Art Bell: talk radio too focused on political talk

[Phil Boyce]

So the above posts sort of prove my point....that these posters here have their agenda. And I admit I have mine. But their agenda is to stop the war, tarnish Bush, and condemn conservative hosts like Rush and Sean.

My agenda is to try and make a living programming talkradio, get the largest audience I can deliver my sales department, and help them go out and make some money for my company. This is a business.

Oldies Cat says:

On O'Reilly's highest rated shows, most of America isn't watching- nearly 95% are watching something else

Did you steal that from me? You are now making sense. In an earlier post I tried to remind these people that if I get a 5 share I am a hero. That means 95% of the radios turned on are not listening to me. So you used the same statistic. I think we agree on this point. Talkradio is not a very good vehicle to attract a majority of Americans. It is a good vehicle to attract a large enough audience that this format is the most listened to in American radio. It ain't for everybody.

b3 says

It may be that today's radio stations are so focused on the tried and true, that there is no room for risk and creativity.

If creativity to you is taking something that does not fit...and try to make it fit...then you are right. I do not do that. But....with the exception of Rush Limbaugh, my entire lineup was once a risk. Just so happens that most of it worked. Lucky me.

pb

 

[Caveman]

So the above posts sort of prove my point....that these posters here have their agenda. And I admit I have mine. But their agenda is to stop the war,

How terribly selfish of them! You really do have a lot of time to troll and post on a message board considering how "busy" you claim to be. Then again, most wingnuts are completely full of it.

 

[JoeyK]

With all due respect Mr. Boyce you fail to mention the fact that ABC practically extorts stations that carry Hannity that they should take Levin or they may lose Hannity. You also make no mention of highly rated Michael Savage who is on directly opposite Levin live in some markets. Since Savage left KSFO and was pulled from WABC you seem to think he does not exist.

 

[OldiesCat]

Did you steal that from me?

I don't steal. I've said it countless times in the past on other boards.

 

[b344077]

Oops! I didn't mean to initiate the visceral on this issue. There is a term from Business School back in the '90's that suggested we think "out of the box" that we are all in and look at our audience not from political perspectives but from a "needs" perspective. Can a format be built around that and serve a large market segment? Are we confined to always laying blame (it's the Dems or Reps or Gays or Seniors or Bikers)? Should we be looking at the issues we face and seek solutions?If we want to find "blame" is it more a-political like "Big Phrma" (again) and is there a market for that? ???

 

[Don62]

It seems like much of the audience syndicators such as WABC serves is very narrow and more politically intolerant of new ideas, less opposing views.

I recall promotional spots during the 1980s on talk radio stations (when the stations aired more balanced progrmaming, not this crappy wall-to-wall right-wing junk espoused by creeps such as Hannity) stated how talk radio's audience was generally more affluent, more educated, and had more buying power than regular music radio listeners.

I doubt studies would show the current NT audience having those characteristics.

 

[smedge2006]

I doubt studies would show the current NT audience having those characteristics. I recall promotional spots during the 1980s on talk radio stations... stated how talk radio's audience was generally more affluent, more educated, and had more buying power than regular music radio listeners.

Studies! Just listen to the infomercials on Saturdays and Sundays! The people who are buying those products are not six-figure earners nor triple-digit IQ holders.

 

[Phil Boyce]

The talk radio audience is highly educated, makes more money...owns more houses.....etc. than just about any format on the radio. I know...shocking. You thought all these people were dummies.

ABC practically extorts stations that carry Hannity that they should take Levin or they may lose Hannity.

Simply not true. There is not one single Levin affiliate that was forced to carry Levin. But this subject has been debatad ad infinitum on another thread about WDEL vs. WILM. Go look it up if you want to know the real story there.

You also make no mention of highly rated Michael Savage who is on directly opposite Levin live in some markets. Since Savage left KSFO and was pulled from WABC you seem to think he does not exist.

He does exist, but who says I have to talk about him? In New York, Mark Levin is head-to-head with Savage. Mark is the #1 rated show, 6-8pm, on WABC in 12+, Men 25-54, and Men 18+. Savage is pretty far down the pack. So, I don't worry about him.

pb

 

[drtylawndre]

Bell is right too many shows repeat the same crap

 

[Don62]

You also make no mention of highly rated Michael Savage who is on directly opposite Levin live in some markets. Since Savage left KSFO and was pulled from WABC you seem to think he does not exist.

He does exist, but who says I have to talk about him? In New York, Mark Levin is head-to-head with Savage. Mark is the #1 rated show, 6-8pm, on WABC in 12+, Men 25-54, and Men 18+. Savage is pretty far down the pack. So, I don't worry about him.
pb

Maybe in NYC, but Savage is like the third most listened to radio talk host, bigger than Beck or nasaly Levin.
I'd say that makes him pretty darn important.

Plus, he's much more of a conversationalist - AKA "radio host" - than that smug Hannity.