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Arnie Arnesen radio show being dropped at years end

C

CrankyYankee

(From the "Boston Globe")

CONCORD, N.H. --Arnie Arnesen's radio show is going off the air at the end of the year, and the outspoken, left-of-center host cites her rants against auto advertisers as one reason.

"I have started calling SUVs FU-vs, because it's not acceptable anymore that 90 percent of people who own them don't need them," she said.

She added, "Here's the problem: If the bread-and-butter of small radio stations is car businesses, who's going to buy me?"

Jeff Shapiro, WTPL station owner, said Arnesen's program had become a hard-sell to businesses.

============================================================================
(Read more at:)

http://www.boston.com/news/local/ne...rnie_arnesen_radio_show_being_dropped?mode=PF

<P ID="signature">______________
"What's That?" "French Horns!"

</P>
 
Wow; interesting situation, though, with talk hosts being muzzled due to
advertisers. She still does the Ch 50 show; in fact, a friend of mine may soon
appear on that show regularly talking popular culture.<P ID="signature">______________
raccoonradio5ap.gif
</P>
 
Your statement about Ms. Arnesen being "muzzled by advertisers" is...ummm...inaccurate. The station is dropping the show because they claim that they can't sell advertising in it. That is a business decision-no one has "muzzled" the show. Advertisers do have a right to be in (or not be in) a program. WTPL has trouble selling ads in general...due in part to its total lack of marketing/promotion or any compelling programming outside of the Sox. Sounds more like they can't afford to pay her any longer and are trying to apply some positive spin to the story.


> Wow; interesting situation, though, with talk hosts being
> muzzled due to
> advertisers. She still does the Ch 50 show; in fact, a
> friend of mine may soon
> appear on that show regularly talking popular culture.
>
 
> Your statement about Ms. Arnesen being "muzzled by
> advertisers" is...ummm...inaccurate. The station is dropping
> the show because they claim that they can't sell advertising
> in it.

Arnesen may have been implying that she was kinda being muzzled...
"Here's the problem: If the bread-and-butter of small radio stations is car businesses, who's going to buy me?"
So in other words, if car dealers, etc., are major advertisers, there would be pressure for her to not attack things like SUVs, I would think. She's being
honest in putting forth her opinions, but if advertisers feel they're being attacked...But yes there
could well be other reasons ranging from low ratings to WTPL having
difficulty in selling the station's shows, including hers.
 
Link to Concord Monitor article

http://www.cmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051215/REPOSITORY/512150360/1031

"Radio personality Arnie Arnesen will be off the air at the end of the year because her talk show is "too provocative" to sell ads, Arnesen, 52, said. Arnesen said she doesn't know whether she'll look for a new radio job after she leaves WTPL, 107.7 FM. Arnesen, whose outspokenness is her trademark, said there wasn't a single incident that led to her show being canceled. But she cited her rants against SUVs as the kind of on-air opinion that makes advertisers turn away"<P ID="signature">______________
raccoonradio5ap.gif
</P>
 
She's being honest in putting forth her opinions, but if advertisers
feel they're being attacked...
--------------------------------------------------------------------

Methinks it's time to spin Stan Freberg's "Green Chri$tmas",

"Dashing through the snow,
In a fifty-foot coup-e
O'er the fields we go,
Selling all the way. . .
Deck the halls with advertising,
What's the use of compromising,
Fa la la la la la la la la."

or

Tom Leher's "A Christmas Carol",

"On Christmas Day you can't get sore,
Your fellow man you must adore.
There's time to rob him all the more
The other three hundred and sixty-four."

right about now...<P ID="signature">______________
"What's That?" "French Horns!"

</P>
 
I have felt some pressure not to tick off car dealers myself, but let's be honest...they're an easy target! :))) Arnie's show can be an aquired taste and combined with a station that has to see ratings improve just to get to 0.1-you've got a recipe for red ink.
Arnie's opinion notwithstanding, this sounds like a way for TPL to cut expenses, plain and simple. I wonder what 3rd-rate syndicated bird droppings will replace her.



> So in other words, if car dealers, etc., are major
> advertisers, there would be pressure for her to not attack
> things like SUVs, I would think. She's being
> honest in putting forth her opinions, but if advertisers
> feel they're being attacked...But yes there
> could well be other reasons ranging from low ratings to WTPL
> having
> difficulty in selling the station's shows, including hers.
>
 
> > Your statement about Ms. Arnesen being "muzzled by
> > advertisers" is...ummm...inaccurate. The station is
> dropping
> > the show because they claim that they can't sell
> advertising
> > in it.
>
> Arnesen may have been implying that she was kinda being
> muzzled...
> "Here's the problem: If the bread-and-butter of small radio
> stations is car businesses, who's going to buy me?"
> So in other words, if car dealers, etc., are major
> advertisers, there would be pressure for her to not attack
> things like SUVs, I would think. She's being
> honest in putting forth her opinions, but if advertisers
> feel they're being attacked...But yes there
> could well be other reasons ranging from low ratings to WTPL
> having
> difficulty in selling the station's shows, including hers.
>

Arneson is not a great talent in my opinion and she does have that show on my TV that is really a snore, again in my opinion. The SUV thing is a cover story for a non-talent on her way out. I am a liberal so this has nothing to do with her opinions. WTPL would be better off playing ESPN off the bird. WTPL has a bunch of "also rans" on their station. I wonder how ratings are? They have good reception throughout the state on an FM signal and they waste it with a bunch of talkers who are better suited for a class B/C/D AM.
 
> I have felt some pressure not to tick off car dealers
> myself, but let's be honest...they're an easy target! :)))
> Arnie's show can be an aquired taste and combined with a
> station that has to see ratings improve just to get to
> 0.1-you've got a recipe for red ink.
> Arnie's opinion notwithstanding, this sounds like a way for
> TPL to cut expenses, plain and simple. I wonder what
> 3rd-rate syndicated bird droppings will replace her.
>

Are you confusing WTPL with WKXL (a station that rarely if ever shows in the ratings)? Granted, other than the Sox & Howie Carr, TPL's line-up is kind of weak, I still thought they at least broke a 1.

As far as Arnie goes...most of us learned early in our careers not to tick off clients. While certainly intelligent and articulate, she also tends to be a bit of a loose cannon, and doesn't appear to have learned this lesson yet. My suspicion is that a couple big accounts threatened to pull their ads off the whole station, not just her show. Not a good career move.
 
No confusion, but my comment about ratings was sarcastic, not based on any real numbers. Has TPL placed in the Concord book?
> >
>
> Are you confusing WTPL with WKXL (a station that rarely if
> ever shows in the ratings)? Granted, other than the Sox &
> Howie Carr, TPL's line-up is kind of weak, I still thought
> they at least broke a 1.
>
> As far as Arnie goes...most of us learned early in our
> careers not to tick off clients. While certainly
> intelligent and articulate, she also tends to be a bit of a
> loose cannon, and doesn't appear to have learned this lesson
> yet. My suspicion is that a couple big accounts threatened
> to pull their ads off the whole station, not just her show.
> Not a good career move.
>
 
> Are you confusing WTPL with WKXL (a station that rarely if
> ever shows in the ratings)? Granted, other than the Sox &
> Howie Carr, TPL's line-up is kind of weak, I still thought
> they at least broke a 1.
>

They did. Last book they tied with WRKO for the highest rated talk station in the market. They even beat WGIR(AM).

I was scanning the dial on Monday and noticed they were simulcasting WMUR's Noon Newscast. How long have they been doing that?

Wonder what the replacement will be? Rush? Doubtful since he is on WGIR. O'Reilly is a possibility since he is off WKBR. My guess would be they move Jack Heath's show and maybe add an hour to the Wakeup show.
 
>
> Wonder what the replacement will be? Rush? Doubtful
> since he is on WGIR. O'Reilly is a possibility since he is
> off WKBR. My guess would be they move Jack Heath's show
> and maybe add an hour to the Wakeup show.
>

The noon hour would be tough to fill with syndicated fare due to the WMUR news. Would Jack be willing/able to do 12:30-3? He'd need a new sidekick/producer...she's currently part of the morning show. As far as covering 9-10, doesn't Laura Ingrahm start at 9?
 
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