WVKO-AM 1580 is changing formats again!

[gabigley1]

It was announced on WVKO-AM this morning, that as of midnight tomorrow, the format on WVKO-AM will be changing. The LMA for the station will ending at that time and the station
won't be Progressive Talk anymore.

Thanks to Gary Richards for bringing back the format to Columbus radio for one more go around.
That said, Mr. Richards said last year he wanted to buy the station outright so this is a disappointment to me.

My guess is the new lease holders will take the station to a Urban Gospel format. Just a guess on
my part.

The LMA was supposed to go till December 31, 2012 so the ending date is a surprise. I did send
a couple of emails to the station about the stations format after January 1, 2013, but those emails went unanswered. So, this is no big surprise to me.

[gabigley1]

Another guess is WVKO-AM may be changing to a Spanish format.

Sean Gilbow made the announcement this morning about WVKO-AM changing formats.

This is the only thing I find on the WVKO-AM Facebook page about WVKO-AM changing formats.
Someone posted this:

Lets all wish Sean Gilbow warn regards as he moves on to bigger and better things. We will miss you Sean.
Like · · about an hour ago

[gabigley1]

Oh, Sean went on to say that he makes more money then the vast majority of the people
in radio in Columbus. Then he said he may make more money then anyone in Columbus radio. He said he has a day job as a clerk.

A post on the WVKO-AM Facebook page:

(Quote)
Ron Gamble
Are we losing progressive/liberal talk in Columbus AGAIN? And so soon after an election, AGAIN?!?
Like · · about a minute ago

[gabigley1]

It's now official.. From the WVKO-AM Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/wvko1580

WVKO 1580 AM
about an hour ago
Yes, as Sean Gilbow eluded to in his last WVKO 1580 morning broadcast today, the winds of change are, once again, blowing for 1580 AM in Columbus. A different management company will be taking the station in a new direction next week. So tune in 24 hours from now for a special edition of Fight Back & The Blue State Diner (11 a.m. Saturday) to find out what happens next.

[xmusicmatt]

Much as I would have liked to see Gary and his team hold on because it was if anything a "different choice" in this market.. are we really surprised?  Most thought it would change formats after the election sadly.

[schmave]

Shocking. Progressive talk disappears again. Sorry, but this should not be a surprise to anyone. The format simply does not work. Why exactly, I don't know. But it's clear no one is willing to make the kind of investment it takes to sustain the format long-term.

[Nu_Roo_2]

Shocking. Progressive talk disappears again. Sorry, but this should not be a surprise to anyone. The format simply does not work. Why exactly, I don't know. But it's clear no one is willing to make the kind of investment it takes to sustain the format long-term.

Liberal MSNBC TV has sometimes been been topping conservative Fox News Channel 25-54 during parts of prime time since the election.  E.g., Rachel Maddow has sometimes out-drawn Sean Hannity, which I don't recall ever happening in the past.  This is a new (and maybe passing?) development, but it makes me wonder about positive implications for (including investment in) radio progressive talk; and/or negative implications for conservatalk; and/or the likelihood conservatalk might become a little less hard-line on average.

[Chuck Douglas]

I'm not happy about it. The only way for people to know if they disagree or agree with an opinion is for that opinion to be heard. This is America. I hate to see any voice silenced.

[Allfirdup]

Shocking. Progressive talk disappears again. Sorry, but this should not be a surprise to anyone. The format simply does not work. Why exactly, I don't know. But it's clear no one is willing to make the kind of investment it takes to sustain the format long-term.

Liberal MSNBC TV has sometimes been been topping conservative Fox News Channel 25-54 during parts of prime time since the election.  E.g., Rachel Maddow has sometimes out-drawn Sean Hannity, which I don't recall ever happening in the past.  This is a new (and maybe passing?) development, but it makes me wonder about positive implications for (including investment in) radio progressive talk; and/or negative implications for conservatalk; and/or the likelihood conservatalk might become a little less hard-line on average.

NuRoo i had to correct you on the ratings point, yes MSNBC may tie or come close in one demo, but at the same time so does CNBC. But if you look at overall numbers for the same time period, fox news at least doubles the rating that MSNBC draws. just the 9PM hour Maddow vs Hannity. She Drew 901,000 vs Hannity 1,924,000.

A great source for Weekly info is at this link http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/category/cable-news/

I also have a theory on Progressive talk radio, its really hard to sell advertising to the same Greedy Profit taking business that your hosts demonize all day long. Why as a business would i want to support anything that believes that i don't have a right to succeed?

And finally, progressive talk has had one problem all along, its not the ideas people are tuning out on, its the entertainment factor. its hard to sit through the screaming and name calling of the Ed Schultz show anymore he's an ANGRY man.(not quite Chris Matthews angry but close) Stephanie Miller, somehow every time i listen they end up making fun of someone based on an incomplete statement or a clip that they never really play all of,  or the humor goes straight to the gutter, sometime that can be ok but if its not funny it just becomes uncomfortable, and people tune out.

[gabigley1]

Mr. Gary Richards announced the new format for WVKO-AM. He said WVKO-AM will be Gospel. I believe it will be a Urban Gospel format.

Mr. Gary Richards said the reason he did not renew the lease for WVKO-AM is because of the lack
of advertising support for the station. He said because of this, he could not continue to operate
the station with a Progressive Talk format. He said this is the last time he will do Progressive Talk
in Columbus. He said blame it on the lack of advertising support. He said this is from local to national advertiser. He said even some of the old WVKO advertiser from four years ago where not interested in advertising again on WVKO-AM. They just ignored the WVKO-AM sales calls.


Long time WTVN morning host, Bob Conners said a few years ago that the Progressive Talk format
won't work in Columbus, Ohio. He said the Progressive Talk format has only worked on a handful of stations and Columbus, Ohio radio market is not one of them.