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Tuesday, April 30, 2013

DC Radio: Jack Diamond Offered Bonus To Smooth Transition

Jack Diamond
Longtime WRQX morning show host Jack Diamond reportedly turned down a six figure offer from Cumulus to help make a smooth transition to The Bert Show.

But, according to DCRTV.com, he turned down the offer.

Mark O'Brien, who has been market manager of Cumulus's DC radio cluster since late February, told DCRTV that Atlanta-based Bert Weiss will start as Jack Diamond's replacement next month, and will be in town to do several shows during the week of May 13 to 17.

O'Brien reveals that Cumulus offered Diamond a "six figure" bonus, in addition to what he gets via his just-ending contract, in order to provide WRQX "a smooth transition" to Weiss. O'Brien says he had hoped that Diamond and Weiss, who once worked together at WRQX, could have done so again during the transition period.

Says O'Brien, "We really wanted a nice, positive transition and handoff."

But, O'Brien adds, Diamond did not agree.

Also, according to O'Brien, Aly Jacobs will remain in mornings with the Weiss show, doing local traffic.

38 comments:

  1. sounds like deja vu from ”The Today Show”. Don't watch that anymore either!

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  2. If there's no more Jack Diamond show, then there's no more show. The way you all went about this was horrible & now you think you can replace the show with the Bert Show (what a joke) you say ratings were bad. I think there really going to be bad now but then again remember "What goes around comes around". I guess it's kind of like KARMA. Lost another fan 107.3 no longer on my radio. Reading reviews looks like your losing lots of Jack Diamond fans.
    Aly & Brooke you should start looking for another job sounds like no loyalty there. Go where your appreciated. NOT USED.

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  3. Horrible move replacing Jack (and Chilli, for that matter)! The only time Bert has ever been tolerable is when he worked with Jack 20-some years ago. You've lost me, my family, and my friends as listeners. Asking Jack to help in the transition was a huge slap in the face! Everyone knows he is a man of honor and integrity. FYI -- FM97.1 recently gained many new listeners.

    Jack, we "Love your show!" And we'll miss you. All the best to you and your family!

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    1. I have reprogramed my radio too. I have now moved to FM97.1 with all the rest of the fans. I hope the 107.3 ratings fall through the floor. The Bert Show is vulgar and very distasteful and offensive and certainly not suitable for school age childrenl. Shame on the mess!

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  4. Jack Diamond was a phoney. Are you all forgetting the family theme from long ago, then the hypocrite cheated on his wife with a younger woman, who is not his wife? Come on.... his pompous ego & bathering on about HIM got older than he is too....his blatant liberal bias was annoying too. He mocked ANYTHING that wasn't a liberal agenda.

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  5. I listened to the show this morning and don't see myself tuning back in. Let's see, within a 30 minute span they alluded to tight vaginas and joked about spitting mucous. And this is their teaser show offering their best sound bites to entice us to listen? Sorry, just don't see the appeal. Combined with voices that are a bit high and squeaky, I can think of better things to listen to on my commute.

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  6. RUN ALY, RUN now!

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  7. I already reprogrammed my radio - taking 107.3 off

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  8. Without Jack Diamond there is no WRQX. 107.3, you're now dead to me.

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  9. Will turn to 97.1 too. Could not stomach the "Bert" Show. Did not like him when he was here before-do not want to listen to him now. So sad

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  10. Anonymous :
    I think it is horrible with what they did to Jack Diamond. I loved his show and looked forward to waking up to hearing him. I loved listening to him while driving to work. Shame on what they did to him. I hated to turn off Jack Diamond's show when I got to work and had to turn off the radio and go into my office. Good luck to Jack Diamond and his family.

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  11. Second and thirding the comments that noted this new replacement is not suitable for school aged kids, which means it's off our radio now before 10 am as well. We've switched to 94.7, which has another Jack-trained protege actually playing music (imagine that - music in the morning on a radio station).

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  12. To think that the DC area cant garner up enough local listeners over an ATLANTA based syndicated show....ridiculous. what a shame. Jack et.al. was my morning family (even when bert was in the picture). I will miss the local connection....gonna find something else to listen to.

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  13. WASH instead from now on!!

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  14. You have lost me - The Jack Diamond mornings MADE MY MORNINGS - started me off in a great mood every day. Sad to think I will not be listening anymore. I miss Jack, Jimmy and Chili SO MUCH. You all made a serious mistake. Carol

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  15. Listened for two mornings. And I thought it was horrible. DC has lost an ICON. Already switched my radio station. 107.3 is gone on my radio, never to be listened to again. Very bad move on your part. See you! Happy Ratings.

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  16. 97.1 here I come! Jack, so glad you stood your ground and didn't take their disrespectful bribe!

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  17. Agree with everyone. Miss UR Show Jack!
    Station should listen to their listeners! Bring back Jack, et al.

    Also reset radio away from 107.3 - so sad!

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  18. Have listened to the Jack Diamond show for many years...he will be missed. I will not listen to 107.3 anymore either...this was a bad move!

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  19. this new show needs to move to midnight when i am asleep

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  20. this show is best for late night when i am asleep

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  21. Just returned from vacation and tuned in to (what I thought was) my favorite morning hosts on 107.3 for my morning commute and thought, what am I listening too?... horrible!! You will be greatly missed, Jack Diamond. We all "Love your Show Babe" ... thank you for many years of listening enjoyment. Good riddance 107.3 !!

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  22. I will no longer be listening to 107.3. The whole reason for listening to Jack in the morning was to get away from the crap that all the other stations were airing. I am very sad about the way Jack has been treated... and to Jack...just in case you see this..there is no replacement for you..not by a long shot!!! You have a dignity and a grace that will not be forgotten!! Thank you for making my morning commute enjoyable all these years!!!

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  23. I am okay with the change. Ever since Jack made a racist comment on the air many years ago (he did apololojize the next week in his defence) I never enjoyed listening to Jack again. I did like the rest of the crew which kept me listening.
    Congrats to Bert. I look forward to listening to him. It will just take a little time for the storm to settle in the DC area. Change is hard but a necessary evil.

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  24. 107.3 was only tolerable during the morning time slot with JD. Sorry guys, someone isn't paying attention obviously.

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  25. I just returned from vacation and discovered on my way to work that my favorite radio program was no longer on the air. At first I thought that maybe the Jack Diamond morning show team were all participating in some type of event that necessitated finding other coverage for the station temporarily. However, it soon became clear that the team had been replaced. I tried for two mornings to give the new guys a shot, but I agree with the majority here: in a nutshell, I find the show tasteless and not the least bit entertaining. I spent many years with Jack in the car. My mornings just won't be the same. Wish him all the best.

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  26. I for one stopped listening to Jack Diamond show 18 months ago having become so sick of his pompous attitude. He lives in Darnsville but he has to say "Potomac Darnsville." He talks down to people and has the "little man" attitude of being a "know it all." I listened for 15 years and he became worse each year. ADD Jimmy was horrible and never had it to be anything but a side kick. He couldn't complete a sentance without stumbling many times and often gave out mis- information for contests. He was so hard to listen to. I now listen to the Tommy McFly show and really enjoy it. He is kind and humble....qualities Jack never had!

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  27. Mix you lost me when Bert Weiss called his sidekick a "vaginabear" at 8:10 am. Contrary to what you believe Bert, adding "bear" to the end does not make it ok to call someone a "vagina."

    -- A 10+ year listener who is younger than Bert Weiss.

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  28. Tried the new show and found it rude and dull - Mix would be wise to bring Jimmy back and dump Bert

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  29. I've been a fan for the entire 24 years Jack was on the air and have missed him greatly these last few weeks. Mornings just aren't the same without him. He made all of us feel like a part of his extended family. I did find Chilli and Loo and am listening to them on my drive in. Bert you should be ashamed of yourself.

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  30. Count me as one more listener that once had 107.3 as my default station for my FM band, but now have removed it from any one touch selection. The new hosts are inane, rude, and show no depth of thought. Best of luck to Jack and the rest of the crew.

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  31. I tried the Bert show for several mornings now and finally this morning had to turn it off. Just not funny or interesting - pointless and stupid. I hope Jack Diamond resurfaces on the air, until than 97.1

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  32. I want to express my sincerest appreciation to 107.3 and The Bert Show. Thanks to you I'm no longer late for work -- when my alarm goes off at 6:30 a.m. and your show comes on, I immediately get up to turn you off. Your version of "shock radio" is like listening to a bunch of pre-schoolers trying out "bad words" in a bid for attention. Awkward, boring and dull.

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  33. Love the comment from the person who jumped up to turn off The Bert Show. I have a long commute and always listened to Jack and the team of fun people he interacted with. I miss Jack's show. I miss Free for All Fridays. I miss Jack's voice. Bert's show was a complete turn off. I listened for several days (albeit with some channel surfing when the topics got boring). Bert comes across as an audio Beavis (or is that Butthead?) - a perpetual adolescent with a potty mouth. Ugh. I've removed 107.3 from the one-touch button on my radio. Want Jack back.

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  34. I have lived in the Washington, DC area all of my life and I have listened to many radio shows over the years. I have seen "Shock Jock" shows come and go. It amazes me how new marketing management always comes in and make easy promises to owners that they will get the ratings up by proposing to replace tried and true shows with so called tacky "Shock Jock" shows.
    The ratings do increase for a short time - but eventually the ratings decrease drastically. For the most part Washington, DC is a conservative town - politics aside.
    I am saddened to hear that WRQX-FM, owned by Cumulus Media, choose to take the easy quick fix path presented by Mark O'Brien and implementing a deceitful plan by eliminating the Jack Diamond show (which I listened to every morning for the past 24 years). The fact that marketing management did not first try to work with Jack and his cohorts in maybe adding new ideas and trying to change the format - which requires time, planning and work.
    But no, within two months he went for the easy no work effort plan to replace this time slot with the "Shock Jock" Bert Show.
    Mark the way you went about this was horrible and by publicly commenting that you offered Jack a six figure bribe, which he turned down, to smooth the transition only reflects how little integrity or class that you and the owners have.
    To be fair I did try to listen to the "Bert Show" for several mornings, and within five minutes was surfing to find other stations with better programs. It will be interesting to see in two years from now what the Albitron ratings will be for Mix 107.3 and if Mark O'Brien is still the Marketing Manager.
    I would avise the "Bert Show" to watch their backs. However they should already know this, since radio communications is such a cut throat industry.
    Jack if your are reading this, I commend your integrity, style and grace during this appalling deed that was so mishandled by a tactless marketing manager and a less then trustworthy corporate owner. I have a feeling they will get their just deserts.
    I wish you and your family the best, and I know that the next radio station that hires you will be absolutely thrilled and lucky to have you on their team - "Love your show babe".

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  35. Now at work we all finally agree on a morning show....97.1. You really messed up 107.3

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  36. I know I am late to join in on the story of Jack Diamond getting axed by WRQX, but I am still hoping he will pop up on another local channel. I liked Bert a little when he was here, but now he is just rude and vulgar. And his crew is as well. I miss Jack and Aly and the crew. They were great. I hear Chili with Lou on the morning show on WASH FM. But it isn't the same. I listed to Jack and his sidekicks for 24 years. I know money is the root of all evil, but did you have to go syndicated. They don't even know what it is like in DC right now. What a shame! You lost a lot of good listeners. Jack, We Loved your show Babe!

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