It's OFFICIAL, 1230 drops Air America

[CBusDave]

http://www.glennbeck.com/ has a message saying they hope to find a new home in Columbus soon.

 

[ajhenderson]

Well, perhaps it's a stunt and Beck will be brought back will fanfare by the "bad guys" at CC. Then again, we thought that would happen when Jerry Springer turned his in-demo 9 and 10 shares into 3s and 4s on WTAM.

BTW, maybe they gave into Beck on this one, but again, Premiere is not in the business of coddling talent to lose money. They're in the business of clearing every show, Beck included, in as many markets as possible, not taking losses to promote little schoolyard spitball fights. I think they'd tell Beck to shut up and move to 1230. Heck, they'd say the same thing for 1580. At 9 at NIGHT.

 

[FightingIrish]

Well, perhaps it's a stunt and Beck will be brought back will fanfare by the "bad guys" at CC. Then again, we thought that would happen when Jerry Springer turned his in-demo 9 and 10 shares into 3s and 4s on WTAM.

BTW, maybe they gave into Beck on this one, but again, Premiere is not in the business of coddling talent to lose money. They're in the business of clearing every show, Beck included, in as many markets as possible, not taking losses to promote little schoolyard spitball fights. I think they'd tell Beck to shut up and move to 1230. Heck, they'd say the same thing for 1580. At 9 at NIGHT.

I honestly don't think Beck is in the position to demand anything. He evidently thinks he's bigger than he really is. Heck, I know of a few stations that have dropped him, and most of them are owned by Clear Channel. And CNN HN can't get people to watch his TV show even when they run it five times a day, seven days a week.

If he really thinks he's that powerful, he hit the bottle and the blow way too much prior to checking into rehab.

 

[ajhenderson]

Well, as I said, I think rumors that he, or anyone else in a similar position, demanded anything, are a bit inflated. I would say that your ad hominem attacks weaken your argument, as well. Yes, CC stations have dropped his show - which only shows that CC doesn't enforce a programming gulag like other operators that own syndicators.

The facts do speak for themselves, however. His ratings in Columbus were very good, as they were in Cleveland. You didn't see much outrage when WGST/Atlanta dropped him. He did pull mid-4 shares in demo vs. Boortz's 15s and 16s, but he didn't do as well as they had hoped and he was gone. Point being that you don't see him griping at every station that drops him, like the aforementioned Boortz does; just the ones where he was consistently in the top 3, and from my limited experience with the Cbus book about six months ago, occassionally #1. Call Premiere and ask for his WTVN 25-54 #s.

As to the TV show, I don't follow the business of TV, but from what I've read in B&C, he does pretty well in the demos, even rivaling O'Reilly, whose audience is all 55+. I also don't watch his TV show, but the three times a day he's on (not five) is similar to the three times a day O'Reilly is on, and the two times most Fox and MSNBC shows are. There are these thing you might not have heard of called time zones.

 

[ajhenderson]

I went back and listened to today's Beck show on the insider and he spends the 8 minute segment from 9:34-9:42 discussing how Steve Konrad hated them, a bunch of technical stuff, why he only clears on 230-some stations (a bit of a stretch, but OK), and answers much of the speculation here.

http://www.premiereinteractive.com/...070102&site=glennbeck&type=win_show&clips=1-4

 

[SeanMGilbow]

Unlike the management in Columbus, Clear Channel Akron/Canton has its head in the game.

I am the first AM 1230 advertiser who has committed to advertising on the live stream of Radio Free Ohio.

I used to be in Akron radio 20 years ago. I worked under a radio legend named Jerry Healey.

Little did I expect I would be on Akron radio again. But I'm voicing my own commercials (the person who used to do them was axed by Clear Channel Columbus). And the Clear Channel sales staff gave me a good buy to place my commercials on the live stream AM 1230 listeners will be heading to starting next Tuesday (if they haven't already to catch Big Eddie).

By the way...Radio Free Ohio's sister station (home to Beck, Rush and Hannity) doesn't have a live stream.

 

[gabigley1]

Click here for rest of the story:

http://www.freepress.org/doit.php?strFunc=display&strID=274&strYear=2007

Help Save Progressive Radio
by Progress Ohio
January 3, 2007

Protest Clear Channel's dropping Air America!
Come out on Monday 1/8 during the Stephanie Miller show FOR A PUBLIC SHOW OF SUPPORT to Stephanie Miller for two years of progressive talk in Columbus, 11AM-Noon, on the sidewalk in front of the Ohio statehouse.
---------------

Click here for the rest of the story:

http://www.nonstopradio.com/press.html

COLUMBUS' WTPG 1230 AM REFUSES TO RUN ADS BY OHIO MAJORITY RADIO PROJECT

01/03/2007 - Columbus - Clear Channel Columbus' WTPG, set to change formats next week, flatly refused paid advertising from the Ohio Majority Radio project, a group dedicated to saving the station's Progressive Talk format in the Columbus area. Ohio Majority Radio had gathered the funds needed to pay for a series of 30 second spots to ask listeners and advertisers to join with them in saving the station.

 

[Dirty_Harry]

I went back and listened to today's Beck show on the insider and he spends the 8 minute segment from 9:34-9:42 discussing how Steve Konrad hated them,

Doesn't he know Steve Konrad's been gone for quite a while now?

I'm a pretty conservative guy ... with pretty much the same sensibilities as Rush, from an entertainment (and political) standpoint. But to be quite honest, I don't really care about what some drunken ex-radio DJ's views are on the world! If I want to learn about public policy, I'll just watch C-SPAN!

When Beck started, I thought his bits were pretty funny. Then he started with all this mormon/family values/christian crap and I just couldn't listen to him anymore. (I am Catholic, by the way ... just hate people preaching to me about family values all the time!) AGAIN, JUST ENTERTAIN ME FOR GOD'S SAKES!

Same thing with Rush, by the way. When Rush started, I thought his bits were pretty funny, but he's gotten boring. But Rush has such a bouncy delivery manner, he just makes the show flow. He's not as funny as he used to be in the old days, but the show is still entertaining to listen to. It's hard to explain, but there's a certain flow about it .... it flows like a CHR station from the 1980's. Maybe when Rush fried his ears with drugs that hindered his ability to make observations on what's going on in the world and it took away some of his ability to be funny!

Anyway, when Beck was doing skits and bits I liked his show. When he started acting like Donny and Marie Osmond it was a real turn-off!

 

[ajhenderson]

I went back and listened to today's Beck show on the insider and he spends the 8 minute segment from 9:34-9:42 discussing how Steve Konrad hated them,

Doesn't he know Steve Konrad's been gone for quite a while now?

Yes, I am aware that Steve left for KSTP last year. Hence my use of the past tense "hated".

You apparently haven't listened to Rush or Beck lately. Beck has returned from the less entertaining phase you speak of, and Rush still eludes me as to how he remains popular. Little entertainment value.

 

[Dirty_Harry]

I went back and listened to today's Beck show on the insider and he spends the 8 minute segment from 9:34-9:42 discussing how Steve Konrad hated them,

Doesn't he know Steve Konrad's been gone for quite a while now?

Yes, I am aware that Steve left for KSTP last year. Hence my use of the past tense "hated".

I wasn't referring to you ...... it was Beck I was referring to. Doesn't Beck know Steve Konrad's been gone for quite a while now!!!

 

[gabigley1]

NEVER GONNA STOP US.

Stephanie Miller and "Dubya" (Jim Ward) promote COlumbus' efforts to keep their station:

Click here to see her video:

http://www.nonstopradio.com/youtube.html

 

[ajhenderson]

To Harry, Beck's comments were of a historical nature, leading up to the present day situation. Also explained, as he put it, why Columbus listeners who came to his events in Akron never got to have events in Cbus.

As to the latest Steph protest, this is becoming a rather tedious phenomenon.

 

[gabigley1]

Click here for the entire article:

http://www.columbusdispatch.com/features-story.php?story=dispatch/2007/01/05/20070105-B1-00.html

RADIO
Big changes at 2 stations cause static among fans
Friday, January 05, 2007
Tim Feran
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

They’re coming from the left and the right.

And they’re taking aim at Clear Channel Radio over planned changes for two of its central Ohio stations.

Liberals are upset that the media company on Monday will drop leftleaning Air America programming on WYTS (1230 AM), formerly known as WTPG.

 

[CBusDave]

Click here for the entire article:

http://www.columbusdispatch.com/features-story.php?story=dispatch/2007/01/05/20070105-B1-00.html

RADIO
Big changes at 2 stations cause static among fans
Friday, January 05, 2007
Tim Feran
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

They’re coming from the left and the right.

And they’re taking aim at Clear Channel Radio over planned changes for two of its central Ohio stations.

Liberals are upset that the media company on Monday will drop leftleaning Air America programming on WYTS (1230 AM), formerly known as WTPG.

"Still, Thon said, the alterations — based on "cold, hard business facts" — are likely to stick, whatever the outcry."

I can't blame them. Where were all these people when it came to actually listening to the station? If they would support the station and the sponsors financially, it wouldn't be an issue. However Clear Channel is in the business of making money.

 

[Nu_Roo_2]

"Still, Thon said, [1230] the alterations — based on "cold, hard business facts" — are likely to stick, whatever the outcry."

I can't blame them. Where were all these people when it came to actually listening to the station? If they would support the station and the sponsors financially, it wouldn't be an issue. However Clear Channel is in the business of making money.

Funny, everyone seems to be ignoring the key point of the whole 1230 issue...except, ironically, for Glen Beck, who inadvertently hit the nail on the head with his Dispatch-quoted complaints about CC's offer to move him to 1230:

"Beck, however, called the signal too weak. I’ve had listeners e-mail me," he said, "and say, ‘I can’t even pick up that signal in my car, and I live in the city.’ It’s not good for our clients, for the show; it’s not good for the listeners."

Face it, Tom Thon and everyone debating the format flip at 1230: With that station's signal it will rarely, if ever, get out of the 1's. No matter WHAT they put on. Why else has it had 469 different formats in the last 20 years? Now, if you want to talk about listener support of advertisers, management support of a format (philosophically or economically), sister-station compatibility, market strategic goals, etc., etc. that's a different story.

But ratings-wise, forget it. Unless the signal is upgraded bigtime, or AM HD somehow becomes viable, in terms of 12+ ratings it makes barely a whit of difference whether 1230 airs progressive talk, conservative talk, or polka.

 

[Dirty_Harry]

"Beck, however, called the signal too weak. I’ve had listeners e-mail me," he said, "and say, ‘I can’t even pick up that signal in my car, and I live in the city.’ It’s not good for our clients, for the show; it’s not good for the listeners."

Face it, Tom Thon and everyone debating the format flip at 1230: With that station's signal it will rarely, if ever, get out of the 1's. No matter WHAT they put on. Why else has it had 469 different formats in the last 20 years?

Don't completely agree. Signal matters, but programming matters more.

1. WCOL was historically the NUMBER ONE Top40 station here through the 1970's.

See the following tribute sites:

http://www.mikeadams.org/wcol.html
www.1230WCOL.com
http://www.whitmorecomputer.com/1230WCOL/goodguys.htm
http://www.mikeadams.org/wcol2003.html
http://www.mikeadams.org/WCOLHistory2.html
http://www.mikeadams.org/wcol2003b.html


2. Despite having only 1,000 actually has a pretty good daytime signal. It can easily be heard for 45 miles each way, unless you have a $19 car radio. I have no problem hearing it in my house ... don't know about the office environment, though.

http://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WYTS&service=AM&status=L&hours=U

3. Columbus has only one decent commercial AM signal ...... you can't blame Clear Channel for keeping it local.

4. Rush used to get pretty good ratings on 1230 AM. I think he used to get about a 7 or something like that.

Anyway, my take on this is he should jump on it. You could be the building block for the resurrection of 1230!

Just my opinion

 

[Nu_Roo_2]

"Beck, however, called the signal too weak. I’ve had listeners e-mail me," he said, "and say, ‘I can’t even pick up that signal in my car, and I live in the city.’ It’s not good for our clients, for the show; it’s not good for the listeners."

Face it, Tom Thon and everyone debating the format flip at 1230: With that station's signal it will rarely, if ever, get out of the 1's. No matter WHAT they put on. Why else has it had 469 different formats in the last 20 years?

Don't completely agree. Signal matters, but programming matters more.

1. WCOL was historically the NUMBER ONE Top40 station here through the 1970's.

See the following tribute sites:

http://www.mikeadams.org/wcol.html
www.1230WCOL.com
http://www.whitmorecomputer.com/1230WCOL/goodguys.htm
http://www.mikeadams.org/wcol2003.html
http://www.mikeadams.org/WCOLHistory2.html
http://www.mikeadams.org/wcol2003b.html

That's why I said "last 20 years." Until the mid-to-late 70's, AM Top 40 was monstrous nationwide. FM hadn't caught on. There was FAR less competition overall. But many of the Top 40's were poorly programmed. Despite all the accolades, COL was one of the worst. It dominated the local ratings until about '75, but that's largely because NCI (which started around '70) was also bad...all over the place musically. As soon as NCI got a consultant from Bartell media which overhauled and tightened NCI's format in 75, it blew COL off the map within two books. Deservedly so. Better-programmed AM Top 40's in other markets were able to withstand the FM onslaught longer, but poorly-programmed COL-AM was so bad it just crumbled right away. I certainly have fond memories of some of the COL jocks, but the station was programmed pathetically in the late 60's and early 70's while other big AM Top 40's lasted longer because they adopted concepts from brilliant programmers/consultants like Paul Drew and Ron Jacobs. But COL-AM just looked at their big numbers and thought they could do no wrong.

 

[inradio]

Let's not forget that 1230 for as long as I have lived here(since 1997) has never been promoted. I thought the sports talk was very good at times. The Real Oldies stuff got old quick, but all the station got out of that was a few appearances and a PT Cruiser. Which is actually more that WTPG got. There are steps to building a successful station and I don't believe CCC has ever followed it. The stations that are successful within that cluster have been successful for a very long time.

 

[columbusradiogirl]

I agree with Dirty Harry,

I mean, the station is never promoted, it will always be a signal to back up CC's money maker WTVN. No matter the outcry, that is never going to change...bottom line! I doubt that it would matter whether it was making or losing money.

Radio is a business..and you have to protect your assets in business...CC is merely protecting their major asset, WTVN. It's not Tom Thon/Bruce Collins/John Crenshaw trying to put it to the liberals or conservatives.

What gets me is this whole outcry about the changes on the two stations. Where was the outcry when they let Dave Man, Steve Cherry, Anna Cherry, Heather Black or any other talent that has been let go recently? I guess my point is favorite shows (tv/radio) get cancelled or let go and radio personalities leave/get fired...it's just the nature of the beast.

 

[gcotton]

I thought Anna was only on materinty leave?