Dave Ramsey learns to love forced clearance

[smedge2006]

Remember when Dave Ramsey used to advertise in the trades with phrases like "No forced programming", to say that his show's popularity was built without corporate cramdowns built on the common ownership between a syndicator and a station?

Apparently, Dave has changed his mind on the subject, now that he's leveraged his way onto Cumulus
stations in KC, Dallas and Houston -- well, sort of Houston (KFNC).

Also, note this quote from a publicist about Dave's switch in ATL from WGKA to WGST:

“It was our decision to move to a larger more mainstream audience,” said his publicist Beth Tallent. She said the perception is that WGKA, because it’s owned by Salem Communications, is a “Christian” station. But it’s actually a conservative-leaning talk station with Bill Bennett, Michael Medved, Mike Gallagher and Laura Ingraham.

“Dave’s a Christian,” she said. “He’s not ashamed of that. But we’re a mainstream show.”

There are many possible interpretations.

One, Dave has decided to stop dancing with the folks who brung him.

Two, Salem is not a force in talk radio and never will be. (Attention all potential Townhall advertisers...)

http://www.accessatlanta.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/accessatlanta/radiotalk/index.html

 

[del_griffith]

Dave left GKA because corporate owner Salem is now asking Dave to pay for play on their stations. My understanding is Ramsey has decided not to pay for clearance. He will lose clearance sometime in August on about 10 Salem stations. Dallas, Houston and Atlanta are among the first as he has found affiliates to take the show in those markets.

 

[PaulBWalkerJr]

I don't see why he should hafta pay for it anyways....

 

[Surfer]

Maybe there is more to Dave leaving that station than meets the eye. Maybe he's leaving because they wanted him to...oh, never mind. I'm probably wrong anyway.

 

[livingfruitvirus]

He went from WGKA to WGST. In other words, he went from a station in the cesspool to a station in the toilet.

 

[fred flintstone]

One the pay2play game gets going, everyone has to participate.
Somebody else is out there willing to pay for your slot and unless you've got killer numbers and you're an easy sell to local advertisers, you are vulnerable unless you play the game, too.
Once you start paying one station, others expect it, too.
Radio has become like the supermarket business.
You have to pay for shelf space,

 

[ajhenderson]

One the pay2play game gets going, everyone has to participate.
Somebody else is out there willing to pay for your slot and unless you've got killer numbers and you're an easy sell to local advertisers, you are vulnerable unless you play the game, too.
Once you start paying one station, others expect it, too.
Radio has become like the supermarket business.
You have to pay for shelf space,

You'd think once you paid one place that more and more would expect payment (many independent stations don't have much if any of a sales staff to sell locally anymore), but many shows love to be arrogant and think otherwise. Some like Savage, who pay for NY and perhaps a couple others, do so for a few huge markets, but do well enough for most stations to take them for free. Hannity paid (at first) in Philly, where there was only one talker at the time. I love, however, the brokered shows that lie about paying on other stations and claim that they want to be barter... everyone wants to do a barter show regardless of how crappy the show is. Ramsey shouldn't have to pay most places, but Salem's MO is different and he shouldn't get into that trap, especially seeing the unlikely event he'll be on with them in NYC or LA