Sunday, May 31, 2009

Radio: The Bigot is back!


Peter Smyth is the Chairman and CEO of the Boston-based Greater Media.

I’ve never met him. What I know of him comes from reading his radio-as-a-victim blogs.

I’m familiar with his stations. He has two of the best rock radio PDs in the business on his payroll.

I hear he allows managers make their own decisions and, for that reason, has a low turnover. Some say he's loyal to a fault.

I’ve read his bio. Spending most, if not all of his adult life in Boston and being in the radio business he has to know first hand that in the past half century the market has produced some of the best talk radio hosts in America: Jerry Williams, Larry Glick, Paul Benzaquin, Ken Mayer, Bob Kennedy, Peter Meade, Paul Sullivan, and David Brudnoy.

Just short of a year ago, Peter Smyth asked an open question in his monthly blog: “How in the world did we become the bad guys?”

It was in reference to the imminent Sirius-XM satellite radio merger.

He defended terrestrial radio by claiming, “Local, free radio represents every demographic and every community in the nation. We employ hundreds of thousands of dedicated and talented individuals, from every city and town in America. We deliver local news, weather, traffic, and sports updates every hour, every day, 365 days a year. We raise hundreds of millions of dollars every year for local and national charities and people in need.”

Exaggerated? Certainly. We know of many markets that don’t have a single radio station that provides those services and we can count on one hand the number of stations that do so every hour, every day, 365 days a year.

But let’s get back to that “bad guy” question. Specifically, what makes you a bad guy, Peter?

Is it your forgiveness of hate on the public airwaves?

Is it your support of a vile bombastic xenophobe named Jay Severin who does afternoon drive on your WTKK-FM in Boston?

This clown makes Michael Savage sound moderate by comparison.

Like you, I support the First Amendment, which safeguards speech from state restraint.

I won’t dispute the fact that you have the right to fill every one of your radio stations with vicious, bigoted commentary if you so desire.

And you do have the autonomy to pay Jay Severin a million dollars-plus a year to call Mexicans “criminaliens,” “leeches,” and disease spreaders.

Once, when a caller defended Muslims, Severin replied, “I have an alternative viewpoint. It's slightly different than yours. You think we should befriend them; I think we should kill them.”

And what exactly does he mean when he says President Barack Obama must be “stopped at all costs?”

You, as the CEO of a privately-held company, also have to right to terminate an employee for “just cause.” I’m pretty certain Greater Media, as a private sector employer, established specific guidelines to follow when disciplining or terminating employees.

I have to ask. What exactly was it that he said that made you to pull him off the air for a month?

Before I go any further, let me make it clear that this is no liberal versus conservative rant.

My concern is that when a talk show host uses words like “kill” and “stop at all costs” responsibility becomes compromised.

I'll credit you for shrewdly manipulating the media just enough to keep Severin's name in the news nearly every day in May.

Since it’s apparent that Severin has enough clients willing to market to his bottom-feeding hate mongering audience you now feel he’s worthy of keeping on the public airwaves and deserves every penny of the million a year plus bonuses you’re paying him to spew his racial rhetoric.

Just because it’s not illegal makes it right.

So what if Jay Severin, the dogmatist formerly known as James Severino, has a checkered past?

He didn’t really lie about having a master’s degree in journalism from Boston University. He just forgot he didn’t have one.

When he claimed he won a Pulitzer Prize? Come on, we know he was only kidding.

Severin also claims to be a former Republican Party political consultant, who “worked” on the presidential campaigns of George H. W. Bush in 1980 and Pat Buchanan in 1996. Exactly what he “worked” on remains ambiguous.

One fact Severin declined to reveal is that among 25-54 year olds, his show is Arbitron People Meter rated 15th place. That’s pretty bad for a station whose slogan should be “Race bait and ye shall receive.” His conservative talk archnemesis Howie Carr on Entercom’s WRKO is in fifth.

On Saturday, the WTTK website announced that “On Tuesday June 2nd, at 3 p.m., Jay Severin will return to the weekday afternoon timeslot on Boston's Talk Evolution 96.9 FM-WTTK. Jay regrets the remarks for which he was suspended and understands that his comments were indeed wrong and hurtful to the Mexican and Mexican-American communities. Accordingly, we feel it is time to end Jay's suspension and welcome him back to WTKK. All of our hosts have strong opinions and talk radio is a format for open and spirited debate about the many issues we face in Boston, New England, our nation and our world. There will no doubt be times when you disagree with Jay - and our other hosts too - but our ultimate goal is to maintain a level of conversation that is entertaining, compelling, and thought-provoking, yet civil and respectful. While we will not always succeed in walking this line, we will continually strive to do so.”

“There’s 10 years of context here of me . . . and because of my extraordinarily strong relationship with my colleagues and with (Greater Media chairman and CEO) Peter Smyth, I was confident - with a commitment to do the kind of show that they want me to do and I think the audience wants me to do - that this would be worked out,” Severin told the conservative Boston Herald yesterday.

And that’s "how in the world" some people become bad guys.

39 comments:

Anonymous said...

I was hoping WTKK would do the right thing and fire this phony. Mr. Smyth is more worried about his image "from the corner office" than what is the right thing to do for Greater Media's listeners. Now he has a problem, because this re-hire positions the company as the "hate" minorities, right wing "white men" company. Many C grade right wing talk show hosts are now following Rush into the "I hope he fails" position that may work for Limbaugh but not overpaid "wannabe's" They have gone too far to the right with inaccurate, racist statements that clearly are out of the mainstream. In addition to Severin, WTKK has a racist in the morning too. (Imus.) Americans are willing to give the new administration a chance, and (at least as of now) are hopeful things will get better. These bigots are way too angry all the time. They are too far right of the mainstream. Perhaps that is why the ratings are down but more importantly Mr. Smyth's decision speaks volumes about the leadership of radio today. He is as out of touch with listeners as Mr. Severin is. How embarrassing it must be for the advertisers and employees of Greater Media.

Anonymous said...

Hey John,
This is off topic, but I was reading the weekly e-mail from Roy Williams (Wizard of Ads) where he hd met with David Rehr. Seems Fumbles told him he wants to be President of The U.S. Chamber of Commerce. LOL

Anonymous said...

We've got a guy like Severin in Cincinnati. His name is Bill Cunningham. Every time he has a vacation coming, they find a way to "suspend" him from the air for a while, creating a lot of fake publicity surrounding the suspention. It's just the same old publicity scam.

Anonymous said...

Nice guys would not put a xenaphobe on the air - period. It is not a first amendment issue. It's being a responsible broadcaster in the twenty first century.

There is no doubt in my mind what Jay Severin means when he says Obama must be stopped at all costs.

Peter, shame.

Anonymous said...

What I got from his "comeback" announcement on the WTKK web site is that there is a mutual admiration society between Jay and Smyth. I never had respect for Jay. Now I have no respect for Smyth and will inform any advertisers on his show that I will not support their products. Mr. Smyth. I'm hitting you where it hurts which obviously isnt where most men would feel pain because it is plain to see that you dont have any....

Anonymous said...

Bill O'Reilly railed on about Dr. Tigger until someone finally killed him. Is Jay Severin waiting for one of his targets to be killed, too?

It is utterly disgusting what has happened to our public airwaves and people like Peter Smyth must be held accountable.

Kingfish Stevens said...

I have not chimed in for a while, but it seems necessary here. There is a difference between free speech and hate speech. Disagreeing with the Muslim faith and expressing those views rationally and peacefully IS free speech. Disagreeing with the President and stating ration, well thought out arguments is free speech. Using words like "kill them" and "must be stopped at all costs" or even saying I hope the president fails (while hiding behind you lapel pin while saying it is partiotism) is the stuff of insighting riots. In fact it is the stuff of Hitler. It is the very divisiveness that has put this country in the hole it is in. We went from being the United States to the You're either with me or against me States. A wise Republican once said A House Divided against itself cannot stand. The hate speech neo-cons are leading us to the slaughter and their employers payroll the whole thing. You're losing auidence for this reason. As the saying goes, free speech is great, but you cannot yell fire in a crowded movie theater. You want audience back then quit yelling fire. We are tired of it and you are destroying your own country. To Paraphrase John Prine "Your Lapel pin don't get you into Heaven Anymore." In a time when all AMERICANS shold be united to save our great country, save the planet and fend off our enemies, this neo-con non-sense has no place. Be a real patriot and do the right thing.

Anonymous said...

I don't fault Jay Severin for his "act". You are correct in saying that the first amendment allows him to express his opinions. I do fault Peter Smyth for providing Jay Severin the pulpit to spread his venom and hate.

It is people like Peter Smyth who should not be allowed to own or manage radio stations. Where is thi man's head?

Anonymous said...

It is bad enough to have these national Salem/Clear Channel bred conservative talk show hosts spreading fear and predicting doom and gloom all over our PUBLIC airwaves.

What Peter Smyth has done is take it to the next level. Jay Severin is a new breed of hate monger who actually calls for killings and assassination. He picked an easy and obvious target - Mexicans, to spread fear of a plague.

Peter Smyth is hoping to do what Westwood One could not and that is to syndicate Severin to other markets. To do so he has to ratchet the content up a few notches to make Savage and O'Reilly look like "Lite" versions of Severin.

It is dangerous because of Severin's call for violence on Hispanics and Muslims and troubling because the radio industry is looking for just that kind of hate monger who knows how to get maximum press coverage.

How long before Peter Smyth begins syndicating Severin to other markets?

Anonymous said...

you did a piece on greter media and didntmention fred jacobs

Anonymous said...

I find this insulting.

That photo of the smug waspy know it all Peter Smyth.

While he lunches at his yacht club his hate monger is telling hard working blue collar workers from Southie, Dot, Charlestown and Somerville that the reason their lives are so miserable is because of Mexicans, Muslims and Obama.

I hope Peter Smyth still has a conscience although I doubt it.

What these workers don't realize is that its is Peter Smyth who is making the most money off the backs of these workers. He is using this xenaphobia and hate mongering and translating it into sales for WTKK.

I plan to take inventory of what companies and products are being sponsored on Jay Severin's show and will write and tell them I will no longer buy their products until they remove their advertising from this racist pig's show.

Anonymous said...

I like the way Smyth tried to position the "possibility" that Severin took a pay cut. If anything Smyth gave him an increase.

Peter Smyth's favorite book is The Prince.

Anonymous said...

From the Boston Globe. Severin quotes on Mexicans.

Mr. Smyth, do you call this responsible broadcasting?


Here are some of the comments on Mexican immigrants that got Jay Severin suspended for a month from his job:

-- "It's millions of leeches from a primitive country come here to leech off you and, with it, they are ruining the schools, the hospitals, and a lot of life in America. Now, at this particular moment in history, they are exporting to us a rather more active form of disease, which is the swine flu."

-- "We should be, if anything, surprised that Mexico has not visited upon us poxes of more various and serious types already, considering the number of crimaliens already here."

-- "So now, in addition to venereal disease and the other leading exports of Mexico – women with mustaches and VD – now we have swine flu."

-- "Other countries won't let people into their country from the source of the illness if there's some kind of plague, but we do, and tonight we will let the usual 5,000 criminaliens that come across the Arizona border -- will probably be 8,000 tonight and maybe tomorrow it will be 12,000 -- because even Mexicans are going to be trying to get out of Mexico at a greater rate"

-- "Yeah, well, that's become essentially condos for Mexicans." (In reference to hospital emergency rooms.)

Anonymous said...

John, you said it best. I hope Peter gets the message.

JUST BECAUSE IT'S LEGAL DOESNT MAKE IT RIGHT.

Anonymous said...

All of the other talk show hosts you mentioned were controversial in their own way but not one of them ever called for threatening a life. I am a little too young to remember Ken Mayer, Bob Kennedy and Paul Benzaquin. I did not hear the original WMEX Jerry Williams though he did make enough waves in this state to challenge the seat belt law. Larry Glick was our all night ambassador who invented the 'first time caller' and 'long time listener' everyone uses today. Peter Meade taught me more about State House and City Hall politics better than anyone else. Paul Sullivan was the guy you would have a beer with after work and David Brudnoy was one of the most complex men alive. I did not agree with his politics but listened to him every night. A brilliant person. What happened here? How did we end up with this Peter Smyth? Why is he so hellbent on promoting hate and xenaphobia? I put the blame in Peter Smyth's office for hiring this lying sack of you know what and putting this half wit on afternoon drive to spread his messages of fear and retaliation against minorities and religions he does not believe in. Shame on Peter Smyth. You call Boston home? You are a disgrace.

Anonymous said...

Great column, John. It resonates with me because I did most of my time working in radio in Boston.

Boston radio in the last 20 years is a perfect reflection of what happened to radio nationwide. I'll just focus on talk, but the music side is similar. In the 80s you could listen to WRKO all day and get intelligent, thoughtful talk from all perspectives. Janet Jeghallian and Ted O'Brien did a great he-said, she-said in morning drive. Gene Burns gave a thoughtful libertarian view point in middays. And Jerry Williams gave his contrarian opinions in the afternoons. And sports on the ride home capped off the day. And if that wasn't your thing, you had WBZ talk at night. No matter what you thought of his conservative bent, Brudnoy was respectful to all callers and intelligent. When Paul Sullivan took over the slot, you had a true blue-collar Massachusetts guy giving honest, real opinions. And again, willing to listen to everyone. Did he get frustrated and outspoken? Definitely. Disrespectful? Never.

I can tell you that selling time during the 80s on WRKO was a dream job. The station hummed. Great programming, a motivated sales team, and overwhelmingly happy customers and listeners. And, believe it or not, if you were selling for one of the other stations in the market, you benefited, too, because the image of radio was so positive there was a splash over effect to all stations. Based on radio today, if you didn't live through it you wouldn't believe it ever really happened that way.

I'm out of that market today, but still know guys who work in that market. The marketplace is a sewer. The average radio listener is viewed as a dolt that most businesses have no desire to appeal to. The businesses that are advertising are the clip joints. The type of businesses that rely on volume, first-time customers since they get to repeats. In short, the rip-off artists. The spillover now is exactly the opposite. Who wants their business showcased among ads for companies that are widely known as con artists? Selling time in Boston is an impossible job, now. You're right on about Severin, Savage, Rush, O'Reilly, Stern, etc. These guys have dumbed down the audience so much that it's impossible to sell businesses on radio anymore. I feel for Smyth and Greater Media, but you can't build an empire on a mountain of shit.

Anonymous said...

Peter Smyth could have taken the high road with WTKK. Instead he chose to prey on those who are attracted to bigoted and racist comments. Add me to the list of those who will notify advertisers of Severin's show. I will take it one step further. How about anyone advertising on any station run by Peter Smyth?

Anonymous said...

Why not take photos of Peter Smyth and Jay Severin and distribute them to all Hispanic businesses, publications and public access shows along with a description of who these "gentlemen" are?

Anonymous said...

"And, believe it or not, if you were selling for one of the other stations in the market, you benefited, too, because the image of radio was so positive there was a splash over effect to all stations."

I'd like to focus on this little snippit from a previous post, talking about how selling radio in the 80's was a dream job...and now being a seller for radio is just about the worst job in the world.

It is my contention that this is the keystone as to why radio consolidation has failed so miserably--once radio hinged exclusively on quarterly results and what the "stockholders" have to say, radio became a short-term-thinking business.

Great radio stations (and companies back in the day) were family run or had ownership that paid attention to the city of license, they were set up for the long term, and they were able to see the big picture. You would see your owner walking the halls on a regular basis--shocking. A lowly receptionist could talk to the owner and tell him/her about successes and problems directly--shocking.

The only debt held by the great operators was the mortgage (or rent) on the building and whatever payroll you had. The truly great stations thrived on the community--they won friends and influenced people's lives...and in turn, the people could associate themselves with the radio station's attitude, personalities, and community presence. Advertisers built relationships with key people at the top stations and the money flow was damn near automatic.

Now, everything is short-term. Quarterly results down--fire people. Institute new "initiatives" to f*&k with people's day even more. No money to spend locally--we've got to send it to central HQ to pay off our leveraged loans that our genius CEO took out to expand the empire. Let's use the guy from our rock station to VT the Lite AC station across the hall because it saves money--not because its good for programming. And on and on it goes.

The incindiery hosts mentioned in previous posts fit into this mold perfectly. Sure, they'll get some advertising dollars up front, but piss off the people you would have LIKED to advertise on your station. But, the attitude is "who cares, we'll get the money now." Short term thinking.

Radio is in desperate straits because it is desperate. It reeks of it. And the consolidators will never understand how their "lean management models" have killed the very thing they want to do--make money.

Anonymous said...

Most of the comments here say it so well. As radio continues to de-volve it loses its best account executives, air talent, promotion and marketers, and so on.

I read through some of Peter Smyth's blogs. That man does not have a clue. He couldn't find his way out of a paper bag. He is fighting today's war with a bow and rubber arrow. He doesn't even know it - that is the clincher here!

Is there anyone sane enough left in this business that can see that companies like Clear Channel, Cumulus, Citadel, Greater Media, and CBS Radio have DESTROYED this medium. It may even be beyond repair at this point.

Radio is where your cheapest con artist clients advertise. Radio has also de-volved into bottom-feeder formats. Whether it is music or talk everything is aimed at a narrow, dumbed-down thinly sliced group.

Maybe the future is with internet radio at this point.

Anonymous said...

You said it yourself - fish stink from the head.

I put all the blame on Peter Smyth for providing the forum for Jay Severin.

You mean to tell me the blue blooded Bostonian cannot do any better than that format on WTTK?

Does he even know what a "high road" means?

From what I have read of him he fancies himself as a radio authority.

I have news for him. Has he seen what bad shape his own industry is in?

Peter Smyth, we need less like you in media. You are a cancer and a curse.

Anonymous said...

Peter Smyth, Your 'corner office' is a joke. Who are you playing this one for? Your contemporaries? What do you feel you will accomplish with this whining?

How about your 'corner office' next month being dedicated to your decision to bring back Jay Severin and why?

I bet you won't do it. Chicken.

Anonymous said...

-- "So now, in addition to venereal disease and the other leading exports of Mexico – women with mustaches and VD – now we have swine flu."

OR

-- "Yeah, well, that's become essentially condos for Mexicans." (In reference to hospital emergency rooms.)"

I don't know which one is my favorite - LMFAO! Well, there is a bit of truth...

Spencer Heywood said...

I think the Boston Globe got snookered into giving Jay a ton of free publicity! Everyone's talking about Jay!

Anonymous said...

Who cares what Severin has to say. Fewer and fewer people are listening to radio these days. Plus, no one really gives a damn what anyone on radio has to say.

Anonymous said...

Agree.............hard to believe Fred Jacobs wasn't mentioned though perhaps he was busy taking the Air France plane down

Anonymous said...

I'm starting to think the name of this blog should change from John Gorman's Media Blog to John Gorman's Character Assassination Blog. Sure seems like it would be more fitting as nearly every single blog ever written here seems to attack someone (or the same someones)for not doing the things the way His Highness would do it (and knowing His Highness's tactics when he programmed well............that kinda says it all)

Detroit Diesel said...

John, I see that Fred Jacobs and Tom Bender checked in.

You are not supposed to comment on racist, bigoted talk show hosts.

Anonymous said...

Sorry, but the bastard-asses Gorman attacks ALL deserve it! I'd like to know who the hell you work for & how wonderful they are! Wait till you're in the freakin' unemployment line like so many undeserving types - mostly due to ASSHOLES that get properly called-out in this blog & Inside Music Media... Thank God at least a couple of guys have the balls to point this shit out!

Anonymous said...

So if Peter Smyth is racist for keeping Severin on, what does that make the owners of the hundreds of stations that run Limbaugh? You'd be hard pressed to find an owner that owns any reasonable amount of stations that doesn't run Rush.

Anonymous said...

There is a HUGE difference between Rush who is syndicated and Severin who is carried locally. Rush never called for Obama to be stopped "at all costs". Rush never said Muslims should be killed. Rush never said Al Gore will murder is daughter to get elected president. Rush never accused Mexicans of everything from VD to the swine flu. I am not defending Rush. He is very good at what he does and he creates controversy, albiet "lite controversy". Jay Severin on the other hand has no limits. He is racist, xenaphobic and calls for violence. He attacks ethnic and religious groups head on. Peter Smyth is responsible. His company is based in Boston and WTKK is one of his flagship stations. It is obviously very important to both him and Severin given that lengthy welcome back on WTKK's home page. Look at Rush as conservative entertainment. Look at Severin as dangerous.

Anonymous said...

Lite controversy? Conservative "entertainment?" You mean stuff like this is fine by you?

"I mean, let’s face it, we didn’t have slavery in this country for over 100 years because it was a bad thing. Quite the opposite: slavery built the South. I’m not saying we should bring it back; I’m just saying it had its merits. For one thing, the streets were safer after dark."

Or this:

You know who deserves a posthumous Medal of Honor? James Earl Ray [the confessed assassin of Martin Luther King]. We miss you, James. Godspeed.

Or this:

"Each night I pray that a released Gitmo inmate will kill thousands of Americans in a bloody massacre, just to teach Obama a lesson."

Or this:

"I wouldn't advocate overthrowing the government, but I would certainly not object if some of my dumber listeners picked up arms and stormed the Capitol."

No defense of Severin at all, but to only look at this one case on this one station is ridiculous.

And what about Bill O'Reilly inciting anti-abortionists a few of whom wind up actually murdering people which is also known as domestic terrorism

Anonymous said...

i believe you are all saying the same thing. the first amendment is an excuse that everyone from rush to severin use as their protection. i believe all of it is wrong and it has been allowed to spiral out of control. i judge the owner of the station by the programming it presents on our pubic airwaves. i find myself listening less and when i do it is to npr. i don't always agree with npr but at least i'm free of race baiting xenaphobics like rush and severin. in my opinion the head of clear channel is guilty. the head of greater media is guilty. they are guilty of spreading hate. conservative versus liberal is fine with me. bring it on but keep it civilized. when you call for murder and violence or praise the assassin of MLK you are crossing the line.

Anonymous said...

There is no doubt in my mind what Jay Severin means when he says Obama must be stopped at all costs.

Oh grow up.....

Anonymous said...

there were some great talk hosts in Boston...but KEN MAYER?


R U kidding>?

Anonymous said...

Ken Mayer was the last of the old school columnists and radio show hosts. He did a show on the old WBOS-AM where he took calls from listeners but you could only hear one side, his. The callers were not heard. It was very strange but interesting to listen to. Mayer had his pulse on Boston and the media. In some ways he was ahead of his time. In other ways he was a dinosaur. I think it is fair to put him in the context of one of the greats of his time.

Anonymous said...

Greetings,

Thanks for sharing the link - but unfortunately it seems to be down? Does anybody here at gormanmediablog.blogspot.com have a mirror or another source?


Cheers,
Oliver

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