1210 WPHT Sees Highest Ratings in Years

[Gregg.]

How about WPHT rising to the threes? It's tied with WRNB and ahead of FM stations WBEN-FM, WZMP, WISX, WPHI and WPEN.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, Philadelphia has NEVER given good ratings to a very conservative talk radio station. When WWDB 96.5 was consistently in the top 10 as a Talk station, it was mostly liberal talk, and all-local 24 hours a day. Even at 4am on a Sunday, there was a local talk show on. No other Talk station has come close.

But that said, it seems the elections or something else is pushing WPHT to unusually high ratings. Not great, but better than we've seen at 1210 for years. Maybe no one will suggest it switch formats this month?

 

[Oscar Madison]

WWDB "mostly liberal?" Huh? Irv Homer? Frank Ford? Tom Marr? Smerconish?

 

[pab]

WWDB "mostly liberal?" Huh? Irv Homer? Frank Ford? Tom Marr? Smerconish?

Other than Irv, none of the others were part of the regular line-up at the station's peak. Tom Marr was stuck on the weekends until they paired him up with liberal Susan Brey. Frank Ford never got out of the weekends.

 

[JBraddock]

WWDB Ratings

I recall that WWDB's ratings popped after they belatedly added Limbaugh to the lineup. They were doing respectably, but after adding Limbaugh, they were planted comfortably into the Top 6-7 stations 12+ for several years. Their heritage lineup was solid, but non-local Limbaugh complemented that lineup a lot better than 'DB's programmers were initially willing to admit. I also opined on PHT's ratings increase here.

 

[Gregg.]

Yes, I remember Susan Brey... with an Australian or British accent, I believe. And there was a VERY liberal African-American host in afternoons. And Dr. Corea did a medical show some evenings.

Let's remember that when WWDB's Talk format first started, it was sort of an after-thought to 1340 WHAT, which was a successful R&B station. WWDB was the FM sister station. I suppose the owners launched a Talk format on the FM figuring they'd like to be a service to the community, but making sure it had equal appeal to Philadelphia's white and black audiences. Am I remembering it correctly?

Then in WWDB's last years, it was bought by another company, who didn't have the same commitment, saw the ratings drop, and ended the all-local programming by adding the hot syndicated shows of the day, Rush Limbaugh and Dr. Laura. They may have given the station a boost for a while but then the ratings dropped further and the ownership figured it could save money and improve ratings by going with a music format.

 

[Oscar Madison]

More than one nail in 'DB's coffin. The former WCAU returned to talk as WPHT and got Rush away from 'DB. And 'DB turned their talk shows into infomercials. Guests paid to come on and hawk their stuff in the form of "interviews." The attempt was both dull and obvious.

 

[benale]

WWDB was ahead of it's time..an FM talker. They switched formats the day before the 2000 election was contested and missed out on a big news story,but at that point they wanted to save money and switch to what i recall a very bland music format. Don't think it lasted too long.

Off topic a little, but WPHT's rating is the best they've seen in ages. Why isn't WABC seeing that kind of jump? It's a very unusual election year and talk stations should be doing well,but WABC has been stuck at a 1.4 for almost a year. WOR is doing a little better,but they have Rush and carry the Mets.