Good Riddance to Garbage

Once again my Facebook buddy John Roberts lit the fuse for a story – although he seems to be ignoring me the last few days.

Yesterday, he posted about a former WIP host getting a job in another city. Houston. Facebook buddy Bill Lewis and I started discussing the topic, and I wanted to know more. So I did a little homework.

Refuse to Name Him

Even though I’ve written about that former host several times in the past, I refuse to name him or to post his picture. That’s because I detested him from the first time I heard his voice and recognized his shtick. He annoyed me such much, I started touching base at WIP to see who brought him to the station.

From my vantage point, I blamed program director Spike Eskin. You know, a new guy trying to make a name for himself. A wet-behind-the-ears upstart trying to reinvent the wheel by bringing in another young counter-culturist.

But I was wrong. I learned it wasn’t Eskin. Andy Bloom was the culprit who brought the parvenu into the Philly Market. Bloom was the operations director at WIP. Bloom, once in the same capacity at WYSP, before WIP usurped that station, brainstormed the notion of simulcasting Howard Stern into WYSP’s programming. Great idea for that station. That time. That place.

I loved Stern. Loved the Lesbian Dating Game. But WIP isn’t WYSP. No way Stern would work on sports-talk. But Bloom tried to reincarnate him. Never worked.

The guy rubbed me the wrong way from the get-go. So much so, I stopped listening – even though I call his cohosts Marc Farzetta and Hollis Thomas buddies. I missed listening to them. Moreover, that guy drove me away from listening to WIP.

Good news: Both Bloom and the other guy are gone.

Andy Bloom

Bloom got the ax one week before last Christmas (2015). Mixed opinions on what transpired. Bloom blamed budgetary down-sizing.

“It is part of another restructure and strictly a budgetary move. That has happened across the industry over the past several years. It’s been an incredible eight years with CBS Philly.”

David Yadgaroff, senior vice president and market manager for CBS Philly, put it succinctly:

“Bloom is no longer with CBS Radio.”

Read between the lines and form your own opinion.

The Other Guy

The other guy got the ax in late August.

The story goes: he’s gone because of racial comments directed at The Fanatic’s Mike Missanelli. Losing ratings to Mikey Miss, the other guy posted a photo of Al Jolson in blackface on Twitter. Directed it at Missanelli. That straw, supposedly, broke the pretender’s back.

That situation in interesting, but too long to discuss here and now. Check out Billy Penn’s post for the details. Like the headline states, good riddance.

In addition to being the official Eagles Outsider for BlameMyFather.com – Barry Bowe is also the author of: