[November 13, 2008]

Battle for the mike sinks 'Scott & Ryan'

(New Haven Register (New Haven, CT) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Nov. 13--Details are emerging about commentator Tom Scott's most recent split with WELI-AM, and it's not pretty.

Just four months old, WELI's only remaining local show, "The Tom Scott and Ryan" show, ended recently after the two had a falling-out DURING an interview with U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd late last month.

In a phone chat this week, Scott said the much-anticipated interview was to be recorded for later broadcast at 4:15 p.m. Oct. 29, and he arrived early for it. As he stood in the lobby at Hamden's Radio Towers Park studios, he realized the interview was already being taped by his producer (and on-air talent) Ryan Gorman.

"There was no misunderstanding here," says Scott, 49, a savvy conservative voice in Connecticut for many years and a former state legislator. "He lied to me."

Scott says he waited for a lull, after Gorman had questioned Dodd for 8 minutes and 39 seconds, and then took over the interview.

"But two minutes in, he shut off my microphone," says Scott. "That's a firing offense."

When Scott turned the mike back on manually after six seconds, Gorman took off his headset and "stormed out of the studio," Scott says. Scott finished the interview, but WELI apparently has no plans to air it.

"It was a tough interview, but it was not disrespectful," Scott says.

Gorman, 24, is doing the talk show as a side deal to his morning job as a sidekick called Jordan on "Courtney & Company," the morning show on Clear Channel's WKSS-FM in Hartford.

With the 5-7 p.m. team suddenly kaput, Scott says WELI offered him the 7-8 p.m. slot, but he told them he was unavailable at that time and there weren't enough listeners at that hour.

Scott says Gorman was hired to simply work the board as a producer and be the voice of an "everyman" who would occasionally ask a question or clarify something said. "But he very quickly tried to assume the role of host," Scott says.

After the split, Scott says he reminded Clear Channel officials that Gorman had applied for the hosting job originally, but was told he was too young, inexperienced and didn't know Connecticut.

Gorman, who hails from Florida and often referred to that state on-air, continues to host the show, which was originally supposed to transition to 3-6 p.m., Scott says.

Owner Clear Channel is the radio behemoth that changed WELI from a storied local news and talk station (with a long tradition of Friday night and Saturday afternoon football action) to a syndicated outlet for right-wing flame-throwers.

Scott, a real estate agent in Milford who sells waterfront homes, has had a breakup with a WELI radio co-host before, when his teaming with social activist Roger Vann produced one too many flameouts in the 1990s.

Scott says this time he was assured that the show's content would be oriented to New Haven and Connecticut topics and that he would have "free rein to develop the show to be interesting."

It began well, amid the exciting election season, but Scott blames WELI for letting it go south.

"They simply reneged on their agreement. You can't call what Ryan does a local show," he says.

A Clear Channel official was unavailable for comment Wednesday. Scott has retained an agent and says he's looking for another radio show, this time as a solo act.

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