http://www.radioandrecords.com/Newsroom/2006_04_12/wlwsmike.asp
WLW, basically the last completely 24-hour live/local talk station in the "W"s announced that Mike McConnell's 9-noon ET talk show goes national this summer, distributed by Clear Channel, owner of WLW and parent of Premiere Radio which syndicates Glenn Beck in the same daypart (five or so top-50 market CC talkers including WLW crosstown sister 55KRC have dropped Beck recently in moves which could be described as a move to more local and political talk).
Mike, who has also served as permanent host of Premiere's syndicated "The Weekend" for two or three years since the host-a-week format was dropped, is no doubt a great talent, but seeing that he's already on a 50kW blowtorch with huge ratings and reaches three or four top-60 markets on a daily basis, plus the 16 people that listen to WLW on XM. It's not like the guy is on some half-baked station just waiting for his big break... he's spent 20 years being #1 on a heritage talker. Sure, it's not quite KGO, but it leads me to ask whether we can survive without every host with an ounce of talent getting a national mic.
While the talk format may be increasing, I think it's widely accepted that political talk, at least of a conservative stripe, is pretty well saturated in most cities. Why we don't see much new product for the progressive, lifestyle, and hot talk formats, yet a never-ending parade of new RWers keep floating by is beyond me. Is it so horrible to be a big fish in a medium-size pond? Succeeding on WLW is a big deal. Or would a host rather have a fifth-string national show on 500-watt AMs in 60 markets?
WLW, basically the last completely 24-hour live/local talk station in the "W"s announced that Mike McConnell's 9-noon ET talk show goes national this summer, distributed by Clear Channel, owner of WLW and parent of Premiere Radio which syndicates Glenn Beck in the same daypart (five or so top-50 market CC talkers including WLW crosstown sister 55KRC have dropped Beck recently in moves which could be described as a move to more local and political talk).
Mike, who has also served as permanent host of Premiere's syndicated "The Weekend" for two or three years since the host-a-week format was dropped, is no doubt a great talent, but seeing that he's already on a 50kW blowtorch with huge ratings and reaches three or four top-60 markets on a daily basis, plus the 16 people that listen to WLW on XM. It's not like the guy is on some half-baked station just waiting for his big break... he's spent 20 years being #1 on a heritage talker. Sure, it's not quite KGO, but it leads me to ask whether we can survive without every host with an ounce of talent getting a national mic.
While the talk format may be increasing, I think it's widely accepted that political talk, at least of a conservative stripe, is pretty well saturated in most cities. Why we don't see much new product for the progressive, lifestyle, and hot talk formats, yet a never-ending parade of new RWers keep floating by is beyond me. Is it so horrible to be a big fish in a medium-size pond? Succeeding on WLW is a big deal. Or would a host rather have a fifth-string national show on 500-watt AMs in 60 markets?