Rained on again in Chicago

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I can't be the only person in the Chicago market who is pissed off (big time) over WCPT's inexplicable decision to lop off the last hour of Thom's show so that Jeff Santos can get a couple hours in. To add insult to injury, the first hour of Norman Goldman's show is also now missing. I can't listen via the internet, so 'CPT apparently thinks I'm just going to take it. Wrong. Jeff Santos is on my new boycott list--until WCPT recovers from their bad business decision and puts things back in their natural condition (Hartmann and Goldman live for all their show), I will not listen. We just started getting Thom live just a few months ago, and now this outrage. Why? Thom and Norm are the best in the business right now; I assumed, perhaps incorrectly, that Thom's move to a later time slot was so (among other things) that the big Chicago market would finally get him live. I know I'm not the only CPT listener who placed an angry call to the station. I implore all Chicago listeners to keep on the pressure (I was not profane, and I know that others won't be either).

TimJN's picture
TimJN
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Jul. 31, 2007 4:01 pm

Comments

Yes, this bothers me as well. Thanks for pointing it out. I just realized that Norm wasn't on when I drive home from work and it bothered me.

WCPT will likely be at the Green Festival this weekend. You could express yourself personally to them at their booth. I know I will. It's at Navy Pier.

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tominator
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Jul. 31, 2007 4:01 pm

I'm with you. I thought Santos was covering for Thom having technical difficulties or something, but now realize it's just a bad programming choice. No offense to Santos, but he ain't worth missing an hour of Thom for and I'd rather listen to Norm as well. I called and let them know.

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Laborisgood
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Jul. 31, 2007 4:01 pm

I went through the same thing as you, laborisgood. At four pm it suddenly switched over to Santos. I thought it was a mistake--boy, was I wrong. I'm still steaming. Someone over at Norman Goldman's blog response page thinks it was done as "payback" because neither Thom or Norm are palavering mainstream Democrats or Obamabots (like, say, well, you know who I'm talking about). Maybe so. I do know that Jeff Santos is essentially Ed Schultz lite, and really, do we need two hours of that? How 'bout lopping off the last hour of Stephanie Miller and the first hour of Ed Schultz and running week-old Santos shows. Now that would be appropriate.

In the meantime, I won't support this in any way. I realize that Thom and Norm have to be discreet, and of course there's nothing they can do about this bad decision. It just seems like Chicago is treated like a third-rate Mickey Mouse operation insofar as "progressive" talk radio goes. Chicago is quite liberal and forward-thinking, so this centrist-Democratic party kow-towing is really bad, and cut-rate.

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TimJN
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Jul. 31, 2007 4:01 pm

P.S.: <i>tominator<i>, could you let us know here what WCPT has to say for themselves about this at the Green Festival? I can't make the event. Inquiring minds want to know.

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TimJN
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Jul. 31, 2007 4:01 pm

I went to drive home yesterday and turned on WCPT and no Thom. Instead I get Jeff Santos. Thom is something special and CPT cut him out. BAD MOVE.

I've heard Santos before and I try to listen he doesn't keep my interest. Maybe I have a short attention span or maybe he's just another blabbing head. I found myself trolling 560 and 890 looking in on the other side. I figured if I'm going to get P.O'd I might as well do so listening to right wing wackos.

Thom you are a national treasure and yes I'm being serious. Thank you for using your intelligence to carefully consider your opinions and for not being a Democratic apologist.

Oh and thanks for dumbing down the afternoon drive CPT. If you're reading this, please put Thom back on for my ride home. Do you really want me listening to WLS or WIND?

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bmack
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May. 2, 2012 8:49 pm

You are not the only one. If you look at CPT's facebook page, there are many comments complaining. They scrub new comments, but there is a post where they say they are reviewing the decision and appreciate listener feedback, that's where all the angry comments are.

I found it inexplicable too, but then I got my explanation. Jeff Santos is PAYING to be on the air in Chicago in the coveted "evening drive" slot. I am a CPT sponsor and I hoped that my displeasure would carry some weight, but his show is not supported by advertisers (or listeners) and therefore they don't really care. I have asked that my ads not run during his show in protest; but I am still so pissed (the evening drive is a great time to run ads). Thom is the reason that I support the station. We need more time with him, not less.

Jeff is fine, but he can't compare to the greatest mind in progressive radio. I am so sorry to Thom on behalf of Chicago. Thom made special arrangements to be live in Chicago on Fridays before, and now he is live all three hours. And this is the thanks that he gets.

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JasonBussell
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Jul. 31, 2007 4:01 pm

As an independant, I listern to WLS, WIND, and WCPT to get all sides and filter out the absurdity from all sides. I do enjoy Thom and am not particularily fond of Jeff Santos. No more WCPT for me on the PM drive until it recognizes the error of its way and returns Thom to that slot.

noparty
Joined:
Oct. 31, 2011 7:14 pm

I sent an email to WCPT complaining about this and never got a reply. This is the worst programming decision I have ever heard of. Money must be at the bottom of this.

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evanmck
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Jun. 18, 2012 9:55 am

I just found out Santos got inflicted on the Chicago station. He's not only Ed Lite, he's Ed Lite with a serious diction problem. Every, uh, other, um, word, ah, is one of those. At least you have some Thom and Norm in your market. Steph, Tom and Ed are all gone in Boston and Santos is on the air 6 freaking hours a day. I'm not sure exactly what happened but I haven't had the station on since those hosts left. Even before then, I tuned out at 3 AM when Jeff's show started. My condolences...

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Sonic60
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Jul. 31, 2007 4:01 pm

Wow! Six hours a day? It really pisses me off (still!) when Santos comes on--my main listening hours are from about 3:30 or so until around 6:30 pm. Guess what? I now listen to silence, or the mp3 player. Every time I bothered to listen to a dollop of Santos, it's been bad--how abou tthe little live rally he had, where it sounded like he had about 20 mostly bored people not at all interested in him or his guests. Talk about "dead air." And now I find out he's paying his own freight to lay his bad act on us? What's with this guy?

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TimJN
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Jul. 31, 2007 4:01 pm

I've been busy so I haven't had time to get back here and comment on 'CPT's decision to put Santos on. Someday, I'll accidentally leave the radio on and by luck and the grace of God, Santos will have moved on, and Thom and Norman will be restored. Boycott the guy, Chicagoans! I've heard you call him on the few fleeting occasions I've been able to bear listening. Be strong.

TimJN's picture
TimJN
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Jul. 31, 2007 4:01 pm

I was irked by the move, too.

FYI -- Hartmann and Goldman have been restored and Santos is gone.

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nhogan
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Sep. 24, 2012 10:32 am

What you do is raise hell with the station's sponsors. That's what we did in Denver when Thom was taken off the air for a short time. They put him back on after just a brief disappearance.

Currently I live in Missouri. I listen to Thom on the internet.

Retired Monk - "Ideology is a disease"

polycarp2
Joined:
Jul. 31, 2007 4:01 pm

We had a nice little run-around with those fellas. Thom's great. Really wish WCPTease would throw some of it's resources behind local programming, instead of cutting Arbitron and going for syndicated content so much.

http://revolutionandbeer.com/?p=920

CHEERS!!

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Revolution And Beer
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