The WOR morning show is a disaster, and for one main reason – Todd Schnitt. This guy is narcissistic beyond belief.
I’ve given the show a pretty good chance to grow on me but I can’t take it anymore. I enjoyed Len Berman and Joe Bartlett when they did the show for the two weeks in December while Schnitt was away. Oddly enough I’m more in agreement politically with Schnitt than Berman and Bartlett so that’s not what this is about.
The show should focus on what’s in the news, not what’s in Todd Schnitt’s head. For more than a week now Schnitt has obsessed throughout the show about a car accident he was involved in – the car straddled a guard rail and was totaled but nobody was hurt. Enough! If he was a great storyteller or had a flair for humor it might work. But Schnitt comes off as a loudmouth who brings everything around to himself – the kind of guy you'd like to get out of your face at a party.
Putting producer Natalie on the air doesn’t help either – another loudmouth with nothing to contribute. What a contrast from J.J. Kennedy’s wonderful soft-spoken sense of humor.
A two-host show relies on chemistry, right? There’s clearly no chemistry here. This morning it almost came to a head when Berman attempted to get a word in during Schnitt’s rant about Leonardo DiCaprio’s Oscar acceptance speech. He literally couldn’t break through and was obviously angry and upset, with good reason. He came very close to losing it. This is not good radio.
KFI’s “John & Ken” is an example of a successful talk show. There’s great chemistry between the two and you’ll notice they always say, “we,” instead of “I,” even when one of them is off for the day. With Schnitt it’s always, “I.” “I’ve booked a guest this morning,” “I have an audio clip here,” “Here’s what’s on my list of top stories,” etc. It may seem trivial but it’s telling. I don’t know how Len Berman takes it. He must be at a point in life where he doesn’t need this kind of humiliation. I’ve come to believe that this show doesn’t have a very long future but time will tell.
As for the competition, I started listening to Len & Todd because I thought it would be a better alternative to Imus, but l’ve changed my mind. I’ve tuned in Imus a few times lately expecting to hear the usual scripted schtick, but actually heard some good discussion. Maybe they’re relying less on the canned bits, or maybe I didn’t listen long enough, but overall it seems like a better show.
I’ve never been an Imus fan but you can actually learn something from his show. Imus is an original with original ideas but how much longer can he keep this up given his age and his health?
If Imus retires, or his and the other members of the show’s contracts aren’t renewed, WOR should fire Schnitt and hire Warner Wolf.
“Berman & Wolf” – that’s a show I’d like to hear!
I’ve given the show a pretty good chance to grow on me but I can’t take it anymore. I enjoyed Len Berman and Joe Bartlett when they did the show for the two weeks in December while Schnitt was away. Oddly enough I’m more in agreement politically with Schnitt than Berman and Bartlett so that’s not what this is about.
The show should focus on what’s in the news, not what’s in Todd Schnitt’s head. For more than a week now Schnitt has obsessed throughout the show about a car accident he was involved in – the car straddled a guard rail and was totaled but nobody was hurt. Enough! If he was a great storyteller or had a flair for humor it might work. But Schnitt comes off as a loudmouth who brings everything around to himself – the kind of guy you'd like to get out of your face at a party.
Putting producer Natalie on the air doesn’t help either – another loudmouth with nothing to contribute. What a contrast from J.J. Kennedy’s wonderful soft-spoken sense of humor.
A two-host show relies on chemistry, right? There’s clearly no chemistry here. This morning it almost came to a head when Berman attempted to get a word in during Schnitt’s rant about Leonardo DiCaprio’s Oscar acceptance speech. He literally couldn’t break through and was obviously angry and upset, with good reason. He came very close to losing it. This is not good radio.
KFI’s “John & Ken” is an example of a successful talk show. There’s great chemistry between the two and you’ll notice they always say, “we,” instead of “I,” even when one of them is off for the day. With Schnitt it’s always, “I.” “I’ve booked a guest this morning,” “I have an audio clip here,” “Here’s what’s on my list of top stories,” etc. It may seem trivial but it’s telling. I don’t know how Len Berman takes it. He must be at a point in life where he doesn’t need this kind of humiliation. I’ve come to believe that this show doesn’t have a very long future but time will tell.
As for the competition, I started listening to Len & Todd because I thought it would be a better alternative to Imus, but l’ve changed my mind. I’ve tuned in Imus a few times lately expecting to hear the usual scripted schtick, but actually heard some good discussion. Maybe they’re relying less on the canned bits, or maybe I didn’t listen long enough, but overall it seems like a better show.
I’ve never been an Imus fan but you can actually learn something from his show. Imus is an original with original ideas but how much longer can he keep this up given his age and his health?
If Imus retires, or his and the other members of the show’s contracts aren’t renewed, WOR should fire Schnitt and hire Warner Wolf.
“Berman & Wolf” – that’s a show I’d like to hear!
