Denver Sports Radio's ever changing landscape continues with yet another shuffle in the line-up. Danny Williams and Cello Romano, the afternoon drive duo on 94.1 FM/1550 AM Mile High Sports will now be moving into their fourth time slot change over the last 16 months. Danny and Cello gained popularity with their Morning Mayhem show from 9-11 a.m. from 2011 to their first move on September 30th, 2013. While their original listeners, Mayhem Mafia, have been noted of being less cerebral their show has stayed the course and continued to gain listeners and credibility in the Denver market. After moving to 2-4 p.m. sixteen months ago and shortly thereafter (roughly January of 2014) taking the reins of the afternoon drive at Mile High Sports from 4-6 p.m., Danny and Cello announced on their show last night that Monday, January 26, 2015 they would be moving to the 7-9 a.m. slot currently occupied by Eric Goodman and Mike Pritchard.
It is a well calculated decision by James Merilatt (President) and Josh Pennock (Station Manager) to make this change. By moving to the mornings, Danny and Cello get people in their cars still, but into their commute to work which should increase their online streaming numbers. What is also does is put them up against 104.3 The Fan for the only other local sports talk during that time since Denver's ESPN is national shows other than from 1 p.m. to 6:30 or 7 p.m. While the trio of Nate Lundy, Mike Evans and Vic Lombardi have done well, the show is not the home run it could have been by partnering up Vic with someone like his sports wife Gary Miller or a guy who was taken too soon from our ears in Broncos Ring of Famer, Tom Nalen. Their show is crowded with the three talking over each other and segments that eat up anything that can get Vic rolling. Their dependence on the text line and Evans/Lundy's bickering too often drown out Vic and make it a sub-par show. This is where Danny and Cello will do well. The two have quit reading from Twitter for the most part and in turn share more of their insight while also sharing the radio waves with their callers. What this type of radio does is allow conversations to really get rolling and for listeners and callers to feel part of the show. Some listeners may not like it, but there are some great listeners with more knowledge than many writers or sports radio hosts in the Denver market and it's a good way to keep a show rolling. It has led Danny and Cello to move up the ranks and cause a stir in Denver radio.
With all the questions over what happens to the radio landscape, especially 104.3 FM The Fan with Entercom acquiring and then dumping the former Lincoln Financial Group station and leaving them for sale/in limbo. Then there is 105.5 F.M.-ESPN (yes, 102.3 has been sold off and will change format Monday) which has gone to a skeleton crew of Cecil Lammey and Nate Kreckman with som Raj Sharan and Drew Spevak mixed into the group, it is good to see the little guy in Mile High Sports 94.1 FM keep their focus local and not sell out.
With this move, there is bound to be other shake-ups that hit Mile High Sports with the obvious being Eric Goodman and Mike Pritchard moving away from their early morning time slot. While Mike Pritchard has got better, he still misses giving concrete answers when Eric Goodman asks something in a discussion and the black-white angle has too often overtaken solid discussions and has soured my listening. Here is hoping Danny and Cello get a stronger lead-off hitter in the 6-7 a.m. time slot (and maybe something they were trying to allude to by saying there is more big news to come with Josh Dover on-air with them last night). All 22 with Kent Erickson has no pop to it and has fallen flat after numerous attempts at trying to give it a chance. Before The Press Box moved from 7-9 a.m. to 9-11 a.m., they had a strong opening in the Morning Edge with Andrew Fogoros and Matt McChesney from 6-7 a.m.. This duo was truly a trio with the strong producing/insight Josh Dover brought as a producer, which he also did for Morning Mayhem making Danny and Cello's show take that next step. I have constantly touted Dover to get a more regular gig and was supremely disappointed when his daily show Denver Sports Nation went away due to the loss of a big sponsor. It is good to see Dover helping out on 104.3 The Fan and seeing his importance increase for The Press Box but he also belongs as a host in the Denver market. Here is hoping Dover, the old morning producer at Mile High Sports, gets a shot at that lead-off spot to help Danny and Cello's transition and to make the 6 a.m.-11 a.m. line-up the best Denver Sports Radio has to offer.
I have mentioned ad nauseam of my desire to hear more young guns get on the air over the likes of the dour hours that Gil Whiteley (11 a.m.-noon) and Irv Brown and Joe Williams (Noon-2 p.m.) bring to Mile High Sports. I am not sure how that will transpire. Irv and Joe have always had good financial backing from their sponsors and it gives Mile High Sports recognition just because everyone in sports knows who those guys are, but with the changes, it would be good to hear the likes of Dover, Benjamin Allbright, Mario Vetanze, Adam Kinney, the previously mentioned Andrew Fogoros and Matt McChesney and the likes of other young Denver Sports radio guys get some regular show time. They are energetic, entertaining and knowledgeable young sports guys that bring something to the table Denver needs on a daily basis over the likes of giving any more time to blowhards like Les Shapiro, Woody Paige and Mark Kiszla whose egos outweigh their abilities and what they bring to Denver sports.
While it is quiet on what exactly the line-up will be at Mile High Sports, it is good to see that James Merilatt and Josh Pennock aren't standing pat while the market shakes-up. Either way, Monday is going to be a different day in Denver Sports radio and it will be interesting to see what happens next with 94.1 FM-Mile High Sports and the rest of the Denver Sports Radio market.
Chuck.
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