Ryan Seacrest to be new host of American Top 40

[Edf85]

source: radio-info.com message boards

Hewill end his Afternoon Drive on Star 98.7 at the end of the year and be the new host of American Top 40 Countdown beginning 2004.

It's also on laradio.com

[mst3k]

No more Casey Kasem? I admit, I like Ryan as a guest host, and was thinking he would make a good replacement for Casey when the great one finally retired, but I never thought it would be this soon...

What's funny, is that the last time Casey took a week off, Ed McMann guested on AT40 instead of Ryan.

[Rob64]

nooooo... that's horrible. I've been listening to casey for YEARS! >:( "I'm Casey Kasem"

[irice22]

I can't stand Casey Kasem! His voice is so obnoxious! It just doesn't seem fit for radio, and I don't care how long he has been on.

[tico]

If Ryan Seacrest is named host to AT40 and/or AT20, that'll be the day I stop listening to either show. I didn't think he was that great on Star 98.7 so I don't see him doing any better on AT40/20.

[krazymack]

I love Casey, he is the best countdown show host ever!!!!!!! He has become my favorite person ever in the entertainment industry. I had the pleasure of speaking to him. He is such a lovely guy, very warm and cordial guy. I have a personalized autograph picture of him in my room and the whole nine.

I will be so sad when he retires off of AT40. I'd probably cry - and no, I'm not exaggerating or overreacting or anything. :'( I will truly miss him dearly.

Ryan Seacrest is good. But I just grown up on Casey, it'll just be so very sad to see him go. I am feeling kind of choked up typing this post.

[reception]

Ed McMann is hosting AT40 this weekend.

[BillboardBoy]

I'm sure it's just a rumor. These stupid web sites don't have any real news so they make stuff up. If it was real, then every news source would be reporting it, especially R&R and Billboard.

[chebingeo]

I REALLY hope this is not true!!!

I don't want Casey to retire!!!

[Cerebro]

BillboardBoy said:

I'm sure it's just a rumor. These stupid web sites don't have any real news so they make stuff up. If it was real, then every news source would be reporting it, especially R&R and Billboard.

I concur. As far as I'm concerned, it isn't news unless the industry big guns say it is.

We all know Casey will retire someday. I'd like to hope that "someday" won't be this soon.

[jdanton2]

casey kasem is in his 70's .maybe he is being pushed out .i dont know .i have listened to him for years myself and would be sad to see him go .i like ryan secrest better than ed mcmann so he is agood choice . i am a big fan of american idol as well so he may have plenty former idol singers as well as future ones to look foward to in his weekly countdowns.

[af18c]

Ive been listening to Casey since i was 5!! I hope he doesnt leave!

[BillboardBoy]

casey kasem is in his 70's .maybe he is being pushed out .i dont know .i have listened to him for years myself and would be sad to see him go .i like ryan secrest better than ed mcmann so he is agood choice . i am a big fan of american idol as well so he may have plenty former idol singers as well as future ones to look foward to in his weekly countdowns.

Hopefully, people realize that Casey IS the show. If someone replaces him, it won't do nearly as well. And besides, even if he is in his 70s, he still sounds the same as he did 10 years ago. Dick Clark is older and he's still doing a countdown show. And Bob Barker is in his 80s and he's still doing TV!

[Rob64]

I don't like Ed Mcmann at all.

[codenut]

irice22 said:

I can't stand Casey Kasem! His voice is so obnoxious! It just doesn't seem fit for radio, and I don't care how long he has been on.

Apparently your too young to remember the legacy of Casey Kasem.

He's a radio broadcaster legand......and I don't think anyone can replace him. Maybe they are preparing for the future without Casey (since he is in the 70's.....but in good but not the best health)

[Rob64]

codenut said:

Apparently your too young to remember the legacy of Casey Kasem.

He's a radio broadcaster legand......and I don't think anyone can replace him. Maybe they are preparing for the future without Casey (since he is in the 70's.....but in good but not the best health)

I know, I didn't understand irice22's comment either. But it's all good... irice22 is cool because he loves "Powerless"! LOL!

[EvanJ]

I made a long post on radio-info about Clear Channel being more popular in the ratings in New York City, Nassau-Suffolk, Middlesex-Somerset-Union, and Morristown than in Los Angeles, so why are the Clear Channel Los Angeles DJs (Rick Dees and Ryan Seacrest) more famous? If Ryan hosts American Top 40 will he still be an employee of Clear Channel? Would Clear Channel want to have employees doing both of the countdowns? Ryan is closer in age to the CHR-Pop demo than Casey, but Ryan could be considered too young for American Top 20 Adult Contemporary.
If they get rid of Casey, who, if anybody in the industry, would hire him?
On radio-info they said his real name is Kamal and discussed when he cursed over the long distance dedication.

[Rob64]

EvanJ said:

If they get rid of Casey, who, if anybody in the industry, would hire him?

I don't think he'll go out and get another job. He'll probably just retire. Afterall, he is in his 70's. I didn't understand the rest of EvanJ's message, even though I read it twice. I always have to read your messages a few times over to understand them! LOL! Is it just me? ;)

Casey is arabic

[irice22]

codenut said:

Apparently your too young to remember the legacy of Casey Kasem.

He's a radio broadcaster legand......and I don't think anyone can replace him. Maybe they are preparing for the future without Casey (since he is in the 70's.....but in good but not the best health)

No no, believe me I understand the legend! My dad really likes him! I think Casey Kasem is like "Stairway to Heaven," overrated because it's been around. I never got to hear him talk back in then old days, clearly, but if he talks anything like he does now I do not understand why he's in the business.

[mst3k]

EvanJ said:

I made a long post on radio-info about Clear Channel being more popular in the ratings in New York City, Nassau-Suffolk, Middlesex-Somerset-Union, and Morristown than in Los Angeles, so why are the Clear Channel Los Angeles DJs (Rick Dees and Ryan Seacrest) more famous?

Well, Ryan Seacrest's fame may be due to a little show on the telly called American Idol... but that's just my theory.

[GordonUM]

While still not confirming it, R&R is reporting this speculation as the lead story on their site:

Ryan Seacrest Set To Count 'Em Down?

Although Premiere Radio Networks representatives had no comment to R&R late Friday, there's rampant speculation that the Clear Channel-owned syndicator will announce today that the KYSR/Los Angeles afternoon host will replace Casey Kasem as host of American Top 40, beginning in January. AT40 will be based at new studios in Hollywood, CA, along with his forthcoming syndicated daytime TV program. Add to that his American Idol hosting duties, which resume in January, and R&R hears that Seacrest will have to relinquish his KYSR duties to accomodate his busy schedule. AT40 has been syndicated by Premiere and predecesor AMFM Networks since spring 1998, when Kasem returned to host the show he helmed from 1970-88.

[620 Soul Train]

chebingeo said:

I REALLY hope this is not true!!!

I don't want Casey to retire!!!

Ditto! If he does I may not listen to AT40 for life!

[EvanJ]

Arbitron provides ratings for dayparts, but are any ratings made for specific four hour periods? Is there any record of the ratings for American Top 40 in each market so that the American Top 40 people know how its doing?
Estimate the average age of American Top 40 listeners now, Rick Dees listeners now, and American Top 40 listeners if the younger, cooler, Ryan hosted. If the public is like you people, American Top 40 would go down ages 25-54 with Ryan hosting.
I liked the game show for kids "Click" that Ryan hosted. Has anybody else seen it? I also watched "Scooby-Doo" that Casey did.

[mst3k]

EvanJ said:

I liked the game show for kids "Click" that Ryan hosted. Has anybody else seen it? I also watched "Scooby-Doo" that Casey did.

Scrappy-Doo sucked, though.

[EvanJ]

R and R says Ryan will take over American Top 40 and Casey will continue both American Top 20s.

[Rob64]

noooooooooooooooo >:( seriously >:(

[Matt4319]

I actually don't mind this. I think Casey's great and all, but in recent years, I don't listen to AT40 enough that I'd have a kneejerk negative reaction to not hearing him anymore. Seacrest seemed to be a competent host when I heard him the one time I did.

My guess is the 2003 year-end show will be Casey's last countdown. Which would make "When I'm Gone" the last song he counted down on AT40 if that's correct. Fine with me!

[GordonUM]

Rob64 said:

noooooooooooooooo >:( seriously >:(

My thoughts exactly. R&R's full news item today:

It's Official: Casey Kasem Off American Top 40

However, he'll still be counting down the hits for Premiere Radio Networks, as the veteran countdown announcer signs a new long-term contract with Premiere that keeps him on as host of American Top 20. Kasem will host both the Hot AC and AC versions of AT20, but his new deal does not include the long-running American Top 40 program. As R&R reported yesterday, KYSR/Los Angeles afternoon host Ryan Seacrest is expected to be named as AT40's new host. In a release issued by Premiere, Kasem said, "I've been working with Premiere over the last several months to find a way for me to be with my audience in every market in the nation without having to compete with myself by being on both CHR stations with American Top 40 and AC stations with American Top 20. With this new contract, I'll be counting down the hits for my listeners into the next decade." Terms of Casem's new deal with Premiere were not disclosed.

Now how exactly is doing two completely different countdowns for different formats competing with yourself? Is Clear Channel competing with themselves by owning CHR and AC stations in the same market? Of course not. They're offering different things to different audiences. And didn't Premiere already have a dumb rule that there could only be one of Casey's shows running on any station in a particular market?

I think Casey's definitely being pushed out for someone younger. But he's probably getting a pretty sweet deal for continuing the other shows, so he probably can't complain. It looks like the people this hurts the worst is us hardcore fans. Premiere gets a big name who can attract a younger audience for their CHR/Pop show while hanging onto another of their big names for AC shows. Casey may have some mixed feelings about leaving a show that he created and has been doing in some form for 33 years, but if he's not retiring completely, he must be getting a big paycheck in his new contract.

It's sad to see an era end like this. I'm sure most people here would say that Casey was the one who brought them into following the charts. Hearing Casey announce a hit just makes it official for me, in a way no one else can. I knew he'd be retiring eventually, and I had a feeling that either Carson Daly or Ryan Seacrest would replace him, but I wasn't expecting anything this soon. I haven't heard any of Ryan's guest hosting work, but I hope the show will keep up the high standards we're used to.

To close, sorry to be obvious but I gotta say it, keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars.

[Hervard]

I read on another message board that, as of January 10, 2004, AT40 will no longer use the R&R chart as a basis. It will determine the chart by the favorite songs of the audience (apparently there will be a website where you can vote for your favorite songs). Even though they said this is a technology no other countdown show has used before, that's not exactly true. I remember that during its last few years, "Rockin' America Top 30 Countdown with Scott Shannon" was a request countdown, too. Now, since the Internet was non-existant back in 1990 (the year the switch was made from R&R to all request) they apparently didn't vote that way - RA had a toll free number you could call. So, yes, this may be the first countdown to use an Internet voting system, but not the first time a countdown show was based on votes. I believe Adam Curry did a Top 40 countdown that was based on votes, since the now defunct countdown didn't seem to be based on any publication's chart.
Anyway, the new AT40 should be very interesting. I just might go to the late church service on January 11 to check it out!

[mst3k]

Here's the official news from Premiere's site:

Premiere Radio Networks Names Ryan Seacrest New Host of
American Top 40
LOS ANGELES, December 9, 2003 - On January 10 and 11, 2004, Ryan Seacrest will debut as the new host of American Top 40. He will continue the tradition of counting down the 40 biggest songs in the country, but the show will also employ new technology no countdown show has ever used before. It will focus on the interactive quality of American Top 40's website, letting the audience vote for their favorite songs, enter contests for concert flyaways, and communicate directly with Seacrest. Radio stations nationwide will access the show via satellite or the Internet, insuring the most up to the minute music chart information.

Premiere Radio Networks' President/COO Kraig Kitchin stated, "It takes a great talent to measure up to the standard that Casey Kasem has set. Ryan brings a vibrancy and a consumer connection to this program, the likes of which our industry has not seen in a long, long time. Premiere has lots of innovation in store for American Top 40."

American Top 40 will originate from Seacrest's glass studio at Hollywood and Highland where he will also do his new live daily TV show "On Air with Ryan Seacrest" beginning Jan. 12, affording him the opportunity to feature his TV guests and music artists on the radio program.

"Casey is one of America's greatest broadcasters. It is an honor to take over a show that I have been a fan of for so many years. The synergy between 'On Air with Ryan Seacrest' and American Top 40 will allow us to broadcast radio's most current interactive chart and check in with Hollywood's biggest stars."

If they're dropping the official R&R/Mediabase chart for some sort of interactive/request format, I'm done listening. To me, that's just tarnishing the AT40 name by not using a "real" chart.

Any chance of somebody else starting up a countdown show using the R&R top 40? (I don't count Rick Dees, as he's proven unreliable in that regard.)

Hmmm... wonder what will air the weekend of January 3-4? Some sort of retrospective to allow Casey to say goodbye to his pop listeners? ???