Q100’s Bert Weiss says he has been a ‘binge drinker,’ but not an alcoholic
Bert Weiss made a confession last month about a drinking problem. CREDIT: Rodney Ho/ajc.com
Q100 host Bert Weiss told listeners this morning that he has been a binge drinker but feels he is not an alcoholic.
“I’m not the guy who craves alcohol every day or even every two weeks,” he said. “My problem and my concern is when I do go out, if I’m with a whole bunch of friends, it’s difficult for me to put the brakes on. That means I’ll be hung over the next day. I’ll do stupid things and I’ll spend a large amount of time the next day texting apologies.”
Weiss dubbed himself a “binge drinker,” saying he’s been following this pattern going back to college. But now he’s in his mid-40s and feels it’s time to grow up.
Last month, he first told listeners about the issue and 11 Alive talked to him about it. “I’ve got two kids now, I’ve got a 10 year old and a 5 year old, who I’m just getting more present to — I just want to be a role model to them when they’re not around,” Weiss told the station at the time.
He attended some Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and members gave him a general litmus test. Can he take one drink at a bar and walk away. Then can he come back and do it again? He said so far, the past few weeks, he’s been able to put the cap on, saying it’s been easier than he thought.
“I’m in a different part of my life,” he said. “The way I’ve partied the last six months and some stupid things I’ve done has shaken me. I don’t want to be that guy anymore.”
But he said the problem will not go away so he has to be aware of it the rest of his life. and he’s going to stick more with club soda than alcohol at parties from here on out.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says binge drinking is the most common problem with alcohol, which is defined as a pattern of drinking that brings a person’s blood alcohol concentration to 0.08 grams percent or above. For guys, this means men consume five or more drinks, and when women consume four or more drinks, in about 2 hours or less.
According to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse, as many as 43 percent of men and 29 percent of women say they binge drink at least once a year. One in six binge drinkers do so an average of four times a month.
The CDC web site notes that “most people who binge drink are not alcohol dependent.”
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70 comments Add your comment
Allison Wonderland
January 9th, 2013
8:58 am
I just hope he doesnt end up hurting someone or make headlines like Amanda Davis.
K-Ster
January 9th, 2013
9:03 am
JEEZE he’s desperate for PR time… What a needy [small] ego!
Greg
January 9th, 2013
9:13 am
He does this stuff for ratings just like he exposed his wife to the world that she was a pill addict. This story did not require topp billing on 11 Alive like it did when he told it last month. I concur with K-Ster
DebDoes
January 9th, 2013
9:16 am
We love you Bert! Thanks for talking about this publicly and being a man a about it! There are alot of people out there that need to ‘grow up’ finally.
Dumb utter
January 9th, 2013
9:20 am
He’s a nice guy who said this casually in jest on the air and now it’s being turned into this. K-STAR and Greg, you PERFECT people who find it so easy to judge should show a little grace here and stop being rude
Mercedes S.
January 9th, 2013
9:29 am
I pity his kids who not only have to grow up with an alcoholic father, then they suffer the enmbarrassment of having the whole world know about it.
K-Ster
January 9th, 2013
9:29 am
Dumb utter: So, Greg and I cannot try and get attention in a silly attempt at relevance in the manner that Bert does? If I put a microphone up to my face and brag about ups and downs, does that make it okay? Burt MENTIONED this, he did not make a big stink about HELPING SOCIETY about this. He knew what he was doing: planting a ratings seed for the gullible masses to fall folly to.
I’m not perfect, but it might appear so because I do not air my dirty laundry for the sake of $$$ and fictitious fame. When your listeners say the words ‘umm’, ‘like’, ‘and *grunt* YEAH’ more than anything of value, then you are NOT providing entertainment. Rather, it’s a bucket dump of ignorant minds sucked into lame gossip.
ummwhutwhut?
January 9th, 2013
9:31 am
Alcoholism is alcoholism. He is an alcoholic. Glad he is doing something about it!
I have no sympathy for anyone who gets a DUI. The punishment for all DUI related offenses are too lenient.
jimbo722
January 9th, 2013
9:31 am
Why is it that anything muttered on the air at Q100 is published on this blog? Really Rodney, I like your column, but all we seem to see radio-wise is Q100. Melissa Carter leaving TBS, oh wait, she’s now on All News 106.7. Jenn Hobby is leaving TBS, oh wait, she is now on Kicks. Bert’s feelings are hurt because his good friend is now his competition on Star94. Have I missed anything? Bert binges a bit. Are you kidding me? I guess Mark Richards (PD at Kicks) being let go after 10 years at Kicks was not news enough for this board. Also I think the afternoon guy at B98.5 is out too, but you wouldn’t know it by this blog.
edge770
January 9th, 2013
9:59 am
Q-100 is a bunch of metro sexual wusses, that are as needy as a 5 year old. If he was my employee (like the rest of the whiners) they be terminated from my station. It’s Cumulus that needs to grow up.
HeyStacyWeiss
January 9th, 2013
10:09 am
Looks like Bert is NOTHING without his castmates!
I really like his competition on Star! The karma train is a comin’!!!
Summer
January 9th, 2013
10:22 am
Way to go Bert. I dont listen to your show, however I think I am having the same problem. WTH it sucks, but I’m with you its time to grow up even if its not fun. I wish you luck. You haters and judgers on here better watch it you will need grace one day yourselves.
lkjlk
January 9th, 2013
10:23 am
In other news, my ex had a serious issue with gas.
John Foy the Strong Arm
January 9th, 2013
10:33 am
Denial is a major sign of being a full blown alcoholic.
been there, done that
January 9th, 2013
10:36 am
I’ve over indulged and embarrased myself plenty. He’s not being honest with himself, if he thinks binge drinking and being a alcoholic are not one in the same. Thankfully, I got over the embarrassment and drink to my heart’s delight and my liver’s demise.
i'm just sayin
January 9th, 2013
10:37 am
Before you all get bent out of shape, this is my OPINION that ‘I” am entitled to. If a Radio Personality on one of the Rap OR R&B stations had confessed to this, he or she would be TERMINATED NOT GLORIFIED.
dre
January 9th, 2013
10:38 am
ikjik,
Did she/he go to flatulence anynomous.
Coco
January 9th, 2013
10:51 am
He was trying to trump what would be Hobby’s departure the following day when he dropped this attention-getting “bombshell.” Bert & Jenn had a falling out and she was bound to leave TBS. Not knowing where she’d land and (as always) trying to save face, she announced she would be going back to school — studying for the GRE. She did ultimately land a DJ gig. Shocking: she doesn’t have to go thru with her “back to school” threat. (Yes, she knew she was pregnant, so no one can say that changed things.)
Coco
January 9th, 2013
11:09 am
P.S. By “falling out” — it was clear to all listeners after marrying, Jenn found Jesus, claimed to lead a “picture perfect” life, wouldn’t stop saying “Happy wife, happy life” ad nauseum, etc. — never had any stories for radio that didn’t paint herself in the most positive light possible. It got old, very old, for listeners. Bert saw thru the BS. Thanks, Bert!
crackbaby
January 9th, 2013
11:27 am
What about recreational drinking?
There is no pattern. Not an addict. We don’t stay up until daybreak, etc. Sometimes drinking in a social setting is fun. For those of us who aren’t ugly, angry or belligerent drunks, it’s no big deal.
Some people can handle it. Many cannot. That is where the distinction lies.
crackbaby
January 9th, 2013
11:29 am
ALCOHOL – Helping ugly people have sex for thousands of years!
jack
January 9th, 2013
11:34 am
Bert’s a drunk who has this “revelation” multiple times a year, he’s had kids for 10 years and now wants to be a role model, he’s a joke, he and wifey swing, time for a new city Bert, Atlanta is sick of you and ratings are bearing that out
Steaky Cha Cha
January 9th, 2013
11:46 am
little maaaaaan
Steaky Cha Cha
January 9th, 2013
11:49 am
“Five or more drinks in less than two hours”
This is a normal Monday night for me at the Palm cha cha. You got to man up if you want to be the KING of AM radio baby!
Wink
January 9th, 2013
11:51 am
Bert is just following the trend of reality television shows and airing all his dirty laundry on-air. Just be careful not to drink and drive Bert!
ChopChop
January 9th, 2013
12:11 pm
I wonder if he has a brother that isn’t gay, but sleeps with men.
snailboy
January 9th, 2013
12:12 pm
mann. Burt is a PR hog. I don’t listen to his show. Good luck and make sure you don’t drink and drive like another local celebrity in Atlanta.
BettyBoop
January 9th, 2013
12:13 pm
Someone who binge drinks is an alcoholic. As AA points out, if one drinks to excess each time they drink, they have a problem.
mmmmm...yep
January 9th, 2013
1:07 pm
K-ster you nailed it. The callers on this show are a perfect reflection of its quality and their drivel is so potent it must be what killing brain cells sounds like.
And for any offended Bert Show listeners out there, in answer to what you’re probably thinking – yes, I know I don’t have to listen if I don’t want to and so I usually don’t.
Steve
January 9th, 2013
1:07 pm
Yep — Weiss is trying to get PR for his dying morning show – a show that jumped the shark long ago with the addition of that annoying Kristen – and the show definitely needs a testosterone injection quickly!!! The banter among the 3 DJs is nothing but female chit-chat.
oscar the grouch
January 9th, 2013
1:11 pm
@ ummwhutwhut?: Our DUI laws are flawed and designed to be a revenue source for the local municipalities. Lack of sleep, talking on a phone, texting, putting on your make up and eating (to name a few) are just as bad as driving around at a .08 level. Do some fact checking and realize the true motivation behind the “.08 myth” …..not that it will change your mind, but to arbitrarily say “all DUI’s” is very short sighted. Did you know you could get a DUI for less than .08?
Anthony
January 9th, 2013
1:21 pm
He needs something to keep his name in the public eye because his show is SO BORING!. I would drink also!
trailerparkted
January 9th, 2013
1:22 pm
Just have his wife tell him to stop drinking or else, we all know she wears the pants in the family…….
Anthony
January 9th, 2013
1:23 pm
Elvis Duran morning show is the best morning show on 96.1
joe
January 9th, 2013
1:27 pm
TBS rating continue to fall and their days are numbered. Bring back Dave-FM!!
Anna
January 9th, 2013
1:37 pm
A binge drinker is an alcoholic, guess he’s just not ready to call himself that yet.
AlkyInTheCloset
January 9th, 2013
1:46 pm
weiss is an alcoholic, an liar and in denial. He should be fired immediately and enter rehab. He is a total loser.
Teri
January 9th, 2013
1:50 pm
Listen or not, personal preference to each person but if the show was not “good” it would not have been on the air for over 10 years!! I listen when I am at work but besides that I do not go to much trouble to hear it. Maybe the ratings are going down BUT it still lasted over 10 years which is unheard of in radio these days. I still miss DAVE FM too!
ty77rone
January 9th, 2013
1:58 pm
All of you who are criticizing and name calling should take a good long look in the mirror.
Just in case you’ve forgotten, your poop stinks like everyone else’s.
Get off your damn soap boxes and learn how to love unconditionally.
GEEZ !!!
Amazed!
January 9th, 2013
2:26 pm
Bert Weiss is an alcoholic, plain and simple! He needs to start attending AA. Denial is a river in Egypt!
brian j
January 9th, 2013
2:41 pm
Atlanta radio sucks!!! Bring back Davefm!!!
Abe
January 9th, 2013
2:53 pm
Anyone who drinks any amount of alcohol has a problem.
pb
January 9th, 2013
2:54 pm
If you think you have a drinking problem, you are probably an alcoholic. Denial is part of the problem. You don’t have to be physically addicted to it, to be an alcoholic.But this guy does not need to tell the world his every little problem. Also, he seems to be minimizing problem drinking and alcoholism, which ruins countless lives in US, and rest of the world.
Sal Governale
January 9th, 2013
3:00 pm
This is weak Bert. You need my services, I will advise you how to get attention. Remember, even negative attention is attention. Call me. I’ve got a good idea for you to have a ‘Michael Richard’s’ moment while calling the V103 morning crew. I’ve got some more ideas, but don’t want to spill all the beans here, call me 404-555-8746.
Willydoit?
January 9th, 2013
3:13 pm
Poor little man….anything for some publicity
snailboy
January 9th, 2013
3:20 pm
wow. I wonder what the show will sound like now that he is sober?
missnadine
January 9th, 2013
3:41 pm
I was just like him. I didn’t drink each day, or even every other day. I drank one night a week, usually a Friday night, and would drink over a bottle of wine. This is a sign of alcoholism, as others have pointed out. These days, I may have one drink once a month – completely different than before – and i realize how stupid I looked when I was loaded. As a 40+ year old,. it is really bad that he drinks so much that he has to apoligize to people the next day. As a dad, that is evem more disgraceful. He nees to just stop completely, or only have a drink or 2 once in a while. If he thinks his kids don’t notice then he really is clueless. Remember that commercial with the dad asking the kid who tought him how to use drugs? same thing here. The kids will emulate him.
missnadine
January 9th, 2013
3:46 pm
Pardon the typos from above! For all of you getting on Rodney for giving Q100 so much coverage, please note that when this story broke on 11alive, he did not write a column about it.
Rodney Ho
January 9th, 2013
3:55 pm
Missnadine is right. When Bert made those comments last month, I had written so much about Q100 that previous month, I just passed on it. But he brought it back so I figure, why not. Bert draws blog traffic. Simple as that.
Renee
January 9th, 2013
4:19 pm
Glad Bert is trying to do soemthign about this binge drinking. As someone who has listened to him over the years, it is clear that he parties too hard if he goes out. I wish other adults would take the same advice. Getting drunk and partying hard is fine in your 20’s, but to hear the same stupid stories and hang-over complaints every MOnday around the water cooler from folks in their 30s, 40s, and 50s is freaking pathetic. No one things you are cool when you drink too much and act like an ass.
Stuart
January 9th, 2013
4:23 pm
I don’t listen to the Bert Show. Come to think of it, I may have listened once or twice in 12 years. It is nice if he wants to admit to a problem in a roundabout way but hopefully it isn’t in a way to get ratings and be preachy to others. Neither is cool.
Ted Striker
January 9th, 2013
4:24 pm
Props to Mr. Weiss for being open, admitting his problem, admitting his fears (which he clearly did when Channel 11 requested to interviewing him) and for attending AA. Not everyone who struggles with alcohol problems would be willing to do that.
I don’t listen to his show however it’s my opinion such actions speak to courage and responsibility, not anything approximating self-serving behavior as some have suggested.
To those folks I would say this: You can judge a person’s actions however it’s a slippery slope and an imperfect exercise when judging a person’s motivation and intentions.
Good luck to Mr. Weiss and all who struggle with alcohol or any other issue that keeps them from being the best they can be.
missnadine
January 9th, 2013
4:25 pm
Also, I even asked Rodney why he didn’t cover the story back then, and he told me exactly what he said above. What Renee says above is exactly how I feel as well. The older you get, the more pathetic it is to drink to oblivion. There really are few things less attractive than a middle-aged drunkard.
K-Ster
January 9th, 2013
4:25 pm
Rodney: What is it about Bert that draws so much traffic? Is it a fan base or a makeshift ‘The Vent’ section used to beg ATL radio to bring something new to Q100? I am only ONE of the masses that flock to your blogs. I can attest that the only reason I click on TBS-related articles is to see the trash get dumped. It has been a down-hill roller coaster for TBS for quite some time, as evident on their co-host mass exodus and Bert’s cheap attempts at making a name for himself in a dimming environment.
Personally, I prefer the morning shows on STAR 94 and The Bull. Why? They don’t beg for attention nor reek of desperation. Plus, their callers aren’t gullible ditzes. And hey, when Bert has to RE-USE cries for attention (e.g. ’stories’), you know he’s up stream with no paddle. Hell, Princess Diana never had to wear the same dress twice! SHE EARNED RELEVANCE.
Ted Striker
January 9th, 2013
4:35 pm
And Rodney Ho: Keep writing about any topic you deem appropriate. Your hits are many and your misses are few. The page hits don’t lie.
Jeffro
January 9th, 2013
5:28 pm
this is an attempt to have some “hot topic” for these guys to talk about
now that they are down to 3 staff members and the Ryan King is on V103 mornings they HAVE to work EVERY angle…
no different then when the last morning radio shake up happened, he announced his wife had a pill problem…
GROW THE F%&K UP!! IDIOT
January 9th, 2013
7:18 pm
With the fantastic job you have, is a job you should be fired from. How can you put your business out there and act like it’s ok to do what you do. If just one person hears what you say and keeps doing the same thing and says it’s ok because Bert does it… Come on man. You are a jerk of the worst kind. Maybe if you kill a family, that may be enough to make you think about quitting.
And the people you work with should be all in your azz, if they are not, they are jerks too. I can’t believe you. Maybe you’d enjoy having your children come to Jackson State Prison to visit your azz once a month. You have way to many blessings to be acting like this. I’d love to break my foot off in your azz, because your an idiot. Get it toether man. Your station should outlaw anyone joking about drinking. The general manager needs a good butt whipping too. JERK!!!!!
Chris Cornell
January 9th, 2013
8:51 pm
Yeah, Bert, suuuuuure. Let me guess Dauler isn’t a fatass, but rather just a binge eater?
finally
January 9th, 2013
9:03 pm
Bert was going on a while back about Ambien…not supposed to drink with that. I always felt kinda odd about 40 something DJ’s trying to party it up with people half their age, when I was in my 20s I didn’t hang out with 40 year olds and always thought they were alcoholics if they were still hanging out at the bar or club. Sure go out and have a nice evening with your peers, take a taxi and tie one on if you want to but don’t try to act like you’re fresh out of college when you are as old as the college kids parents. Just creepy.
Ed
January 9th, 2013
9:38 pm
I am an alcoholic. There is no gray area. When alcohol controls you, you know it. And you either ride it out to death or prison or you get sick and tired and get help. You dont lie or whine about it on the radio for attention. Bert is not a man. Bert is an insult to anyone out there who truly struggles with addiction.
I use to get up every morning at 5 so I could drink for 2 hours before I had to catch the bus to work. Otherwise I would shake so badly I couldnt hold a pen. I would drink cologne or aftershave in the bathroom to mask the smell of vodka on my breath. I blacked out nightly. I got in fights every time I left my apartment at night, and I dont even know what they were about. One night I beat a man so badly that he permanently lost sight in one of his eyes. I lost everyone and and everything I cared about because of my drinking. And even then I struggled to ask for help.
Meanwhile you fake a problem and whine about it on the radio for attention. You are a piece of trash, you sad little midget.
Yankeegirl
January 9th, 2013
9:40 pm
Publicity ploy for sure….did anyone else think his wife calling the show about Mark Wahlberg sounded scripted. I heard it for the first time this morning and it sounded like an act…again, something for publicity. I only listen to them a little while before they are on my nerves. They are always on vacation anyway, so it shouldn’t be hard to replace them.
Just For Today
January 9th, 2013
11:34 pm
If you end up at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, chances are there’s a good reason. Even people who call themselves “binge drinkers” can be and, in many cases are alcoholics. Bringing AA up on the radio is not appropriate. Bert is smart enough to know that, yet he did it anyway. Keep coming back, Bert. It works if you work it.
Del Lotto
January 10th, 2013
6:08 am
@Yankeegirl: YES, Stacey was very scripted, as was Bert’s faux “pissed” and “disappointed” act that followed. Bert wants people talking about the show (and adding to this blog). He’s successful at it!
Name (required)
January 10th, 2013
6:39 am
If my wife looked like a tranny, I’d drink that much too.
Buckeye
January 10th, 2013
7:26 am
Enter your comments here
Buckeye
January 10th, 2013
7:26 am
Bring back The Greaseman!
Baby
January 10th, 2013
8:03 am
Good for him for seeking help. No one can determine you’re an alcoholic but you, but if I had to guess based on what he said… yeah. There’s no shame in being anything, just shame in not trying to get yourself help. I think it’s good he’s introducing this subject, lord knows a lot of people think they are alone which is why thy don’t seek help. I’m not a listener but this man just earned my respect.
Baby
January 10th, 2013
8:10 am
Ed- Alcoholism comes in all forms. Not all drank cologne like you, got fired from jobs, got DUIs, or live under a bridge. Many are high functioning alcoholics, which is why many are denial they have a problem. Even taking a break through the week, but actively awaiting the weekend (the obsession) so you can binge drink are signs of alcoholism.
Section 236
January 10th, 2013
8:31 am
As little as he is, it probably only takes a few beers to get him plastered.
Hopscotch776
January 11th, 2013
3:03 am
Listening to Jeff take 10 minutes to tell a story, Cassie talk about “food porn”, producer Tommy’s God awful rapping or Kristen’s obnoxious laugh (I’m convinced is from the front gates of hell) would cause anyone to binge drink. Poor guy is seeing his show go down the tubes in slow motion.