As I noted yesterday, WMAL fired Chris Core after his show ended Friday morning.
Today’s Washington Post reports that it was, as reported, all just a business decision:
Core’s dismissal was part of a massive cost-cutting campaign ordered yesterday by WMAL’s troubled parent company, Citadel Broadcasting.
Citadel yesterday also dropped its declining “smooth jazz” programming on WMAL’s sister station WJZW (105.9 FM) and replaced the format with oldies from the 1960s and ’70s (the first song to announce the switch: Aretha Franklin’s “Respect”). The station will now call itself “True Oldies 105.9.” All of WJZW’s on-air personalities were let go as a result of the change.
The company laid off about a dozen employees at Citadel’s three local stations, including WJZW, WMAL and WRQX (107.3 FM), which will continue to play contemporary pop music.
(…)
[W]ith the ailing economy and relentless competition for listeners from digital devices of all kinds, Citadel, and the industry generally, has been in steady decline. The company yesterday surprised analysts by reporting a fourth-quarter loss of $848 million ($3.24 per share), compared with a net loss of $1.1 million (one penny per share) during the same quarter in 2006. Its annual loss was $1.29 billion ($6.61), compared with a loss of $48 million (43 cents) the year before.
As evidence of how much its fortunes — and perhaps the radio business — have shrunk, Citadel’s entire stock-market value yesterday dipped under $300 million, a fraction of the value of its giant station purchase completed just eight months ago.
So, they’re losing money because radio sucks and they’re going to fix that by……..making it suck even more. Thank goodness for XM Radio and iTunes, because that’s where I’ll be spending my mornings from now on.
Core, meanwhile, is remarkably stoic about all of this:
“I tried to run an open-minded, fair talk show. I never hung up on people and I tried not to talk over them. I enjoyed the banter and intellectual stimulation. I tried to engage with people I disagreed with. I guess that makes me a rarity in talk radio.”
Core was calm as he broke the news of his dismissal to his wife and 13-year-old daughter yesterday (“We’re going to be fine,” he said), but he broke down in tears when remembering the various charities his listeners had contributed to over the years.
Core said he has no immediate plans. “I guess my dream job would be to work for the Washington Nationals,” he said. “If the [team's owners] call, I’d say I was available.”
Hello ? Nationals ?
Update 3/3/08: WMAL has posted a goodbye message from Chris on their website:
My Dear Friends:
(And trust me, after 33 years I consider you all friends, if not family.) First of all, let me thank you for letting me into your radio for the past third of a century. In really trying to tell you how much your support has meant to me — well, words fail. And for an announcer, that is an odd thing.
WHAT HAPPENED: Radio is a tough business. The radio business is especially tough right now with the economy slumping and ad revenue increasingly going to the internet. The parent company of WMAL, Citadel Communications, made the decision last week to slash hundreds of jobs across the country, including mine. They treated me well for 33 years, including on my last day, Friday 2/29/08. I bear no hard feelings toward WMAL, and neither should you on my behalf.
WHAT’S NEXT: Well, this is where you come in. I may show up again on another radio station, on tv, or on a network. I have always had a real interest in politics, and it’s an election year, as you may have noticed. Perhaps that might be a career option. Or I may do something else entirely. One thing for sure, I don’t feel ready for retirement yet. Besides, I still have a 13-year-old daughter to raise and put through college. I have created a website (imagine that!!!) — www.chriscoretalks.com — and my e-mail address is cccore@aol.com Expressions of sympathy, while appreciated, are unnecessary. Leads for my next career are most appreciated.
HIGHLIGHTS OF MY WMAL DAYS: Well, they are too many to list, but here are three that stand out:
September 11, 2001. I was in the anchor chair for 8 straight hours, and to be honest, most of it is a blur in my memory. But I have had thousands of people tell me that hearing my familiar voice on that awful day helped them get through it. What a compliment!
Filling in for Paul Harvey on his national broadcasts, and receiving a hand-written note of thanks from him for doing it..
Raising literally millions of dollars for charities. And this is where you get the real credit. Every time I asked you for money for a charity, you always gave. Every time. You will never know how much that means to me.
One last note…and a personal one to my partner of 20 years on WMAL, Bill Trumbull: Bill, thank you so much for your guidance, patience and friendship. Heck without you I probably wouldn’t even have a job today. Ooops, um, well, nevermind.
Good Bye for now,
Chris Core
www.chriscoretalks.com
cccore@aol.com
Classy as always.
Citadel brought a big axe to WLS radio in Chicago yesterday,too.They killed most of the local news department and a number of on air folks and producers.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/chi-080229wls-cuts.html
I became a faithful listener of WMAL in the 1960’s, when my father would tune in Harden and Weaver during breakfast. I LOVED listening to Trumbull and Core during my drive home from my first job.
Chris was, no scratch that, still IS, a Washington icon. He was probably the most expensive personality at WMAL due to his longevity, skill, and for attracting the advertisers – his salary likely making him the biggest target when the downsizing order came down from Citadel.
I am sure that many advertisers selected WMAL because of Chris and his magnetic personality – which kept his show tops in the ratings for 3 decades. That will soon change. WMAL has been shrinking for years (ever since they dropped the Redskins coverage) and will completely shrivel up in the next year.
The managers at the station should be ashamed of themselves for their failure to stand up to the IDIOTS at Citadel. Who has the names, phone numbers and emails so that I can personally complain to Citadel? However, ironic justice will triumph and these gutless managers at WMAL will soon be out of a job too. Somebody take down their names – and lets make sure they are never employed in DC again.
But Chris Core will be snatched up in a second, after he sifts through the hundreds of job offers coming his way. Chris will come out ahead. He is one class act.
When I came across section C in the Washington Post just a short while ago, it felt as if someone punched me in the gut. I feel sick. I only hope Chris reappears in a time slot when I can continue to listen to him (or maybe we all will be lucky enough to have his voice available via an internet pod-cast or some such).
I had the same reaction as Rick’s when I saw the bit in the Wash Post about Chris Core’s unceremonious firing — I felt sucker-punched. I’ve already written to WMAL and Citadel by email, and I may do something more formal (i.e., involving paper and a stamp) if I get a chance. Here’s a link to Citadel’s website: http://www.citadelbroadcasting.com/. Right on their home page are corporate addresses in Las Vegas and New York, as well as a “contact us” link for email. Have at it — they are all about the bottom line, obviously, and they deserve to hear from us.
Chris Core wasn’t Friday’s only casualty at WMAL. News director John Matthews, a 25-year veteran, and reporter Matt Bush were also let go. A number of blogs I’ve read are speculating that WMAL morning hosts Fred Grandy and Andy Parks could be next, possibly being replaced by Don Imus’ syndicated morning show.
Sadly, these dismissals came just a few weeks after Brooke Stevens, Mr. Core’s last on-air partner before he became a solo host, passed away following a long battle with cancer.
Russell,
I’d heard about Matthews leaving along with Core and others. It really seems like they’re gutting the station at this point.
I had not heard about Brooke Stevens passing away. Sad news.
Now there’s a link on WMAL’s website to Chris’s “note to the public” and to his new website ChrisCoreTalks or something like that. Pretty nice guy not to beat up the station that just laid him off!
I was doubly sucker punched on Saturday when I learned that Chris Core wouldn’t be on anymore AND my favorite smooth jazz staion … 105.9 FM … was changed to the 60’s, 70’s rock format! YUCKO! I don’t even know which is worse …
Maggie in Woodbridge
Tomorrow will be interesting!
Call the advertisers for WMAL and tell them you will not purchase their products. I cannot believe they allowed this to happen to Chris Core
firing chris core is not the answer. fire the higher ups of wmal who do not have the guts to stand for their people and fire those higher ups of citadel who do not have the right idea to run a productive corporation. chairman and the board of directors? who they care for except themselves.
Radio is a tough business. Stations change formats frequently and it’s the odd on-air personality who survives more than a few years at a single station. Chris Core’s longevity was extremely rare for radio. That, no doubt, explains his gracious treatment of his erstwhile employer. He had a longer ride than most of his peers could ever expect.
WMAL and Citadel are run by a bunch of idiots. They fire Chris Core and leave the nightime show on WMAL that deals with aliens from other planets and whose fan base consists of people whose brains are fried from drug use in the 1960s. I bet they buy alot from the stations advertisers.
Citadel: You have just just made one huge blunder by dismissing one of Washington DC’s premier talk show hosts. Any company knows that its internal rate of return (profits) is directly related to many factors that include the quality of their product offerings and how they are promoted and sold to the consuming public. With respect to Chris Core, he was one of the “key” reasons that persons throughout the area tuned into the station. Frankly, I personally turn the station off after Chris leaves the air because Rush, Shawn and particularly Mark leave me cold with their one sided, right wing agendas. The Metro area requires a voice of reason who respects the opinions of the masses and at the same time raises thought provocative issues that deal with international, national and most importantly, issues that the Metro area is confronted with and has always turned to Chris to provide them with their vehicle to discuss local matters of interest that are important to this community of ours.
You have now cheapened the value of your product offerings to this community and you are relying on syndicated “jerks” to boost your profits. From my perspective, WMAL is now a defective product that should be taken off of the shelves of your heretofore loyal listening base and replaced by another station that can offer a better product.
Wherever Chris hangs his “hat” in the near future, and he most assuredly will, I for one and thousands of others will tune in and once again enjoy a voice of reason that listens couteously to the opinions of his listeners and callers.
WMAL, you have cheapened and tarnished your image and I hope that your advertisers will pull their ads from your station as I for one have just tuned you out.
the thing i most remember aboutchriscore was a reply to a anti-canada e-mail i sent him.
Chris Core requested I no longer send him e-mails
I am shocked, shocked!!! Chris Core for me was the image of WMAL and I can’t imagine even tuning in to the station if I can’t listen to him. And I’ve been listening since the 70’s. What a sad state of affairs. Thank you Chris, for your many years of service in the D.C. area.
I was deeply saddened to hear Chris Core had been fired by WMAL. He has been a voice for decency and fairness in Washington talk radio for years. I’ve sensed that he is one of the few remaining talk show hosts who still retains a genuine concern for the truth. He did tend to interrupt callers a bit too much. His show, like most talk shows, tended to be somewhat shallow, due to the sound bite culture we live in. I hope he is able to find a good radio timeslot in the D.C. area to carry on with his show. I will NOT be listening to his replacement, Chris Plant, who is nothing but an egocentric, mean-spirited loudmouth, like so many other talk show hosts these days. I wonder if WMAL didn’t bring in Plant to flack for John McCain, now that he is the apparent Repubican nominee for President. Plant even calls his show “straight talk,” echoing the line McCain popularized some years back. As far as I’m concerned, the two men deserve one another.
You guys are really killing AM radio. You’re also making a strong case for sattelite radio. I’ve listened to WMAL since the 1950’s and have seen it slowly dying off by letting go real broacastes with some integrety. As soon as you replace Paul Harvey, WMAL is off my list. If this is a cost cutter, then you will get what you pay for.
Chris Core’s firing has less to do with cost cutting and more to do with aligning WMAL 630 as an all out right wing cult show. Why else would they let him go and give his slot to Chris Plank (a right wing plitical hack).
Don’t get me wrong Chris Core was not a liberal, he was a moderate in my view. What he was not was a blind right wing cult member who fell hook line and sinker behind the right wing party line. Chris was probably the most honest talk show host who stayed true to his convictions. He had the guts to challenge the right wing agenda when it was wrong and applaud the moderate agenda when it was right.
It is a travesty that in today’s day and age the Shaun’s and the Limbaugh’s and the Levin’s and the followers like Plank (or Plant, who cares)use wedge issues to divide us only to generate an audience of angry followers. These unpatriotic charlatans supported the war without regard to the facts and the results. It is their selfish and hypocritical support that has resulted in the deaths of 4,000 Americans. At least Chris had the guts to say that it was not the responsibility of our soldiers to stop the war between the factions in Iraq.
But it is this refreshing honesty that resulted in probably a lower rating from the cult members (people who need Rush to do th thinking for them) of WMAL 630 than the other charlatans and probably led to the demise of the show. So WMAL cult members (listeners), dont despair. You brought this upon yourself. Atleast now you will have an even more thorough indoctrination of the policies of war, destruction and division.