Further Sign of the Apocolypse-Dallas Sports Media Shocker

[Dooby]

So the Ticket goes to commercial while I am driving to the Buffet show last night and I flip over to the spare Keith Leibowitz on Fox 1190. Keith is talking about the Cowboys' draft and then this other voice chimes in. A very familiar, terrifying, haunting voice of incompetence from Ticket past.

It took me a minute to place it, but then I realized that, yes, no, it couldn't be. But it was... the mystery voice belonged to the worst on-air personality to grace the little Ticket since Skip Bayles.

Some moron put <u>David Robinson Also</u> back on the air.

[Rhylan]

Seriously. I should apply for a job at 1190.

[Murphy3]

Rhylan, you're overqualified

[jayC]

1190 has a weak signal I can hardly hear it at all.

[kg_veteran]

What is Kevin Blanford (sp?) doing these days?

[Dooby]

I don't know, he filled in one day during the holidays with somebody (not David).

[Murphy3]

I know that he was in NY for the draft...david robinson, that is.

is blanford still at the ticket in some capacity? I still hear his name mentioned from time to time

[Dooby]

Supposedly, Expo is working over at 103.3. I'd like to hear him try to dominate that show too. Coop would shoot him.

[Dooby]

The Hot Spot, late of Ticket fame, debuts on Fox Sports Radio 1190 on Monday. Kevin Blanford and David Robinson will co-host the show from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Next up, says station manager Frazier Maxwell, is naming a permanent host for the 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. time slot.

And Galloway is switching over to 103.3. Am I right to assume the time won't change?

[Dooby]

Galloway leaving WBAP for ESPN

By Richie Whitt
Star-Telegram Staff Writer


Galloway is leaving WBAP/820 AM for ESPN, a sister station known as KESN/103.3 FM.

The host of Texas' longest-running sports talk-radio show is moving to ESPN Radio after almost two decades at WBAP/820 AM, which has shifted its emphasis from sports-related programming to conservative political programming during the past several years.

Star-Telegram columnist Randy Galloway, whose weeknight Sports at Six has aired on WBAP since 1985, will debut on the all-sports station in mid-July. His time slot has not been determined.

WBAP, a sister station of the ESPN station, KESN/103.3 FM, is expected to announce Galloway's departure today.

"This move has been inevitable since our company put a sports station on the air," said Galloway, referring to Disney, owner of both radio stations. Galloway has been at the Star-Telegram since 1998 and in the Metroplex sports market since 1966. "It's a great move for me, from the standpoint that I'll be with a station that concentrates on sports.

"But after being on the same time on the same station for 18 years, that's hard to give up." Pete Dits, general manager of both stations, declined to comment Monday.

Galloway is leaving the market's No. 1 rated news/talk station for a station in the bottom 10, according to the latest monthly Arbitron ratings trend, released May 27.

But ESPN undoubtedly hopes that Galloway, who has consistently hosted the top-rated show in the time slot, will provide a huge boost in its battle with KTCK/1310 AM, known as The Ticket.

ESPN, which debuted in the Metroplex in 2001, had only one-fourth The Ticket's market share in the latest Arbitron trend.

Without Galloway, WBAP moves significantly farther from sports programming. The 50,000-watt power of the Southwest was home to the Texas Rangers and several sports-related shows in the 1970s, '80 and '90s, but is left with only Dallas Stars games.

The station now features a lineup of conservative hosts, including Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Mark Davis.

ESPN, the flagship station of the Dallas Mavericks, features nationally syndicated shows except for the 3-6 p.m. slot hosted by Chuck Cooperstein, who once followed Galloway on WBAP, and NBC 5's Newy Scruggs.

ESPN's weekday 6 p.m. slot is being filled by a variety of shows, some focusing on Texas Motor Speedway and the Rangers, using part-time host Bill Stinneford.

The bottom line? WBAP takes another step away from sports and ESPN adds a heavy hitter to a lineup that boasts strong national voices but lacks local punch.

Said Galloway: "In this business, it's just good to still be wanted."

[Rhylan]

I miss the good ol' days of WBAP.

[Murphy3]

back when they had the rangers games...

[Rhylan]

Yup, and they had programming like an hour or two before the game. Eric Nadel would come on and do some kinda historical baseball piece an hour before gametime.. then they'd have pregame and stuff. And Marc Holtz. And then David Hatchet after the game. That was money.