This week a very familiar voice made it's way back to the "Air" that of Southern California's favorite son, Tom Leykis. I first came across Tom Leykis back in the day of 97.1 Free FM, the same station that had Howard Stern and some others. Leykis went on to have great success with CBS Radio and West wood 1. Leykis did one of the best radio shows in radio at the time and took no prisoners from news to radio to TV people he knew in the industry. Tom went away on February 20, 2009 and he went out with a bang. Tom spent several years after on a CBS contract similar to Opie and Anthony after sex for sam in New York before they went to XM radio.Now Tom can be heard at http://www.blowmeuptom.com
Tom did something so smart this bastard did his homework, he spent the last several years doing everything he could he studied and applied the crap out of Social networking. He spent a lot of time building twitter and face book followers. He went out and created launched several successful streams online and pod-casts I remember talking with a radio friend of mine when Leykis launched New Normal back a few years ago, I said he was coming back and he was going to do it online. Leykis watched trends in the business, remember this man has done everything from cable access to places like Boston and New York radio. Leykis is a damn smart man when it comes to the radio world.
Tom Leykis comes back from the scene after several years of being on the shelve. Tom's game plan is similar to what Bubba The Love Sponge has done with his Internet radio venture and Glenn Beck with GBTV. However what is different is Tom built this whole thing himself and he had not and will not need any help from outside sources. Beck partnered with Major League Baseball Network. Bubba is just the talent and still has a brick and mortar radio gig in the morning in Tampa to fall back on. Tom has built this thing from the ground up, from buying the studio to building the brand to hiring the talent,etc. Tom Leykis has done it all, when we have tons of options and tons of talent out there, Leykis is building his brand, his way and it's all LEYKIS!
Tom is such a powerful force and is doing this thing so GRAND that on his first day back, they had everything in place, sound,phones,websites,etc. However they did not plan for something that you can never truly plan for online and that is the websites crashing. Tom had made such a noise and had so many old followers from the Brick and mortar days to all the people he picked up from the pirated old CBS shows on YouTube to his social media following. The servers all crashed, this man had a HUGE impact on day 1. However he at several times when he is live he is #3 or #2 on Sh outcast, the biggest listing for radio online. When he is not on live he is in the top 10 period. Not too bad for a guy that got laughed yet years ago for sitting out his full CBS contract.
Tom Leykis CBS contract and being gone is something that he has addressed to death. I remember talking with one of my pals at Eagle Communications here in Hutchinson Kansas. He mentioned he was a closet Leykis listener when he was on the weekends on KFH radio out of Wichita Kansas. Leykis had fans and they were all waiting for him to come back, I hate to say this but this is Easter weekend. Most men's Easter came on Monday April 2nd instead of Easter Sunday April 8th. Tom is back and he has also not burned a lot if any bridges in the business, if his Internet show fails, which by the way is not happening anytime soon{Sorry suits in brick and mortar radio} Leykis can easily go back, however I look for him to eventually do what Howard Stern attempted to do at Sirius. I can envision Leykis taking people who have followings or Broadcasters who get fired for doing dumb things by Mainstream media standard and hiring them and making a Great network.
Tom is back because Radio frankly sucks right now. Tom is back because radio is doing all the crap that radio does. Clear Channel is downsizing because they have way too many stations and not bringing in enough cash to pay all their staff. CBS radio and the rest are going more music oriented in a failed attempt at competing with Ipod's and Pandora radio. XM and Sirius are trying like mad to stay competitive, but when you have massive contracts with Howard Stern, Opie and Anthony and The NBA,etc to pay off, you got no money so either raise rates or let some people go. Tom is back to prove that internet radio and streaming technology has caught up and he is one of the 1st real people to show that Mainstream radio folks do not get it and they will never get it.
My view on Tom Leykis and coming back, I loved Tom Leykis ever since I heard his show and used to stay up evenings to listen to his pod-casts and listen to his streaming shows around the country. I have borrowed Tom's famous "Master Debater, admiral of alliteration,The Cunning linguist." line for several years and I always did it as a tribute to Tom, because the people that knew of or listened always told me, "Hey your a Leykis fan as well" My point is I love what Tom is doing, the man is coming to make an impact, I think it would be great and would be a massive shift to radio in general if Tom took his show for a year or 2 and just built the brand and awareness then when Opie and Antony’s contracts with XM go the way of the Dinosaurs Instead of O and A going and trying their own thing, hell join up with Tom. You could have lets say people who are either done with CBS or Journal Broadcast or what have ya contracts come over. You have people like out of work jocks,etc. Who come in and make the brand, hell Bob Grant is the legendary Conservative voice was on radio with me last week and said he is just about done with his WABC show, hell get Grant on the network.
Finally Tom Leykis back and better than ever, he has made some great deals and is back better than ever. Tom is back because radio has taken a hard hit over the years such as down sizing, too much of one format. Tom is back because Radio does not get social networking and the internet. Tom is back and made an impact on the 1st day back and continues to make waves for the internet broadcast world. Tom is going to be a great new leader of generation of internet radio trained broadcasters and Mainstream jocks who have come to the internet. We are all fans and followers of radio. The scene is back and Tom is making the scene with internet radio and some how some way Tom may be the lighting bolt to get some respect for internet broadcasters. Frank Cotolo my close friend who was Mars Cotolo on radio back with Wolf man Jack has been out here fighting the good fight and now {as his listeners call him} Dad is back and its time to as {too short would say} Get it in where you fit in.
Jiggy Jaguar
http://www.jiggyjaguar.com
The Jiggy Jaguar "The Blogg" is brought to you by Jordan's Juice BarBQ Sauce
No comments:
Post a Comment