Could syndicated shows help boost ratings again on radio?

[dgendvil]

With all this talk about media stocks driving down Wall Street & the loss of any localism on the airwaves thanks to voicetracking, do you think any of those syndicated shows like Ryan Seacrest, Tom Kent, Delilah, John Tesh, Kidd Kraddick, Lia Knight, Blair Garner, etc., might be able to boost ratings again on the radio airwaves thanks to cheaper, modern technology? I'm not bashing myself that radio that is going down the drain in my POV, but I think it's suffering through a mid-life crisis right now. But I think it should help their stock prices & ratings should help in the long run, so that terrestrial, HD, internet (or satellite) radio should survive from being extinct, to tell you the truth. I hope everybody learns their lesson about it so that they should grow up, not just that radio should continue to act like children. But it's a sad thing we're facing right now, but I hope help is on the way.

 

[TheBigA]

do you think any of those syndicated shows like Ryan Seacrest, Tom Kent, Delilah, John Tesh, Kidd Kraddick, Lia Knight, Blair Garner, etc., might be able to boost ratings again on the radio airwaves

I think radio needs a single, organized campaign that will get people talking positively about radio for a change. All it takes is one big show that gets some attention. Rush did it 20 years ago. May Dr. Laura to a degree 15 years ago. Not much since. It won't take much. Funny how XM and Sirius got people talking for about 6 months, and then they stopped. I think it was in 2004.

One good national show that involves the listeners, gets them motivated, does something unique, and does it consistently is all it will take. I don't know if it exists yet. But it has to be the kind of thing that can be heard everywhere in order to make an impact.

 

[trusty]

One good national show that involves the listeners, gets them motivated, does something unique, and does it consistently is all it will take. I don't know if it exists yet. But it has to be the kind of thing that can be heard everywhere in order to make an impact.

Tall order. Especially with today's fractionalized audience. Even in the '30s-'40s, when radio was a mainstay of home entertainment, the programs were 15-30 min long (1 hour tops.); so the notion of "doing it consistently" would be the hardest to achieve.

Occasionally, it gets close on with overnights. WGN occasionally has some gems, and "Coast to Coast AM" gets really interesting sometimes. But that's occasionally.

 

[mleach]

With all this talk about media stocks driving down Wall Street & the loss of any localism on the airwaves thanks to voicetracking, do you think any of those syndicated shows like Ryan Seacrest, Tom Kent, Delilah, John Tesh, Kidd Kraddick, Lia Knight, Blair Garner, etc., might be able to boost ratings again on the radio airwaves thanks to cheaper, modern technology? I'm not bashing myself that radio that is going down the drain in my POV, but I think it's suffering through a mid-life crisis right now. But I think it should help their stock prices & ratings should help in the long run, so that terrestrial, HD, internet (or satellite) radio should survive from being extinct, to tell you the truth. I hope everybody learns their lesson about it so that they should grow up, not just that radio should continue to act like children. But it's a sad thing we're facing right now, but I hope help is on the way.

Myabe there will be some syndicated shows out there now or in the future that could be used to boost ratings to the point they will be permanent but a lot of those shows like Ryan Seacrest, may very well be popular now but what about 5 years from now? 10? I don't think so for the simple fact that he is..well doing too much. It is not hard to find people outside the biz who are "sick" of Ryan Seacrest. The other day my wife read someplace where there is serious talk about Seacrest getting into movies. BIG mistake ! Pretty much forgotten now but there was a time back in the early 60's when Dick Clark tried his hand had movies and it did not work out. Great at hosting American Bandstand, not so great playing a role as a doctor in "Because They're Young" (?). On a similar note about ten years ago there was serious talk about Delilah doing a TV version of her radio show but that never happened because of a fear that her TV show could affect her radio show. I can see that.

Some shows like John Tesh, I doubt he will be on the radio 10 years from now. While his show is popular, Tesh still does music and concerts and it wouldn't surprise me if he does that full time and not his radio show. Most of the other shows like Blair Garner or even Coast to Coast AM I am pretty sure are used just to fill a gap. In other words to save money and if the ratings are good..great but the savings are more important.

 

[TheBigA]

In other words to save money and if the ratings are good..great but the savings are more important.

Savings isn't as important as making money. These shows wouldn't be popular if all they did was save money. The fact is they save some on the front end and make a lot on the back end. THAT is why they're popular.

These national shows use celebrity hosts and are filled with big name guests. That attracts audience and generates word of mouth. They have resources a local show in Boise simply can't have. It's part of a good mix of local and national that, if integrated well, can make a station much more sellable than one that's 24/7 local.

As far as if they'll be around 5 years from now, you could say the same about any local jock. Especially one getting paid next to nothing.