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Missed Opportunity

R

radiowizard101

It is now the second weekend that the House and Senate are dealing with the debt ceiling. This has been a huge topic for News-Talk Radio. EXCEPT FOR THE WEEKEND!!!!!! I'm getting all my updates from CNN, NOT the radio.

TTo all of you so-called News-Radio consultants. DID YOU HAVE A CONTINGENCY PLAN FOR FRESH PROGRAMMING FOR THIS WEEKEND AND LAST?????

All I'm hearing is the usual weekend re-treads and specialty shows all across my dial. It just proves to this listener that you can't depend on News-Talk Radio to go the extra mile during extaordinary circumstances. VERY LAZY & SAD!!!!!
 
smedge2006 said:
Thanks to corporate cutbacks, talk radio is now a 12-5 format at best, not 24-7.
Click to expand...

...and what do you have to look forward to IN that 12/5 schedule? The same opinions over and over and over. Most of the so-called "fresh" programming ssounds more often like a continuous loop of the same show that aired 6 years ago. Monotonous barely describes it.

People are now completely conditioned to believe that talkradio is nothing more than a conservative propaganda machine.

And talkradio is supposed to save radio? HA! Good one.
 
It is a sad state of radio today that they are no longer 24/7 programming. However, from a GM's point of view you have to wory about the bottom line. The revenue streams go way down in the evenings and on the week ends. The only real revenue stream come from play by play games.

However, when mother nature hits and you can only get pick up radio stations - the industry really comes through. Radio is still the best industry to get up the latest traffic and weather updates in morning and afternoon rush hour. I still love hearing play by play on radio than TV.

Radio is still a great industry but remember it is a business too. and public service is vital but I am sorry to say it is not affordable 24/7 anymore for most stations.
 
It's one of those stories that doesn't really lend itself to round the clock coverage because not much is actually happening. It's like doing live coverage of paint drying. And I used to cover Congress. I like that kind of parliamentary stuff. But it doesn't make for exciting radio. It just becomes the backdrop for round-the-clock opinionizing, which doesn't really help the process at all. The real story can be told in top-of-the-hour news. Because until something actually happens, there's not a lot to say.

I had to laugh on Friday night I was watching CNN, and the Hill reporter led by saying "Right now, nothing's happening here." Well thanks for that. Having the ability to cover a story 24/7 doesn't make it a requirement, nor does it really move the story any further. For most of the day today, the story was taking place behind closed doors, and all we can do is speculate. That story, as boring as it is, is only slightly more interesting to watch than hear. I vote for re-runs.
 
pioneer71 said:
The only real revenue stream come from play by play games.
Click to expand...

IS it stations paying for rights or in some cases teams paying to be boradcast?

I'll never understand why some low-powered, low-rated stations air play-by-play for teams that don't even seem to have much of a following.

WHO is listening and HOW is anybody making money?
 
jas2525 said:
I'll never understand why some low-powered, low-rated stations air play-by-play for teams that don't even seem to have much of a following.

WHO is listening and HOW is anybody making money?
Click to expand...

Sports isn't so much a ratings buy, especially outside major markets. It's an emotional buy. Those spots you hear on The Longhorn Network aren't bought on cpp or cpm. They're bought so the CEO can hear his company's name associated with University of Texas football. Same with Tar Heels basketball... or Red Sox baseball... or anything tied to the NFL or the PGA.

As to the real topic of this thread... I generally agree that most radio news-talk operations miss lots of good news opportunities over the weekend. The all-newsers in the biggest markets don't miss this stuff, but for most Americans relying on smaller stations and network offerings, it ain't happening. But I also agree with Big A, that most of the coverage this weekend was "Nothing is happening."
 
To jas2525 there can be a very good reason for doing play by play. The days of getting an emotional buy for play by play is far and fe between. You have to be creative how you sell the packages but you can establish an excellent revenue stream. If someone is thinking of doing sports and make money call me... Many of you may be very suprised by how much revenue you can make for an AM station and on some FM operations in some small and medium markets.

Now part two of the question is their a big audience for it? If you have a music station and go to sports you will lose half of your regular audience. If you are in a metro market don't do it. But if you are in a small to medium market then go for it. You will make more money on the revenue side than what you would get for regular programming 7 to 11 pm.

I have seen time and time again that I have brought a sponsor on to do sports and turned them into a strong regular adversiter.
 
In Pittsburgh, the question centers on four stations these days, CBS-owned KDKA-1020, daytime-all-news KQV-1410, Clear Channel's WPGB "FM News Talk 104.7" and "Essential Public Radio" WDUQ-90.5.

KDKA does have some live local talk on weekends, including Chris Moore who also does "Horizons" on WQED-TV. KQV has a producer who can update news over the weekend. WPGB generally is a mish-mash of paid shows and national weekend-friendly talk. WDUQ is still getting its act together under new ownership.

KDKA can kick in for breaking news, as proven two years ago when three city police officers were killed in an ambush while responding to a domestic call. Still, in terms of fresh talk on weekends, it is hard to find on any of the information-oriented stations here.
 
KeyTimes950 said:
In Pittsburgh, the question centers on four stations these days, CBS-owned KDKA-1020, daytime-all-news KQV-1410, Clear Channel's WPGB "FM News Talk 104.7" and "Essential Public Radio" WDUQ-90.5.

KDKA does have some live local talk on weekends, including Chris Moore who also does "Horizons" on WQED-TV. KQV has a producer who can update news over the weekend. WPGB generally is a mish-mash of paid shows and national weekend-friendly talk. WDUQ is still getting its act together under new ownership.

KDKA can kick in for breaking news, as proven two years ago when three city police officers were killed in an ambush while responding to a domestic call. Still, in terms of fresh talk on weekends, it is hard to find on any of the information-oriented stations here.
Click to expand...

Does WPGB have ANY local shows?
 
In a manner of speaking, no.

However, Quinn & Rose are based there, as is the tiny network Glen Meakem has for his weekend show. WPGB also sells or barters time to a variety of local sources, mainly Saturday and Sunday mornings and early Sunday evening. (Included are Dr. Winer of local pain clinic fame and a weekend edition of the American Entrepreneur show run weekdays on WMNY-1360.) Also, there is a WPGB-originated set of shows that are wrapped around Pittsburgh Pirate baseball and the station again had a week of shows on Steeler football from a restaurant not far from the Latrobe training camp. The station also barters out the time for Duquesne University basketball (which is why KQV-1410 now is Penn State's Pittsburgh outlet. The Nittany Lions were being dropped by Disney along with the rest of what was ESPN 1250 and KQV had the opening for basketball ... and decided it could sell the football and picked PSU up in place of Notre Dame).
 
Debt ceiling, bond rating down-grade...gee I'll listen to that and go right out and buy a car and a house...then take a vacation...what a hot topic to get people to buy something.

It is boring except for the handful of hardcore political people. No wonder ratings (talk radio) are down.
 
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