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No Beck, No Hannity in Philly?

R

radiophiler

On Nov. 18, WPHT 1210 AM in Philadelphia, PA, announced it was shuffling its line-up. Part of the plan: Glenn Beck and Sean Hannity get dropped.
Fast forward, Dec. 27: No announcement on a station picking them up.
On Jan. 3, at least part of WPHT's new line-up debuts. Beck and Hannity may get some short-term clearance on WPHT for a while in January until all the shuffling is complete, but eventually they're gone well before the end of January.

Despite speculation that Clear Channel would flip an FM to talk in Philadelphia, it doesn't appear to be happening. CC only owns one AM in Philly, a weak signal at 1480 AM which currently airs a Rumba Spanish format.
There's still the chance that the Salem talker in Philly will clear two out of three hours of each host and shoe-horn the shows into their current schedule so they don't have to drop any of their Salem network talk shows.
There are no other full-market signal talk stations in Philly. None of the other groups show any signs of flipping a station to talk.
Another possibility: WPHT's new schedule contains holes from 7-10 pm and midnight-2am. Could the shows air on tape delay?
Or, could some weak signal suburban AMs become the new homes in Philly for these two talk big shots?
The most interesting possibility: They get no clearance in Philly at all.

What does this say about Beck and Hannity that a full month and nine days after WPHT's announcement that they're being dropped, no station has stepped forward to snap up their shows in Philly?
 
If Salem's WNTP doesn't want to take a shot at clearing Beck (which clearly would buck a national trend among their conservatalkers) then it's possible neither show will get a clearance.

With WABC/770 booming in throughout much of Jersey, plus the adjacent markets in Harrisburg (WHP), Dover (WDOV), Wilmington (WILM) and Baltimore (WCBM), those stations can partially compensate for the loss of Hannity.

Doubtful that WPHT will move either show to the 7pm-10pm slot (which now is a Mon-Fri schedule hole after WPHT canceled "Fridays with Frank"). The mid-2am slot can obviously be filled with C2C.
 
Salem has cleared Beck in a few markets.

For example, Beck clears on Salem stations in Los Angeles, Chicago and DC.

But I've got to wonder if this isn't a pay for play situation to get clearance in key markets.
 
Quote: "What does this say about Beck and Hannity that a full month and nine days after WPHT's announcement that they're being dropped, no station has stepped forward to snap up their shows in Philly?"
[/quote]

It says one thing. It says that all the hype about the big Hannity show is just that: HYPE. Hannity is probably the most non-intellect boring radio personality in the entire USA national or local!! He knows a few big words that he looked up in the dictionary and repeats it when he gets the chance, also he knows how to interview Newt Gingrich every day and thats it!!.

But somehow he manages to get lots of low IQ women to listen to him, very good BUT that does not work in all markets!! As evident in LA where his ratings are in the toilet. Many other markets run a local show in afternoon and tape delay Hannity. So there you have it, WPHT came to their senses thats all.
 
I agree with Scott5. I really liked the Hannity show in its early days (what, ten years ago?), but now he just sounds like a dog barking for three hours. This opinion despite my general agreement with the premise of the show. Why general agreement and not complete? Too much carrying of water for the Republicans - I prefer shows that are more in a "pox on both your houses" direction.
 
Not having access to the numbers, but MY GUESS is, that both Beck's and Hannity's ratings in Philly, along with possibly local spots were down. So WPHT's paying out big time money for both Beck's and Hannity's show and not getting a reasonable return on their investment, so were losing money airing those programs. As WPHT is not owned by CC, that station isn't making any money for their bottomline from the national spots, that benefits CC, not CBS, so there's possibly no incentive for WPHT to keep Beck or Hannity.

I'd agree that WNTP - Salem, probably doesn't want to take on the added expense as their signal isn't as good as WPHT's. I could understand their thinking of, if WPHT can't sell Beck/Hannity and make money with it, we'd probably do even worse.

We may be seeing the beginning of a shift in the radio talk world as the audience may be getting burned out on hearing the same crap day in and day out. I've listened to Rush,Beck,Hannity,Laura Ingraham, Medved, Levin, Savage, and some others. All right wing talkers. They all say essentially the same thing each day. Their personal styles may differ, but they are saying the same thing every day 5-6 days a week for three hours each. How much of that can you listen to and not just get bored with it, even if you agree politically, which I don't on many issues.

The over balance of right wing talk on radio has been going strong for 20 years, I believe the tide is starting to turn where the audience wants to hear something else. I rarely tune in to Rush and then for no longer than 15-30 minutes depending on what he's ranting about. I never listen to either Beck or Hannity at all. I find myself listening to NPR for info/talk as it offers a different point of view with far less bombast that right wing talk offers. Also I listen to the three sports talk stations I can get, two from Philly and one from Wilmington. In Philly, WHYY-FM (NPR) has similar 12+ numbers as WPHT which also might tell the story why WPHT is dropping Beck/Hannity.
 
@MikeFromDelaware: Amen.

And most of the local hosts seem cut from the same cloth and doing basically the same act. They may frame it around some local names and local issues but the basic viewpoint remains the same. Rush and the Rushettes have stayed way too long at the party.

I know I've said this before but in the last decade or so the only thing new and different - which seems to work - in talk radio is what NJ101.5 is doing. And nobody else in radio seems to notice it. Good numbers. Good spot load. A true ensemble of personalities (like "Good Guys" or "Boss Jocks" used to be). And topics and issues real people talk about in the real world and not based on ideological talking points. The fact that talk radio is stuck in a stylistic and ideological groove shows how radio has lost its soul.
 
@MikeFromDelaware. You make some good points.

I agree that the radio audience getting burned out from talk bashing all day, but to lump in ALL the radio hosts as if they are all the same is not right.

Limbaugh Hannity Beck are boring bashing radio, but Savage is completely different story, from Savage you'll get sometime a nutrition show or a story telling show, he barely talks politics if he isn't in the mood, he is uniquely entertaining , same with Ingarham Medved Prager, they aren't as predictable like the others and they can shift their show to diff topics unlike the first 3 hosts i mentioned who don't have the talent for that ;D.
 
@ scott5: I've not listened to some of those folks extensively enough to have caught those differences you mentioned. Actually Dennis Prager and Michael Medved are easier for me to tolerate and they seem far more intelligent that the those top national talkers, but I can't get WNTP at work South of Wilmington, so that's not an option, but they are far easier to listen to for my ear, OK for many they'd be boring, but for me they're OK. Our work computers have been programmed so you can't listen streaming online, so the radio is my only option, it is what it is.

However, all of those national talkers are conservative and the general theme is the same. Some are worse than the others, Beck, Hannity, Michael Gallagher, and Mark Levin, for my ear are the worse national talkers of the one's I can find on either Philly or Wilmington radio. Locally, WDEL's Rich Jensen is as irritating an obnoxious as Gallagher or Hannity.

Savage is hard for me to listen to, because he always seems angry. It's nighttime, and I'm trying to relax and unwind, not get all keyed up, so for me Dr. Savage's radio show is not a good prescription for me, but I do agree that he does go into other topics that probably are interesting, but Savage always sound angry, like Hannity, but Dr. Savage, unlike Hannity, actually has a brain.

I've never stayed at a church that had a screaming preacher either. You don't need to yell at me, I'm at your church, because I want to be there, I'm listening to your radio show, because I'm interested in hearing what you have to say. Start screaming and yelling and I'm gone.

WDEL's local liberal talker, Al Messitti, a former Wilmington News Journal Reporter / Columnist, is a far more interesting and intelligent host than most. Being a former reporter, Al tends to dig into a story further and offers good insight into why he feels the way he does on an issue. He gets major points with me as he'll give the GOP credit when they do something he can agree with or understands why they did what they did. Unlike the conservative local WDEL host and the national conservative talkers I've heard on Philly and Wilmington radio who's mantra is all Democrats and their ideas are evil and they are trying to destroy America, and the GOP is the salvation for America.

So depending on who's discussing what on a given day, I either tune in to Al Messitti on WDEL, or some or all of the NPR programming on WHYY-FM, or the 3 sports talk stations from Philly (WPEN-FM - the Phanatic, WIP) and Wilmington's (WWTX) during my work day when I want to listen to talk radio. Other times at work, I'll tune into Philly's WRTI or WVUD- Newark Del, for Classical Music or listen to my own CD collection for real Oldies or Jazz.
 
Or maybe WOR is just as chaotic as ever.

The article says WOR is replacing Beck with Salem's Mike Gallagher (who I think is airing on that company's WNYM/970 now).

Like WNYM morning host Curtis Silwa, Gallagher made his name at WABC/770. Presumably, he will (like he did when WNYM brought him on) play on that angle on his syndicated show.
 
Looking at Glenn Beck's affiliate map, from Boston to Washington, his show is not aired in any of the larger eastern seaboard cities. Not in Boston, soon NYC, soon Philly, Wilmington, Baltimore, or Washington (at Alexandria VA) following I-95 South. I believe he is in Providence RI. So the major newstalkers in those cities are not airing Beck.
 
MikefromDelaware said:
Looking at Glenn Beck's affiliate map, from Boston to Washington, his show is not aired in any of the larger eastern seaboard cities. Not in Boston, soon NYC, soon Philly, Wilmington, Baltimore, or Washington (at Alexandria VA) following I-95 South. I believe he is in Providence RI. So the major newstalkers in those cities are not airing Beck.
Click to expand...

I did look at the map. It shows stations in the Boston and Washington markets. And in Providence.

Point is: Beck is not on in all markets. In some markets he is not on the dominant talk station (with Rush or Hannity). Still Talkers estimates he has the third largest talk radio cume (and they are probably right)

Philadelphia is not unique in not carrying him. Then again there are a lot of successful national shows that don't get picked up in Philly - or even in Lansdale.

Top Talk Shows
Rush Limbaugh - WPHT
Sean Hannity - Gone but not forgotten
Glenn Beck - Gone but not forgotten
Mark Levin - Not carried
Michael Savage - WNTP
Dave Ramsey - WNPV, Lansdale
Dr. Laura - Not carried before leaving terrestrial radio end of December.
Neil Boortz - WNPV, Lansdale
Laura Ingraham - Not carried
Jim Bohanan - Not carried
Jerry Doyle - Not carried
Mike Gallagher - Not carried (soon to be heard on WOR)
Michael Medved - WNTP
Doug Stephan - Not carried
Bill Bennett - WNTP
Clark Howard - WNPV, Lansdale
George Noory - WPHT
 
@MattParker

Most of the shows you mentioned are not cleared in the #1 market NYC.
being on WNYM 970 is hardly considered 'cleared', most new yorkers never heard of that station.
 
Bill Bennett that high up on the Talk show chart? :eek:
I like the man, but his "Morning In America" can be a real bore-fest. Like Dennis Prager, Bennett is not a big blowhard - and I like that - but Prager is much more interesting to listen to.
 
The station for Boston and DC were outside of both cities. Millville MA, a suburb of Boston, and Alexandria VA a suburban city near DC as well as Frederick MD, which is not in DC. So my statement was correct. As to how strong a signal those stations are, I don't know if they are 50K flamethrowers but if they are 1k stations, not much coverage in such a large metro. If they are a weak station then the folks in those major market stations won't be able to get the show, but Beck's ad people will tell potential buyers of his show, see we're in Boston and DC, technically not true. It would be like Beck being carried on a Wilmington, Lancaster, or Trenton station and telling folks that his show is cleared in Philly, again some in Philly might be able to get the show, but most won't so it's NOT really cleared in Philly. That was my point.
 
MikefromDelaware said:
The station for Boston and DC were outside of both cities. Millville MA, a suburb of Boston, and Alexandria VA a suburban city near DC as well as Frederick MD, which is not in DC. So my statement was correct. As to how strong a signal those stations are, I don't know if they are 50K flamethrowers but if they are 1k stations, not much coverage in such a large metro. If they are a weak station then the folks in those major market stations won't be able to get the show, but Beck's ad people will tell potential buyers of his show, see we're in Boston and DC, technically not true. It would be like Beck being carried on a Wilmington, Lancaster, or Trenton station and telling folks that his show is cleared in Philly, again some in Philly might be able to get the show, but most won't so it's NOT really cleared in Philly. That was my point.
Click to expand...

They are in the Boston and Washington markets. That is the point. In fact, both are immediately outside the central city. Wilmington, Lancaster or Trenton, on the other hand, are not in the Philadelphia market.

Actually, WXKS is licensed to Newton, MA. Their transmitter (50,000 watts) is located inside the Route128 beltway and their primary signal contour covers the entire metro area - with room to spare.
WWRC is licensed to the City of Washington, DC. Their transmitter (5,000 watts) is located inside the Capital Beltway in Silver Spring, MD, just outside the District. Their signal contour includes the district and adjoining suburban counties.

Alexandria is directly and immediately across the river from downtown Washington and much of it was originally part of the District of Columbia. It is not any where near Frederick, which is some 50 miles to the northwest. Millville is not a suburb of Boston. It is about 40 miles away, just across the line from Woonsocket, RI.
 
There's too much editorialization of news going on. I don't see the point in rambling for 3 hours a day about your personal political opinion on something, It's not possible for a human being to have an opinion on that many issues and still know what one's talking about. People should ditch the majority of "commentators" and turn to real news. Real news is not about finding a dude who agrees with your political opinion, that's what drinking buddies are for.
 
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