As I said in a previous post, if Salem finds one they will do it. I didn't say what you stated was false; I said you were incorrect. In the post about KLAT, I mentioned KYST would be an English language station.
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NEW CONSERVATIVE TALK STATION
- Thread starter radioislife2020
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Chuck, by “making it happen” do you mean Spanish-language Conservative News/Talk?
Yes. Salem has not given up on the idea. When would this happen in Houston? I have no idea. I just know that there are many discussions about it.
I think they are on the right track. Salem definitely has the resources to make this happen.
Based on what? A Spanish conservative talk station would fail quicker than a liberal talk station. Especially if the goal is to make a national network and hoping it is universally accepted everywhere.
From the get-go, you're already confining your target demographics to first generation Hispanics (second generation and beyond have already assimilated to English language media). Then you have to remember that Mexicans, Cubans, Puerto Ricans, Central Americans, Colombians, and Venezuelans all have different takes on what it means to be a "conservative". For example, Cubans are influenced by their experiences with the Cuban government while Mexicans are influenced by their Catholic beliefs. Both of these "conservatives" can clash in several different topics (especially when it comes to immigration and welfare, which is a massive conservative talking point). Creating a national conservative talk network isn't going to work.
Even a station with local shows would struggle in places like Houston where Hispanics aren't politically active. Hispanics make up almost half of the city's population. Yet out of the 16 council seats, there are only two elected Hispanics serving. If Hispanics in Houston don't care to vote, then I don't see them caring enough about AM conservative talk.
Well
But it's true that Spanish-language talk radio is a none starter, except in Miami. And that may be because Miami's Hispanic base may be older, thanks to Cubans and their children who fled from Castro in 1959. But Spanish-language talk stations, even those who've been doing it for decades, like WADO New York and KTNQ Los Angeles, get minimal ratings.
Well, the districts in Houston may have been drawn up to strengthen white and black politicians who've been at it longer. I'm not sure Latinos don't vote. Harris County is the largest county in Texas and it includes Houston. A Latina, Lina Hidalgo, is the top executive of that county.
But it's true that Spanish-language talk radio is a none starter, except in Miami. And that may be because Miami's Hispanic base may be older, thanks to Cubans and their children who fled from Castro in 1959. But Spanish-language talk stations, even those who've been doing it for decades, like WADO New York and KTNQ Los Angeles, get minimal ratings.
Let's look at the percentage of Hispanics who are citizens. Not just legal residents, but vote-enableed citizens. That's around half of the adult Hispanic population.
So actually, those able to vote are less that 25% of the city population. The rest has to do with considerable gerrymandering of election districts intended to empower other groups at an extreme cost to Hispanics.
WADO has not been a talk station for years. It has loads of sports, block programs and anything but the kind of talk that we'd consider "talk station material".
KTNQ today has lots of shows that don't appeal to local Spanish dominant people. In particular, shows involving local politics and beyond: Spanish dominants are almost exclusively first generation immigrants who are not citizens and don't care about politics of any color.
At one point, KTNQ was in the Top 10 in its target in LA with a talk format. The station focused on issues that immigrants have in the U.S., such as employment, the legal system, health, etc. But no politics. It had big evening and weekend sports blocks, a personality morning show in the Imus (less offensive, but fun) fashion. But that was 25 years ago and today's first generation immigrant has different interests.
In Mexico and the rest of Latin America, talk is much more popular than it is in Hispanic U.S. areas. But the majority of listeners are in A, B and C+ socioeconomic classes while C-, D and E levels don't listen to it in most cases.
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The best example of what you're saying is the owner of KYST. He's second generation and he knows what you're saying is true because he lives it. His father started this station, and he ran it as Spanish language. Now that owner's son is running it, and he's flipping it to English on Jan 1.
I disagree. There are no Hispanics currently serving in any of the at-large seats despite the fact that Hispanics are the majority in this city. One Hispanic won one of the at-large seats a few weeks ago, but it was an extremely narrow victory against a "former" (interpret that as you will) Republican.
To further prove my point, Sheila Jackson Lee's district is also majority Hispanic, yet she is projected to keep her House seat.
Lina Hidalgo won because of the "blue wave" movement created against Ted Cruz by Beto O'Rourke. She also defeated a Republican in a county that keeps turning bluer and bluer. That movement had nothing to do with Hispanics voting in large numbers.
Let's not forget that Lina barely defeated a woman that had the charisma of a stale cracker during her reelection campaign.
Hispanics aren't as politically active in Houston as they are in other regions of this country.
That still would not explain how Hispanics keep getting left out from city-wide at-large positions.
You know as well as anyone that local talk costs money to produce... and you also know that conservative talk on AM isn't what you'd call a growth format. The demos are ancient. The power ratio is weak. But what else are you going to do on a dying radio band?
National syndication is a necessity in this format because the revenue isn't what it used to be.
I love AM radio, but it's reached the point in the life cycle where you just have to squeeze what little money is left out of the operation before you let it die.
The problem is lobbyists and legislators are never going to let AM die.
That’s what they said about the buggy whip industry.
When you start downgrading signals like 610 so you can sell the tower site and take the towers down for redevelopment?
It's over.
AM is well past the horse-and-buggy stage now. The buggy whip industry was dead well before 85 percent of all Americans were driving cars instead of riding in horse-drawn vehicles. AM stations are still out there, bleating away to their 15 percent while feeding pipsqueak translators up and down a frequency range the AM stations' licenses never authorized them to use.
I know all of that, and if you broaden the picture beyond AM, radio usage for all formats isn't what it used to be either.
That doesn't stop critics from putting the blame on the lack of "live & local radio," while majority of people are using national streaming services or satellite. It's hypocrisy to say OTA radio must be local, while Spotify and Apple Music can operate with different rules.
That’s one of the only thing our legislators have done.
AQH listening to AM is over 10% only in a couple of markets. In most, it is in the 5% to 10% range. In some... where the AM signals were never good to begin with... it is below 5%.
Of course, in many markets the "AM Share" is actually and mostly FM because the AM has a translator. Since translators for commercial stations are 100% dependent on an HD channel or an AM, the audience will be shown by Nielsen for those and not the translator... even if most/all the listening is to the translator.
The buggy whip industry is alive and well. The whips have just been repurposed.
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