Rumor: Rush Limbaugh To WEMP?

[DToTheJ]

http://www.talkers.com

...chatter coming out of New York is that Merlin Media has been talking to Premiere Networks about bringing Rush Limbaugh to its all-newser FM News 101.9 (WEMP-FM) if Cumulus Media decides to put new national syndication rollout Mike Huckabee on WABC in Limbaugh’s place...

I guess this is the "plan B" that Merlin had in mind if FM News wasn't gaining traction, which it appears it still has yet to do so?

 

[jhguthlac]

Since Huckabee is going to WOR, that won't be happening soon.

 

[Steve Green NEPA]

Interesting bedfellows (as it were) .... Merlin and Clear Channel.

I'd read recently, from a good source, that Limbaugh has a lot more female listeners than many might realize. So a Plan B or a Plan C might be afoot for this new group. After all, they launched as news for Barbie, chocolates and all. And any which way, the devil knows Merlin has needed a plan other than A.

And really : 'chatter out off New York' isn't exactly the same thing as a Papal proclamation. Heck, anyone can call up representatives of a competitor, shoot some blue-suede for a while and start some buzz.

Also, why would Premiere want to help out a new competitor group whose eyes are on the very largest markets in the country? This new fresh kid on the block still has rusty training wheels, which have been spinning for the better part of a year. And why entertain thoughts of placing a career such as that of Limbaugh's on two stations whose combined ratings resemble more like that of a breathalizer test than an actual share?

 

[LLL]

If WEMP would be willing to air Rush, they might as well get Glenn Beck too.

Beck as the lead-in to Rush is already the formula in most markets.

 

[fybush]

Also, why would Premiere want to help out a new competitor group whose eyes are on the very largest markets in the country? This new fresh kid on the block still has rusty training wheels, which have been spinning for the better part of a year. And why entertain thoughts of placing a career such as that of Limbaugh's on two stations whose combined ratings resemble more like that of a breathalizer test than an actual share?

Premiere is already doing business with a CC competitor in New York, and that competitor, Cumulus, has all done everything short of taking out a billboard in Times Square to announce that it's not a guaranteed renewal for Rush at WABC and WLS when the current contract is up, and that it intends to take as much of its business in-house as it possibly can. Since there's no in-house CC station in NYC to go talk (no, they're not going to flip Power or KTU or Q!), the prudent thing to do is to line up another outlet in case the need arises.

The ratings are a red herring in this case: for a show like Rush where the main income stream is the cash that stations pay for the rights to the show, what matters here is continuing that cash flow and maintaining a clearance in market #1. Merlin's cash is presumably just as green as anyone else's in this case.

 

[kevinsealy]

This is going to make things very interesting on the New York radio landscape.

Is it a longshot of Merlin putting Rush Limbaugh on WEMP? *IF* that deal ever materializes, WABC owned by Cumulus (spelling) may have to put Mike Huckabee on live 12noon-3PM which is Limbaugh's current timeslot. And Merlin will have to build around Limbaugh if they want to be successful as an FM Talk station.


What's confusing about Talkers.com report is that Huckabee will make his debut on WOR 710AM tonight on a tape dealy.



Thanks,
Kevin L. Sealy

 

[LLL]

When you say "build around Rush", I guess you mean trying to go with conservative commentary 24/7?

Honestly, I think "talk" is a misleading format title. Conservative commentary is more accurate.

 

[kevinsealy]

LLL,

I do mean WEMP would have to (build around Limbaugh) with conservative talk show hosts.

The question is who is available? Is there a dearth of conservative talk show hosts? I can think of one person who may like to be on the air fulltime again. Steve Malzberg.




Thanks,
Kevin L. Sealy

 

[LLL]

Mr. Sealy,

There is no shortage of conservative commentators.

Laura Ingraham deserves another show in NY.

Todd Schnitt out of Tampa would be great for the NY market yet he can't get a break.

Beck is available, and he's already Rush's lead-in in many markets across the country.

I find it interesting that WABC ranks so high in NYC. NYC is not as liberal as people say, but I still can't figure out how that station does so well in NY.

 

[TTalkradio1]

It's ridiculous that these non-radio people start with 300 stations, but Bob Grant is on one.

 

[LLL]

I'll guess a few factors led to Huckabee getting such a broad clearance in the number of stations.

1. It's an election year

2. He's an established name

3. He'll use his Fox News presence to cross-promote his radio show

4. Abundance of conservative commentary stations across America

5. There is a demand for non-abrasive GOP talkers to offset Rush, Savage and others

 

[TimeIsTight]

I find it interesting that WABC ranks so high in NYC. NYC is not as liberal as people say, but I still can't figure out how that station does so well in NY.

WABC ranks 13th in the 6+ overall, and averages about 1.1-million different listeners a week in a market of 15-million.

Probably, most of its audience is outside of the five-boroughs of NYC, which have overwhelmingly Democrat voter registration numbers.

Hints of where the Conservative audience is can be seen in WABC's ratings in the embedded suburban markets in New Jersey.

WABC ranks among the top few stations in both the Morristown, and Monmouth-Ocean books. Local politics in both places have been heavily Republican for generations. There are similar places within the New York radio market, in other parts of New Jersey, New York and a sliver of Connecticut that have the same Conservative characteristics but not their own radio ratings. Most likely, that's where you'll find most of the WABC listeners.

 

[Barry]

An article in the NY Times today states that the Rush Limbaugh show will be dropped from talk station WPHT in Philadelphia. He will be replaced by the relatively moderate Michael Smirconish show.
The article also states, that Limbaugh syndicator "Premiere has indicated that it will be moving Mr. Limbaugh to a new station in Philadelphia. Radio-Info.com reported on Monday that it might be WKDN, a Christian programming station that is expected to be turned into a news-talk station soon."
As we know, WKDN is now owned by Merlin.
So it does not seem far-fetched that Limbaugh may eventually turn up on WEMP, once Cumulus' contractual obligations to air his show on WABC come to an end.

 

[reelyreal]

It's ridiculous that these non-radio people start with 300 stations, but Bob Grant is on one.

First of all... Bob Grant??? The dude's like a hundred!! (Okay, 83.)

As for Huckabee, I'd hardly call him a non-radio person. Moreover, he's no stranger to the media business. His first ever job was at a radio station. He's worked as an advisor to television evangelists. he's been in management of television stations. Then you've got his Fox News work. He's been around.

Oh, he's also got a three-times-a-day radio commentary on over 500 stations.

No, he's never hosted a long-form talk show on the radio, but everybody has to start somewhere. It's not like he was plucked out of the blue, he's got a past in broadcasting, and a successful one at that.

 

[TTalkradio1]

It's ridiculous that these non-radio people start with 300 stations, but Bob Grant is on one.

First of all... Bob Grant??? The dude's like a hundred!! (Okay, 83.)

As for Huckabee, I'd hardly call him a non-radio person. Moreover, he's no stranger to the media business. His first ever job was at a radio station. He's worked as an advisor to television evangelists. he's been in management of television stations. Then you've got his Fox News work. He's been around.

Oh, he's also got a three-times-a-day radio commentary on over 500 stations.

No, he's never hosted a long-form talk show on the radio, but everybody has to start somewhere. It's not like he was plucked out of the blue, he's got a past in broadcasting, and a successful one at that.

First of all... Bob Grant??? The dude's like a hundred!! (Okay, 83.)

But I could have said that ten years ago about him being on only one station. He's a radio person.

No, he's never hosted a long-form talk show on the radio, but everybody has to start somewhere. It's not like he was plucked out of the blue, he's got a past in broadcasting, and a successful one at that.

How is it successful? I'm talking about the fact that he's never hosted a regular radio show. He's going to fail.

 

[LLL]

I find it interesting that WABC ranks so high in NYC. NYC is not as liberal as people say, but I still can't figure out how that station does so well in NY.

WABC ranks 13th in the 6+ overall, and averages about 1.1-million different listeners a week in a market of 15-million.

Probably, most of its audience is outside of the five-boroughs of NYC, which have overwhelmingly Democrat voter registration numbers.

Hints of where the Conservative audience is can be seen in WABC's ratings in the embedded suburban markets in New Jersey.

WABC ranks among the top few stations in both the Morristown, and Monmouth-Ocean books. Local politics in both places have been heavily Republican for generations. There are similar places within the New York radio market, in other parts of New Jersey, New York and a sliver of Connecticut that have the same Conservative characteristics but not their own radio ratings. Most likely, that's where you'll find most of the WABC listeners.

I thought WABC was in 13th place.

Even when Arbitron NYC market was just 8,000,000 (mainly the five boroughs) WABC was always ranked high. I remember seeing it in the top 10 and maybe as high as 6 or 7 in NYC around election time.

Either way, WABC has to be pulling significant numbers in Queens, Brooklyn, Bergen, Bronx, Hudson, and Essex to be ranked as high as they are.

The counties that make up the 15,000,000 are mostly counties that vote Democrat, except Staten Island.

 

[TimeIsTight]

The counties that make up the 15,000,000 are mostly counties that vote Democrat, except Staten Island.

That's true, except that even Staten Island (Richmond County) has 123,000 registered Democrats and only 79,000 Republicans.

New York City has a total population of 8-million, with 3-million registered Democrats and 486,000 Republicans.

Nassau and Suffolk, are each about evenly split, and Westchester is about two-to-one Democrats.

In New Jersey, Hudson County is a stronghold for Democrats. Somerset and Morris Counties are among the Republican strongholds in a state that overall leans Democrat.

While WABC undoubtedly does pull listeners from everywhere in the area, the fact that it shows up in the number-2 spot in Monmouth-Ocean, beating a number of local FMs, and comes in at number-5 in Morristown shows it is, expectedly, doing much better in Republican areas.

About 7-percent of the radio market population tunes into to WABC, at least once a week. In New York City, registered Republicans make up about 6-percent of the population, so the station isn't that far off the mark even there.

 

[R.F. Burns]

WABC has a very old audience. I find it hard to believe that WEMP would go from one failed format to another. First, 101.9 doesn't have the market coverage/penetration that WABC does. If WABC is getting their numbers from outside the boroughs that would be one strike against going on 101.9. Second, outside of WABC (which as I said earlier has the 70 to dirt nap segment of the population tied up), what conservative talk station gets any ratings? WNYM? WOR? Face it; putting a conservative talk format on WEMP would be sillier than putting a beautiful music format back on FM, in 2012. My guess would be that they lease or sell to ESPN & seeing that the Yankees contract will be up next year they could bid heavily for the Yankees. With the Jets already under contract they could become a real player in local sports. As crazy as that sounds it makes more sense than putting someone on who advertisers are running from. His problems with advertisers aren't going away as new sponsors such as Walgreens have publically removed their spots from his show and others are still defecting.


http://features.rr.com/article/05XkeUQ6fC16K?q=Rush+Limbaugh

 

[LLL]

The counties that make up the 15,000,000 are mostly counties that vote Democrat, except Staten Island.

That's true, except that even Staten Island (Richmond County) has 123,000 registered Democrats and only 79,000 Republicans.

New York City has a total population of 8-million, with 3-million registered Democrats and 486,000 Republicans.

Nassau and Suffolk, are each about evenly split, and Westchester is about two-to-one Democrats.

In New Jersey, Hudson County is a stronghold for Democrats. Somerset and Morris Counties are among the Republican strongholds in a state that overall leans Democrat.

While WABC undoubtedly does pull listeners from everywhere in the area, the fact that it shows up in the number-2 spot in Monmouth-Ocean, beating a number of local FMs, and comes in at number-5 in Morristown shows it is, expectedly, doing much better in Republican areas.

About 7-percent of the radio market population tunes into to WABC, at least once a week. In New York City, registered Republicans make up about 6-percent of the population, so the station isn't that far off the mark even there.

Interesting. Although NYC area Republicans are totally different than, say, Hillsborough County Republicans.

In NYC, Republicans are people with money. They support the GOP because they're worried about having to pay more taxes. They aren't talk radio types. In other parts of America, Republicans are Tea Party types with pickup trucks and bumper stickers.

When I'm in Tampa, it's easy to look around and see who would listen to WFLA 970 AM. In NY/LI/NENJ it's not easy. That's why I'm so amazed that WABC does so well. Even more amazed that NYC now has three conservative commentary stations.

 

[LLL]

WABC has a very old audience. I find it hard to believe that WEMP would go from one failed format to another. First, 101.9 doesn't have the market coverage/penetration that WABC does. If WABC is getting their numbers from outside the boroughs that would be one strike against going on 101.9. Second, outside of WABC (which as I said earlier has the 70 to dirt nap segment of the population tied up), what conservative talk station gets any ratings? WNYM? WOR? Face it; putting a conservative talk format on WEMP would be sillier than putting a beautiful music format back on FM, in 2012. My guess would be that they lease or sell to ESPN & seeing that the Yankees contract will be up next year they could bid heavily for the Yankees. With the Jets already under contract they could become a real player in local sports. As crazy as that sounds it makes more sense than putting someone on who advertisers are running from. His problems with advertisers aren't going away as new sponsors such as Walgreens have publically removed their spots from his show and others are still defecting.


http://features.rr.com/article/05XkeUQ6fC16K?q=Rush+Limbaugh

Walgreens. Another sponsor on Sharpton's radio show. Funny how Rush is "controversial" but Sharpton isn't.

They hypocrisy of liberals is that they threaten advertisers who appear on Rush. Meanwhile the Democrats will buy a ton of spots on his show, all across the country. The same people who bash Rush want to reach voters via his show.

Even Jon Stewart is buying time on WFLA in Tampa to promote his live tour date there, but for some reason, I don't think "Color of Change" will boycott Jon Stewart any time soon.

It's an election year. Rush will be sold out.