Host's Ideology not as important to listeners as host's talent

[wireless_fan]

For what its worth:

Today's on-line edition of RnR has an article that quotes Benchmark CEO, Rob Balon, about the company's annual Talk Radio in America survey

http://www.radioandrecords.com/Newsroom/2006_03_06/talkstudy.asp

their research, methodology unknown, suggests that Rush's success is due to how he presents on-air, not his politics. he also says the data suggest that Limbaugh's recent decline in ratings is due to an overall saturation of this type of programming. funny, i figured it was because nothing lasts forever. he's had a long run, he's the godfather of that brand of talk radio, but there are younger and more innovative talents in the stable these days, and they aren't all conservative.

 

[SaltyDog]

RL is a lightning rod. Good luck discussing his success, or his reported decline, without it becoming a political referendum.

Here's what I keep wondering: Does he have any concern about the potential for his podcast to diminish his radio audience? Do his affiliates?

ABC's standard reply to questions about it's TV show downloads for videop iPod's is that it's "incremental viewing", meaning that it doesn't detract from the affiliate ratings. But I wonder. Certainly, TV affiliates have made their displeasure known to ABC. And if it applies to TV downloads, why not radio downloads?


> For what its worth:
>
> Today's on-line edition of RnR has an article that quotes
> Benchmark CEO, Rob Balon, about the company's annual Talk
> Radio in America survey
>
http> ://www.radioandrecords.com/Newsroom/2006_03_06/talkstudy.asp
>
>
> their research, methodology unknown, suggests that Rush's
> success is due to how he presents on-air, not his politics.
> he also says the data suggest that Limbaugh's recent decline
> in ratings is due to an overall saturation of this type of
> programming. funny, i figured it was because nothing lasts
> forever. he's had a long run, he's the godfather of that
> brand of talk radio, but there are younger and more
> innovative talents in the stable these days, and they aren't
> all conservative.
> <P ID="signature">______________
SD</P>

 

[jcolletta275]

> RL is a lightning rod. Good luck discussing his success, or
> his reported decline, without it becoming a political
> referendum.
>
> Here's what I keep wondering: Does he have any concern about
> the potential for his podcast to diminish his radio
> audience? Do his affiliates?
>
> ABC's standard reply to questions about it's TV show
> downloads for videop iPod's is that it's "incremental
> viewing", meaning that it doesn't detract from the affiliate
> ratings. But I wonder. Certainly, TV affiliates have made
> their displeasure known to ABC. And if it applies to TV
> downloads, why not radio downloads?

That's something I've wondered myself... but I've come to think of it as the same idea behind shows offering recordings of their programs through the mail... only this way, you're paying a subscription fee and you're getting the download almost instantaneously after the show ends. Plus, in Rush's case, he's not charging anything for the Podcast beyond his regular Rush 24/7 fee, so you're getting a whole lot more than just the download for your money... meaning most people who have the Podcast available to them probably aren't subscribing specifically for the Podcast.

I seem to recall this being debated here before...<P ID="signature">______________

http://theradioblog.blogspot.com</P>

 

[skyeye]

Interesting article. Some very good points.


> There are younger and more
> innovative talents in the stable these days, and they aren't
> all conservative.
>

Like who?

Rush may have had too long a run but none of his immitators comes close to doing the act as well as he does it. Rush is the killer ap of political talk. Libtalk has not found its big draw.

 

[jimwalsh2001]

Sound advice, if only more people would listen. Unfortunately, I suspect that in this case Winston Churchill was right - that having stumbled over the truth, the bulk of talk programmers will merely hurry off and get on with business as usual...

 

[FloridaBear1776]

>> Rush may have had too long a run but none of his immitators
> comes close to doing the act as well as he does it. Rush is
> the killer ap of political talk. Libtalk has not found its
> big draw.
>

The act? You mean being a Rush clone? By definition, the clones won't be as good as the original. In fact, many of the wannabes aren't as good as the pre-Rush era liberal hosts they replaced. Maybe it's time for a different act.