Today, 2PM.
SURE to yield a sound bite or two...
SURE to yield a sound bite or two...
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Mike Huckabee conference call
- Thread starter Holland Cooke
- Start date
Still haven't heard anything about which stations make up the 120 affiliates Huckabee is said to be starting with. Only WOR, NYC, mentioned.
Anyone with more information?
Anyone with more information?
From the call...
Huckabee, about his new show:
"It's never about us. It's about our sponsors."
"Most people have enough trouble with their blood pressure that the last thing they need is someone elevating it."
"Republicans aren't right all the time, Democrats aren't wrong all the time."
"bringing a level of true civility to the conversation"
Listeners are "intelligent enough to form their own conclusions."
"respect and a thoughtful conversation"
Huckabee, about his new show:
"It's never about us. It's about our sponsors."
"Most people have enough trouble with their blood pressure that the last thing they need is someone elevating it."
"Republicans aren't right all the time, Democrats aren't wrong all the time."
"bringing a level of true civility to the conversation"
Listeners are "intelligent enough to form their own conclusions."
"respect and a thoughtful conversation"
From Q+A on the call...
Q: Any talk about adding a weekend best-of?
A: Eventually
Q: Interviews in every hour?
A: Clock won't be predictable. Depends on news-of-the-moment. Callers, guests, occasionally "an extended rant...discussing an issue in-depth." Focus on "the WHY" of what's happening. Deliver someone-listening-in-the-car-for-10-minutes "a better understanding."
Q: What's the line between rant and "boredom?"
A: Noted his show is Fox' highest-rated weekend show. "More important than anything else is authenticity." "If you want to say something really tough and harsh, do it with humor," not "with anger."
Q: Tampa affiliate asks: covering conventions?
A: We'll be there, "perhaps we could borrow your facilities. Just don't charge Lew too much rent. He's pretty cheap when it comes to stuff like that."
Q: How will you be different than Rush's show?
A: Nothing but most extraordinary respect for what Rush as done for radio...no allusions that we will take his place."
Show will be "comfortable."
"We think there's room for opinionated host who brings a pragmatic approach to politics."
Q: Just politics?
A: "Much-wider than just politics. There's more to life than that."
Q: Any talk about adding a weekend best-of?
A: Eventually
Q: Interviews in every hour?
A: Clock won't be predictable. Depends on news-of-the-moment. Callers, guests, occasionally "an extended rant...discussing an issue in-depth." Focus on "the WHY" of what's happening. Deliver someone-listening-in-the-car-for-10-minutes "a better understanding."
Q: What's the line between rant and "boredom?"
A: Noted his show is Fox' highest-rated weekend show. "More important than anything else is authenticity." "If you want to say something really tough and harsh, do it with humor," not "with anger."
Q: Tampa affiliate asks: covering conventions?
A: We'll be there, "perhaps we could borrow your facilities. Just don't charge Lew too much rent. He's pretty cheap when it comes to stuff like that."
Q: How will you be different than Rush's show?
A: Nothing but most extraordinary respect for what Rush as done for radio...no allusions that we will take his place."
Show will be "comfortable."
"We think there's room for opinionated host who brings a pragmatic approach to politics."
Q: Just politics?
A: "Much-wider than just politics. There's more to life than that."
He's a politician who can be an entertainer. He plays guitar and is in a band. If he focuses on entertaining, and less about being a politician, he may have something. The show he does for Fox tries to bridge that gap, but it gets a little preachy. I'd suggest staying away from that. It will attract a strong base, but alienate a lot more. But he's definitely not another Fred Thompson, which is good.
D
del_griffith
Guest
Holland: In your experience and in today's polarized world, can a Huckabee survive by being a kinder/gentler mostly political talker?
Ever read Free Republic threads when the talkers don't stay on far right topics or talk about things other than conservatives right/anything else wrong?
Ever read Free Republic threads when the talkers don't stay on far right topics or talk about things other than conservatives right/anything else wrong?
del_griffith said:
Time will tell.
And his timing sure could be worse, eh?
Even before Limbaugh's gaffe validated Talk Radio's sad, small, mud-wrestling caricature, Limbaugh and other big "I'm-right-you're-wrong" acts were, mathematically, wearing-thin.
When a market transitions from diaries to PPM, these shows take a hit...suggesting that their audience may have been over-estimated all-along, driven by name recognition.
But that's not all of it.
There's evidence that it's "a '90s thing" that got old.
Or at least seems quaint.
In the Twitter/iPad/etc. era, people expect to interact, not be talked-at.
And as we were reminded on today's call, Huck's a charmer alrighty.
I just can't see Huckabee getting cleared or lasting long on many competitive stations. On TV, he comes across as too nice to the point of BORING. Rush may be a hard-core right winger, but he's also a very contemporary personality (former Top 40 jock) and that's his strong suit and a key reason behind his ratings success. Most politicians who try to become talk hosts fail miserably because they don't know how to be radio personalities. I could be wrong but I don't think Huck has it in him, either.
Holland, you know better than anyone that good talk radio is about "jocking" more than it is about the meat of the topics. Rush's natural presence would make him a heavyweight whether he was on the right or left. I may be reading it wrong, but I think the firestorm is about over and in a few months his trouble will seem like ancient history -- so long as he doesn't cross the line again anytime soon. Don't get me wrong; I'm not a Rush lover (his act got old for me about 15 years ago), but I do think people continue to understimate him.
Holland, you know better than anyone that good talk radio is about "jocking" more than it is about the meat of the topics. Rush's natural presence would make him a heavyweight whether he was on the right or left. I may be reading it wrong, but I think the firestorm is about over and in a few months his trouble will seem like ancient history -- so long as he doesn't cross the line again anytime soon. Don't get me wrong; I'm not a Rush lover (his act got old for me about 15 years ago), but I do think people continue to understimate him.
OldNumber7 said:
Not on EXISTING talkers, since The Big Station in-format in most markets has Limbaugh...for now.
RE "existing talkers:" Will this figure-into the ongoing migration of Talk to FM? More music stations would’ve flipped by now, if owners weren’t wary of attacking established Rush-affiliated AM talkers with B-tier syndication. Especially with so many incumbent talkers simulcasting on FM now.
RE "for now:" El Rushbo's biggest stations are Cumulus AMs, whose Limbaugh deals run-out in 2013 and 2014.
OldNumber7 said:
RE "hard-core right winger:" I don't buy it.
I believe that Sean Hannity believes-what-he-says-on-air.
I believe that Limbaugh believes SOME-of-what-he-says-on-air.
But he-says-what-he-says for-effect. He's a shock-jock.
RE "former Top 40 jock:" Certainly an asset, more so back-when-he-was-more-entertaining.
Remember how-much-more entertaining he used to be?
Now that he's got a snootful of himself he's less fun.
He'll likely continue to have a radio show...where remains-to-be-seen.
But he's less now.
And he's hurt all of Talk Radio by validating the caricature.
Talk Radio deserves to be more-than-just-a-punchline.
HC
www.HollandCooke.com
PS: I don't believe Glenn Beck believes ANYTHING. He-says-what-he-says to make money.
RE "Time moves on and so has Rush's act"
But how long can any act remain en vogue?
Hey, Tony Bennett and Johnny Mathis still tour, and get standing-O's.
But they're legacy acts now, no longer "current."
Limbaugh will remain on radio as long as he wants to.
On-WHICH-stations is what'll play-out, agonizingly gradually, for the next couple years.
And now tainted to so many advertisers, the business model will be challenged.
RE "I don't believe Glenn Beck believes ANYTHING. He-says-what-he-says to make money:"
Enough to make a handsome living.
What's most-remarkable is how blatantly he's USING radio affiliates to divert attention to his non-radio content.
Why-he-gets-away-with-it: "lack of adult supervision."
NOBODY'S LISTENING...AT affiliated stations.
It's automated plug-N-play...no attention required.
I'll give Beck credit for one thing: Less crying lately.
He had a great run.wadio said:
But how long can any act remain en vogue?
Hey, Tony Bennett and Johnny Mathis still tour, and get standing-O's.
But they're legacy acts now, no longer "current."
Limbaugh will remain on radio as long as he wants to.
On-WHICH-stations is what'll play-out, agonizingly gradually, for the next couple years.
And now tainted to so many advertisers, the business model will be challenged.
RE "I don't believe Glenn Beck believes ANYTHING. He-says-what-he-says to make money:"
wadio said:
Enough to make a handsome living.
What's most-remarkable is how blatantly he's USING radio affiliates to divert attention to his non-radio content.
Why-he-gets-away-with-it: "lack of adult supervision."
NOBODY'S LISTENING...AT affiliated stations.
It's automated plug-N-play...no attention required.
I'll give Beck credit for one thing: Less crying lately.
If Rush Limbaugh went away, what would MSNBC have to talk about?
I'll bite...
'Not sure if I qualify for "left-winger" status...although my first presidential vote was for George McGovern...IN Massachusetts.
And the-more-I-read-here, the-more-I-think that I'm the-only-person-in-radio who thinks his/her opinion DOESN'T matter.
Because most here choose to contribute anonymously, we can't know what you do for a living.
But I actually make mine listening to radio...and helping stations make more money doing WHATEVER they do.
So why wouldn't I listen?
pellmell said:
'Not sure if I qualify for "left-winger" status...although my first presidential vote was for George McGovern...IN Massachusetts.
And the-more-I-read-here, the-more-I-think that I'm the-only-person-in-radio who thinks his/her opinion DOESN'T matter.
Because most here choose to contribute anonymously, we can't know what you do for a living.
But I actually make mine listening to radio...and helping stations make more money doing WHATEVER they do.
So why wouldn't I listen?
borderblaster said:
From your post, I think we can make an assumption.
The people at Fox News and the people at MSNBC seem to be infatuated with each other. They monitor each other and record snippets to play over on their own channel. (Both sides.)
I assume what you know about MSNBC is what FOX chooses to play back as examples of what a bunch of buffoons they are over at MSNBC.
The folks as MSNBC choose to play back examples of what a bunch of buffoons they are over at FOX.
If you were a regular viewer of MSNBC over the long haul, you would know that the amount of time they spend talking about RUSH would not fille a small specimen cup for your annual physical exam.
Yes, when the Sandra Fluke event blossomed, The STORY WAS RUSH for about 10 days.
Try MSNBC sometime for a week or two. I don't expect you to like what you hear, but I think you will be impressed with the wide range of topics covered.
It is surprising. Rush is entertaining. I listen to Huckabee for three minutes twice a day since his existing show is formatted like Paul Harvey's was. He states the conservative point of view in a way that usually appeals to me.pellmell said:
I must not be too much of a liberal. I agree with Charles Krauthammer's column on the Supreme Court case on health care that ran Saturday. Even though I will personally benefit if Obamacare is upheld. But it is true the way it has been executed is bad for this country.
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