Future of Talk Radio

[e-dawg]

Is the future of Talk radio is going to be like Hong Kong, China, or Taiwan. More of Entertaining Talk instead of political talk?

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

I think man of us are probably thinking the exact same response to you right now:

If you are smart enough to know the answer to this question, you can be rich.

Help me understand fully your question. Maybe I am out of the loop but I don't understand "like Hong Kong, China or Taiwan".

 

[musichead1029]

I believe he's implying that one possibility is to import our talk programming from abroad (outsourcing). Since the tax implications of providing talk programming domestically aren't that daunting, I think not. Though if a Taiwanese group came up with a way to attract a younger demo to talk, I'm sure there would be interest.

 

[ABQRADIO]

I think all of us will agree, regardless of our political persuasion, that the United States is at something of a crossroads. And, I observe that more people, at least in the money demos, are becoming more politically aware and involved (myself included). For those reasons alone, I believe politically oriented talk radio has a bright future for the forseeable future. That being said, the Clark Howards and Dave Ramseys of talk radio are making serious inroads. Can the format reach younger (age 40-) demos? Probably not, whether on AM, FM, internet, whatever. Why? Because age 40- people are not often engaged in the issues of the day, and have families to raise, babes to date and such. Yes, that was me too.

 

[semoochie]

The crux of the question was, "Is the future of Talk Radio going to be Entertainment Talk, rather than Political". The rest were just examples.

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

I think all of us will agree, regardless of our political persuasion, that the United States is at something of a crossroads. And, I observe that more people, at least in the money demos, are becoming more politically aware and involved (myself included). For those reasons alone, I believe politically oriented talk radio has a bright future for the forseeable future.

I did some "political talk radio" 1967-1969. I was pretty much a leaf blown around in the wind. Had no consultants or advisors. We "winged it" the best we could. I didn't see the "future" coming as it did when Rush reshaped the genre. There was an effort at talk radio in the 1960s and I was the last tree standing in my market.

I have a long, long, long view of talk radio and how we got here. Where you see politically oriented talk radio having a bright future for the foreseeable future, I see this boil on our collective butt that gets more inflamed every day and one of these days we will finally go to the doctor and get the damnable thing lanced. Talk radio in it's present format may do what communism could never get done: Kill our form of self government.

That being said, the Clark Howards and Dave Ramseys of talk radio are making serious inroads. Can the format reach younger (age 40-) demos? Probably not, whether on AM, FM, internet, whatever. Why? Because age 40- people are not often engaged in the issues of the day, and have families to raise, babes to date and such. Yes, that was me too.

The irony is that the people under 40 are the ones who can best benefit from the kind of advice Clark and Dave dispense. By the time you are 40+ you have learned most of that somewhere else, or through your own lab experiments in the school of hard knocks. Maybe the future success of those two and others in that same mode is to find ways of reaching younger listeners.... because they can benefit the most.