and ok to support russ martin. a girlfriend beater..ritchie you let me down or your just a fraud. which is it?
omg, you mean that what went on at the rms was fake?????? im going to go hang myself, or worse yet, listen to rw on the radio, thatll be sheer torture
I want to hear more from all the people saying Russ beat his wife (who even knew he was married?), pulled a gun on her, etc. I can't believe he did all that in front of a house full of people.
@ MR. Radio Lesson : What the execs in radio are learning is that most listeners don't want to hear all talk in the morning on music stations. A good example is Lex and Terry. Yeah...and Kidd Kraddick????
People who know how to laugh at themselves will never cease to be amused... My human laugh track is very amused by all this. Yes, I'm drunk. Feel free to wipe the confetti and surprise from your left shoulder as I rot my liver. Now, PLEASE continue with all this FANTASTIC drive by entertainment. Burp....
I converted to ESPN awhile back... I miss the old KLLI
I've become too attached to my XM the past 3 years to tolerate commercial radio - maybe if the lineup was Opie and Anthony, Ron and Fez, and then Russ Martin would slot so well in place of the O&A repeats. But AM drive is a mere 15-30 minutes in the car and then the office and meetings invade on the ability to listen. Can Russ at 50 tolerate the morning grind (or will he record it the afternoon before and have it broadcast the next morning - given how he hates taking calls).
Clear Channel must be desperate to consider hiring Russ Martin. Pricing for radio advertising has been dropping 10 percent a year since 2007 and there is an excess of advertising air time so perhaps that's why they are considering a sleaze like Martin.
Wow! In reading all these posts, it appears the show has already started!
Thank God!!!! We get some entertaining radio in Dallas again!
.just like you fight decay or crime, next thing you know the the whole street is full of hookers and rusty needles;
.just like you fight decay or crime, next thing you know the the whole street is full of hookers and rusty needles;
Amen, Granny
Pretty simple if you don't like him, then don't listen and quit your bitchin. Don't get pissed off cause the guy makes millions right now doing nothing. As far as the advertising goes, if you think some advertisers arn't foaming at the mouth right now to get a spot on Russ's show then you are just plain stupid.
Dear I'm laughing at you! says, You have to fight sh$t....just like you fight decay or crime, next thing you know the the whole street is full of hookers and rusty needles; holy s man, I'm glad you weren't my dad saying that shit when I was growing up. What about standards? I don't give two sh%ts about Russ Martin, but, you have to fight the good fight. I think when you were pulling up the big boy britches mom was drinking and forgot to clean the poo poo out.
Like him or not, he had the #1 show when they cut him. AND if your sick of sports talk and NEWY, then you have something else to give a try! The Fan isnt doing anything to help themselves with their lineup....
Richie is just a little douche. What guy in his 40's wears a fohawk and ear rings besides richie whittless. For everyone hating on russ just shut up. You act like you know everything that happens behind closed doors. You guys dont know so get a life and let the man do what he loves. If you dont like it dont listen.
Because I think its amazingly hilarious that all of you that have so much venom for a guy who hasn't been on the radio in almost 2 years are carrying on like petulant children that were just told the kid in your class that you don't like was invited to your birthday party at Chuck E Cheese. Many of you throwing fits on this here post are the ones that swore the RMS would never EVER be back on in the DFW market again. You were sure of it, well turns out you were wrong. Just like you could be wrong that he won't build his show back to its former glory. I'm not saying he will or won't but I'm willing to wait and see. And you know what if he sucks...I won't listen. AND I won't bad mouth him and his show every chance I get, I'll simply tune out and forget. you know like an adult. Alright so lets put our big boy pants on and start letting other people like different things even if you don't agree, MAYBE even sans name calling. ;)
So RMS comeback makes the observer blog, the big groundbreaking story, right here, now. 40 comments have posted after a full day. In contrast, Last winter, Greggo had a similar article, bur teaming with a no name (John clay Wolfe) on a hick station that we couldn't even hear, and had twice the comments day one. I think this factoid finally clears up the decade old debate of hardline vs RMS, or even Greggo vs RMS. I think kid kraddick taking a summer vacation would generate mire interest than tired old Russ coming back to the station of hus yesteryear. It's like the return of Soupy Sales, but with a woman beater theme.
Smells like jealousy in here.
Dear PowPow and thenextbigthing, You both are way correct! We don't need white trash to keep the Ticket rolling, AND I don't like him, so I won't listen. No worries. See you at Walmart you toothless, copper searching, trailer ripping apart, mullet phasing, Ron Warsh buddying, Nascar flippin', "let's get high togetha", flat boat, jorts wearin', girlfriend beating, fake jugg lovin', Lake Lewsiville subversives. Don't make the man go Richard Nixon on you, cause Nixon hated freaks. You guys will have your own freaky, smelly redneck club when RM comes back-and hey, GOOD LUCK. We'll send your foodstamps and clean underwear bi-yearly to a midrange titty bar where your puking and retaining all life's clues with cheap hussies and bubba's incredible "Keystone Light" logic of "mama, trains and trains, trains, and new country". New country, like that freakin' midget Kenny Chesney and Toby Keith. Note: if your that fat, don't wear sleeveless shirts! Also, people that listen to this drivel also listen to Nickelback, and they think that the White Stripes are heavy metal.
@Mr. Radio Lesson The thing is, the PPMs actually gave talk radio a huge boost. The hype was "Oh yeah, this is finally gonna expose those talk radio ratings for what they are, just overblown, overhyped fans reporting ridiculous things." Quite the opposite: music radio ratings dropped like a rock because nobody listens to DJ DumpyDump 4 hours a day playing the same songs over and over, but they will listen to someone talk about whatever. For such a coward, fake, failure, etc., Russ sure does attract a lot of people here who are desperate to shoot him down. Are you the same people that called into his show to try to yell at him about how he sucked and didn't know what he was doing?
Loved the Russ Martin Show - can't wait for it to come back. If you don't like him, don't listen. He does a lot of good things for the police and firefighters. Not really sure how everyone became experts on his personal life and what really happened between him and his girlfriend.
I'm personally excited as hell he's coming back. Sorry Musers, I've been listening faithfully since Russ went to afternoons, but I'm going to have to jump ship. It isn't you, it's me. You deserve better. Apparently since I listen to Russ I'm a white trash, wal-mart shopping, meth smoking, idiot who thinks everything they hear on the radio HAS to be true and couldn't possibly just be theatre of the mind and entertaining.
disagree, it's not huge. He'll start off hot, then cool quickly. RMS days have come and gone
Whatever guys, there's a huge demand for this guy and now it's being met.
I agree with your mom
What many of you don't realize is that there is a new way to measure ratings nowadays and it's called the portable people meter. It actually measures through an actual satellite signal what people listen to. The old way was the "diary " method where a participant would just write down what they claimed to have listened to. Many times the results were flawed and inaccurate. People would say they listened to a particular station or show, and not really do it. Many listeners would just say they listened to someone, but never actually did. This system used to give an advantage to guys like Russ, Howard Stern, etc. Well known personalities.The result was high ratings which in all honesty were inaccurate. Fortunately for these guys, people lied in the diaries and never really listened as much as they claimed. Now with this new people meter system, radio companies are actually seeing that people don't use the radio and are as loyal as the diary system claimed they were. What the execs in radio are learning is that most listeners don't want to hear all talk in the morning on music stations. A good example is Lex and Terry . They were on the Eagle and their ratings were awful, that's way they were fired. The Eagle replaced them with music and the ratings have gone up considerably. So unless the Eagle makes Russ play a lot of music, his ratings will probably suffer as well. His ratings did when they went from the diary system of determining ratings, to the people meter when he was at Live 1053. He went from no. 1 to no. 24 in the first portable people meter ratings period. That's one of the reasons why CBS got rid of him, because they saw that he really didn't have as many listeners as everyone thought. You would think that if his ratings were real good , CBS would have kept him on the air and put him in mornings, but they didn't. They chose to take him off the air and continue to pay him.This is the reality of radio these days. Unfortunately, unless you're a talk station, we may see less and less of the Russ Martins of the world and more and more of all music.
@your mom says.... I would for one love to see KZEW come back. Maybe we can get LaBella back from the dead and re-team him with Rhody.....or even further back, how about KNUS? This is Walter From Waco, checking out
The show used to be funny, back when Dan Lewis was the only person who'd fight with Russ, and Eddie Boyd did all the writing. But after they both left, he filled the show with sycophant bootlickers like Trey Trenholm and Dan O'Malley and Clo the human laugh track. Then he created a formula for a bit that he beat to death: talk about something 30 hours a week for six months (Happy the Clown the movie, buying a bar, Spittleville the TV show, buying a bar again, starting a cover band) and never follow through with any of it (except of course for the cover band, which should have been the one project to never come to fruition). When you look at it like that, it's not like it's some secret why his ratings plummeted before he smacked the ol' wifey around. If he keeps up this same stale formula with the same crew full of ass kissers, I see this show lasting all of 6 months. It's not like the Eagle had any problem firing him before.
I love how all the sporta-peeps were up in arms about Greggo's 14th chance but not so much about RM..he's a classic bully, he is a wife/girlfriend beater, he is such a P he pulled a gun on her?? WTF am I missing up here in the attic? Why would anyone with a daughter, sister, dear old Mother tune in to that P.O.S. ?
Well, well..in a country built upon 2nd chances..(alteast the local media market) I expected this day would come. RMS will dent the Courageboys ratings a bit, but in the end most P1's can't stand to listen to his schtick..I know I can't stand him, he was good on that tv show back when I was 15 or so..but then I got my drivers license and didn't have to stay at home on Friday nights..unlike Rooster..stay hard RW and Greggo, y'all are the guiding light on the Fail and I figure y'all for drive time sooner than later..probably ought to push for afternoons though..hell, 105.3 might make you and good sweet Greggo go from 6am to 6pm..y'all are truly the only thing listenable on that station (other than the dulcet tones of Eric Nadel during a game that is) POW freaking POW
@ dirtyp1 you'd be surprised. I love the Musers, but id be lying if I said I'm not gonna flip the dial to see what's happening on Russ' show. I find them both highly entertaining and funny. anything to not have to listen to Jagger.
I heard they were bringing Moby back... uhhh, whiskyyyyy..........
First Greggo now Russ!!?? Retread, rerun, rebuilt Up old men talking dirty. Isn't there a fresh injection of a new personality somewhere....anywhere??!! What's next, is Grandpa Urine going to take over afternoons on Q102 or maybe Stevens and Pruitt are going midday on lone star!!! My gawd had it really gotten this bad?
Clap for the wolfman
Russ was quite entertaining for the 1st 6 months. Then it became bash "insert name here" and recycled material. Since he has been gonf for two years, I may listen for the 1st week. My guess is that it will be back to the same old crap. I would be mazed if his old "sidekicks" would rejoin him, especially if what was reported here at the end of the show is true.....made them all buy own lunch on day they were terminated. I work two blocks away from Russ auto shop, see the ego and his car too much. Always treats people like they are beneath him.
I thought they were going to rebuild 1190 with pugs, John clay Wolfe, and Russ. Hmmm, anythings better than Lex and Terry, but I figured the wolfman would be filling the RMS void actually. That 1190 show is off the hook funny
Kergo, you forgot to mention the 100+ degree temperatures we will have here in DFW for the next 4 months. The Lake Lewisville Sneaky Pete Chris-Chris losers here all say they love the weather in Dallas, then when it comes late May through early October all they do is bitch about how they break a sweat just walking to the mailbox.
@corby's Really dude? The Courage Boys are going to be fine. The people that listen to the Musers don't listen to Russ. Where do you get your information?
I am pumped that he is going to be back, hope it is as good as when he left, radio is theater you morons, it's all about what you hear and it's a show. He isn't doing news so it doesn't have to be true, you just have to be entertained. I was and will be again.
Welp Jagger is fired. Say what you want, but personal issues aside, Russ is the definition of Dallas radio. The Musers will suffer and as will whoever is on at The Fan.
Oh no, the rednecks are gaining on us again. Russ Martin sucks and serves the lowest common denominator of society. That drivel is not funny. Oh well, atleast the people at Lake Lewisville will be entertained. Ahhhhh basic rock and basic talking=a redneck paradise! Why think, just party and listen to the same song over and over again, all the while clinging to your 400 pound Walmart queen. Then you add earings, piercings and tattoo's are you get a toothless, minimum wage #sshole parade. Then you add a cheap boat, cheap beer, pot and meth and you get the deadliest mile on earth.....even deadlier than Iraq or parts of Africa. Can you imagine the toliets at Lake Lewisville? RUSS MARTIN SUCKS.
I was thinking about Greggo and Russ, one an addict, the other an asshole. You can conquer addiction, you'll have a relapse every now and then. When you're an asshole, that doesn't change hardly ever.
I guess someone thinks advertisers will pay to sponsor long pockets of dead air and blatantly obscure inside jokes. I consistently try to give Martin a chance, but 99% of the time I tune in you have no context of whats going on, or who anyone is referring to.
Too bad Russ does not bring good radio he is just a fraud and a coward.
It would be great to have good radio again.
It would be great to have good radio again.
Sounds like really bad news for your station's morning show, Richie, if this is true.
Lots of haters here who seem to think they really know what's going on. If you don't wanna listen, then don't effin listen.
Looks like it's back to the iPod during the morning commute (then again I was already heading that way...the Eagle's been terrible about repeating the same shit every 3 hours in recent months).
I too wonder who will be interested in this guy's schtick after Richie exposed all the fake/contrived arguments and bits. Maybe he'll shock us all and have an ounce of humility. Probably not.
I miss Bo and Jim in the morning back in the 90s on the Eagle. They aren't the same anywhere else. As far as Russ Martin, he had moments of entertainment but I prefer a morning drive with music AND chatter. Not just chatter. That's why I never enjoyed Howard Stern.
Approx six million guys and girls exist on the planet, three quarters have heard of jesus. One guy talking in one country, started this, using only word of mouth. You have the technology with which to reach all of those people, all this at your fingertips, you can change anything, go for it bad boys!!!!!!
so excited for Shrevebo's take on this. You have to love this market. Normally, going to prison, or beating your girlfriend, or being a drug addict can ruin your radio career. Luckily we have too many openings and not enough kick ass jocks. Stay hard Adam Bomb and Billy the Kid.
Eff Russ Martin, who is left that he hasnt pissed off except the wannbe hangers on that are his stupid followers who dont know any better. So CBS brings in the cokehead, the wife beater and the douche. Whats next, Lets get some convicted murders on the air too.
So who exactly are they planning on selling advertising to? I guess the wife beater contingent runs strong at the Eagle, but I sure as hell wouldn't want my company associated with it. How desperate does this make the Eagle?
Russ and his gang? So, I guess everyone can bury their hatred for Russ because they're not getting paid? On a side note, O'Malley is likeable. I don't know why the Fan passed him up and put Gavin on with Gregg in the afternoon. They're basically the same person. The interesting thing to see is if Russ' audience buys into his fake radio routine again.
After you exposed him for the fraud he is RW, I have lost any and all interest in anything Russ "Fartin" Martin. I'd rather listen to Flex and Ferry over this slimeball.
Does that mean the Eagle will cut down on all the Ozzy they seem to be constantly playing?