Jimmy Baron and Yvonne Monet out at Dave FM; Steve Craig interim morning host
Jimmy Baron and Yvonne Monet's morning show is over after two years. CREDIT: Dave FM
Loading ...Dave FM, which has gone through five morning shows since its inception in 2004, is now looking for its sixth after letting Jimmy Baron and Yvonne Monet go this morning.
General manager Rick Caffey declined to say why they were let go but said the station will be “taking its time” seeking a replacement. For now, Steve Craig will cover as interim morning host.
That name may be familiar to 99X fans. Craig was the mid-day host at that station from 1992 to 2007. He then spent near three years in New York under Leslie Fram (now at CMT) working as a jock at WRXP-FM, a rock station that recently switched to news.
As a result, Craig lost his job and rumors instantly popped up that he would end up at Dave. He quickly nabbed some part-time work there and even came in one morning to gab with Baron and Monet, who are also former jocks at 99X.
[UPDATE on Friday, 11/11/11: Craig did his School of Musical Knowledge bit he used to do on 99X and WRXP. The quiz question was what was the theme song of "Chuck." Answer: "Short Skirt, Long Jacket," which he then played.]
It appears Christopher “Crash” Clark, the traffic guy, may stay on at V-103 but not Dave. [UPDATE: Renee Washington who had been doing traffic during afternoons on Dave, took over Friday morning.]
Dave FM’s ratings have fluctuated up and down over the years. Earlier this year, the station had some strong months but numbers sunk sharply over the past five months.
In January, the station had a 4.5 share, tied for eighth and a 6.2 rating among 25 to 54 year olds, worthy of third place. By October, it had sunk to a 2.0 overall share, of 18th place and a 2.6 rating among 25 to 54, ranking them 15th.
Baron and Monet’s morning show, which was recently cut back to 8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., lagged behind the rest of the station. Management kept the show fairly music intensive.
In January, among 25 to 54 year olds, the show ranked 11th. By October, it was down to 20th. (Dave’s strongest day part for years has been mid-days featuring Mara Davis.)
Baron had an amusing gathering he’d do every month called “Dads Between Gigs” where unemployed dads could meet and commiserate in this lousy economy. Baron himself was unemployed for three years between 99X and Dave FM.
Scott Jameson, the station’s third program director since 2004, joined the station in 2009 and hired Baron. (The general sales manager John Riemenschneider was recently let go.)
People who listened in this morning heard Baron joke to a listener that his simple wish was to still be employed by his birthday, which is Nov. 13. “You’re good to go,” the listener said. “It’s only Thursday,” Baron said. Before the morning was out, his joke came true and he was unemployed.
Going back to the time when the station was Z93, the signal under different owners has been unable to find a stable morning show. None has lasted more than three years.
Here’s the parade of hosts since 1989. I’m repeating some info I wrote back in January, 2008.
1989: Barry Chase.
1989-1992: Chase & Woodside. The pair worked at Z93 when it was a top 40 station, the very first FM morning team in Atlanta back in 1974. Managemtent thought it would be cool to bring them back together as a team. Woodside, in an interview in 2008 recalls that their ratings were moving up (No. 3 25-49 at one point) until management told them to pull back on talking about themselves and shortening bits and such. Ratings went down and they were soon goners.
1992-93: Slats. Does anybody remember him and what happened?
1993-96: The Greaseman (Above, WZGC’s only syndicated show) He was a grating, loudmouth shock jock type who often got in trouble. He split the audience. Some loved him; too many hated him.
1996-98: Gary McKee (right). After a long illustrious run in radio, he was at the tail end of his career and was burned out. He has since retired from the business.
1998-99: Charlie & Company. This was a comedy-oriented show that wasn’t quite ready for primetime.
1999-2002: Dave Marino. He’s a talented guy who was never utilized properly or given room to breath.
2002: Moby. After a long successful stint at Kicks, Moby simply didn’t fit well in the classic rock mode and lasted only a few months. Management shoved him to traffic to try to get him to leave but he stuck around for several months getting a big paycheck and doing traffic while the “Mission Impossible” theme played behind him. He’s now doing a syndicated morning show heard on country stations in Rome and Athens.
2003-04: Mara & Dunham: This was a quick fix after Moby. The pair was just starting to congeal as a team when CBS pulled the plug on Z93 and switched to Dave.
2004-06: Barnes & Firfer: Hoping to resurrect the magic of 99X, CBS hired Steve Barnes (right) with CNN’s Holly Firfer but without Leslie & Jimmy, it wasn’t quite the same.
2006-07: Firfer & Orff: This was a stopgap show, which actually did as well, if not better, than the Barnes days.
2008: Zakk Tyler. A complete non starter. Zakk couldn’t hack it and was out after less than ten months.
October, 2008: Tim Orff: Orff came back from a night jock spot to cover mornings for the next 11 months. He is now a night jock at Star 94.
August 17, 2009-November 10, 2011: Jimmy Baron paired with Yvonne Monet.
November 11, 2011– ??? : Steve Craig becomes interim host.
Coincidentally or not, local media planner Roddy Freeman wrote a column this week in his blog about Dave FM’s woes this week.
Join my Facebook fan page and Twitter.
By Rodney Ho, Radio & TV Talk
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246 comments Add your comment
leah
November 10th, 2011
2:41 pm
My votes on Steve! One of the most talented radio personalities around. So glad you came back!
Marsh
November 10th, 2011
2:42 pm
Yeah, that Eddie Money thing – please. You’ve got to be kidding.
Yvonne was ok, but I have to admit I liked her a little less when she started spouting her political opinions. Jimmy was nothing but forced laughter, the worst sound in the world.
And WORD to whoever commented on them playing The Police. I may never listen to another song of theirs again, and I was a pretty big fan. WTH is up with playing them 50 times a day? Ugh.
Dave FH
November 10th, 2011
2:42 pm
From the same blog, here’s an even more interesting take / prediction:
http://atlairwaves.blogspot.com/2011/08/are-mornings-in-play-at-dave-fm.html
John K
November 10th, 2011
2:44 pm
DaveFM really needs an overhaul. For about 6 months straight, every day when I’d leave my parking deck at 4:10, like clockwork they’d play “Pumped Up Kicks.” Oh, and they’d announce it as the “new” song by FTP. For six months. They took a good song and ran it into the ground.
Big Rick
November 10th, 2011
2:53 pm
DAVE FM ought to fire thier friggin station manager as obviously he hasn’t a clue…..this was one of the few morning shows I would listen to, Jimmy & Yvonne I really liked and Crash is definitely a plus in doing the traffic….seems to me as they were really jelling…best of luck to them both, satellite radio here I come!!!!
BRENT PETIT
November 10th, 2011
2:57 pm
I Hate THIS STATION, never ever listen to it, the glory days of this station were great though.
Southside Steven James Rickman
November 10th, 2011
2:57 pm
*sniff*
I know a Jewish guy, Larry. He works in radio to.
Yeah C’mon!
Roll Tide
November 10th, 2011
2:59 pm
DAVE = Poop
Try WXPN for some great music
http://www.wxpn.org
Josh M
November 10th, 2011
3:08 pm
Bring back Randy Miller!
Caliendo Spears
November 10th, 2011
3:19 pm
Local radio? What’s that? Been listening to iPod’s exclusively since 2004
Bill
November 10th, 2011
3:19 pm
Good, the station sucks. They play the same four songs over and over and the midday DJ that looks like Chaz Bono is annoying.
Wink
November 10th, 2011
3:23 pm
Probably time for a format flip. The people who listen to the music that Dave-FM plays are all at the age where they would rather play their Ipod or other alternative sources for music (besides radio). Is it time for someone to start nibbling on the AC money that B98.5 is getting?
carlos
November 10th, 2011
3:29 pm
thanks dave fm. those two idiots were absolutely annoying. their comments were racist and offensive. i wont miss them at all. maybe now we can listen to more music and less cap on the radio. at least for a while.
steve
November 10th, 2011
3:29 pm
Dave Marino was easily the best of the bunch. He was funny, topical, and actually knew something about the music and the artists that he played
bobwalker
November 10th, 2011
3:35 pm
I worked at Z93 from 76 to 78. I did news and character voices. I worked with Dr Don. We had good ratings. One day we got fired for a statement made by my partner about Alex Cooley. Ross and Wilson followed and lasted only two years. The station can’t decide what it wants
Jim Swilley
November 10th, 2011
3:41 pm
Morning talk radio is nothing more than a lead-in to ply the listener with endlessly repetitive commercials. I gave up on commercial radio years ago, especially morning talk, when every station I turned to was playing commercials ad-nauseum. Doesn’t matter who the DJs are when you only get 5 minutes of chatter for every 15 minutes of commercial advertisements.
CraigB
November 10th, 2011
3:43 pm
Liked them but the music became erratic. Some days it was good and others it was like WTF is that they are playing. I would blame the program director or whoever chooses the songs to play.
Quaalude
November 10th, 2011
3:43 pm
Atlanta sucks for a lot of reasons and radio is near the top of the list and this station is the worst. There is no more generic, payola platform being played out there than this crap. They only play the radio hits from a few artists, regard songs as “new” for months, and the music does not flow at all and does not fit in with ANYTHING. Two pm? Time for Runnin Down a Dream. Four pm? Play that Ray Lamontagne song that we played an hour ago.
Complete crap and I hope CBS gives up on it so they can start over with interesting content.
someone that cares
November 10th, 2011
3:57 pm
Should of been Mara… Sorry… Jimmy is awesome and So is Steve Craig…..
runningman
November 10th, 2011
4:07 pm
D**Mit…
Somedays ya just Hate Commercial Radio PDs drive me insane!
Does everything have to be ratings! If I were PD, I’d have Just ADDED Steve to the Station.
It Already had a Killer Lineup (despite whatever Arbitron sez) and keeping them all would have been a bonus! Not liking PDs right now!
GC
November 10th, 2011
4:14 pm
Jimmy has always been an idiot wherever he has been. I hate to see people lose their jobs but he needs to get another career, what a loser!
Ralph
November 10th, 2011
4:17 pm
I havent listened to DaveFM in a while. But Mara was pretty fun to listen to. Steve Craig should be an upgrade over Jimmy if they make the morning format more of a music first format with Craig filling in interesting tidbits about the music. 99x had a good afternoon slate that was superior to the Baron, Steve, Leslie show.
And as others have said, expand the playlists. Mix in the tired songs with some fresh songs. The tired old songs will keep the lame crowd tuned in and they might , just might, give the fresh old or new songs a chance. Think about the KInks. Wes Anderson has shown that that they have songs that can reach a relatively younger generation beyond the tired old You Really Got me or LOLA.
It does not have to be as dull as Deep Tracks on Sirius. Here is a good example of a track that could fit in on Dave FM that is not overexposed on classic rock radio – Girl Talk by Dave Edmunds.
Ralph
November 10th, 2011
4:18 pm
Why dont radio stations request the live versions of Pumped Up Kicks that sound better than the studio cut? There are so many ways radio stations can keep the playlists familiar but fresh.
Rerek
November 10th, 2011
4:21 pm
I’m happy to hear Jimmy is gone. Tired of his whiny, wimpy voice. And his stupid polls and opinions. HE is the reason I switched the channel in the morning. Yvonne was OK.
Observer
November 10th, 2011
4:21 pm
To those referencing the Ross & Wilson “Another One Bites the Dust” episode – it is an urban legend. It never happened. I know Brian Wilson very well and he still laughs about the fact that he is famous for something he never did.
Quaalude
November 10th, 2011
4:21 pm
@Ralph
Because that song is REALLY REALLY terrible.
GaBlue
November 10th, 2011
4:22 pm
I kinda liked them, but there is NO REASON to wake my behind up every morning with that GAWDAWFUL Adele stuff! Geebus! If they’d had the courage to say “No!” to the estro-pop, they might still have their jobs.
Horsetoothedjackass
November 10th, 2011
4:22 pm
CBS Radio is part of the problem, once Mel Karmazin left in 2004 (He’s the one that grew Infinity Broadcasting into a powerhouse back in the 1980s and into the 90s, including buying Z93 back in the early 90s.), the place went to hell.
I remember Greaseman back in the 90s, man that show was awful. There’s an old rumor/story that the reason why Z93 ended up airing his show is because when Infinity was in the process of buying the station, NC Senator Jesse Helms put pressure on them to not put Howard Stern on Z93 (Presumably because if conditions were right, Z93 could be picked in parts of North Carolina right over the GA border.). In order for him to not try to use his influence to block the sale, they supposedly agreed to not put Howard Stern on Z93 (It never stopped the Stern rumors whenever Z93 fired their morning show [This also would happened at 96 Rock as well.]).
Here’s an interesting idea for a format flip, classic alternative. Think something along the lines of a station that plays of mix of bands like R.E.M. (everything prior to Monster), the B-52s, The Smiths, U2, The Cure, The Pretenders, mix in some obscure New Wave stuff and with someone like Steve Craig at the wheel, classic punk. Essentially, his old House of Retro Pleasure/Retroplex show as the basis for the entire format. One of my favorite stations on SiriusXM is First Wave, which is a lot like listening to the House Of Retro Pleasure all day.
nona
November 10th, 2011
4:35 pm
Clearly the inmates have the keys to the asylum at this station.
Me
November 10th, 2011
4:38 pm
Maybe people stopped listening because of all the commercials. There were way too many.
Ganners
November 10th, 2011
4:39 pm
I prefer 99X but the signal is so weak that I listen to DaveFM more often. Jimmy and Yvonne were pretty good. I really like Yvonne. Jimmy is past his prime. I am so glad Steve Craig will be back. I got so excited when I heard him on the radio again. I was hoping Mara would be replaced by Steve. She has turned mid day into a mommy corner selling Wheat Thins and bug spray.
The swing in content at Dave is making me batty. Who are they trying to keep as a listener?? I love hearing Coldplay, but followed up be Fleetwood Mac?! Are you kidding me? They need to leave the oldies to The River and Rock 100. It seems like they are creating over lap and identity issues. Do what you do and do it well. Adult alternative with smart music presenters. Would I like to hear Vampire Weekend and AWOLNATION on Dave? Yes, very much so. I know it is very unlikely and I understand why. That is the same reason I do not understand hearing Queen, Talking Heads and Tom Petty.
ToddtheWetPocket
November 10th, 2011
4:42 pm
I used to love Dave Marino in the morning..He and his co-host (I think it was Scott Woodside) had great chemistry and made my morning commute tolerable
John
November 10th, 2011
4:47 pm
If they had broadcast the Howard Stern show in the first place, they wouldn’t have been floundering in the ratings all these years.
H
November 10th, 2011
4:48 pm
DAVE FM is the ONLY radio station I can tolerate in Atlanta and now that Jimmy & Yvonne are gone, it’s gong to be really hard to listen. Mara is that station’s only saving grace. I stopped listening to Q100 because I couldn’t stand to listen to Bert whine anymore. Oh well. I guess that’s why I have an iPod.
Joe Mama
November 10th, 2011
4:51 pm
Atlanta Native 50+ — “Jimmy, why don’t we start our own Jewish-rock station as a counter to the plethora of Christian stations along the dial? Now THAT would be an Atlanta original.”
You could call it “The Shul of Rock.”
Leslie
November 10th, 2011
5:00 pm
I wonder what Dave FM’s morning show would have been like if Jimmy and Yvonne were permitted to actually be themselves–less controlled by management. Their best moments were always when they teased each other and enjoyed each others company/personalities. Authenticity is so important and when we rely on just one of our senses (hearing), we intelligent people readily pick up on the disingenuous or constrained demeanor these two were clearly forced into. I like Crash, but I will miss the morning reparte between Jimmy and Yvonne!
Kellie
November 10th, 2011
5:02 pm
Oh, no, what 10W rock station in rural Michigan will hire Fat Kid now?
MarineCorpBirthday
November 10th, 2011
5:03 pm
TRG has to be next on the chopping block
GaBlue
November 10th, 2011
5:09 pm
It’s was Jimmy’s voice I heard that fateful morning we were all in shock, describing what he saw on television while I was commuting to work. I’ll never forget what his voice conveyed as he reported the second plane…. there’s always that connection with the voices that fill our air space day after day.
PARENTS: Encourage your kids to study math and science! Get them a tutor if they help. Yes, I LOVE radio too, music, the immediacy of it all, feeling connected to the world, but it ain’t no way to make a livin’. Following your dreams in a liberal arts field leads to a lifetime of repeated unemployment, battered self esteem, and mortgage nightmares.
Good luck Jimmy! Next gig, lay off the danged estro-pop!
Eric
November 10th, 2011
5:17 pm
Dave FM’s place list has gotten to small, and why they don’t play the new Foo Fighters album which is very good I don’t know. Jimmy … Ehhhh, But Yvonne was great and Jimmy was a good set up for her.
Kim
November 10th, 2011
5:22 pm
So sad to hear this. I loved Jimmy and Yvonne’ s morning show. I agree that it was the only morning show that was tolerable in the mornings. Good luck Jimmy and Yvonne…you will find something better.
Jeff
November 10th, 2011
5:23 pm
Clint at 12:22 — you, sir, don’t appreciate good music… U2 and The Police trump 95% of the crap that is out there these days. I personally love the Dave FM music format — mid-80s-to-mid-90s stuff. Everything from U2 to Counting Crows to Dave Matthews to Sting to Gin Blossoms. There is some good music from that era.
Dave fan at 11:34 and Sid at 12:06 — very good points. I always liked the “House of Retro Pleasure”, when Steve would spin some forgotten and rare and cult-classic 80s tunes on 99X. And I listen to a variety of things — some CDs, some Ipod music, some radio, and some Sirius Radio.
The BIG problem with broadcast radio, especially in Atlanta, seems to be this: unless a station is constantly pulling numbers like a Bingo hall host on crack, they cut the cord in a matter of months. You have to let a show GROW. In Rodney’s story, he said “Dave FM’s ratings have fluctuated up and down over the years.” Well, DUH!!! That is what ratings DO!!!!! It is a VERY in-exact, in-accurate method to guage listeners (and TV viewers)… there is really NO way to know how big an audience a station or certain show has… it’s nothing more than educated guesses. And with remote controls and station pre-sets, people flip around all the time. I hate to tell the advertisers, but sorry, not many people listen to commercials much anymore… it’s just a fact of life. So when finicky advertisers want a change, or when a ratings period is a hair lower than it was before, stations panic and pull the plugs.
Here is the way to fix some things:
No. 1 — quit paying a king’s ransom for on-air talent. We don’t care who the names are, we just want competent, intelligent, entertaining hosts on our radio. Just because you pay them $60K or $70K or $100K or more doesn’t make them better. Learn how to manage your money and resources better.
No. 2 — quit changing formats/shows/lineups as often as you change socks. STICK with something for a while. Give it time to breath and grow an audience.
No. 3 — find a good music FORMAT and then use VARIETY within that format. Don’t play the same 8 songs all day long.
No. 4 — balance the commercial-to-music ratio. Sometimes you overload the audience with too many ads.
No. 5 — won’t happen, but bring back the mid-1980s on-air lineup from 96Rock … that was some great radio and great music! Mark and Steve in the mornings, John Boy in the midday, Kady Kiley in the afternoon drive, Willard at night, and the sulty McKenzie Scott in the overnight. All kinds of cool features (morning show skits, Willard’s “Perfect Album Side”, Kady’s 5-o-clock whistle, etc.) and some great rock music. Those were the fun days of Atlanta radio….
Good luck to Yvonne and Jimmy in the future, and I hope Dave FM can hit on a formula that is successful.
trz
November 10th, 2011
5:24 pm
Loved classic rock Z93. Can’t stand The River. Didn’t like Jimmy Baron’s carpet cleaning commercials! Love Mara! Some combination of classic rock Z93 and Deep Cuts would be great! Morning shows should be mostly music with minimal talk — and no stupid gags at any time of the day!
snowmunk
November 10th, 2011
5:33 pm
Poor decision made to let Yvonne Monet go. She’s so talented. I’ve heard Steve before…he sounds a bit too arrogant for me to listen. Boo to you Dave FM!
Kimmie C. (Newnan)
November 10th, 2011
5:54 pm
I have 5 words to say: “Y-vonne! Y-vonne! Y-vonne! Y-vonne! ROCKS…”
Nancy
November 10th, 2011
6:09 pm
This stinks. I am not happy!!!!
Bill
November 10th, 2011
6:22 pm
This was the only morning show in the ATL market that was worth a darn.
So who will we hear now while Dave changes Coldplay albums? Anybody else catch how MUCH Coldplay this station plays???
UGA 92
November 10th, 2011
6:25 pm
It’s the management, not the talent. Now that Baron is gone, there is no more reason to listen to Dave. JB, let us know where you land next. I’ll be sure and follow you.
Joe
November 10th, 2011
6:47 pm
I quit listening to the morning show when Holly Firfer got the axe. Bring a her back. A class lady that played some music, not what they did over the weekend.
1979
November 10th, 2011
6:50 pm
97.1 The River!
The best radio station in the entire southeast