By Jeff Moss
June 13, 2012
DetroitSportsRag@gmail.com
The DSR has learned that ESPN1090 has hired a new sports director to replace Rob Otto, who was recently fired by station “owner” Sima Birach, JUNIOR.
(The DSR has a strict policy of putting the word “owner” in parentheses in regard to JUNIOR because we aren’t exactly sure what entity actually owns WCAR. Since, according to a bankruptcy court in Virginia, Junior doesn’t have enough money to buy a Sony Walkman more or less multiple radio stations.)
From what we can gather, Junior disregarded the advice of his chief executive, Buzz Van Houten, and replaced Otto with some dude named Mike Scott.
We are pretty sure that the new PD at ESPN1090 is not the stud pitcher on the 1986 Houston Astros and instead some guy who has spent most of his career programming COUNTRY MUSIC STATIONS.
(At least the spitballing, Cy Young Award winner would have had SOME experience with sports as opposed to this gentleman who seems to be more familiar with Shania Twain and Kenny Chesney. Although, I am guessing he is an expert on former Philadelphia Phillies closer, Tug McGraw, because of his son, Tim.)
Anyway, this Mike Scott left Detroit about six months ago for Lincoln, Nebraska where he was KZKX-FM “Proud Country KICKS” 96.9’s afternoon drive personality and the Program Director.
Scott was formerly the Assistant PD and midday on-air hillbilly at WYCD/95.5 in Detroit.
According to my sources, Scott wanted back in Detroit DESPERATELY, did an end-around and circumvented Van Houten and got the gig from Junior directly. It would seem desperation is a prerequisite for getting a job at this station.
It is my belief that Van Houten would never sign-off on hiring a country music programmer for a SPORTS STATION. Considering, this is the same guy who was mocking WDFN for hiring a Dance DJ to run that station as late as March of this year in a Podcast with the DirtSpurt.
(Luckily for Scott, he got the 1090 gig JUST IN time for Downtown Hoedown 2012.)
The station is supposed to commence live and local programming tomorrow with the debut of Damon “The Dog” Perry’s program from 3 to 5 pm. It will be interesting to see if Perry will be forced to play bumper music by Keith Urban and Faith Hill.
I will also be curious to see if Junior allows Mike Scott to actually program the station or if he will continue to run 1090 like his personal nightclub. It is no secret that Otto and Junior butted heads over the direction of the fledgling station. And Otto actually had a sports background as opposed to “Achy Breaky Heart” over here.
Soooo, to summarize, the city of Detroit now has three sports stations.
One is programmed by a Dance DJ who is obsessed with Batman, Autobots and every professional sports team that doesn’t play its home games in Detroit.
Another is now run by a guy who probably only knows Nashville Predators forward Mike Fisher’s name because he is hitched to Carrie Underwood.
And a third that isn’t a sports station at all.
On July 1, 2012, we will celebrate the 25th Anniversary of this genre known today as sports talk radio.
I cannot imagine this is what the people at WFAN envisioned way back when in 1988.