How Noory keeps his job -- by an industry insider!

[Robert]

OK, I'm stretching the "industry insider" part.  Tonight at the WFMU Literary Guild Meetup with readings, I asked someone who does a late night program how he thinks Noory keeps his job.  This on-mike personality's opinion is that he does it by not being Art Bell.  Art Bell was scary-fun, but Noory is comforting-bland to the audience -- the Disney version of Art Bell.  My source hasn't listened to C2C in years, knew about Art Bell's Dark Matter satellite comeback but not about MITD.

It makes a certain sense.  I remember late night radio from decades ago.  Many stations were still signing off at local midnight or shortly after, it being considered uneconomic to put programs on.  Of those that stayed on, they mostly did so with local programming, mostly of music.  Yes, I know, Jean Shepherd used to do overnights, and there was hardly any long-format network radio left, so it's not as if the lack of a nationwide overnight program was remarkable.  However, the first program I recall that aspired to a national late night audience (Nightcap -- Herb Jepko) was a phone-in talk show whose topic was, essentially, small talk.  Uncontroversial stuff for long haul truckers, night watchmen, health & emergency workers, and insomniacs who didn't want anything to make them more wakeful.  We've discussed that here, or at least I have.

Then came Larry King, who, although he had controversial guests on, tried to fade into the background as m.c., and if possible fade the phoners-in as well.

So maybe that vibe is what they think Noory taps into.  C2C has fringe topics because Art Bell started it, and nobody has a good idea about how to deviate from that line.  Noory's not really interested in the subject matter, but he doesn't have to be if he's just supposed to be a comfortable pillow.  The criticisms we make about how unseriously he takes his performance are irrelevant, because we listen for different reasons from most of C2C's current audience.

[Robert]

Darn, wanted to put this in All Things George Noory.

[chefist]

I think it's a matter of $$$. Art cost a lot more than $500,000 a year with far more drama and butthurt....

[Robert]

I think it's a matter of $$$. Art cost a lot more than $500,000 a year with far more drama and butthurt....

Is that an estimate of Noory's take?  If so, it's hard for me to understand why.  I'm sure there are people who'd do at least that well for half that.  There may already be people doing late night regularly on, say, the CBC or BBC for less.

[chefist]

Is that an estimate of Noory's take?  If so, it's hard for me to understand why.  I'm sure there are people who'd do at least that well for half that.  There may already be people doing late night regularly on, say, the CBC or BBC for less.

Once you have the listener base and the advertisers are happy with the response...then it's a done deal...

[Taco Bell]

If you listen to overnight shows on your local station, listen to the ads. Which are national, which are local, which are PSAs? The local ads that played are going to be BTAs (best time available). The national ads that play are the tinfoil hat ads which wouldn't make sense during some program like Rush or Dave Ramsey. The PSAs are there because the local station can't sell ad time.
These stations aren't paying a lot, or anything at all for overnight programs like C2C, it's just filler.

[MV/Liberace!]

here's the famous rollye james email, which is entirely relevant to the topic of this thread:

http://bellgab.com/index.php/topic,1966.msg26077.html#msg26077

[ItsOver]

Jorch, the "useful idiot."  But at $500K per year, plus his other scams, a most fortunate, useful idiot.  Thanks, PremRat, you souless bastards.

[cweb]

here's the famous rollye james email, which is entirely relevant to the topic of this thread:

http://bellgab.com/index.php/topic,1966.msg26077.html#msg26077

I never tire of reading that. It's interesting and somewhat depressing at the same time.

Makes you wonder if Art's clamoring on about toppling Coast with MITD ever really had a chance. Based on Rollye's comment about you needing sales control versus what Art actually chose (programming control) I wonder how in touch with the business end of it he really was.

I'll never complain that we got Dark Matter or Art's MITD episodes. But it makes me wonder if Art knew all along that he really was doing them for the love of doing radio. And why terrestrial affiliates were so important all of a sudden when the stream was supposed to be the solution.

[Robert]

here's the famous rollye james email, which is entirely relevant to the topic of this thread:

http://bellgab.com/index.php/topic,1966.msg26077.html#msg26077

Thanks so much for posting this, should be a FAQ, though I'm sorry Ms. James's confidence was violated.  She wasn't among my favorite emcees, but I liked her well enough once she got past the astrology.

I couldn't understand why someone in another thread recently thought Noory had control over his guests, because my assumption, as confirmed by this info, is that he'll take whatever the boss gives him.  And yes, the usual case is for the on-mic person to boss the producer, not vice versa, and people here make fun of their idea of Noory's doing that, but that never seemed credible to me.

This still isn't enough to explain why Noory keeps his job and is paid so well.  It's hard for me to believe his malleability is worth so much to them, unless that's simply the price of his malleability.  The rest of the e-mail says what's been explained a lot here as to why management would put little effort into improving C2C, but it doesn't explain why it set a baseline that low.  The "brain dead" audience does jibe with what my source said over the table at the Red Room last night.  And it does seem to be a step backward toward Larry King, and even more so, Jepko.  The only thing is, Noory doesn't sound anywhere near as solicitous of phoners-in as Jepko did.

[Jackstar]

Obligatory post mentioning William Cooper, et. al., fringe topics carry extra baggage.

[Jackstar]

This still isn't enough to explain why Noory keeps his job and is paid so well.

He is a CIA cunt operative. It mystifies me that this is not obvious to literally everyone.

[pate]

He is a CIA cunt operative. It mystifies me that this is not obvious to literally everyone.

I think it is awesome that the CIA is an EOE, allowing the mentally challenged access to the seekrut aygent career path is laudable. 

Someone should let Simple Dave know that the CIA isn't supposed to conduct operations on American soil.  Hawaii, although OCONUS is still not kosher for operations either.  I can understand how a 'tard might conflate OCONUS/CONUS with inside and outside the country for operations. 

Perhaps Dave's CIA handlers can find him a nice spot in Turkee to make his empire toppling broadcasts to ISIS?

[Chocolate coated jackboot]

Your average television network talking head prompter reader makes about $20 million/yr. Glen Beck is worth $150 million. $500000 is peanuts.

C2C is popular despite Noory's skills. The pirated youtube shows average 15000 views. The Paulides show from July has nearly 80000.

[Robert]

Your average television network talking head prompter reader makes about $20 million/yr. Glen Beck is worth $150 million. $500000 is peanuts.

Seriously?  Why?  It's hard for me to imagine those people as having anything like that kind of worth.  I'd imagine the vast bulk of them would be replaceable by any of a set of people who aren't making anything like that much $.  Does the industry treat it as some sort of job lottery?  Why?  Aren't they interested in saving some $?

Think about all the people you phone during a week.  Eliminate those you talk to because you have business or family matters.  Just think about the people you want to hear from.  We all know such people.  Why would it be hard to find them, cheaply, for radio?

All right, now consider just the stars, like Art Bell.  How much more can anyone make by putting such a person on than they could make by putting just an avg. person on?  Could the difference in their marginal value really be worth such astronomic sums?

This is bizarre to me.  On one hand, I needed (still need to some extent) an explanation of how someone like Noory could make even half a million a year doing what he does.  OTOH, I need an explanation of why there's not only such a differential between someone like him and the multitudes who make $0 on-mic (because nobody's ever asked them to go on mic for $), but then a huge differential in pay between Noory & someone better, when it doesn't seem possible to calculate that great a business advantage in hiring such a person.  The conundrum's made even more difficult by the explanation that there isn't even usually a serious attempt to calculate how much revenue any such person, let alone a switch in such persons, bring in.  Then again, it's been pointed out that great sums are spent on advertising in general, without proof that advertising even brings in $ on net.

OK, so Noory's on overnight -- although on the West Coast, where he usually originates from, it's not that late.  Still, hard to get people to work a night shift regularly, especially where attendance is critical.  But Noory works out of places convenient to him; as it's been explained to me, the shuttling between St. Louis & L.A. is at his behest, not his employer's.  You have people using their voices for many hours at a time as, say, adjunct professors, who make much less.  Seems to me you could hire someone for the job for less than 6 figures, but let's say $100,000.  Hard for me to understand why his employers would want to leave that difference of $400k in his pockets rather than yanking him & getting someone that an investment of just a few hrs. of recruiting could turn up -- & yanking that person for a similar replacement if they didn't work out, & so on.

So he's the Disney version of Art Bell.  Who can say someone they put on for the 1st time a week from now & stays there won't be the Disney version of Mr. Noory, if not another Disney version of Mr. Bell?

Is the chair unaccountably sticky?  Like how Mr. Bell's temporary replacement, Ms. Wade, is still there?  I don't think she's bad, but at least there's a better basis of doing audience research on programs that are primarily Internet-fed, rather than mostly over air, and hence of sifting for talent that brings in more $.  Are radio entrepreneurs superstitious, hence phobic of changing personnel?

[Chocolate coated jackboot]

How many people were approached to do MITD when Art quit? It was a decent sized  internet show with at least a dozen(and growing) affiliates yet the silence was deafening.  It SEEMS like an easy job but doing a 4h show in the middle of the night 5 or 6 days a week with hardly any vacation is a grind(as Heather Wade, RCH and Amy Martin found out)

I think Noory dumbs down the show because that's what he thinks his audience is: dumb. Old people, NEETs and the pothead Ancient Aliens crowd. 

I doubt they're overpaying him. Radio is notorious for screwing the talent. 1/2mil isn't a lot for a nationally syndicated show. That's the equivalent of 2 or 3 single market morning drive dick joke shock jocks.

[Robert]

How many people were approached to do MITD when Art quit? It was a decent sized  internet show with at least a dozen(and growing) affiliates yet the silence was deafening.  It SEEMS like an easy job but doing a 4h show in the middle of the night 5 or 6 days a week with hardly any vacation is a grind(as Heather Wade, RCH and Amy Martin found out)

Of course it's a grind, but lots of people do grind jobs fairly cheaply.  If it were offered to me, I'd do it for 1/10 the stated figure.  Once I was on for a while, I'd ask for a raise to 1/5 of the stated figure.

I think Noory dumbs down the show because that's what he thinks his audience is: dumb. Old people, NEETs and the pothead Ancient Aliens crowd.

Interesting hypothesis: He's inattentive because he's sure the audience won't notice.  I'm sure plenty of the audience doesn't notice, because in those hours people who are listening are mostly either half asleep or doing something that requires their attention.  But he seems to have a big enough ego, from what some people write here, to not want to sound like a Snooron even to a minority of the audience.  I think he's just bored, and there's no cure for that except to switch to something that doesn't bore him.

I doubt they're overpaying him. Radio is notorious for screwing the talent. 1/2mil isn't a lot for a nationally syndicated show. That's the equivalent of 2 or 3 single market morning drive dick joke shock jocks.

What you're saying is that, out of their entire expenditures, this is a drop in the bucket.  That may well be true, but then why don't all of their "irreplaceable" personnel demand $500k/yr.?  Does their engr. make that?  How about the producer-in-chief?  Head of sales?  The same could be said of any position in their business that's filled by only a single person at a time.

If their engrg. goes down, that's worse than Noory falling asleep.  There are various people of whom it could be said, no them, no show.  Could they be replaced?  Sure, but so could Noory.

[UFQuack]

A lot of good points raised here, I don't have too much else to say over it.

Some things come to mind. Although I have not been an ardent Art Bell supporter, here's my opinion of at least some of "the magic", I'm going to sum this up quickly in three parts, but all of these are really the same thing.

1. Uniqueness, non-conformity
2. Atmosphere, doing a show out of your home in the middle of the desert, all you had to do was mention the night sky and the listeners own imagination kicks in
3. Interests, with technology, wires strung up, radio equipment, and antennas all over the place, I'll also add 'ideas' to interests which brought listeners even closer to the show, webcam shots of his studio, fast blast, ghost to ghost, predictions, just in general you knew a person with a pulse was using their brain to put on a better show than the usual drudgery--which was pretty much every other show on radio at the time (all politics).

Anything but the boring in-studio, overly-organized, highly planned, timed, scheduled, lacking in spontaneity and creative thought, highly commercialized/corporate environment, not that a radio studio is boring but they are often in buildings right next to offices with cubicles which are the pinnacle of the work-prison system, it's pretty tough to imagine the drudgery of an office cubicle with how Art had it set up.

Now as far as Noory goes the most spontaneous thing about him is his Sinatra and Elvis song performances we get to hear about. I'm glad though that we only hear about it rather than have to sit through it. "Jorch in Concert" is not something I care about.

It's not that I don't understand the idea of why the show is allowed to continue like it does but rather that I'm complaining about it and I'm going to complain about it and that they (whoever they are) should have to put up with me complaining about it or actually do something to change it!

I don't think what is going on in radio is much different than what goes on with anything else in the business world. And yes it is all company politics or at least the typical approach. Especially in broadcasting or with the television media. After Craig Fergusen left the Late Late Show on CBS, some network "geniuses" gave James Corden a show out of the blue and nobody in this country even knew who he was! And even the British people who did know him because that's where he's from do not think so highly of him. Now CBS pretends that he's a big hit because he does one bit called 'Carpool karaoke' on that show that's managed to "go viral" Youtube or at least is popular with some young people because of the pop music stars. Actually it's hardly a bit, more of piece where he sings so maybe there is some relation to Jorch's propensity for song there.

The point to take away is that everything is stupid. EVERYTHING. It doesn't do anybody any good to sit back in silence (away from the "haters") and say "oh well we've figured it out, we have our answers so it all makes sense now". Hahaha, no that's not it, that's not it at all. Rant, yell, jump and scream! Ah let it out, now doesn't that feel much better!

So, I want you to get up now. I want all of you to get up out of your chairs. I want you to get up right now and go to the window. Open it, and stick your head out, and yell: ‘Jorch is just hell, and I’m not gonna take this anymore!’



One thing about that scene that cracks me up they act like going the window is a such a revelation, like it's actually the most powerful way to accomplish spreading a message or getting the truth recognized. But while you're under the hypnosis of a movie, it's actually quite believable until you step back and go, WTF was that I watched, was it a dream? Did someone write a classic script or did they just shit all over me? Sometimes it's a hard call.

[Robert]

Some things come to mind. Although I have not been an ardent Art Bell supporter, here's my opinion of at least some of "the magic", I'm going to sum this up quickly in three parts, but all of these are really the same thing.

1. Uniqueness, non-conformity
2. Atmosphere, doing a show out of your home in the middle of the desert, all you had to do was mention the night sky and the listeners own imagination kicks in
3. Interests, with technology, wires strung up, radio equipment, and antennas all over the place,

If the portions I quoted of 2 & 3 above were important factors, his show would've been less interesting when he did it from Manila in the middle of the day.  It wasn't materially different for me.  He said he had black drapes he closed over the windows in the room, because apparently that setting did something for him.  ("In the middle of the night...when we do our best thinking.")  In fact I got a bit of a thrill for a while when he announced, "From Manila in the Philippines", probably because I remember Telstar and just the idea of doing a show for the USA from half the world away was a little exotic.  But then his surprising "From the Kingdom of Nye" (Huh?  Is this a rerun?) after he'd said he'd been looking to sell that place was exciting too.

I'll also add 'ideas' to interests which brought listeners even closer to the show, webcam shots of his studio, fast blast, ghost to ghost, predictions, just in general you knew a person with a pulse was using their brain to put on a better show than the usual drudgery--which was pretty much every other show on radio at the time (all politics).

Anything but the boring in-studio, overly-organized, highly planned, timed, scheduled, lacking in spontaneity and creative thought, highly commercialized/corporate environment, not that a radio studio is boring but they are often in buildings right next to offices with cubicles which are the pinnacle of the work-prison system, it's pretty tough to imagine the drudgery of an office cubicle with how Art had it set up.

If that kind of ambience is a factor, it's not a major one for creating a mood.  When I listen to programs on WFMU, the knowledge of where it's coming from physically or geographically is hardly ever a factor; it's cute once in a while when they have a webcam to see them hustling to squeeze past each other when the shift changes in the studio, and of course whenever they do a remote the location is important.  But it doesn't seem to make a difference to me as a listener whether a studio is set up in someone's home, an office bldg., a shopping mall, or, as Rex has it, "a fur-lined fallout shelter in a secret location in rural New Jersey miles below the Earth's crust".  I tended to imagine the person being interviewed as in the same room, maybe sharing a doughnut, even though I knew that could rarely, if ever, be accomplished.  If we can imagine the guest being where the host is, why can't we imagine the host being anywhere?

I'm just glad Art was comfortable, and I'm satisfied that Jorch is too.  However, I must admit Art's being alone in the room gave a little something to the spooky aura too, even though we know his wife was really nearby.  When he got into the outguest house, hearing he had a murine visitor was fun too.

[NXOEED]

OK, I'm stretching the "industry insider" part.  Tonight at the WFMU Literary Guild Meetup with readings, I asked someone who does a late night program how he thinks Noory keeps his job.  This on-mike personality's opinion is that he does it by not being Art Bell.  Art Bell was scary-fun, but Noory is comforting-bland to the audience -- the Disney version of Art Bell.  My source hasn't listened to C2C in years, knew about Art Bell's Dark Matter satellite comeback but not about MITD.

It makes a certain sense.  I remember late night radio from decades ago.  Many stations were still signing off at local midnight or shortly after, it being considered uneconomic to put programs on.  Of those that stayed on, they mostly did so with local programming, mostly of music.  Yes, I know, Jean Shepherd used to do overnights, and there was hardly any long-format network radio left, so it's not as if the lack of a nationwide overnight program was remarkable.  However, the first program I recall that aspired to a national late night audience (Nightcap -- Herb Jepko) was a phone-in talk show whose topic was, essentially, small talk.  Uncontroversial stuff for long haul truckers, night watchmen, health & emergency workers, and insomniacs who didn't want anything to make them more wakeful.  We've discussed that here, or at least I have.

Then came Larry King, who, although he had controversial guests on, tried to fade into the background as m.c., and if possible fade the phoners-in as well.

So maybe that vibe is what they think Noory taps into.  C2C has fringe topics because Art Bell started it, and nobody has a good idea about how to deviate from that line.  Noory's not really interested in the subject matter, but he doesn't have to be if he's just supposed to be a comfortable pillow.  The criticisms we make about how unseriously he takes his performance are irrelevant, because we listen for different reasons from most of C2C's current audience.

I can buy this. Appointment listening isn't really something I do anymore. There are too many great free podcasts out there that hold my attention.  Staying up late at so that I can hear legitimately interesting shit is not something I'm terribly likely to do anymore. I listen to late night radio because it helps me fall asleep. I can fall asleep to George, and I mean that as a compliment.

I don't listen to C2C very often. I'll usually put the radio on a foreign language station because I have no idea what they're saying. Sometimes I'll do a sports station, because that's a totally foreign world to me, and I don't even know what our sports teams here in Arizona are called. I like falling asleep to things I don't understand. I don't like having things to think about when it's time for bed. C2C is one of those things I can fall asleep to. Noory is just the right amount of uninterested.  If the guest is kind of a crackpot, or a train-watching, asperger-type dude,  I can probably fall asleep within the hour.

[Robert]

I listen to late night radio because it helps me fall asleep. I can fall asleep to George, and I mean that as a compliment.

I too have noticed at times its being easier to fall asleep to talk, especially indistinct or incomprehensible talk, than to the voices in my head or music.  Probably started with hearing my parents downstairs or in the next room, or people outside the window.  If there are enough people like that, maybe that's a good chunk of Noory's value, as I do find his voice somewhat soothing.  I've done Arbitron diaries, and they asked only what station was tuned to, not what I can remember of the programming.

I wouldn't try the trick of listening to a foreign language program, though, because I'd probably strain to try to figure out the content.  When I was a young child, adults' conversations went over my head, so it didn't matter.

[WOTR]

I think it's a matter of $$$. Art cost a lot more than $500,000 a year with far more drama and butthurt....

Your post makes it sound like both Art and George were always employees of a corporation and that eventually the corporation chose the bland one because he was cheaper.  It sounds like you are saying Coast kicked Art off and brought in a plain boring cheap knock-off.  The fact is that if Art did not sell it, he would have retained control.  Once he sold and retired it is only natural for a massive corporation to want a "yes man" who will not rock the boat.

[pate]

n/t

EdElicioulsy: PM muh fur coat-tails!

[NXOEED]

I too have noticed at times its being easier to fall asleep to talk, especially indistinct or incomprehensible talk, than to the voices in my head or music.  Probably started with hearing my parents downstairs or in the next room, or people outside the window.  If there are enough people like that, maybe that's a good chunk of Noory's value, as I do find his voice somewhat soothing.  I've done Arbitron diaries, and they asked only what station was tuned to, not what I can remember of the programming.

I wouldn't try the trick of listening to a foreign language program, though, because I'd probably strain to try to figure out the content.  When I was a young child, adults' conversations went over my head, so it didn't matter.

A lot of times, what I end up doing is tuning the dial between stations, so there's some combination of things happening. If I'm on AM, I usually tune it between Spanish and English. If I'm on a shortwave band, it just goes in and out on its own, which is a nice, rowboat-y effect  to fall asleep to.

[chefist]

Your post makes it sound like both Art and George were always employees of a corporation and that eventually the corporation chose the bland one because he was cheaper.  It sounds like you are saying Coast kicked Art off and brought in a plain boring cheap knock-off.  The fact is that if Art did not sell it, he would have retained control.  Once he sold and retired it is only natural for a massive corporation to want a "yes man" who will not rock the boat.

When you sell your business, unless expressly written into a contract, you lose all rights of control to that business...Art was an entrepreneur who built businesses and sold them...George was always an employee in entertainment...

If Art wanted creative control, he should have built that into the terms of sale...he didn't...to complain after is rather childish...he either didn't have the forethought, or proper representation, or both...Given what happened with MITD, all of Art's business failures make sense to me...

Wish him all the best, though....I'm sure he still made a good profit over all those years...

[chefist]

A lot of times, what I end up doing is tuning the dial between stations, so there's some combination of things happening. If I'm on AM, I usually tune it between Spanish and English. If I'm on a shortwave band, it just goes in and out on its own, which is a nice, rowboat-y effect  to fall asleep to.

Hi NX! Hope you are well, man! 

[SredniVashtar]

I think most people who listen to talk radio don't like radio all that much, just as people who listen to music radio aren't all that bothered what they listen to, so it's more of a velleity than a real enthusiasm. Noory fits the bill by being someone who 1) shows up, and 2) delivers a bland product that doesn't change much from year to year. I think the 'anti-Art' description is spot-on. It's impossible to measure, but I bet that at least three-quarters of Noory listeners just have him on in the background, whereas the typical Art listener would actively listen to what the man was saying. I've never detested him in the way that some people do; he's not very good and that's that, but he clearly caters to a need for reassuringly inconsequential radio. The bar is so low for quality paranormal/alternative radio anyway that he's not noticeably worse than any of the other hosts out there.

[GravitySucks]

I think most people who listen to talk radio don't like radio all that much, just as people who listen to music radio aren't all that bothered what they listen to, so it's more of a velleity than a real enthusiasm. Noory fits the bill by being someone who 1) shows up, and 2) delivers a bland product that doesn't change much from year to year. I think the 'anti-Art' description is spot-on. It's impossible to measure, but I bet that at least three-quarters of Noory listeners just have him on in the background, whereas the typical Art listener would actively listen to what the man was saying. I've never detested him in the way that some people do; he's not very good and that's that, but he clearly caters to a need for reassuringly inconsequential radio. The bar is so low for quality paranormal/alternative radio anyway that he's not noticeably worse than any of the other hosts out there.

Sir, may I please have some more?

[ItsOver]

Your average television network talking head prompter reader makes about $20 million/yr. Glen Beck is worth $150 million. $500000 is peanuts.

C2C is popular despite Noory's skills. The pirated youtube shows average 15000 views. The Paulides show from July has nearly 80000.

I believe it's accepted that Limbaugh leads the pact in compensation for radio. 

"Ethan Epstein, who penned a POLITICO Magazine investigation into Limbaugh's potentially shaky business model, tweeted that Limbaugh may have taken a "significant pay cut." The last time Limbaugh renewed his contract, his $400 million, eight-year contract was trumpeted widely."

http://www.politico.com/blogs/on-media/2016/08/rush-limbaugh-signs-contract-extension-226560#ixzz4HK3qcPLY

I doubt Rush took much of a pay cut with his new contract but even if he did, I'm sure he's doing quite well.  Certainly much better than Jorch.

Coincidentally, Limbaugh was claiming earlier in the week some of the most important criteria for selecting today's TV talking heads were large eyes and large heads.  Maybe the aliens really have taken over.

[K_Dubb]

Coincidentally, Limbaugh was claiming earlier in the week some of the most important criteria for selecting today's TV talking heads were large eyes and large heads.  Maybe the aliens really have taken over.

Haha don't know what but something definitely happened to TV.  I dropped out of following current events for maybe a 5-6-year period (busy socializing) and when I came back everyone on the news was younger and much better looking, far more so than can be accounted for by retirements.  Maybe the advent of HD?

For whatever reason, they've concluded that the public wants to listen to attractive people.  Corporate culture being what it is, waiting for this to filter down into radio is, sadly, probably our best shot at getting rid of Noory.  His silly makeover a few years back suggests he's already feeling the pressure.