End of an era: Jeff Beauchamp leaving WBAL radio
Jeff Beauchamp, vice president and station manager at long-time powerhouse WBAL radio, is leaving the station after almost 34 years on the job, he said Thursday in a Sun interview. His last day at the 50,000-watt station he that he transformed from an adult contemporary music operation into one of the most honored news-talk stations in the country, will be next Friday.
"The company presented me with a package that is fair, and I'll be doing some consulting work for WBAL radio in the months and year ahead," the 58-year-old Beauchamp said.
"This is a great company to work for, and the proof of that is that they put up with me for 34 years -- but I wanted to be here every day for 34 years. This place is like a part of me... I've been here over half my life, so I have a lot of emotions right now."
Beauchamp, who joined the station as a news anchor in 1976, said, "The thing I think I'm most proud of is being part of the transition of WBAL from a station that played music and had a lot of other kinds of programming that they called Adult Contemporary to a news-talk station."
During Beauchamp's tenure, WBAL radio won 19 national Edward R. Murrow Awards -- more than any other local station in the country. The Murrow Awards for news, information and public affairs programming are among the most prestigious in broadcasting.
"The change to news-talk was an evolutionary process, and it wasn't always easy," Beauchamp said. "But aong the way, I was able to work with people and hire people like Dave Durian and Ron Smith. They have become in my mind huge radio personalities in this market, if not among the biggest nationally. That's been fun and an honor to work with people like that."
Describing Beauchamp who hired him in 1984 as "one of the most widely respected broadcast executives" in the country, Ron Smith said, "Jeff Beauchamp, in a very real sense, made my career possible."
"This truly is the end of era," Smith said Thursday. "Personally, I’m losing a manager, a mentor and friend from our work family. Our family is grieving."
Calling Beauchamp a "guardian of free speech," the conservative host said coming out against the war in Iraq "cost" the station 30 percent of Smith’s audience.
"Never did Jeff presume to tell me to rethink my position — never did he tell me what to say, or what not to say."No one has worked closer with Beauchamp than executive producer Mike Wellbrock, who has been at the station 26 years.
"Jeff is a natural leader," Wellbrock said. "He’s the type of boss who would run interference and block so other’s could score touchdowns. And then he wouldn’t take any credit. "There are countless numbers of broadcasters whose careers he helped develop. He would challenge them to reach their potential, and then celebrate their success."
"Jeff has been a terrific partner of WBAL TV," Jordan Wertlieb, the general manager of WBAL-TV (Channel 11) said. "His leadership at the radio station is unprecedented, and we wish him well."
Both WBAL Radio and TV are owned by the Hearst Television, Inc., which consists of 26 TV stations and 2 radio stations. The company’s two radio outlets are both in Baltimore — WBAL-AM and WIYY-FM.
It is no secret that WBAL radio, like many media outlets, has felt the effects of a terrible economy and vast technological change in listener habits — especially during the last year.
In January, the station laid off sports talk show host Steve Davis to shed his six-figure contract. "It was an economic move," Beauchamp said at the time. "We’ve been doing some realigning because of the economy."
WBAL has been buying out employees in what one industry analyst described as "dribs and drabs" during the last year.
Beauchamp’s separation package was not a part of any widespread buyout at the station.
Ed Kiernan, WBAL’s general manager and the person to whom Hearst Television, Inc., referred calls yesterday did not return calls from The Sun.
Comments
I have met Jeff Beauchamp several times over the years. He is an honorable man who made WBAL Radio the leading news station in town. He will be missed, but I imagine after 34 years he deserves a bit of a rest. I wish him well.
Posted by: CS | July 23, 2009 4:35 PM
A few weeks ago, Dave Zurawick's column quoted Beauchamp as saying recent cutbacks forced WBAL to do "more with less." Of course, it was obvious to listeners that the cutbacks made WBAL do "less with less." Beauchamp's departure accelerates the rapid decline of this once really good station that somehow has the guts to proclaim itself Baltimore's News Leader despite the absence of local news in the evenings and most of the weekend.
Posted by: BobEsq | July 23, 2009 6:29 PM
What a shame! Everyone who knows anything about what goes on inside WBAL Radio knows that Beauchamp was the reason for the success of the station. It has been unbelievable to many people that GM Ed Kiernan is still there. So many talented people have left both the FM and AM yet he manages to hang around. Good luck Jeff....you helped make BAL what it is today.
Posted by: J | July 23, 2009 7:28 PM
Best wishes Mr. Beauchamp.
Posted by: NotableM | July 23, 2009 8:39 PM
If Mr. Beauchamp was behind the removal of Rush Limbaugh from WBAL, then more power to him. A daring move from a big person!
Posted by: Zaphod | July 23, 2009 11:38 PM
Congratulations to Jeff Beauchamp on a career most broadcasters could only dream to have. I remember waking up to hear Jeff deliver snow closings when I was a kid, and I've listened to the radio station ever since.
The list of broadcasters who Jeff hired - many of whom were pulled out of obscurity - that went on to huge national careers is amazing. Josh Lewin, Pam Ward, Chip Franklin, Jeff Rimer. The list of broadcasters who re-started their careers under Beauchamp is equally impressive - Durian, Smith, Keith Mills, Alan Walden, Jim West. And if I remember correctly, it was Jeff Beauchamp who fought (but unfortunatly lost) to keep Jon Miller calling Orioles games when Peter Angelos fired him.
I just hope that Hearst doesn't let this local treasure go down the drain like it did with its once great rock and roll radio station 98 Rock. They should put WBAL on the FM dial immediately.
Posted by: Jack Cam | July 24, 2009 7:36 AM
Lets face it : This is a polite way of saying Beauchamp WAS FIRED! ( if their ratings didn't sink him, then it was the AWFUL programming calls he has made)...Finally came back to bite him ....The fact that the station was 50k watts was kind of hard to screw up, but it was like sister 98 rock- IN DECLINE...the #'s do not lie !
Posted by: kevin port26 | July 24, 2009 6:42 PM
I was interviewed for a position at WBAL by Jeff before taking a job in Phoenix. It was the toughest, most challenging, insightful and thorough interview I've ever had. He challenged me, my philosophy and really made me dig deep. Growing up in B'more, WBAL was not just a radio station, it was an entertainment destination with Bob Jones, Jim West, Allen Prell, Ron Smith and a whole host of other personalities. All because of Jeff Beauchamp. He will leave an indelible mark not only on WBAL, but Baltimore as well!
HI Mac, Thanks for sharing that behind-the-scenes look at Jeff Beauchamp with the readers.Z
Posted by: Mac Watson | July 24, 2009 7:32 PM
HOW HE LASTED THIS LONG ? is frankly baffling. What has he done lately ? i agree with kevin, the station ratings and program decline falls, in his Large lap ...more time for the buffet and less MICRO managing JB! btw, will his son still keep his ( daddy given ) job , too?
Posted by: lance | July 25, 2009 7:17 AM
WBAL is a joke. When I think of the voices we used to put up with...Brian Wilson!?..Alan Walden and his tired and boring ponderings..the only time this station was listenable at best apart from the Oriole games, which they lost, was Alan Prell..does this station still have an audience?
Posted by: Ray Barcia | July 25, 2009 10:43 AM
I could not concur more with some of these previous posts...besides firing steve davis, what great decision has beauchamp made? IMHO, next out the door will be either: ron smith or dave durian - both are SR citizens who have lost touch . with young generation .... WCBM is regularly BEATING WBAL, that enough warranted a change at the top .....AND AS ANOTHER POSTER PUT IT - 98 ROCK , is , JUST AS BAD !!!
Posted by: paul | July 26, 2009 1:57 AM
Former intern here. I met Jeff once or twice. Really nice guy. Hoping he lands on his feet. WBAL is a great station with great people. Much of that, I can assume, is thanks to Jeff.
Posted by: T | July 27, 2009 10:42 AM