Ordway was approached in early September and given what amounted to an ultimatum, according to sources: agree to have his salary significantly cut, or his job may be in jeopardy.
Ordway was contacted by telephone last night but would not comment on the record.
Entercom vice president and market manager Jeff Brown said in a statement, “During this historic run in Boston sports, Glenn Ordway has brought the best and most entertaining sports talk radio to the most passionate sports fans in America.
“ ‘The Big Show’ with Glenn Ordway and Michael Holley is the dream pairing we knew it would be. They continue to get better every day and they sound better than ever now in FM. As WEEI expands to 93.7 FM, we are thrilled that Glenn Ordway is a key member of the best pure sports talk radio on FM, and will be going forward.’’
At the time Ordway signed the deal, which was reported to be for five years at $1 million per, the clause probably did not seem a risk, even with the volatility in the radio business. “The Big Show’’ was on a run of staggering success, having finished first among men 25-54 in every quarterly ratings book since the spring of 2003. It had also ranked first among adults 25-54 in every ratings book but three over the same span.
But in July 2009, six months after Ordway reached agreement on his new contract, CBS Radio announced it would launch an all-sports station with a strong FM signal, and 98.5 The Sports Hub debuted in August 2009. It soon made headway into WEEI’s massive audience, with its afternoon-drive program, hosted by former occasional “Big Show’’ co-hosts Michael Felger and Tony Massarotti, becoming an almost immediate hit.
“The Big Show’’ was revamped in February, ditching its roundtable format and moving Holley from middays to Ordway’s co-host. The move has had little impact in the ratings; “Felger and Massarotti’’ won the spring book with a 9.4 share.
