Joe and Chaz?

One of my favorite radio personalities is Chris Plante on Washington, DC’s WMAL.  However life gets in the way and I don’t get to listen to him very often.   However Wednesday was an exception to that rule as I battled my way North through traffic.  The topic that was dominating the show was the battle between Mitt Romney and everybody else over the meaning of free market capitalism.  

Chris took time to give an example from his own radio experience.  He had the hot morning show in our area though the station’s owners, Clear Channel thought they had come up with a National strategy to save money by piping in Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski and firing all the various local guys in their affiliates.  Chris described how both he and his producer were brought in and laid off.  He wasn’t bitter or angry.  It’s the way business works.  

However Chris got the last laugh as ratings for the Joe and Mika show tanked.  Revenue plunged and the consumers drove management back to a profitable path.  The strategy to have one pair of folks cover all of those local slots failed miserably and Chris Plante got his show back.  To explain why Joe Scarborough had failed so miserably in the Washington, DC market Chris pointed out that: 

“Joe Scarborough is to American conservatives what Chaz Bono is to American women.”  (or words to that effect)  I might not have captured them exactly as I was trying to write those words down while driving and laughing after blowing coffee through my nose.   

I couldn’t agree more Chris.  It’s great to have you back.