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It's official: 1200 to News/Talk

MRBIboredop said:
Is isn't going to solve the after-sunset coverage problem, though, is it?
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Not at all; in MetroWest after dark, 1200 is no better--and is probably a lot worse--than WRKO is. BUT, a simulcast on WCRN at the right time of day will solve that problem regardless of which Boston AM Carr is on. And as long as WCRN is willing to take Carr in AM drive instead of PM drive, Carr can have the daypart he has publicly yearned for for a couple of years AND the coverage of MetroWest before the sun comes up. AND...1200 can have Hannity live in PM drive.
 
For the life of me I don't know what Howie thinks is so great about AM drive for his show. If it happens, maybe I'll change my mind, but in the morning I'm more intent on hard news and traffic/getting to work. On the way home the humor in his show helps get my mind off what went on at work all day. He is also an institution in the afternoon with nothing to challenge his niche. In the morning there are a lot of strong competitor and listener loyalties/habits established.

The new News Talk 1200 is certainly taking advantage of the chronic underinvestment Entercom has made in WRKO's programming in recent years. Blowing out the news staff, overpaid morning show host that flopped, focus on syndicated fare and decline in the weekend programming has left them extremely vulnerable. Without Rush and Howie they are toast with nothing on the bench ready to fill the gap.

Hope all that money burned on the Red Sox contract was worth it.
 
"Rush Radio" might roll off the tongue, but when Mr. Limbaugh falls over daid from his next heart attack it won't seem like the most brilliant piece of branding.

Hell, just the stationery costs alone... not to mention pulling all them billboards...
 
What WRKO needs to do to survive:

1. Keep Laura Ingraham live from 9am-Noon. This gives WRKO a popular national conservative talker during the daytime and she will keep many Rush listeners on WRKO who don't want to listen to Beck.

2. Develop a live and local show to counter Rush. With Scott Brown's upcoming victory in the Senate race, Massachusetts could use a local host to be the "Rush of Massachusetts." And, this would deliver ratings.

3. Move Howie Carr to AM drive. That's what Howie was going to do at WTKK and there is no reason he could not do it at WRKO.

4. Simulcast WRKO on 97.7 FM. WKAF is not really helping WAAF and WRKO on AM and FM would bring its programming to more listeners. Howie would also be on FM which is what he has wanted for a while.

5. Develop a new local afternoon drive show hosted by two people. Sort of like John and Ken at KFI. I'm thinking maybe with Todd Feinburg and VB from the FOX 25 Morning News. This would keep Howie listeners tuned to WRKO in the afternoon once he moves to mornings.

This will help WRKO keep and maybe even improve upon the ratings it has now. I hope the folks at Entercom are reading this!


Note: I would have included keeping Savage and Doyle at nighton this list, but WRKO has already committed to that.
 
newhampshiredude said:
What WRKO needs to do to survive:

1. Keep Laura Ingraham live from 9am-Noon. This gives WRKO a popular national conservative talker during the daytime and she will keep many Rush listeners on WRKO who don't want to listen to Beck.
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Yep that is a no brainer, I fully agree

2. Develop a live and local show to counter Rush. With Scott Brown's upcoming victory in the Senate race, Massachusetts could use a local host to be the "Rush of Massachusetts." And, this would deliver ratings.
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Those are some pretty big shoes to fill. I can't even imagine anyone locally who could fill them, or who would want to take the risk. If Felon Finneran & Todd are under contract, you might but them there because you have to pay them anyway. This is assuming they move Howie to AM drive as you suggest.
3. Move Howie Carr to AM drive. That's what Howie was going to do at WTKK and there is no reason he could not do it at WRKO.
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Well then Carr would have to put up or shut up. I don't know if his style translates well to AM drive, if the callers would be the same caliber as his afternoon drive listeners, but he would have to show some good numbers to justify his salary. He certainly would not be hitting his contractually negotiated bonus money in AM drive.

4. Simulcast WRKO on 97.7 FM. WKAF is not really helping WAAF and WRKO on AM and FM would bring its programming to more listeners. Howie would also be on FM which is what he has wanted for a while.
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Not a bad idea, if they wanted to compete against 96.9 and siphon some of there listeners away, which they will need to do. I wonder what is going on in Peter Smyths head right now because this could hit them too, and from where 96.9 is in the PPM's, they really can't afford any loss of listeners, especially with their payroll. You can only siphon so much money from the profit section of WMJX and WROR, to support TTK. This assumes WBOS is covering it's expenses and turning a small profit.


5. Develop a new local afternoon drive show hosted by two people. Sort of like John and Ken at KFI. I'm thinking maybe with Todd Feinburg and VB from the FOX 25 Morning News. This would keep Howie listeners tuned to WRKO in the afternoon once he moves to mornings.
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I don't think Doug Goudie is going to willingly leave WFXT to go back to the House of Horrors over on Guest Street. I talked to him a couple of weeks ago at a Wednesday Diner road trip, and I asked him if he missed radio, and he said that radio gave him more time to discuss a single issue, which at the time was the Galluccio story, but I see him staying at 25 as long as they will have him, especially since his wife works there on the morning show. There is no way he can do radio and TV, there are not enough hours in the day to do the prep, and I bet he is up at 2 Am as it is.


Doug Meehan is looking for a job, Fox25 didn't renew his contract. I know he is trying to find a home at another Fox affiliate, but he might make a good radio host.
 
Yes RKO should keep Laura and when, not if, Rush moves to 1200, they prob should go local (vs. Graham,
Severin) 12-3 but if Cheapercom wants to keep it syndie, there's Dennis Miller...maybe John Gibson?

Howie to AM? That's what he'd want and no "loss of listeners during last hour or two" with the sunset (though
at certain times of yr the first part of his show would be affected). It would not be good for me as I work
nights and usually get up at 10 or so, but I can find ways to have my comp. record it.

97.7? Could work; of course you know me, I'd prefer 93.7 for either WEEI or WRKO // at work (comes in well).
Todd and VB? Could work for PM drive or as you say, 12-3...

Poss. if RKO doesn't renew Finneran: simulcast Fox 25 morning news (it was supposedly considered). Or
WXKS 1200 could (I have said in case of 1200 that CC could save money by having, say, Helen Glover
do both Boston & Prov stuff 7-9 or 7-10 on both WXKS 1200 & WHJJ...
 
MRBIboredop said:
I don't think Doug Goudie is going to willingly leave WFXT to go back to the House of Horrors over on Guest Street. I talked to him a couple of weeks ago at a Wednesday Diner road trip, and I asked him if he missed radio, and he said that radio gave him more time to discuss a single issue, which at the time was the Galluccio story, but I see him staying at 25 as long as they will have him, especially since his wife works there on the morning show. There is no way he can do radio and TV, there are not enough hours in the day to do the prep, and I bet he is up at 2 Am as it is.


Doug Meehan is looking for a job, Fox25 didn't renew his contract. I know he is trying to find a home at another Fox affiliate, but he might make a good radio host.
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If the money is right he can do both and some local personalities are managing to do both. Jim Braude, Michael Felger, Gary Tanguay. On national level, Hannity works on both mediums.

What does his wife working there has to do with his future career choices?
 
And this change happens on April 1? Maybe this is Clear Channel's idea of an April Fools joke, though I doubt it.
 
"There is no way he can do radio and TV, there are not enough hours in the day to do the prep, and I bet he is up at 2 Am as it is."

Jim Braude does both; Emily Rooney does both (although only 1 hour on the radio)

I'm sure it's exhiliarating to have the two jobs--to do what you love to do all day, though tiring for sure. I wouldn't mind having a schedule like that!
 
Fybush says in his column today that supposedly the wrko contract to carry Rush is till 2012 and I would think it would be exclusive to the market; so it's not like CC can choose to have him on BOTH stations, but Rush has been pulled in other markets like in NC (tho it's been said in Prov it was PRO's decision to drop Rush for local despite theory that CC pulled him off to go to HJJ)

Legal moves in offing...?
 
raccoonradio said:
Fybush says in his column today that supposedly the wrko contract to carry Rush is till 2012 and I would think it would be exclusive to the market; so it's not like CC can choose to have him on BOTH stations, but Rush has been pulled in other markets like in NC (tho it's been said in Prov it was PRO's decision to drop Rush for local despite theory that CC pulled him off to go to HJJ)

Legal moves in offing...?
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I would imagine that Premiere has an "out clause" of some form in their contract with Entercom. This is something that each side would agree to and I have no doubt that it would cost Clear Channel some money to see it exercised. Of course, the devil is in the details, so there's no way to speculate whether the financial hit that breaking the contract would require is worth the big boost that Clear Channel would see for their new talker on 1200. It could be - but we'd need to be privy to restricted information to have a better idea.

I have a feeling that CC doesn't want to wait until 2012 to get Rush on the air at WXKS and to take him from WRKO as he'd be the cornerstone of their new format.
 
Yup...btw Avi Nelson is on today in place of Rush on RKO to talk about the special election (and no,
1200 isn't rolling out the new format early, of course!)
 
I bet WXKS 1200 will be simulcasted on a WXKS-FM HD channel. CC in New Haven just started simulcasting WELI's talk format on WKCI-FM HD3.

Mark Levin hinted last night that he might soon be on a Boston station, but said he couldn't give details.
 
Could be; I think WTKK was doing a best of Levin on Sat nights but not sure if they still have him. He is syndie by Citadel and is on stations like WABC (though he was pre-empted by college sports when I spun the dial
recently)
 
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