No new Beck/Hannity affiliate

[radiophiler]

One week before WPHT's no-Beck, no-Hannity line-up debuts, and still no announcement of new Philadelphia affiliates for either host. Their web pages still list WPHT at their Philadelphia affiliate, which is true enough for this week, maybe partly into January.

Also: No announcement from WPHT about what is going to air from 7-10pm weeknights.

Could the two things be related? Perhaps Hannity will show up 7-10 pm on tape delay on WPHT if there is no other Philadelphia affiliate? For that matter, there's also no reason anymore to air Smerconish's syndicated program from midnight-2am now that he's going to be cleared in afternoon drive.

I think the most likely scenario is that WNTP airs two out of three hours of each program, shoe-horning the programs into its current line-up without cancelling any of their own Salem network hosts. They do this in other major markets.

Other possibilities: Other lesser AM stations pick them up. Clear Channel flips an FM or 1480 AM to talk. I don't think the CC flip is going to happen.

Or ... is it possible that these two hosts will be without Philadelphia affiliates?

 

[MattParker]

Not only possible but likely.

In the top 10 markets, Beck is not cleared in San Francisco-Oakland. Hannity is not cleared in Dallas-Ft. Worth and Boston.

 

[newhampshiredude]

Not only possible but likely.

In the top 10 markets, Beck is not cleared in San Francisco-Oakland. Hannity is not cleared in Dallas-Ft. Worth and Boston.

What are you talking about? This statement is not true. Beck is cleared on KNEW-AM in San Francisco and Hannity is on WBAP in Dallas (a Citadel station that has aired him for a very long time). Hannity is also on WXKS-AM Rush Radio 1200 in Boston (where he just started earlier this year). My guess is Hannity 7-10 on WPHT and Beck 9-12 on WNTP.

 

[MattParker]

Not only possible but likely.

In the top 10 markets, Beck is not cleared in San Francisco-Oakland. Hannity is not cleared in Dallas-Ft. Worth and Boston.

What are you talking about? This statement is not true. Beck is cleared on KNEW-AM in San Francisco and Hannity is on WBAP in Dallas (a Citadel station that has aired him for a very long time). Hannity is also on WXKS-AM Rush Radio 1200 in Boston (where he just started earlier this year). My guess is Hannity 7-10 on WPHT and Beck 9-12 on WNTP.

Not according to station lists on the shows' websites.

 

[MarcB]

AHEM:

WXKS AM 1200 Boston Programming Schedule:

http://rushradio1200.com/pages/schedule.html?feed=389171&article=6832731

KNEW AM 910 San Francisco Program Schedule:

http://www.talk910.com/pages/onair.html

WBAP AM 820/96.7 FM Dallas Program Schedule:

http://www.wbap.com/programschedule.asp

 

[BRUSSTAR]

Vegas money line, as of midnight:

Beck & Hannity cleared live, all three hours each on WNTP
No -500
Yes +345

Either Beck or Hannity cleared in some manner on WNTP
No -180
Yes +125

Either Beck or Hannity retained in some form by WPHT, aired delay at 7PM
Yes -155
No +110

Clear Channel goes Talk with WDAS (AM), clears Beck and Hannity live
No -180
Yes +125

Clear Channel goes Talk with an FM
No -480
Yes +305

WHAT 1340 goes Talk, clears Beck AND/OR Hannity live
No -140
Yes +115

WNPV Lansdale picks up Hannity
Yes -120
No +105

WNPV Lansdale picks up Beck
No -160
Yes +125

Beck and Hannity have absolutely no Philly clearance
No -210
Yes +155


All lines and odds subject to change. Call your bookie.

 

[DG02816]

The big question is for WNPV is how well the 2500 watt daytime signal does in Philly.Their 500 watts at night may be a problem. WNTP is the only other fulltimer that would cover the city and some of the suburbs with a decent signal. WNWR? Doubt Hannity would go to a daytimer.900, 1340, and 1480 are very boxed in on their frequencies.640 would be a possibility if the night power could be increased after first getting it from Disney.

 

[BRUSSTAR]

For WNPV, the night signal's only an issue a few months a year. (I know, "only.")

But if the end of the month comes, and there's still no action-- and the show has no Philly outlet, WNPV will most certainly "count" for syndication market clearance. It doesn't matter whether or not anyone here can actually **hear** it. Pathetic and deceptive, sure-- but that's radio.

I recall some syndicated show once counting a fleawatter in the Poconos as a "Philly" affiliate a few years back. They lie. It looks good on paper, and some 28-year-old media buyer in Manhattan isn't going to know a 2500-watt "Philly" station from a 60-watt lightbulb in his or her apartment.

For what it's worth, Lou Dobbs' syndicator proudly labels WNPV its Philadelphia affiliate. (Only one hour is cleared.) I'd like to see the entire Dobbs' show cleared on WNPV, especially now that the syndicated "Dr." Laura show is no more. Time for Lansdale to take on the day.

Twenty years ago, WNPV had a chance to pick up Rush Limbaugh for free and passed. The GM told me they were taking a "wait and see" approach, with regard to whether or not Rush would be a hit. EFM told me they'd love to have Lansdale on board. Two years later, WWDB took the plunge and made Philly the last of the top 150 markets to clear Rush live.

It does seem WNPV is content with the mostly non-controversial on-air format it has now. It reminds me a bit of the station Frasier Crane worked at in Seattle.

 

[MattParker]

It does seem WNPV is content with the mostly non-controversial on-air format it has now. It reminds me a bit of the station Frasier Crane worked at in Seattle.

Media buyers don't just look at station lists. They have software putting together Arbitron numbers and other data. They can see if they have thousands or dozens of listeners, and even what they have breakfast.

With the passing of community stations like WBUX, WCOJ, WPAZ and WILM, WNPV seems to be one of the last small town, over-achieving, local station in the region. For some reason, they never generated the kind of "war stories" and even debate some of the others did, but they have real local talk and real local news. In particular, their local news is outstanding, even for a much larger operation. I hope they don't give all that up just to be a "parking spot" for syndicated shows wanting a placeholder outlet in Philly.

It was the late and unlamented Air America Radio that claimed an East Stroudsburg station as its Philadelphia affiliate.

 

[DG02816]

Yes, Air America did indeed claim WVPO as its Philly affiliate for awhile.

 

[MattParker]

Now, no Beck affiliate in New York either.

Maybe people are getting tired of the party line echo chamber - even talk radio management.

 

[imhomerjay]

Maybe in a few cities, and maybe one or two shows, but look at the overall numbers. I'm certainly no fan of the hosts in question...not by a long shot....but setting aside my personal tastes, it's hard to say there's been some suddent downturn in interest in hosts who tow the party line.

 

[musichead1029]

Now, no Beck affiliate in New York either.

Maybe people are getting tired of the party line echo chamber - even talk radio management.

Talk radio management doesn't give a wit about the content of a program if it's profitable to the bottom line. It's likely about money. Premiere probably raised the price or changed the terms in a way such that affiliates have decided that it isn't worth it to continue to carry Beck.

 

[MattParker]

Talk radio management doesn't give a wit about the content of a program if it's profitable to the bottom line.

I keep hearing that and I don't buy it. But people repeat it as mantra and it becomes gospel. I've knocked around this business a while. Radio is a big Tea Party meeting. Local radio is filled with wing-nuts. Yes, they care about money. But they'd rather have somebody on their air who agrees with them (and their friends and the clients they call on). They also have a hard time believing that anything but right wing party line echo chambers could possibly work.

 

[imhomerjay]

But an earlier post suggested "management" might be tired of the "echo chamber." If it's "one big Tea Party" meeting (what kind of meeting was it before there was a tea party?), and they're just swapping out one "wing nut" for another, then that would suggest they're not getting tired of said echo chamber, they're just finding the individual nuts who can deliver the best bottom line results.

Interesting, though, that we're supposed to believe the same "liberal media" that only wants to advance its agenda is one big tea party that only wants to hear people on the radio airwaves repeating the same mantra. Which is it?

 

[MattParker]

Interesting, though, that we're supposed to believe the same "liberal media" that only wants to advance its agenda is one big tea party that only wants to hear people on the radio airwaves repeating the same mantra. Which is it?

Local radio is filled with conservatives. TV networks and NPR are filled with liberals.

Echo chamber is all these hosts saying much the same thing in the same way day after day - repeating RNC talking points. Even if you agree, it can get old. Conservatives and liberals come in different flavors and a lot of conservatives part company with the Republican leadership on a lot of issues (and always have).

 

[ajc_trw]

Now, no Beck affiliate in New York either.

Maybe people are getting tired of the party line echo chamber - even talk radio management.

Are you saying he's been taken off WOR? ???

He's still on their website. Who is his replacement?

 

[imhomerjay]

Mike Gallagher. He's off as of 1/17 (WOR).

As to the distinction between TV and radio, are we also to believe in a company like CBS that there's some kind of test that sees the conservatives only go to the radio side, while the liberals run the TV side?

It's akin to the whining about the "mainstream media" from the conservative hosts, when some of the very same companies they complain about with alleged bias are the same ones running 24x7 conservative talk, with an actual bias.

Certainly there are some companies where philosophy trumps the bottom line (to varying degrees), but more often, the bottom line rules. Conservative radio sells, ergo the hosts will tend to be of that mindset. But the execs charged with delivering the best results to even higher layers of management care about what sells. If left-leaning talk delivered the money, are we to believe it would generally be kept off the air because the local bean counters (allegedly) disagree with it?

 

[MattParker]

Mike Gallagher. He's off as of 1/17 (WOR).

As to the distinction between TV and radio, are we also to believe in a company like CBS that there's some kind of test that sees the conservatives only go to the radio side, while the liberals run the TV side?

It's akin to the whining about the "mainstream media" from the conservative hosts, when some of the very same companies they complain about with alleged bias are the same ones running 24x7 conservative talk, with an actual bias.

Certainly there are some companies where philosophy trumps the bottom line (to varying degrees), but more often, the bottom line rules. Conservative radio sells, ergo the hosts will tend to be of that mindset. But the execs charged with delivering the best results to even higher layers of management care about what sells. If left-leaning talk delivered the money, are we to believe it would generally be kept off the air because the local bean counters (allegedly) disagree with it?

No, local radio - small and medium market stations - are managed by chamber of commerce types, salesmen by background, and programmed by people who attended proprietary broadcasting schools, DINFOS or colleges that didn't make US News' list. NPR and the networks (including major market O&Os) are managed by Wall Street types and programmed by Ivy League or elite liberal arts college types, who didn't major in "communications." The former tend to be Main Street Babbit conservatives. The latter tend to be brie and chablis liberals.

When hosts complain about "MSM," they are talking about the major networks, NPR, the New York Times and the Washington Post. Not Clear Channel, Citadel and Gannett.

We won't ever know if progressive talk can make money because mostly it can't get on the air and if it does it's on pea shooters and rim shots nobody much has ever heard of.

 

[musichead1029]

Local radio is filled with wing-nuts. Yes, they care about money. But they'd rather have somebody on their air who agrees with them (and their friends and the clients they call on). They also have a hard time believing that anything but right wing party line echo chambers could possibly work.

Because it doesn't. Again, like it or not, Conservative talk is 1210's format. Not lifestyle talk, not sports talk, not "no-labels" talk. Conservative talk. This is what the audience responds to. This is why the station is formatted the way it is. This is why it will be interesting to watch Smerconish's progress, because right now he's formatting his show for syndication, not 1210.