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Sports talk shows

B

Bubba Bob

Guest
Where have all the LOCAL sports talk shows gone in central PA? Does anyone want to pay for talent anymore?
 
BRING BACK KURT HART!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!![/size]
 
What you have to understand is that most listeners to sports talk radio are listening in their cars and not for a long period of time. It's hard to do a local sports talk show when your audience is only tuning in for 15-20 minutes at a shot.

Also, the sports stations in this area are automated 24/7 with the possible exception of live sporting events. Staff is minimal.

Sad to say that good local sports talk shows (in this market) have gone the way of so many other things that we remember from 15-20 years ago.
 
Notice how rarely even the national sport talk shows take listener calls....it's very brief and typically cut off. No one wants to risk a local yocal monologue that has everyone going for another preset button. Everything today
has to be tight, compressed, and moving (to keep listeners for the 15-20 minutes). Twenty years ago the local
sport talk shows were a snore (and later died) because they didn't keep it moving. Jed Donahue (an exception) had to create his own regional network in the 90s if only to gather a substantial audience. It's a ton of preparation and you have to be a walking encyclopedia of sports.
 
epmark said:
Notice how rarely even the national sport talk shows take listener calls....it's very brief and typically cut off. No one wants to risk a local yocal monologue that has everyone going for another preset button. Everything today
has to be tight, compressed, and moving (to keep listeners for the 15-20 minutes). Twenty years ago the local
sport talk shows were a snore (and later died) because they didn't keep it moving. Jed Donahue (an exception) had to create his own regional network in the 90s if only to gather a substantial audience. It's a ton of preparation and you have to be a walking encyclopedia of sports.
Click to expand...

And, those shows were there at one time. They had all the necessary guests from the Orioles, Ravens, Penn State, Phillies and more. You are correct in one aspect. A lot of prep time was required, along with long hours. Local management didn't want to pay for talent and experience!
 
I don't mean to be curt with you, Bubba Bob-- but the realities of radio today do not support local specialty shows five nights a week. There are local sports shows on the radio- if you just listen around, you will find them. They are on weekends, or they are on seasonally. Local shows did not work because in the smaller markets, the callers began to take over the shows in the dearth of local major sports teams to discuss. If the local shows were getting ratings and making money they would still be on the air five nights a week. In the current economic situation, radio cannot afford to be in the charity business. If you are in a larger market that has a major league team -- you have better access to the team. It's just a reality.
 
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