WEEI has issued a press release announcing Glenn Ordway’s new contract, and it’s a piece of work. The quotes from Julie Kahn and Jason Wolfe are especially nauseating.

Emphasis Mine:

Glenn Ordway Re-Signs Contract with WEEI

BOSTON (January 5, 2009) – Entercom New England today announced that it has re-signed WEEI Sports Radio host Glenn Ordway to a new multi-year contract. Ordway is host of WEEI’s The Big Show, a perennial powerhouse among talk radio programming.

The Big Show has ranked number one among men 25-54 in every ratings book since the spring of 2003, and has also ranked number one with adults 25-54 in every ratings book but three over the same period of time. The show originally aired from 3 PM – 6 PM, but shifted to 2 PM – 6 PM in September of 1999 where it remains.

Ordway has been a presence on the Boston sports broadcasting scene for over two decades. Prior to joining WEEI as Program Director in June of 1995, he was a commentator for Boston Celtics radio broadcasts for thirteen consecutive years, including five as play-by-play man. The Big Show was among the new programs he created upon joining ‘EEI and he has hosted it since its inception. At the same time, he also created the ever-popular Whiner Line, which has become the highest rated fifteen minutes in Boston radio today among both men and adults 25-54.

Today, Ordway’s influence transcends the airwaves. He has hosted The Whiney Awards to honor the top callers to the Whiner Line for the past six years. The event began as a small gathering of 150 people at Davio’s in Boston and grew to upwards of 3,000 attendees at the Wang Theatre in 2008. The event benefits a different non-profit organization each year.

Ordway’s extensive charitable initiatives have helped raised millions for numerous local non-profits, including The Jimmy Fund, Champions for Children, The Rodman Ride for Kids, The Genesis Fund, and The Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation, to name a few. In 2005, he was honored by the Jimmy Fund as the recipient of the annual “Jimmy Award”, an honor bestowed upon a media member who goes over and above to support and raise funds for the organization.

Ordway has also been nominated for three Marconi Awards (2006, 2007, 2008), which are widely regarded as the most prestigious awards in the radio industry.

“Glenn is a very special part of the WEEI “Magic”; having been one of the architects of the station and the only nationally recognized Major Market Personality by the Marconi Awards in the Boston market, three times in recent years,” said Julie Kahn, Entercom New England Market Manager. “His show is a must listen to destination for breaking sports news in America’s best sports market.”

“Glenn and I have been together since the beginning. He has played an enormous role in helping grow WEEI to the legendary status we currently enjoy, and I’m thrilled to be able to continue to work with him for the foreseeable future,” said Jason Wolfe, Entercom New England’s VP of AM Programming and Operations. “I’ve been privileged to work with some of the very best broadcasters in the business in the seventeen years I’ve been at WEEI, and Glenn is at the top of that list.”

“We have had a phenomenal run with The Big Show on WEEI and I am thrilled that we will have the opportunity to extend that run for years to come on America’s number one sports station,” said Ordway.

While I know that the very purpose of a press release is self-promotion and touting yourself, I’m wondering in what universe has a sports radio station achieved “legendary status.”

Published by Bruce Allen

Automattician.

53 thoughts on “WEEI Breaks Own Record For Most Self-Congratulatory Press Release”

  1. And just to rub salt in the wounds, Jim the Wrestling Goon told everyone he would NOT call until Ordway got re-signed. That was a pleasant week and a half we just had, eh?

    Like

  3. I wonder how many people who just got laid off at Entercom stations just jumped from the Tobin when they saw this?

    Like

  4. I’m pretty sure that they were doing a form of the “Whiner Line” on Howie Carr’s show when Glen was still on middays.

    What a day, Dennis and Callahan return and Glenn re-signs. I was really hoping with Felger in the fold that Ordway expendable.

    Like

    1. …and Howie the Hostage pays them back by stealing their food. I’m surprised Pete the Meat hasn’t pounded his pink gerbil head in. Unless of course, WEEI is full of crap and that ISN’T happening. Why would they do that (ie, Mike Adams pretending to lock himself in the studio)? Hmmmm….

      Like

      1. While much of the WEEI banter is shtick, the Carr skulduggery is real. He has also been known to steal pizza from $10/hr employees, pilfer office supplies and bring home in bulk, cupcakes meant for the employees. He’s a dispicable human being.

        Like

        2. Well, he has been held hostage by the awful Jason Wolfe who won’t let him waddle over to WTTK. He has to pass that time somehow: there are only so many repetitive columns one man can write!

          Like

  5. The only WEEI “magic” I’d enjoy seeing would be an homage to Siegfried & Roy with Ordway playing Roy and a famished Larry Johnson in the roll of Montecore. I would, I really would.

    Like

  6. “I’ve been privileged to work with some of the very best broadcasters in the business in the seventeen years I’ve been at WEEI, and Glenn is at the top of that list.” The list is probably scrawled in excrement on the executive bathroom wall.

    Like

  7. If people would just STOP LISTENING to WEEI we could rid ourselves of these self-absorbed, self-important media blowhards……I implore you!….STOP THE MADNESS!

    Like

  8. Is that ‘must listen’ before or after the gerbil is called in to power the transmitter? They happily chirp about the programming being a ‘must listen’ destination but they forgot to add the asterisk that says you need to be well within the Route 128 belt to do so.

    Like

    1. ???????…you lost me on that one…WEEI has SEVEN “sister stations” (or whatever the hell you call them) all over the place now. They have Rhode Island, Western Mass, New Hampshire, and even Maine covered….they are the 800lb Gorrila in the room…..there are alot of reasons to complain about WEEI but signal strenghth isn’t one of them……(then again, maybe it is…lol)

      Like

  9. Hilarious when you consider the pathetically useless “sports flashes” on WEEI. They repeat the same non-news all day long and usually manage to miss several big sports news stories per day.

    “His show is a must listen to destination for breaking sports news in America’s best sports market.”

    Like

  10. BIG O IS BACK AND HES BACK BIG BABY!!!! I thought yesterday was a GREAT SPORTS DAY. 2 Football games, followed by a replay of MANNY BEING MANNY that I missed when my VCR BROKE DOWN> ARGHHH!! NOw BIG O IS BACK!!

    YESSS!!

    Like

  11. I know I’m in the minority around Boston, but I was hoping the presence of Felger would change the nature of these negotiations and potentially allow them the leverage let Ordway walk, replacing him with the-one-everyone-loves-to-hate. I’m certainly biased, but think EEI should focus on improving the quality of sports talk radio in this town, rather than continuing down the same path with the same old “talent.” But, I’m certain that Ordway has a loyal following of advertisers who would bring their business elsewhere if he left, so what can you do.

    I haven’t listened EEI in months, and my life is better for it. Mad Dog on Sirius/XM if you get it is some of the best sports radio you’ll hear…

    Like

    1. Your life will be hitting a bump in the road soon when Moe Gresh starts jawjacking on the Mad Dog channel.

      Like

    2. THIS GUY KNOWS WHAT HE”S TALKING ABOUT! Think like an WEEI executive. WOULD YOU WANT GRossman’s, BUSY DOG, HAnover COIN AN JEWLRY taking their advertising dollars over to WJMN or WZLX?

      THINK AGAIN.

      GREAT MOVE ENTERCOM!!

      Like

    3. Why would the leading sports talk radio station need to “raise the bar”? They have proven that a low bar is very successful. Let someone else take the risk and then WEEI might respond.

      Like

    4. Felger never represented ‘leverage’ for Entercom because he already has a weekday afternoon commitment to Comcast SportsNet TV, so that was never an option.

      Like

  13. Glenn and the crew breaking down the Cassell and salary cap the only way they know how….without any idea of anything. Totally clueless.

    Like

  14. Somebody noted that Howie had the Chump Line before the Whiner Line, but I remember that Eddie used to have callers call in with Chump/Whiner line like bits back into the mid-eighties. I remember “Comeback to Jamaica Plain” and a Joe Castiglione and Lou Gorman bit that were pretty funny.

    Like

  15. I’m just appalled this clown is getting north of a mil a year to talk sports. Between Ordway, Pete the Meat, Fred and Steve combined you’re looking at middle school intelligence.

    Like

  16. I would have to believe that there is no way he would have received a significant raise with the way the economy is and the fact he is seemingly totally replaceable. I think he knew it and realized that playing hardball would be a disastrous decision. Let’s face facts this was done relatively quickly.

    Like

  17. I’m surprised that no one mentioned that with Opie and Anthony leaving Boston for the third time (!) and Toucher and Rich moving to mornings, Ordway and company are looking at higher ratings. Aside from Howie the Hostage and some other political crap, what is the Big Show’s competition now?

    Ordway is ecstatic that he doesn’t have to compete with the Chili Guy and his 13 mill billion eights any longer.

    Like

  18. The fact that WEEI is still on the air is an indictment on the lack of competition and variety that radio has to offer. Thank God I have XM radio and do not have to listen to the dimwitted, bloviated sewage that spews from the likes of Ordway, Smerlas, Sheppard, Buckley, Callahan, Dennis, Bradford, etc.

    Congratulations Glenn, now you can spend the ensuing months and years beating these retread “topics” into the ground:

    1. To franchise or not to franchise Cassel
    2. Manny
    3. Themselves
    4. Manny
    5. Themselves
    6. The Red Sox finding a Varitek replacement (or someone he can “mentor” – like he’s a sheet metal union member looking for an apprentice. Without a doubt – other than Manny – the most over played/media hyped non-event going).
    7. Is Brady going to be ready for the first game in 2009
    8. The Whiney’s
    9. Themselves
    10. Manny

    Like

  19. I can’t believe entercom is paying orday that kind of insane money. imo any one of us could step in and discuss sports in the 2-6pm timeslot and get the same ratings.
    how can entercom afford to pay ordway, arnold, john dennis and gerry callahan all upwards of a million per year?? soon the commerical breaks will be 20 minutes long to pay for these ridiculous salaries.

    Like

    1. Not enough healthy companies in 2009 and 2010 to fill up 20 minute commercial breaks.

      Maybe more of the PSAs that they play online during the commercials?

      Like

    2. The real question is how advertisers in this current economy can afford the rates ‘EEI must be charging to fill those 20-minute breaks, unless Entercom was able to maintain some of their big-bucks clients by bringing Ordway back.

      Entercom might’ve looked at the Ordway situation and came to the conclusion it would’ve cost them to more to sign a cheaper afternoon drive host but then lose the Giant Glasses and Anderson McQuaids who pay for hundreds of spots a month.

      Like

  20. Lew and Mike in the afternoons is great radio – the way sports radio should be. Why no respect or attention for those good guys. And it should be noted one of them actually played some ball.

    People whine(!) about Donut Sr. but don’t seem to give some real talent a chance.

    Like

    1. Probably because 890 has so many signal issues, not a lot of people are actually able to listen to them.

      I agree with you, though — they’re not a bad listen at all.

      Like

    2. I’m sorry, the first time I hear Mike and Lew, they were arguing that the Red Sox WS titles were tainted because they were “bought” (capitalism? What is that?).

      When I heard them last night, they were arguing that BC beating the #1 team in the country was irrelevant. Wha?

      Like

  22. First let me say that Big O is my favorite personality on the station and I am quite happy to have him back. The Big Show is the one quality show on the air on that station; would be #2 if they hadn’t booted Ted Sarandis a few years back 😦

    That said, $1 million a year in this economic climate is sheer absurdity. Why Ordway is #1 is quite simple:

    1) The fact that we’re in Boston, arguably the most sports crazed part of the country
    2) The absurd success of the local teams since January 2002, resulting in a lot more bandwagon or moderate fans tuning in
    3) The complete and utter lack of any reasonable competition with regards to sports programming

    Replace Ordway with Felger, Shepphard or many others and I guarantee the ratings would be just as good. That he was able to get himself $1 million when the ratings of the show have very little to do with him was quite amazing. I like Big O, but worth $1 million a year? Um, no.

    Like

  23. You people are JEALUS!! GLEN is THE BEST AND HAS BEEN FOR YEARS. I thought the best thing about today would be DENNIS AND CALLAHAN BACK ON THE AIR!! but GleNN IS BACK TO!!

    Like

    1. can’t remember the name of the business that advertises on EEI to reach its “affluent and educated listeners.”

      Such as fishercat.

      Like

  24. What does it say about Boston sports fans that asshats like Ordway are making the big money?

    Your’e making… mah point!

    Like

  25. Have to laugh at those who believe it’s the hosts who drive the success of WEEI. Uhhh nope!! Guarantee if Ordway went bye bye tomorriw there would be no drop in the ratings. This is a sports crazed region and WEEI thrives because of their ingenious marketing and the fact that their call letters/affiliates are attached to the highly successful and popular Red Sox, Celtics etc.

    Like

  26. hey morons-

    istening to the BIG SHOW and their shameless self promotion is quite enjoyable, right. you retards probaby listen intently to the 20 consecutive minutes of commercials while fat ordway and the boys laugh their asses off.

    YOU FAT BASTARD

    Like

    1. Awesome, let me know when Jim the Wrestling the Goon and the Man on the Way Up start posting here so I can tell them what I really think of their tired acts.

      Like

  27. Trust me –

    Felger was fired down the dial for a reason, as the host of the Big Show that turkey would drive the ratings down. He is like nails on a blackboard to listen too.

    Meat Shepard could probably keep status quo.

    Like

    1. Jonny I agree that a no talent flash boy like Pete Shepard could take over for Ordway and the ratings wouldn’t drop. Makes my point!
      Regarding Felger he failed because of the staion he was at. Plug Felger in at EEI and he’s a success. It’s the station, their marketing and affiliations that make WEEI a success. The hosts are interchangable.

      Like

    2. Felger wasn’t fired. He quit after working without a contract for several months. He was smart enough to realize that his gig at CSNE and then WEEI.com were worth a lot more than the chance that he would be stuck at a sinking ship.

      Like

  28. I say the one big weakness on the station is the 10 to 2 slot. It needs to be freshened up & hope FELGER can wind up there & take DALE’S spot. Would love HOLLEY & FELGER a thousand times more……

    Like

Comments are closed.