Entercom Memphis: libtalk has left the building

[raccoonradio]

Entercom, the folks who give you conservative talk on WRKO in Boston and
contests in Sacramento where contestants die from drinking too
much water, is pulling the plug on prog talk in Elvis-land, according to
LibTalkRadio's blog. He gives the reasons why Entercom "botched"
it. Flipping to Fox Sports by the way.

http://ltradio.blogspot.com/2007/08/dont-be-cruel.html

(note update at bottom)

He says Entercom did give us prog talk in Rochester and Buffalo NY
and in Sacramento and New Orleans; it's still on in the Empire
State but was dropped in the latter two cities and now in
Memphis as well. (I do know from a trip there 2 years ago that
the Memphis AAR station did have a half decent signal, at least
in the city...on the same frequency as WRKO is here, AM 680)

I'm not sure how ratings and billings were for WSMB 680 Memphis
but they may be using the "sports is a better biller" rationale.

 

[ABQTom]

Not a surprise at all. After how they canned most of their liberal hosts at KIRO in Seattle and KCTC in Sacramento.
"Sacramento's Left Channel" had Air America along with local hosts Enid Goldstein and "Scott and Simms." Had a better signal than their competitor, "Talk City 1240 AM" - Sacramento's "First Progressive Talk Station." Entercom even somehow got those air america contracts from "Sac's 1st Progressive Talk Station, and the 1240 owner SUED AIR AMERICA over losing the contracts (she lost ratings). But the Entercom/Air America relationship was soon over when they flipped KCTC to sports.
In Seattle, Mike Webb getting great ratings, and the KIRO Suits throw a "temper tantrum" over an unproven allegation of insurance fraud as "an excuse" to fire Webb in Dec 2005. And they dump other liberals in an ultraliberal market - Erin Hart, Allan Prell, Tony Ventrella, etc. They don't return moderate to liberal host Dave Ross to 9A-NOON, and ratings go way down. So, without Dave Ross middays, listeners flock in droves to Air America and Thom Hartmann LIVE on AM 1090, with 10A-3P 25-54 ratings neck and neck between KIRO and 1090.

Now KIRO has been sold to Bonneville, and Bonneville has cancelled two more liberals: Ron Reagan and NY Vinnnie. The station that used to be like KGO - a mix of conservatives and liberals discussing important political issues - is now essentially a Lifestyle talk station with morning news. If you want issues oriented talk in seattle, there's not much left on KIRO - it's going to be on 770 KTTH (conservative), 570 KVI (consv), or 1090 KPTK (lib). And the KIRO 12+ shares have gone from near 10 several years ago to less than 5 today. Sad story.

 

[ABQTom]

Entercom ratings vs. Progressive Ratings in Seattle, courtesy of Thom Hartmann:

http://www.mythical.net/SeattleARB.htm

 

[dampier]

He says Entercom did give us prog talk in Rochester and Buffalo NY
and in Sacramento and New Orleans; it's still on in the Empire
State but was dropped in the latter two cities and now in
Memphis as well. (I do know from a trip there 2 years ago that
the Memphis AAR station did have a half decent signal, at least
in the city...on the same frequency as WRKO is here, AM 680)

I'm not sure how ratings and billings were for WSMB 680 Memphis
but they may be using the "sports is a better biller" rationale.

We'll see. Several markets that flipped to sports saw lower ratings afterwards. Entercom runs Air America and Jones programming as an afterthought here in Rochester. It's all-automated, although the station has managed some sort of relationship between themselves and MetroJustice, a local progressive movement that managed to put Democracy Now with Amy Goodman on the station. (I personally find Goodman unlistenable and too left-wing for my taste with a lot of esoteric social-movement political stuff that is just not interesting radio.) But MetroJustice probably does more promotion than Entercom does.

As a low power outlet in the market WROC really hasn't seen much in the way of ratings since the 1970s golden era of AM top 40 radio, no matter what format they put on it. Its ratings have been fairly consistent book after book, and zero promotion. But it's a welcome voice for talk radio fans, as Rochester has no talk FM outlets, and on AM has 2.5 - one liberal, one conservative, and one part-time talker carrying a mix of leftover garbage the other stations in the market don't want (Jerry Doyle) and lifestyle talk. They got honorable mentions for having actual local talk shows, but the station rarely even makes the ratings book. The rest of the AM dial here is oldies, religion, and sports.

 

[ABQTom]

"(I personally find Goodman unlistenable and too left-wing for my taste with a lot of esoteric social-movement political stuff that is just not interesting radio.)"

Irregardless of your own thoughts, Pacifica's Amy Goodman doesn't belong on AM news/talk or talk stations. It's not a live, call-in talk program with guests and callers. Neither do any of the 1 hour Air America programs like Ecotalk, Richard Green, and the Reverend's program. Progressive talk will never equal conservative talk in the ratings unless it's like conservative talk: Live, Call-in Talk, 24/7.