Bringing Back Talk Radio's Golden Age?

[smedge2006]

This morning I heard Dan York on WWBA proclaim that their new lineup and signal was "bringing back the golden age of talk radio."

Don't get me wrong. I'm very glad that 820 is doing six hours a day of local talk.

But keep some perspective.

Here are ten things that must happen before we can consider the possibility of a new golden age of talk in Tampa.


10. York or another host must commit emotional harakiri and describe the mental entrails to their audience.

9. A caller calls the host "Yorkie."

8. A host decides to start checking under the hood of their car for actions performed by someone who might wish them ill.

7. A caller address the host as "hippie" and threatens to call the police to control his monologues.

6. A previous guest is caught running guns to the contras in Nicaragua.

5. Callers start referencing other callers by name.

4. A host introduces an award-winning chili recipe.

3. A host becomes the subject of at least one boycott each ratings period.

2. Consultants and program directors in other markets begin referencing the "Tampa school" of talk radio.

1. Parrots begin chirping the station slogan.

 

[Don62]

10. York or another host must commit emotional harakiri and describe the mental entrails to their audience.

9. A caller calls the host "Yorkie."

...
7. A caller address the host as "hippie" and threatens to call the police to control his monologues.

....3. A host becomes the subject of at least one boycott each ratings period.

2. Consultants and program directors in other markets begin referencing the "Tampa school" of talk radio.

Wow. Would that be great, to hear real talk radio. Of course, none of this would ever come from the other guys across the street that only want to do things the "easy" way, without any "sweat work." Sure has made radio dull and predictable.

The kind of radio you described - and obviously listened to in this once-great market - sounds fantastic and engaging.

I kind of would have preferred to have had a local show in p.m. drive, perhaps 3:00-6:00 p.m. or 4-7 p.m. Perhaps Genesis studied where 970's weaknesses were and went after them appropriately.

Would there have been more listeners 3-6 p.m.?

On the other hand, 9-noon, especially with Boortz' obtuse show, might have made for a better time for local programming. I doubt the station lost many listeners dropping Boortz.

 

[jefflaurence]

SSmedge left a few items off the list..

1. At least one host needs to be discovered sitting on the floor of the station men's room in the fetal position humming his theme song.

2. Once a year there needs to be a battle of the talk show hosts with a real audience.

3. The jingles for at least one of the "golden age stations" can be used again..as can the call letters...as I recall they didn't mention a frequency.."The talk people talking to people...et...etc"

4. One host must recite the "recipe" for preparing a thanksgiving dinner in a dishwasher, and have at least one listener actually do it, and get sick..blaming the station and writing the paper to complain.

5. On weekends we must have a local garden show, and an electronics show hosted by a guy who is selling an item insisting that it will bring in the station better on any radio. The same station that must be coming in well enough for people to hear in the first place so they can get the number to call to buy one.

6. Same weekend programming should have a late night "lounge' program hosted by a guy who "interviews" imaginary patrons at the equally imaginary lounge.

I'm sure there are many more Mike?

 

[SG78]

One must also not have the save voice as the blond-haired kid in the Alltel commercials.

And how does a guy who's a week removed from washing Larsen's car get off being so abusive to the callers the way York is? People should at least 1.) Know who you are. 2.) Have a little tact while doing it.

I listened to Mark Larsen and Bob Lassiter for years, and you, sir, are no Mark Larsen or Bob Lassiter.

 

[SG78]

And how does a guy who's a week removed from washing Larsen's car get off being so abusive to the callers the way York is? People should at least 1.) Know who you are. 2.) Have a little tact while doing it.

That should read, "expect you to have a little tact while doing it."

 

[naughtytalker]

Tampa Bay is closer to the "Golden Age" with Dro Silva leaving for Atlanta. Now, if they would dump the rest of the stations second rate talent we could enter a promising new era.

The move from 1040 to 820 gives WWBA a powerful new signal, but we get the same weak performers. A confused board-op with lame opinions, annoying italian banter and Dan Ruth's uber-liberalism too. It all adds up to a DIAL TURNER, which is why the station is lucky to get a 1 share.

And since when does 6 hours of lame local vamping, does a talk station make? (FYI... you might also want to pot-up the talk back feature so callers can hear the hosts cut them off.)

 

[Don62]

And since when does 6 hours of lame local vamping, does a talk station make? (FYI... you might also want to pot-up the talk back feature so callers can hear the hosts cut them off.)

That's 6 hours or 600% more talk than the local smug incumbents, who have zero talk during the weekdays.

Try calling into that other station and talking with the hosts. Won't happen in that wold of tightly-screened shows where the hosts throw fits if callers disagree.

Let's see them try some real talk. Nope. Too scared. Gotta stick with loudmouths like Hannity. Everything's the easy way. No one listens to radio anymore, anyway. Listeners only care about politics. Nothin' else. Gee. And we wonder why there are fewer listeners.

 

[naughtytalker]

It's safe to assume the "incumbents" aren't to "scared" when it's a three-way tie for second place in the Tampa Bay market, just behind elevator music for the 60 to dead crowd.

 

[Don62]

At least they try.

FLA doesn't know how to do talk radio. It's mostly a satellite/ repeater of New York or programming from elsewhere.

FLA is so timid and weak they can't even dare run a local call-in show. They don't even know how.

They'll sit on their tushes while competitors roar up against them.

What are they going to do? They can't do anything. They're too welded to the past and "this is the way we've always done it."

So afraid they are of doing any "real radio" they're frozen in complacency. Do what we've always done. Don't make waves. People won't listen. There isn't radio talent anymore, and all sorts of other excuses and cop-outs.

Let's outsource our programming. Outsourcing news is next.

How 'bout outsourcing management? Now there's an idea that might shake things up in this dull and staid radio market.

 

[naughtytalker]

Don62... "BITTER," table for one

 

[sbe1]

Now that WWBA put all their money into a great signal, they now need to put some decent programming mid mornings. I've tried to listen but the guy they have there now is just not talented enough to command much. He might get there someday. He's the kind of guy you give Weekend afternoons to so they can develop their talent. He's not ready for prime time. Hope WWBA has something else up their sleeve. Of course, I've never seen what talent Schnitt has to have two daily shows being syndicated to different stations.

 

[Don62]

Don62... "BITTER," table for one

It just seems like CC has had an easy run. By owning the most powerful stick, they've had no real competition.

Despite all your bloviating otherwise, FLA now has some real competition and is very likely worried as anyone would be if someone came on with a signal twice as powerful as theirs'.

 

[naughtytalker]

Despite all your bloviating otherwise [/quote]

Gotcha, I am the one bloviating

 

[Don62]

WWBA: "AM 820- the most Tampa News and Talk. And that's a fact."

That's something you won't hear 970 saying because they can't say it, despite what its apologists here spout off about.

With a more competitive newsroom, perhaps WWBA will even give 970 a run for the money. All 970 can do is lay news people off.

Go ahead and defend that one. Claim how it's best for radio and FLA "has nothing to worry about."

 

[naughtytalker]

Contrary to vapid ignorant speculation, 970 WFLA has significantly expanded the news staff during the past two years because of increased demand for the newsrooms product, which required those who remained to step up their game to meet the new challenges. Those who left did so, of their own free will at the earliest opportunity for any radio job they could get. The remaining players at Tampa Bay's top rated News/Talk station prefer not toiling in ratings obscurity and can be proud of the results. Sorry about your luck.

 

[radiodork]

Contrary to vapid ignorant speculation, 970 WFLA has significantly expanded the news staff during the past two years because of increased demand for the newsrooms product, which required those who remained to step up their game to meet the new challenges.

The news room was expanded because CC cut out news rooms in smaller markets, thus forcing WFLA to expand simply to provide content for outer markets and not necessarily to make the product on WFLA any better. I think WFLA still does a great job with news, but with network shows coming in or going out of those studios and with that awful Fox "news" update at the top of the hour, the newscasts pale in comparison to the informative and professional newscasts of even two or three years ago.

 

[landtuna]

This morning I heard Dan York on WWBA proclaim that their new lineup and signal was "bringing back the golden age of talk radio."

What? Arthur Godfrey is still alive????? ;D

 

[smedge2006]

What? Arthur Godfrey is still alive??

Actually, Godfrey has a tangential connection to Tampa talk radio in the 80's.

His longtime sidekick (and one of the few who managed to avoid getting fired) was Richard Hayes, whose son Drew hosted on and programmed WPLP in the early 80's.

 

[jefflaurence]

Back to the radio owner from St. Pete circa 1991 who said that if they beefed up thier power to the (projected) 25KW day 2500 night..

"That's thousands more people that can hear us but won't listen..so what's the point of that? And I'll have to buy 15 more acres of prime real estate to erect two more towers..I'll never make my money back"

What's the value in an increased signal, when LOCAL programming is what's needed to fight the "good fight" WFLA is clearly doing what people want to listen to (Thanks randy K) so whatever goes on 820 and that giant signal better be able to impact listeners in a wider arena than just Tampa Bay..otherwise there is a nice fat 50KW signal that is covering a sea of uninterested out of towners. WPLP made a nice competitive stab at local talk radio with LOCAL programming aimed at LOCAL listeners who still cared about LOCAL radio. That was 28 years ago! Any available listeners they had in their 50's then would be almost 80 now..and many in thier 60's then would have to be eating meals with Jesus now. The current listener base is now conditioned to the syndication spigot and probably won't care enough to make any station enough to keep the lights on. Sad truth.

Where's that herbal pushmeister Richard Shanks..how about bringing back Drew Hayes...maybe even Rick Samples or Chuck Harder could come here from White Springs to do weekends..No matter who gets brought in..it had best be a completely different and compelling brand of radio to entice younger people to become interested in talk radio..and as much as I would love to see it..I doubt that 820 on AM will be the magic pill.

 

[smedge2006]

Technically, one could say that the era of local talk lasted until late 1999, when Larsen left WFLA and Lassiter and Marvelous Marvin were canned -- so we could hear Dr. Laura in the mornings. Where is she now in this market? As late as ten years ago, 970 was still local 12 hours out of a typical weekday. So just nine years without it... I would think a few people in salable demos remember the concept.