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Anyone know where McConnell is now being broadcast?

I've looked into this at least three times, including after his show started syndication a while back.

I have not been able to find ONE affiliate so far.
 
Ok, thanks. I thought someone would have at least tried to find the locations by now.

I suppose i could have tracked where the callers are calling in from, though they are probably XM listeners.

Thats
 
WLW's Darryl Parks will only say that the show started on "a handful of stations", and seemed to indicate that many more would be coming aboard soon.

I'd look at places like CC sister talker WLAP/630 Lexington KY, with a long history of connection with WLW... but they recently started a local show in middays. CC doesn't have a talk station in Dayton, so that would likely be out. But maybe WTVN/610 Columbus would dump Glenn Beck for Mike...
 
I'm wondering if he's on anywhere but WLW and XM..maybe a new station he welcomed from Georgia on his weekend show at the same time he mentioned that he landed WABC for the weekend show. I don't know if its worth the potential ratings erosion on WLW to just have him on a few pea-shooters. The syndication market is already way overcrowded.
 
OhioMediaWatch said:
I'd look at places like CC sister talker WLAP/630 Lexington KY, with a long history of connection with WLW... but they recently started a local show in middays. CC doesn't have a talk station in Dayton, so that would likely be out. But maybe WTVN/610 Columbus would dump Glenn Beck for Mike...
...but WLW is a "local" signal in Lexington, Dayton, and Columbus; there's no need for "another" local to pick him up.
 
Well, true, that.

But WLAP has history picking up WLW-originated programming, no? And WTVN...they're running Beck in mid-mornings, and might welcome the chance to sell McConnell locally...even if WLW blows into Columbus, WTVN can't sell that.

We have a similar situation here. Rush Limbaugh is heard in tooth fillings all over the Akron market via 50,000 watt flamethrower WTAM/1100 Cleveland - which has a transmitter just a bit north of the Cuyahoga/Summit County line.

But CC's own WHLO/640 here runs Rush live, in tandem with WTAM, even though 1100 is a stronger signal in most of the area.

They sell him. It's extra low-hanging fruit for the sales department.

Same situation with McConnell ending up in places like Lexington and Columbus. Heck, he's on, apparently, in Richmond IN, which is darn near IN the Cincinnati/Dayton market axis...
 
He's being carried by CC's KTLK-FM, Minneapolis, which carries a new and so far low-rated talk format on a 98,000 watt/925 foot FM signal that used to carry smooth jazz.

He's delayed to 10p-1a CT following a delayed Glenn Beck show; the station also carries Rush and Hannity, (just taken over from a non-CC local AM), and three local shows.

So if you've only heard local (or XM) callers since the switch, that's because the KTLK listeners can't call in, and the WKBV callers are all from WLW's coverage area.
 
Seems to me that the Weekend Show has virtually zero national competition.

Now, if they are working up to pitting Mike up agaisnt other national talent, then that might be a different story all together.

McConnell says his local show has only been about 20% 'local content' for the past couple years. Your telling me that wasn't by design? How long has the Weekend Show been in the works? A couple years?

They have intentionally tried to steer McConnell into talking about national issues and his (getting old now) personal pet peeves.

In years past I always thought it would be great to have Mike on nationally, but now that he his, I just want the entire project to fall flat on its face. Because its not the same show anymore.

Talk radio was spawned by local markets and local discussions. I don't think it can survive when that local connection is severed. This might be a perfect example.
 
It's really going to depend on who picks him up. He is different than much of what's out there (a totally different perspective on Terri Shiavo than Rush, Hannity, Savage, et al). The time for him to have gotten into the syndication market would have been shortly after 9/11..witness Glenn Beck.

I can understand McConnell wanting to get into the national market. I don't know when WLW contracts are up, but with WLW being his only choice, there's not much room to negotiate. There's no "across town" to go to. So the obvious choice is to be on in several markets. Career-wise, it makes perfect sense.

"The Weekend" started airing noon to 3 several years ago, mostly on CC (I think Jacor was still in the picture) stations with rotating hosts, some of the regulars including former Toledo and now Atlanta host Denny Schaeffer, WHAM's Bob Lonsberry and at least once, liberal talker Jay Marvin. McConnell took over full time two years ago.

As for Richmond, IN, WHON carried the weekend show at one time..also carried Gary Burbank when he was syndicated.

(just tell me the Friday "lighter topic" will continue!)
 
OhioMediaWatch said:
Well, true, that.

But WLAP has history picking up WLW-originated programming, no? And WTVN...they're running Beck in mid-mornings, and might welcome the chance to sell McConnell locally...even if WLW blows into Columbus, WTVN can't sell that.

McConnell would flop on WTVN just like Gary Burbank did. Weekend is already on 610 on the weekends, and I just don't see it as a compelling enough program to go live on the only AM talk in town. If CC ever dumps Air America on WTPG, maybe that might be a candidate but putting McConnell on 610 would be a big mistake. Not a big fan of Glenn Beck (too much Mormon family values crap), but McConnell isn't entertaining enough to get me to listen.

Columbus is a moderate-to-conservative city. It isn't such a conservative city as Cincinnati and this knee jerk conservative stuff doesn't play well. Knee jerk liberal stuff doesn't play well, either. Besides, there is plenty of local talk on WOSU-AM.
 
"But WLAP has history picking up WLW-originated programming, no? And WTVN...they're running Beck in mid-mornings, and might welcome the chance to sell McConnell locally...even if WLW blows into Columbus, WTVN can't sell that."

Ask KOGO/San Diego how well selling Dr. Laura, who was local and then national on KFI, went, considering much of her San Diego audience was listening to KFI.

"We have a similar situation here. Rush Limbaugh is heard in tooth fillings all over the Akron market via 50,000 watt flamethrower WTAM/1100 Cleveland - which has a transmitter just a bit north of the Cuyahoga/Summit County line. But CC's own WHLO/640 here runs Rush live, in tandem with WTAM, even though 1100 is a stronger signal in most of the area. They sell him. It's extra low-hanging fruit for the sales department."

The Rush strategy is to be on in every market possible. Besides, it's CC's own show and even with him on 'TAM at the same time, what else would do better? Tammy Bruce? Dennis Prager? Laura Ingraham on tape would likely do the best but even that's sketchy. And seeing that WHLO is a throwaway station the serves to reduce per-station operating costs at Freedom Avenue, keep the 'TAM newsroom busy doing out-of-market news, and serve as a dumping ground for a few CC shows, Rush fits in just fine.

As to Mike's affils, isn't it interesting how quickly KTLK/Minneapolis went from actually appearing the care, with local shows from 5-11am and 5-10pm, to just being a syndicated garbage heap. Rush has to be happy with all the second-rate startups his own syndicator is forcing him onto, although as at least one host once said, "I'll talk into a tin can for enough money." Nevertheless, I suppose Beck and McConnell skew a bit younger and could perhaps KEEP some younger listeners on a news/talk format.

"Seems to me that the Weekend Show has virtually zero national competition"

Well, if you don't count countless best-of shows, infomercials, local brokered shows, etc. ad nauseum, then yes. I do like the show but I think if you're going to be on WLW you should be local. With his ratings, I'm sure WKRC would love to have him. [putting crack pipe down]

"I can understand McConnell wanting to get into the national market. I don't know when WLW contracts are up, but with WLW being his only choice, there's not much room to negotiate. There's no "across town" to go to. So the obvious choice is to be on in several markets. Career-wise, it makes perfect sense."

While he is a talent, I do feel McConnell is just an excellent local talker who fits in with the Tri-state. You're right; he couldn't pack his bags tomorrow and replace someone on KFI or KIRO. He isn't as goosestepping as Hannity or Limbaugh, as obnoxious as Savage, as entertaining as Beck, or as hot as Ingraham (used to be) to stand out in a crowded pool of syndication.
 
Dirty_Harry said:
Columbus is a moderate-to-conservative city. It isn't such a conservative city as Cincinnati and this knee jerk conservative stuff doesn't play well. Knee jerk liberal stuff doesn't play well, either. Besides, there is plenty of local talk on WOSU-AM.

Well, then, it seems to me McConnell might actually catch on if 'TVN picked him up. His basic calling card is a libertarian streak that sometimes tweaks those on the extreme right over certain issues. And he is sincere about it, at least on the air...he ripped into the social conservative folks over the Terri Schiavo case, for instance, and did it often. It wasn't just a token topic for him.

My only thought is that if McConnell gets any measurable listenership in Columbus via WLW, WTVN may see the opportunity to sell that listenership by adding his show.

Of course, I don't know how Glenn Beck is doing on 'TVN.
 
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