The Unwasted Life

It’s finally official Greg Williams is no longer part of the Hardline. The station put out a press release this afternoon and Robert Wilonsky posted the news at Unfair Park. Mike, Corby and the gang will discuss at 5:15pm.

Here is the text of the press release:

Sportsradio 1310 the Ticket Announces Resignation of Hardline’s Greg Williams

Dallas, Texas – Sportsradio 1310 the Ticket (KTCK) announced today that Greg Williams, co-host of afternoon drive show The Hardline, has resigned. Mike Rhyner will continue to host the Hardline, heard weekdays from 3pm-7pm, along with sidekick Corby Davidson.

Williams has co-hosted The Hardline with Rhyner since the station first hit the airwaves in January 1994. Originally in the 11am-2pm timeslot, the Hardline moved to afternoon drive in 1996. The show has won multiple awards, including Sports Personalities of the Year by ESPN, Personalities of the Year by the Dallas Chapter of American Women in Radio and TV, Dallas Observer Sports Talk Show of the Year, and Best Radio Program by the Ft Worth Weekly.

Sportsradio 1310 the Ticket, a live and local sports-talk station located in Dallas, Texas, guarantees big name guests and breaking sports news first. The Official Home of the Dallas Cowboys, the Ticket can be found on the dial at 1310am and 104.1fm. The Ticket received the 2007 NAB Marconi Award for Best Sports Station in the country.

So long Hammer. I pray that you can get your life back together.

KTCK-AM 1310 The Ticket just announced that Nolan Ryan will be at Ticketstock 2008 at the Plano Centre on Saturday, February 9.

As usual Richie Whitt nailed it, no Greggo news, no new on-air talent.

Update. More names to come.

Update 2. The Hardline will have Greggo news at 5:15 today.

I heard bits of this on The Hardline this past Friday, but Dallas radio station KZPS is changing formats. Make that has changed formats. As of today the Clear Channel station is Lone Star 92.5 playing Outlaw Country + Classic Rock + Alternative Country.

They are also changing the way they do advertising. No long commercial breaks, more sponsored programming. I think we will see much more of this in the future. I remember The Ticket playing around with this a few times in the past.

[Update] Side story, FrontBurner notes how DallasNews.com is using the NY Times as a source on this story instead of doing their own news gathering. I believe it is just another sign of the times. Newspapers as we know them are dying rather quickly. Just wait until the environmental movement puts them in their cross-hairs!

[Update 2x] FrontBurner now points out that the Star-Telegram had the KZPS story on Sunday.

Way to go Dan! Most excellent video work also to The Ticket crew.

Wow! The Ticket is reporting that the Dallas Cowboys have booted the self-proclaimed, greatest kicker ever, Mike Vanderjagt to the curb! Here’s hoping this move doesn’t miss right.

So long, Chris-Chris, we barely knew you! Just how cocky is this guy? Consider…

• I think Jerry Jones and Coach Parcells feel like they’ve got somebody here that’s going to probably win them two or three more games than they would have won last year.

• How do you make your house stand out in the wilderness? Erecting 40-foot high, fluorescent yellow uprights is a good start.

• He even has the same swoosh logo tattooed on his left ankle, with one letter changed to read: “Mike.”

[Update 5:01pm ESPN: Cowboys release shaky Vanderjagt, sign Gramatica]

From Barry Horn of The Dallas Morning News:

Readers have been clamoring for show-by-show comparisons between The Ticket and ESPN Radio for the most recent ratings period. In an effort to serve without getting too complicated, here’s the shares for competing shows in the most coveted demographic for sports talk advertisers — men 25 to 54.

Time	The Ticket	ESPN
Morning drive	Dunham & Miller 9.3	Mike & Mike 3.3
Late morning	Norm Hitzges 7.8	Dennis & Engel 2.4
Early afternoon	BaD Radio 8.7	Dan Patrick 3.0
Afternoon drive	Hard Line 9.7	Galloway & Co. 3.3

Do you listen to ESPN 103.3? Why?

Wow, Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys just announced a 5 year deal with The Ticket to carry Cowboys games. Games will be simulcast on The Ticket and 93.3 The Bone. From DallasNews.com:

“This is a significant day for our organization,” Jones said in a news release. “The Ticket has had a dramatic impact on the sporting culture of North Texas. They have created a powerful voice that makes a difference. This is a relationship that adds a significant media partner to the Dallas Cowboys corporate family — one that has set the bar nationally for local sports talk radio. The Ticket and 93.3 The Bone will allow us to reach all of our fans with a sense of urgency and style.”

Just heard on The Ticket:

“…it has taken this administration less than 20 days to basically take over a whole country.

It took the previous one 46 days to take over Waco.”

— Greg Williams