The current KVI PD has tried lifestyle talk on several Seattle and Portland stations with little success. However, that means nothing against him. Instead, it recognizes that he along with KVI management are not in touch with what generates ratings. Lifestyle talk does not sell. It is worthless to go after women listeners with this format. Programs need to be political in nature, and highly passionate, where hosts loosen up and talk about themselves. It's an election year, and this is even more true.
Do you think that Herb Weissbaum - as a news guy - not a personality - will do this with his new KVI consumer show? Will just one new show generate numbers to somehow move KVI from a 0.1 to 5 shares? Of course not. Longetivity does not give a news guy high ratings when they've never been a personality. Same problem with Dave Ramsey and Clark Howard - no personalities. To get 5 shares, KVI need traditional conservative talkers with personality that succeed in other markets . . . Mark Levin, and both the local and national shows of Lars Larson, along with morning news and an afternoon local host. Only in this scenario could Weissbaum generates reasonable ratings during an afternoon drive show, even w/o a personality, but he would need a co-host.
Fisher will need to make arrangements with Salem for these contracts. KLFE will never make it either until they broadcast Larson and Levin live. Relegating them to the evenings, with poorly rated SRN hosts daytime is a recipe for failure, given the poor signal at 1590 / 5kW DA-N. KVI has a great signal and should have those contracts. KVI just needs to stop listening to the liberal lifestyle talk consultants at Talkers Magazine seminars.
Meanwhile, removing Weissbaum from KOMO afternoon news will be a mistake, and will cause problems for both stations especially if they put him head to head against Hutyler and Shannon on KOMO. I am sorry to see the ratings disasters from poor management at Fisher.