Future of 1210 AM WPHT as a talk station

[jmtillery]

Re: Does the WPHT PD deserve the blame for all of this?

Making WPHT all-conservative in the face of an all-conservative competitor (106.9) was a bonehead move for sure. WPHT should be offering different voices and opinions, like Michael Smerconish was

They weren't doing very well with that, either.

How about a format that isn't about which side of the fence someone is on? Some kind of talk that's not about politics?

It can be done and has been done. In fact before the fairness doctrine was repealed, no one would touch political talk because otherwise a station would have been required to offer equal time to an opposing view. Talk stations that existed while the fairness doctrine was in force did lifestyles type talk programming which is also, for the most part, boring in comparison to political talk.

Progressive talk was attempted as an alternative to conservative "right winged" political talk through venues such as Air America Radio Network. However, progressive talk seldom works very well as a commercial medium as it is difficult finding sponsors for such programming. Progressive talk historically has worked much better in a non-commercial, listener supported radio venue. However, even in a listener supported setting donations have dropped off recently in many markets due to the economy and other factors.

 

[FredLeonard]

Re: Does the WPHT PD deserve the blame for all of this?

Making WPHT all-conservative in the face of an all-conservative competitor (106.9) was a bonehead move for sure. WPHT should be offering different voices and opinions, like Michael Smerconish was

They weren't doing very well with that, either.

How about a format that isn't about which side of the fence someone is on? Some kind of talk that's not about politics?

You mean like .... NJ 101.5. I know, it's gone down-hill lately. Still good numbers and does well in the money demos (unlike standard right-wing talk). But outside the box for radio managers and programmers.

 

[ProducerGuy]

NJ 101.5 is an aberration unfortunately. Several other stations have tried the same format with little success. Delaware 105.9 is the only one that I can think of that even comes close. They're doing quite well.

 

[FredLeonard]

Re: Does the WPHT PD deserve the blame for all of this?

It can be done and has been done. In fact before the fairness doctrine was repealed, no one would touch political talk because otherwise a station would have been required to offer equal time to an opposing view. Talk stations that existed while the fairness doctrine was in force did lifestyles type talk programming which is also, for the most part, boring in comparison to political talk.

Progressive talk was attempted as an alternative to conservative "right winged" political talk through venues such as Air America Radio Network. However, progressive talk seldom works very well as a commercial medium as it is difficult finding sponsors for such programming. Progressive talk historically has worked much better in a non-commercial, listener supported radio venue. However, even in a listener supported setting donations have dropped off recently in many markets due to the economy and other factors.

Wrong! Right-wing talk thrived in major markets when the fairness doctrine was in effect. Joe Pyne and Wally George in LA. Bob Grant in New York. Even including (but not limited to) Morton Downey, Jr and Rush Limbaugh in Sacramento.

Even in some smaller markets, there were right-wing hosts on full service stations (along with music and sports programming).

Right-wing talk spread due to live syndication made possible by: Availability of satellite distribution. Availability of lower-cost and better quality long distance phone connections (and 800 numbers). And greater willingness of management to run non-local programming.

For some reason, the right wants to make this all about the fairness doctrine (which never applied to talk radio in the first place) out of fear that the fairness doctrine could be used to push stations to schedule progressive talk shows or to make right-wing talk shows less ideologically driven. But now that advertisers are bailing out on right-wing talk and listeners are in the pre-death age group and demographically undesirable, right-wing talk is dying on its own.

 

[ProducerGuy]

I'm surprised the "weak signal" argument wasn't brought up there.

 

[jmtillery]

Re: Does the WPHT PD deserve the blame for all of this?

It can be done and has been done. In fact before the fairness doctrine was repealed, no one would touch political talk because otherwise a station would have been required to offer equal time to an opposing view. Talk stations that existed while the fairness doctrine was in force did lifestyles type talk programming which is also, for the most part, boring in comparison to political talk.

Progressive talk was attempted as an alternative to conservative "right winged" political talk through venues such as Air America Radio Network. However, progressive talk seldom works very well as a commercial medium as it is difficult finding sponsors for such programming. Progressive talk historically has worked much better in a non-commercial, listener supported radio venue. However, even in a listener supported setting donations have dropped off recently in many markets due to the economy and other factors.

Wrong! Right-wing talk thrived in major markets when the fairness doctrine was in effect. Joe Pyne and Wally George in LA. Bob Grant in New York. Even including (but not limited to) Morton Downey, Jr and Rush Limbaugh in Sacramento. place) out of fear that the fairness doctrine could be used to push stations to schedule progressive talk shows or to make right-wing talk shows less ideologically driven. But now that advertisers are bailing out on right-wing talk and listeners are in the pre-death age group and demographically undesirable, right-wing talk is dying on its own.

That is YOUR opinion and does not make me wrong! The right winged political talk you are referring was considered more conservative and not right winged, and was much different than the political talk of today. Issues were discussed from a conservative perspective without the political bashing that came after the Fairness Doctrine was abolished. Under the Fairness Doctrine (pre Reagan years) radio and television stations were REQUIRED to give equal time to anyone with an opposing view. If a political talk host ranted for three hours per day about any particular issue, anyone with an opposing view could ask for three hours per day to oppose those views. And the station was required to give those with an opposing view equal time. It was an FCC requirement if you will recall. Stations had no choice but to give said equal time as a condition of license renewal. As a result, talk hosts shied away from the political bashing although certain things may have been implied. As I said, it was a completely different ballgame in those days.

 

[FredLeonard]

Re: Does the WPHT PD deserve the blame for all of this?

That is YOUR opinion and does not make me wrong! The right winged political talk you are referring was considered more conservative and not right winged, and was much different than the political talk of today. Issues were discussed from a conservative perspective without the political bashing that came after the Fairness Doctrine was abolished. Under the Fairness Doctrine (pre Reagan years) radio and television stations were REQUIRED to give equal time to anyone with an opposing view. If a political talk host ranted for three hours per day about any particular issue, anyone with an opposing view could ask for three hours per day to oppose those views. And the station was required to give those with an opposing view equal time. It was an FCC requirement if you will recall. Stations had no choice but to give said equal time as a condition of license renewal. As a result, talk hosts shied away from the political bashing although certain things may have been implied. As I said, it was a completely different ballgame in those days.

Facts me you wrong and putting "esquire" after your name does not make you right.

No political bashing? Here are a few of Joe Pyne's greatest hits:

"Take your false teeth out, put them in backwards and bite yourself in the neck."
"Go gargle with razor blades!"
"Look, lady, every time you call this program and open your mouth to speak, nothing but garbage falls out. Get OFF THE LINE, YOU CREEP."
“I could make a monkey out of you, but why should I take the credit?”[7]
"Why don't you go out and play on the freeway?"
"Why don't you take a long walk on a short pier?"

 

[amfmxm]

I'm surprised the "weak signal" argument wasn't brought up there.

As in, with only 50-kw @ 1210, WPHT's signal isn't all that good?

Well, 50-k at 1210 sure isn't 50-k at 710... or even 1060. How did it go? The lower on the dial, the more your power is worth?

Ah, AM radio...

 

[jmtillery]

Re: Does the WPHT PD deserve the blame for all of this?

That is YOUR opinion and does not make me wrong! The right winged political talk you are referring was considered more conservative and not right winged, and was much different than the political talk of today. Issues were discussed from a conservative perspective without the political bashing that came after the Fairness Doctrine was abolished. Under the Fairness Doctrine (pre Reagan years) radio and television stations were REQUIRED to give equal time to anyone with an opposing view. If a political talk host ranted for three hours per day about any particular issue, anyone with an opposing view could ask for three hours per day to oppose those views. And the station was required to give those with an opposing view equal time. It was an FCC requirement if you will recall. Stations had no choice but to give said equal time as a condition of license renewal. As a result, talk hosts shied away from the political bashing although certain things may have been implied. As I said, it was a completely different ballgame in those days.

Facts me you wrong and putting "esquire" after your name does not make you right.

No political bashing? Here are a few of Joe Pyne's greatest hits:

"Take your false teeth out, put them in backwards and bite yourself in the neck."
"Go gargle with razor blades!"
"Look, lady, every time you call this program and open your mouth to speak, nothing but garbage falls out. Get OFF THE LINE, YOU CREEP."
“I could make a monkey out of you, but why should I take the credit?”[7]
"Why don't you go out and play on the freeway?"
"Why don't you take a long walk on a short pier?"

You are absolutely correct that the title "Esquire" followed after my name does not make me 100% correct 100% of the time. And I never said nor implied that it did. You got that idea from your own personal opinion and not from me. Furthermore my name and any title associated with it is completely irrelevant to this discussion so let's leave the red herring fallacies out of this discussion and, instead, leave all criticisms constructive.

Nothing you quoted is political bashing but rather a personal attack against a caller. Today's political talk host oftentimes speak against a particular political party and certain members of said party, depending on the talk host.There is a big difference between the two. Again this is your opinion and nothing more.

 

[jmtillery]

I'm surprised the "weak signal" argument wasn't brought up there.

As in, with only 50-kw @ 1210, WPHT's signal isn't all that good?

Well, 50-k at 1210 sure isn't 50-k at 710... or even 1060. How did it go? The lower on the dial, the more your power is worth?

Ah, AM radio...

Absolutely! However, although there are other AM signals with a much better coverage footprint, WPHT's 50kw signal is fairly good in comparison to other signals in the area that are much more inferior in coverage. Didn't WPHT program an All News format back in the '60s and '70s when it was WCAU?

 

[FredLeonard]

Briefly. 1976. The beginning of the end of WCAU.

Showed Bill Paley was not the genius he wanted everyone to think. Hubris run amok.

Their coverage is not so great. Check the Phillies radio network. They have a station in Lansdale and had one in Coatesville to fill in some of the holes (they would still have one in Chester County if one were available). KYW on the other hand has a big hole in their "footprint" in Bucks County. Two low band regionals, WFIL and WIP, provide better and more consistent coverage of the whole market. Unfortunately, both are now pretty much a waste of bandwidth.