ESPN West Palm is making changes and their midday show, LaVicka, Theo & Stone will be coming to an end. Hosts Ken LaVicka and Theo Dorsey talked about the end of their run and also gave the indication both will remain with station owner Good Karma Brands.
“Let’s get right to it…In advance, I apologize for blindsiding you with what is about to be announced,” LaVicka said. “A decision has been made here at ESPN West Palm…a bit of a restructuring is the best way to put it. And we were notified yesterday that today, in fact 20 minutes from now, LaVicka, Theo and Stone, this little thing that we have cobbled together is coming to a conclusion today and by conclusion, I mean that’s it. There’s no more radio show. You no longer have this at noon, we no longer have this at noon…today is the last LaVicka, Theo and Stone“
LaVicka thanked his partner and talked about how he had grown from an occasional fill-in to a regular participant and then to a permanent co-host on the show and said he looks forward to continuing to watch Dorsey grow as in the business.
“The show is over, the show is done,” LaVicka said. “I have heard that Theo is going to have his own entity, his own on-air situation coming up, but we don’t know enough about that yet to really talk about it. I don’t want to put Theo in that spot because I don’t think he knows enough about it yet. So one, congratulations. Two, you’re going to crush it. And three I am going to listen to it every damn day.”
Dorsey replied, “Hope your phone line is still open, because I’ll be calling you and leaning on you. But I appreciate it and yes, when the details about that do come up and the proper timing is there, we will be discussing that.”
LaVicka added, “So, I hate to do this to all of you, but there’s a part two to this as well. Not only is the show over, but as part of this restructuring here at ESPN West Palm, this is in all likelihood, the last time you’re ever going to hear me live on ESPN 106.3.”
Then as LaVicka continued, he began to talk about a very unconventional ending to his time at the station. “I came here in 2007 and as we speak right now, it appears as if it’s a wrap for me here. I want to be clear about this, yes this is a management decision here at ESPN 106.3. But this is not a layoff, this is not me being fired and honestly, it’s not even a separation.
“…I will be exiting the station, but instead of being given a pink slip or being booted out the door, which is what always happens in this radio industry GKB, the parent company of ESPN West Palm is going to help me to my next opportunity. This for me is bittersweet because this is all I’ve really known professionally…I’ve spent 17 years here at ESPN 106.3 and today’s it, I’m done.
“You may occasionally hear me in a recorded capacity doing something the next couple of weeks, but I’m out. So, what’s going to happen next? I don’t know…But I guess what I’m trying to say is this is my chance to reach that next rung while I’m still enough in my prime and still have the energy to pursue this. I don’t know what that means, I don’t know what my ceiling is. I do know that I have been assured that the folks at Good Karma Brands are going to help get me to that point where I can discover what that ceiling is.”
LaVicka went as far as to say that he will be compensated by the company “for however long it takes to reach that.” However, as far as what, exactly, he will be doing is very much undecided, although he did tell the listeners he will be continuing as the play-by-play voice for Florida Atlantic University.
“I don’t know what that next step is going to be,” he said.” “I don’t know if that is going to be as a sports talk radio host. I don’t know if it is going to be as a play-by-play man. I don’t know if it’s going to be in a digital capacity where I’m in front of a camera or a combination of all of those things…This is scary for me because there’s a lot of unknown…So I suppose this is goodbye for me here at ESPN 106.3.”
