Story will be up later, but they're going ahead with plans to do the talk-show format during the broadcast. Saw the job posting yesterday.
Finn: Red Sox Potentially Changing Radio Broadcast Approach
- Thread starter Chad Finn
- Start date
First NESN miscalculates and lets DO go, now EEI is trying to one up them in the stupidity department?
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This is an embarrassment. Holy crap. I'll sign up for the MLB radio package just so I can listen to the radio feed of whoever the Sox are playing just to avoid this mess. I can't believe this.
Listening to baseball on the radio is a beautiful experience, and it's a link back to how the game was followed by most fans for many decades. WEEI is pissing all over this.
Edit: This development deserves its own thread on the main board, independent from Neverett's fate.
What is the Red Sox’s contract with WEEI? How much of a say does the team have in any of this?
What's confusing is that I was listening to WEEI this AM, and the hosts seemed both against it and positive it wasn't going to happen. But then Callahan basically said that TV broadcasts are nothing more than talk shows, so maybe it's true. Yes, it's a really, really, really, really dumb idea.
I already cancelled my At Bat subscription because of this. I loved to listen on the radio when I was out in the summer. What a terrible idea
"That's strike out number 4 for Eovaldi. Now let's go to Sully from Medford"
"THESE ATHLETES TODAY MAKE TOO MUCH MONEY"
"That's strike out number 4 for Eovaldi. Now let's go to Sully from Medford"
"THESE ATHLETES TODAY MAKE TOO MUCH MONEY"
How long before: "yeah, Mookie's an atleeet, but Holt's grit and hustle is more important."
Honestly if they took calls during the game it might be so bad that it becomes good in some horrible perverse way.
I still don't want it though.
I still don't want it though.
Wow...just WOW! This is an epic mistake. I hope they realize it before they lose Castig cause I can't imagine he wants to be a part of this and will bail as soon as possible.
The game threads are popular around here. I think this is a bad idea, but you might be right about the popularity
Talk show radio in THIS market. Maybe WEEI can lure Tony Massarotti into the booth to shit all over the team when they lose two in a row. Better yet just have someone read a live stream of our game threads because if they go full talk show model, they'll be taking calls,. Basically the same thing, yes?
Edit...Looks like luckiestman and I were on the same wavelength about the game threads.
My guess is that the listeners they gain won't outweigh the fans that they lose.
Edit...Looks like luckiestman and I were on the same wavelength about the game threads.
I have ZERO interest in listening to an in-game talk show. ZERO.
The only reason I keep my Sirius-XM radio subscription is for Red Sox play-by-play broadcasts.
Looks like I’ll be banking a little more $$$ in 2019.
Can the Sox dump EEI or is their mgmt. part of this ridiculous idea?
EDIT: EEI seems to be denying the report. Now I’m wondering if this was just a mistake in report sourcing or an ill-advised trial balloon. Either way, HELL NO!
The only reason I keep my Sirius-XM radio subscription is for Red Sox play-by-play broadcasts.
Looks like I’ll be banking a little more $$$ in 2019.
Can the Sox dump EEI or is their mgmt. part of this ridiculous idea?
EDIT: EEI seems to be denying the report. Now I’m wondering if this was just a mistake in report sourcing or an ill-advised trial balloon. Either way, HELL NO!
Although this seems to obviously be a horrendous idea, I am more puzzled than anything else.
I can't really even imagine how this would work, in practice. Are there teams that do this? Does the format simply assume the audience is watching along on TV and thus play-by-play is not actually the prime directive? Does it function essentially in the Bevis and Butthead genre of running critique?
I think I'll pass. Glad to see it is not likely to happen.
I can't really even imagine how this would work, in practice. Are there teams that do this? Does the format simply assume the audience is watching along on TV and thus play-by-play is not actually the prime directive? Does it function essentially in the Bevis and Butthead genre of running critique?
I think I'll pass. Glad to see it is not likely to happen.
You cancelled your subscription before an official announcement? That’s pretty silly.
In lots of markets where there are more than 1 sports talk radio shows, the stations that don't have the rights to the broadcast sometimes do talk show formats. The problem is that most of the people who would call in are either at the game or at a place watching the game where they aren't listening to the radio. So they end up being some guy in the radio booth doing stream of consciousness while the game is on. Aren't there also rules about how much of the game going on that they can describe?
So now, it really wouldn't work. Game threads are on a computer are a lot better of this because it doesn't require a person to, like, listen to the radio.
The denial says the mistake was in posting the job. Maybe they intend to hire from within.
TV broadcasts that are nothing more than talk shows can work because they can still show the game while the hosts blather on. Those that just want to know what's going on in the game can watch with the sound off (shit, I do that with straight up play-by-play). Can't really do that with radio. The whole point of listening to the game on the radio is to have the on-the-field action described in detail. I can't imagine how they're going to describe the action to the listeners while also squeezing in opinions and arguments and, god-forbid, callers.
When we’re unable to watch the game on NESN due to blackouts, I sync the tv with my AT BAT app and listen to WEEI. You need a DVR to accomplish this. Works every time.
P. S. We did this for the entire postseason.
It's been rumored/discussed for weeks and then Chad Finn had his story come out today which I consider pretty much a confirmation. It was a few clicks on my phone. It's not like I can't get back in at the same price in 4 months from now if they decide against it.
This works with the app because its delay puts it behind the tv. Terrestrial radio is ahead of the tv.
Don't the Red Sox really control the manner in which the product is presented? That is to say some marketing bozo at 'EEI might love this gimmick, but there is a 115-year old franchise to protect.
Mercy!
Mercy!
I would guess David Price would have thoughts about a talk show format broadcast. And I’d share them.
As someone who subscribes to MLB audio and TV, and listens to more than he watches, this would suck.
I do enjoy the odd inning-long interview (Clemens is always a treat) but yeah - no thanks.
I do enjoy the odd inning-long interview (Clemens is always a treat) but yeah - no thanks.
I certainly wouldn’t want this to be the only/official radio broadcast. However, if they wanted to stream a secondary thing which experimented with this format - I might be open to trying it out. But let’s leave the primary radio format alone.
I, like many others have stated, use MLB At Bat and use the radio stream almost as much as the video feed.
I, like many others have stated, use MLB At Bat and use the radio stream almost as much as the video feed.
At some level the answer has to be 'yes.' The rights contract that EEI won must have some limitations on what the station can do. Who knows about the format of the broadcast, though.
Anyone on these here interwebs have any experience with local radio rights deals like this?
OTOH--If he took less than 90 seconds between pitches, he could render the format useless.
If WEEI does this crazy, stupid thing, I’ll listen to the opposing team’s radio broadcast on mlb.com. I already do that sometimes for the first few innings of the first game of a series because it’s fun to hear how the non-Sox announcers describe our players.
I did this too, whenever I got sick of listening to Joe Buck (or ESPN on the Sunday night games) - so, frequently.
They've done it with other sports as a one off and I enjoyed it. Then again, 99.9% of the time I'm not really listening to a baseball broadcast anyway. It's just background noise.
If it's a talk show format where they accept calls, hell no. If it's more like ATH or PTI, it would be fine.
If it's a talk show format where they accept calls, hell no. If it's more like ATH or PTI, it would be fine.
If this game broadcast experiment calls for the integration of contrived in-game "hot takes" for the sake of controversy and a ratings boost it will probably be a short-lived format.
I'm imaging F&M doing a Sox game and its not a pleasant thought.
I'm imaging F&M doing a Sox game and its not a pleasant thought.
Have the ratings declined so much that they need to try something radical like this? I pretty much listen to the game in my car and sometimes outside if I'm gardening or something. That hasn't changed in 30 years - its not like I'm doing something different with the Internet today that reduces my radio usage. Is their audience today limited to old fogeys like me, so they need to shake things up to attract younger listeners?
I still don't get what this even is. I mean, a regular broadcast is a description of the action and some talking about it. If they remove the PbP then it's not even the thing they're paying to broadcast. They aren't getting rid of commercials. Are they going to have callers on for five or six seconds each? I don't get it.
I feel like, your average radio broadcast listener isn't particularly interesting in "jazzing" it up. Who is this change supposed to be for? I don't fully understand exactly what it is they're trying to do here. Is this something that has been happening in other markets already?
They'll go to a roofer from Saugus during the 7th inning stretch and get his take on David Price being a coward and NAWT A WINNAH for not coming for the 8th after 113 pitches.
I don’t know how WEEI’s contract with the Red Sox is written, but if they don’t do play-by-play, the team should sell the rights to another radio station. Let the play-by-play station and the “talk show during a baseball game” stations compete with each other for audience.
However, my guess is the “talk show” chatter is exaggerated. What they probably mean is they want someone more glib and chatty, like Merloni or Eckersley, to pair up with Castiglione. I actually enjoyed Merloni as the 3rd man in the booth during the playoffs and World Series, but can’t imagine him spelling Castig for a few innings calling the game.