FROM ED SHERMANS BLOG:

http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/ ... m&seenIt=1
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"Newspaper guys" hit it big on WSCR
Posted by Ed S. at 11/9/2009 2:33 AM CST on Chicago Business

The biggest story in local sportstalk radio is being perpetrated by a couple of hosts who still think of themselves as "newspaper guys."

Sun-Times veterans Mike Mulligan and Brian Hanley, aka "Mully and Hanley," are riding high these days at WSCR-AM 670. Their 5-9 a.m. show beat the Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic ("Mike and Mike") morning show on WMVP-AM 1000 in the summer ratings, a first for SCR.

The Arbitron data showed Mully and Hanley with a 6.4 audience share in the all-important men 25-54 demographic compared to a 6.2 for "Mike and Mike." The SCR show ranked second in the category, trailing only WBBM-AM 780.

That's a huge jump from the summer of 2008 when Mully and Hanley did a 4.3 rating in men 25-54 after being inserted into the morning drive slot. WSCR is ecstatic considering the previous morning show hosted by Mike North, who made considerably more money ($1.6 million in the end), struggled against the ESPN national show.

"It's tremendous growth," said program director Mitch Rosen. "These guys are really clicking with the audience."

Even though Mr. Mulligan is in the analysis business, he admits to being at a loss to explain their success.

"I was at the store the other day, and a guy came up to me and said, 'You guys sound like you've been together for 25 years," Mr. Mulligan said. "I suppose it comes across as two old friends talking sports. We cover different sports and that gives us different perspective, different anecdotes. I don't know. I couldn't figure out when it wasn't working."

There are several forces at work. Both Mr. Mulligan and Mr. Hanley credit the addition of Dustin Rhoades as producer. Mr. Hanley said Mancow's former producer has "a great ear for what the topics are and what they could be."

The show also has a terrific arsenal of experts and regular contributors. They include Troy Aikman, Warren Sapp, Cris Collinsworth, Tom Thayer, Steve Stone, along with newspaper beat writers such as Brad Biggs, Dan Pompei and Dave Van Dyck. You can't discount the value of information and coherent analysis. I find myself tuning in to see who they have on.

Then there's Mr. Mulligan and Mr. Hanley. I've known both of them for a long time, and they are the same off the air as they are on. They are passionate about sports and they like to have a good time. Obviously, it is an appealing combination for listeners.

"We don't try to be something we're not," Mr. Hanley said. "We're two sportswriters who enjoy what they do. We like talking about sports."

The fact that both of them have kept their jobs at the Sun-Times is a reflection of that passion. The radio gig pays well in excess of a place that has slashed salaries. It would be easy for them to give up the writing jobs, especially considering the grind.

The other day Mr. Mulligan woke up at 3 a.m., worked his four-hour shift, and then drove up to Halas Hall to cover the Bears in the afternoon. He wouldn't have it any other way.

"What am I supposed to do? Do (writing) part time? Stop talking calls from people?" Mr. Mulligan said. "Either you're in or you're out. I know it can be exhausting, but I love the game."

Mr. Hanley, who covers the Notre Dame beat, admits he has been wrestling with wearing both hats. But for now he wants to continue writing about sports too.

I posed this question to each of them: Given your success at WSCR, do you consider yourself a radio personality or a sportswriter?

Mr. Mulligan said. "That's a tough one. I've worked at the Sun-Times since I was 18. What am I supposed to do? Have surgery to remove the sportswriter gene. It's a part of me."

Once a sportswriter, always a sportswriter. Right, Mr. Hanley.

Mr. Hanley said: (Sportswriting) is in your DNA. I'll always have the foundation of being a newspaper guy. I know how to interview. I know when something doesn't sound right. I know how to get more out of a story."

Old habits and perception may die hard, but clearly these "newspaper guys" are making a significant impact on local sportstalk radio.

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

Jimmy:

That post makes a great point.

If North would have given the metered ratings system a couple of books, it could have changed a lot of what happened since for him.

However, with Mike in a state of absolute denial, the point is probably mute.

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The ratings obviously picked up because Mac is on next.

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Just to get the facts straight, the "Murph and Fred Show" mornings from 1999-2004 beat Mike and Mike every ratings period until the Score decided to announce they were taking Murph off the mornings.

So it would not be the first time the Score beat Mike and Mike!

So Fred,something was working and mgmt decided to change it,huh? Would not be the 1st time.

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

I have posted that fact here numerous times Fred.

It would be the first though that a morning show without Fred AND Murph beat the Mike and Mike Show.

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Nothing is tough to swallow for Mike North because he will lie, deny, and obfuscate until, in his feeble mind, he ends up seeing things his way and his way only. It's always something else--billboards, flawed ratings, etc, etc, etc. (Fred, you and Murph were just fine for me in the mornings, by the way, and I would be happy to still be listening to you guys. Gonna be at the Fire game Saturday?)

It's still an accomplishment for these guys to do so well. They had to change listener habits (who may well have been tired of North's act,) and undo the Mike & Mike promotion machine.

Like Seacrest, I knew Murph and Fred beat M&M. For 5 years straight, I did not know. May that offset some of the Murph hatred around here...

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Middle Aged Crazy, like Uncle Terry

North will probably say if he was there his show would be the one beating Mike and Mike if they gave him a chance. 'you just watch' b.s.

I'll be at the Fire game. It's a shame that after doing the Fire's games on TV during the season, that the networks get all the playoff games, but I understand, that's how it is everywhere. Unfortunately, now I get to see what it has been like for baseball announcers for years.

BTW, the new rating system, which started months ago, has really changed the way the rating are being taken. Instead of a diary that people fill out, the ratings are handled on little people meters that people keep with them. They pick up everytime you change the station. They are far more accurate than the old system, but, believe it or not, only 3,000 of these people meters are used to determine the ratings in the Chicagoland area.

Commercial rates, salaries, everything, gets based on 3,000 people!!! Ridiculous!

Did you ever take a stats class at UCLA Fred?

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As long as there is an envelope for North to push, he's going to push it.

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There goes one over the fence..Tru Link Fence..Beauty, Privacy Security....Call Tru Link.
Murph's Union 76 Truck Stop....A great Thanksgiving Tradition!!!!

WOO LIFE!!!!

Fred worked with North after Mike North the sportstalker became Mike North "THE ACT".

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There goes one over the fence..Tru Link Fence..Beauty, Privacy Security....Call Tru Link.
Murph's Union 76 Truck Stop....A great Thanksgiving Tradition!!!!

WOO LIFE!!!!

Maybe I don't know enough people, but I've never known of anybody that's ever had one of these people meters.
Fred- Do you know if the measurenment of radio ratings are leaning more towards online listnening/hits? I'm guessing the sales people these days have something with internet numbers included in their sales packages.

It was a long time ago that I took a tv/radio sales class, so I don't know very much about it.

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-"God is great. Beer is good. And People are crazy!"

Yay, the old CA avatar!

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-"God is great. Beer is good. And People are crazy!"

I am not 100% sure, but I think that the people meters can pick up internet listening. That was one of the reasons for them.

I have only run into one person, EVER, that had a radio diary, and no one with a people meter.

Hey Fred,
I kept a radio diary back in the '90's. I DID put the SCORE on the whole diary even when I was not listening. I guess that is why that system was destined for the garbage bin. I think the perfect monitoring system would be using both the diary & meter method.

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

Correct. The PPM picks up an encoded signal. If a station puts the signal in their stream, it "hears" it.



They throw those ones out, jimmy.

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I don't remember half the time if I'm hiding or I'm lost

I see Jimmy was in the same stats class as Fred at UCLA.

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Fixed...

If they did,that's unfair because that IS all I listened to back then. It was something new & exciting now it's just rehashed shit with many "hosts" enjoying the talking down to those that call in. Guys like Bernstein who forget it's not part of MY job to memorize the NBA rosters or know what a "dig" pattern is. The listening audience can form opinions only on what they know and see. "Meatball" because my opinion does not match the "educated" hosts knowledge? That is just some ignorant bullshit by some uppity hosts!

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favrefan said:"Chris Coghlan isn't gonna pay your rent, Jimmy."

But Jimmy, you have to admit that you're a huge meatball.

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Seacrest was just making fun of Nort's third grade reading level.

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Good people drink good beer - Hunter S. Thompson

<º)))><

Waiting for the time when I can finally say
That this has all been wonderful, but now I'm on my way