They Blew Up the Cannons!

On Tuesday they were there, and all of a sudden on Wednesday they were gone! Apparently Don Martin of AM570 and Clear Channel have blown up the Loose Cannons for good. For me, it is a very sad and disappointing day. More than television, radio benefits and is reliant on the familiarity of its voices. That's why the inexplicable firing of Ross Porter as one of the voices of the Dodgers was such a travesty. He's not just an announcer, but a nostalgic voice of a city and team that links past with the present that cannot be replaced. I once heard Kurt Rambis's wife say after the death of Chick Hearn that what she'll miss the most was the reassurance of his voice. Even if she wasn't watching the game, but could hear Chickie Baby's voice on the simulcast, she knew somehow things were alright with the world. The Cannons had as similar effect for me. But over the past few years, since moving over to 570, the station has been constantly changing its format and personalities, letting go of mainstains like Hacksaw Hamilton, who with the Cannons anchored and built up the station for years. Of course it's always been Steve Hartman's show, but the most recent trio of Hartman, Mychal Thompson, and Vic the Brick - with their on-air bickering, bantering, and over-the-top histrionics - always made for an entertaining drive during the day when that's what you needed. Wow, Nic Harcourt and now this - LA radio suddenly lost its voice...and soul, too.