Paul Wylie
2005-01-12 16:01:42 UTC
For those of us living in Phoenix (and who listen to KDKB in the
mornings), Tim & Mark were a staple of morning radio for 15 years. When
they first arrived, they were a rude breath of fresh air in a stale market
(their only real competition at the time was the derivative and tired
"Morning Mayor").
As the years passed, they gradually lost their edge, but they were still
funnier than most morning shows. Eventually, though, the competition got
better, and I found myself listening to Tim & Mark less and less often
(their station's decision to flog the music of terrible 80s hair bands
didn't help, either). However, I still woke up to Tim & Mark on my alarm
clock--until recently.
I knew that they had gone on a year-end vacation. This is nothing
new--they've been doing that for years. This one seemed longer than most,
however, but I checked the station's web page, and it clearly stated that
Tim & Mark would be back on January 11th. It was an early hallmark of the
show that whenever Tim & Mark went on vacation, the station would be
inundated with calls from listeners demanding to know why they had been
fired. This prompted them to begin warning listeners about their
vacations at least a week in advance, and it also prompted the station to
post to its website when they'd return from vacation.
Today, however, I awoke to the news that they would not be back. Tim had
decided six months ago that he no longer wanted to work in radio. Station
management decided not to renew Mark's contract in the absence of a Tim &
Mark partnership. I was surprised that the station wasn't willing to give
Mark a chance to make a Tim-less show work. I've always thought Mark was
the funnier one of the two, and I've thought for years that on occasion,
Tim was just mailing it in.
Regardless, it's the end of an era. I'm less saddened than I would have
been four or five years ago, when they were still far-and-away the
funniest morning show in Phoenix, but I do still find it sad. In an era
when too many "morning zoo" programs were resorting to idiotic stunts to
entertain listeners, Tim & Mark told stories, did sketches and engaged
their listeners without excessive pandering.
I wish both of them the best of luck in the future. They will be missed.
--Paul
** Note "removemunged" in email address and remove to reply. **
mornings), Tim & Mark were a staple of morning radio for 15 years. When
they first arrived, they were a rude breath of fresh air in a stale market
(their only real competition at the time was the derivative and tired
"Morning Mayor").
As the years passed, they gradually lost their edge, but they were still
funnier than most morning shows. Eventually, though, the competition got
better, and I found myself listening to Tim & Mark less and less often
(their station's decision to flog the music of terrible 80s hair bands
didn't help, either). However, I still woke up to Tim & Mark on my alarm
clock--until recently.
I knew that they had gone on a year-end vacation. This is nothing
new--they've been doing that for years. This one seemed longer than most,
however, but I checked the station's web page, and it clearly stated that
Tim & Mark would be back on January 11th. It was an early hallmark of the
show that whenever Tim & Mark went on vacation, the station would be
inundated with calls from listeners demanding to know why they had been
fired. This prompted them to begin warning listeners about their
vacations at least a week in advance, and it also prompted the station to
post to its website when they'd return from vacation.
Today, however, I awoke to the news that they would not be back. Tim had
decided six months ago that he no longer wanted to work in radio. Station
management decided not to renew Mark's contract in the absence of a Tim &
Mark partnership. I was surprised that the station wasn't willing to give
Mark a chance to make a Tim-less show work. I've always thought Mark was
the funnier one of the two, and I've thought for years that on occasion,
Tim was just mailing it in.
Regardless, it's the end of an era. I'm less saddened than I would have
been four or five years ago, when they were still far-and-away the
funniest morning show in Phoenix, but I do still find it sad. In an era
when too many "morning zoo" programs were resorting to idiotic stunts to
entertain listeners, Tim & Mark told stories, did sketches and engaged
their listeners without excessive pandering.
I wish both of them the best of luck in the future. They will be missed.
--Paul
** Note "removemunged" in email address and remove to reply. **