Pgh talk radio

[Matthew]

Restarting the WPTT thread from below......

Agreed that Cullen & Hoerth are past their prime. But the same can be said for Honsberger & Pintek and certainly whatever appeal Pratte ever had has been gone for years. And just how long has Rush been on in Pgh? 17 years singing the same old song. So just what would be cutting edge talk for Pgh? No one seems to want any part of Air America, or Lionel or Stephanie Miller or Ed Schultz. So much for progressive. What about Dimitri and Ruth Ann Dailey. I don't agree with their politics, but at least they are broadcasters, not bored casters. I'd hardly consider GOP hacks like Hannity & Beck cutting edge, and Savage is nothing more than a hate-monger. And let's not even discuss the George Noory/Art Bell nonsense. Or KDKA's cutting edge overnight show with Gary Dickson. Come on! So just what is cutting edge talk radio for the Pittsburgh Market? Thoughts?

 

[SteelCitySpin]

> Restarting the WPTT thread from below......
>
> Agreed that Cullen & Hoerth are past their prime. But the
> same can be said for Honsberger & Pintek and certainly
> whatever appeal Pratte ever had has been gone for years. And
> just how long has Rush been on in Pgh? 17 years singing the
> same old song. So just what would be cutting edge talk for
> Pgh? No one seems to want any part of Air America, or Lionel
> or Stephanie Miller or Ed Schultz. So much for progressive.
> What about Dimitri and Ruth Ann Dailey. I don't agree with
> their politics, but at least they are broadcasters, not
> bored casters. I'd hardly consider GOP hacks like Hannity &
> Beck cutting edge, and Savage is nothing more than a
> hate-monger. And let's not even discuss the George Noory/Art
> Bell nonsense. Or KDKA's cutting edge overnight show with
> Gary Dickson. Come on! So just what is cutting edge talk
> radio for the Pittsburgh Market? Thoughts?

Absolutely nothing is cutting edge about radio... period. It doesn't just pertain to Pittsburgh. It's all the same formulaic crap that big companies stick with to minimize the risk of financial loss. It's rare that you see stations take a chance these days and go against the grain (consultants, studies, etc.).

Sad... but true!
<P ID="signature">______________
...Steel City Spin...</P>

 

[Pratte4Life]

I think the network hosts you named actually ARE cutting edge- Hannity has really done a great job getting guests from all kinds of different political points of view- Savage is the "Mad Dog" of political talk radio and obviously is extreme- but probably no more extreme than any of the people on Air America- and certainly has more listeners.

Limbaugh is still "must listen" when you want to know where the right in the country stand on a certain issue- so in that sense he is cutting edge.

Has he been around forever? Yes (though only 13 years live here in Pittsburgh- which was about four years too late to pick him up). He's not doing the same "DJish" bits he used to- the update themes- for instance- and since he's been around so long- it's like The Simpsons in that you know essentially what's going to happen.

But like The Simpsons it's an entertaining ride.

TWO FINAL THOUGHTS-

One of my main things with the local hosts is with so many syndicated hosts out there the local yokels really aren't holding up. It's sad- but there weren't any "must listen" hosts for- say- the spring mayor's race (Bowyer- maybe?).

I'm sorry- but as much as I and so many people around here like local issues- I would much rather listen to Newt Gingrich on Sean Hanitty's show than Dr. Knowledge on Pintak.

ALSO-

I said this awhile back. What if WTAE in 1989-90 had picked up Limbaugh live instead of carrying him on tape on the weekends? Say they took Hoerth out of mid-day and put him on after Stan Savran at 9 instead of Sally Jesse Raphael.

WTAE would have had the greatest radio talk show host of all time on at his peak- and would have had a wide variety of political ranges for a listener to choose from.

It would have been interesting to see how the radio landscape would have changed. Perhaps WDVE would be No. 1 with Rush never on the KDKA dial. Perhaps WTAE would still be news-talk.

I always thought giving Rush to KDKA was the biggest blunder I've ever seen in talk radio. It was akin to selling Babe Ruth to the Yankees.






> > Restarting the WPTT thread from below......
> >
> > Agreed that Cullen & Hoerth are past their prime. But the
> > same can be said for Honsberger & Pintek and certainly
> > whatever appeal Pratte ever had has been gone for years.
> And
> > just how long has Rush been on in Pgh? 17 years singing
> the
> > same old song. So just what would be cutting edge talk for
>
> > Pgh? No one seems to want any part of Air America, or
> Lionel
> > or Stephanie Miller or Ed Schultz. So much for
> progressive.
> > What about Dimitri and Ruth Ann Dailey. I don't agree with
>
> > their politics, but at least they are broadcasters, not
> > bored casters. I'd hardly consider GOP hacks like Hannity
> &
> > Beck cutting edge, and Savage is nothing more than a
> > hate-monger. And let's not even discuss the George
> Noory/Art
> > Bell nonsense. Or KDKA's cutting edge overnight show with
>
> > Gary Dickson. Come on! So just what is cutting edge talk
>
> > radio for the Pittsburgh Market? Thoughts?
>
> Absolutely nothing is cutting edge about radio... period.
> It doesn't just pertain to Pittsburgh. It's all the same
> formulaic crap that big companies stick with to minimize the
> risk of financial loss. It's rare that you see stations
> take a chance these days and go against the grain
> (consultants, studies, etc.).
>
> Sad... but true!
>