Dan McNeil was let go by Chicago's ESPN 1000 yesterday.  For those of you in Iowa or California or the northeast, it means nothing, but I believe that Chicago radio is a little poorer today.

The given reason was that they didn't want to renew his contract, and in these economic times, I can't say as I don't understand it.  When you realize that many radio stations are hurting for revenue and when you understand that first quarter is always slow, you'll understand that someone can't generate enough to make his broadcast cash flow numbers thus putting himself in danger.  In radio, the guy with the tie will always cover his own ass first, programming be damned.

I thought that Mac,Jurko and Harry was the best thing on Chicago sports radio, far superior to Boers and Bernstein on the Score.  FAR superior. The chemistry was terrific, the production value outstanding and the conversation intelligent.  And Mac was the perfect anchor for that group.

Yes, I know McNeil was more than a bit of a diva, but divas are everywhere in broadcasting.  The difference between now and twenty years ago is that managers don't want to deal with divas, no matter how talented they are.  They want to achieve maximum BCF and any overpaid, insolent announcer ( or for that matter, program director) is not worth the trouble.  After all, being an announcer isn't that hard is it?  And the public will still listen no matter what kind of crap we put on, no matter what kind of idiotic promotions we run and no matter how many commercials we have to run an hour to pay for everything?  Not true tie guy, but thanks for playing.  Go back to your calculator now. 

Ratings don't matter anymore.  Talent doesn't matter anymore.  Many programmers today are wholly owned pawns of the sales department.  And, if they dare suggest that programming and talent have some value, they are sent packing to the unemployment line and cast out as a pariah.  It's not about how your station sounds anymore, it's not about the listener anymore, it's about making your projections.

Dan McNeil has more talent than Carmen DeFalco, but DeFalco will not command nearly the salary of McNeil and will be much easier to deal with.  That's a good day for a radio station manager.

Don't worry about ESPN 1000 changing formats; they are vital to the health of ESPN radio because they give them a Chicago footprint.  What you can look for is even more national programming out of Bristol and less quality local programming out of Chicago.  Mitch Rosen at the Score must have smiled when he heard McNeil was out of work.  It just helps the Score plant its feet even deeper.

Yes, it is a sad day for sports talk radio in Chicago.  But a happy day for someone's calculator.