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Protests Left and Right in Columbus

  • Thread starter fred flintstone
  • Start date

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fred flintstone

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Contrary to those who claim protests over changes in talk radio programming is confined to one portion of the political spectrum, Clear Channel in Columbus seems to have accomplished the exceptional feat of uniting disparate political groupies by making them all angry.

RadioDailyNews.com said:
They’re coming from the left and the right. And they’re taking aim at Clear Channel Radio over planned changes for two of its central Ohio stations. Liberals are upset that the media company on Monday will drop leftleaning Air America programming on WYTS (1230 AM), formerly known as WTPG. Conservatives are annoyed that on Saturday it will replace right-leaning talk-show host Glenn Beck on WTVN (610 AM). Both groups plan rallies in support of their causes (read more - Tim Feran-Columbus Dispatch)
Click to expand...
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Interestingly enough, Clear Channel proposes to replace Glenn Beck (syndicated by the company's Premiere Radio Networks) with local host Joel Riley. Reportedly, CC offered Beck Stephanie Miller's slot on the out-going progressive talk station and Beck declined because, he says, the signal is too weak.

Read more on the new program line-up from Old Akronite
 
Goes to show that the fake protests stunt worked so well in Madison that CC is trying it in other markets as well. That's good radio planning. Test something in one market, and if it works well, roll it out to other markets.

You can't buy good PR like that.
 
Come Monday, Beck moves to a highly marginal FM signal in Columbus (WTDA Ted-FM) that had been doing an Adult Hits format for the last two years. For about the last year they also had Bob & Tom on in mornings. So even though there has been no official announcement, it's pretty clear WTDA is moving to talk -- especially since the GM says they also want to add a sports-talk show.

What I'd like to know from readers of the News/Talk format board is whether they know of examples of marginal-signal FM's that have improved ratings or revenue by switching from a music format to talk.

Here are links to two related threads from the Columbus board. The first is specifically about Beck-to-WTDA (with links to newspaper articles about it, as well as the message on Beck's website); and the second is a MUCH, MUCH longer thread revolving around CC's upcoming controversial switch of its secondary Columbus Talk AM from Progressive Talk to Conservative Talk+Sports.

Topic: Looks like some of you will get your FM Talk Wish
http://www.radio-info.com/smf/index.php/topic,59613.0.html

Topic: It's OFFICIAL, 1230 drops Air America
http://www.radio-info.com/smf/index.php/topic,58214.0.html
 
WKXW, Trenton was a marginal FM station on the edge of the Philadelphia, New York, Monmouth-Ocean and Middlesex-Somerset-Union markets. It's last music format was oldies.
It redefined it's market from Trenton to New Jersey ("Our own station. Not New York. Not Philadelphia. Proud to be New Jersey 101.5"), taking advantage of the fact that competitors were mostly out of state.
It evolved rather than flipped into a music format.
First it took requests.
These expanded into listener comments between records.
Finally, a full blown populist lifestyle talk format Monday through Friday.
Unlike most talk stations, the format does very well in the money demos.
It is all local-live with no syndicated programming.
The signal is now simulcast on a second station in Atlantic City.
 
Thanks, Fred. I had heard of New Jersey 101.5...it's really made a name for itself over the years.

Perhaps I should have used the word "weak" or "crappy" to describe WTDA's signal, rather than "marginal." While NJ 101.5 is a class B, WTDA is a weak, outlying class A. While it's in one of the most populous and growing areas of the Columbus metro, its population coverage obviously pales in comparison to NJ 101.5. And there's really no marketable identity to "North Suburban Columbus" as there would be to NJ. BTW, WTDA is hard to pick up in downtown Columbus.

So, rephrasing my question: I wonder if anyone knows of any weak, outlying Class A FM's that have found success (or at least started to make a dent in the ratings) by moving from a music format to News/Talk.
 
Maybe the mod will move this one to the off-air board, too. Heaven forbid I would accurately bring up a topic other people are talking about.
 
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