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Clear Channel flips Rush in Wilmington

B

bierkenstock

Guest
A local newspaper report says Clear Channel is pulling Rush Limbaugh off Delmarva Broadcasting's WDEL after Friday's show and moving the program to CC-owned WILM. WDEL got less than a week's notice and says it will develop a local talk show for the time slot. Clear Channel acquired WILM last October and this is the first major programming change since they took over. Currently, WILM runs a local newscast at noon and then a delayed broadcast of Mike Gallagher from 1-4pm. The article does not say what happens to the newscast or Gallagher.
 
My understanding is the mid-day news cast on WILM will air from 11:30am - 12noon following John Watson's NewsTalk AM program which will air from 9am - 11:30am. Rush Limbaugh will air from 12noon to 3pm, 3pm to 5pm will be Mike Gallagher, then 5pm - 6pm will be the Afternoon Update and 6pm-7pm the Evening Newscast.

> A local newspaper report says Clear Channel is pulling Rush
> Limbaugh off Delmarva Broadcasting's WDEL after Friday's
> show and moving the program to CC-owned WILM. WDEL got less
> than a week's notice and says it will develop a local talk
> show for the time slot. Clear Channel acquired WILM last
> October and this is the first major programming change since
> they took over. Currently, WILM runs a local newscast at
> noon and then a delayed broadcast of Mike Gallagher from
> 1-4pm. The article does not say what happens to the
> newscast or Gallagher.
>
 
> My understanding is the mid-day news cast on WILM will air
> from 11:30am - 12noon following John Watson's NewsTalk AM
> program which will air from 9am - 11:30am. Rush Limbaugh
> will air from 12noon to 3pm.....

John Watson might get axed in favor of Clear Channel (Premiere Networks)-owned Glenn Beck, especially if Beck's show is not currently being heard in Wilmington.

If WDEL has any other Premiere Networks talk shows, they will be moved to WILM as soon as Clear Channel can do so.
 
Re: Live Local Talk Survives in Wilmington

That may not happen as WDEL and WILM both air live local talk (WDEL from 9am to 12noon), (WILM from 9am to 11:30am with that last 1/2 hour being a mid day report). Both local shows seem fairly popular with lots of callers (I'm not sure about the actual ratings of each), but wouldn't be surprised to hear that they were neck and neck.

> > My understanding is the mid-day news cast on WILM will air
>
> > from 11:30am - 12noon following John Watson's NewsTalk AM
> > program which will air from 9am - 11:30am. Rush Limbaugh
> > will air from 12noon to 3pm.....
>
> John Watson might get axed in favor of Clear Channel
> (Premiere Networks)-owned Glenn Beck, especially if Beck's
> show is not currently being heard in Wilmington.
>
> If WDEL has any other Premiere Networks talk shows, they
> will be moved to WILM as soon as Clear Channel can do so.
>
 
Live Local Talk in Wilmington

> That may not happen as WDEL and WILM both air live local
> talk (WDEL from 9am to 12noon), (WILM from 9am to 11:30am
> with that last 1/2 hour being a mid day report). Both local
> shows seem fairly popular with lots of callers (I'm not sure
> about the actual ratings of each), but wouldn't be surprised
> to hear that they were neck and neck.
>
>

Or it may happen. Given how Arbitron breaks out dayparts, it's hard to get a head to head comparison of Jensen and Watson's audiences. But Jensen gets a lot more calls and a lot more callers. Watson has his "usual suspects" small group of people who keep calling in most every day. They call Jensen, too. They used to be able to call Jensen at nine and then call Watson after they talked to Jensen. Now their lives have gotten more complicated with both shows on at nine.

Glenn Beck's show is not currently broadcast in Wilmington. The show has lost some clearances lately. Either that will make Clear Channel more interested in getting the show on in Wilmington to make up for stations lost; or Clear Channel may decide Beck has peaked and not push it. In this era of political correctness, Clear Channel has to be cautious replacing Watson (with Beck, with Laura Ingraham, or by taking Gallagher live in the morning and putting Dr Laura on in the afternoon).

There's a reason why there are so few live local talk shows anywhere, any more. Syndicated talk has generally out-peformed local talk. Local shows have a smaller base of callers to draw from; they can't cherry pick callers, so the calls are usually not as good. It's difficult to get local talent that compares to syndicated talent. Local talk is more expensive than syndicated talk. Syndicated shows are a known quantity and easier to sell to national advertisers. And local hosts don't talk much about local issues, anyway.

And, face it, by any standard Watson's show is poor. My guess is Clear Channel has put Watson on double secret probation.
 
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