RIP Toucher and Rich Show ... It was fun while it lasted
- Thread starter HomeBrew1901
- Start date
Wow, this was 1 day after 98.5 ratings come out with everything #1. i think Arcand just had a child
View: https://twitter.com/GlobeChadFinn/status/1578453779577417728
Wow, that's awful. I listened to Arcand as much as I can. He mentioned a number of times the Sunday Service was getting good ratings. I get with Pats 1pm games, he'd lose that slot, but they just going to leave Jones by himself at nights? Arcand had a baby over the summer.
I definitely won't be tuning in as much on shift where Arcand was. I made sure to tune in on Sundays when he was on and listened to a lot of the Jones Podcast stuff that featured Arcand TWISM etc. (I skipped the awful Jones hot takes pieces but their social media, current events stuff was funny)
Sucks for Lockhart too. He's been on T&R a long time and was good on the Fantasy Football Show. Beasley is now on my shit list.
He totally did, why whack one of the producers of the most profitable/most listened to show in Boston morning history?!?!
I guess the answer is Beasley Media is a publicly traded company that is hurting, and every market had to hand in a few names. Ugh.
View: https://twitter.com/bostonradio/status/1578448208459894784
View: https://twitter.com/bostonradio/status/1578438702128599040
Boston Radio is a must follow, he has excellent inside connections.
They used the old intro to the Adam Jones show that didn’t have any Arcand bits tonight. He was the only redeeming aspect of that godforsaken show. Harsh business.
Good for Jones opening up the show and throwing it out there. I’ll not listen to him for a long time because I don’t like him solo and his takes. I did when Keefe was on and Arcand. No more. Fuck off Beasly
To his credit Jones was pretty upset about it and what it was doing to Arcand. Said it's going to suck for you, the listener going forward as it'll only be Jones. No comedic sidekicks.
Also took a shot at Beasley about broadcasting from these new huge fancy studios.
Also took a shot at Beasley about broadcasting from these new huge fancy studios.
Last edited:
Yep. I know people despise Jones but he’s pretty good on non hot Take segments. He’s obviously bummed out about this. Feel for Arcand as he just had a kid and was at WEEI previously. I’m hoping Mike Thomas picks him back up and gives him a real full time role.
Arcand and Keefe would be awesome. Both Jones cast offs who were the best part of the shows. Both have kids named after George in George and Georgina. Both should have been the 3rd chair on T&R
it’s bad optics after a dominant summer book and moving into brand spanking new radio station.
I’m glad someone else saw this. He even started to walk it back later on in the show saying something like “well I’m not sure they actually said something”
Might want to confirm before going on a 2 hour rant about it.
Rich thinks “rooting for chaos” is some cool personality trait of his like a chick on social media playing up how much she likes “doggos”
wow, you like to be entertained my interesting stuff, so unique!
Also, aren’t T&R’s contracts almost up? They resigned in 2018.
Maybe they’ll reunite with Mike Thomas over at EEI.
Maybe they’ll reunite with Mike Thomas over at EEI.
Presumably ad dollars for the radio station is down, which would make sense with the current economic environment, and radio as a whole is losing attention to other forms of media. The radio station crushing its competition in the radio space doesn't mean its crushing the competition across the many industries that compete for ad dollars. And those ad budgets are surely being cut in the first place. Hence the company needing to cut costs.
Also, the long historical success of 98.5 and the current nature of sports media, especially with on air radtio staff makes things like this more likely to happen. I am sure that Michael Felger drives ratings. I am sure that Toucher and Rich drive ratings. It is also undeniable that the success of the local teams and the fact that the station broadcasts the games for 3 of the 4 local teams (2 of which run in the weekday evening timeslot most nights for a large portion of the year) drives ratings. When you look at the actual on air staff, the vast majority of them simply copy Michael Felger. Come up with outrageous takes. Proclaim that the teams suck, that the coaches/execs should be fired, that the players should be cut, etc... When practically all on air staff behave in that manner (not so much being negative, but the fact that they all sound exactly the same) that makes them all extremely replaceable. It does shock me that Adam Jones has lasted as many years as he has (if they had to get rid of one of Arcand or Jones, they absolutely should have gotten rid of Jones), but my assumption is he isn't making enough money for the company to think that they should dump him. So his sidekick goes instead. Never like to see someone lose their jobs but its the nature of the business and the 98.5 on air staff for the most part aren't doing things to make themselves irreplaceable.
Also, the long historical success of 98.5 and the current nature of sports media, especially with on air radtio staff makes things like this more likely to happen. I am sure that Michael Felger drives ratings. I am sure that Toucher and Rich drive ratings. It is also undeniable that the success of the local teams and the fact that the station broadcasts the games for 3 of the 4 local teams (2 of which run in the weekday evening timeslot most nights for a large portion of the year) drives ratings. When you look at the actual on air staff, the vast majority of them simply copy Michael Felger. Come up with outrageous takes. Proclaim that the teams suck, that the coaches/execs should be fired, that the players should be cut, etc... When practically all on air staff behave in that manner (not so much being negative, but the fact that they all sound exactly the same) that makes them all extremely replaceable. It does shock me that Adam Jones has lasted as many years as he has (if they had to get rid of one of Arcand or Jones, they absolutely should have gotten rid of Jones), but my assumption is he isn't making enough money for the company to think that they should dump him. So his sidekick goes instead. Never like to see someone lose their jobs but its the nature of the business and the 98.5 on air staff for the most part aren't doing things to make themselves irreplaceable.
From Finn’s article:
“While Beasley’s cost-cutting plans were no secret, personnel at The Sports Hub had reason to believe they would be spared. The station isn’t just an enormous ratings success, but also is one of the top-billing stations in the country when it comes to advertising. In 2021, The Sports Hub brought in more than $33 million, most among any sports station in the country, and fifth among all stations nationwide of any format or genre.”
Another sad note from Chad's story is that Arcand was working without a contract but had negotiated a new three year one which he expected to sign soon :/
Talk about having the rug pulled out from under you. Guy was probably flying high thinking he was locked in place.
edit: Wonder what the licensing fees for the three big teams (+ Revs) cost each year. That's gotta take a substantial chunk out of the $33 million gross.
Talk about having the rug pulled out from under you. Guy was probably flying high thinking he was locked in place.
edit: Wonder what the licensing fees for the three big teams (+ Revs) cost each year. That's gotta take a substantial chunk out of the $33 million gross.
Fred has talked about this several times on the show. Higher even than New York
So no Fantasy Football Show. No Sunday Service. We going mainly Fox Sports all weekend? I wonder if Leroy, Mccone etc are no longer on weekends and it’s just the Hockey Show, Gasper and Murray and B’s/Pats?
Last edited:
I would think next week they would go back to the fantasy show. Probably no Sunday service especially when the patriots are on at 1.
I think the timing did not work to get somebody in for the Sunday service slot, or the fantasy football show. I know they had a few days to prepare, but they couldn't like ask Joe Murray on Monday to sit in for the Sunday service because they were planning on firing arcand
I think the timing did not work to get somebody in for the Sunday service slot, or the fantasy football show. I know they had a few days to prepare, but they couldn't like ask Joe Murray on Monday to sit in for the Sunday service because they were planning on firing arcand
Possibly. Joe also does Patriots postgame so they won’thave him work Sunday morning though.
I had to look and see if their kicker was inactive today. What a colossal screwup! Gotta wonder if it costs Campbell his job
Reread this part of my post:
The radio station crushing its competition in the radio space doesn't mean its crushing the competition across the many industries that compete for ad dollars. And those ad budgets are surely being cut in the first place. Hence the company needing to cut costs.
Simply looking at ratings against their competitors, even across the country does not change the fact that the radio industry is on the decline, the fact that we're in a recession, the fact that ad budgets are being cut or the fact that Beasley Media Group's stock has lost more than a third of its value in just the last 6 months. And as I said above, the station's extreme long term success actually harms most of the on air staff because it being successful for that long shows that nearly all the on air staff can be replaced and it doesn't make a difference. Beyond Felger, Toucher and Rich, any of the on air staff can be replaced and the ratings will not be affected at all.
Last edited:
Rich addressing Lockhart now, doesn't sound very happy at all obviously. Sounds broken up about it. This is really going to hurt the show and Rich specifically.
Edit: Rich and Fred behind the scenes are fighting to get Lockhart back and Beasley is very clear on how they feel. They were 100% blindsided.
Fred optimistic that they can get him back.
Edit: Rich and Fred behind the scenes are fighting to get Lockhart back and Beasley is very clear on how they feel. They were 100% blindsided.
Fred optimistic that they can get him back.
Do we have any idea what the salaries are for these guys? From the hosts like Fred and Rich to guys like Lockhart and other more behind the scenes people?
Thank you for posting this. Hopefully, they get Lockhart re-hired. And no offense to Wallach, but Lockart seems FAR more valuable to the show. He’s very lucky to not have gotten the ax yet.
Excuse you? Jonathan is as indispensable to the show as anyone else! Your just jealous of his “pleat”
T&R: mid to high six figures? Wouldn’t be shocked if it was seven.
Wallach: low six figures.
Dan: maybe high five figures.
Mike and Nick: have to be around 50k. Nick lower, obviously.
They did say recently (a month or so ago) they (I'm assuming Fred, Rich and Wallach) voluntarily took a 10% pay cut.
Putting Lockhart and Nick in the same zip code is nonsense. I’d assume Mike makes at least double Nick does.
I assume a troll account created just recently based on the account’s other two posts.
I can only imagine how disheartening it must be to be at the absolute pinnacle of your industry yet all sorts of people around you still end up losing their jobs.