What's with Conservative talk? I do think we're going to see the format decline over the next couple of years, but those reasons have more to do with politics than business. From what I understand, the demos are extremely old for the format, yet time and time again on this board, the experts say that radio needs to target the 25-54 demo. So, why are we seeing the occasional new Conservative talk launch and very few stations flipping out of the format, and major markets with multiple stations in the format, yet only one large market has a 50s/60s oldies station, and smooth jazz is non-existent? All of the above formats target a similar age demographic, yet only one is thriving.
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Conservative Talk
- Thread starter bobdavcav
- Start date
Money. Conservative talk has a built in advertiser base that came from the Limbaugh advertiser ban. The format had to build a new financial base, and they did it with businesses that support the conservative agenda. There's no similar thing for oldies or smooth jazz.
Here's one example:
There's also the pillow guy. Consider this:
YouTube’s Right-Wing Stars Fuel Boom in Politically Charged Ads
YouTube’s MAGA stars aren’t just talking politics—they’re selling it
www.bloomberg.com
Advertisers embrace conservative media in the new Trump era
Conservative media outlets like Fox News and The Daily Wire say they're experiencing a surge in advertising demand.
www.businessinsider.com
There's also a strong group of syndicated shows, so stations can add the format with limited expense.
The real problem for conservative talk is that the top hosts are moving to podcasting because it's less work and more money.
Also during the Republican primaries if a local position is open they could have some nice local revenue from folks trying to get the MAGA vote.
Very few stations are flipping out of the format because ... what else are you going to do with 5000 watts on AM 1280 in 2026? Could Chicago's WLS flip to another format and make more money? Not likely.
Smooth jazz went away because that FM frequency had a better use than earning a 1.7 share 20 years ago.
Many of the talk stations that have come to FM are those which have several local programs and may not be as strident politically as the 24/7 syndicated talkers. They don't tend to get a lot of folks under 50 to listen, but they get enough total audience to sell some ads.
Smooth jazz went away because that FM frequency had a better use than earning a 1.7 share 20 years ago.
Many of the talk stations that have come to FM are those which have several local programs and may not be as strident politically as the 24/7 syndicated talkers. They don't tend to get a lot of folks under 50 to listen, but they get enough total audience to sell some ads.
I think demand comes in waves. When Democrats are in power, Right wingers need a place to rage. When Republicans are in power it's more back patting. And let's not kid ourselves, the left does the same thing. It's all rage bait and drama but that's what bringe in the numbers. Working people up, stoking their emotions. I think there will always be a demand. Look at The Answer. Outlets in many very deep blue states but they survive.
Have you listened to conservative talk lately? Nobody's patting themselves on the back. They want total victory.
Dems Don’t Believe in Affordability, Saturday on Life, Liberty and Levin
Steve Moore and Richard Goldberg join Mark Levin on Life, Liberty and Levin Saturday, February 21 at 8pm Easte...
www.marklevinshow.com
But you're right that rage brings in numbers. That's why talk radio is angry, and why most major advertisers stay away.
There is no liberal equivalent in radio. Hasn't been for a very long time.
Have you listened to conservative talk lately? Nobody's patting themselves on the back. They want total victory.
Dems Don’t Believe in Affordability, Saturday on Life, Liberty and Levin
Steve Moore and Richard Goldberg join Mark Levin on Life, Liberty and Levin Saturday, February 21 at 8pm Easte...
But you're right that rage brings in numbers. That's why talk radio is angry, and why most major advertisers stay away.
There is no liberal equivalent in radio. Hasn't been for a very long time.
I listen to both KDWN and KMZQ. Or used to. I know exactly what they talk about. And if radio doesn't lean left the wider media absolutely does. Both accuse the other of destroying the country and doing harm. And that's exactly what gets ratings. So they carry on with the drama. I no longer listen because I refuse to partake of the rabble and be told what to think.
I'll listen to headlines only or music. Or nerd out DXing and that's about it
And, as I have said before, there is a difference between mainstream progressives and mainstream conservatives.
Liberals tend to divide into subsets that are not collectively overlapping such as environmental, racial, gender, educational, international relations and such. Conservatives have more "common interests" such as borders, foreign relations, the military and so on (these are just random topics that came to mind, not all inclusive).
So subjects on conservative talk stations can be broadly of interest, while on progressive talk outlets such as the "ancient history" Air America intent there are subjects that don't appeal to many listeners.
In music programming, there is a vague parallel with Alternative Rock, where there are really multiple subsets where the "favorites" of one group are tolerated by another and disliked by yet another.
Even if there are as many mainstream liberals as their contrasting conservatives, they have as much in common sometimes as Mets and Yankees fans: all love baseball, but they oppose each other.
On one station? Maybe. In syndication, it would be a tough road. The problem is that very few PDs would add his show to the daily lineup of their conservative talk station, and there aren't enough other liberals remaining on the radio to make an all-liberal talk format.
That would leave him on brokered stations or an irrelevant AM in Athens, Ohio or Garden City, KS where the owner likes Olbermann.
Probably the best I could imagine is a handful of heavily local talk stations in progressive markets, like KIRO-FM/Seattle or WGN/Chicago picking him up for an evening/overnight timeslot.
There are very few "mainstream conservatives" on the radio anymore. They're in power, and they want to use government to promote ideology and get things done. Democrats are the enemy and are a domestic terrorist organization. As I said, there is no equivalent. Even Sean Hannity admits this.
MILLER TIME: 'The Democrat Party Has Become the Party of Terrorists and Illegal Aliens' [WATCH]
White House Deputy Chief for Policy and Homeland Security advisor Stephen Miller stopped by Hannity Wednesday to torch the Democratic Party for becoming the party of
hannity.com
They're not friendly, they're not compromising, they're not entertaining, and they're not funny. They're serious.
"We took over the entire government! We are the authoritarians! Why are you libruls not bowing and cowering!"Have you listened to conservative talk lately? Nobody's patting themselves on the back. They want total victory.
Dems Don’t Believe in Affordability, Saturday on Life, Liberty and Levin
Steve Moore and Richard Goldberg join Mark Levin on Life, Liberty and Levin Saturday, February 21 at 8pm Easte...
But you're right that rage brings in numbers. That's why talk radio is angry, and why most major advertisers stay away.
There is no liberal equivalent in radio. Hasn't been for a very long time.
Stephen Miller was literally SCREECHING genocide of all Democrats in the wake of Kirk. Those concentration camps aren't just for immigrants. They want absolute one-party rule with no opposition, and completely unchecked power that can never be voted out, like Hungary. Although then, talk radio has to be nothing but a house organ.There are very few "mainstream conservatives" on the radio anymore. They're in power, and they want to use government to promote ideology and get things done. Democrats are the enemy and are a domestic terrorist organization. As I said, there is no equivalent. Even Sean Hannity admits this.
MILLER TIME: 'The Democrat Party Has Become the Party of Terrorists and Illegal Aliens' [WATCH]
White House Deputy Chief for Policy and Homeland Security advisor Stephen Miller stopped by Hannity Wednesday to torch the Democratic Party for becoming the party of
They're not friendly, they're not compromising, they're not entertaining, and they're not funny. They're serious.
Besides the hard core magas do the mainstream public really listen to them.
Not really. WABC in New York is 8th in share (6+) but ranks 19th in cume audience. The only commercial outfit with lower cume is fellow talker WOR.
Yeah, so New York doesn't have a talker on FM. I believe the largest market with a talker on FM is Dallas-Ft Worth. In taht market, WBAP AM-FM managed only 23rd in the latest monthlies, and not even in the top 30 in cume. The other talkers (Salem's WSKY, Cumulus's KLIF, iHeart's KXFR) all fared much worse.
K.M. Richards
Program Director, The Eighties Channel™
Not to mention the fact that Keith has already said he doesn't want to do this full time anymore. When he relaunched "Countdown" as a podcast back in August 2022, it was a daily program. He cut back to two days a week at the end of October 2024 -- plus short "bulletin" editions when major developments break between the scheduled podcasts -- and he actually skips shows on or adjacent to holidays now.
He has reported several times that he still has the money from when Fox Sports had to buy out his contract in 2001, apparently in an investment account that has lots of digits in front of the decimal point, remarking "I don't have to do the podcast."
Does that sound like he could be lured back to a daily gig? He's happy not working and he can afford it.
People wonder why the late night talk shows don't lean more to the right. This is why. It's also why Fox O&Os stay away from stuff on their news channel.
In spite of all the negative comments about the right, maga etc. in this thread, we're at the point that it doesn't matter whether it's right, left or in the somewhere in the middle political talk. All of it is a declining older audience and has been for a while now. Sports is really the only broadcast talk format that still garners anyone in the demos radio wants.
The average sports talk listener is only slightly younger than news talk. But the environment is more positive, so it's better for sales.
The digital content sports stations create does appeal to younger demos.
K.M. Richards
Program Director, The Eighties Channel™
Not to mention that sports talk listeners tend to be very consistently loyal to their stations. That improves response to ads.