Is Savage Going Bye-Bye's?

[Those RRRRs]

According to the Philadelphia board, 990 WNTP, Philadelphia's Michael Savage affiliate is dropping that show to pave the way for Dennis Miller.

Has anyone heard any talk or confirmed/unconfirmed rumors about WAEB dropping Savage as well?

 

[drpickle]

This would be sad as Savage is the only one who knows what he's talking about. My liberal friends and I love Savage despite not always agreeing with him. He has integrity and will not cower to the neo-cons establishment!

 

[fredflintstone]

WAEB is not on the list of new Miller affiliates, most of which are Salem-owned stations (like WNTP). It appears Westwood One and Salem have made a deal.

Clear Channel, meanwhile, has been putting Mark Levin (from ABC) on many of its stations, which also carry ABC's Sean Hannity Show, suggesting another deal.

Savage, distributed by TRN, is under attack now by Levin and Miller for station clearances. TRN is a smaller player with less clout and no major shows to use as bargaining chips.

Savage is fed live from 6 pm to 9 pm. Early evening is when WAEB runs "The War Room," a Pittsburgh morning show actually 13 hours old when aired on WAEB. Clear Channel owns the show and has been rolling it out to other stations. They could be testing the waters before moving the show to morning drive (dropping Walsh, if they can get away with it, would be a major cost saving) or mid-morning (if Beck is not performing that well).

 

[Those RRRRs]

They could be testing the waters before moving the show to morning drive (dropping Walsh, if they can get away with it, would be a major cost saving)

I was thinking the same thing. I didn't post anything about it because I
didn't want to get the conspiracy train rolling, but Walsh might be
getting ready for a radio vacation (at least in his mind) to make way for
this syndicated show.

Quinn and Rose bill themselves as "America's Morning Show." When I heard
that...hmmm.

Most of these small town local talk stations have a syndicated morning show.
Bill Bennett probably has more affiliates than any other conservative morning
talk host. What are the chances WAEB would syndicate his show in place of
Walsh or Quinn and Rose? Any thoughts?

 

[fredflintstone]

Most of these small town local talk stations have a syndicated morning show.
Bill Bennett probably has more affiliates than any other conservative morning
talk host. What are the chances WAEB would syndicate his show in place of
Walsh or Quinn and Rose? Any thoughts?

Slim and none.

Clear Channel produces and syndicates Quinn and Rose.
Their goal is to put Q&R on those stations out of the top markets still local morning drive, especially their own.
Salem produces and syndicates Bennett.
They distribute Bennett as part of their turn-key talk network; almost all of Bennett's stations are Salem-owned.

Refresh my memory: Who owns WAEB?
Yes, Clear Channel does take outside syndicated shows but Bennett's show is a weak entrant. They'd take Imus before Bennett.

 

[rdcuffpa1]

They could be testing the waters before moving the show to morning drive (dropping Walsh, if they can get away with it, would be a major cost saving) or mid-morning (if Beck is not performing that well).

Sure, it would be cost-saving, but it would also be "revenue-saving"...I suspect most of Gunther's ad base would vaporize were he to disappear.

That would signal, to me, that Clear Channel is throwing in the towel on AM radio in the Lehigh Valley.

Richard in Allentown

 

[Those RRRRs]

I suspect most of Gunther's ad base would vaporize were he to disappear.

I have to respectfully disagree. No one is indisposable. Not even Gunther. I have no doubt that Clear Channel's sales team would do just fine selling time on WAEB with or without him.

Even if a couple of sponsors boycotted the station for a short period of time, a free spot here or there or a promotional pair of tickets for an upcoming sporting event would most surely smooth over dissatisfied sponsors. And if it didn't, there are plenty more sponsors for an AM News/Talk station. If there aren't, Mr. Walsh will have to learn Spanish pretty quick in order to stay behind the mic.

That would signal, to me, that Clear Channel is throwing in the towel on AM radio in the Lehigh Valley.

You could make that argument. But I'll go one better. (IMHO) Keeping Walsh instead of simulcasting is closer to "throwing in the towel."

After all, it's costing Clear Channel more money to pay his salary than it would be to simulcast another show.

In a perfect world I would say that they are keeping him because of all the good charitable work he does on air...but this is Clear Channel, and so far as the perfect world bit is concerned......

Good day.

 

[fredflintstone]

That would signal, to me, that Clear Channel is throwing in the towel on AM radio in the Lehigh Valley.

Why should the Lehigh Valley be different? This is what they've been doing most everywhere else.

However, going all syndicated is not really abandoning AM radio. It's abandoning local-live AM radio.
Clear Channel's line up of Q&R, Beck, Rush plus others like Hannity (who is cleared on many CC talk stations) is good radio, just not local. And listeners will generally gravitate to better radio (whether or not it's local).

Let's be grateful CC is not talking about making WAEB foreign language, brokered or paying preachers. That's abandoning AM radio.

I'm surprised more people aren't up in arms about Clear Channel feeding "local" news to WAEB from Harrisburg.

 

[rdcuffpa1]

However, going all syndicated is not really abandoning AM radio. It's abandoning local-live AM radio.
Clear Channel's line up of Q&R, Beck, Rush plus others like Hannity (who is cleared on many CC talk stations) is good radio, just not local. And listeners will generally gravitate to better radio (whether or not it's local).

Let's be grateful CC is not talking about making WAEB foreign language, brokered or paying preachers. That's abandoning AM radio.

I'm surprised more people aren't up in arms about Clear Channel feeding "local" news to WAEB from Harrisburg.

All valid points. I've personally considered their local news coverage to be increasing lame anyway, so the fact that it's tracked is a non-event.

Richard in Allentown