Nailed it. Absolutely nailed it. This is why no one pays me the big bucks. Pure perfection right here.

[Here are all the parameters for creating your ultimate lineup]

Morning show

I was tempted not to change the current morning show of Angelo, Al and Rhea. It has worked for years, and still works. It is the gold standard for local morning shows. But they’re too expensive for the purposes of building the ultimate station. Someone needs to get cut. My first thought was to swap Tony for Rhea strictly for cap-saving purposes, and because Angelo, Al and Tony had terrific chemistry when Tony stopped by for an appearance earlier this year or last year. The all-Italian squad. But swapping Tony for Rhea doesn’t do much to alleviate the problem of the morning show being too expensive. So we have to blow up the whole thing and start over. We can rebuild it: Keith Jones is terrific, and Tony and Harry Mayes’ on-air chemistry is almost unmatched. The three of them – Tony, Keith and Harry – would make for an outstanding ensemble with enough energy, sports knowledge and utter ridiculousness a morning show needs, without completely breaking the bank.

Mid-days 10-12

You have to save money somewhere, and this is the time slot you do it. I know John Barchard and he’s hungry to make a name for himself in radio. He’s a great host and point man (with a voice for radio), and super knowledgable when it comes to football. Every station around here needs a football show, and it’s usually in that 10-12 time slot. I could think of no better beloved analyst than Ray Didinger, who would have to neither get up too early nor drive home in the dark (he doesn’t like driving on highways, I hear). John is deferential, which is what would be needed around Didinger, an oracle like personality. John would steer the show, and Didinger would bring his deep football knowledge and household name.

Mid-days 12-2

MAC AND MAC IS BACK! Not gonna lie– I built almost the entire lineup around my fantasy of bringing back Mac and Mac, one of my favorite pairings of all-time. Both guys are still around, and still ready, willing and able to work every day. Proven concept. Name-recognition. Timeless show.

Afternoons

Again, proven concept. Mike is one of the few – along with Josh Innes – who can carry a show by himself. When it comes down to it, Mike gets the afternoon slot. He’s been doing it for years, continues to pull strong ratings, and is one of the top three local voices to whom listeners turn to inform their opinions. This is almost a no-brainer. Mike and Anthony are friends, and they would pair well together, but Mike likes his spotlight. This is his show.

Evenings

Oh the crossover here would be fun. People think I don’t like Josh, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. He’s talented and better off alone. But he’s too immature to be handed the keys to a morning show. It may take some convincing, but going back to 6-10, solo, would allow him to gain more experience (and maturity) to perhaps eventually take over the morning show for Tony in a few years.

Late nights

Someone with the last name Giglio just feels right at night.

Weekends

Tom Byrne can carry a show by himself, can nerd out, and also regale in drunken tales of lore with the indulgent weekend crowd.

Exclusions: Lots of good names left off this list. Just a few: Angelo Cataldi, Al Morganti, Rhea Hughes, Jon Marks, Sean Brace, Brian Westbrook, the Eskins, Michael Barkann, Anthony Gargano. A Jon-Sean show was a consideration for a lower cost mid-day show. Spike Eskin, in some scenarios, would’ve made for a good late-night host. Gargano is paid like a morning host, but I like him better in afternoons. In this lineup, however, there was no place for him. And Angelo Cataldi is likely nearing the end of his run anyway. I genuinely think that, along with Missanelli, he’s still the biggest name and influential voice. But going with the cheaper alternative in the mornings as opposed to WIP’s show allows for much more flexibility later in the day.

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Jim’s lineup:

We’ll rank the best reader submissions over the weekend.