Afternoon drive DJ Maxwell and WMMS have parted ways.
Benjamin “Maxwell” Bornstein has hosted the shift since 2004. His contract was set to expire in 2010, but relations turned sour over the past year. The Clear Channel station placed Maxwell on probation in April, after the DJ’s prank announcement that Metallica would play a show in the WMMS parking lot. The Maxwell Show was No. 1 in Arbitron’s spring figures for the ages 18-34 audience.
Since then, the over-sharing talk jock has told listeners that ongoing negotiations for contract renewal have been going poorly. Monday, Maxwell was gone, as was co-host Dan Stansbury, who also served as the station’s music director.
“No agreement could be reached with the [Maxwell] show,” wrote program director Bo Matthews in a Twitter post. “We really tried. No secrets. He has talked about it. The process played out.”
Maxwell, Matthews and Stansbury didn’t return Scene’s calls.
For now, WMMS is filling the slot with the Dumb & Charlie Experiment, a feature-length extension of a regular bit from the station’s morning drive show Rover’s Morning Glory. (After years of feuding with Maxwell, Shane “Rover” French signed with ’MMS in April 2008.) “These guys are trying out,” explained Matthews in another tweet. And in another, he wrote, “I didn’t care for the MWL talk either. They are moving on and going to TRY and do a show.” — D.X. Ferris
This article appears in Nov 18-24, 2009.
Hands down, the best thing going in Cleveland. But that’s just it, GOING! Just like CC, Cliff, and Victor before them, Maxwell, Stansbury, and Chunk will be superstars in another city. Why is it that Cleveland has to be every other city’s FARM SYSTEM?? Oh, and by the way, enjoy LeBron this season because he’s the next to go…..AND PUNT!!!!!!!
GOOD BORNING.WMMS SHOULD OF SENT ROVER PACKING AND PAID MAXWELL WHAT HE WANTED AND PUT HIM ON IN A.M.BY FAR MAXWELL’S SHOW WAS 100 TIMES BETTER. ROVER IS JUST A HOWARD STERN WANNA BE. JUST PAY THE 14 DOLLARS A MONTH AND GET THE REAL THING. AND REALLY, GET THESE TWO RETARDS OFF HIS TIMW SLOT.I THINK I WOULD RATHER LISTEN TO POLKA MUSIC, THEN THESE TWO SIMPLETONS
The Maxwell show was something different. They were who they were and never feed us any “bs” and we were never wondering if it was an act or not. They weren’t the stereotypical morning/ afternoon show. They made me laugh all the time. Once again Cleveland losing something great.
I will miss the Maxwell Show tremendously!!!!
I’m sureThe Maxwell Show will be back one way or another!! I looked foreward to the show, I’d find myself taking thelong way home from work or where ever to hear more!! Best show ever!!! BBD’s all around for the wmms executives!!
good riddance. ive been sick to death of maxwell for some time. his show lost it about 3 years ago. i went to the wmms parking lot the day he said metallica was playing there. i have never been more mad in my life. good thing theydidnt come outside cause i was calling for all of there heads!!! chunck was a terrible co-host. dan was the only one with a little bit of talent. not that dumb and charlie are any better.
I looked forward to their show in the afternoon. Maxwell has been such a kind, warm-hearted husband and father. I found it refreshing not to hear a-holes talk about women like pieces of meat like they do on rover’s show. Chunk was really funny and I liked her perspective on things. They needed LESS commercial breaks!!! I would sit in my driveway after I got home to hear more of the show. I found it very entertaining. I would love to have them back on some cleveland station.. but WMMS doesn’t deserve to have them back.
I had been listening to the MWL show since it started in 2004. It made the afternoon ride so much better. By far the best talk-radio show out there. Maxwell and Dan made a pretty funny show together that you could relate to most of the time. Rated number one time and time again, and Clear channel sent them packing. Good Business move. Now its a program of idiots with RMG and especially now with Dumb and Charlie having the experiment, I have no reason to listen until after 7. Cleveland loses some more great talent.
i have been listening to the Maxwell Show from the very beginning and would barely miss a show. I got an opportunity to work on the sales staff for about a year and formed a good friendship with those guys (even Krackerman! haha) Even after i left the station I still thought they were the best in town by far…HUGE mistake by The Captain and everyone else for not giving them what they wanted. If I see you around town Dan I’ll buy you a beer! Since I can’t stand RMG i don’t have a reason to listen to this station anymore so PEACE!!
Bye Bye WMMS, you lost a listener.
WMMS, you’re losing listeners FAST! Bring back The Maxwell Show and do it now or your station will flop and go under. i mean it!!
MAXWELLS ego got the best of him!!! He was finally sober, had a nice house in the burbs,
and had a family. So even if he signed for a little more he could have stayed at WMMS for years
HE WAS WAY TOO GREEDY !!!!!. On the stations defense I am sure it was hard to put their
trust in a guy who could relapse at any time costing the station and sponsors TONS of money.
Oh well MAXWELL “LIVE LONG AND PROSPER ” (MR. Spock)
I will miss the MWL show……..WMMS is a shell of what it once was.
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clear channel sucks plain and simple. I hope their billboards quit on them too.
MMS just lost a listener……..Maxwell made the drive home everyday go by a lot quicker. Clear Channel SUCKS!!!!!!
I hope they get on a competing station. I will listen every day as before. You can take the collective IQ’s from Rover’s show and they couldn’t get to room temp on a cold day. They suck, that is why I don’t listen in the morning anymore. Charlie???? What a joke.
If anyone finds out where Maxwell and crew go, please post it.
Does anyone know where Maxwell Show and crew will be going? I want to listen to that station. Screw MMS and Rover, tired of MMS kissing Rover’s ass anyways.
I am not so sure this Maxwell story that is floating around is fully legit. I was watching the webcam of the Alan Cox show today (first day) and during the 6:00 hour commercial break Chunk gets up and walks out of the studio from the lower left hand corner of the screen. She seems to be sitting just our of view from the camera but during the break she gets up and leaves for a few minutes before coming back. Watch the webcam and see for yourself (she doesn’t leave for all breaks).
Not only that, but during the same break Maxwell walks in and talks to Alan Cox for a few minutes and shakes his hand and leaves. I also saw him in the booth a couple of times (not the other fat guy).
If he was fired, then why is he still hanging around the studio, especially after 3 weeks. No Stansbury sighting.
Did anyone else see this?
No other station in Cleveland has a place for him, let alone the money. He was likely back at the station trying to mend some fences. WMMS made a legitimate offer ($100,000+ for a 4 hour work day!!!). I would guess to say that WMMS will take him back. Of course once he hits the airwaves again, he will likely try to play the whole thing off like it was all a gag. Most will believe him…the 18-34 demographic of course. I have a feeling Stansbury was “standing by his man” which is why he too was canned. I quit listening when Max and Dan ripped Chunk for not wanting a camera aimed at her crotch. Thats when listeners should have realized that Dumb and Dumber only cared about themselves. This show is a perfect example of what is wrong society. A recovering drug addict/egomaniac and a manw*ore/stoner with a top ranked radio show. Good riddance for now…hopefully forever.
669’s Sweetass Sassafrass on WMMS 2010!
They should hire gilly back while they’re at it. Fuck clear chattel anyhow
Does anyone know where Maxwell will go? I want to listen to that station.
I would also listen to any station that had maxwell on, and will no longer listen to wmms, unless they put maxwell back on. You here this Bo?
Maxwell: You made myself and many others in this dysfunctional home of rock and roll feel like we really had a radio show to be proud of. A virtual diamond in the ruff. I like many others surely asked “WHAT THE FUCK ?” when you and your tribe couldn’t be found after 3 on mms. Hope you pop up somewhere in our market. Strangely I’ll remember where I was when I heard you were gone much like I do when I heard Anna Nichole was dead. Both are bonded to my mid 30’s pop culture self. May you guys hit the ground running wherever you land. I really enjoyed listening to a crew who “Just got it” no matter now simple it may have seemed. Thanks for the memory’s
I also listen faithfully On my way home from work and had them programmed on my cell and my computer so I could listen to the maxwell show and you all suck so dose WMMs I could totally relate to the show so another maxwell fan bites the dust you could not pay me to tune in to wmms with the dumb shits that tries to fill the maxwell show time slot SO LONG SUCKERS!
STARJOE
WMMS has lost me as a listener for this. The Maxwell show was the only talk radio in Cleveland that I actually enjoyed listening to. I go to college in Indiana now but up until the day that the show was canceled, I still tuned in for his show every day. Great job MMS, you really messed up this time.
Does anyone have any info on where maxwell has went or whats going on the best part of my day was listening to them if you guys read this i hope you stay around here id still be a everyday listener
I haven’t missed that FAT ASS a single day! Listening to the MWL show was like watching a car crash…just waiting to see what else would get fucked up. I guess he fucked up LOL. I wish ‘mms would get rid of Rover too! Both of them are dumb fucks!
who cares, maxwell sucked, rover is way better, what did maxwell ever do other than say horrible things about women and try and make it seem like rover was a bad guy and all the retarded listeners believed him….shocking…..rover is way better, i listened to both shows for many years and still think rover is far better, maxwell, you suck, and to all the haters who say they are losing listeners……yeah…you dont really matter because they probably gained a ton more once alan cox started, so go fuck yourself and listen to gay maxwell, wmms doesnt care if you people stop listening because there is always more people to replace you RMG FTW! roverfest is epic!!!!