Re: THIS IS WHY I POSTED THIS SUBJECT...
> > This is a article from The Washington Post about a local
> > radio station dumping its local morning show for Steve
> > Harvey, (Just like KRNB):
> >
> >
> >
> > WHUR Gets An Earful for Axing Show
> >
> > By Paul Farhi
> > Washington Post Staff Writer
> > Thursday, March 9, 2006; Page C01
> >
> > Radio-listening habits die hard. Just ask WHUR, which is
> > discovering what happens when management gets between the
> > audience and its favorite morning show.
> >
> > Since dumping its popular morning team and replacing it
> this
> > week with comedian Steve Harvey's syndicated program, the
> > District radio station (96.3 FM) has been deluged with
> > complaints by the hundreds. The backlash has inspired
> calls
> > for a boycott of the station, which is owned by Howard
> > University and has been among the highest-rated in the
> > market.
> >
> >
> >
> > The cancellation of WHUR's "The Real D.C. Morning Show"
> > raises a broader question: What's become of "local"
> > programming in a medium that has long traded on its
> > community ties and good-neighbor image?
> >
> > Critics of WHUR's decision say that Harvey's show --
> > starring one of the "Kings of Comedy," who had a WB sitcom
>
> > for years -- originates from New York and is heard in a
> > handful of other U.S. cities. In that regard, it's little
> > different from other syndicated radio shows, such as
> > National Public Radio's "Morning Edition," or programs
> > hosted by such personalities as Tom Joyner, Don Imus and
> > Rush Limbaugh. Such syndicated fare has been blamed for
> > destroying radio's "localism" and for its homogenization,
> > with sound-alike stations from coast to coast.
> >
> > As its name implied, "The Real D.C. Morning Show" was a
> > hometown production. It featured four hosts -- Tony
> > Richards, Sharon "TC" Pitt, George Willborn and Herman
> > Washington -- who discussed local personalities, issues
> and
> > news, and took music requests and calls from residents.
> The
> > station's promos even subtly mocked the syndicated
> > competition by bragging that the show was "not live via
> > satellite, but live."
> >
> > As of last month, however, it no longer was. WHUR -- a
> > for-profit station despite its nonprofit parentage --
> ended
> > "Real D.C.'s" five-year run without an on-air
> announcement.
> > Harvey's program, airing 6 to 10 a.m., began Monday.
> >
> > Since then, outrage.
> >
> > A message board maintained by Pitt (
> >
http://www.sistacircle.com ) has been filling up with
> > denunciations of WHUR's management and notes of support
> for
> > the fired hosts -- about 2,500 combined as of yesterday.
> > Pitt, meanwhile, said yesterday she would "go back to the
> > station in a minute" if asked. "I was born and raised
> here,"
> > she said. "This was my dream job."
> >
> > Separately, an anonymous listener has collected about 400
> > "signatures" for an online petition that states, "We, the
> > former listeners of WHUR, will boycott the station until
> our
> > voices are heard and until The Real DC Morning Show has
> > returned."
> >
> > Tonya Brewington, a regular listener of the D.C. program,
> > called WHUR's decision to cancel the show "jarring"
> because
> > of the change in tone -- Harvey's show often emphasizes
> > edgier humor, compared with "Real D.C.'s" more gentle,
> > folksy style.
> >
> > "I think it's a very bad choice," said Brewington, a Web
> > designer who lives in the District. "I think the people
> who
> > listen to [the program] are not the same audience for
> Steve
> > Harvey. . . . It was more of a community show. You're not
> > going to find out what happened in D.C. the night before
> by
> > listening to a show out of New York. It's a sad commentary
>
> > for a radio station that's associated with a prestigious
> > university."
> >
> > Several people at the station, including program director
> > Dave Dickinson, said they were not authorized to talk
> about
> > the matter publicly. They referred a reporter to Jim
> > Watkins, WHUR's general manager. Watkins did not return
> > multiple requests for comment yesterday.
> >
> > The decision might look puzzling in light of the program's
>
> > ratings. The show ranked third in its time period (behind
> > top-rated WMMJ and WPGC) among adult listeners ages 25 to
> > 54, according to Arbitron Co.'s most recent quarterly
> > survey. In other words, it was a strong performer during
> > radio's most competitive time of the day among the
> listeners
> > most sought by radio advertisers.
> >
> > But that also means WHUR ranked third in a long-running
> > four-way battle for supremacy among African American
> > listeners. The big four "urban" stations in Washington
> > regularly split this audience. And all three of WHUR's
> main
> > competitors have superstar hosts in the morning: WMMJ
> (102.3
> > FM) features Joyner, who formerly was heard on WHUR; WPGC
> > (95.5 FM) carries Donnie Simpson; and WKYS (93.9 FM) airs
> > Russ Parr's show.
> >
> > Of those shows, only Simpson's focuses on the Washington
> > area. Joyner broadcasts from the Midwest. Parr, based in
> the
> > D.C. area, tailors his show for a national audience.
> >
> > Programs that seek to attract African American listeners
> > often have emphasized connections to their community to
> set
> > them apart from mainstream stations, said Charlie Sislen,
> a
> > partner in Research Director Inc., an Annapolis-based
> > consulting firm. "To not have a local morning show is very
>
> > surprising," said Sislen, whose clients include WPGC.
> >
> > WHUR, however, racked up big ratings with Joyner's
> > syndicated show until it lost that program to rival WMMJ
> in
> > August 2000.
> >
> > Sean Ross, a radio consultant with Edison Media Research,
> > said Harvey's program has performed well on stations that
> > have picked it up since it began syndication six months
> ago.
> > "He's certainly the high-impact alternative to Joyner at
> the
> > moment," said Ross of the 50-year-old Harvey. "Joyner
> hasn't
> > stopped being Joyner, but [Harvey] is interesting. His
> > celebrity will help him pull in a younger audience."
> >
> > As for WHUR, Ross said, it was "prepared to do what
> everyone
> > has to do to build a morning show until a compelling
> option
> > came along."
> >
> Great article and some say listeners don't care.
>
Well, im all for local flavor,but like I said previously, syndication isnt necessarly a bad thing. I like the fact there are programs like Lovelines,Tom Leykis and Phil Hendrie(who deserves a home in the dallas market) because it adds variety to the "Local Color" in this market. If you want a true local O&O in this market, go listen to KNON 89.3 and see how "dog and pony" that thing sounds at times, esp during the "Energy 89.3" block.
