TBN: WGR's Paul Hamilton no longer travels with Sabres

[Fezzy126]

I don't see how one can be a beat writer without traveling with the team. There are lots of little discussions and player interactions that you'd never know about unless you travel with the team.

Perhaps this is tin foil hat territory, but I wonder how much this has to do with the Sabres front office influence vs Entercom. I've long thought (since the tank years) that a major reason for the poor atmosphere in the locker room was at least partially related to the media personalities around here. Just my two cents, but Harrington's tone has seemingly changed recently, PHam is not travelling with the team anymore, Bucky & Sully have been completely driven out of the industry. There has been quite a turnover in the local media market since that day that the TBN acted like a bitter firing squad at the Pegulas...

 

[Husko]

Without commenting one way or another about Hamilton's ability or lack thereof, I can't imagine that the Pegulas would tolerate a broadcast that did not have a decent post game locker room presence on the team's radio broadcast. A couple of posts upthread there was mention of PSE perhaps purchasing WGR. I'd endorse that thought, FWIW - which is nothing. I'd also add that they should pick up WWKB 1520 to simulcast Bills and Sabres games or provide an option when there's a conflict. I like the idea of Empire coming back.

I'd have mixed feelings. On one hand, I'm sure the quality would go up across the board, from hosts to production. On the other hand, there would inevitably be a neutering of content, as always happens when a team owns the media. See: Chris Brown and John Murphy.

 

[Dex]

So , does that mean he has to make his own travel arrangements ? Seriously , I appreciate the media coverage , but maybe it's time for some new blood .

No - he's guaranteed a seat on the team charter as a result of the radio deal. Entercom, his employer, is balking at paying for his hotel room, drinks and meals. I'm guessing the rooms must be at whatever rate the Sabres pay. How much can it cost to eat at McDonald's?

 

[Dex]

I'd have mixed feelings. On one hand, I'm sure the quality would go up across the board, from hosts to production. On the other hand, there would inevitably be a neutering of content, as always happens when a team owns the media. See: Chris Brown and John Murphy.

So true. I did not consider the infomercial side of that sort of setup

 

[Husko]

No - he's guaranteed a seat on the team charter as a result of the radio deal. Entercom, his employer, is balking at paying for his hotel room, drinks and meals. I'm guessing the rooms must be at whatever rate the Sabres pay. How much can it cost to eat at McDonald's?

Yeah, even if he would be on the road for 50-100 nights a year (which seems way high), paying $100-$150 a night in hotels, with a meal allowance... we're not talking about a lot of money. It's telling they don't think that is worth it.

 

[Buffaloed]

They probably feel he can give the same pointless input from the studio as he can from the road. Which...wouldn't be inaccurate.

Sort of like when Golisano saved money by relying on video scouting.

 

[Buffalo Norsemen]

No per diem.

Just unlimited press box hot dogs and popcorn.

Let's try and be a little classy. Hamilton has done well since he had a health scare a few years ago to take care of himself since including losing weight, working out, and eating really well.

He was also Rob Ray's roommate on the road.

I can see quite a few you have never flown first class or stayed at a good three star or had dinner at a steak house. It can add up but still should not be breaking point. My guess is the sales department lost a sponsor which was paying for his expenses or there could be something else we have not yet heard about.

He certainly is not my favorite hockey commentator but something certainly stinks at Entercom and from everything I hear recently a few so-called Superstars bring home close to a hundred grand a year.

 

[Husko]

Let's try and be a little classy. Hamilton has done well since he had a health scare a few years ago to take care of himself since including losing weight, working out, and eating really well.

He was also Rob Ray's roommate on the road.

I can see quite a few you have never flown first class or stayed at a good three star or had dinner at a steak house. It can add up but still should not be breaking point. My guess is the sales department lost a sponsor which was paying for his expenses or there could be something else we have not yet heard about.

He certainly is not my favorite hockey commentator but something certainly stinks at Entercom and from everything I hear recently a few so-called Superstars bring home close to a hundred grand a year.

Yes stay classy

 

[TehDoak]

This cuts both ways.

On one hand, if Entercom is no longer sending it's "beat reporter" on the road to save a few thousand dollars, that's really sad and may mean the company is in big trouble.

On the other hand, if this is just them slowly phasing Paul out to be replaced by someone younger (and cheaper), great news.

I mean, 41 road games is more than a few thousand dollars. Assuming the team doesn't charge them for a seat on their plane.

Figure for each game:

2 days of per diem at $75 a day ($150)
Uber/Cab rides to/from the airport and game itself ($200)
1 night in a hotel booked + taxes + fees in a major metro area ($250)

That's, without looking at other costs, $600 a road game

x 41 road games

$24600

Given some of the road trips are longer and would have more per diem days, it could easily cost them 30k a year to have P-Ham on the road. And given his, in my opinion, poor beat reporter skills (he often goes for the lazy/easy story and finds ways to mold stories that fit his personal opinion of the player rather than do fact based reporting)

 

[brian_griffin]

Yeah, even if he would be on the road for 50-100 nights a year (which seems way high), paying $100-$150 a night in hotels, with a meal allowance... we're not talking about a lot of money. It's telling they don't think that is worth it.

Hotels near downtown / arenas of major US cities are a lot more than $100-150 per night even with block rates and negotiated discounts. Same with Toronto (especially). I’ve not been to other Canadian cities with NHL teams.

 

[valet]

he always asks dumb antogonistic questions and his reporting is generally of low journalistic quality, so I'm not really too surprised

 

[CrankyJay]

PHAM is a fuddy duddy.

he’s here on the morning show and he’s acting all annoyed when people number lines, then a missing later days second PP unit. Dude is a shill.

 

[debaser66]

Not a good journalist
More of a boulevard queen

 

[SackTastic]

It only seems inevitable at this point that PSE ends up buying WGR.

Almost 100% guarantee that doesn't happen. There isn't much of a point.

In the spring/summer , WGR sits at about 10th in radio ratings in the Buffalo market. They jump up to around 5th in the fall and winter because of the Bills and Sabres.

If Pegula 'owns' the only content on the station that is worth anything, it makes no sense to buy the station and have to deal with running the entire thing. It makes much more sense to do what they do with the Sabres already ; produce the content and sell it, let someone else pay for all the infrastructure/distribution. That's why they struck the deal with MSG that they did.

 

[Member 308457]

My take is a number of factors. It's conceivable that Entrecom is cutting back but also maybe the team is bugged traveling with the guy. He is older and a bit obnoxious and sometimes asks controversial questions. His writing still needs editing by a professional. The Pegulas have shut out reporters before who don't go along with their agenda.

 

[Husko]

Almost 100% guarantee that doesn't happen. There isn't much of a point.

In the spring/summer , WGR sits at about 10th in radio ratings in the Buffalo market. They jump up to around 5th in the fall and winter because of the Bills and Sabres.

If Pegula 'owns' the only content on the station that is worth anything, it makes no sense to buy the station and have to deal with running the entire thing. It makes much more sense to do what they do with the Sabres already ; produce the content and sell it, let someone else pay for all the infrastructure/distribution. That's why they struck the deal with MSG that they did.

Maybe "buy" was the wrong word and "save" was the right one. I think Entercom is going to go under/start selling off parts, and PSE will end up buying WGR and just make it the PSE radio station.

 

[SackTastic]

My take is a number of factors. It's conceivable that Entrecom is cutting back but also maybe the team is bugged traveling with the guy. He is older and a bit obnoxious and sometimes asks controversial questions. His writing still needs editing by a professional. The Pegulas have shut out reporters before who don't go along with their agenda.

The Pegulas never shut out reporters, that's false. No reporter has ever been barred from a media event, locker room, etc.

 

[Husko]

I wonder if they end up sending one of the young kids to start doing the beat reporter gig. Aside from a much lower salary, they would also be able to get away with paying for much less in the way of hotel, food budget, etc. If it's a quasi internship, they can get away with a lot less.

 

[Buffaloed]

My take is a number of factors. It's conceivable that Entrecom is cutting back but also maybe the team is bugged traveling with the guy. He is older and a bit obnoxious and sometimes asks controversial questions. His writing still needs editing by a professional. The Pegulas have shut out reporters before who don't go along with their agenda.

It's solely about money. Entercom has been cutting staff across the country. The penny pinching with Hamilton shows how far they're willing to go.

It also is unclear how much Entercom will be saving since Hamilton flew with the team as part of WGR’s rights deal to simulcast game coverage with MSG.

If the Sabres continue to do well, it wouldn’t be surprising if Hamilton returned to the road later in the season. For now, the extra time he will have because he isn’t traveling could free him up to do more coverage of the Buffalo Bills.

Hamilton essentially is caught in the same Entercom cost-cutting that led to last month’s dismissal of Star 102.5 personality Roger Christian after 43 years, as well as the dismissal of several other behind-the-scenes staffers at the company’s local stations.

Media Confidential: Entercom Lay-Offs Take Toll In Chicago, San Diego

Even successful radio personalities have been let go.

 

[Chainshot]

I may often disagree with him but I do not think this speaks well of his employers.

 

[K8fool]

I don't see how one can be a beat writer without traveling with the team. There are lots of little discussions and player interactions that you'd never know about unless you travel with the team.

Perhaps this is tin foil hat territory, but I wonder how much this has to do with the Sabres front office influence vs Entercom. I've long thought (since the tank years) that a major reason for the poor atmosphere in the locker room was at least partially related to the media personalities around here. Just my two cents, but Harrington's tone has seemingly changed recently, PHam is not travelling with the team anymore, Bucky & Sully have been completely driven out of the industry. There has been quite a turnover in the local media market since that day that the TBN acted like a bitter firing squad at the Pegulas...

Maybe the team told him to f off. Driven a couple players out.. We wont know but maybe good if gotcha devisive type why let him travel force him to have news foot his bill..

 

[Husko]

Maybe they're just freeing him up to give him a 4 hour morning drive time slot

 

[Ace]

I may often disagree with him but I do not think this speaks well of his employers.

Neither does employing him.

 

[sincerity0]

Does The Athletic send it’s beat guys and girls to all away games for their respective teams?

I’d wonder to a certain extent it’s just Entercom going “we will let others pay for the pre and post game quotes” then write off that.

IMO that’s ominous sign for Pham because he’s not really known for in-depth analysis, personality or writing skills. Not to mention he has half of Sabres twitter blocked. The way I see it The Athletic provides more coverage (in depth and post game fluff) of higher quality than compared to radio sites and ESPN, etc.

I just wonder if Entercom is getting out of the way.

 

[old kummelweck]

So no WGR interviews for away games?

It didn't down on me why during the post-game after the columbus game, but I was surprise Hamilton was in the studio. Didn't really put two and two together that he's supposed to be in the Sabres locker room.