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BrauBlog

WCCO-AM's overnight out-of-towner

By David Brauer | Published Mon, Jan 5 2009 9:38 am

As a former third-shift worker, overnight radio hosts perhaps mean more to me than the public at large. Word out of St. Louis is that WCCO's replacement for laid-off local guy Al Malmberg is KMOX's Jon Grayson.

Jon Grayson

Like WCCO, KMOX is owned by CBS, which to save costs is also torching local talent in other markets (Boston and Pittsburgh, for example). A Missouri media observer calls Grayson an "excellent" host "but very St. Louis-centric." That will have to change quickly; the source says in addition to WCCO, Grayson will pick up Pittsburgh's KDKA.

We're not getting a Mischke or Phil Hendrie; Grayson sounds likeably mainstream and a knowledgeable culture geek. If you want to get a flavor of how he interacts with legendary locals, check out this October interview with Mystery Science Theater 3000's Joel Hodgson and Mary Jo Pehl. (Bonus: you get to hear the in-commercial back-chatter.)

Grayson's bio notes he spent ten days in 2006 as an embedded reporter in Iraq: "He heard gun and mortar fire and saw the aftermath of roadside bombs, and even dipped his feet in what used to be Saddam Hussein's pool." (This was, perhaps, a natural follow-up to his pre-war program, "Showdown with Saddam.")

More prosaically, his interests are listed as "pop culture to politics, from famous crimes to favorite movies."

Media | Mon, Jan 5 2009 9:38 am | 7 Comments

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7 Comments: Hide/Show Comments

(#1) On January 5, 2009, Matt Wells says:

Grayson's also on WBZ Boston. I caught a few minutes of his show, and he's not all that different than Al Malmberg.

(#2) On January 5, 2009, Douglas Fredlund says:

It's sad to see WCCO Radio making these cuts. 'CCO has always presented a "family" image with their "Good Neighbor" moniker. Success in broadcasting is measured by becoming as close to a friend as possible for a media outlet. A level 'CCO achieved after many, many years of hard work and savvy programing. Loyal listeners are likely to take this betrayal personally, with long-term negative results.

We used to make jokes about radios breaking if you tried to change the dial from 830, tuners literally locked in place. I believe we will see a lot more broken radios in the Twin Cities market.

(#3) On January 5, 2009, Bob Collins says:

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/special/columns/news_cut/

David: Who got gassed in Boston? The PD there is an old colleague from my Boston days and the nighttime host -- Steve Leveille -- is an college class chum and I can't find who got whacked.

(#4) On January 5, 2009, Author David Brauer says:

Bob - blogs there say Leveille got whacked. Rumor for now but couldn't find him on WBZ's schedule:

http://www.wbz.com/pages/2945.php

Rumor talk:
http://boards.radio-info.com/smf/index.php/topic,117247.html

(#5) On January 5, 2009, Francis Ferrell says:

WCCO radio is an unique broadcasting icon that is now slowly deteriorating from the inside out. The 'Real Radio', 'Good Neighbor', and 'News Radio' seems to be on the way out. Corporate CBS has no inkling of the historic, demographic, and intellectual impacts this Midwestern station has with its listeners.

For over two decades, waking up to and listening to the late WCCO week night early morning broadcasts kept me informed to news, weather forecasts and alerts, road conditions, and enlightening and/or entertaining listener comments. The 'clear channel' was a great traveling companion also.

The WCCO early-am style will be sorely missed by my family; especially, my college age son who followed the news, sports, and lively diverse folksy caller commentary. Though the new syndicated replacement is alright, it lacks that local quality we need to wake up to and start the new day.

CBS, corporate, should be more enlightened, innovative, and creative to the unique needs and wishes of its diverse demographic audiences of the CBS broadcasting empire. Trying to reset, recut, and laying aside the CBS broadcast crown jewels will only result in the demise of CBS's 'sterling and sparkling' network base.

(#6) On January 30, 2009, Dan `McKey says:

Hello to all at 'CCO.

I just happened upon this page regarding the change at CCO to generic overnight broadcasting and I would ask that you read this link:

http://www.savewrko.com/2009/01/02/wbzs-slippery-slope/#comment-10853

We began a grassroots protest to get our guy back, and this week, WBZ reversed their decision and on Monday we will have our 10 year vet, Steve Leveille, back on th air replacing Grayson's show.

Steve has been on the overnight air at WBZ for over 10 years, being a direct descendant to Larry Glick, Norm Nathan and Bob Raleigh who encompass over 40 years of Boston based night talk.. We take our late night radio serious in Boston and the fact that WBZ changed course back to local programming in a little over 3 weeks speaks volumes of what you can do when you pull together.

Jon's show is OK, and if it was refocused to his St. Louis region it would probably be great. It's impossible, however, to be everything to everybody - case in point, when you're having a 20" snowstorm in the Twin Cities, what can Jon talk about that involves your plight?

This is not a Jon Grayson bash, just a note to let you know that you too CAN get your local programming back with ethical protest. I'll find a couple links to give you more info on Steve and how the reversal was accomplished then it is up to you. We getting our guy back on Monday!!!

Dan - Framingham, MA

(#7) On January 30, 2009, Dan `McKey says:

Hey Minnesota:

Here's the link to Steve Leveille, the overnight host who was removed January 2nd for OverNight America and through protest and tele[-hone calls, the decision was reversed two days ago. Steve is back!

You want your overnighter back? Follow this blueprint.

Best of luck to all of you!

Mac

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David Brauer authors Braublog and is MinnPost's local media reporter. He's covered media and politics as a writer and editor since 1983 for City Pages, the Southwest/Downtown Journal, KFAN and KSTP-AM, Mpls.St.Paul, Minnesota Monthly, Law & Politics, the Business Journal, KARE11 and national outlets. Follow him on Twitter. Email: dbrauer [at] minnpost [dot] com.

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