Star 94 drops Ray Mariner from Cindy & Ray show
On Monday, Star 94 dismissed Ray Mariner of the Cindy & Ray morning show.
He has been taken off the Star 94 website. On his personal Facebook page, Mariner has not commented about his departure but has placed his job at Star 94 in the past tense.
Star 94 Program Director Scott Lindy in a text gave the standard, “I cannot comment on personnel matters.” Mariner, in a text, declined to comment as well. Ditto with Mariner’s agent Norm Schrutt on the phone. Radio silence, as they say.
Evening host Tim Orff, who was the ultimate substitute morning guy when he worked at Dave FM, will join Cindy Simmons in the mornings until a replacement is found, I’m told.
Ray Mariner at the Royal Marshall benefit at the Punchline last year. CREDIT: Rodney Ho/rho@ajc.com
Cindy & Ray joined Star 94 in February 2003 as a personality afternoon team, considered an unusual move at the time. They were a hit, giving Star plenty of juice in the afternoon. But with Steve McCoy and Vikki Locke’s audience aging, Star let them go at the end of 2008 and brought in the youthful Indianapolis team called the Morning Mess. It was indeed a mess and the show lasted only a year. With ratings in a freefall, Star convinced Mariner and Simmons to move to mornings in March, 2009, where they have been anchored for three-plus years.
While their ratings aren’t quite as strong in the mornings, given the competition, they have been a solid performer, which makes this departure certainly quixotic with no explanation. In April, the show ranked sixth overall, 18 to 34 and 25 to 54.
Simmons, 40, who is in her second marriage with Eric Cartell, is currently pregnant after surviving breast cancer. Mariner, 48, remarried last year to Jenny Lucas.
I will update this blog entry if or when I find out why Mariner has been cut loose.
His biography on the site, still in “cache” on Google:
Having grown up in Charlotte, Ray graduated from Appalachian State in Boone, NC. His radio career includes gigs in Charlotte, Cleveland and Orlando. Ray took a break from radio in the 90s and joined Columbia Records. He worked with artists like Aerosmith, Train, Mariah Carey, Destiny’s Child, Ricky Martin and Bruce Springsteen.
Falcons football, Braves baseball and NASCAR are his favorite spectator sports.
Join my Facebook fan page and Twitter.
By Rodney Ho, Radio & TV Talk
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87 comments Add your comment
Allison Wonderland
May 22nd, 2012
4:04 pm
@790 Fan I really dont think Ray is hurting in the wallet. Its the nature of the business!!!
MU in GA
May 22nd, 2012
4:10 pm
Like Rick @ 3:29 said…..I have XM in all my cars and iHeart Radio on my phone. I never thought I would pay for radio, but with the inconsistencies in Atlanta radio, it is so nice to know I can turn on a station on XM and know what I’m going to get all the time. To be one of the largest metro areas in the country, Atlanta radio stinks and what I am most amazed about is I recently started listening to a station in my hometown of Huntington WV on iHeart radio that I listened to while growing up there and they have remained consistent and a better quality station than anything in Atlanta. Pretty sad when a market with 300,000 people can beat out a market with over 5 million.
Ron Herbert
May 22nd, 2012
5:01 pm
Ray Mariner was the Best Thing going at Star 94!!!! Sorry to see it end, but Ray is one of the best Jocks in the Country!!! I bet that many companies will line up for his services!! I worked with Ray in the Past when he was at Columbia Records. He was one of the Best Reps Columbia Records Produced!!! Ray will always land on his feet!!! http://www.moneymarketron.com Ron Herbert http://www.bonusmusic.com http://www.youtube.com/theronnieh
melo k
May 22nd, 2012
6:06 pm
no big loss—that show is terrible. they need a new model.
The Kimmer
May 22nd, 2012
6:15 pm
There was absolutely no chemistry between the two. And why keep the one that sounds like a 9-year old? She’s a woman so they probably pay her less. Rightly so. Hey-o!
another comment
May 22nd, 2012
6:25 pm
Ray turned off alot of the female listners when he a middle aged man, bragged about dating a college student. Then he recently married her. He also disparaged his x-wife the mother of his children all of the time. Sorry Ray, this is not what the women listner’s who were the heart this station’s base.
Now Cindy, has gone through being married to a guy that despite what she said most women could tell was an not too ambitious hangeron. She divorced him, and was raising her little girl on her own. Then she had finally met Mr. Right, then she was diagnosised with breast cancer. She lost all her hair with chemo. Her boyfriend stuck by her. They got married. Now she is pregnant at 39 or 40 after surviving Breast Cancer. So it would be pretty heartless and against the law for the station to fire a Pregnant Cancer suffer.
The station was the best with Steve and Vicky or even with Gary and Vicky.
Tiffany
May 22nd, 2012
6:33 pm
They need to drop Cindy too!!!!!!!! This is the dumbest morning show ever. Lily’s lyrics make my skin crawl. I have never heard anything of interest on this show. I listen to TRG anyhow.
bill t
May 22nd, 2012
6:34 pm
Regular guys rule. Nothing like listening to those cry babies on star 94. I did it one morning and felt like a vampire had sucked all the blood from my body. Breaking out the party favors now.
Judy
May 22nd, 2012
6:42 pm
Loved Star 94 years ago. Still listen to it but won’t listen until the Cindy and Ray show is off for the day. Ray isn’t the issue – just don’t care for Cindy’s voice. Plus honestly, I’m tired of hearing about her cancer bout. While I feel sorry that she had to go through that, at a certain point, using it to sell products is crass.
Bring back...
May 22nd, 2012
7:08 pm
…94Q and Gary McKee…
Lurkinator
May 22nd, 2012
7:15 pm
@Billy 1:51 post – I completely agree. First it was Fox 97, now this! I’m not quite 30 but I loooove 60s music: the Beatles, the Commodores, all that good rock ‘n roll and Motown our parents and grandparents watched on the Ed Sullivan Show. The River is okay but it gets redundant after a while, sort of like how Jimmy Buffett says (over and over and over on the River), “like a worn-out recording of a favorite song.”
Lurkinator
May 22nd, 2012
7:18 pm
P.S. Pandora over here…love that! I can stream it from my iPhone into my Sync system, and the best part is, it’s all free!! My only “regular” radio station is Q100, but I have to turn it off sometimes when they play “artists” I don’t like.
DD
May 22nd, 2012
7:23 pm
Simply reducing expenses so Cumulus can purchase.
use to listen
May 22nd, 2012
7:49 pm
I liked that station at one time. When Cindy first came, I just changed the channel in the afternoons. Then they moved her to morning show, and so I made the switch then. She is terrible!!!!!!
Voltaire
May 22nd, 2012
8:11 pm
Look…..Ray is old news. While he may have served his purpose for a period of time, it is time to move on. Orff gives Star 94 that new and fresh voice on the radion that the Atlanta market needs. Most morning shows stink. Orff brings a native Atlanta feel to mornings. He is energetic and would help attract newer, younger listeners while maintaining the established audience. Star 94 needs all the new blood it can get in addition to keeping its core listeners. This is a positive move for Star 94, if they keep Orff full time in the AM. Voltaire has spoken.
Wtf
May 22nd, 2012
8:53 pm
Why is “cache” I’m quotes?
Jimmy Nash
May 22nd, 2012
9:11 pm
Lots of bitter, unhappy (cowardly) critics out there apparently afraid to put their real names on their comments…..
B C
May 22nd, 2012
10:11 pm
Hate for anyone to lose their job in this economy, but Ray needed to go a LONG time ago. I used to listen but got so annoyed with him when he would ask listeners to call in and then he would talk over them if he disagreed with them and just treated them rudely. I listen to SiriusXM all the time now and if I need to hear ATL info, I listen to Vikki. I think Cindy will do just fine without Ray! Ray turned me off STAR 94 for good!
dd
May 22nd, 2012
10:19 pm
please read your opening sentence and then call your journalism professor to return your degree.
Gorharm
May 22nd, 2012
10:28 pm
Thanks Roy for keeping us informed! I am just so curious to know why Ray is gone!!!
Hatethisforum
May 22nd, 2012
10:34 pm
@Coolio & 790Fan – hate is what this AJC blog comments section is all about and it will stay that way until the AJC decides to require registered users. Been saying that for a few years now. NO ONE allows anonymous posting like this. As it is now, this is like The Vent, except with less, uh, intelligence and humor.
Missing Power 99
May 22nd, 2012
10:44 pm
Kimmer to 106.7
Ray was a great guy. Orff is not a good idea for mornings. sales staff will hate him.
Steve
May 22nd, 2012
10:53 pm
Gary McKee – Never has been anyone as good as he was or better! Atlanta radio has never been as good as it was with him.
another comment
May 22nd, 2012
11:14 pm
@Steve Gary McKee was the best and we all listened to him when we were in our 20’s and he was at least 20 years older, than us. There is such ageism in Radio and TV. We were just talking about this yesterday how glad we are that the CBS station has the Channel 11 Weatherman back on the weekends at least. Channel 11 screwed up big time bringing that dorky young guy from out of town. We are just waiting for CBS to get rid of the Black woman to let Paul Ossman be the main weather guy it would be their best move.
another comment
May 22nd, 2012
11:16 pm
When are these stations going to realize that the average age of white folks is 40 now and black folks is 36, only Hispanics and other immigrants are in the early 20’s. That is why their are more minority children being born.
I Like Kimmer, Too.
May 22nd, 2012
11:18 pm
Which Atlanta radio station is Kimmer on now?
I’ve missed that guy!
SuzeC
May 22nd, 2012
11:30 pm
“Plus honestly, I’m tired of hearing about her cancer bout. While I feel sorry that she had to go through that, at a certain point, using it to sell products is crass.”
Judy @ 6:42 – Absolutely agree with you. I’m so glad I’m not the only one.
DAMANGoildberg
May 23rd, 2012
12:30 am
Three words:
Bob and Sheri
I Miss Suchita
May 23rd, 2012
10:05 am
I stopped listening to Star 94 when Steve and Vicky left. I am now a loyal fan on The Bert Show. Give it a try.
MovedOn
May 23rd, 2012
11:41 am
Ray was a jerk most of the time. He might have been ‘full of energy’ but there’s just no excuse for rudeness. At one point I actually got through on the phone to ask a question of one of their guests. Ray interrupted, talked over me and was just plain rude…as he typically was. I stopped listening to him and Star94 years ago.
MikeHunt
May 23rd, 2012
11:49 am
I wonder how long it will take before Cindy brings her daughter Lilly in studio to replace Ray.
WAR EAGLE
May 23rd, 2012
2:04 pm
Today’s line up: The GREASEMAN! Followed by, Imus!, then The KIMMER! , then the Wayne no Offense Show and finally, Howard Stern!!!! Now THAT is a line up. Wish George Carlin were alive. That would be funny hearing Carliin on the drive home. At least traffic would be a laugh cause everyone would smash into each other from Laughter!
Michelle
May 23rd, 2012
3:16 pm
I found their morning show really bland. I miss Barnes & Firfir, why don’t they bring them back?
Donnie
May 24th, 2012
12:22 pm
HERE IS THE PROBLEM IN AMERICA’S ECONOMY
“EGO” People who think they are right no matter what. So smart no one else can discuss anything with them. News people trying to run the Government, and Government people trying to over power everyone around them……and “NO GOD IN THE MIDDLE”
Nancy M
May 25th, 2012
4:49 pm
Didn’t like the fact Ray was removed regardless what others think, I really liked him. He had a personality much like mine. Hey SuzeC, I’ve had breast cancer and I do use the product and like it!
Ted T
May 27th, 2012
10:10 am
I’ve been listening to Cindy & Ray on my morning commute for years. I think it’s run it’s course and just needs/needed some kind of momentum boost. I really like both Cindy and Ray but have grown to DESPISE practically ALL of their segments.
- Monday morning mom’s panel – TERRIBLE!!
- Robin Spizeman’s giftionary – GARBAGE!!
- Lilly’s lyrics – PITIFUL
- Casy’s Saxy Idol – WASTE OF RADIO TIME.
Best of luck to Ray. He’s a very good DJ with a great personality.
Radio Listener
May 29th, 2012
8:39 am
FYI, Rodney: Ray is actually on his third marriage.