Ramsey on KEIB 1150; Amezcua to 5-7

[raccoonradio]

Tweet from Dave Ramsey Show from yesterday
>>Los Angeles — starting today, you can listen to Dave every weekday on @PatriotAM1150 from 3-5 PM PST. That's right about... NOW!

The Patriot had Carlos Amezcua in 3-6 slot; he now moves to 5-7 followed by Clark Howard

 

[Art Landing]

Now I'm wondering what's going on. Dave Ramsey and Clark Howardare both consumer finsancial advice guys. They both have their good points but neither fits the "live and local" orientation of Carlos nor the patriot theme of the station.

Ramsey's program (apparently coming over from KFWB) is pre-recorded and might follow Howard at 10:00 if desired (presently taken up with NBC sports - with three other all sports stastions do we need another?). What would be better in my opinion would be a locally oriented conservative political program with guests from 7-11. Clear Channel let one excellent candidate (and former KRLA host) fill in for John and Ken on New Year's Day - unfortnately he also has a day job working for the city's mayor.

I've listened to Carlo's program. Its good "as is" but would be better with more support from the news department. Nothingis accomplished by splitting time with Ramsey.

 

[beachguy3b]

Art, this is Clear Channel. NEVER expect them to make sense.

 

[Thomps2525]

Yes, Ramsey's show moved over from KFWB, where Bob McCormick's "Money 101" program has expanded to four hours, 10 am to 2 pm. How many people actually listen to these financial talk programs? And why was Amezcua's show not only moved...but shortened?

 

[Art Landing]

My question on Amezcua as well. He is knowledgeable, talented well known and with proper suppoert could build an audience. Why chop his on-air time?

As for financial shows, they do have a niche audience of investors and consumers apparently big enough for the firms that sponsor them. The same for the various medical programs and for that matter classical music and other niches. The question is, as the one tiome huge AM audience is diverted not just to TV and FM but ipods and the Internet, is there a place for suc niche broadcasting? I think that we will see the financial and nutriton specialties shifting to webinars promoted by blast emails - some using this technique already exist.

 

[Art Landing]

Well, KFI's David Cruz (now in the Los Angeles CC news department after being the afterrnoon host on KEIB whenit was KTLK) has a great developing story =- a local school district official with a questionable financial history (two bankruptcies) and a $625,000 salary and benefit package in a district too poor to properly furnish its classroms with supplies. The official's great skill? Apparently persuading his Board and low information voters to go along with nine figure bond issues that benefit a paticular contractor who financed the election of the board.

If this sounds like a variant of the City of Bell tale, it is - although perhaps all legal it is certainly not what taxpayers deserve or expect. Handled wisely its an award winning story - but John and Ken were just ranting and speculating today. They seemed ignorant of the fact that school bond issues can only be used for specified purposes and have at least three separate state-mandated quality and financial controls on bond proceedserformnce monitors, financial auditors and a citizen's oversight committee.

Operational expenses - both salary packages and classroom supplies - are separte from capital expenses and are not financed with bond proceeds. If Board members aren't reading contracts as they should or are too cosy with the builders who financed their election that is a separate issue.

My point - KFI and KEIB share the same CC ownership and news eam. If that team were allowed to work in tandem with local hosts on both stations CC could have both great ratings and a real impact on the community by focusing on stories like this.But to just sensationalize selected information today and then move on tomoprrow benedits no one. It will be interesting to see what happens.

 

[SimiRadioListener26]

My point - KFI and KEIB share the same CC ownership and news eam. If that team were allowed to work in tandem with local hosts on both stations CC could have both great ratings and a real impact on the community by focusing on stories like this.

David Cruz has been reporting to J&K on the story every day for the past couple days, so I guess define "work in tandem".

 

[Art Landing]

By work in tandem I mean let the same topics also be featured (perhaps in abbreviated form) on more than one host's program. In this case if J&K have the lead then segments on Amezcua, Handel, Conway and Carroll with reference to the website for details. Another breaking story might concurrently primarily be on Conway's with segments on the others. This approach is taken with court reporting all the time - why not investigative reporter and community based issues?

The point is, that local hosts rather than talking point satellite feeds do have merit -but only if its more than just local bodies. If its interviews with local officials, remote broadcasts in connection with special subjects then the station becomes involved in the community. AM radio today is blended wit the whole social media scene - internet, I-phones etc. Audio reception is no longer dependent on over-the-air recievers or limited to a few stations. I-heart alone brags of over a thousand options, live365 must be up there as well. In this environment one must microcast to a niche audience (which won't draw general audience advertisers) or have content in multi-media form that stands out from the crowd. KFI/KEIB are both 50,000 watt stations with a news team and hosts capable of leading the way.

 

[stevechang]

My question on Amezcua as well. He is knowledgeable, talented well known and with proper suppoert could build an audience. Why chop his on-air time?

As for financial shows, they do have a niche audience of investors and consumers apparently big enough for the firms that sponsor them. The same for the various medical programs and for that matter classical music and other niches. The question is, as the one tiome huge AM audience is diverted not just to TV and FM but ipods and the Internet, is there a place for suc niche broadcasting? I think that we will see the financial and nutriton specialties shifting to webinars promoted by blast emails - some using this technique already exist.

I listened to Amezcua a few times and he really really is boring. He claims to be Conservative and yet he doesn't seem too conservative on many issues, especially illegal aliens. I guess as with most hispanics, particularly those that claim to be Conservative (ie Marco Rubio or Anna Navarette of CNN) they can't seem to separate their hispanic heritage from this issue and therefore support amnesty for people who broke the laws of this nation. As John Koyblt regulars mentions it is tribe mentality that trumps politics.

 

[Art Landing]

I've listened as well and actually have had the opposite feeling. His nuanced treatment of the BYU infomercial was the type of analysis I associate with Dennis Praeger. He is definitely not the shouter that John and Ken are nor will he likely pass the "litmus test" on every issue - but why should he, on immigration or anything else?

We do need to seal the border and then cull the 12 milllion illegals in this country, but realistically we can't engage in mass deportations. Many of the "illergals" did not even come here of their own volityion; they have been raised as Americans and/or have ties to America families and/or employers - in fact some ARE employers. We can fault Reagan/Bush/Clinton/Bush/Obama as much as we want for not following through on the promises made 25 years ago but that doesn't address the underlying issue: we can't unscramble an egg once its out of the shell.The Hispanic vote is too much of a factor to even pay lip service to such a solution because (as Pete Wilson learned) even if you pass a proposition the courts will invalidate it.

I am also liking what I hear David Cruz doing on KFI but I'm puzzled about where to find his weekend talk show The Internet gives two times for KFI - both inaccurate. He appears to be on KEIB on Saturday afternoons from 12-2 but why Clear Channel doesn't correct the misinformation elsewhere is puzzling.

 

[davideduardo]

I listened to Amezcua a few times and he really really is boring. He claims to be Conservative and yet he doesn't seem too conservative on many issues, especially illegal aliens. I guess as with most hispanics, particularly those that claim to be Conservative (ie Marco Rubio or Anna Navarette of CNN) they can't seem to separate their hispanic heritage from this issue and therefore support amnesty for people who broke the laws of this nation. As John Koyblt regulars mentions it is tribe mentality that trumps politics.

What you are seeing are Hispanics who are fiscally conservative, but who are more liberal in social issues.

Those folks are not "open border" proponents. They are advocates for people who have essentially spent most of their lives, from a young age, here and have no connections with any other country and they are also advocates for those who have been here for most of their adult lives and have been useful and productive.

Understanding this depends entirely on whether one recognizes that, just as people speed where there is lax enforcement, people will immigrate to the US if there is a similar lack of enforcement. Laws are only effective if enforced, and immigration laws have not been well enforced for quite a few decades.

This sort of conservative actually better fits in the definition of Libertarian than Republican; the corollary is that not all conservatives are Republicans.

Recognition of the rather different flavor of conservative one finds in CA, particularly SoCal, is something not too many radio hosts recognize.

 

[Art Landing]

Agreed. And its not just Hispanics. I'm as fiscally conservative as anyone but I'm also a 4th generation registered independent Californian who understands a lot of history that both Caucasians and Hispanics either were never taught or have forgotten.

I know why the cross atop the mission is being restored (hopefully) to the County Seal of Los angeles, the racial mix of the foot party from San Gabriel Mission that started the pueblo of Los Angeles, the role of John C Fremont and Kit Carson in founding the "California Republic," the terms of the mutualy abrogated (in 1912) treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, the anti-Asian Pacific legislation (inspired by labor unions of the time with tacit consent of the railroad interests) of the late 1800's, the Progressive inspired selective segregation of browns and whites in some California schools from 1922-1947, the illl-fated bracero program (1944 to around 1960) which was terminated due to labor pressuire in Washington over allegedly displaced American farm worker candidates who never materialized, etc etc.

The point is, "illegal" in California is a buzz word that ignores a reality both brown and white residents need to recognize and accommodate. The border needs to be sealed, then we need to take a nuanced approach to dealing with those who are here. News media and schools can help by teaching the context - and while doing so might well also cover our indigenous Indian residents, blacks and various Asian Pacifc cultures.

That said, this thread is supposed to be about the wisdom of placing a drive time talk show between two financial/consumer programs. There is an audience for the latter, but it seems misplaced on a station calling itself the "Patriot." The same objection applies to the late night NBC sports. KEIB in additon to Ramsey and Howard also has Money Matters on Saturday; I wouldn't be surprised to see Doug Andrews turn up. IMHO NBC Sports (which isn't bad) should be moved to KLAC and CC should find a different station for health/consumer/financial niche programming. The Patriot needs to focus on the foundations of American freedom and its contemporary positive applications - not just the misdeeds of our current elective representatives. Beck/Rush/Hannity will cover the lastter dequately, local hosts need to complement this with constructive information.

 

[Thomps2525]

Talkers magazine just released its annual “Heavy Hundred” list of the top talk-show hosts in America and four of the top five are heard on KEIB. In order, they are Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Dave Ramsey—Michael Savage is #4—and Glenn Beck. For reasons I can't explain, Howard Stern, now heard on Sirius XM, still has his fans---he's at #7.