Media Curmudgeon

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October 12, 2005

Listening For Motivations

In a previous blog, titled "Reading Motivations," I suggested that when you read newspaper stories, you should consider what motivations a paper has for publishing a story and what the possible sources for the stories are. I think you have to be similarly skeptical and thoughful when viewing television or listening to radio, especially sports talk radio.

On one of my first blogs almost two years ago, I wrote about obnoxious, self-absorbed spots radio talkers and cited Michael Kay on ESPN Radio's local affiliate, WEPN, 1050, as an example. He was so obnoxious and self-important that I stopped listening to him for almost two years. But this past summer as I listened to the Yankee games, I became engrossed with the Bronx Bomber's struggle to get to the playoffs. The Yankee broadcasts on WCBS, 880, were much better this year because of the addition of Susan Waldman in the booth. She was terrific--knowledgeable, honest, and a pleasure to listen to. Her intimate knowledge of Yankee history equaled that of Yankee homer and egomaniac John Sterling (who wallows in being called "The Voice of the Yankees") and she dealt nicely with his pomposity and his know-it-all, alpha male on-air persona, something Charlie Steiner was unable to do the two previous years.

Because of the Yankee penant race I began listening to Michael Kay again. In addition to being the host of a sports-talk show on WEPN, 1050, he more famously is one of the announcers for the televised Yankee games on the YES cable network, so I figured I could put up with the self-absorbed, juvenile, often cruel, arrogant kidding and non-sports-related silliness he too often stoops to so I could get some inside stuff about Yankees.

Well, you now how it is with radio, once your buttons are set to a station, you tend to go back there. Also, I like to listen to the Dan Patrick Show from time to time, so I'd tune in to Dan now and then. At times Michael was very good and full of Yankee insights, but eventually he would start acting silly or go into a rant, so when that happened I'd turn to WFAN, 660, which I hadn't listened to in several years.

About a week ago I heard Michael Kay on a rant about Joe Torre. Michael was criticizing Joe for having Robinson Cano bat sixth instead of second, where Michael thought he belonged. He was clearly critical of Torre as a manager. I remember at the time I thought Kay was being too tough on Torre and I didn't agree with him. Then this past Tuesday afternoon, after the Yankee lost the final game in the American Lague playoff series to the Angels the previous night, Kay went on an obnoxious rant against Torre. Kay said that he couldn't believe what Joe had said after the game, that it was the most disappointing loss he'd ever suffered. Kay was outraged at Torre's statement, saying that he couldn't belive it, that the worse loss in Torre's career had to be the loss last year to the Red Sox after the Yankees were up three games and the Red Sox went on to win the next four games and knock the Yankees out of going to the World Series. He bloviated on and on about Torre's statement. Again, I didn't agree with him and thought he went over the line criticizing Torre.

This morning in the New York Times, I read a column by Selena Roberts titled "Time For the Boss to Fire Himself" in which she wrote: "As it is, Steinbrenner is more isolated, more unpredictable than ever. Perhaps the pressure of the payroll--of money lost via early playoff departures--has left Steinbrenner too manipulative to make sense.

The old shipbuilder in Steinbrenner surely has a keen understanding of how damaging leaks can be, yet he was suspected of filtering criticisms through the earpieces of his YES Network talent this year in surreptitious attempts to undermine Torre."

Bingo! The light went on. Michael Kay is one of "the earpieces of his YES Network talent." Michael Kay on 1050, ESPN Radio, was being a toady to George--sucking up to do the dirty work of his mean-spirited, meglomaniacal boss in order to keep his precious YES TV job.

This morning I was listening to Joe Benigno on WFAN and he and his callers were talking about Joe Torre. The vast majority of the callers (at least during the hour plus that I listened) were positive about the job Torre did this year as a manager. Benigno said he thought that Torre did a superb job of managing this year--probably his best as the Yankee manager. Benigno said that he thought Torre was the second-best manager in baseball, Bobby Cox of Atlanta being the best.

WFAN and WEPN are in a fierce battle for sports listeners in New York, a battle that WFAN is winning. But you know that the WFAN personalities and programming people listen to WEPN and to Michael Kay, the biggest personality on the local station, on in afternoon drive time (other programs such as "Mike and Mike in the Morning," Colin Cowherd and Dan Patrick come from the ESPN Radio network). So it's reasonable to assume that the WFAN people knew that Michael Kay was rapping Torre and understood why he was doing it (he was being blantantly dishonest)--WFAN knew it and Selana Roberets knew it.

Does that mean that WFAN had a strategy of supporting Torre just to counter-program Michael Kay? I don't think so. I believe the WFAN personalities--Joe Benigno, Mike and the Mad Dog, and Steve Somers (the ones I listen to at times)--seem to be honest about their opinions and say what they think. I now believe that Miachel Kay is a dishonest mouthpiece for Steinbrenner. It will be interesting to see how many listeners agree with me and if the WEPN ratings go up or down.

I also believe that Selana Roberts is a pretty good, honest sports columnist and I'd link to her column, but it's behind the stupid NY Times firewall and you have to be a Times subscriber or pay $49 a year to read it. If you're a subscriber, I recommend you read this Wednesday's column I mentioned above. If you live in New York and like sports radio occassionally, I recommend WFAN, 660, after 10:00 a.m. Of course from 6-10 a.m. and 4-7:00 p.m. I recommend NPR Radio no matter where you live.

Posted by Charles Warner at October 12, 2005 6:49 PM

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Media Curmudgeon at October 13, 2005 11:07 AM writes:

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