• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

A Rarity On WPHT

DToTheJ

DToTheJ

Imagine my surprise this morning when, instead of hearing whoever the jabroni is substituting for Michael Smerconish on the network, I hear an actual local morning show on WPHT! It sounded like Paul Perrillo and some other muckity muck... Not only were they giving out the local hotline number, they were taking calls from actual local listeners! Imagine that! It left me pining for the old days of WCAU!

How shocking that WPHT would invest in local talk programming, and in such prime time slots - first, the final hour of Glenn Beck's show, and now, the morning show. What's next, a new local show to replace Sean Hannity? Stay tuned.
 
Deminski & Doyle were doing a Philly-specific show last week as well (regardless of where they were physically sitting). Local number, local topics.

But no reason to believe it's portending something bigger. One-off shots for specific circumstances. (Unless they lose the national shows in moves not of their choosing, in which case it would get interesting.)
 
As has been discussed, the widely-held opinion is that it would be in Clear Channel's best interest to leave their three syndicated talk shows on the blowtorch that is WPHT, rather than scarf them up and start up a "Rush Radio" on, say, 106.1 FM...

So that was Deminski & Doyle I heard this morning? One of them sounds like Perrillo... I know both of them used to be popular in Detroit.
 
No, my use of "as well" ended up being unclear. It meant there was a non-network fill in last week as well as today, not that they were continuing to fill in today (based on hearing them last week state it was a one-week gig).

D&D have done some nighttime fill ins as well. Personally, I'd rather have them than Giordano, but to each their own, and if Dom works for 1210, great for them.

Yes, there's sound business sense to Clear Channel to let things alone, and they may well do that. Ditto for WPHT; no reason for them to upset the apple cart now and drop any of their syndicated fare willingly.
 
Is the show WPHT normally airs during morning drive not local? I thought Smerconish was doing two shows, a local one in the morning and a national one in the early afternoon (that WPHT airs on tape delay in late nights).
 
aindik said:
Is the show WPHT normally airs during morning drive not local? I thought Smerconish was doing two shows, a local one in the morning and a national one in the early afternoon (that WPHT airs on tape delay in late nights).
Click to expand...

I think the morning show airs here on 1210 and down in DC too?
 
It's at least that one station. The syndication company advertises both as options, so there may be more than just the DC affiliate on board by this point.
 
There are several stations that carry both Smerconish shows. The website http://www.smerconish.com/ appears to have everything but an affiliates page. But as far as I know, his morning show, based at WPHT, is simulcast on sister station WHFS-AM in Washington, as well as other stations like WGST in Atlanta (where, according to banner ads here on Radio-Info, the station's listenership has increased 20% in the time slot - which could mean there are now six people listening during that time instead of five). The afternoon program airs on CBS-owned WBCN in Charlotte (which, like WHFS-AM, is largely a syndicated clearinghouse of second-rate talk shows, plus Glenn Beck); this program is also aired on tape delay on WOR in New York.
 
Actually Smerconish has an affiliates page.

http://www.smerconish.com/affiliate_map.php

They list the airtime for Smerconish on WPHT as "12pm - 2 am." Which would be a full 14 hours in a row. :) What they mean is 12a-2a (my point being, they don't list the 6a-9a time at all).

Similarly for WHFS, they list the time as 8p-10p. For the station in Atlanta they do list 6a-9a.

If he's not going to be doing local content on the morning show, and the afternoon show is going to be on in tape delay everywhere, what's the point of doing the afternoon show? Why not just syndicate the morning show for tape delayed broadcast?
 
Some might say his ego is big enough for a 14-hour show ;) but I've lost track of how many times I've seen various entities get thrown off by the midnight-being-am thing (though for the life of me, I don't see how it's that difficult).

The option of two live versions is interesting. Sure, some will be tape delayed, but maybe it helps gain clearances in a crowded market to have two options out there (and for stations airing it at night, at least they're airing something slightly less stale than a morning show).
 
DToTheJ said:
Imagine my surprise this morning when, instead of hearing whoever the jabroni is substituting for Michael Smerconish on the network, I hear an actual local morning show on WPHT! It sounded like Paul Perrillo and some other muckity muck... Not only were they giving out the local hotline number, they were taking calls from actual local listeners! Imagine that! It left me pining for the old days of WCAU!

How shocking that WPHT would invest in local talk programming, and in such prime time slots - first, the final hour of Glenn Beck's show, and now, the morning show. What's next, a new local show to replace Sean Hannity? Stay tuned.
Click to expand...
WPHT would never be like WCAU-AM was in the 80s in terms of local talk programming.
 
Nor would most (not all, but most) talk stations. And given the reality of business today vs. what...20, 30 years ago...nor would it be a realistic expectation. You can't operate in 2010 like you did in 1980 and think you're going to see the same results. You have to accept reality as it is, not as you wish it might be.
 
When you have the three most listened to shows nationally in your lineup; Rush, Hannity, & Beck, why would you do anything to mess with that lineup? I still believe that 106.1 will really go the AC route eventually, and not the current rhythmic version.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom