Morton Downey, Jr.
Richard Bachert
Does anyone know where Morton Downey, Jr. came to roost. I met Mort at
WERE in Cleveland in '85 and did some air with him there. Went on to do
a TV show with him at WWOR in Secaucus in '89. I'd heard he wound up in
DC. Be grateful if anyone can advise. Thanks!
Jay Marvin
Bachert) writes:
I just taped Mort's show for the second time here in Chicago. I don't
have his number, but I can get you his producer's number. Her name is
Kathy Crown and you might try calling Major Networks.
Jay Marvin
WLS-FM
Talk1370
early in 1993 from his midday show. The new PD, Pete Lau-
fer, couldn't stand him or his style. Mort's former producer
there told me he was a real sweetheart off air, but could be
absolutely inflammatory when the mike was live, and drove
the brass totally nuts (and to the phone with their lawyers)
on a daily basis. ('RC since changed PDs and brought Ollie
North aboard, so who knows, maybe they'll welcome Mort
back too...) Then he wound up operating out of Dallas'
KGBS/1190, which may have since changed formats and call
letters again...he was syndicated in a lot of markets while he
was there. Last I heard he was launching a new syndicated
TV effort and had at least some cable or indie TV carriage lined
up for a fall 1995 start...but you never know, he's been close
to launching a new TV show before only to have it fall through.
Meanwhile you see him doing bit parts and guest shots in TV
shows, made-for-TV and made-for-cable movies, etc., and NOT
playing himself or a close facsimile either. They usually cast
him as a semi-villian, either a crooked cop, mobster or semi-
corrupt politician or businessman; sometimes he gets to be a
second-banana good guy. He's actually pretty good as an actor
playing character parts and heavies, and he's getting fairly
frequent work, so maybe that's how he'll spend most of his time.
I remember that old TV show you worked with him on...I
know it got killed when potential sponsors got scared off after
the second year in syndication. But by TODAY'S standards, if
he brought it back just the way he did it then, it'd look fit for PBS
by comparison with what Limbaugh, Ricki Lake, Jenny Jones
and Jerry Springer are putting out. At least Downey was focused
on real issues instead of getting people to punch each other out
on stage after they'd slept with each other's sisters/mothers/
fathers/household pets...
Bob Smith, middays WXXI-AM 1370 Rochester NY
RockmanO
nationally syndicated TV show.
Rob Olson
93QFM-Milwaukee
Ed Janik
Bachert) wrote:
He has a syndicated TV talk show again. Haven't watched it, but it's
on channel 50 WPWR here in Chicago, part of the new UPN network.
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David A. Kaye
: early in 1993 from his midday show. The new PD, Pete Laufer
Peter Laufer wound up at WRC? That's nice to know. Last I'd heard he
had seriously considered getting out of radio for good. I'm glad he
chanced his mind.
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San Francisco from Mt. Everest in 1990.
Treehouse2 Media
>
> Mort was at WRC for a while in 1992-93, but got fired
>early in 1993 from his midday show. The new PD, Pete Lau-
>fer, couldn't stand him or his style. Mort's former producer
>there told me he was a real sweetheart off air, but could be
>absolutely inflammatory when the mike was live, and drove
>the brass totally nuts (and to the phone with their lawyers)
>on a daily basis.
I met Mort in 1982 at KFBK where he was just starting and I was about to
start. He was one of the most gracious, and civilized people I have
ever met in broadcasting, OFF-THE-AIR. I have no doubt that he was
attempting to emulate Joe Pyne, who I never met, but have heard was also
a much kinder, gentler creature off-the-air.
ed hersch
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OLTDavid
>
> Peter Laufer wound up at WRC? That's nice to know. Last
> I'd heard he had seriously considered getting out of radio
> for good. I'm glad he chanced his mind.
Oops...context problem. Bob was trying to say 'the new PD at the time',
since Laufer was replaced by Gary Burns, and had moved on to California
and KOGO (as well as a book on working in talk radio).
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rich...@commspec.com
IT>I met Mort in 1982 at KFBK where he was just starting and I was about to
IT>start. He was one of the most gracious, and civilized people I have
IT>ever met in broadcasting, OFF-THE-AIR. I have no doubt that he was
IT>attempting to emulate Joe Pyne, who I never met, but have heard was also
IT>a much kinder, gentler creature off-the-air.
Ed,
As you know, it's an act. No one could act like they did on the air,
in real life, without having their face rearranged several times a week.
I can always tell when Mort is in the building. I just follow the
cloud of cigarette smoke.
Rich
Talk1370
guy who told Morton Downey Jr. to "zip it!" And Mort may
have gone through changes as a result. I'm told by those
who've seen his latest work, that he's a lot kinder and
gentler...although when you come to think of it, Mort at his
worst was never as mean-spirited, strident, trashy or
trivial as the worst of Limbaugh, Jenny Jones or Ricki Lake.
He may have been sensational, but I never remember
a show that WASN'T about a serious issue.
Pete was at 'RC for about a year in 1993-94. I did a
little fill-in work for him there while he was PD/OM. He
had a spat with management, and I guess with Greater
Media corporate brass as well, over staffing, philosophy,
and mostly cutbacks in local programming. The upshot
of that; BOTH Laufer and GM Dick Rakovan ended up
turfed, and ANOTHER new management team ended
up in place (the one that decided Ollie North, the religious
right's favorite felon, ought to be their afternoon man).
Pete sued Greater Media in a case still inching its way
through the courts, a legal battle about which I know very
little and understand less. Last I heard from him a couple
of months ago, he was finishing up his book on talk radio
past and present. I'm looking forward to reading it. In
fact, he even asked me for an 8x10 glossy to include in
the book...God only knows why he wants my face on
those pages. (If you see me occasionally on The Rhat
Pack on National Empowerment Television, where I play
token Democrat, you'll see why I say I have a face for
radio.)
I don't know if or when Pete will be back in radio or TV,
but he's got plenty left to contribute, so hopefully he'll be
back on the air in some role after he's gotten the writing
bug fully out of his system.