BREAKING: Big Cuts at WPRO - Cumulus Axe Starts to Fall
Saturday, November 05, 2011
People who were let go were told this afternoon.
Recently hired digital Reporter Bob Plain, and long time producer and also fill in host at night for Matt Allen, Tony Cornetta, have been given pink slips by the new owners. Inside sources are telling us there could be up to 12 to 14 people from the different radio stations that are being let go or have in fact been let go today. In those numbers are 5 marketing people according to one insider. Plain was featured in his own radio and online segment - Plain Speak.That blog has been removed from 630wpro.com.
Cumulus has a pattern of pushing syndicated programs at many of its stations. Often many parts of the day do not feature live local talent. This is done to save money because the same program can run on multiple stations at one time. Prior to the announcement today, there have been many closed door meetings according to people inside at the East Providence studios.
Calls to Cumulus Media have not yet been returned.
Comments:
watching providence
9:43pm on Friday, November 04, 2011
Fire John Depetro! I stopped listening to Wpro during his time slot a long time ago. He is filled with hate and i find him to be offensive.
Edward Smith
12:35am on Saturday, November 05, 2011
Bob Plain is an excellent reporter but has a prepubescent, grating radio voice. Not surprising they would cut him first. Tony Cornetta had the easiest job on talk radio. Poor Matt Allen is going to have to answer his owns phone now and push the little flashing buttons on the console.
Mike Olivera
1:27am on Saturday, November 05, 2011
What a shame... Tony Cornetta was a talented, bright individual and I loved it when he filled in for Matt and others... he's great! I liked Bob Plain's work... he broke the story about John Brien being attacked in the elevator by the NEA rep. Who wants syndication? NO ONE... local talk radio is what makes WPRO the station it is!
RI Taxpayer
5:43am on Saturday, November 05, 2011
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How ironic would it be if the *OWS crowd marched on wpro studios to protest their corporate greed?
Wpro is popular because of its local talk, syndication would ruin it, IMO. Even though, 'buddy the windbag' and 'JD' shows are too much for me I do enjoy the Dan York show.
Travis Yowley
7:34am on Saturday, November 05, 2011
I have to be honest, the morning, afternoon, and night shows have become unlistenable. I have moved away from wpro hate radio and onto sports radio.
Lis Velva
8:47am on Saturday, November 05, 2011
Talk radio has become so cynical it's hard to listen to more then ten minutes. I will say the only one who has relation to the average working person is Dan Yorke, the mad scientist in the morning needs professional help, and I mean that, he is one sick bird. The felon talks about how corrupt elected officials are, if you didn't know his criminal history you would think he was the CEO for the little sisters of the poor. 630 WPRO more music, less mouth.
Nancy Thomas
12:56pm on Saturday, November 05, 2011
If you follow the trends with radio megalopolies, we should be concerned about losing local identity. Will there still be a local presence, local programming, local commercial messages, even. Pushing a syndication button and saving millions is a sign of the economic times as much as anything. When FCC rules & regs loosened, it paved the way for what we are seeing today, as well as the absence of the pro bono partnerships, which benefitted philanthropic causes and charities as much as the albeit, unmeasurable, positive feelings one had toward good media outlets doing good work.
Winston Smith
5:30pm on Saturday, November 05, 2011
@ Nancy.I'm wouldn't want the FCC to have the power to tell stations what to broadcast. Let the free market tell the station owners what it wants to hear. What I would like to know is how were they doing in the ratings?
Jonathan Flynn
7:42pm on Saturday, November 05, 2011
NPR. It's good. Listen.
Mike Rollins
12:39am on Sunday, November 06, 2011
It will be extremely unfortunate if WPRO AM commits suicide, by replacing most or all of their local talent with national syndication, in the same way that WHJJ already has.
Lis Velva
7:49am on Sunday, November 06, 2011
@ Mike Rollins it's just a radio station. Loosen up child.
joe bernstein
8:56am on Sunday, November 06, 2011
Syndicated shows are mainly vehicles to sell books written by the hosts if you ask me.
They have little local relevance in most cases anyway.
There was a terrific syndicated program called The Movie Show(if you like film)and it used to run live on Saturdays-each week was a different theme and the host was friendly and knowledgeable-too bad it's not on any more.
It wasn't political at all.
NPR has a Latino version now with some pretty good music.
Regular NPR leans a little left,but they do have some good programs anyway.
john paycheck
4:54pm on Sunday, November 06, 2011
i have no interest in listening to national news.
i think prop was way overloaded with staff. the hosts all have mutiple assistants.
bob plain will be missed. he was fair and honest and "had a nose for the news" which is the highest compliment i can give a journalist.
pearl fanch
11:48pm on Sunday, November 06, 2011
Matt allen and dan yorke are the only two worth listening to on WPRO. depetro and vincent are totally useless and bring nothing to the airwaves. they are the two that should be let go.
David Pepin
3:21pm on Tuesday, November 08, 2011
I'd love to know how the two sales AND state reps (one from each party) on the staff fared in the shakeup. Just curious.
Geoffrey Brown
8:53am on Wednesday, November 09, 2011
GET RID OF BUDDY!