Savage Claims "Censorship" At WABC

[TheBigA]

Michael Savage is telling the Washington Times that his show is a victim of corporate censorship at WABC.

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/dec/17/michael-savage-being-silenced-corporate-censorship/

It's being portrayed in this newspaper and other conservative sites as a left wing corporate plot.

The articles don't mention that WABC is a conservative talk station, and that Savage is being replaced by another conservative: Ben Shapiro. Savage can't claim anti-Semitism, since Shapiro is also Jewish. He can't claim California bias, since both he and Shapiro broadcast from California. So they've invented this charge of left wing corporate censorship.

The article quotes Newsmax articles pointing to Savage's incredible ratings, that he's #1 25-54, and is heard by 16 million people. None of those numbers are verified by Nielsen.

It's very possible that Savage is beating Hannity on WOR. Several stations have already kicked Hannity's show to after 7PM, likely because of weakening ratings. But beating Hannity doesn't make Savage #1.

In any case, Savage has been blasting the WABC management in his show for the past few days. I'm sure that hasn't helped his case. This is the same guy who sued Talk Radio Network, so we can expect some kind of legal action in the coming weeks.

In other WABC news, the Chris Plante show is being replaced by Brian Kilmeade, host of Fox & Friends, who will do two hours live on the station starting in January. So far, Chris hasn't claimed corporate censorship.

 

[mikerock]

More likely, it’s this: Political distaste for Savage’s fiercely independent streak.
...
“Michael’s voice, unlike [his conservative competitors] has always been very independent,” Horowitz said. “Savage is completely a wild card, right? And that’s what they’re trying to kill. It’s all about corporate control. Taking him off the air is not a business decision.”

There you have it. With Shapiro they will have an establishment host that will herd voters accordingly. So this is more about ideology than building audience ratings.

I do not believe Shapiro will achieve Savage's ratings. Simulating social media traffic for hosts like Shapiro to make it appear he has a large audience following is one thing but is simply not doable with radio - Nielsen/PPM.

 

[TheBigA]

There you have it. With Shapiro they will have an establishment host that will herd voters accordingly. So this is more about ideology than building audience ratings.

If what you say is true, then other radio stations will clamor for Savage to move to their station. This is not about politics. It's OBVIOUSLY about ratings, and Savage has bad ratings on a station that also has bad ratings. Had the Washington Times simply searched the New York Radio Ratings, they would have seen what an absolute ratings disaster WABC is. It's a laughingly badly researched article. Savage and his lawyer are simply trying to drum up his base to put pressure on WABC, but he's wasting his time.

Savage is correct about one thing: He is better served on his own platform where he can say whatever he wants without affecting the ratings of a commercial radio station.

 

[davideduardo]

If what you say is true, then other radio stations will clamor for Savage to move to their station. This is not about politics. It's OBVIOUSLY about ratings, and Savage has bad ratings on a station that also has bad ratings.

12+ cume of 300,000 in PM Drive. Good for 21st in cume, and 24th to 26th in AQH in 25-54.

 

[TheBigA]

12+ cume of 300,000 in PM Drive. Good for 21st in cume, and 24th to 26th in AQH in 25-54.

Those are numbers that would only look good at WBAI. Except there it IS about ideology, and not about ratings.

 

[brettbutlerisok]

There you have it. With Shapiro they will have an establishment host that will herd voters accordingly. So this is more about ideology than building audience ratings.

I do not believe Shapiro will achieve Savage's ratings. Simulating social media traffic for hosts like Shapiro to make it appear he has a large audience following is one thing but is simply not doable with radio - Nielsen/PPM.

Funny, I agree with Shapiro more often (not very often) than Savage (almost never, only Bay Area weather really), but Savage is a good broadcaster who knows how to tell a story. I'd rather take an ice pick to my ears than listen to Shapiro. My local station started playing him and literally drove me to podcasts. Never going back.

 

[Lee Linwood]

Savage is notorious for his numerous unsubstantiated claims and bogus conspiracy theories, which now involve himself, too.

 

[Tibbs4]

12+ cume of 300,000 in PM Drive. Good for 21st in cume, and 24th to 26th in AQH in 25-54.

David - can you provide a history WABC's ratings over the past decade or so? I don't mean every book, but more a look at the demise and why. What are the current numbers like for Men 25-54, etc.? Is it possible that Savage's numbers were the only numbers to drastically go down and shows before and after had notably better ratings? I am just trying to figure out why a station with so many (possible) ratings disasters would take action with just one host and cut out just a couple of hours and Savage would then instantly go to just a national one hour radio show? it would seem like this would be his on air demise in every market. This does not make sense to me. Why would anyone do a damn podcast unless he has somehow been forced to not have the freedom to say what he wants by various corporations that carry shows from other national hosts or he has had many other threats to end his contract or show on others stations, maybe? Conspiracy theories or not, radio is not in worse shape for capturing audiences that would NEVER know there was even a podcast.

David - what are the CUMES for a few of the top five stations compared to where Savage ranks today? Thanks for any info you have time to provide. Not trying to make you do a major project.

 

[TheBigA]

Savage is notorious for his numerous unsubstantiated claims and bogus conspiracy theories, which now involve himself, too.

He obviously doesn't understand that getting fired isn't censorship. Especially if he's being replaced by someone who has the same opinions.

 

[davideduardo]

David - can you provide a history WABC's ratings over the past decade or so? I don't mean every book, but more a look at the demise and why. What are the current numbers like for Men 25-54, etc.? Is it possible that Savage's numbers were the only numbers to drastically go down and shows before and after had notably better ratings? I am just trying to figure out why a station with so many (possible) ratings disasters would take action with just one host and cut out just a couple of hours and Savage would then instantly go to just a national one hour radio show? it would seem like this would be his on air demise in every market. This does not make sense to me. Why would anyone do a damn podcast unless he has somehow been forced to not have the freedom to say what he wants by various corporations that carry shows from other national hosts or he has had many other threats to end his contract or show on others stations, maybe? Conspiracy theories or not, radio is not in worse shape for capturing audiences that would NEVER know there was even a podcast.

David - what are the CUMES for a few of the top five stations compared to where Savage ranks today? Thanks for any info you have time to provide. Not trying to make you do a major project.

Within the horribly unreliable range of very low rated stations... the margin of error is much greater the lower the rating... Savage occasionally outperformed the station, sometimes was below the average and sometimes the same.

Cumes for top NYC stations in 12+ are in the 3 to 4 million range.

 

[Y2kTheNewOldies]

https://canadafreepress.com/article...ctim-of-tds-and-the-lefts-pacification-effort

What the Heck somehow a supposed "Canadian Blogger" is covering this "Savage Censorship". If KSFO (Cumulus O&O in San Francisco) and WABC says that Ben Shapiro or others hosts are going to lower the demos then let that be.

WABC isn’t saying Savage is soon being dropped. In fact, writes the Times’ Cheryl K. Chumley, “a recent news release from the station indicates Savage will be moving into a new, fresher format designed to take advantage of emerging media, one that will see him do one hour of radio alongside one hour of podcast.”

But behind-the-scenes murmurings tell a different tale. Horowitz says that “emails back and forth” between Savage and radio bigwigs indicate the host is set to “go dark” Jan. 7.

Moreover, it’s “not just on WABC: Horowitz said media powerhouses in Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington, D.C., are all giving the boot to Savage, as well,” Chumley also informs.

Troubling here is that the issue isn’t ratings. As Chumley tells us, a 2016 Newsmax piece related Savage’s West Coast dominance, calling him a “Tour-de-Force on Bay Area’s KSFO.”

Additionally, in “late 2017, Talk Stream Live listed Savage, with 14.8 million listeners, as the second most-listened to top talk radio voice in the nation, behind only Rush Limbaugh’s 16.5 million listeners—but far ahead of third place Laura Ingraham’s 6.8 million,” Chumley further writes.

Moreover, she continues, “In 2016, Savage made the National Radio Hall of Fame in the category of Spoken Word On-Air Personality, based on the votes of the listening American public.”

Even more strikingly, the February Newsmax article “Savage Rules New York Talk Radio” stated that since April 2016, “with the key demographic of Adults 25-54,” “‘The Savage Nation’ has consistently ranked as the #1 program on WABC….” Yet WABC now, apparently, wants its number-one show gone. Good business?

t’s Deep Business. Savage’s syndicator, Westwood One, did state in September that pundit Ben Shapiro will go national as Savage cuts back to one hour. But Chumley suggests that new-blood nattering doesn’t explain the dumping of one’s star performer.

“More likely,” she writes, “it’s this: Political distaste for Savage’s fiercely independent streak.”

As Chumley relates, “‘The only reason I can see,’ Savage said in a telephone interview, ‘is because of politics. ... It makes no sense. I have a loyal, large audience. Why not at least do reruns at night?’”

Unfortunately, it makes perfect sense. First, Savage has been called “the Godfather of Trumpmania” because he supported Trump early on; had him on his show; influenced the president’s platform with his “borders, language, culture” credo; and even wrote a book titled Trump’s War: His Battle for America. In fact, Trump bluntly said last year, putting his arm around Savage, “I wouldn’t be president without this man.”

So given how the Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS) Left—and establishment right—want to destroy the president and all supporting him (hey, they’re “deplorables”), imagine their feelings toward the man credited as instrumental in creating his presidency.

https://ratings.****************/cgi-bin/rol.exe/arb009

Even in San Francisco where Savage is based KSFO is not in the top of the ratings.

 

[TheBigA]

What the Heck somehow a supposed "Canadian Blogger" is covering this "Savage Censorship".

That blogger has basically reprinted the Washington Times article. At least he gives attribution, but all the quotes are taken directly from the story.

Once again, what is not being said is that all the other hosts, including the one replacing Savage, are pro-Trump conservatives.

 

[Lee Linwood]

Shapiro is def. not an avowed Trump supporter like Savage.

 

[TheBigA]

Shapiro is def. not an avowed Trump supporter like Savage.

But he's also not a leftist either. They're portraying this as leftist censorship. It's not. It's bad ratings.

Here's what Shapiro said to Glenn Beck:

We shouldn’t feel compelled to make excuses for bad behavior, and Trump doesn’t need conservative leaders to compromise their principles to cover for him.
“If we’re not willing to call out bad when we see it even from people [when] we like what we’re getting from them, then we can’t have an honest conversation,” Shapiro said. “It turns into simply fan-boying or fan-girling.”

 

[Wimmmex]

There you have it. With Shapiro they will have an establishment host that will herd voters accordingly. So this is more about ideology than building audience ratings.

What planet are you on? Have you ever worked in broadcasting? I don't know any (commercial) station where that statement would be applicable.

 

[PaulKTF]

Michael Weiner's on-air personality of "Michael Savage" is a gimmick from start to finish. Don't pay any mind to anything he says on his show and certainly don't take any of his ramblings seriously because he's just playing to his base.

 

[Lee Linwood]

Michael Weiner's on-air personality of "Michael Savage" is a gimmick from start to finish. Don't pay any mind to anything he says on his show and certainly don't take any of his ramblings seriously because he's just playing to his base.

Weiner refers to his wife as “Mrs S” She identifies as Mrs. Savage? Too funny!

 

[Lee Linwood]

Michael Weiner's on-air personality of "Michael Savage" is a gimmick from start to finish. Don't pay any mind to anything he says on his show and certainly don't take any of his ramblings seriously because he's just playing to his base.

He has, I believe, legitimate expertise in health and nutrition, although his advocacy of high quantities of vitamin E and C supplementation, and other recommendations, are highly debateable.

 

[brettbutlerisok]

But he's also not a leftist either. They're portraying this as leftist censorship. It's not. It's bad ratings.

Here's what Shapiro said to Glenn Beck:

We shouldn’t feel compelled to make excuses for bad behavior, and Trump doesn’t need conservative leaders to compromise their principles to cover for him.
“If we’re not willing to call out bad when we see it even from people [when] we like what we’re getting from them, then we can’t have an honest conversation,” Shapiro said. “It turns into simply fan-boying or fan-girling.”

This will be the song of the avowed (fan-boy) Trump supporters as Conservatives jump ship. "It's an establishment conspiracy against Trump and his supporters."

 

[rjt45]

In another age, he'd have a horse and wagon, be wearing a morning coat, and be selling Snake Oil! Savage is among the many in our country who have little or no familiarity with the truth. As to his rating's clams, I had a teacher in 8th grade who said, "Figures don't lie, but liars figure."