What happened to Booker on Q102 Philly?

Question

I have satellite radio, so I seldom listen to the local stuff anymore, but this week I've wanted to listen to regular radio. I turn on the radio in the AM and there's NO Booker on Q102 - in fact NONE of the original people are there and the newbies all suck!!!! They all sound like high school AV junkies.

Answer 1

Elvis Duran was available and they decided to go with him and his cast. They originate out of NYC (Z-100) and are syndicated in a few other big markets.

Sorry you lost your friends. I say that because people really do become attached to radio personalities, especially morning shows. Hopefully if Elvis isn't your cup of tea you'll find another station soon.

In an interesting side note, ED was fired from Q-102 twenty years ago! So I guess that makes him pretty old. Probably pretty sweet for him, though, even though the management has changed a few times since then.

-a guy named duh

Here's a story that appeared in "Philly Gossip" (interesting that management says they wanted more music - something Duran is not noted for):

Q102 morning host Chris Booker was fired after today's show, along with co-host Angi Taylor and show producer Blaire Galaton. The station, which had recently demanded Booker play more music during the show, seeks to go to a more music-heavy format, we're told. Co-host Diego Ramos, who has been at the radio station since the mid-1990s will remain, and will serve in an unknown capacity at the station. Booker joined Q102 about two years ago and had a year left on his contract. Typically in radio if a host is fired on a management whim and not for any fault of his own, he would be paid out the life of his contract. Booker did not immediately return a request for comment this morning. Booker's girlfriend Alycia Lane, fired by CBS3 in January, is on a national search for a television job. With Booker's firing, the couple, which is quite serious, could end up leaving town if one or both land a job in another market. Meanwhile Angi Taylor, who appeared by Internet feed from Chicago during most of her time with the Booker Show, had only recently moved to Philadelphia and began working in studio with the show, so today's termination likely stings harder for her. Taylor did not respond to requests for comment this morning. All references to the Booker Show were removed from Q102.com this morning. "This was not a reflection on anybody's performance," Loraine Ballard Morrill a Clear Channel/Q102 spokeswoman told us moments ago. "We're looking at more programming options but in the meantime we're playing more music," said Morrill who said Booker wasn't fired, he's still considered an employee at the station. "So he'll be paid throughout his contract," we asked. Morrill said she couldn't discuss that. She did say that Taylor and Galaton were no longer Clear Channel employees.

UPDATE: Angi Taylor, who said fortunately she had actually not yet moved to town says she was shocked that "after bringing in the numbers this show achieved that we were all let go. I love Philly and I love Q. I also know it wasn't about us and I have to keep that in mind. I wish we had the chance to say goodbye to our listeners who are such a part of our lives, but I know that's not how it's done. I'll miss this job like crazy," Taylor told us today by e-mail.