The best sports talk radio host in Texas was fired by feckless KBME AM 790 on Monday. Charlie Pallilo was the rare sports talk radio host who actually knew something (actually a lot) about sports and devoted the vast majority of his STR show to actually talking about sports. CP was dedicated to his craft and drew a loyal following of actual sports fans to his afternoon Drive Time show. In contrast, most of the so-called STR crowd talks about anything but sports and when they do, their lack of understanding and dearth of knowledge of sports history is all too apparent. CP apparently made the mistake of believing that a sports talk radio show was supposed to be about sports instead of the blather that emanates from the vapid brains of most of the other (read anyone on AM 610 in Houston or 1300 in Austin) STR hosts. Pallilo also actually took calls from listeners, generally treated them with respect and could play off of almost anyone on any topic. The actual call-in show is apparently a dying breed and may have signaled his demise. Ratings are all that matters and CP’s had dipped over the past year leading to his hurried exit from the Houston radio scene. Maybe he can go to a city where people actually know something about sports and will appreciate his talents. Houston is a loser today.
And who did the brilliant minds at KBME choose to replace CP. Complete and total ass-clown Josh Innes who know absolutely nothing about sports. Red will be deleting AM 790 from his I Heart Radio playlist.
Paradise in Hell 
your comments about Houston losing with Pallilo out are right on.
i’ve often felt, having grown up in the sports mad (and very sports knowledgeable northeast, but now 25 yrs in Houston) that one of the reasons, amongst many, why Houston sports teams are eternally mediocre to pathetic was due to those that control the sports conversation (primarily print and radio media) having dumned down the average Houston sports fan as they’ve been generally subserviant to the sports team (John McClain kissing McNair’s “ring” (to be polite) as just one example). Pallilo was a lone voice in this city who actually understood and sifted through the manure to try and properly (balanced) educate the average sports fan. With Pallilo gone forget any chance of Houston having fans that can remotely compete with sports fans in more informed markets; and expect groundhog day (mediocrity year after year) with our sports teams to continue with our sports fans oblivious as to why. Sad.
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Charlie was certainly willing to bite the hand – so to speak. He had no problem calling out the owners, managers, coaches and players who just weren’t cutting it. And he was especially tough on McNair – given the Texans not so wild swings between mediocrity and “abject suckitude” as I believe he put it. Crane got the brunt of his ire as well for putting the city through the 3 worst years of baseball the planet has ever seen. He tempered that criticism with the hope that it would be worth it in the long run, but when Crane alternated between outright stupidity (e.g. Colby Rasmus) and cheapness this season, CP didn’t hesitate to let his opinion be known. Too much honesty and an audience that would rather be entertained than informed probably led to his ultimate downfall. Red hopes he finds a good spot somewhere and will be listening wherever he lands thanks to the miracle of the interwebs.
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A station that fires Charlie Pallilo is idiotic AND moronic. A station that hires Josh Innes is the most blatant degree of stupid. KBME 790 has done both.
I wish Charlie the very best. He is in a league of his own and that league resides in rare, glorified air above the rest of the chum that is Houston STR.
Selfishly, I want him to resurface in Houston so he can still be “home”. For Charlie, I want him to find his dream job. He has earned, and deserves, it.
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Red would like Charlie to stay in Houston as well, but the reality is that he is too good for that. Flatsville doesn’t deserve him. Sports fans were lucky to have him for so long. Sadly, Houston probably deserves the aptly described “chum” that infests STR in Houston.
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I agree with all the above comments. A sports radio host is supposed to be non-biased. Charlie was not from here, so he had a better perspective on sports in Houston. He always had good guests, ie, Phil Steele, John McClain, Nolan Ryan just to name a few. The other thing about Charlie, was he had his finger on the pulse of sports in Texas, not just Houston. Also, he was/is a sports encyclopedia. People is today’s wussified society don’t want to hear truth, they want to me patted on the head and treated like children and ignore the truth about everything. Charlie wouldn’t do that, and because of it he got fired…I can say this, I’ll NEVER listen to KBME again. Houston has lost an amazing sports mind, Josh Innes will be gone in 6 months, and they’ll be begging Charlie to come back. Or KBME won’t have a sports radio show.
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Red would write to the morons in charge at KBME if he thought it would do any good. But, they are morons. If Red were Charlie, he would be looking for a spot in a better sports town. His skills will translate well anywhere this side of Uzbekistan.
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I cannot believe this. Josh Innes and his crew are why i NEVER could stomach 610, and it’s still trash. Charlie was one of the best in Houston, and it just pisses me off to see him go. I definitely will not be tuning in to this clown. I suppose that after Koch and Kalu are done, i will have to switch the station. Terrible move 790…You suck.
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2 words for kmbe mgt staff regarding Charlie’s firing an it ain’t Merry Christmas
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To KMBE Management regarding the dismissal of Charlie Pallio ” AMF” and I don’t mean ” audios my friend
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AM F@#kheads perhaps?
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I don’t understand this move. Charlie was the best and Innes is, well suboptimal, at best. I hope he does TV here. Houston needs an educated sport person. Buffoons wear thin quickly.
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Just to see how bad it is, Red tuned into 790 on the way back to Casa Rojo last night. There was 10 minutes of blather about Halloween and the various slutty costumes that are available – you know slutty nurse, slutty cop, slutty garbageman. But when it got to slutty Mother Teresa, it was more than even Red could stomach. And these idiots are using up our valuable oxygen. What a disgrace.
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I don’t listen that much to local radio but am familiar with CP and do know that he has a strong following, but how much if anything does this release have to do with his ratings ? My guess would be a lot since that’s the bottom line in this business, and as with any business it’s always ultimately about the bottom line.
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Read the Philadelphia accounts of Josh Innes exit
Question : does Michael Berry have anything to do with this; only he could think the Innes shtick amusing/acceptable
610 stopped taking calls a long time ago , focusing on frat boy bathroom humor
Greg and ND are insulated. ..but feel for the always inciteful Sean Jones forced to become this clowns lead in….does Larry in Stafford know about this ?
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No more 790 for me, I have one wish and that is whoever fired Charlie gets fired in the near future. He’s the only one on sports radio in Houston that knows what he’s talking about!
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I have been listening to Charlie for many years. His immense sports knowledge and vocabulary will be missed in Houston STR. I was never a ‘first time, long time’ caller, but I e-mailed CP a few times and he always responded. I thought he did a good Joel Buchsbaum impression too. I’ll miss his Astros conversations/debates with the caller ‘Howard’. I hope he resurfaces, perhaps will pick him up on iHeartRadio someday. Houston has lost it’s best STR host ever.
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Your post resonates with me the most. I, too, thought of CP’s amazing command of the English language and of Howard, who probably feels a bit like we all feel right now… like he’s lost a friend. Ugh.
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I don’t get it. I couldn’t agree more with the sentiments that have been already expressed. I have been in Houston since 1999 and it didn’t take long to narrow my choice of hosts and stations to Charlie because I wanted to hear about sports not descriptions of the size of breasts of the actresses on the soaps on Telemundo, or political opinions, or etc., etc. I will surely miss Charlie, I hope he resurfaces on the radio soon
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Charlie was always solid. If you had a sound point of view he acknowledged it even if he disagreed. Innes is the most juvenile, moronic STR host I’ve ever heard. I quit listening to 610 during his show before he left there. I won’t listen to him on 790 either. Good luck to Charlie. He’s a professional and I’m sure he will land on his feet.
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Red won’t have you insulting juveniles by including Innes in their ranks. Try infantile instead. And the morons are on their own.
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Agree,, it is dumbest thing 790 could do. He was always a professional!
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Sad, sad day! CP was the BEST in the business. Hopefully another station in town will be smart and pick him up. If not, my days of listening to sports talk in Houston are over…nothing but mediocre blabber left on our airwaves!
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Charlie Pallilo was the one host in town who always tried to talk about the many sports in our great country. He would talk a little college basketball, Rockets, Astros, golf and even tennis or whatever you wanted to discuss with him – because he was informed. The pollution of Texans talk on a 12 month basis was something that Charlie avoided unless something was news worthy. As a listener that considers himself a smart sports fan, Charlie was always such a breath of fresh air about everything when the Astros were going bad – because he would still talk about MLB. He had his opinions, but they were always informed.
This move falls in line with our society. Would rather have a loud and opinionated and often ill-informed Josh Innes, than a smart guy like Charlie.
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I couldn’t agree more. CP is the best and I have already deleted 790 from my list of options.
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I wish Charlie nothing but the best of luck. There wasn’t anyone in the sports world where I respected and valued someone’s opinion more than CP. Even when he disagreed with a caller he was able to support his claim through objectivity and facts. CP was a wonderful sounding board when one was looking to validate an opinion on any sport subject matter and his professionalism will be greatly missed. Houston has lost a great mind and his void will soon be realized.
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I moved to Jacksonville 6 years ago and listen to Charlie from time to time to keep in touch with my hometown. He’s been a staple in Houston sports for years and admittedly he has as many haters as he does followers. I agree with all comments affirming his vast knowledge of sports. I tuned in the other night expecting to hear Charlie and got this other show which seems to be nothing more than a shock jock clone with a sports theme…..I guess. Surely someone in Houston radio or TV will hire Charlie. He’s part of the Houston sports scene and hopefully not the history.
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Innes has spent the first couple of days on air trashing his previous employer as well as mocking Charlie. What kind of classless ass talks crap to the guy that they replaced? I have never heard that behavior on radio before. And of course he immediately went to racial crap. Playing Samford & Sons over black callers, saying that they were going to call it the “black phone” and that it would be sponsored by Frenchy’s fried chicken. That’s not funny or outrageous, it’s straight up racist. F’ this station and F’ Innes.
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Who does he think he is – Michael Berry? One totally racist clown on Houston radio is one too many.
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To 790 management.. I am now deleting your station. Charlie was the only reason I tuned in to your station.He’s gone and so am I . You have fired the brightest,most knowledgeable sports commentator in Houston radio. His sports I.q. Opinions, and insight is without question the best I’ve ever heard in my 40 years of listening to sports programming. If Houston is so lucky to have him on another station, I’m tuning in there.
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The hell with 790!!
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I guess in the business, Charlie was known as a me-first employee who never really partook in any station events and didn’t listen to management when they asked him to do things differently. I am in a fantasy league with a guy who used to work there who said Charlie may have said 8 words to him ever. Just not personable. New Yorker so that doesn’t shock me I guess. I know he’s been the highest paid radio host in Houston for quite some time so I’m sure his floundering ratings were bound to bite him. The biggest paychecks eventual get hit.
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Charlie may have been the most spontaneous and humorous and insightful Houston radio has seen in many years. He is an intelligent man with wit and collegiate vocabulary. I can’t wait to learn what station Charlie is broadcasting on next because I will tune in and tell me friends as well.
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A month later and I’m still googling Charlie to see if there’s any news. Many others have summed up the state of sports talk radio in Houston quite well – frat boy blabbering by shock jock wannabees. I followed Charlie up and down the dial for 20+ years… but haven’t listened to local STR radio since…
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He seems to have gone underground. Red hopes Charlie is enjoying “some tasty waves, a cool buzz, and [is] fine” to quote Jeff Spicoli.
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I’m still looking for news on where CP will land. He’s the best in Houston, without a doubt. I can’t stand Innes and haven’t listened to that channel (other than Lance and MT on the morning drive) since they fired CP.
I read somewhere that CP has a 6-month non-compete clause in his contract with 790. That would explain why he hasn’t landed somewhere else yet.
BRING BACK CHARLIE PALLILO!
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Charlie was in a class by himself. I had moved away from Houston a year ago but still turn my I heart radio to 790 from the Proper Gentkemen through In the Trenches through the Bottom Line most every day; and now I switch it off at that point. If the story about a 6 month non compete is true, I will wait till Spring and hope that wherever Charlie lands, I can get him on satellite radio.
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I hope Charlie can stay in the Houston area as I listen to him almost every day. He knows his job and I hope I’ll be listening to his comments soon.
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Josh Penis SUCKS! Why do all Houston sports station keep recycling the same corny ass heathens?
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CP is the only Yankee I ever liked. My uncle was a Texas high school football/basketball/baseball coach for over 30 years, played pro baseball for several years and can talk all sports better than anyone I personally know. I would get in conversations with him sometimes and drop a few CP “nuggets” in the conversation and he would be impressed with his lowly, athletically talent limited, non sports playing nephew and ask me “how do you know that ?”, I never let him know I learned it from Charlie. Guess we will have to find something other than sports to talk about now, I know “politics”!!!! My best hope is that Charlie will stay in Houston and go to the 97.5 FM station Drive Time so people outside of the weak 790 broadcast signal listening area could hear real “sports”. Best of luck to Charlie where ever he ends up, our loss is someone else’s gain.
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I wouldn’t want to see Pollialo on 97.5 for drive time because I love AJ and Fred more than any other personalities in the city but I guess he could go to 1560, or back to 610. I personally would like to see him go to mornings at 1560, but, I doubt that would happen. Either way yeah 790 is dumb as shit to let him go.
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The only time I listened to 790 was When CP’s show was on. The rest of the day I’m on satellite radio. I listened to Charlie for his vast knowledge about MLB and his expert commentary on the Astros. I so wish I could get his take on the ‘Stros offseason moves so far, and what else they need to get done in the Winter Meetings. I have no use for all the other local sports talk shows. 790 is no longer pre-set on my radio dial.
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I listened to Charlie sports because he was one of the few radio host who actually knew something about sports and devoted the vast majority of his STR show to actually talking about sports.Charlie was the only reason I tuned into your station.. You have fired the brightest,most knowledgeable sports commentator in Houston radio. Innes is the most juvenile, moronic host I’ve ever heard. .
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Very sad charlie was let go. I am done with 790.
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Big mistake 790
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Loved CP! Where is he today?
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Red has not heard of any confirmed Charlie Pallilo sightings.
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