1210 Change (For Real This Time)

[TheBigA]

My political opinions aside... if you pull two of the biggest conservative talkers for a conservative talk station, and barely make a blip... something's wrong.

Have you looked at the ratings for most of the major market stations that carry those two? For example, WOR in NYC or WLS in Chicago? They're both in the basement.

The way to do major market talk is all-local. That's what works in Boston, Los Angeles, and just about everywhere else. Put Rush & Hannity on your back-up station. Which may say a lot about what they're doing in Philly.

 

[bobjim45]

Have you looked at the ratings for most of the major market stations that carry those two? For example, WOR in NYC or WLS in Chicago? They're both in the basement.

The way to do major market talk is all-local. That's what works in Boston, Los Angeles, and just about everywhere else. Put Rush & Hannity on your back-up station. Which may say a lot about what they're doing in Philly.

If you look at Cox's talk stations (WSB WOKV etc..) they are all top 5 stations with either one or both of Rush and Hannity and COX's talk stations run a lot of syndication. WOR and WLS's major problem are the local host not getting numbers like WSB's or WMAL's local host. If you want to carry both Rush and Hannity you still have to program the other 18 hours of the day. Not all local always works, WGN in Chicago is not even in the top 20 in the main 25-54 demo and revenue has drop dramatically in the last 5-10 years.

 

[davideduardo]

If you look at Cox's talk stations (WSB WOKV etc..) they are all top 5 stations with either one or both of Rush and Hannity and COX's talk stations run a lot of syndication. WOR and WLS's major problem are the local host not getting numbers like WSB's or WMAL's local host. If you want to carry both Rush and Hannity you still have to program the other 18 hours of the day. Not all local always works, WGN in Chicago is not even in the top 20 in the main 25-54 demo and revenue has drop dramatically in the last 5-10 years.

WOKV and WSB are deep in the more conservative South. There is a significant difference in how those syndicated products work in different markets, depending on their political "atmosphere".

 

[AbrahamJSimpson]

If you want to carry both Rush and Hannity you still have to program the other 18 hours of the day.

Add a Levin after Hannity, some D-lister after that and the wacked-out overnight syndicated show for another 6 hours or so, and you can turn off the lights at lunchtime and hit the golf course.

With the exception of where they place Hannity, there’s your basic WPHT approach. Not saying it’s not correct all things considered. All they need to do is move the afternoon crew to mornings, slide Hannity up and backfill something at 9 pm. Piece of cake.

 

[bobjim45]

WOKV and WSB are deep in the more conservative South. There is a significant difference in how those syndicated products work in different markets, depending on their political "atmosphere".

WMAL in DC does very well and that station has several syndicated shows and I wouldn't consider WMAL "deep in the conservative south". WPHT main ratings problems are because drive times not up to par not because of the 9 to midnight syndicated host.

 

[Miguelito]

WMAL in DC does very well and that station has several syndicated shows and I wouldn't consider WMAL "deep in the conservative south. WPHT main ratings problems are because drive times not up to par not because of the 9 to midnight syndicated host.

Well, DC is another whole other thing. It's DC, after all!

 

[TheBigA]

WPHT main ratings problems are because drive times not up to par not because of the 9 to midnight syndicated host.

Conversely they don't get a big Rush boost either.

 

[JBraddock]

...it’s also not like anyone on 106.9 was going to light the world on fire. It was a dumpster fire pretty much the whole way.

You're of course entitled to your opinion of IQ's programming but, again,

Merlin had some success with the Premiere-based syndicated talk on 106.9, beating PHT in at least one rating period 6+ during its brief existence, I believe. PHT had the stronger morning show by far. WWIQ's Al Gardner, a format veteran who served as morning co-host and PD was okay, but Mendte was indeed awful. To be fair he was new at talk radio and may have improved in NYC. But IQ returned to obscurity due to Merlin running out of time with its investors, rather than the ratings.

The format was gaining traction. Merlin's investors ran out of patience. Most of what PHT's local hosts cover is national news topics. Most news-talk radio operates that way. IQ wasn't any different other than the lack of a local host outside of morning drive. Had Merlin stuck around and not punted with Imus, perhaps they could have plugged in a decent morning host or let Al Gardner grow in the slot.

Maybe Dom can do mornings on PHT. I can't think of any decent syndicated hosts that are live 9 to noon Eastern that aren't already in the market so they'd have to bring in someone new.

 

[JBraddock]

WMAL in DC does very well and that station has several syndicated shows and I wouldn't consider WMAL "deep in the conservative south". WPHT main ratings problems are because drive times not up to par not because of the 9 to midnight syndicated host.

MAL is local 6 to noon and PM drive, and they had to wrangle with the Cumulus head office to get rid of Savage and Cumulus programming from 9 to noon. Their ratings improved after clearing out the Cumulus syndicated duds during the day.

Conversely they (WPHT) don't get a big Rush boost either.

Do you have numbers to support that contention?

 

[bobjim45]

MAL is local 6 to noon and PM drive, and they had to wrangle with the Cumulus head office to get rid of Savage and Cumulus programming from 9 to noon. Their ratings improved after clearing out the Cumulus syndicated duds during the day.

I was under the impression that Chris Plante show was syndicated out of WMAL. Is he doing a local only show for WMAL? Anyways, a station like WMAL shows that you can run Rush and can do very well in a major market.

 

[davideduardo]

WMAL in DC does very well and that station has several syndicated shows and I wouldn't consider WMAL "deep in the conservative south". WPHT main ratings problems are because drive times not up to par not because of the 9 to midnight syndicated host.

I would not say that a station thqt is 14th on average in 25-54 is doing "well". DC is politicized, so talk and news are significantly more appealing than in most other markets.

In most markets, the NPR affiliate does as well as or better than the principal commercial talk station. In DC, WAMU is several full points ahead of WMAL in 12+ and it is two and a half times as listened to by 25-45's.