LIBERAL STATIONS IN NEW MEXICO - LAS CRUCES (EL PASO)???

[ABQTom]

Progressive talk covers most of New Mexico residents, including the most liberal counties, with KABQ/Albuquerque, KTRC/Santa Fe, and KVOT/Taos.

My understanding is that there used to be a progressive station in El Paso. I don't know if the signal also covered Las Cruces or not.

I'd be curious as to why the progressive format was cancelled down there, although Alan Colmes is on AM 690, a great nightime signal that covers Albuquerque and Santa Fe.

And ... given the economic and population growth in Las Cruces ... that is normally associated with an influx fiscally conservative/socially liberal people ... there is a market for a station change to liberal talk in Las Cruces (or, again, perhaps in El Paso).

The average age in Las Cruces is only about 30, and Stephanie Miller would probably sell. Thom Hartmann gets calls from southern New Mexico who listen on-line. Ed Schultz would appeal to small business owners, and Peter B. Collins would appeal to women listeners, and profs/students at NMSU.

I don't know about Air America for Las Cruces/El Paso, since Randi Rhodes and Rachel Maddow seem to appeal to a greater extent to the cultural elite in blue cities on the coasts....the other hosts seem to appeal to every part of the country.

What do you think?


-ABQtom

 

[ABQRADIO]

While the format has some legs in the ratings in Albuquerque, all three stations you mention have very little sponsorship support. 30's on Clear Channel's KABQ in Albuquerque can be bought for $5.00 (!!!) daytime prime time, yet most of their breaks just carry those awful government PSA's with no local spots. The sales staff at CC ignores the station, as well as the programming staff, as I just heard a promo on KABQ listing Al Franken as one of their programs. KVOT is just a bonus for clients of Darren's other stations, and I have yet to hear a local commercial on KTRC, although I expect there is one from time to time. I believe the reason for all this business flatness is programming flatness - in my opinion the quality of most of the programming on these stations, whether from Air America or others, is that of typical Sunday morning public affairs programs.

 

[EDwalker]

I believe the reason for all this business flatness is programming flatness - in my opinion the quality of most of the programming on these stations, whether from Air America or others, is that of typical Sunday morning public affairs programs.

Couldn't agree more. Political stance aside, its just not very good radio. The only one who really get it is Ed Schultz...who displays
many of the mannerisms of Rush....

 

[Kent]

Actually, El Paso and Las Cruces have liberal talk radio in KTEP 88.5 and KRWG 90.7. When it comes to talk radio programming, Rush Limbaugh is the most listened to talk show while Morning Edition and All Things Considered rank second and third.

It's not a matter of whether or not liberal talk can work. Good talk works; bad talk doesn't. It's really that simple. Viewpoint is pretty well irrelevant. Air America is, for the most part, lousy radio. So, it doesn't work.

 

[ABQRADIO]

I did forget to mention KUNM in Albuquerque - a government station with a decidedly liberal bent. Their ratings are only half of where they were just a few years ago - in the 88-92 band, KANW blows them off the dial ratings-wise. By the way, it seems KUNM is becoming more and more listener-unfriendly. Try calling their main number (505)277-4806 and listen to how hard it is to talk to someone. I suppose it doesn't matter - all their paychecks will clear anyway. Must be nice.

 

[ABQTom]

I can't speak for the New Mexico stations, but nationwide, some "Air America Stations" don't put much energy into imaging and promotions because all-liberal talk is still considered an experimental format, and/or, AAR has financial problems, and/or, stations are on weak signals so it's not worth investing energy to cover just a third of the survey area, etc. etc. etc. But there are exceptions and they all get good ratings A25-54 6A-7P M-F:

1. CBS Radio's KPTK-AM 1090 Seattle, 50,000 watts, Mike Preston as station voice...U can listen on line and it's the most dynamic imaging of any liberal station I've ever heard http://am1090seattle.com

2. KRXA-AM (540) Monterey, 10,000 watts including local programs with Hal Ginsberg and the syndicated Peter B. Collins show, home station is KRXA. http://krxa540.com

3. CC's KPOJ-AM 620, Portland. 25,000 watts (Hartmann's home station)

4. KGO N/T 810 SFO is mostly local and liberal. 50,000 watts

[[[[[[QUOTE"Political stance aside, its just not very good radio. The only one who really get it is Ed Schultz...who displays
many of the mannerisms of Rush..."

Absolutely - Ed is passionate and his show is caller driven. That's what sells to the general market of M25-54 traditional talk listeners who DO NOT listen to NPR and USUALLY find it VERY BORING (!).

For whatever reason, it "seems" that Air America thinks its audience is listening for "intellectual content," and to a lesser extent for "entertainment." So they have programs like Rachel Maddow, and one hour specialty programs on weekends. Why they fired Mike Malloy, who does hysterical impersonations, is a mystery to me.

Air America stations COULD DO BETTER on WEEKENDS if PD's didn't go with the one hour Air America weekend public affairs programs, and put on programs already familiar to the traditional talk radio consumer, like Bob Brinker, Coast to Coast, Dreamland with Whitley Streiber (IBC radio network???), Beyond the Beltway with Bruce Dumont, home improvement with Glenn Haege, simulcast of Meet the Press with Tim Russert, etc. That is, of course, if there's no overlap with the likely 50,000 powerhouses with these pgms.

THERE ARE liberal talkers moving forward who like Big Ed are passionate - Doug Basham, in particular. Alan Colmes - funny, entertaining, Alan's Radio graffiti and sudden death radio are hilarious. Jay Diamond - Alan's regular substitute and 20 year NYC Radio veteran, a very entertaining and talented impersonator. Jay was nationally syndicated after Tom Snyder maybe he could come back to compete with reruns of Lionel on Air America statons, and "America at Night."

 

[ABQTom]

Actually, El Paso and Las Cruces have liberal talk radio in KTEP 88.5 and KRWG 90.7. When it comes to talk radio programming, Rush Limbaugh is the most listened to talk show while Morning Edition and All Things Considered rank second and third.

Radio-locator lists these as public radio stations. I don't see any actual talk radio programs on their schedules. So it does look like someone in those markets could try more liberal talk show hosts either on the existing conservative AM's or on new signals. NPR stations can increase their midday ratings with Thom Hartman.

 

[Kent]

Radio-locator lists these as public radio stations. I don't see any actual talk radio programs on their schedules. So it does look like someone in those markets could try more liberal talk show hosts either on the existing conservative AM's or on new signals. NPR stations can increase their midday ratings with Thom Hartman.

Remember, public radio consists of very heavy doses of news/talk with a liberal slant, and it gets a large number of listeners as well as a lot of pledges and underwriting dollars. KTEP and KRWG air both Morning Edition and All Things Considered, which are news/talk programs with a liberal point of view. No, they're not what most people think of when they hear the term "talk radio," but that's exactly what they are. They're also very good talk radio, and they're winning quietly. KTEP airs Morning Edition from 5 AM to 9 AM Monday through Friday as does KRWG. All Things Considered airs on KTEP from 4 PM to 7 PM and on KRWG from 4 PM to 6 PM.

No, KTEP and KRWG are not all talk, but they air liberal talk in their two most listened to timeslots. In fact, though they do program some music in the midday, most of the music programming on KTEP and KRWG occurs in the evening and overnight hours, which is talk radio's perverbial "garbage time." Also, my point was not that these were 100% liberal talk stations but that there are options for liberal talk in both Las Cruces and El Paso.