L-A Radio: Brian Moote EXITS Mornings At KAMP

Brian Moote

Brian Moote, who spent two years on the Bert Show in Atlanta, has lost his job as a morning host on Los Angeles top 40 station KAMP AMP 97.1 FM.  He was only there about 18 months, reports Rodney Ho at ajc.com.

AMP 97.1 , which competes against powerhouse KIIS 102.7 FM with Ryan Seacrest, decided to go for a more music-intensive show with  less personality and since Moote was there to spice in the funny, he became the odd man out.

Ho reports Moote left the Bert Show early last year amicably. Getting your own morning show in the No. 2 market in America is hard to say no to. But it was a brand new show and he was teamed with Edgar Sotelo and Chelsea Briggs. They had never worked together before.

Bert Weiss, in a text, felt that his friend Moote got the short end of the stick, that Entercom (which owns AMP and in Atlanta, Star 94.1) showed no patience.

“You can’t just throw three people into a studio together and assume there is gonna be massive growth immediately,” Weiss wrote.

In 2001, when Susquehanna launched the Bert Show on Q100, management was eminently patient and gave Bert a chance to let his show grow gradually, first with 18 to 34 female listeners, then a broader audience. Within five years, he was beating Star 94.1’s Steve & Vikki across key demographics and has been a dominant presence in Atlanta radio ever since - even with staff turnover.

When Moote left the Bert Show, he told listeners he hoped to emulate Weiss in L.A. "I'm a competitive person," he said. "I'm never afraid to take risks. Bert took a risk and built something that is respected nationally. The love and support he's earned from the cities we're syndicated especially Atlanta is something really special. I benefited by growing as a radio personality and coming up with ideas."