Severin Answers Beam (overdoes it); a Query:

["Laurence Glavin" <lglavin@lycos.com>]

Alex Beam did one of his occasional columns on the
subject of radio.  (I couldn't get the URL to work...
to access it, if you haven't already, go to www.boston.com;
click on the Boston Globe logo; choose columnists and 
scroll down to Alex Beam among the living
(as opposed to Mike Royko who is not among the living).
Anyway, Jay responded to some items in the column on
the 5:05 to 5:30 pm portion of today's show.
Visitors to this site have mentioned MANY times that
J.S. has tended to do his "Boston-based" shows on
96.9 and WRKO from the New York area.  Jay today 
said he HATES New York, perhaps meaning the City, 
but didn't say whether he makes his abode in the metro area.
I think one of the best things about living in the
Boston area is its easy access to NYC; I agree with
its slogan "I love New York'
(BTW, the 800 for the New York Tourism bureau is
1-800-ILOVENY;  did you know it also spells
1-800-ILOVE69?)
I'm suspicious of people who denigrate Gotham
(another oddity: NYC is heavily populated with non-
pork eaters, but its nickname also spells got ham).
But I digress.
Jay laid it on with a trowel in dismissing Alex Beam as
a failed newspaperman and radio wannabe.  Well, I 
think the Beamster is an excellent columnist and 
in his field is more "successful" than the host of
a program on one of the  lower-rated stations in town.
Severin is also connected with MSNBC, which isn't
exactly setting the cable world on fire, being a
distant third to CNN and Fox Gnus Channel.
But one comment Severin made mystified me...he claimed
to have the highest-rated PROGRAM of any type on 
Boston radio.  Well, WTTK as a station is well below
the 12+ number of many other outlets and is or was
dismal in certain dayparts.  It seems any of the top-
rated stations do better at times than Jay's show; 
but what does he mean by a PROGRAM?  Is continuous
news as on WBZ-AM from early morn till 7:00 pm a PROGRAM?
Many stations play recordings all day without calling
any of them PROGRAMS;  morning drive may carry the
moniker of Mattie in the Morning or Loren and Walleyed
but they're part of the package deal when you tune to
them for a type of recorded material.  And how
does he do against Stern , D&C (the sports talk show
hosts, not the procedure) or Ordway...either on a 
12+ basis or 18-49, 25-54 etc?
I know some Greater Media types look in here; maybe
someone from Morrissey Blvd (not 56 or the Globe)
will comment.

Laurence Glavin






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