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Bruce Williams/ Jim Bohannon

D

DougD

Guest
Those hosts were/ are great. I haven't heard either in a long time, thanks to stations shutting them out of the major markets.

What went wrong with those shows? Or was it more of a matter of the stations?

The variety and objective shows they provided- especially by Jimbo - sounds much better than the soundalike wall-to-wall conservative radio heard on one or more stations in most markets.
 
You answered your own question - variety and objective. The market is much more niche than it used to be, and the Jacorization of talk radio means more exciting talk rather than these hosts' "it's your show" style. People want "Bush is (the best/a terrorist)" 24/7.
 
KJCB said:
You answered your own question - variety and objective. The market is much more niche than it used to be, and the Jacorization of talk radio means more exciting talk rather than these hosts' "it's your show" style. People want "Bush is (the best/a terrorist)" 24/7.
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That's getting very old and doesn't make for long-term listening.

How long can you listen to the same political mantra?

I don't have any problems with political shows, but programming an entire station around THAT?

George Noory and Ian Punnet are doing well. Their shows aren't all weirdo stuff nor political. Those overnighters are becoming more mainstream and more general interest.

Punnet the other night spent a whole hour discussing George Hershey, the founder of Hershey's, with an author who wrote a book about the odd industrialist.
 
That's why they're on overnight. Noory is a real class act and knows how to work the medium (although still not as well as Bell), but his style would not work during the day. The fact that he could adapt his style to be successful during the day is a separate issue.

There are still alternatives to that kind of talk. NPR, et al. In some markets, NPR would do better than most talk stations if non-comms were reported with commercial stations.
 
How long can you listen to the same political mantra?

That's like someone who simply doesn't like music ask how long anyone can listen to rock and roll.

Sure, you can dismiss all political news/talk as nothing more than "Bush is (the best/a terrorist) 24/7". You can also dismiss rock music as "Guitars and drums in 4/4 time".

To a fan of political talk radio, it's the specific political topics that are interesting, and those change with each day's news. To a fan who appreciates the subtleties, political news/talk has as much variety in it as rock music does to a music fan.

I have to wonder why anyone who doesn't instantly see concept is spending time in a news/talk discussion forum.
 
I think I'm plenty aware of those subtleties, but the bottom line is people want talk that validates their political feelings all the time, without having to hear some MOR-type "16 minutes after the hour" format with varying opinions.
 
Radio_Realist said:
How long can you listen to the same political mantra?

That's like someone who simply doesn't like music ask how long anyone can listen to rock and roll.

Sure, you can dismiss all political news/talk as nothing more than "Bush is (the best/a terrorist) 24/7". You can also dismiss rock music as "Guitars and drums in 4/4 time".

To a fan of political talk radio, it's the specific political topics that are interesting, and those change with each day's news. To a fan who appreciates the subtleties, political news/talk has as much variety in it as rock music does to a music fan.

I have to wonder why anyone who doesn't instantly see concept is spending time in a news/talk discussion forum.
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You must not spend a lot of time listening to right-wing talk radio.
And you don't really know anything about the hosts I mentioned.
They're not time and temperature givers. They were interviewers or provided advice to callers. Much more important than some policy wonk telling us how she or he sees Washington. Big deal.

I grew up on that stuff, pal.

I heard Rush's first national show and heard many others like TOM SNYDER, GIL GROSS, THE BLACK AVENGER (both very good hosts, BTW) come and go, as well as MICHAEL REAGAN and others.

Today, most of the lot sound all soundalike.

Laura Ingram isn't that much different than Sean, who isn't terribly different from Rush, who's related to RUSTY HUMPHERIES, who isn't terribly differ (topically) from MARK LEVIN, and on and on.

The days of full-service talk, where there was a lineup with local hosts in the morning, Rush in p.m., local in the afternoon, Bruce Williams or GILL GROSS in the p.m., JIM BOHANNON or TOM SNYDER late at night, offered a lot more diversity.

One station in a market I'm familiar with says "Talk radio ---, where your opinion counts." Yet all their daytime programming is BILL BENNETT, DENNIS PRAEGER (a thoughful host), MICHAEL MEDVED, et. al. Not one local host. That's BS if you tell me.

I would likely be as dissapointed if most of the hosts were liberals, because they too would sound very similar.

Try listening to the format yourself, fella.
 
The days of full-service talk, where there was a lineup with local hosts in the morning, Rush in p.m., local in the afternoon, Bruce Williams or GILL GROSS in the p.m., JIM BOHANNON or TOM SNYDER late at night,

The days of full service talk as you describe are as long gone as the days when music format radio had a diversity of song styles. The "good old days" you describe are over, and they are never coming back. "Diverse" programming is as dead as scripted radio comedies and dramas. Radio programming like you describe has about as much a chance of returning as radio shows like "The Bickersons" or "The Jack Benny Program" have.
 
Radio_Realist said:
The days of full-service talk, where there was a lineup with local hosts in the morning, Rush in p.m., local in the afternoon, Bruce Williams or GILL GROSS in the p.m., JIM BOHANNON or TOM SNYDER late at night,

The days of full service talk as you describe are as long gone as the days when music format radio had a diversity of song styles. The "good old days" you describe are over, and they are never coming back. "Diverse" programming is as dead as scripted radio comedies and dramas. Radio programming like you describe has about as much a chance of returning as radio shows like "The Bickersons" or "The Jack Benny Program" have.
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I wouldn't count on that pontification. Get off your soapbox.

One local big NT in a market I'm familiar with added a local host in afternoon drive after the station lost Hannity. (Big loss, right). The station could have added another of the many right wing talkers, but instead went local.

And get this: the show isn't politics-based, thought that topic is covered of course.

Radio_Realist said:
"Diverse" programming is as dead as scripted radio comedies and dramas. Radio programming like you describe has about as much a chance of returning as radio shows like "The Bickersons" or "The Jack Benny Program" have.
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So it's just liner notes and VT for music and not much more than a political party's talking points for talk radio?

No wonder this industry is so excremental, moribund and down right boring.
 
I'll assume you're speaking of WWBA/Tampa, in which case, local or not, nothing can help them. Going out of business would probably be the closest thing.
 
I fell in love with radio listening to Bruce Williams and Sally Jesse Raphael on NBC's Talknet back in the early 80's. Sally is one of the most gifted one-on-one personalities I've ever heard. Her TV show didn't showcase that God-given talent. Bruce Williams was an interesting guy. Did anyone else notice how he would treat male and female callers very differently? If a guy was having financial difficulties, Bruce would tell him to go out and get three jobs. If it was a woman having money problems, he'd tell her not to worry her pretty little head over it. He was a very gifted story-teller.
I heard Bohannon locally (in Indianapolis) as recently as a year or two ago. He's very likeable, but did anyone screen his calls?
 
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