Earlier today Neil Best recapped an hour long conversation he had with Chris “Mad Dog” Russo about life at Sirius. It’s an interesting read not only because of Mad Dog, but some of the problems with WFAN that I have discussed are in there as well. Mad Dog discusses the freedom of satellite radio, the role of the New York audience in his program, the amazing reach of Howard Stern, and his old buddy Mike Francesa.

My big takeaway is how Mad Dog points out the freedom he gets at Sirius. Instead of all the rules and regulations imposed by WFAN Russo is able to freelance a bit more. Obviously knowing where you stand is a little harder with satellite than it was at WFAN because of the ratings game. That game, in my opinion,is comprised of shallow numbers that can be made to say a lot of things. I have done much of that in my very own business life.

Redundancy is a topic as well. I agree with Chris that WFAN calls are redundant. I will add that I believe, for the most part, these calls are collection of uneducated opinions. It’s simply the host sitting back and taking the easy way out. Satellite radio has its issues with reach but, as it becomes part of future automobile purchases, it should catch on. The economy obviously has a lot to do with its struggles the last year.

Radio is broke my friends. The Mark Chernoff’s of the world continue to sit on their current ratings to keep things status quo. The lack of future planning shows me that there isn’t a real businessman in the house at WFAN. You have a bunch of suits that are working harder at pretending things are ok versus preparing for the future. They are stale and lazy thinkers. I wish I was a fly on the wall when the house collapses at some point. The under 40 crowd is going to teach them a harsh lesson in the years to come.

Say what you want about Mad Dog but at least he is trying something different. You have to admire that.

Tags: Chris Russo, Mad Dog, Mike Francesa, Neil Best, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Newsday, Sirius, Watchdog, WFAN