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Rick Smith Gives New Meaning To The Phrase "Outside The Box" This Week

DToTheJ

DToTheJ

In an effort to raise awareness of homelessness this holiday season, WEEO-AM/FM nighttime host Rick Smith is doing his show from the parking lot of a supermarket. Then, when he's done, he will sleep in a cardboard box. The goal is to raise $8,000 or 20,000 pounds of food.
http://www.abc27.com/Global/story.asp?S=13721803
 
Congrats to Rick. It's efforts like this that make one really remember the power of radio. Here's hoping he collects what he needs quickly to get back indoors.
 
Rick Should really be doing this on his other station, WHYL. Now that baby has reach. His weeknight show translator on WEEO/WIOO is a joke. It's gonna be an uphill climb to reach his goal. The only way he'll do it is by contacting other media.
 
I'll have to respectfully disagree. For some very interesting, if a bit dry reading, check out the FCC's Report and Order issued in June of 2009 that officially authorized the use of FM translators by AM stations. In it, the FCC quotes the statistic that out of ALL radio listening, LESS THAN 20-PERCENT (I believe the exact figure was 17-percent) is on the AM band! ALL THE REST IS ON FM!
And for any given AM station, 90-percent of its listeners will lie within the 2-millivolt, so-called "city grade" signal contour, roughly the "red line" on the Radio-Locator maps. Yes, the powerful AM stations still have "reach." But outside their city-grade signal, on a typical radio, especially within a building, they quickly become-un-listenable due to fluorescent light and CFL bulb buzz, computer monitor squeal, IBOC sideband hash from adjacent channels, and other assorted QRN. Back when I worked at AM 960 in the early 80's, you could, with a good radio, pick it up almost to Allentown on I-78. Now all you get is I-Buzz from WPEN in Philly.

FM, on the other hand, isn't subject to interference. So the WIOO/WEEO translators, even at 150 watts each, can, on any decent radio, be picked up easily throughout Cumberland and northern Franklin counties. (roughly the area of the AM 960 2-millivolt contour!) I literally get contest winners (and tradeo calls) from Harrisburg to Chambersburg and all points in between, all listening on FM.

Then there is the fact that incredibly few people under 50 listen to AM at all. So Rick Smith, who's liberal message probably has stronger appeal with younger people, MIGHT ACTUALLY HAVE MORE "REACH" ON WIOO'S TWO TRANSLATORS!!
 
Again, I think it's great Rick is doing this. As far as his show goes, well, nothing personal against him, but liberal talk has pretty much been a joke wherever it's tried. Case in point: 50,000 watt blowtorch WWKB in Buffalo. Very left leaning blue collar market. If it can't make a dent there on that stick, that pretty much tells the whole story.
 
Again, all due respect, but it does not tell the whole story. Yes, WWKB HAS 50,000 watts, but WWKB is an AM station. AM=less than 20-percent of all radio listening. Of that 20-percent, less than 5-percent are people under 50. AM=OLD PEOPLE!! FM=YOUNGER PEOPLE!!
A much higher percentage people under 50 voted for President Obama in 2008 and support the Democratic Party. Older people are more conservative.

Put a progressive-talk station on FM with interesting, compelling hosts (I'll give Rush and Glenn Beck credit for being thought-provoking, interesting listens) and I'm sure you'd get ratings.

PS...Rick Smith is doing very well collecting food donations for the needy....Agree or disagree with his viewpoint....he's a very charitable guy....
 
Ray,

Since it seems your engrossed in proclaiming the inadquacies of AM
these days , you should also no doubt realize that the younger the
demo the less likely it is they listen to AM/FM radio at all.
Many 18 - 34 listen to XMSiruis, Iphone etc. I think total terrestrial
radio listenership is about 77 percent these days, with Sattelite radio
and internet listening comprising the balance. So if your touting the fact
FM radio is the big source for "young" demos you'd be wrong.
As are you with your observation on progressive and liberal talk...it
has failed on numerous delivery platforms am ; fm ; tv...you name
it , it has not and will not work.
 
In case anyone hasn't noticed, the revolution has ended. Obama had his butt handed in the mid-terms and the new census points to congressional seat gains in the red states. Of course, Cumberland County has always been a hot-bed of liberal ideology ???. The young people who embraced liberalism now realize its a sham. And the libs just need to drive around or sleep in their cars 'cause that's the only way they'll hear Rick Smith on the FM light bulbs that WEEO and WIOO run. Yes, they get out, but no real penetration. WEEO-FM has the same problem and they're a real FM station. Here's a new slogan for Country Gold: red-neck music and commy red talk. Real compatible. C'mon man!
 
Hey Grandole...

You are right...the youngest demos are more likely these days to listen to satellite or internet radio. But I'll take your point a step further. My 11-year-old daughter listens to NO RADIO AT ALL, not AM, not FM, not XM, not Internet radio. She listens to her Ipod and does social networking media like Facebook. But radio still has millions of listeners. Its the 30-to-50 year olds, very desirable demos, that are much more likely to listen to FM.

And I wasn't denigrating AM, after all I AM STILL ON AM, AT 1000 and 1480! Just quoting some of the FCC's own listening stats. We have noticed a HUGE difference in response from younger (30 to 50 year old) demos since we put the translators on.

As for the success (or lack thereof) of progressive talk, you are right, although MSNBC, while not nearly as highly rated as Fox News Channel, has improved its ratings significantly since becoming a liberal channel. What progressive talk radio has lacked, in my opinion, is a colorful, dynamic spokesman like Rush Limbaugh. Rush is, after all more than just a conservative, he's above all, a RADIO GUY!! He patterned his style after Larry Lujack. He understands the medium. He's a compelling listen, agree with him or not. Progressive talk radio has failed because it has lacked such a personality.
 
RayThomas said:
Again, all due respect, but it does not tell the whole story. Yes, WWKB HAS 50,000 watts, but WWKB is an AM station. AM=less than 20-percent of all radio listening. Of that 20-percent, less than 5-percent are people under 50. AM=OLD PEOPLE!! FM=YOUNGER PEOPLE!!
A much higher percentage people under 50 voted for President Obama in 2008 and support the Democratic Party. Older people are more conservative.

Problem with progressive talk is none of the shows are entertaining. Leslie Marshall is probably the best of a sorry bunch. I'll buy the AM argument on some weaker signaled stations but not a 50,000 watt blowtorch. If the programming is good, and its available, you'll seek it out, no matter what dial it's on. We're also seeing a move to FM talk by many AM stations in many markets, Even 50,000 watt WSB in Atlanta is now available on FM. And I still do think there is a place for an FM talker in Central PA.
Click to expand...
 
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