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Norm reports that Jack Landreth is LEAVING LAS VEGAS to the corn belt.

I'm sure that the last time Jack said that (whether he really did or not, I have no idea), it wasn't during the worst recession since the Great Depression. It's a lot harder to find a job today than 2-4 years ago, especially in radio!
 
When Mr. Landreth left kxnt it was April 2010. As the chart shows, it was the peak of Nevada unemployment.

So from 2008 to 2010, as unemployment skyrocketed (see chart on unemployment), there were frequent comments from Mr Landreth that the unemployed were not looking for jobs but "milking the unemployment system." This was true of the 99ers, people unemployed for 99 weeks, according to Mr. Landreth who would take to the airwaves frequently and express his opinions. A number of talk hosts like Alan Stock and Casey Hendrickson echoed that theme as well on KXNT as the economy in Vegas tanked.

http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LAUMT32298203?data_tool=XGtable

So when it was everyone else, they should have found a job faster, but it was OK for him to take almost 2 years to find his next job? OK...whatever you say
 
Although Mr. Stock and Mr.Hendrickson did find jobs fairly quickly (I think Mr. Hendrickson had a "side job" as well.) So I did not mean to brand them with the same level of "hypocrisy" as Mr Landreth.

I wonder if Mr Landreth will have the "radio star contest" at his new station?
 
Actually, I took time off to take care of our son for the first year of his life. It was absolutely the best time of my own life....and I could very easily afford it.

Now it's my wife's turn to enjoy some much earned time with him while we return to our roots in the midwest (at one of the best news/talk stations in the country).

And although Kansas may technically be in a very small part of the corn belt, Kansas City is not known for that.

JL
 
Ratings (KXNT) were not great nor are they now.

Staff was not "awesome."

Maybe the unemployed people that were trashed by KXNT "on the air" personalities were "taking time off to spend with their family too?"

"My family..." seems like that is what they all say. "Resigned to spend more time with my family...." "This was too much hardship for my family..." "Took time off to spend with my family..." (Sounds better than "I got fired and couldn't find a job.")


Maybe the "radio star" concept can be merged with a hog calling contest?

I feel just great, complain to Norm, he reported the story and did not say anything about the "family gimmick."

(BTW To collect unemployment compensation one must be available for work and conduct an active job search.)
 
Actually KXNT did have good ratings when Jack was PD. Like many talk stations they took a big hit with PPM, even adding an FM hasn't helped.
 
Good ratings? Talk stations in other markets like Reno, Phoenix, LA, Denver, Albuquerque, SF, Sacramento, etc. had/have ratings 2 to 4 times what KXNT was/is getting.

But OK I stand corrected. Landreth was let go because the ratings were really great and there was never 15% unemployment in Vegas, it was just a bunch of people taking "family time" off all at once.
 
MC said:
Good ratings? Talk stations in other markets like Reno, Phoenix, LA, Denver, Albuquerque, SF, Sacramento, etc. had/have ratings 2 to 4 times what KXNT was/is getting.

But OK I stand corrected. Landreth was let go because the ratings were really great and there was never 15% unemployment in Vegas, it was just a bunch of people taking "family time" off all at once.
Click to expand...

Reno and ABQ are diary markets so you really can't make a comparison. There are exceptions like KFI but most talk stations nationally, including KXNT, took a big diary to PPM drop.
 
You are right there. Vegas has never been that good for talk radio.

I notice one of Kansas City's KMBZ's talk radio competitors, KCMO, airs the Michael Savage Show. I wonder if Jack Landreth will run his: "no racist radio" campaign like he did in Las Vegas?

When the Savage Show on KDWN was beating KXNT slightly in afternoon ratings, Mr. Landreth proclaimed on the air that: "Savage is a racist...who just talks about San Francisco politics" on many occasions. He had imaging that included a voiceover: "Not racist radio, just great radio" and so on.

I guess that is a real class act, if you can't compete just call the other guys "racist."
 
I could be wrong, goodness knows I have been before but I think the reason Talk radio has never been that successful in Las Vegas is due to our population make up. People here, for the most part, are from elsewhere. We lack a sense of community, cohesiveness. Therefore there's not much an interest in local issues and maybe apathy for national politics.
In most markets where talk and news radio is big (yeah, Kansas City too) there's much more of a stable native population. Even Reno (with KKOH pulling 10's). Even Imus has always laid an egg here.

Any comments?

Jerry Gordon Jack B. Show, Salem radio network
 
Maybe the commute is different?

The people on the air and in the office like PD Jack are just as good as in similar size markets elsewhere.

As you say it is something about the market. In addition to the transient nature of the population, maybe people are under pressure and therefore people want to relax, and political talk radio does not help with that. Music works better.
 
April 7, 2010 to January 28, 2012 is 94 weeks. Doesn't unemployment in Nevada last 99 weeks? Very convenient when the "family concerns" kick in.
 
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