Is WVKO AM in trouble??

[xianbroadcaster]

I finally was in town and had the chance to listen to WVKO for myself...I was in Southwest Columbus and had no problem picking up the signal and frankly, the weakest point of the entire thing was the commercial production which to be honest was never the strong point of Gary Richards...all his spots sound like the rip and read spots he uses on any weekly sports broadcast....that is in no way an indictment of the efforts.

I didn't notice any of the other stations providing the feed bleeding through.

In the afternoon I listened to Mike Cole who was talking about the moral role of rap music in this culture...it was a shortened show because of clipper baseball but what I listened to I enjoyed.

When I am back in town again I will listen more!

Keep up the good work!

 

[psonderman]

Is anyone loyal to progressive talk radio the least bit concerned over the fact that Gary RIchards chooses to air infomercials ("The Gold Show) not just following Ed Schultz's program but also to pre-empt it?

 

[ajhenderson]

If it weren't for brokered programming, half of the AM band would be off the air.

 

[SeanMGilbow]

Is anyone loyal to progressive talk radio the least bit concerned over the fact that Gary RIchards chooses to air infomercials ("The Gold Show) not just following Ed Schultz's program but also to pre-empt it?

I was disappointed to hear it this afternoon, but I will refrain further comment until I get with the appropriate parties.

 

[smedge2006]

If it weren't for brokered programming, half of the AM band would be off the air.

Which would allow the other half to address AM's number one problem -- signal issues. Cull the herd!

 

[ajhenderson]

You may be right, but for those that accuse me and others of being opposed to diversity, I'd rather have more voices on the air. More AMs means more progressive talk, more foreign language programming for minority communities, etc.

 

[smedge2006]

You may be right, but for those that accuse me and others of being opposed to diversity, I'd rather have more voices on the air. More AMs means more progressive talk, more foreign language programming for minority communities, etc.

The proliferation of brokered formats means less progressive talk, because it's easier to make money with a 0.0 than a 0.8 share. Stations that can make money from dollar-a-holler preaching have the capital to drive these stations off the air.

Phoenix: It drove progressive talk off KXXT and onto a weaker signal, where ratings have struggled to match earlier successes.

Jacksonville: A religious group there is buying out and shutting down the fledgling progtalk format on WZNZ.

And who knows how many stations would be progtalk today if there weren't companies like Polnet, Birach and Communicom that live off the easy money. Not to mention Salem, which uses the preachertalk to subsidize its (mostly) unembraced conservatalk template.

 

[DaleGriffin]

You may not like it but Salem's non-religious talk model is a money maker. It is not being subsidized (which implies it is losing money).

 

[smedge2006]

I find it hard to believe that Salem is making money with its talk format as a stand alone. If you have financial breakouts from the quarterly statements that's another matter. Of course, those can be manipulated as well. Nevertheless, the share price doesn't point to its format as a roaring success.

 

[gabigley1]

Is anyone loyal to progressive talk radio the least bit concerned over the fact that Gary RIchards chooses to air infomercials ("The Gold Show) not just following Ed Schultz's program but also to pre-empt it?

I have noticed The Gold Show is now aired several times a day.
#1. pre-emps the last thirty minutes of the Bill Press show.
#2. pre emps the first thirty minutes of the Ed Schultz show
#3. pre-emps the first thirty minutes of Air America programing after the Ed Schultz show.
#4 pre emps 30 minutes of Air America programing during the 6:30 PM hour.
The Stephanie Miller Show seems to be safe of pre-emption.

This must be badly needed revenue for the station.

Bill Press, Ed Schultz and their loyal listeners don't want their show(s) to be pre-empted by the Gold Show. The Gold show may help keep the progressive talk
format on the air in Columbus.

Also, has anyone noticed that WVKO's audio sounds much better now? Still much less to be desired but at least they are trying.

 

[willcail]

Well they still need a sales person. But the good news is that WVKO AM beats WYTS the auto pilot station in the Spring 2008 book. I guessing that Columbus radio listeners perferred Stephanie Miller and Ed Schultz over hate monger Micheal "Wiener" Savage and Laura "almost got cannned" Ingram. Right now the station is poised to beat WRFD 880 AM (0.8 Share) and WTDA Talk FM (0.9 share). Columbus Zoo is now advertising on WVKO AM. If they get rid of Ron Kurby and bring back Randi Rhodes or put Thom Hartmann at 3 to 6pm. Since the show is avalible to download after 4 pm.

 

[gr8oldies]

No doubt the zoo ads are trade for tickets.

 

[DaleGriffin]

I find it hard to believe that Salem is making money with its talk format as a stand alone. If you have financial breakouts from the quarterly statements that's another matter. Of course, those can be manipulated as well. Nevertheless, the share price doesn't point to its format as a roaring success.

Salem's talk network has 5 hosts on 100 stations, if they aren't making money with that overhead and that network then there is somethign seriously wrong.

 

[SeanMGilbow]

Is anyone loyal to progressive talk radio the least bit concerned over the fact that Gary RIchards chooses to air infomercials ("The Gold Show) not just following Ed Schultz's program but also to pre-empt it?

I have noticed The Gold Show is now aired several times a day.
#1. pre-emps the last thirty minutes of the Bill Press show.
#2. pre emps the first thirty minutes of the Ed Schultz show
#3. pre-emps the first thirty minutes of Air America programing after the Ed Schultz show.
#4 pre emps 30 minutes of Air America programing during the 6:30 PM hour.
The Stephanie Miller Show seems to be safe of pre-emption.

This must be badly needed revenue for the station.

Bill Press, Ed Schultz and their loyal listeners don't want their show(s) to be pre-empted by the Gold Show. The Gold show may help keep the progressive talk
format on the air in Columbus.

Also, has anyone noticed that WVKO's audio sounds much better now? Still much less to be desired but at least they are trying.

Big Eddie is no longer pre-empted.

 

[willcail]

There is no proof that the station is getting Columbus Zoo tickets, in exchange for air time. Too bad that your faveorite hate spewer is getting no listeners.

 

[techie2]

There is no proof that the station is getting Columbus Zoo tickets, in exchange for air time. Too bad that your faveorite hate spewer is getting no listeners.

Zoos and places like Cedar Point trade out tickets for spots all the time to all sorts of stations. If you're on the station side, why not trade some open inventory in exchange for some tickets to use for giveaways?

Stop being so defensive.

 

[DToTheJ]

Is anyone loyal to progressive talk radio the least bit concerned over the fact that Gary RIchards chooses to air infomercials ("The Gold Show) not just following Ed Schultz's program but also to pre-empt it?

I have noticed The Gold Show is now aired several times a day.
#1. pre-emps the last thirty minutes of the Bill Press show.
#2. pre emps the first thirty minutes of the Ed Schultz show
The Stephanie Miller Show seems to be safe of pre-emption.

Big Eddie is no longer pre-empted.

Okay, how about Bill Press? I understand your station is in dire need of funds, but just because most think Steph's show is "comedy gold" does not necessarily imply that "The Gold Show" should be a lead-in...

 

[gabigley1]

This is why WVKO-AM says they must air the "GOLD SHOW". No big surprise here.

http://www.wvko1580.com/forums/topic.php?id=226
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(QUOTE)
Puffy
Post Count: 28 Member

What is this gold infomercial?
Why isn't it shown on the schedule so that I can avoid it?

Posted 6 hours ago #
willcail
Post Count: 55 Member

How about during doing time? Not during the highly popular and sucessful Jones Radio Talkers.

Posted 3 hours ago #
RussC
Post Count: 95 Moderator

These Gold infomercials and Clippers broadcasts are helping to pay the bills.

I don't want to be flippant here, but if you encourage Progressive Business Owners and the Democratic Party and the State of Ohio to advertise on WVKO, then there would be no need for the Gold infomercials. Also encourage your Progressive-minded Sales Pros to sell ad time for WVKO.

Please forward any information you have, and refer all interested parties, through this page:

http://www.wvko1580.com/contact/
Thanks.

 

[Allfirdup]

This is why WVKO-AM says they must air the "GOLD SHOW". No big surprise here.

http://www.wvko1580.com/forums/topic.php?id=226
--------------------------------------------------

(QUOTE)
Puffy
Post Count: 28 Member

What is this gold infomercial?
Why isn't it shown on the schedule so that I can avoid it?

Posted 6 hours ago #
willcail
Post Count: 55 Member

How about during doing time? Not during the highly popular and sucessful Jones Radio Talkers.

Posted 3 hours ago #
RussC
Post Count: 95 Moderator

These Gold infomercials and Clippers broadcasts are helping to pay the bills.

I don't want to be flippant here, but if you encourage Progressive Business Owners and the Democratic Party and the State of Ohio to advertise on WVKO, then there would be no need for the Gold infomercials. Also encourage your Progressive-minded Sales Pros to sell ad time for WVKO.

Please forward any information you have, and refer all interested parties, through this page:

http://www.wvko1580.com/contact/
Thanks.

RussC always sounds so defensive when questioned about why things happen at the station, its simple that how they are paying the bills, because they dont have high enough ratings to get any major business to buy time on the station.

Other station WYTS for example are sold in combination with other stations in the cluster so they are making money even though they may have lower numbers. plus all of the bills for the station, like studio rent is being paid by the cluster not just one station,

I think Gary has done a great job working with what he has, its just a very big expense to launch any radio station let alone a small AM operation in this business climate.

 

[smedge2006]

Crummy sound... no satellite dish... infomercials interrupting programming.

If I were a WVKO listener, I'd go cold turkey -- and this is from someone who's taken his licks defending progressive talk radio.

It's not my responsibility to "support" a commercial station. It's your responsibility to get proper capitalization together and put on a product that merits my attention -- and doesn't detract from it with infomercials in the middle of a weekday. I (the listener) am to be wooed, not panhandled.