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Talk Radio Caller As Host on WBEN?

O

OldAkronite

This was prompted by a message in the News/Talk forum.

Last time I was driving within range of WBEN/930, I remember listening to a weekend show hosted by a woman calling herself "Kathy from Williamsville" (not sure of "K" or "C" on the spelling of her first name). I got the idea that she was a regular station caller who'd been given her own weekend slot, and that the spot was regular...she talked about the show like it'd just started, and like it was an ongoing show.

Today, she doesn't appear on WBEN's weekend schedule, at least as far as I can see.

What happpened? Is my recollection correct? I was kind of on the fringe of the signal, so I may have some details wrong here...

-OA
 
> This was prompted by a message in the News/Talk forum.
>
> Last time I was driving within range of WBEN/930, I remember
> listening to a weekend show hosted by a woman calling
> herself "Kathy from Williamsville" (not sure of "K" or "C"
> on the spelling of her first name). I got the idea that she
> was a regular station caller who'd been given her own
> weekend slot, and that the spot was regular...she talked
> about the show like it'd just started, and like it was an
> ongoing show.
>
> Today, she doesn't appear on WBEN's weekend schedule, at
> least as far as I can see.
>
> What happpened? Is my recollection correct? I was kind of
> on the fringe of the signal, so I may have some details
> wrong here...
>
> -OA
Yeah, OA, your recollection is correct. Kathy from Williamsville is on from 12noon to 2pm Saturday. I caught her for the first time last Saturday. It's sort of cool -- a listener to a call-in show getting hired as a host. I think she pulls it off. Kudos to my friends at WBEN for also adding Kevin Hardwick on Sunday mornings. For us political junkies, that's must listen to radio!
 
> Yeah, OA, your recollection is correct. Kathy from
> Williamsville is on from 12noon to 2pm Saturday. I caught
> her for the first time last Saturday. It's sort of cool --
> a listener to a call-in show getting hired as a host. I
> think she pulls it off. Kudos to my friends at WBEN for
> also adding Kevin Hardwick on Sunday mornings. For us
> political junkies, that's must listen to radio!
>
This is nothing new. Callers to talk shows have occasionally been auditioned and even gotten their own regular shows. The best known example is probably Lionel, who started out 15 years ago as a frequent car-phone caller to WFLA in Tampa (he was a prominent local attorney down there at the time). WFLA's PD Gabe Hobbs needed a weekend and fill-in guy, so on a whim, he decided to try him out to see if a good caller would make a good host. In Lionel's case, he did. He quickly caught on and became a fulltimer at WFLA, then got hired by WABC in New York and did very well there in drive time. He now has a nationally syndicated nighttime show, and carried by stations including WOR in NYC.

Is Kathy from Williamsville someone with the same kind of potential? Don't know; haven't heard her yet. If she is, WBEN should think seriously about recruiting her fulltime to replace the syndicated stuff they run at night. They need new blood and a local presence in the 7-10 PM hours. If she's not the ticket for the evening show, then someone else who's got knowledge of the town and the issues (or at least knows the difference between Joel Giambra and Jason Giambi) ought to be part of their night schedule. Dr. Laura's act has gotten VERY old. WABC, WLS, and WRKO all decided long ago that they'd had enough. I'd think by now, Entercom would be tired of the tuneout after Tom Puckett's newsblock ends..
 
Kathy From Williamsville, And About WBEN's 7-10 Slot

> Is Kathy from Williamsville someone with the same kind of
> potential? Don't know; haven't heard her yet. If she is,
> WBEN should think seriously about recruiting her fulltime to
> replace the syndicated stuff they run at night. They need
> new blood and a local presence in the 7-10 PM hours.

I don't know if she's ready for full-time work, from what I heard, but she was pretty good for a non-professional host. She at least had a better handle on the radio formatics than many of the weekend specialty show hosts that get put on talk radio.

BTW, WBEN's web schedule does not mention her, and also doesn't mention the Sunday morning political host brought up elsewhere on this thread. That's why I asked...

<a target="_blank" href=http://www.wben.com/onair/schedule.php>http://www.wben.com/onair/schedule.php</a>

> If
> she's not the ticket for the evening show, then someone else
> who's got knowledge of the town and the issues (or at least
> knows the difference between Joel Giambra and Jason Giambi)
> ought to be part of their night schedule. Dr. Laura's act
> has gotten VERY old. WABC, WLS, and WRKO all decided long
> ago that they'd had enough.

As I brought up on the News/Talk board, Dr. Laura's star continues to fall... after being on 50,000 watt Clear Channel talk WTAM here, she ended up on Akron's WHLO, and after THEY dumped her for Laura Ingraham (and later, Glenn Beck), she's now on 500 watt religious/talk station WCER/Canton as her only clearance in this immediate area. At this rate, she'll be on a travelers' information station on I-77...

If they aren't gonna go local in the 7-10 slot, could they pick up ABC's Sean Hannity for nights?

-OA<P ID="signature">______________
My NEW blog is at Ohio Media Watch - <a target="_blank" href=http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com>http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com</a></P>
 
Re: Kathy From Williamsville, And About WBEN's 7-10 Slot

> If they aren't gonna go local in the 7-10 slot, could they
> pick up ABC's Sean Hannity for nights?

Yeah, just what we need! Another conservative voice on the air.
 
Re: Kathy From Williamsville, And About WBEN's 7-10 Slot

> At this rate, she'll be on a travelers' information station
> on I-77...

...and drive listeners away from that as well. I suppose the only thing left is... "This concludes this test of the NOAA Weather Radio Alert system. Now go take on the day."
 
WBEN's 7-10 slot...

Hey, in a few months, we'll have a bunch of former county legislators who'll be looking for another part-time job, and 15 hours a week should seem about right to them.

They will be disappointed with the pay scale, however.

My vote goes to Chuck Swanick. Maybe he could invite Lynne Dixon on as his first guest.
 
Re: WBEN's 7-10 slot...

> Hey, in a few months, we'll have a bunch of former county
> legislators who'll be looking for another part-time job, and
> 15 hours a week should seem about right to them.
>
> They will be disappointed with the pay scale, however.
>
> My vote goes to Chuck Swanick. Maybe he could invite Lynne
> Dixon on as his first guest.
>
Now, Rox, that's "outside the box" thinking. I'D LISTEN!
 
Hannity's Not The Answer

>
> If they aren't gonna go local in the 7-10 slot, could they
> pick up ABC's Sean Hannity for nights?
>

There might not be any benefit to picking up Hannity, who can be heard live from 3-6 on WLVL, a 1kW AM in Lockport, NY. Not sure what his ratings look like. WLVL gets a good signal into northern Erie county.

I've read that stations are dropping Hannity because the numbers aren't all that good. Probably because his show is the same old GOP guano that gets spewed by Rush, who does a much better job of spewing.

WBEN would do better going live, local, even with a rookie at night. There are many experienced radio candidates who are well qualified to do talk radio.

Yet rookies and wannabees have a certain charm and they'd likely work cheap. A perfect fit.

If WBEN really wanted to create some excitement, they'd put progressive talker, Ed Schultz on at night. It would be a hard-left turn from what they normally program, but it would get attention.

Of course, Entercom Buffalo may have plans for Ed Schultz to be the centerpiece if they flip KB to progressive talk.

Now THAT would really raise some eyebrows!
 
Re: Hannity's Not The Answer

> I've read that stations are dropping Hannity because the
> numbers aren't all that good.

Where did you read that? I'd be interested in seeing it myself.
 
Re: Hannity's Not The Answer

> > I've read that stations are dropping Hannity because the
> > numbers aren't all that good.
>
> Where did you read that? I'd be interested in seeing it
> myself.

Heard second hand about the results of the latest RADAR tabulation of national network and syndication reach and that could be what he's referring to. Hannity is losing a little steam, even in his home market of New York City. He's not in any danger of cancellation, but he's not growing.

If experience down the road in Rochester is any guide, Hannity may not develop a substantial audience if he returns to Western NY. He never even registered in the Rochester book while he was on WROC-AM; his old day part is now filled by Ed Schultz, who is at least generating enough audience to show up in the book.
 
Re: Hannity's Not The Answer

>
> Heard second hand about the results of the latest RADAR
> tabulation of national network and syndication reach and
> that could be what he's referring to. Hannity is losing a
> little steam, even in his home market of New York City. He's
> not in any danger of cancellation, but he's not growing.
>
> If experience down the road in Rochester is any guide,
> Hannity may not develop a substantial audience if he returns
> to Western NY. He never even registered in the Rochester
> book while he was on WROC-AM; his old day part is now filled
> by Ed Schultz, who is at least generating enough audience to
> show up in the book.
>

That's it, Bob. Thanks.

Syracuse's 1390 also seems to have had enough and will dump Hannity when his contract expires. Also, thanks to a friend who read my post, I'm told Hannity's numbers on WLVL are around 100 AQH Persons, which is barely a blip on the screen, especially when compared to the encouraging AQH Persons drawn by Howard Simon's brief tenure on PM drive last Fall, just before joining WGR.
 
Re: Hannity's Not The Answer

> If experience down the road in Rochester is any guide,
> Hannity may not develop a substantial audience if he returns
> to Western NY. He never even registered in the Rochester
> book while he was on WROC-AM; his old day part is now filled
> by Ed Schultz, who is at least generating enough audience to
> show up in the book.
>

Unlike most markets where Limbaugh airs 12-3 (ET) and Hannity 3-6, when he was on WROC, he was against the tape delayed Limbaugh from 3-5. Schultz targets a different audience while Hannity and Limbaugh are after the same one. It will be interesting to see if Hannity, now aired from 11-1 on WHAM, can hang onto the massive Savage male 25-54 audience on WHAM from 11 to midnight. He stands a much better chance than Dr. Dean Edell. In a tight race with WBEE for No. 1, that could make a difference.
 
Re: Hannity's Not The Answer

>> Syracuse's 1390 also seems to have had enough and will dump
> Hannity when his contract expires.

Perhaps it's the other way around -- maybe WSYR is picking Hannity up. Buckley doesn't have the deep pockets of Clear Channel == perhaps it was asked for a fee to keep Hannity and didn't want to pay.
>
 
Re: Hannity's Not The Answer

Where are you getting your info?
 
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