Ask Phil: Can Progressive Talk Work?

[evnlee]

why dont you take his word for it because he programs a successful station in the #1 market?
have you seen this guys resume? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Boyce
yeah, I'll take his word for it. :

You are joking, aren't you? The guy accuses me of saying I never referred to monthly ratings, uses the first part of post that I made regarding ratings and omits the very next sentence when I refer to one monthly ratings. And you say I should take his word for it?

Why are sucking up to him? The one thing I like about you Evelyn, is that you don't suck up anybody.

Baroosk~ without trying to sound like I'm sucking up to PB, who would have more or as much knowledge and access to ratings ( monthly or otherwise ) in this market?

It seems your point was that Ed Schultz piggybacked on the 'success' of AAR. This guy pointed out that
A: that is factually untrue
B: AAR didn't really have sustained 'success' in the #1 market anyways.

I would hope someone who ran WABC would have pretty good clue as to how well his 'competition' is doing. I mean, it's not like this guy is some lame blogger with no credibility! But, if you think I'm sucking up to him by pointing this out, oh well. :

 

[Phil Boyce]

Barooosk says:

Now a good numbers cruncher like Phil knows the “Arbitrends" are monthly ratings reports. Why did Phil omit my reference to the Arbitrends

Arbitrends are not montlies, even though they come out each month. Arbitrends are three month rolling averages. When I talk about monthlies I am talking about individual extrapolated monthlies, something that most PD's have access to. It is true that there are wobbles in those monthlies, but I did not omit your reference to Arbitrends with any attempt to change the meaning of your post.


Baroosk...I can't make a personal attack on you because Baroosk is a screen name....not your real name. Baroosk is not a person.


I never said AA failed, I just questioned his statement that they had initial success.

 

[Phil Boyce]

Ohio Media Watch says:

Oh, Phil, since you're here...I'm reminded of someone on one of the message boards decrying a programming decision you'd made, and pretty much demanding you reverse yourself. My quote: "I'm pretty sure Phil Boyce doesn't program WABC based on message board feedback."

I've always wanted to quote that to you. Cheesy

I try to stay away from the message boards as much as possible, due to people like Baroooosk who waste my time. But you are correct, I don't program to these people. I sometimes read the NYRMB but accept that there are about 200 regular posters there who have an unusual fascination with radio, but they do not represent the typical listener. Thanks for the kind words...both from you and evnlee.

 

[kaufcom]

I assume your referrring to New York. Yes, AAR's ratings went down in NY in May of 2004. However, AAR was on seven stations by end of May. Most of those were doing very well. KPOJ in Portland increased their ratings by 800% and the three conservative talk stations in that market saw their ratings fall by 20%. In fact, five of the six markets were up in May -- only NY was down. This happened despite the financial fiasco that AAR went through which resulted in their loss of affiliates in Los Angeles and Chicago.

It seems your point was that Ed Schultz piggybacked on the 'success' of AAR. This guy [Boyce] pointed out that
that is factually untrue

No he didn't. This is what Boyce said. My original point that zoomed over your head is that Ed was syndicated by merit. Because somebody saw what he did locally and decided to take him national. It was done before AA went on the air. It is a fact...it is not disputable. You tried to say the only reason Ed was syndicated was because AA had success.

Just because Boyce said it, doesn’t mean it is true. He never replied to my post indicating that Schultz was only carried on two stations prior to the AAR launch -- KFGO in Fargo, ND and KTOX in Needles, CA. To suggest that Schultz would have been picked up in on KPOJ in Portland, OR , KLSD in San Diego, KKZN in Denver etc. without the benefit of being packaged with AAR is totally ridiculous. I think Boyce would agree with this. Now to say that Schultz contributed to lib talks success in those markets. That’s another story.

 

[kaufcom]

Baroosk...I can't make a personal attack on you because Baroosk is a screen name....not your real name. Baroosk is not a person.

I can assure you that he is a person. As you probably have noticed., just about everyone, except you and Holland use a screen name. I don’t mind the personal attacks. I just get annoyed when the moderator removes them. Fire away.

I try to stay away from the message boards as much as possible, due to people like Baroooosk who waste my time.

I’m sorry that you feel this way. I share the sentiments of the other posters who commend you for hanging out here.

 

[evnlee]

Just because Boyce said it, doesn’t mean it is true. He never replied to my post indicating that Schultz was only carried on two stations prior to the AAR launch -- KFGO in Fargo, ND and KTOX in Needles, CA. To suggest that Schultz would have been picked up in on KPOJ in Portland, OR , KLSD in San Diego, KKZN in Denver etc. without the benefit of being packaged with AAR is totally ridiculous. I think Boyce would agree with this. Now to say that Schultz contributed to lib talks success in those markets. That’s another story.

Baroosk,
have you spoken with everyone involved with making those decisions ( PD's, GM's, Owners ) of those station that put on Schultz? If not, then you cannot say with impunity that without AAR's packaging he would not be on those stations :

Please stop digging your own hole!

 

[XTalker]

So, let's see, I am going to suck up to someone, who will it be? Some guy who calls himself "Baroosk" and thinks Air America was successful (and that talk radio started with GW) - or Phil Boyce, the PD of the most successful talk radio station in America? I'm up Phil's butt every time!

I am going to assume Baroosk is in the radio business. I would suggest that he pay attention to Phil - and others here - rather than sticking his head in the sand!

 

[kaufcom]

Baroosk,
have you spoken with everyone involved with making those decisions ( PD's, GM's, Owners ) of those station that put on Schultz? If not, then you cannot say with impunity that without AAR's packaging he would not be on those stations :
Please stop digging your own hole!

Your're the one digging the hole. Just ask anyone from Jones Radio (I have) they will tell you that Ed Schultz would have gone nowhere without AAR. Without AAR, does CC drop Oldies/Standards on KPOJ in Portland KLSD in San Diego and two dozen other markets add Schultz to one of their conservative talk stations. I don't think so. If you think so, then tell us how Jones Radio would have handled the Schultz' roll-out without AAR.

 

[kaufcom]

So, let's see, I am going to suck up to someone, who will it be? Some guy who calls himself "Baroosk" and thinks Air America was successful (and that talk radio started with GW) - or Phil Boyce, the PD of the most successful talk radio station in America? I'm up Phil's butt every time! I am going to assume Baroosk is in the radio business. I would suggest that he pay attention to Phil - and others here - rather than sticking his head in the sand!

I do listen to Phil. And I hope that he continues to post here. I do, however, try to avoid his butt hole.

 

[evnlee]

Without AAR, does CC drop Oldies/Standards on KPOJ in Portland KLSD in San Diego and two dozen other markets add Schultz to one of their conservative talk stations. I don't think so. If you think so, then tell us how Jones Radio would have handled the Schultz' roll-out without AAR.

that's my point. You don't think so, but you also dont know so, becuase you haven't talked to everyone involved in the decision making process of adding Schultz to these stations. That's your speculation.

Now, down in that hole. It puts the lotion on and puts it back in the basket!!

 

[kaufcom]

that's my point. You don't think so, but you also dont know so, becuase you haven't talked to everyone involved in the decision making process of adding Schultz to these stations. That's your speculation.
Now, down in that hole. It puts the lotion on and puts it back in the basket!!

Yeah. I see CC management saying in the Spring of 2004, when the only providers of satellite delivered liberal programming were AAR and Ed Schultz, saying let's put Ed Schultz on KPOJ since everyone that was listening to standards has already died. We can fill the rest of time with Duke and Doctor, Dave Ramsay, and reruns of Dr. Laura. Great programming strategy. Or better still we'll just re-run his show eight times per day.

 

[Radio_Realist]

In all the bickering over minutiae, the subject of the thread seems to have vanished. All the little asides over petty details of who did what to whom, and when did they do it, ignore the fundamental question of whether or not liberal talk radio can work. And presumably, by "work" people mean "can stations that carry such programming be profitable"?

And I repeat what I said earlier, which is that there aren't sufficient people interested in hearing talk radio from a liberal perspective to make it a profitable format, except perhaps in a few isolated markets.

Phil pointed out that getting 5 out of every 100 listeners is a win for a station. If a station pulls a 5 share, it will be profitable as long as the ad sales staff are reasonably competent.

The problem is, there aren't 5 out of 100 listeners who care enough about hearing liberal talk radio for it to work. Maybe 1 or 2 out of 100, but not 5 out of 100.

You can argue all day over this host or that host or who is too liberal or who is not liberal enough. That doesn't matter nearly as much as how many people out there want to hear liberal slanted talk radio.