The "Z" wants to dodge jail

So new?

What Andrew Zapada really wants is to be a great big deal with a phone number income and an entourage any rap star would envy. He wants to own clubs, restaurants and maybe a strip club. A very upscale strip club, sort of like the Bada Bing! only better.

What he's got is a flattened bank account, a whole slew of debts and a brand new cell mate - Pookie.

How's he even paying his lawyer?

I agree with Fred, but I have seen others like him and for some reason they don't split town. It's as if they have to prove their delusions were right. I think he is pathological liar. I have said this before. I have met a few in the area. They act exactly like him. Exactly.

One of the saddest parts about the delusions of Andrew Z is that he still thinks he can find a place to broadcast in Toledo. Cumulus and Clear Channel own all the stations of any commercial value, and the only stations they do not own are the small-wattage independents owned by religious groups or the ones so far in the country as to be too distant for most listeners in this Arbitron Radio Metro to pick up.

He can horse around with trying to broadcast via the Internet, but in some ways the Internet competition is even more competitive than local radio, since almost any schmuck with a PC and free software like SHOUTcast or Helix can create a "station." Getting ad revenue is the difficult part, and since I am sure that Andrew Z wants to make a living, I cannot see how he will succeed that way.

Agreed with Fred: Andrew Z should pack up and move 2000 miles away to a new market where people are less familiar with his shennanigans. Also: some humility and accepting responsibility for his roles in the various clusterf**ks he got himself into would go a long way toward getting people to give him a third chance.

Or would this be the fourth chance, or the fifth chance? I am confused.

Agred with Molsonator about Andrew Z's character issues and/or personality flaws: the dude seemingly cannot acknowledge that Andrew Z is the person primarily responsible for his screwed up life. It is always the fault of the courts, or the prosecutor, or the landlord, or haters, or Big Bad Corporate Radio, but never, ever is it the fault of Andrew Zepeda.

It's a huge ego boost to know that people like you, follow you, and enjoy your work but if you let that cloud your judgement you get knocked down hard each time. Everyone in radio has an ego. Hell we think people want to hear what we have to say, and in some cases they do. But if you think you can't be replaced by the next guy you are sadly mistaken I've seen it happen to lots of people over the years...

You and me both. And I've had more than my share of fun and earned a really nice living from radio for 20+ years.

But when it comes right down to it: Radio = standing in a room and talking to yourself out loud. If you can be entertaining and informative while developing parasocial relationships with your listeners while doing it, you will do well.

Radio used to have all kinds of characters--borderline criminals, small-time psychos, etc.--in its ranks. Now, with corporate ownership, background checks, and just plain old googling someone, I fail to see how Andrew Z gets another high-profile gig for a while in any market outside of Podunk.

He really has F@#ked himself (with a capital "F")...

Dunno about that one, OHT. We've seen these so-called personalities hop from job to job, market to market. It seems to be part of the business model these days. Can't figure it out, myself.

They call it the "morning zoo" for a reason -- because too many of the "personalities" (HA!) are animals that should be kept in a cage and have a sign up in front of them saying "DO NOT FEED THE MONKEYS. WARNING! MONKEYS MAY FLING POO!"

That made me laugh at loud AC after reading some of your posts over the years.

^^^
I'd give 50 bucks for this to be a TPS graduate calling a WSPD host a monkey. LOL. Dam racist AC. :)

Yeah, and next, I'll get my own LLLLLLLLLLLLLLiberal talk show on WSPD so they can then call themselves "Fair and Balanced".

Sorry, no.

Need to share this one though:

Sadly, though, it's true. Too many radio hosts are people paid to troll, or paid FOR their trolling.

@AC liberal talk shows have been tried on radio, they aren't working now, and did not in the past, Air America is a great example. MSNBC shows which feature liberal hosts routinely fare worse in the ratings than even Jon Stewart who even beats one or two FOX shows.
I am not aware of any radio hosts paid to troll. If you have information that proves me wrong I'd love to see it. I post here and on SB because it lets me kill a few minutes a day poking the bear. There's seems to be very little real discussion going on most days because so often you get to name calling before the end or your point. Your reference to morning zoos (which is an 80's radio term) is just one example.
As for trolling to get a reaction it apparently works as many of your reactions seems to be over the top. It's funny though that it took Maddow 13 minutes to explain to her Liberal audience what trolling is, and that anyone who doesn't agree with her is a troll when they post or tweet.

I get how and why shows Fred's work. Every morning you get Fred. You get whatever issues Fred brings with him that morning.

You may like Fred. You may agree with Fred. But you know you're getting Fred and some occasional banter with his producer.

Who the hell wants to listen to half a dozen people offer inane opinions on inane issues? I can't stand Bob and Tom. I can't stand any of those shows that feature multiple on air people.

I like Mark Benson and classic rock. But that concept is as old as a dinosaur.

I meant shows LIKE Fred's. . .

Well you're right about the show. It's just me for the most part and some Don and Adam thrown in. The callers make the show though and are more than welcome, in fact people who disagree go to the top of the phone line 'cause they make the show more interesting.

i've started listening to 92.5's morning zoo thing
it's pretty ridiculous, with some pretty odd characters.

i like that it's local and for whatever reason during my short commute it's mostly ad free.

I have started listening to PBS/NPR WGTE Radio in the morning and some during the day when I am in the car. I like the stories they report on and how in depth they are. They are often very slanted left but I can get over that aspect of it.

Truth shouldn't have ANY bias.

Bias implies something other than absolute truth, period.

Having worked at both WSPD and WGTE (albeit only briefly at WGTE) I could tell you which one has more bias in one direction or the other, having seen both first hand...

...but it sounds to me like you have your mind made up, so I'll save my breath.

I believe today is the day he starts paying for his failures.

Will he appear on one of those online databases for his stay in jail?

This mugshot of Andrew Z is just itching to become a meme:

Pretty in orange.

WTOL reporting that he is in jail tonight

Oh look, Zipperhead can update his facebook profile pic!

Only a dumbass would think to smile in his mugshot photo, just to show how delusional he is, thinking he can use it in his future radio gig advertising LOL

Former Star 105 morning host Andrew Zepeda got out of jail Wednesday after an appeals court granted his release.

Zepeda, 43, of Perrysburg, was serving 30 days in the Wood County jail following his conviction for theft, complicity to breaking and entering, and failure to remit sales tax. The Sixth District Court of Appeals granted his request to postpone his jail sentence pending the outcome of an appeal of his case. He was ordered released on his own recognizance.

At his sentencing in December, Wood County Common Pleas Judge Alan Mayberry said Zepeda could apply for work release while serving his jail time, but he was fired Dec. 26 by Cumulus Media Inc. He reported to jail Jan. 21.

http://www.toledoblade.com/Courts/2013/01/31/Zepeda-out-of-jail-after-appeals-court-grants-release.html

Just walks a little funny right now.

I figured ten days.

Doesn't appear to be an outright release...just a pause until the appeals court hears his case.

His lawyer must love him racking up the appeals bills over a jail sentence that was handed down entirely because of Z's overwhelming idiocy.

He's just a whole ball of awesome.

Lots of people smile in mugshots. John Gotti, Tom DeLay, John Edwards...James Brown, kind of...

It was gas.

You figured right, Molsonator. Unbelievable. Somebody's gotta tell this guy what "punitive" really means. One suspects that a judge is supposed to do that.

Comment on AZ's Facebook (He is mocking a Facebook post by Charlene Kunst) as to why he was in jail...

Andrew Z Zepeda (says) I agree with Charlene Kunst; How dare him show up and box and a charity boxing match!!!! And then get thrown in jail for it!! which the appeals court stepped in and said the judge may have over stepped his bounds and put the sentence on hold so they could look at the case because he was there as a performer not hanging out partying and drinking but helping inner city kids...what an A hole that guy is!!!!! (yet another mis informed person who looks at headlines and doesn't ready the whole story of what happened...way too many people just like her populating this earth...scary!!!!)

So in his eyes he did nothing and the judge over stepped his bounds...um how?

My problem isn't with the fact that Zepeda went to the boxing event, it's that he knew he needed permission to do so and purposely did NOT get the permission. Judge Mayberry is notoriously strict, but I don't see this as an example of that. I have no sympathy for the guy just because it was for charity. He or his attorney needed to make one phone call to find out if the judge would allow the appearance and they didn't bother. Even if the Court of Appeals cuts him yet another break, he had better tow the hell out of the line for the rest of the program.

Best part? Had he let sleeping dogs lie, suck it up and did his time when he was INSTRUCTED to, he'd be out in a week and done by now.

But nooooooooooooo, Zipperhead KNOWS better, huh?

LOL dolt....

At least now that he is out of jail he can watch the Super Bowl, eat some chicken wings and have a few beers.....errrrr...pops.

Lol

http://www.toledofreepress.com/2013/02/21/andrew-z-relaunches-radio-show-via-smartphone-app/

“It’s funny because it drives people who don’t listen to the show crazy,” Zepeda said. “They’re like, “Why do they keep supporting this guy?’ I think if you don’t listen to the show, you don’t get it. You either get it or you don’t.

Are we placing bets on when he gets busted for not paying ASCAP/BMI/SESAC/SoundExchange royalties? Unless he's talking for 3 hours straight and who wants to listen to that?

Count me in the "don't get it" pile. Sorry, Z...

The way Andrew Z has sunk to this new career low reminds me of the scene in This Is Spinal Tap when the band is reduced to playing at an air force base officer's ball.

“It’s when they first wake up and it’s usually just you and them in the car." Not in a sub compact it's not!

Will he do weather, news and traffic? How much is a 30 second spot? 10 cents? Its just sad now.

Lt. Hookstratten: May I start by saying how thrilled we are to have you here. We are such fans of your music and all of your records. I'm not speaking of yours personally, but the whole genre of the rock and roll.

Then the band's speaker system picks up radio signals from a fighter plane or something. Priceless!

seriously?

http://www.toledofreepress.com/2013/02/28/andrew-z-plans-to-ignore-cease-and-desist-notice-from-cumulus/

IMHO he (his lawyer) has a decent chance prevailing on this one

Noncompete agreement are just about worthless. They can't say you're not allowed to make aliving and it's not like he quite Cumulus to go worth for CC or anything. Besides, AZ's radio "show" should hardly be considered competion. It makes Cumulus look petty.

I agree. Verrrrry little chance of Cum-u-less winning this one.

"Noncompete agreement are just about worthless." - Not in this case SensorG. The issue here, however, is whether he is defined as local. Which raises a interesting issue that maybe Fred or oldhometown can address, which is the music he plays and the commercials he brodcasts....there are pretty strict rules on this.

My guess is cumulus is trying to win anything. They are just making a point.

As much as it pains me to say it, Z is most likely in no trouble here. It is an overreach on the part of Cumulus--which terminated him...he didn't walk out on them. That should be his first argument.

You fire me (meaning I'm worthless to you)...but I can't work again unless your lawyers sign off that I'm not "competing"??? Fuck you.

The only radio non-competes I've seen hold up are agreements with severance/money attached to them (i.e. we fired you or took you off-air, but your still getting paid the amount of your contract for the next 6 months or one year). That's tough to break as long as you're accepting money from your old employer while trying to work for a new employer. That isn't the case here.

i feel like this is all a ploy to get us to listen to his "radio show" to "find out more"

yep.

The issue here, however, is whether he is defined as local. Which raises a interesting issue that maybe Fred or oldhometown can address, which is the music he plays and the commercials he brodcasts....there are pretty strict rules on this.

If a judge grants Cumulus' motion, that means Z could move to frickin' London, Jarkarta, or Fiji and still be considered "local" because his show is accessible in Toledo. This is more than a "local" non-compete...the logical extension is he can't work anywhere and that's wrong.

What is he supposed to do--take up welding until the non-compete runs out? From a group that fired him. I would give him the advice to get a better lawyer to take the frickin' non-compete either out or more equitable next time...

He's on a different platform, no different than any other podcaster. Different rules and different business than terrestrial radio. Will it also be "competitive" behavior on his part if he starts letting explatives fly--something Cumulus can't compete with because of indecency/obscenity restrictions for terrestrial broadcasters? What if he was picked up by SiriusXM (holy shit, now we're really in fantasyland, but stay with me)? That's available in Toledo--is he now in violation of his non-compete?

What about his local spots? Is it a violation if an advertiser continues on Cumulus and buys time on the podcast, or only if they decide to support Z on his podcast? What if Z's client was never a client of Cumulus--did he steal a "potential" client away?

The whole thing is a can of worms that I don't think Cumulus really wants to mess with--they just want to mess with him. What if Z can show the majority of his downloads come from somewhere else (not the Toledo area) because people in Lima (different market) like him? Does that now mean he's not local? The list of arguments is endless.

Better for Cumulus to quit wasting resources chasing someone who is rather inconsequential (except here on Toledo Talk where we follow his every move like baracles, apparently)

While Andrew Z is definitely playing the symnpathy card here for its PR value, I agree with oldhometown that the Cumulus admins are acting like a-holes toward Zepeda. I can see zero chance of this succeeding unless Andrew Z signed a non-compete with unusually restrictive language (admittedly a distinct possibility given his legal troubles at the time he inked a deal with Cumulus).

Also, the cease-and-desist may only be a formality, and Cumulus may have no intention of actually taking this to court. Given Zepeda's efforts to yank their chains in the past few months, they might be acting this way just to jack with him. It is possible that a lower-level corporate legal person fired off a letter with copy-pasta boilerplate, and that a sensible upper-level type (at least sensible in terms of potential legal expenses) might veto an actual lawsuit.

Heck: the cease-and-desist may have cost only the postage plus the time it takes an intern to stuff an envelope with a customized form letter. I might just send a cease-and-desist letter to my idiot neighbor with the blaring car stereo going as I type this comment.

He would probably make a better welder than a DJ anyways.

Let him sit in his basement and do his little gig. Half of the people who follow him probably don't know what a smart phone is, hence the reason they drink the Kool_Aid.

How can he afford the lawyer for this?

http://www.toledoblade.com/Courts/2013/03/05/Radio-host-Andrew-Z-sues-ex-employer.html

I doubt he gets paid, according to the Toledo City Paper, he is the most popular lawyer....and of course he dabbles as a bar owner on the side

Since I try to avoid Blade links nowadays, here's another one that you can access anytime and as many times as you wish:

http://mediaconfidential.blogspot.com/2013/03/toledo-radio-andrew-z-sues-cumulus.html

I thought this was interesting:

[Zepeda] also is seeking in excess of $250,000 for compensation he claims is owed to him from the remainder of the three-year employment agreement he signed with Cumulus on May 1, 2012.

Z was getting $100,000 a year for that "show"? Really?

No way. Maybe he was getting a % of his own sales and he estimated that into it....or else he is lying....although that would be out of character.

If he was making that much, he would not of resorted to the begging of money video from his listeners to pay off his non-compete clause

Well...a little more info:

Inside Radio: Toledo host challenges noncompete

Zepeda was fired last December 26th, five days before he was to see his annual salary bumped up from $85,000 per year to $125,000. Harvey says WWWM also did not pay the required 12-weeks severance under his employment contract.

Twelve weeks?! Holy shit I'm in the wrong line of work!

Remember, he had a non-compete (allegedly). Significant severance is a fairly standard request when a non-compete is involved. Hey, if you want to fire me/get me out of the building/not see my face...OK. But there's no way I'm signing a document that says I can't work in my area of expertise for XX months without a significant payoff should that occur.

Without a noncompete, 12 weeks severance is ridiculous. He'd be lucky to get two nickels. With it...well, at least he should have got 12 weeks of paychecks.

I'm wondering if his contract had a morals clause--and going to jail violated that clause and broke his contract, therefore Cumulus feels like they don't have to pay him. That's the only way I can see him not getting the severance if his contract called for it.

I have not seen a radio contract yet that doesn't include some form or morals clause especially for a high profile morning show host. I've always had one in mine along with a non compete which over the years has come to include internet, streaming, smart phones etc etc. Any form of broadcasting which takes listeners from the terrestrial station is business that hurts that station.