Has howie carr become a hard commercial sell on wrko?

[Omnibus]

Tuned into Howie Carr the other day - when he made one of his guest appearances - and noticed that during several commerical breaks all the spots were non-paying PSA's.

Running PSA's in a major day part is a clear indication of trouble. You don't give away your best time slots with the alleged biggest audience unless you cannot sell it to paying sponsors. Perhaps the major ad agencies know something we don't know that Howie Carr's demographics resemble those of S. J Waterman's !

 

[Wimmmex]

Tuned into Howie Carr the other day... - and noticed that during several commerical breaks all the spots were non-paying PSA's.

Running PSA's in a major day part is a clear indication of trouble. You don't give away your best time slots with the alleged biggest audience unless you cannot sell it to paying sponsors.

This seems to be happening in the 6-7PM hour the most....many spot orders have a 6PM cutoff.

Could be a case of Entercom/WRKO not wanting to lower the rate(s) any lower in order to fill those spots.

On most station, when spot inventory is not sold, the station has more programming content. When you are a networked show as Howie is, the stop-set/commercial break has to stay there....and you fill it with promos and PSA's.

 

[Omnibus]

Again, it is clear the big ad agencies think Howie Carr's demos skew too old. As said above - Waterman clients..... !

This seems to be happening in the 6-7PM hour the most....many spot orders have a 6PM cutoff.

Could be a case of Entercom/WRKO not wanting to lower the rate(s) any lower in order to fill those spots.

On most station, when spot inventory is not sold, the station has more programming content. When you are a networked show as Howie is, the stop-set/commercial break has to stay there....and you fill it with promos and PSA's.

 

[Unregistered]

These orthopedic shoes are GREAATHTH.

Ell oh Elevated blood sugar.

 

[Unregistered]

RE: Howie

Howie is on a network. The stopset HAS to be a certain time. If it isn't filled with paying customers, then promos and PSA's are added. As part of an FCC license requirement, all stations play PSA's. Why do you hear more on WRKO? Because the big networks and other barter deals send down spots that are strictly PSA's because they don't want to be on what the agencies have deemed "controversial" programming. So instead of national spots, those barter deals become PSA's.

No station would just run PSA's to run them...it is part of a contractual obligation.

 

[Wimmmex]

Again, it is clear the big ad agencies think Howie Carr's demos skew too old. As said above

I don't think it's Howie specifically...the agencies probably like HIM more than they do the rest of the day.

But WRKO's demos are all old...all day! That's why you hear crappy commercials from morning till night.

As a matter of fact all talkradio (on AM) is too old for most ad buyers. That's why Keuhner is doing an endorsement for a restaurant in Manchester NH! Ads for reverse mortgages. Cars for Kids. Hair Transplants, etc.

 

[raccoonradio]

RKO and other talk stations like the late 96.9 and 1200 also had some spots where you got cars for kids or "see the forest with Shrek and Donkey" PSAs instead of ads. Entercom however shows no sign of turning to Stephanie Miller, Thom Hartmann,
or Jeff Santos. If they're goingk to make some money they're stayingk with the likes of Kuhner and Howie.

Ortho shoes--ha.

Number of Howie Carr network affiliates: 11.
Number of Jerry Williams network affiliates: 1.
Good night and good luck, good night to you (btw heard a bit of Ordway, Sheppard, Gustin et al tonight doing whiner line,
pranks involving a wrestling show, etc. Funny though at times it dropped/had to re-connect.

Hey I'm 52 and Howie's 62. Pass the Metamucil. What if they drop talk though...how bout True Oldies? Cowsills,
Beach Boys, Supremes, Jackson 5ive... (drumroll) Sixty-eight, R-K-O!

 

[Omnibus]

This is the sad state of WRKO when Keuhner is considered anything but a side show act. Gone are the days when WRKO had Jerry Williams, Gene Burns and David Brudnoy. Of course, they had their own side show with Harry Sobel. Sobel once told Jerry Williams he would help him go into therapy to deal with his anger....(Insert laughter here). He didn't know much of what Jerry did on-air was a very successful act. Obviously, Harry didn't have much going on with "The Thought Process..."

I don't think it's Howie specifically...the agencies probably like HIM more than they do the rest of the day.

But WRKO's demos are all old...all day! That's why you hear crappy commercials from morning till night.

As a matter of fact all talkradio (on AM) is too old for most ad buyers. That's why Keuhner is doing an endorsement for a restaurant in Manchester NH! Ads for reverse mortgages. Cars for Kids. Hair Transplants, etc.

 

[Wimmmex]

Obviously, Harry didn't have much going on with "The Thought Process..."

Another slam?

 

[Deleted User]

Kars for Kids are paid spots, the group behind them is somewhat controversial, do you think any station would run those spots willingly?

They have to know that from note 2 of the jingle people are hitting the button and going elsewhere, and in a PPM market
that is not a good thing.

 

[Omnibus]

Again, if Howie Carr were a saleable commodity it wouldn't matter. He is a hasbeen - never was - on a morabund radio station.
Visting Hours at Waterman's 2-8 !

Kars for Kids are paid spots, the group behind them is somewhat controversial, do you think any station would run those spots willingly?

They have to know that from note 2 of the jingle people are hitting the button and going elsewhere, and in a PPM market
that is not a good thing.

 

[Wimmmex]

Kars for Kids are paid spots, the group behind them is somewhat controversial, do you think any station would run those spots willingly?

No, but they are crap spots...and probably bottom dollar. (Might even be a "PI" spot.) I don't think I have heard any on FM music stations.

 

[TheBigA]

I don't think it's Howie specifically...the agencies probably like HIM more than they do the rest of the day.

Ad agencies don't buy shows. They don't buy hosts. They buy the audience. They look at the station's numbers and base their decisions on that.

 

[Deleted User]

Maybe a little too early for Watermans, but The Howie Carr Show on WRKO is terminal, with about 6 months to live.

The same thing that has killed off almost every "music of your life" and "golden oldies" format, and even most "oldies" formats is
killing talk radio, especially in Boston.

Outside of "The Financial Exchange" which is not a Entercom produced product, what programming do they have that going to attract anyone under 50, any female demographic, or any other audience a prime advertiser would want to spend money on to get to?

The last one I can think of would have been Doug "V.B." Goudie's late night show and that was a good 10 years ago or close too it.

 

[Wimmmex]

Ad agencies don't buy shows. They don't buy hosts. They buy the audience. They look at the station's numbers and base their decisions on that.

Not entirely true. Especially Ad Agencies within Boston. You're assuming that a station can sit back and wait for ad agencies orders to come in. A station might pitch that they have a host or show that is target for that client...and worth the premium price.

(BTW...All the Howie 'sponsorships'...the chump line, poll question, etc....are not based on CPP.)

A station might pitch that Howie Carr will do a live read or an endorsement of their product. That Howie will do a contest.

CPP is one thing...but with the audience/demo's so bad...a lot of what they sell is the environment.

Another thing they have to do is substantiate a premium price. Take Limbaugh and Howie....(say their audience is the same) I think they can get a premium for Howie because he is live, local, can do give-a-ways contests, web page, value added stuff. Things that a Limbaugh cannot.

The same thing that has killed off almost every "music of your life" and "golden oldies" format, and even most "oldies" formats is
killing talk radio, especially in Boston.

The more I think about it....Entercom knows that AM radio's days are numbered...and is going to die a slow and painful death. So they are going to try to make it last to suck every drop out of it they can. (That's why all the paid and free programming.) They are no longer in it for the long term. They are not going to spend any money on reformatting the station, or reaching out to new and younger audience. Their job now is to prolong the life, and suck every drop of blood out of it until it's last breath. (Kinda like when you know your car is on it's last leg....you stop spending money...but try to keep it starting every morning until it is completely dead.

he Howie Carr Show on WRKO is terminal, with about 6 months to live.

Contract is up in September! Should be interesting!

 

[TheBigA]

Not entirely true. Especially Ad Agencies within Boston. You're assuming that a station can sit back and wait for ad agencies orders to come in. A station might pitch that they have a host or show that is target for that client...and worth the premium price.

I really don't see agencies buying a specific show at any price. They buy the entire station. If a station seller is working a specific show, it's morning drive. But at the end of the day, it all comes down to the numbers. If Howie himself was making sales calls, that might be different. I always recommend having hosts do sales calls. It's often instructional for the host, and it takes attention off the numbers.

 

[Unregistered]

Has Howie Carr Become...

The first and second notes are drum-set notes so if you act fast you can avoid the vocal altogether ("avoid the vocal"...an "Airplane" joke).

 

[Omnibus]

Jerry Williams preached on a regular basis the two things that would eventually kill off talk radio - boring and predictable. Clearly,that applies to Right-wing talk radio [I know what else is there?]. The druggy - Rush Limbaugh - whose voice is hardly audible some days and Howie Carr could simply and do phone in their programs - Republicans are good "The DemoCRAT" Party is bad - Any Republican is good and Ombama is bad. Again they are not creating any new audiences. They are just hanging on by their collective fingernails as their listeners are all in ' grave ' condition. Why would any new or younger audience be attracted to boring and predictable radio...they are not.

I really don't see agencies buying a specific show at any price. They buy the entire station. If a station seller is working a specific show, it's morning drive. But at the end of the day, it all comes down to the numbers. If Howie himself was making sales calls, that might be different. I always recommend having hosts do sales calls. It's often instructional for the host, and it takes attention off the numbers.

 

[Wimmmex]

I really don't see agencies buying a specific show at any price. They buy the entire station. If a station seller is working a specific show, it's morning drive. But at the end of the day, it all comes down to the numbers.

Not at all. They might want ONLY afternoon drive.....or ONLY AM Drive....or Weekends...etc.

You are correct in that the national buys have no idea what's on each station..and yes, it's all about the numbers. But local ad agencies have a relationship with the local stations. And a good sales department will drive premium rates when they can substantiate them...with a local host....a local/live read/appearance/endorsement....sponsorships, value added, etc.

You're not from Boston are you?

Clearly,that applies to Right-wing talk radio [I know what else is there?].

Well, we all know what happenned to that wonderfully creative Air America, right? WE all remember what happenned to Progressive Radio on 1510AM, right? We all know that Randi Rhodes got canned (again), right?

They were all so wonderfully creative, young attractive demos and unpredictable, right?

 

[TheBigA]

You are correct in that the national buys have no idea what's on each station..and yes, it's all about the numbers.

We're talking about Howie Carr, right? He's not exclusively on WRKO, right? He's syndicated on other stations in the region, right? And the topic of this thread is that Howie Carr is hard to sell, right? I'm just giving you a few possible reasons.