An electic Talk Format

[Alex B]

In St. Louis, we have a new radio station on the air that is different from almost any talk station I've ever heard. Just look at the lineup:5am Don Imus9am Neal Boortz12n Al Franken3p 2 Live Stews6pm Jim CramerCan this work? Usually a talk station is all right wing, or all left wing, and this definately is not. In fact, they position themselves as "issues oriented talk without an agenda."Personally, I like it. It's almost as much fun to get mad at Franken as it is to agree with Boortz. Is this kind of talk programming done in other markets? Is it smart positioning in a market with Rush on a 50,000 watt clear channel, and a conservative FM talker already established in the market?

 

[tombetz]

5am Don Imus9am Neal Boortz12n Al Franken3p 2 Live Stews6pm Jim Cramer

"Eclectic?" More like SCHIZOPHRENIC!What's the rest of its lineup?(Never mind. I just looked up KRFT-AM... with all of 22 watts at night, the rest of its lineup hardly matters!)One of the arguments AAR's promoters used for its all-libtalk-all-the-time approach was the conventional wisdom that mixing liberal talkers with conservative talkers on the same station ended up hurting the ratings of both, as a result of the "tune-out effect".It will be interesting to see how St. Louis takes to this melange.

 

[Alex B]

"Eclectic?" More like SCHIZOPHRENIC!What's the rest of its lineup?(Never mind. I just looked up KRFT-AM... with all of 22 watts at night, the rest of its lineup hardly matters!)One of the arguments AAR's promoters used for its all-libtalk-all-the-time approach was the conventional wisdom that mixing liberal talkers with conservative talkers on the same station ended up hurting the ratings of both, as a result of the "tune-out effect".It will be interesting to see how St. Louis takes to this melange.

Yes, the station is a 10,000 watt blowtorch in the day, and essentially disappears at night. How does that happen?I was also wondering about the tune out effect. Personally, I find myself staying after Boortz and listening to at least some of Franken, and I'd never seek out a show like Franken.To me, Boortz is the star of the station. It's a must listen for me.It will be interesting to see if it gets some ratings in the fall book. It wasn't around for the Winter book. It was running Sporting News Network, and not showing up.With the shake-up's at other talkers in town, they may have picked a great time to flip. We shall see.

 

[fred flintstone]

Mourning Becomes Eclectic

You might check out 1360 WPTT in Pittsburgh:5am TV Morning News Simulcast7 am Laura Ingraham (TRN - Conservative)9 am Lynn Cullen (Local - Liberal)12p Thom Hartmann (AAR - Liberal)3pm Doug Hoerth (Local - "Quirky")6pm Clark Howard (Jones - Consumer Advice)10p Alan Colmes (Fox - Liberal)1am George Noory (Premiere - Weird)Audio:http://nick8.surfernetwork.com/Media/player/detect.html?call=WPTT

 

[mr_mark_taylor]

"Eclectic?" More like SCHIZOPHRENIC!What's the rest of its lineup?(Never mind. I just looked up KRFT-AM... with all of 22 watts at night, the rest of its lineup hardly matters!)One of the arguments AAR's promoters used for its all-libtalk-all-the-time approach was the conventional wisdom that mixing liberal talkers with conservative talkers on the same station ended up hurting the ratings of both, as a result of the "tune-out effect".It will be interesting to see how St. Louis takes to this melange.

Yes, the station is a 10,000 watt blowtorch in the day, and essentially disappears at night. How does that happen?

someone correct me if i'm wrong but it's usually a case of an old daytimer that suddenly wants some night power so they apply for less power than a light bulb because they're protecting another station near them that has a higher night power

 

[billybee]

Partly right. Daytimers don't suddenly want nighttime. Some years back the FCC stopped allowing new daytimers. Daytimers were allowed a low nighttime power (which can be better than no power). This nightime power can be even lower than the one you note, as low as a few watts. This does marginalize the overall station viability.

 

[fred flintstone]

More Eclecticism

...from Clear Channel's WKTG, Grand Rapids, Michigan:6am Clark Howard (Jones - Consumer Advice)8am Various Local Advice Shows (Brokered)9am Glenn Beck (Premiere - Conservative Talk)12n Thom Hartmann (AAR - Progessive Talk)2pm Dave Ramsey (Ramsey - Financial Advice)5pm Ed Schultz (Jones - Progressive Talk)8pm Dr Laura (Premiere - Personal Advice)10p Phil Hendrie (Premiere - Comedy/Talk)1am Lionel (WOR - Progressive Talk)5am Coast to Coast AM (Westwood One - News)

 

[doc9464]

In St. Louis, we have a new radio station on the air that is different from almost any talk station I've ever heard. Just look at the lineup:5am Don Imus9am Neal Boortz12n Al Franken3p 2 Live Stews6pm Jim CramerCan this work? Usually a talk station is all right wing, or all left wing, and this definately is not. In fact, they position themselves as "issues oriented talk without an agenda."Personally, I like it. It's almost as much fun to get mad at Franken as it is to agree with Boortz. Is this kind of talk programming done in other markets? Is it smart positioning in a market with Rush on a 50,000 watt clear channel, and a conservative FM talker already established in the market?

If the programmers can find the "right mix", sure it can work. KGO has been doing this for years in SF. KGO has progressive, libratarian, and other voices for years. Plus they throw in news and Dr. Dean Edell as well. If I was going to schedule this, I do not believe I would have Jim Cramer on at 6pm. His time of the day is when the markets are going. If I wanted to hear Cramer (and I don't anyway...lol), I would watch his little show on CNBC each evening over his radio show (which may or may not be delayed).

 

[TheVisionary]

If you're line-up consists mostly of local talkers I think it makes sense. Most local listeners will be more likely to look at issues from both sides. However, in this case you are talking about a mostly national line-up. I think listeners are less likely to tolerate it.

 

[Alex B]

The station is now streaming:http://www.talkradio1190.com

 

[kaufcom]

I have identified 92 talk stations that feature only one liberal talker. These stations account for almost half of the stations that feature at least one liberal talker (Monday-Friday.) They are:Station Band City StateKAOI AM Wailuku HIKBBO AM SELAH WAKBKW AM ABERDEEN WAKCJB AM MINOT NDKCMO AM KANSAS CITY MOKCOL AM WELLINGTON COKCYL AM LAMPASAS TXKFPT AM CLOVIS CAKFPW AM FORT SMITH ARKGAM AM PALM SPRINGS CAKGEZ AM KALISPELL MTKHDN AM HARDIN MTKIXZ AM AMARILLO TXKJTV AM LUBBOCK TXKLIF AM DALLAS TXKLTC AM DICKINSON NDKLWN AM LAWRENCE KSKMLB AM MONROE LAKNDK AM LANGDON NDKNSS AM WICHITA KSKNUU AM PARADISE NVKOZX FM CABOOL MOKQDJ AM JAMESTOWN NDKQDS AM DULUTH MNKQYX AM JOPLIN MOKRCM AM BEAUMONT TXKRDM AM REDMOND WAKTOX AM NEEDLES CAKTRB AM MODESTO CAKTRH AM HOUSTON TXKUGN AM EUGENE ORKUSH AM CUSHING OKKVON AM WILLIS TXKVOT AM Taos NMKVPI AM VILLE PLATTE LAKWDJ AM RIDGECREST CAKXL AM PORTLAND ORKYMN AM NORTHFIELD MNKZNU AM ST. GEORGE UTWALR AM ATLANTA GAWALT AM MERIDIAN MSWAMT AM WATERBURY CTWBLF AM STATE COLLEGE PAWDAY AM FARGO NDWDLC AM PORT JERVIS NYWDXY AM SUMTER SCWEBJ AM BREWTON ALWEEB AM SOUTHERN PINES NCWENI AM CORNING NYWFBL AM SYRACUSE NYWFIS AM FOUNTAIN INN SCWFLN AM ARCADIA FLWFTL AM WEST PALM BEACH FLWFVA AM FREDERICKSBURG VAWGAC AM AUGUSTA GAWGAT AM GATE CITY VAWGAU AM ATHENS GAWGHQ AM KINGSTON NYWGNY AM FISHERS INWGTX AM DE FUNIAK SPRINGS FLWHBY AM KIMBERLY WIWHIS AM BLUEFIELD WVWIBW AM TOPEKA KSWINA AM CHARLOTTESVILLE VAWINI AM MURPHYSBORO ILWJIM AM LANSING MIWJNO AM WEST PALM BEACH FLWJNX AM FORT PIERCE FLWKHM AM JACKSON MIWKSN AM JAMESTOWN NYWLOB AM PORTLAND MEWLRT AM HAMPTON VAWMET AM GAITHERSBURG MDWMWR AM DRY BRANCH GAWNTA AM ROCKFORD ILWOOD AM GRAND RAPIDS MIWOR AM NEW YORK NYWPSL AM PORT ST. LUCIE FLWROW AM ALBANY NYWRSA AM ST. ALBANS VTWRTA AM ALTOONA PAWSAR AM FALL RIVER MAWSYR AM SYRACUSE NYWTAR AM NORFOLK VAWTAW AM COLLEGE STATION TXWTRC AM ELKHART INWTSL AM HANOVER NHWTZE AM TAZEWELL VAWWBA AM PINELLAS PARK FLWWNZ AM VEAZIE MEWWWI AM BAXTER MNWXIT AM BLOWING ROCK NCWZTK FM KFCD WICHITA FALLS TXWBTN

 

[Scribbler]

I have identified 92 talk stations that feature only one liberal talker. These stations account for almost half of the stations that feature at least one liberal talker (Monday-Friday.)

The only station on your list that's in my area is WGHQ in Kingston, NY and I have yet to hear anything but right-wing talkers on that station. If there's a liberal in the lineup I'd like to listen to him or her. Please advise!

 

[kaufcom]

The only station on your list that's in my area is WGHQ in Kingston, NY and I have yet to hear anything but right-wing talkers on that station. If there's a liberal in the lineup I'd like to listen to him or her. Please advise!

Alan Colmes is WGHQ on Monday-Friday from 10pm-1am

 

[Scribbler]

The only station on your list that's in my area is WGHQ in Kingston, NY and I have yet to hear anything but right-wing talkers on that station. If there's a liberal in the lineup I'd like to listen to him or her. Please advise!

Alan Colmes is WGHQ on Monday-Friday from 10pm-1am

Ah, the right's favorite "liberal." That figures. I won't be listening.

 

[fred flintstone]

Most often the Lone Liberal is either Big Ed or Thom Hartmann, with Alan Colmes or Lionel as runners up.And Alan Colmes on the radio is as different from his TV punching bag act as Jerry Springer on the radio is different from his tabloid trash TV act. Both carry a lot of baggage onto their radio show from poor choices they've made in television. Even so, it's not fair to criticize their radio work based on their TV performances.That said, Alan seems to try to over-compensate on his radio by sometimes coming on too strong to callers who disagree with him. And Jerry's radio show isn't bad, but I'd much rather listen to Steph.

 

[ajhenderson]

The three stations referenced are bottom feeders. KRFT will fail (Imus flopped on the ever-mediocre KFTK several years ago), WPTT pulls half-shares in all demos except 55+, and WTKG is a veeeeeeeeeery distant second that serves, like CC sister WKJK/Louisville, as a dumping ground for Premiere shows and a few others that might make a few bucks for CC on a signal they couldn't figure out what else to do with.

 

[SaltyDog]

Can this work? Usually a talk station is all right wing, or all left wing, and this definately is not. In fact, they position themselves as "issues oriented talk without an agenda."

Who knows? It just might. It failed miserably when I tried it in 1989 but now who knows?

 

[SaltyDog]

Ah, the right's favorite "liberal."

We've read that so many times we now refer to it as "Cliche #637". To save time, please use that reference number in the future.

 

[Scribbler]

Ah, the right's favorite "liberal."

We've read that so many times we now refer to it as "Cliche #637". To save time, please use that reference number in the future.

If you can come up with an original way to convey this obvious truth, please post it.BTW, the phrase "we now refer to it as 'Cliche # (Insert Random Number here)'" has also become a chiche.

 

[dampier]

And Alan Colmes on the radio is as different from his TV punching bag act as Jerry Springer on the radio is different from his tabloid trash TV act.

Yes. Colmes puts away the "House Liberal" routine he plays on Fox News with Sean Hannity for his radio show, which is much more traditional libtalk, except his whole show is marketed to conservative radio listeners as "give Alan a piece of your mind"-type promos, so the predictable effect is that he has a whole mess of conservative callers who either appreciate his "you know your place" performance on television or treat him with same kind of contempt Hannity seems to have. They don't take him seriously, and neither do liberals. My favorite story was at the Democratic National Convention in 2004 when Colmes turned up in the lunchroom and sat down and -everyone- at his table got up and moved, leaving him alone. It was like a scene from Heathers or something.Respect is something earned, not given away. He'll get more when he finally stands up for himself on H&C.