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| Jen Brien |
UPDATED 10/07/2013: So what finally happened that caused
WBZ-AM to part company with Brien?
Apparently, it’s as simple as her not showing up for some shifts or not starting on-time. There also reports that management is going to keep to 12M to 5A local
and not go for syndication.
Earlier posting...
After just three months, Jen Brien has left the WBZ 1030 AM building. A statement from management was aired at shotly after midnight this. Brien had been hosting 12m to 5am since June. However, listeners have been commenting on her frequents days-off recently.
Brien previously hosted a weekday show on WRKO 680 AM, was a
fill-in host on WBZ and in June was named replacement for the retiring Steve
Leveville.
Addiction is difficult. I hope Jen can find help.
ReplyDeleteWhat addiction are you talking about? You are drinking too much Kool-Aid!
DeleteI figured it out. somebody in power hates the military, and hates that a woman expresses an opinion that they don't agree with gave Management orders to get her off the air and Management caved. I wonder who that could be? Mmmmm?
?? Wut?? Mmmmm? Are you a psychic?
DeleteThe difference is she NO SHOWED! I remember ne of those times Bradley Jay said she should be coming soon and by 2AM, he stopped saying it. She no-Showed a couple other times, too. Steve NEVER no-showed. Her not showing up more than once was unprofessional.
DeleteAllegations of addiction is pathetic. Yet another pathetic left wing attempt to discredit the individual when the substantive argument fails.
DeleteJust glad she is off the air !
DeleteWill start listening again.
Management made a tough decision and she admitted on air that she was having a 'rough time'. She had a lot of talent and at times was off the wall and kooky. But I want to send her 'BEST OF WISHES' and hope she has lots of friends to support her through this. Now, it was refreshing to hear a woman on late night and I know they are out there. Could we have a WOMEN that is not too far to the RIGHT some where on late night? Level headed one who can llisten with a critical ear and some sense of humor. After all you are a CBS station!
ReplyDeleteWas it the commute from the Cape?????????
ReplyDeleteWas it the commute from the Cape?
ReplyDeleteShe is nuts. Hope she gets the help she needs
ReplyDeleteI don't think she is nuts but,job was over her head . Should have kept her personal problems to herself, people (listeners) have enough of their own without listening to hers.Radio is in some ways a escape and should entertain not frustrat.
ReplyDelete100% agree
Deleteto bad. nuts but better than listening to Lavelle talk about his cats.
ReplyDeleteshe drove me crazy! I have been listening for years. Is she the only one with problems?
ReplyDeleteI think one of her problems is she never had any guests. It was all about her.
The one guest she had was on another radio station the week before. I thought it was a taped interview. It was about a mission in WWII. She was all over the place..Shared to much personal info with the listeners and kept asking for help.
Deletei think she was too 'new' to know how to get guests...she just kept it going as long as she could...her "girl crush guest" of course was kerry connolly.!
DeleteYes, the flirting with Kerry Connely and Kelly from Mansfield was so unprofessional!
Deleteit was annoying to listen to the "Lets wake up Kerry" segment. remember, most of us are listening while half asleep.... no drums and trumpets please. it was a girl crush for sure.
DeleteI listened to Jenn once in a while and I found her to be entertauning and able to listen to people with their problems. Some people love to broadcast to the whole world about what is bothering them. I thought that Jenn was a sympathetic ear who listened to them. I guess noone is perfect not even the management at WBZ. Anyway, good luck to you Jenn. The world is better off with people like you. God Bless. JTG
ReplyDeleteJenn was a breath of fresh air and REAL w. real problems like the rest of us. Lavelle and Morgan White are too boring and liberal. Best of luck Jenn and hope to hear you again on the radio soon. Rick
ReplyDeleteI did enjoy listening to Jenn, however, I could hear that she was struggling with the hours. Some people's circadean clock cannot tolerate working nights. Also, I've recently heard a study done on people who work night shifts have a higher incidence of cancer. I don't know generally speaking if this is true or not, but maybe it's those people who just cannot adapt to working the late shift. Others seem to thrive. I also liked the fact that seemingly Jenn was a woman of faith and was not afraid to say so. We up here in the frozen northeast are not only frozen because of the cold; we are frozen because of our lack of faith in God. Thanks again, Jenn, and God speed.
Deleteshe was slowly driving me nuts. come on WBZ......I remember when you had class neither she or Mort White belong on your air.
ReplyDeleteI agree - anyone but her or Mort White. I don't want to hear trivia from 1950 or someone's personal problems. How about current events, weather, traffic, temperature etc.. Most of us are trying to get ready to commute to work.
DeleteI see this as a loss to WBZ. I tuned in to Jen 2-3 times a week and found her to be a good and fair listener who sometimes did air her problems but I think this connected her to the audience. I liked that her Mom called in once a week too. Good luck, Jen.
ReplyDeleteIf you thought she was that good, you'd have listened 5 times a week.
DeleteI thought she was quite entertaining when first filling in. Once she got the show on her own, I noticed a fast decline in her ablitly to keep it all together. I have a couple of family members with similar problems, and she was sending all sorts of red flags off to me that made me very uncomfortable. I hope she can find happiness in the future.
ReplyDeletewell said. listening one morning a caller asked why Joe wasn't on in the morning with her anymore...She was stunned and didn't know how to answer. And when she complained that when the news anchor was on vacation Jenn didn't get a call from her. She was also inviting people out for coffee. she was a nut
DeleteYes, she was defnitely crossing her professional/social boundaries when she started asking for listeners' off-air contact info. Her behavior in general over the last couple of months was very disturbing, to say the least, as is the fact that someone her age could apparently have so little direction in life. From what I heard from her, I think my two teenage girls are more focused and disciplined.
DeleteBut as I've said, I wish her well, and hope she finds peace and purpose.
Bring back Jenn Brien. She was a riot. I enjoyed hearing her stories. I sure won't be listening to WBZ much anymore unless they bring back Jenn. Who wants to hear that stiff Morgan White Jr and his boring trivia. Bradley Jay is pretty good. Jenn Brien was a riot though. I always laughed. Her mother was a hoot to. You stiffs at WBZ need to bring back Jenn. It was a big mistake letting her go.
ReplyDeleteIt was a bigger mistake bringing her on in the first place. It was the wrong fit for someone at her level in her career. She has some promise; let her develop it in a less taxing environment. As for the future -- if this was the result of the previous talent search -- I'd opt for syndication.
DeleteYour correct! Morgan White's trivia is boring.
DeleteOne of the most offensive "host" I have ever heard ... I'm a Stern fan.
ReplyDeleteUgh....good riddance. Having grown up listening to Glick, Brudnoy, and Laveille, she was a far cry from good talk radio. If only WBZ would can that pea-brained Dan Rhea too. I'd love to hear more Bradley Jay or Jordan Rich.
ReplyDeleteHip Hip !!
DeleteHear hear
DeleteA monumental mistake for a station for a station like WBZ to have even considered her as an overnight host. The station manager should be thrown out as well.
ReplyDeleteJen was the most unprofessional on air personality I ever heard. Chewing food and talking on mic is so disrespectful to her audience and the caller she was connected to. Constant whining and complaining about personal issues, hey girl, we all have problems, we just don't broadcast them to 38 states and Canada. Her attitude and narcissism was a real turn off. I guess excessive pot use while young and being a "Deadhead" travelling groupie does have it's consequences. UH HUH, YUP.
ReplyDeleteJen had too many problems and was airing them on the radio. Who wants to listen to someone else's problems when you have your own. Also, Dan Rea is so biased towards the Republicans....why can't they get rid of him. He tries to get the callers onto his side. I think they should rethink Dan Rea too. Can WBZ get another Brudnoy who can deal with the country's issues in an educated way and not be so biased?
ReplyDeleteAGREE
DeleteDan Rea is probably the most informed person I have ever heard on talk radio. He IS the voice of reason! However, the only thing seemingly he does not know anything about is his own religion, and he's the first to admit it. But he's knowledgeable about everything else.
DeleteI'll give you that he has a Big Mouth and not always right by any means.
DeleteI'm surprised dan rea didn't make the studio scott brown's campaign headquarters .......
David Brudnoy was still calling African-Americans Negroes in the late 1990s. Are you sure you want to go back to something like that?
DeleteJen was great, you have to remember on a overnight show it is very hard to find guests to come on, add fact she had only been doing show full time for a short time. People may not like her talking about herself, she was trying include people to be more like a family atmosphere. she opens up her life, opens her heart, talks about real issues not as someone better then everyone else, doesn't speak down, she talks as an equal a person she has her own problems and is asking her FRIENDS all the listeners to give advice, and help her out, she travels from cape every night, she has to move, she feels pain when her precious pets are sick and asks pet lovers what they think and what they have done, which is also giving all pert lovers help so get off her high horse people love jen
ReplyDeleteIf you decide to become an overnight host, then it's your job to find people to talk with and to broaden your scope to attract and retain listeners and participants. I never saw her exhibit that ability, and she even managed to dissuade some in-house personalities from participating. She just didn't have it at this point in her career. She's not a bad person; she just wasn't right for this role.
DeleteGet a life
DeleteI am a loyal listener well I have tell you not anymore I refuse to listen and are instructing all my family and friends and everyone of my coworkers and customers to not listen anymore. until you bring Jen Brien back to over nights. I work overnights and LOVE listening to Jen, and am so maddened by her termination, what right you have take her off the air away from her loyal listeners. I never heard her doing or saying anything that brings discredit to herself, to the station, to CBS, or to any of her listeners. If you try claim she made people mad, or upset them, isn't that what a talk show host is supposed to do, make people think, make them take account for their own mistakes, I never heard he bad mouth anyone, she may say she thinks they should smarten up, or get over themselves and grow up, well Mr. Casey you need grow the hell up, WE are not kids, you are not doing it for our good, while Jen is on the air, you are sound asleep.
ReplyDeleteLike I said I work over nights 10 pm to 6 am, And Jen brings me energy, her infectious spunk, her off the wall banter, in no way did I find her to be offensive, to be rude or mean. I loved her when she said about the parents wanting sue the ex Patriots player whose house was destroyed by a party a bunch kids threw, now the parents want sue him, she made it clear the parents are just as much to blame as the kids, for not keeping kids in control, instead them saying get over there and clean the house now they want sue him. Like the FCC allows talk show hosts like oh I don't know people like Rush Limbaugh, Michael Savage, Howie Carr, Howard Stern. These are just a few who say what comes to mind, speak of truth, and make people take inventory or themselves. If you or some listeners do not agree with her views, listeners can simply turn the dial, until her show is over. You could also have a disclaimer stating her views do not represent the station or CBS or any advertiser. All I see is support everyone on Facebook, twitter, and we will continue to email, write, call and protest as well boycott, your station and CBS until Jen is back fully, as well as asking people around country on facebook, twitter to not listen to any web broadcast of WBZ radio, as well as boycott all advertisers who advertise on WBZ radio, so not only you hurting WBZ, CBS, All advertisers, but also each and every listener, as well Jen, yourself,
So I implore you to beg and plead to bring Jen back, bring credit and respect back to WBZ radio. BRING JEN BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
May I ask? All those nights you managed to show up to YOUR job, that Jen showed up late, or just didn't bother appearing at all.... Did you ever thank Morgan, Bradley, or Dan for stepping up to the plate so you had something to listen to? Or did you rush to post on her facebook page how boring the others are, and how much you can't stand them? I know, she's a "breath of fresh air", "she's a woman", "she's young", "she's new", "she uprooted her life", blah, blah, blah, umm humm, yup. The fact of the matter is, she's a 45 year old woman, with 10 years of broadcast experience, who got the job she applied for, at the location it has always been, for the hours she knew she was going to work..... AND KEPT SHOWING UP LATE OR NOT AT ALL...... Enough of Jen the martyr, it's time Jen put on the big girl pants and admit that she screwed up a good thing. If management took issue with her show content,I would think she would have been gone after the on air wakes for Peggy and condolence callers for Jen. No, when a person manages to get herself fired, it's usually due to one of the last things she did, a final straw so to speak. In Jen's case, that would probably be excessive absences, most likely with little to no notification since others had to work overtime, pull double shifts, or be hauled out of their beds to cover her shifts. Shame on WBZ for canceling the Jen Brien Show. Please bring it back so we can listen every night to Dan, Jordan, Bradley, Morgan, or who ever else has to cover for the no-show Jen.
Deletehow do you "instruct" people not to listen to overnite radio any more????
DeleteWouldn't it be a shame if someone tried to organize a protest, and nobody much cared? She isn't a villainess, just in the wrong job. She's gone, and hopefully soon forgotten.
DeleteI AGREE WITH YOUR COMMENTS ON JEN, I REALLY MISS HER.
DeleteHow are you instructing people not to listen to WBZ? You sound ridiculous, She LOST the job for many reasons...No-Showing, turning the show into a wake for weeks over her friend's death, who the listening audience did NOT know, begging callers to come over to her home (see flirting with Kelly from Mansfield), bashing men, throwing religion at the audience like she is holier than thou, flirting with Kerry Connely, chewing on air, grunting and making weird "MMMM Hmmm." Be;ieve me, she is NOT coming back so you can tune out. Bye Bye. No big loss!
DeleteAmen.
DeleteI am a loyal listener well I have tell you not anymore I refuse to listen and are instructing all my family and friends and everyone of my coworkers and customers to not listen anymore. until you bring Jen Brien back to over nights. I work overnights and LOVE listening to Jen, and am so maddened by her termination, what right you have take her off the air away from her loyal listeners. I never heard her doing or saying anything that brings discredit to herself, to the station, to CBS, or to any of her listeners. If you try claim she made people mad, or upset them, isn't that what a talk show host is supposed to do, make people think, make them take account for their own mistakes, I never heard he bad mouth anyone, she may say she thinks they should smarten up, or get over themselves and grow up, well Mr. Casey you need grow the hell up, WE are not kids, you are not doing it for our good, while Jen is on the air, you are sound asleep.
ReplyDeleteLike I said I work over nights 10 pm to 6 am, And Jen brings me energy, her infectious spunk, her off the wall banter, in no way did I find her to be offensive, to be rude or mean. I loved her when she said about the parents wanting sue the ex Patriots player whose house was destroyed by a party a bunch kids threw, now the parents want sue him, she made it clear the parents are just as much to blame as the kids, for not keeping kids in control, instead them saying get over there and clean the house now they want sue him. Like the FCC allows talk show hosts like oh I don't know people like Rush Limbaugh, Michael Savage, Howie Carr, Howard Stern. These are just a few who say what comes to mind, speak of truth, and make people take inventory or themselves. If you or some listeners do not agree with her views, listeners can simply turn the dial, until her show is over. You could also have a disclaimer stating her views do not represent the station or CBS or any advertiser. All I see is support everyone on Facebook, twitter, and we will continue to email, write, call and protest as well boycott, your station and CBS until Jen is back fully, as well as asking people around country on facebook, twitter to not listen to any web broadcast of WBZ radio, as well as boycott all advertisers who advertise on WBZ radio, so not only you hurting WBZ, CBS, All advertisers, but also each and every listener, as well Jen, yourself,
So I implore you to beg and plead to bring Jen back, bring credit and respect back to WBZ radio. BRING JEN BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If BZ whats to do it up rite they need a 1st stringer ..... "LIONEL"
ReplyDeleteAll the rest are 2 & 3 and stringers with little ability to improve.
http://www.lionelmedia.com/
BTW - Lionel can play it STRAIT down the middle politically.
As in Lionel the guy who used to do afternoons on WFLA in Tampa in the early 1990s before flopping in New York?
DeleteJen Brien has a good heart-- love of animals and people ..
ReplyDeletethis was a difficult shift for her ..sleep deprived ..most of her listeners are shift workers or insomniacs --not always easy to please ..
I was confused by her coming back for one shift - having had a week off ..
I found her entertaining ..
but she was -- in at the deep end ..
I wish her well ..
I refuse to listen to Morgan Whites -- trivia-- for the birds ..
thanks to WBZ for so much -live talk.--.keep it going ..
Well said, I wish Jen well but I was sick of listening to her personnel problems. Obviously, she couldn't handle the overnight shift which is understandable. I know I couldn't. I just hope WBZ doesn't hire Morgan White. Trivia of 1050 TV shows is ridicules! Many of us are getting ready for our commute to work. We need to know about the MBTA, traffic, temperature, weather along with discussion of "current" news and events".
DeleteGive Bradley Jay or Jordan Rich a tryout.
Jordan CAN'T work during the week. If you have ever listened to Jordan, you should know this. He has another job.
DeleteThis is the same station that put up with a predecessor that pulled the same stunt, banging in sick, and making everything about himself, and basically sleepwalking through the last year he was on air. His behavior mimicked her behavior almost identically. Good riddance to both of them. The GM should be following the both of them out the door for putting these two on air.
ReplyDeleteHer own Mother warned her, (on the air), "Don't blow this one, Jen."
ReplyDeleteShe will never get another chance at a major job in broadcasting as she demonstrated she is unreliable. Her emotional baggage was disturbing to listen to, she needs some help in examining her choices and patterns in life from someone who will tell her the truth and not indulge her over inflated opinion of herself. She's a mess, and it's a puzzle as to why WBZ indulged her poor performance and behavior for so long.
Oct 6 @ 5:02-- Well said!! I couldn't agree more. Jenn, I hope you read this comment and do find the right help. This probably has been a long time coming. Reread it again. ~Peace
DeleteSo sick of hearing her mother! "Jennifuh" Sheesh!
DeleteI find your comments offensive - you are a mess. You seem to have a personal issue with Jen and have made multiple repetitive comments here.
DeleteWhy are you so mean? Are you like that in person? Do you like yourself? Do you know what it means to be a bully? Have you been treated that badly by others that you cannot see that your behavior as shown by your comments are hurtful - why would you be hurtful intentionally? I feel bad for anyone who loses their job - have you ever lost a job? People who lose jobs need support not criticism. Please consider others feelings as well as your own and happiness may flourish. Peace and Love to you.
Jen Brien was the best thing that happened to the WBZ overnight shift. I think WBZ made a mistake letting her go. I'm hoping they bring her back.
ReplyDeleteNobody knew, jackass. WBZ put out a statement that he read at the top of each hour to let people like you know. She was terrible and WBZ needed to make a change. WRKO fired her and I think we know why!
ReplyDeleteIs there any independent verification of Jen Brien ever being named "Soldier of the Year"? If one googles it, all that comes back is her fluff press releases ... nothing on the Army Times website or Women of the Army.
ReplyDeleteShe doesn't strike me as being disciplined or intelligent enough. I would like to see any reference other than ones she generated.
Why would she be "Soldier of the Year?" Didn't she work with dogs. I mean, I would think someone else would be way more deserving in the military than someone like that.
DeleteVery good point.
ReplyDeleteBingo !
ReplyDeleteI had kind of a love / hate relationship w/ Jen. I liked her well enough.....sometimes. Feared for her at other times....getting overly friendly w/ some callers who were so out of her league, intelligence-wise, etc.....mostly kind of low-life types; yet she'd be so chummy w/ them and go on and on about how they should "get together" and all that nonsense.
ReplyDeleteJen is a very smart, educated lady who would've gotten bored by these so-called "on air friends" very quickly. Yet she kept cultivating these weirdos when there are plenty of nice, normal, decent folks out there (like me and my friends!) who also listened to her.
Unlike Jordan Rich who is always bright and illuminating and elevates his show to a smarter audience w/ intelligent feedback, Jen, and this is where the hate part comes in, really catered to the lowest common denominator of her callers. Instead of enriching the show by more stimulating conversation, she would sink to their level, unfortunately.
Another really irritating quirk of hers was her continual & ubiquitous need to affirm something she had just said w/ an "uhuh" type of grating tick, or some guttural outburst. Not pleasant!
I enjoyed her more in depth conversations, but the silliness, not so much.
Sometimes ppl can get bogged down in their own minutia and flog it to death at no one's enhancement, entertainment, or interest. She was guilty of engaging in that too often.
And I get the fact that she wanted to "keep it light" for that time slot, but does that have to mean "brainless?"
Too often, she would plunge into these absurdities enough to make your head spin.....and not in a good way either. Like her thing w/ that lady who died, claiming that Peggy was her "best friend." Give me a break!! She got paid to spend time w/ her! That's how she got to know her in the first place. She worked for her, taking care of her. She went on and on ad nauseam. It was a Job! I'm not saying that she didn't care for Peggy, but let's not get too crazy, either. Oh, and btw, that's crazy w/ a "c", Jen, as there is no other way to spell it! LOL
I have several "Peggys" of my own. But they're my Friends! My true, real friends whom I do Not get paid being friends with. So, this whole P thing took on a life of its own that it really did not deserve.....not to that extent, anyway.
Morgan is such a sweet man!! I hate trivia & nostalgia, but you've got to love Morgan! I wish he'd get into this century, for sure, and do current things, but oh well....
Bradley's great.....sort of. His voice: too many cigarettes or cigars or whatever! And Way too much in love w/ the booze! Thank God he doesn't drive!
Other than that, he's kind of funny. I like his travel stories and his perpetual questions of "should he have done what he had done" or not. Makes for very interesting conversation. Because these are questions we all face at some time or other.
I love the way he takes everyday, mundane things and makes them into a lesson in life. He's cool.
Jordan.....what can one say about such a treasure? What a gem!! Smart as whip!! Interesting topics! Love the book review. (Could do w/out any 50yr old, stale, old, boring Beatles music, though....sorry, Jordan!)
Don't care for the nostalgia stuff either, but hey, it's Jordan Rich! Just totally in love with that voice! Reminds me of another beloved voice, from the Way past: Dick Summer! He could do whatever he pleased....w/ a voice like his, who cared? Plus he was such an incredibly influential, lovely, decent man who made it cool to be nice, caring, responsible, and empathetic to our fellow man. Loved him!!!
Dan Rea.....Excellent!! Smart! Wonderful! Stimulating! Love him And his politics!!!
Good luck, Jen. Wish you the very best. Hope you learned something from your experience here and hope you use it in your future endeavors. :)
I must be as cookey and nuts as Jen because I enjoyed her, but I hated how many breaks she had to do, PLEASE no to morgan and bradley PLEASE. radio is about voice and I cannot listen to either 5 nights a week, Please wbz....
ReplyDeleteI am another supported of Jen give her a chance to get settled. She was a breath of fresh air and fun to listen to the two guys one is boring and the other is plain rude. I won't be listening anymore unless Jen comes back
ReplyDeleteShe was good as a fill-in. However, ever since she became a permanent host in late June, I listened less & less to show. Ratings must have shown that too!
ReplyDeleteStop with the "breath of fresh air" routine. Brien was the MOST unprofessional and inarticulate late night radio host I've ever heard. Not a wit up in her head. I am very satisfied that Mr. Casey understood the implications of the emergence of critiques of her performance on social media. She was completely wrong for the position and dumbed it down so that it became intolerable to listen to. The callers were even worse.
ReplyDeleteAgree w/ you completely about how Jen "dumbed it down so that it became intolerable to listen to. The callers were even worse."
DeleteThat is my feeling and complaint exactly!
And it seemed to get worse, the more she was falling apart.
That time slot is tough though, so perhaps if it were only 3 or 4 nights a week, expanding Jordan Rich's show an extra night or so? PLEASE!!
LOVE Jordan Rich!!
Don't care for the nostalgia stuff at all, but really enjoy Jordan's cultural and intellectual escapades. He's so well informed & well prepared, always taking us on unexpected journeys.
And that Voice!!
Enjoyed Jen when she was the "once a week Wednesday host" - agree that Jordan Rich is a treasure as was Steve L. - Please WBZ, Keep the Midnite to 5AM host LIVE, not syndicated, and neutral,(for the most part), when it comes to politics - why not do the "rotation thing" again? Would love to hear how Dan Rea sounds around 3AM, will he still be so reasonable??? Dan, Morgan and Bradley are always interesting no matter when and MAYBE Steve wants to "sub" once in a while - or perhaps Jordan can increase our cultural sensibilities even an extra night - anyway wishing Jen luck - a loyal listener from the hills near Cooperstown NY
ReplyDeletei can't believe all the negativity about morgan white and trivia.... if you listen, really listen, you will see the number of phone calls he generates. it is one hour out of his show and he does a great job. bradley J is super as well... Jenn was getting a bit much and i tried very hard to like her, but too much personal stuff and the Kerry Connolly thing was out of control... i too wonder where Joe was in the morning!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteJenn could fill the endless insomniac hours with chatter,endless chatter, regaurdless of the topic, Jenn could jump in and fill a void with entertaining stories, diverting sleepless thoughts to something that provided entertainment for comfort and relaxation. Jenn listened to callers and maybe listened too much, but always responeded in a positive way. I am saddened to hear that she has been terminated.
ReplyDeleteMorgan White, while so obviously talented with a gifted memory for trivia struggles on the radio counting each minute until a commercial break adding discomfort for those attached to the radio. Unfortunately Morgan's expertise does not lie in politics, and he does not display any definable information or point of view to offer to the audience. Morgan is a generous and kind man but does not provide me entertainment or information for me as a long time listener to the WBZ.
Jordan Rich has always provided entertainment and information. Jordan's amazing quick witt and charming personality provides constant entertainment. In addition, having his own studio enables him to be able to record entertaining guests who do not have to come to the WBZ studio in the middle of the night. On the other hand, there are always those who do join Jordan in the middle of the night to provide guests who enhance the topic of the hour. Jordan is a gift for all of us who listen faithfully.
No other station offers what WBZ does for those of us who are awake through the middle of the night. What a loss it would be for us who depend on it to survive the night without the entertainment and interesting personalities who are local to Boston. I hope we will not be disappointed in their next decision,
Miss Jen. Person on as replacement is BORING!!! Went back to listening to WBAL (Baltimore).
ReplyDeleteIt's time management shows Peter casey the door ...
ReplyDeletebtw- I'm sick of hearing Dan rea reciting the daily right-wing talking points.
I sent Peter Casey an email about a week and a half ago, before Jen was let go, but while she was missing. In the message, I explained that I do not consider myself a devoted fan of any particular over night host, but over the years, have enjoyed listening to most of them. And although I found Jen a bit quirky, I had found myself actually enjoying her program (at times). As far as I was concerned, he was the program director, and decisions regarding how to deal with the excessive absences, the wakes for Peggy, and the All About Jen All the Time Show were his to make. But I did stress to him that in my opinion, he should expect that his staff behave as professionals, as they represent WBZ at all times. I have found it totally inappropriate that Jen has allowed negative comments about her co-workers to remain posted on her wall. Coworkers who were filling in for her when once again she was absent. As a nurse, I am responsible for what I post on social media, as well as what I allow to remain posted on my wall by others. I have always found it totally inappropriate that she does not delete those comments when they are posted. She's pretty quick to delete the negative posts about herself. Now, all that being said, I really wish WBZ would/could announce once and for all why they let Jen go. Not a vague statement like they gave, but a flat out reason. While I realize it is not my business at all, I think it would help put an end to some of the foolishness that is still going on. Apparently, at this time, Jen is incapable of posting anything but vague, cryptic messages and giving statements to Lori Dicks to post on her behalf stating that she wants to come back to talk with her "family". (I guess showing up to work her shift while she actually had the job wasn't a priority then.) I really think that people are being unreasonable to WBZ. They are demanding that WBZ give Jen her job back, that they have been unfair, and didn't give her a chance. Seriously? She's a grown woman with over 10 years of broadcast experience who is incapable of completing a sentence without umm hum, yup at the end, who doesn't understand that one is actually expected to be present at work at the scheduled time and day, no matter how far away one lives. (Yes folks, that was a run on sentence) As if it's not bad enough that her legion of whack job fans are calling the station,harassing whomever answers the phone, and tormenting the advertisers, they are now suggesting posting on Peter Casey's Linkedin page. They are trying to somehow put the blame for Jen's firing on Joe Mathieu. They are wondering how Kerry Connolly is dealing with it all, since she can't say anything, and her friendship (?) with Jen will have to be kept hidden now. And if I see one more "Jen Strong" reference, I may just go ballistic (how dare they infer that Jen's fiasco in any way compares to what our city and all the marathon victims and heroes went through last spring, or for that matter, the cancer victims for which Livestrong means something). And still, the posts about Morgan and Bradley, and how horrible they are. And through it all, does she delete any of it? No, Jen sits and looks at sunsets, making earth shattering statements about how the truth will come out, for Lori Dicks to post along with a touching photo. So please WBZ, call her bluff. If there's a legal way you can announce the reason for the firing, please do so, before Jen takes too many innocent people down with her.
ReplyDeleteAgreed, the "Jen Strong" iconography on that facebook page is absolutely sickening.
DeleteThank You Oct 7 @ 11:43. I agree totally with everything you have said. Time for all the people who love Jen (I used to be one) to realize that you are fighting harder for her and all the chaos of "we will never give up" to know that a whole lot of people reacted the same and fought for her after WRKO let her go. Sure she had some good nights but most times I had to shut her off as she gave me an anxiety I don't normally have! Now all the DRAMA for other people to find her a new job, gig, paycheck. Enough Jen! Practice what you preach~ God has a plan and this is it, good or bad, right or wrong~ Honor that. Those are YOUR words. Stop with the silence and take some responsibility. No one is keeping you quiet but you. That's how you worked it the last time you were let go. MANY people came to your rescue and wrote praises on your behalf...helped 'find' you a new job. Where are they now? Not speaking on your behalf on your FB anymore. Not on blogs on your behalf anymore. All new different FANS this time around. You use people and then disappear. Your EGO got in the way. You were in over your head and no one but you blew a great opportunity. Life happens. WBZ probably let her keep her salary if she didn't bad mouth the station but I am sure there is No gag order. I agree, call her bluff. Speak up or shut down this ridiculous plea to come back JEN, before you take down more people, fans, family..whatever description you like to consider your paycheck. Stress kills, why share it? It's not our job- it was yours.
DeleteWHENLarry GLICK [RET] THAT WAS IT ALL DOWN HILL LARRY HOW YOU DOING LET ME CHECK
ReplyDeletelike!
Delete...Jen Brien was at least entertaining ...
ReplyDeleteDJ Bradlee J is a Royal Pain in the Ears ..
...self obsessed immature and a want to be -hip musician..on his silly train trips..
I refuse to listen to him ...
Todd Feinberg has a mature and capable approach .... I now turn off DJ Bradlee J..
Know it all Todd Feinturd is the Horrible .
DeleteAt least no one is asking for the return of Dean Johnson!
Deletewhen LARRY GLICK RET THAT WAS THE END OF WBZ LARRY HOW YOU DOING LET CHECK
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed jen's shows, very interesting.
ReplyDeleteI first knew there was a problem with Jen Brien when she was taking so much
ReplyDeletetime off.
She got my attention at first and I listened, losing sleep.
As time went on, I felt she wasn't doing well.
Yes, she talked continually about her personal life.
I feel sorry for her and imagine it made her feel like
a failure after she got fired.
So many things wrong: The long drive to and from
work, her not being able to sleep during the day,
talking about doom and gloom.
I noticed though, that she allowed her callers to
take the time they needed and never shut them
up prematurely like so many other radio hosts.
I wish her luck and hope she finds a new line
of work.
If she gave up her two dogs, I think that was
a mistake.
I miss Steve LeVeille but who will replace
Jen now?
Dan Rea seems to have a super ego
and no matter what, he thinks he's
always right.
Morgan Whites is a nice guy but
I find trivia boring.
Bradley Jay is interesting but
with all his travels, I doubt he
would want to replace Jen.
He's a possibility.
I was listening one morning
when Jen said something
insulting to Joe Mathieu
so I wasn't surprised that
he never talked with her
again, on the air.
In any case, working the
night shift is hard on human
beings since we are not
nocturnal animals.
We need our sleep at
night to be healthy and
alert during the day...
i wholeheartedly agree... i tried to keep an open mind, even though she blocked me from her facebook for no reason and would never respond to my emails asking why... i wish her all the best...
DeleteYes, I was blocked too. Only for mentioning there's no reason to aggravate the people who work at the station. They had no part in any of this so why make life harder for them.. I think criticizing Bradley J and Morgan White is terrible. They've been very loyal and adult about the whole thing. They're very dependable and know how to conduct themselves without bashing anyone.
DeleteI rather enjoyed Bradley Jay's show last night. He was prepared with topics and gave me some chuckles. He can be pretty funny. I think I'd like hearing him on some sort of regular basis, if not every night, then at least two or three.
ReplyDeleteI went on vacation last week and came back to the pleasant voice of Bradley Jay.
ReplyDeleteI am just getting up to speed today on the Jenn situation. She was way too personal on the air for 38 states, parts of Canada and the Internet. I even heard her say somebody went to her house...what? I enjoyed listening to her a couple on nights a week. But 5 nights was way too much of her. I hope WBZ finds a replacement for Steve L. But in the meantime the variety of hosts makes it interesting in the overnight.
That's quite a stretch......calling Bradley's voice "pleasant"! Although I have come to make peace with him and his stories.....but his voice, not so much! (Does he smoke or What?? And if he does, he needs to Stop NOW! Or is it all that drinking? LOL)
DeleteOther than the voice thing, he is entertaining and does prepare well, a foreign concept to the now defunct Jen Brien. Too much self-indulgence on her part, I suspect.
The most troubling aspect of Jen's show was her sinking to her callers' level and identifying with the lowest of the low. I mean it's nice to be empathetic, to a point, but to mirror them and their deficits.....kind of creepy.
The way Jordan Rich raises the bar and elevates the intelligence factor is the way Jen did the opposite. Where Jordan's show is culturally enriched and enhanced, Jen's had the other effect.
She just did not inspire the best and the brightest, but instead, cultivated the mindless masses. Rarely did much actual "thinking" go on....feeling, yes.....as she always got down to the empirical nature of human behavior.
So, in her objective to keeping it "light," I guess she managed to achieve that: light and airy!
Jordan Rich would be Awesome to listen to all night! Such a soothing, mellifluous voice....with a venue of fun and cerebral topics to ponder!
A rerun of Dan Rea would be nice too. I wouldn't mind a taped program in that time slot.
Avi Nelson??? Another bright light in the Boston political arena.
Or Michael Medved!!! A breath of fresh air and moral fortitude!
But if WBZ makes a stupid move to bring in that repulsive Phil Hendrie, as someone mentioned, I will never, ever tune in again! Please....NO P.H.!!!!!!
How about a young face, like that of Jackson Burnes? He used to have a show down the Cape on the weekends. Now he works in production at some other Boston radio stations. He was fabulous! Really miss hearing him on the air! He'd really bring in some refreshing young blood too.
Phil Hendrie is phenomenal!
Deletesorry to see jenn go. something different 12-5am refreshing now i will get my sleep .wish her a better future.
ReplyDeleteWhat did she say to Joe Mathieu that insulted him for the last time?
ReplyDeleteI thought she made a few passive agressive comments with Kerry
ReplyDeleteAlso bad mouthing Peggys family at the time of her passing was in extremely poor taste. If I was that family I would have made major complaints
I am glad she is gone. If she is having difficulty, I hope she finds help.I tried to listen but I had to shut it off every time. She is a patriot and I wish her well.
ReplyDeleteI listened to this woman when she was on WRKO, WPRO in Rhode Island and a few times on WBZ. Sadly, I have never heard a more troubled, mentally unhealthy host in my years of radio listening. As a mental health professional, I saw her elevation to the Boston market full time as a car wreck waiting to happen. Her need to share her problems, seek out the unstable as supporters since this appeared to be the crowd she was comfortable with, and constant need to somehow victimize herself said volumes about her own stability. I stopped listening to her on my ride home from the office because I used radio to escape my job and not be reminded of the mentally ill. In many ways, I'm glad it happened this way instead of this woman being talked off the Tobin Bridge.
ReplyDeleteI have heard this young lady on WRKO and WPRO in Providence and have always been concerned about her topics, the directions of her discussions and what seemed to be a constant stream of Freudian consciousness that exposed her as a deeply troubled woman searching for understanding and using the listeners as her personal therapists. Her mother's statement of "don't blow this one" was telling and sad as it exposed her as someone who did not possess a filter as to what was appropriate to share socially and publicly. As a mental health professional, I use radio as a calming influence on my ride home from the office but this woman and the content of her show made me feel as if I never left my patients. I am happy it ended this way because I feared at some point she would make the news for being talked off the Tobin Bridge. I wish her well.
ReplyDeleteI stay awake at night due to dealing with mental health issues with my own family members. It's good to be able to tune in to radio during bouts of insomnia because of this, unless of course I'm listening to that which I've been trying to escape.
DeleteYou repeated yourself?
DeleteToo bad she is gone. Found her entertaining and at least could hold my interest. Can't stand M. Whiite's monotone trivia. Sooooo lame, lazy and boring---we could all read those lists. And, Dan Rea--what an egotistical, mean, self-centered, rude human being; who, he himself thinks he's always right. Do enjoy Bradley Jay. Miss Steve Leville, too. Jordan Riche--kind and classy; but now will listen to WBAL.
ReplyDeleteSorry she is gone. Found her entertaining and she held my interest. Morgan White is a dull drag. Any one of us could read those lists. And, Dan Rea-what an egotistical, self-centered "always right" nasty man. Do enjoy Bradley Jay and Jordan Riche is a class act; but will now listen to WBAL.
ReplyDeleteI don't know how anyone can call Dan Rea nasty or rude! Mean? Self-centered? Are you all right?? You must be listening to someone else or your liberal filter must need changing! He is such a nice, decent, smart, sweet man!! (Oh, I see.....those are the adjectives you liberals object to. Oh well.)
DeleteDan Rea is fantastic!
His show should be rebroadcast at night. Love him!
Jordan Rich is super! Wish he could do the overnight!
Morgan - nice man, but am not into 40-50 yr old stuff or even 10 yr old trivia. But he seems awfully nice & is so sweet to his callers & does a lot of work, & doesn't just "read lists."
Good luck to Jen. Hope she finds peace and another job soon. :) She really sank to such depths, to the "unstable" (as someone said) as supporters for her craziness, and felt comfortable w/ that lot. Catering to the "mindless masses" to avoid any prep work...?
That time slot is really tough. Maybe they should split it up w/ a couple of people.
IMHO ~ Dan Rea is an A-Hole 80% of the time.
DeleteJust don't see it....Dan Rea could not be nicer! Don't know how you can say that!
DeleteJordan Rich - - - - A
Michael Medved - - A+
Avi Nelson - - - - - - A+
Dan Rea - - - - - - - -B+
Todd Feinberg - - - -A-
Bradley Jay - - - - - -C+
Morgan White - - - -C
Jen Brien - - - - - - - -Crazy
Excellent report card! Couldn't have said it better!
DeleteExcept in assessing Jen's mental state - K - that's crazy with a "k" - ha ha ha!! What the hell was That all about anyway? She was not wrapped too tightly, I'm afraid. Hmm? Uh-huh. Yuppp! Oh man, was that annoying or what?!!!
Jen - Please get help!
You're a nice lady, but when folks make suggestions or corrections, you might want to listen & make the necessary changes. And trying to mimic a Bostonian accent that any Bostonian with a brain cringes at is Not the way to go!
Stop going for Stupid!! Dumbing down is endearing! Mmmmm? Yuppp!
Sorry, meant to say: NOT endearing! Not at all!! NoPe!
DeleteBeing stupid is Not to be emulated or copied. Jen, you Know better; Do better! Yuppp!
Pay attention when you're told certain quirks are really, really irritating. Like uh-huh, uh-hum, noPe, yuPPP. Juvenile, sophomoric! Please, spare us!!
You losers who bash Jen are still talking about her! Hilarious. WBZ should bring her back so you will have something to complain about....crazy is way better than B O R I N G!!!!!
DeleteCrazy has been FIRED! Good riddance.
DeleteThe only thing worse than J.B.is Todd Feinturd bashing Prez. Obama 5 nights a week!
ReplyDeleteTodd Feinberg, Avi Nelson or Jordan Rich PLEASE!
ReplyDeleteNO WAY !
DeletePerfect selection!! Todd would be Super!!! Love him! Avi Nelson....a true gentleman, lovely man, so decent, knowledgeable, an absolute delight and treasure. Same for Jordan Rich! Total gems, these guys! Way too nice to do overnight, I'm afraid. :(
DeleteHow about Michael Medved? Or Dan Rea? Reruns of them would be great too! Rather than having some boring show on live.
All right-wing Tools and Propagandists.
Deleteyes they all must be men
DeleteTry again! There are women with an IQ above a potato too who have refrained from drinking the liberal Kool-Aid, unlike you.
DeleteYou're the ones who have been bombarded w/ a constant dose of their propaganda, every station, every dial. It's hard to think for yourself, but you can do it; just go the opposite of the mainstream media and you'll be on the right and Right path.
Loved your politics, Jen, but the rest.....not so much. You should elevate your game and not play into the mediocre, mundane masses. Best of luck, but stop with the silly 'uh-huh' stuff....Please!
Jordan, Dan, even Bradley, maybe....but 5 nights are too much for anyone.
Perfect choices: Todd Feinberg, Avi Nelson, Jordan Rich, Dan Rea......if any of them are available.
DeleteMichael Medved would be Outstanding! Used to listen to him a long time ago....nicest, brightest, most entertaining!
What ever happened to John Bachelor? Really enjoyed him & his intriguing, eclectic programs.
Then there's Doug McIntyre....also very smart....if only he'd stop fighting w. his callers. lol
Bradley's OK....a little rough to listen to, a bit robotic, but entertaining too.
Morgan.....very nice, but can he try to get into this century?! Please...
I like games, but not 50yr old ones! lol
Love the interesting, brainy guests John B used to get, also some of Jordan's. It's learning through osmosis, painless, but lasting.
(Whereas Jen's show made you want to chew your own ear off from the vapidness.) lol
Love Avi! Todd too!
DeleteJordan is wonderful, but living too much in the past, with that incredibly boring 50/40/30/20 yr old music. Can do without that. Same with Morgan and his so old, so boring trivia.
Love Bradley's stories, even though his voice is a little irritating.
Would love to hear Jordan more often, but about current stuff.
I know it's not a solution to split this night shift up because no one can make a living working only a few hours, but it is way too much for one person, unless he or she is a true night owl.
So why not rebroadcast Dan's show on some nights? Or Jordan's book club or other shows of interest a couple of nights?
Whatever you do, please make it fun, SMART, nostalgia-free, and do-able for the next host as well as you. Current and relevant always seem to do the trick.
To all of the "so called" health professionals (cough cough Richard Fukishma and the nurse), its extremely unprofessional to diagnose someone that you've never met! What kind of person listens to a non news program from midnight - 5am??? People who want to be entertained. If any of you losers that posted negative comments about Jen's show, I have a question for you....why didn't you just change the station? I enjoyed Jen's show! If I didn't, I would listen to something else. Also, taking the time to post your comments, still gets Jen publicity! By the way, she's not egotistical at all. I met her a few years ago and she was very nice.
ReplyDeleteWho will replace boring DJ Bradley Jay on WBZ..
ReplyDeleteas his name suggests he is passable as a Rock DJ..
but an awful overnight host..
he is simply not a people person..
he speaks like an atomoton!
There are so many talented people out there ,
please hire one of them.
Well I guess Jen won't be helping Claudio put up his Christmas lights like she promised. She is one quirky chick. I didn't think she was right wing. Too much "there's something out there" stuff.
ReplyDeleteyes, that is it! "there is something out there" it was nuts. you can't preach that stuff to an overnite audience.....helicopters all around, what do they want with us???? OMG i could not believe it. and Kerry Connloly....wow, that was out of control. and mailing her personal items from her home to the listeners. really something.
DeleteJen was a great host, miss her shows.
ReplyDeleteJen was a Vet also. But None of these men were even in the service
DeleteOh yeah Since Jen was a veteran you rather have a male boring chat. I will miss Jen. I did not always agree with her. But the 3 men on now are boring. I somewhat happy because I can get a good nights sleep and not listen. Please get rid of of self promating, free adverising, Mel Simon from West Roxbury. (He is so in love with himself)
DeleteWhat does being a vet have to do with it? That maker her qualified to be a talk show host? She would say that annoying "MMM HMMM" but I say, "No way!" She sucked and she got the boot out the door.
DeleteLOLOLOL sMel Simmons "(He is so in love with himself)" !
DeleteDid she get an honorable discharge ?
Jen did a great job, miss her shows
ReplyDeleteHow about a Liberal for a Change ?
ReplyDeleteHow about a Liberal for a Change ?
DeleteDespite your obvious cry for help (liberal for a CHANGE?! You mean to say: liberal for the same old crap!), I'm going to pretend you can read: Grow up! (And Try reading the response above.) ^
DeleteHow can something be a Change when Every news agency, Every TV show, Every radio broadcast, Every media outlet caters to your wish? How about getting a different perspective, the grown-up one, for a Real change?
Five nights a week at those hours are too much for any one person. Why not split it up between a couple of ppl? Or rebroadcast Dan's show?
I'd love to hear Jordan every night of the week! He's the best to listen to, but I enjoy a mix of politics (Dan) & some light, fun stuff (Bradley), am not into ancient trivia (sorry Morgan....would listen if you embraced this century though!)
How about Todd Feinberg a few nights? Love him! Or Avi Nelson or Michael Medved!
Better yet, hire a bat! Those are a bat's hours that no one human can endure for too long. Three or 4 nights at the most. Just split it up or re-air some of Dan's or Jordan's shows.....at least a few times a week.
KMA
DeleteI posted a few times supporting the idea of bringining jen back because her show was much more entertaining then the crap they have on now.That being said i also said if the reason she was let go was older people complaining about her show.But if the reason she was let go was attendance issues i would understand that decision.Now that wbz finally let us know that it was attendance because of the outcry to get her back im good with it.It was frustrating tuning in every night to her jen only to hear morgan white jr again yuck.Jen loved your show loved your on air personality but i can no longer defend a 45 year old women who cant get into work on time or worse not at all!
ReplyDeletelet her come back get rid of morgan and bradly they could make anyone fall asleep boring useless crap
ReplyDeleteHer departure is for the best, as she was over her head with a five night schedule. Nice lady, but she obviously has some issues.
ReplyDeleteI think the biggest mistake Peter Casey made was bowing to the pressure to return Steve Leveille after his termination. When he did return, he appeared to me arrogant, more rude and self centered, and was frequently absent (albeit, exacerbated by some physical problems). I quickly turned him off after his reappearance. Once his departure was announced, I listened to the down-select process and liked Bradley least and was lukewarm on Jen. After her selection, I listened for the first two full-time weeks but could never connect with her style or content so turned off WBZ again (that's the beauty of a radio dial: it has lots of numbers). Now that she has been terminated, I'm willing to try again but it doesn't sound as though there's a lot to pick from based on the recent try-outs. If Jordan were available, I think that would be the best choice but I think his "real-world" schedule precludes the overnight. Morgan is my favorite, but I'm not sure how widespread his appeal is nor how a five-night format would go over. Perhaps it's best to try a rotation for the overnight so we can pick and choose to whom we listen, or let's bite the bullet and go for syndication, not forgetting about all those other numbers on the dial.
ReplyDeleteThe person I liked during that down-select process after Leveille's departure was Dean Johnson. He did about 2 nights a week for a couple of months, then vanished. He made a comment to Joe Matthieu one morning that he was going for a job interview, so maybe he was successful. He presented a pretty good variety each night, and had a pretty good grasp of local issues.
DeleteAnonymousOctober 9, 2013 at 4:05 PM
ReplyDeleteIs just another typical low information uneducated expert-like Jen was.
I enjoyed Jen most of the time because I like "light" listening during those times. But, as the show progressed I felt like she was on her way to a meltdown. I was upset about her dogs since she professed what an animal lover she is. And, the Kerry crush was uncomfortable probably for Kerry as well. I enjoyed Steve for the most part but found him often rude to callers and he was a mooch always looking for free stuff like hot sauce. Plus, his voice is right up there with Bradley J - AWFUL for radio. Morgran is a good fill-in but not a permanent solution in my opinion. I feel like clearing my throat whenever Bradley is on and I tune out now. We need someone with a professional voice and some humor. After listening to news and political stuff all day long, it's not what I want in the middle of the night. And, you Dan Rea bashers - are you ----ing me! Jordan has the best voice on radio, but the show is boring at times. Dan Rea is #1.
ReplyDeleteDan asked, "Where should the Obama's have gone on vacation?" Callers called and said, "Alaska" or the South Side of Chicago but the last call of the night was from a goon from South Boston who suggested the Old Colony Housing Project to visit his Auntie. Rae responded, "Come on. There wouldn't have been enough room for the Secret Service."
ReplyDeleteMost fair minded listeners are offended when this type of trash talk passes for humor. He gets calls from Minnesota, Raenoke and Dayton, but those in Mattapan, Roxbury and Dorchester have clearly tuned him out. We know he listened to The Jen Brien show when he gave the admonition to one of his Obama hating callers when he said, "Not on my show!!" If Jen's hiring and subsequent dismissal did nothing more than bring attention to what passes for intelligent, appropriate and respectful speech than that was a good thing.
I tried at first, but didn't last long. I thought she on speed, fer cryin out loud.. Then the constant uh-huh to her own statements, and changing direction mid-sentence over and over. Bradley Jay is nice and easy, knowledgeable locally, and has easy going topics for the middle of the night. I could listen to him all week. Most of all he is humble. His buddy Dan R could use a dose of that. Dan is a legend in his own mind and frequently turns bully when somebody disagrees with him. Tuned out, DR!
ReplyDeleteBradly and Morgan? Back to Coast to Coast or me!
ReplyDeleteJen was even more wacky than Steve Leveville--which seems to be a requirement for the night shift.
ReplyDeleteDumb as dirt. Leveille was a left wing wacky opinion wise. Jen was real. We won't see that anymore except for Dan Rea.
DeleteJen who ???
ReplyDeleteI think she is a nut,but I liked the show.don't listen now !!!
ReplyDeleteNow that Jen Brien is gone it opens the revolving door for overnight talk show hosts who are intelligent, prepared, trained, as well as emotionally and psychologically well integrated. For 10 years she went from one job to the next and it would appear that no one wanted to give her anything but a sterling recommendation, perhaps because they wanted her gone-never to return. Jen burns bridges and employees "fire" her. In a word, she's been"flamed". I wonder how long it will be before Mr Casey is asked to write a recommendation for her?
ReplyDeleteI stopped listening to The Jen Brien Show on the overnight when; as her opening question one night she rhetorically asked the audience: "How come blacks get a pass when they commit crimes?" She was referring to the Trevor Martin case and insisted that white criminals are covered more prominently in the press.
ReplyDeleteI am so Done with Right wing WBZ Propaganda and all their sponsors.
DeleteOh boo-hoo! Now you can get back to, wait for it : ANY OTHER STATION!! You liberals are so lucky. Your crap is Everywhere....whereas conservatives like me have to search high and low to find someone out there Not force feeding us the party line propaganda.
DeleteYou can't imagine how refreshing it is to hear logical, sensible thinking!
How about a rerun of Dan's or Jordan's shows?
Bradley's OK too. At least he's entertaining, minus the craziness of Jen - she was out of control and never took advice - Mmm - Uh-huh - Yup! (Can't believe how many commented on how annoying That was!!)
Todd would be great too!
Morgan is nice, but enough of ancient trivia! I feel like I'm crawling out of a time warp with him - Nightmarish! Move On...!
Someone mentioned Avi Nelson....Yesss!
Avi
Jordan
Dan
Todd
Bradley
I think 5 nights for anyone would be too much because of the hours. That's a rough schedule. I'm sure that was Jen's undoing, plus living so far. It doesn't have to be Live every night, does it?
I don't think anyone expected 'BZ to hire someone who had either a conservative or progressive political ideology. The job description was clear-plan a show that was interesting and informative and one that would attract interesting and informed callers. That didn't happen. She wasn't eccentric or neurotic but empty headed and self absorbed-a total bore. Who is going to listen to someone who tells them they are "a student of life" when it's pretty clear they skipped class.
ReplyDeleteHow does one go from being a self described stoned, partying, Deadhead follower to being a self described stoned, partying, US soldier, to (again, self described!) "Soldier of the Year"? What year, when? How?
ReplyDelete"Biographies on wiki should really be written by third parties who discover a person's notability because they are truly notable, not because friend or family member thinks they are more notable than they really are". @2:05PM see the Law of Unintended Consequences.
ReplyDeleteJen's dumbing down the program, along with a steady flow of her unstable callers, exacerbated a certain quick demise.
ReplyDeleteThere are too many out there who fit that bill, but even so, raising one's cultural and intellectual sensibilities ought to be the goal, not the other way around. Aren't there enough mindless shows inundating our daily lives; do we really need another one in the middle of the night?
No, we don't! Or should I just go w/ Jen's annoying : Uh-uh. Nope!
Where is John Bachelor when you need him?!
Jordan is great, w/ the best voice Ever! Could use a little updating in the music dept though.....unless he wants to talk about Queen....such an amazing, eclectic band! Their hidden gems are a treasure trove of sheer ecstasy!!! (Just got into them & can't get over their brilliance!)
But other than that, I can't deal with that old, stale, boring music and era that he and Morgan are stuck in.
Love Jordan's book clubs & other topics that are relevant & enlightening. The nostalgia, not so much though.
That's why John Bachelor would be so perfect. I prefer him, Todd Feinberg, or Avi Nelson; even Bradley a few times a week.
Queen Rocksssss!! :)
Spot on!
DeleteRe: Jen and her freaky callers. Hope none of them find out where she lives! Unless she was reckless enough to let that slip out too! lol
Also love your picks to replace her. Great list! Hope WBZ takes listeners' suggestions. I like the fact that it's live, but would not lose sleep if a few times it were taped. In fact, I'd possibly gain sleep! lol
And Queen DOES rock! Super band! The best!
I thought Jen Brien's professionalism was a little off. Nothing on-air as such, but the problems with showing up late - you just can't do that in TV or radio. Whatever the reason for the separation she will be missed. Why? At least she had an interesting voice and a capacity to draw callers in. Some people seem to be grousing about her topics here - but her choices did draw callers in. There is no "perfect" talk show topic.
ReplyDeleteShe will be even more missed in context of the dregs that leaves us with once again. I shall just refer to them as "Host #1" and "Host #2".
"Host #1" - If I wanted to play trivia with my dowdy old grandmother I would. Style and voice are equally boring. Maybe his choice of topics as well - for the life of me, other than "trivia" I'm at a total loss to recall even one topic on his shows. Totally blank - can't recall a single topic. Probably due to both style and (lack of) substance.
"Host #2" - Might have a face for radio, but not the voice. But boy, he sure do like to listen to himself talk! And talk and talk and talk - he seems incapable of getting callers to, you know - call. Oh, it helps if you occasionally mention the station you are working at and - gee - give out the phone numbers more than every half hour. For all the complaints about Jenn here, his topics seem to be universally about "him." Jogging - he hates jogging, wants to know if you hate jogging, wants to know what's a good jogging shoe, wants to know if you used to hate jogging and then liked it - because he hates jogging. Every topic seems to come along with that context. Nope - that "style" just doesn't seem to be lighting up the phone lines. Even a potentially interesting topic gets buried under this really annoying "what's in this for me?" frame of reference.
Somebody please let me know when WBZ selects a new host - I sure won't be listening to this time slot for now in order to find out.
"Jen Brien's professionalism was a little off. Nothing on-air as such...."
DeleteA "little off"?? And "nothing on-air"?? I think that was the whole problem! That it was a LOT off And very much On-Air!!
We watched (rather, Heard) her meltdown on the air!
I'm sure Peter Casey was asleep by then and had no clue as to what was happening to her, and us, as a result of getting swept up in her very much on-air anxiety-ridden craziness.
So much for keeping it "light," huh, Jen?
The dead deer, the dogs, the birds; hence the rats! OMG, we're still reeling from it all! Uh-huh! YupppPP! (Ugh!!!!!)
Then the commute! Well, you live down THE Cape (as nobody says just Cape, btw, FYI....LOL); it's a bit of a ride!
But the plea for help came as soon as she started to invite her already unstable callers for coffee, etc.
Who does that?!
You're dealing with the general public, Joe Schmo, up in the middle of the night, for whatever reason; do you really want to reach through that abyss of darkness and anonymity of the radio and share more of yourself than you already have, but In Person?
NO!!
Who knows what lurks beneath the facade of those "funky" creepy crawlers, I mean callers!? Oopsy!
It's a Job! Treat it like one! If you can't get there on time or need time off, maybe this time slot is not for you after all. Then you should have been honest w/ Mr. Casey, if it was getting too much.
That was probably the first red flag that he spotted, the no-shows, not merely the content of the cry for help that you had already raised w/ me and the rest of the world, while trying to "blend" your radio "family" w/ you and your real and actual life.
NO! It's a job!
I'm sure you were merely trying to be friendly, but "friendly" can be misinterpreted in so many ways, esp folks who are in their beds half asleep, trying to make sense of this young woman spilling out her guts to me and everyone else in their comatose state of being.
Anyway, hope she gets the help she desperately sought, as well as another job, on the radio, but w/ easier hours. She does have a connection that's worthy of a radio show; but those hours were/are murder!
Next:
Dan? Bradley? Jordan!!!
Morgan's a sweetheart, but that trivia, not so much!
Michael Medved!!!!!
John Bachelor!!!!!!
Anyone, smart, entertaining, funny, enlightening, clever, & not boring, & not living in the past! And perhaps someone w/ a good voice! (Too much to ask?) Then I'll just stick w/ Smart!
Avi Nelson!!!
Good points, all of them!
DeleteLove your choices as well. Any of them are certainly great and deserving. I'm wondering if any of them are up for that exhausting schedule though - ?
That's the biggest concern - the hours. Jen started off great, but I think 5 nights were just too much, as they will be for anyone else, no matter how good they are as fill-ins.
That's what to consider when assigning this gig to - whomever.
Jen was fine for a while, but then fizzled out with a bang. Too much personal drama, not enough prep to do a decent show, and resorted to indulging the after hours loony tunes, dumbing down, as someone put it. She engaged them way too much, leaving the rest of us shaking our heads, wondering why, and wishing for sleep.
For the next host - please NO trivia - at least not on oldie, and moldy, extinct TV shows! Geography, history, literature, science, or general knowledge - anything, as long as it's not fluff-based!
I like Todd Feinberg who's been filling in for Dan lately. He's quite good. Maybe they should spread it out among a few different hosts, to avoid the burnout - ?
When disruptive, high conflict employees like Jen B. leave an organization it is often left to others "in the department" to clean up the mess and act like nothing happened. They have to do what it takes to right the ship and moor it to shore. Bradley Jay and Morgan White have certainly done that. Unfortunately when all the sails are up and the wind is at your back, so are those who want to take the ship in another direction. No one should be offended when passengers (aka listeners) want to be a little more adventurous or those who want to sail in calmer waters. If I were Bradley or Morgan I would read every comment and run with it. If some are tough to read or untrue, chuck em. I think many of the comments were well thought out ( see@1:35AM) and if given the opportunity to have a face-to-face meeting with those writers, you might find them to be kind and thoughtful folks who value what goes on at 'BZ.
ReplyDeleteChange is good. It adds a little spice and can uncover your hidden talents. You both bring unique qualities to the job and no one anticipates either one of you going rogue. We know how smart, funny, dependable, honest and caring you are but that doesn't mean we want you to stand by and watch you rescue the boss while the ship is sinking second time around. I, for one, would never tolerate that for one minute and I hope you wouldn't either.
Jen's loyal "friends" from her Facebook page are still "alive" to the notion that Jen will get a second chance at WBZ. !!!!!Breaking News !!!!!Jen has moved on. Talking out of both sides of her mouth she says, "WBZ means everything to me" and the next day she posts her telephone number on her Twitter account asking Amy Lawrence to call her. The number was removed and the rather illiterate reference to "trough" and needing to drink the water remains.
ReplyDeleteJen knew definitively on or about September 25th that she would no longer be working at WBZ. I feel she duped a lot of good folks and those who started the Bring Back Jen movement via Facebook. That was cruel. No sense getting upset when people believe her to be a "talk show host professional because she has a good voice". She was just someone who had no manners- a proper little savage. Listening to her eat, slurp coffee and talk about flushing toilets was dreadful.
Where was Jen and what was she doing when she blew off her shifts with no notice to WBZ management? THAT'S THE ONLY QUESTION LEFT.. What was so important that she just didn't bother going to work?
ReplyDeleteI thought th ebiggest mistake that she, or ANY late night host could ever make, was talking about sleeping habits on a freaking overnight show. Jen, for crying out loud, we're listening b/c we're up working 3rd shift, or commuting to a job that starts at 3am or whatever...we're tired. we KNOW that according to millions of years of evolution that we shouldn't really be awake right now...so we turn to live talk radio to normalize the fact that we're up. It's reassuring to know that despite the fact that you're tired and up at 3am for work that the world keeps turning and we can have a conversation. so the DUMBEST thing you could possibly ever do is break that 4th wall by going "How does anyone stay awake at this hour?" seriously, that is what cost me as a listener..now i listen to overnight america.
ReplyDeleteWait a minute jen was trying be more a friend then talk show over night people are a special breed very few over night workers that is who mainly she tried reach as for the invite people for coffee how many time I hear the guys on radio invite people to come to their shows at other places or I am going be at such and such a place on tuesday come by say hi and I will give you a tshirt. Using WBZ to promote their other work is that professional I think not using their radio talk and listeners to promote other work they do. She asked people for help sorta like making the radio her own twitter or facebook using the radio to hslp the people in sound of the radio broadcast help it makes sense why limit your search for a place live to only local if you have people who listen to you feel connected maybe they may have an appartment free willing rent to her she wanted people feel like they were in her house like a friend join her for coffee enjoy the visit, talk like a friend she doesn't be likd I am better then you mo
ReplyDeleteAlso who are you all to call jen's callers dumb, what only highly educated sophisticated are allowed to call, as most real people that are up during the night are shift workers usually uneducated overnight shift workers who want feel they have a friend up with them all night a friend who understands the worries we over night workers have
ReplyDeleteWhy are you getting defensive about it? Might you be one of Jen's brainiac callers? Before you admit to that, you might want to go back and correct all your "typos" in order to, you know, mitigate that stereotypical view. LOL
DeleteHere's the problem....Jen, like anyone else pressed for time, lack of sleep, etc., had to resort to simple stories which any of us are able to relate to. But, when one relies on personal anecdotes to frame a show around, rather than a fact-based, thought-provoking forum, it gets reduced to a certain level that everyone can relate to & therefore spurs people who might not ordinarily call to contribute their bit, to call and contribute their bit, their boring little silly bit.....reinforcing the mindless factor in both host(ess) as well as potential caller, but, turning off those other listeners, including me, who are left wanting more, more of a challenge, more interesting, and less of the personal drama that went on.
Granted, she had a lot of callers, but that was why, because the show sadly was short on intriguing material, and focused on the minutia of life, a topic we can all relate to, but do we really want to?
The next host(ess) will hopefully try to enhance the program to a respectable level from which neither of us will be embarrassed to admit participating in.
What a great comment! It encapsulates the heart of the issue. That if you can't hack the overnight hours, then the show takes a dramatic downward turn into the toilet, as Jen's did, despite her relatively good start.
DeleteAlso it demonstrates how important it is for the host of the show to take charge and carve out a direction, and not just throw it out there and hope for the best.
Let's hope the next one learns this lesson.
BRADLEY JAY IS DOING A VERY GOOD JOB SO FAR !
ReplyDeleteI agree. Bradley Jay is just getting better and better. Did anyone else catch Jen the night she was defending the use of the word "colored" and that it's ok to refer to "colored people"? I nearly drove off the road
ReplyDeleteIndeed, so far his trajectory is good ... imho he should work on his sense of humor and establish some 'ear candy' which may be chalenging considering it's a very mixed audience.
DeleteI moved off from WBZ overnight when Jen took over. Now that Bradley is getting more air time, I'm staying off. He has accomplished one feat -- he has made Jen look good. Just go to syndication and let's all move on.
ReplyDeleteThe brain sits in fluid. Jen's brain languishes in a metaphorical swamp.
ReplyDeleteI liked her at first but she got really old with all her whining about her personal life, yada-yada-yada. And the way she sucked up to the a.m. TV gal was awful, I think she may have had a thing for her. Sure, Morgan is a sweet guy but PULEEZE, five hours of guessing games is childish. Why don't they air some of good ol' Larry Glick from the archives....now THAT was entertainment!
ReplyDeleteI was Impressed with Bradley Jay's performance last night !
ReplyDeleteSo was I. He's doing a great job.
DeleteJen had some appeal at the beginning, but you could track (by her own words) her coming unglued. I listen to radio all night and her show forces my Crane radio to other stations for relief.
ReplyDeleteMorgan's trivia is mind-numbing, Bradly J is tolerable, and Jordan is an often pleasant experience.
Good luck Jen.
Jen-Last night you & your supporters were the ones that blinked, and as usual, lost another one, looking dumber as time goes on.
ReplyDeleteExplain.
Delete'wromg trough'.
ReplyDeleteOctober 13 @2:05PM The Soldier of the Year award is a competition. For complete details relative to what each soldier should be prepared to do can be found at the official United States Army. Mil website. There you will read current articles describing eligibility requirements and what is expected of the competitor.
ReplyDeleteJen Brien's Wikipedia* autobiography has been removed. In its place is the announcement of her time spent on WBZ (3 months), dismissal details, and that Morgan White would be the fill in host until a permanent host is selected. It would appear that Bradley Jay is the new overnight host. I wish him the very best.
ReplyDelete*In the wiki article I don't believe she said she won the competition for the Soldier of the Year (SOTY) Award but instead attended the Awards Dinner in honor of those who did.
Screw wbz too many right wingers for me !
ReplyDeleteYa, now you can get back to Any other station and be fed the same old liberal slop!
DeleteGood for you for keeping such an open mind......cough, cough! LOL
Thank God there Are radio stations (one, anyway!) that think outside the liberal crap box....a station that thinks for itself and manages to stave off, for the most part, the onslaught of the ubiquitous, ghastly mainstream idiocy.
One versus All of them....not very fair, but at least it's something!
A breath of fresh air is WBZ, a tiny slice of hope, for those of us who are independent-minded enough to stay clear of dead-eyed Kool-Aid drinkers.
Hahahahahahahahahahahaha...
DeleteLook in the Mirror.
Oct 13 @ 1:30 pm -- The question was never "What is the SOTY competition. The issue is can anyone find ANY independent confirmation that Jen Brien ever won the highly competitive SOTY competition as claimed.
ReplyDeleteOct 18 @ 1:49 -- NO. The Wiki bio, as well as many trade industry articles from this past summer all cited that Jen Brien was a former SOTY winner. You can still read many of these, just google Jen Brien WBZ and read the articles about her getting the full time gig. Many are written alike, as if from a press release, all cite the SOTY award...
While it was great to hear a woman's voice, Jen Brien was an outsider. She didn't know the Boston market making it difficult to connect to the audience. I didn't like her sometimes combative style--maybe due in part to her military background. I didn't care for the mystical, extraterrestrial content either.
ReplyDeleteTrouble is she connected with them too much! She tried too hard to "fit in;" w/ that stupid attempt at copying an accent that no self-respecting Bostonian would ever utter.
DeleteUgh!
How insane was that?! Like nails on a chalkboard!
We know some Bostonians have deficits, but do we have to publicly parade them about?
We also have 100's of colleges; why not aim for that market instead of sinking to the bottom of the barrel?
Somehow Jen felt comfortable in sidling up to that element, while neglecting the more intellectual sector.
Well, better luck to her, wherever she ends up. Wherever it is though, I hope she's read through these remarks on how everyone was annoyed by her self-affirming uh-huh's, uh-hum's, yups, and nopes!
Bradley Jay - not a bad choice. His voice needs.....something....not sure what can help with that.
Entertaining enough. He leans left-ish, until he rails against those who take no responsibility for their own actions and scoffs at ppl who get no consequences for bad manners, and not only that, but believes they should be publicly humiliated for such behavior.
I can live with that.
I'd prefer someone like Jordan who strives for loftier heights to "increase our cultural sensibilities" as someone so keenly put it. Plus his voice is so perfect!
Or Todd, or Dan, or Michael Medved, who'd be spectacular! As well as Avi Nelson.
But it is a grueling schedule, so let's hope for the best without a host burnout in the offing. :)
I wonder what kind of discharge she got from the military ?
ReplyDeletesee citation at Jen Brien-Army ZoomInfo where she states she received an honorable discharge. She does not mention that she received the "prestigious SOTY Award but was quite proud of her Army accomplishments and awards as a skilled dog handler.
Delete@12:48AM. Allow your common sense be your guide when searching for "independent confirmation" when considering the veracity of Ms Brien's statements.
ReplyDeletehate to see anyone lose their job, but you have to show up
ReplyDeleteI found this on the US Army Website www.army.mil:
ReplyDelete"Eight months after winning the 2010 Army's Best Warrior Competition, Sgt. Sherri Gallagher, the first female Soldier of the Year, and Staff Sgt. Christopher M. McDougall, the NCO of the Year, reflect on how difficult the competition was, and how rewarding it has been since."
If in fact, Sgt Gallagher was the FIRST female Soldier of the Year in 2010, that argues against Ms Brien. Just more confusion and oddity associated with her. Who knows what the "Soldier of the Year" recognition to which she refers actually means.
"Before beginning her career in radio, Brien spent over five years as a soldier in the United States Army where she was selected for the prestigious “Soldier of the Year” award."
Curiouser and curiouser -- but, at least, finally gone.
October 19, 2013@12:48AM A very thoughtful writer has posted insights into what it takes to win the SOTY competition. Only after reading the rules/regulations/eligibility requirements is one able to decide whether or not Ms Brien had the intellectual preparation, the emotional and physical stamina or the training and skills to compete and win. When she told Mr Casey she won the "prestigious SOTY Award" he simply believed her. He had no reason to disbelieve her nor any responsibility to verify the veracity of her claim. If it turns out to be untrue than Ms Brien owes her long suffering boss a heartfelt apology.The press release can be edited for truthfulness-end of story.
ReplyDeleteWhen she said she spent from 1996-2000 at the University of Rhode Island completing a double major in Philosophy and Political Science are we to assume she earned an undergraduate degree?
Why imply or infer outcomes when the truth never changes?
WBZ is becoming more more another Right Wing Propaganda channel.
ReplyDeleteSorry to see her go, Bradley J is a waste of air time. Have switched to another network.
ReplyDeleteGood luck Jen-hope you get off your "high" horse and back to reality. I tried to listen to your shows, but as time went on your problems made me feel real jittery during the middle of the night. You came out with so many bizarre topics---too much for the audience to grasp! If you only kept your mouth shut and didn't insult people so much: like Joe M. you may have come off looking more polished! Maybe you'll learn from all of this and hopefully be less into yourself and find more meaning to your life. Also-we all have problems with our families but it's not okay to air our dirty laundry about personal things like that to everyone. I bet the ones you bad-mouthed un your family would be there in a heartbeat to help you. Maybe you should ask their advice--try talking to your politician brother who you badmouthed, maybe he will feel sorry for you and get you hooked up with ones of those "Cushy" jobs that the politicians get their friends and family; maybe there are still some of the "toll" collector jobs open in Rhode Island-you can greet people and collect money--HM? All kidding aside=take a deep breath and stop talking bad about people and focus on yourself, wish you and your animals the best--hope you still keep your promise and help Claudio with his lighting project--you mentioned it a zillion times, maybe you will be a kind soul and be there for him.
ReplyDelete