But WDEL has to make a decision. Their ratings are not bad, but I doubt if Fall will see an upward trend for them, while WILM could gain as more people realize Rush and Hannity are on 1450. Also, WILM is improving their news, weather and traffic coverage during the syndicated shows. It is far more professional than it was (it often sounded like a youngster reading the newspaper aloud) and is good competition for Loudell, who I like. In the current incarnation, I see WILM and not WDEL picking up steam.
WWTX is a dead issue. No, a rating point does not buy ads. Likewise, a radio ad does not walk into Home Depot and buy lumber! CC management in the Wilmington cluster had better pull their heads out of their lower torso and come up with new plans for 1290 and The River!
I'd agree with your assement for WDEL. The one thing they could do would be to carry Glenn Beck from 9-12noon. I can get Beck on Philly's 1210 WPHT, but it's not the best signal and if there is some interference then it's gone, but WDEL could blanket the area with a top tier show that would probably beat out Watson's show, other than for the folks who actually want to call in to a talk show so they can rant about their pet political peeve. What I've noticed, there are the "regulars" who call both Al and John.
Maybe what WDEL could do in the afternoon at 1pm, after Loudell's noontime newscast, is to drop Jerry and add Al with Rick. Al isn't the flaming angry lib that Jerry is, but he's not a conservative either. Al expresses his opinion in well thought out ways that would go well with Rick Jensen's well thought out opinions which defininitely lean to the right. I'd tune in to hear both Al and Rick together, but like WTUX said, Jerry's style is hard to take. He comes across like an angry old man, which is not entertaining. Maybe WDEL could find some syndicated show to air from 3pm - 4pm ( my guess is you'd not have to air all three hours of some show so sign up one hour of some show that's format would fit the temper and style that Rick and Al would create) rather than having Jerry or Al go it alone for a fourth hour, which seems anticlimatic after the three hour dual act.
Yes I'd also agree with you that WILM's newscast capsules during the syndicated talk have improved greatly and sound very professional. Their overall sound of the station has improved as the folks there have gotten used to their new digital equipment, etc.
One thing that I think Clear Channel is overlooking and that is that while WILM's ratings have improved their spot breaks still have an awful lot of PSA's (I'm so tired if hearing about the drunk who freestyles rap at a Karaoke bar). My guess is that WDEL has the heavier spot load due to being able to sell WDEL with WSTW and possibly WXCY. Of course CC could do that with WILM and WRDX. The problem is WRDX is not doing well ratings wise. So it would seem to me that CC should change that format to something else that might sell well here in this market. I'd vote for a real Oldies station to offer some competition to the boring WOGL from Philly (I'd like to believe that format would sell well here). But in any case fixing what's wrong with WRDX would seem to me to be an important thing for them to do as that powerful 94.7 frequency is being wasted. The other choice might be country and compete with Delmarva's WXCY as the 94.7 signal used to be the country station and did penetrate the market better than 103.7 from Havre de Grace.
I've listened to the local talk sports show on WWTX 1290 (3-6pm). It's a refreshing change from political talk, but they too do not have any spots, just PSA's. So again fixing 94.7 which would be the drawing card for advertisers where you can add the AM's at a very small rate too would seem like the approach. The problem with CC dropping Fox Sports Radio on AM1290 probably has more to do with CC having some agreement with Fox to carry Fox Radio News on their talk stations and Fox Sports on sportstalk stations. My guess to this is that CC makes more money from a corporate point of view by having AM1290 pull in 10 listeners for Fox Sports as Fox can sell a higher rate for network spots because their programming is aired in more markets, especially that very hard to reach demo of younger men who typically don't listen to radio; than if AM1290 went back to ABC's Unforgettable Favorites where, from what WTUX said, AM 1290 was on top of the other local AM's during the mid day parts. You know the old story, AM1290 pulled in good ratings, but all those folks weren't the one's the advertisers wanted as most were over the age of 49.
It's a shame that radio hasn't figured out what cable TV did, and sell older demos listening, to the drug companies, life insurance companies, etc. Let's face it, the drug companies have a hugemungous amount of money to spend on advertisements. Without the drug company ads, many of those cable channels would go belly up. So why shouldn't radio cash in on that drug company money by selling them on radio. The largest demo block in our nation, the babyboomers, is for the most part now over the age of 49 and a prime target for those drug ads, retirement investments, temporpedic beds, RV's, (they've got Sally Fields and Lindsey Wagner now hawking stuff). Also the babyboomer has another important advantage for advertisers we still do listen to the radio, unlike the younger age groups who've left radio for Ipods, Blackberry's and Iphones, etc, but it seems that radio has tossed the boomers aside. I find it crazy that ad agencies haven't figured out what type of music, news, talk, etc, we'd prefer to hear on radio and then find out what products we use and then market that product with those sponsors as national syndicated shows. My guess is those radio stations and advertisers all would make money. Our group is large, we still do things, we spend money, we don't just sit home in rocking chairs knitting or playing shuffle board. Seems like a lot of money could be made by some smart people.
Hey here's a thought, maybe AARP should start it's own syndicated radio show featuring boomer music, boomer talk, etc and sell it to the drug companies.
