This really makes me angry! I've heard Rush, Beck and Levin do it and I'm not listening to them any more. I'm talking about segueing into an ad for gold or cold medication or backup services as if it is part of the ongoing conversation. We are only getting about 35 minutes of programming during a hour anyway! How much more do they think we will stand for. I know, if I don't like it, turn it off. Well, that's what I'm doing and you should too!
-
Get involved.
We want your input!
Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.
After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.
After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/
Thanks in advance and have fun!
RadioDiscussions Administrators
Talkers Sneaking in Advertising between Commercial Breaks
- Thread starter johnsig
- Start date
That's been going on since Arthur Godfrey started it back in the 40's.
Since plenty of people tune out the spot breaks (and who can blame them when some breaks stretch to 6 minutes or more?), this is going to become more commonplace.
The above posters are right; it's nothing new. I don't mind it. I'd rather hear a real pro seamlessly weave a plug into the conversation than a guy screaming at me about the weekend sale at Bugscrew Chevrolet or whatever.
The above posters are right; it's nothing new. I don't mind it. I'd rather hear a real pro seamlessly weave a plug into the conversation than a guy screaming at me about the weekend sale at Bugscrew Chevrolet or whatever.
Advertisers are demanding integrated content. They want to feel as though they are part of the conversation and not an interruption. They know that this type messaging is much more friendly to the ears of the listeners. That is why you hear more studio with 'naming rights' and hotlines that are sponsored etc. these little things can make up significant revenue that is tough for the host to turn down.
Live reads are great, they're a traditional way of doing ads, sure.
But sometimes when I hear Rush doing one, there's no segue or flow to them. It's just like the conversation stops, then there's Rush reading a liner card. It doesn't sound any kind of natural, and may as well be in a stop break, because I'm tuning out for the next 30 seconds, plus the next six or seven minutes, because usually they seem to be crammed in at right at the end of a segment anyway.
I don't know how the other hosts might do it, because I only hear them on Rush these days.
But sometimes when I hear Rush doing one, there's no segue or flow to them. It's just like the conversation stops, then there's Rush reading a liner card. It doesn't sound any kind of natural, and may as well be in a stop break, because I'm tuning out for the next 30 seconds, plus the next six or seven minutes, because usually they seem to be crammed in at right at the end of a segment anyway.
I don't know how the other hosts might do it, because I only hear them on Rush these days.
I'm surprised no one has mentioned Paul Harvey. He'd go on with his news stories one page at a time with every other page being him hard selling whatever the product du jour was. Sometimes he'd start with a story involving him as a child leading to how his parents gave him Gold Bond powder or Ovaltine.
Glenn, Rush, Sean & others are following in the footsteps of the masters.
Glenn, Rush, Sean & others are following in the footsteps of the masters.
Its even more insidious with the Salem talkers, Bennet, Prager, Hewitt or Medved will have yet another exclusive guest from Hillsdale College or the conservative AARP group or the religious nuts that are always filing lawsuits against non religious folk.
Its so blatant, especially on Hewitt's show, its bad enough that he pre tapes so many shows and phones in the rest, but to give so much content to guests that just happen to advertise all the time...
One of the many reasons I listen to so much less talk radio...
Its so blatant, especially on Hewitt's show, its bad enough that he pre tapes so many shows and phones in the rest, but to give so much content to guests that just happen to advertise all the time...
One of the many reasons I listen to so much less talk radio...
ajc_trw said:I'm surprised no one has mentioned Paul Harvey. He'd go on with his news stories one page at a time with every other page being him hard selling whatever the product du jour was. Sometimes he'd start with a story involving him as a child leading to how his parents gave him Gold Bond powder or Ovaltine.
Glenn, Rush, Sean & others are following in the footsteps of the masters.
You beat me to it on mentining Paul Harvey.
It was easy to tell when he got to the advertising, his delivery timing made it pretty clear when he was reaching the
end of the page .
Even as much as I did not care for some of the products he promoted, I did appreciate his style and method of
delivering advertisements.
But I also very much liked the shouting US30 Dragstrip spots, too.
@Legend City: I will occasionally hear Rush, Hannity and even Levin shill for Hillsdale College, so much to the point that they have their own dedicated websites in conjunction with the university: http://www.[inserthost'slastnamehere]forhillsdale.com. :
@Quad: As AJC noted above, the major conservative talkers all do endorsements in the same pattern. Traditionally, these are called "live reads" - but if you're bringing them into the actual program, I'd call them "surreptitious spots".
@Signal: I think the big naming rights boon all started when the sports stadiums and arenas started selling themselves out...
@Quad: As AJC noted above, the major conservative talkers all do endorsements in the same pattern. Traditionally, these are called "live reads" - but if you're bringing them into the actual program, I'd call them "surreptitious spots".
@Signal: I think the big naming rights boon all started when the sports stadiums and arenas started selling themselves out...
DToTheJ said:@Legend City: I will occasionally hear Rush, Hannity and even Levin shill for Hillsdale College, so much to the point that they have their own dedicated websites in conjunction with the university: http://www.[inserthost'slastnamehere]forhillsdale.com. :
But if I'm not mistaken, they all all subdomains within Hillsdale's website that still connect to the same server. I'm actually surprised that this level of marketing hasn't caught on further.
KeithE4 said:
Godfrey would 'break' into the commercial with no warning, just like Paul Harvey later. Benny would usually work the commercial into whatever story was being told, either himself or through Don Wilson. Some of them actually turned out very funny and worth listening to - almost like an ad lib.
DToTheJ said:
I guess I don't view it as a selling themselves out. Either sports stadiums or talk hosts. In both cases it is about economics. With arena's it is supporting the team, paying for the arena in some cases etc. In the case of hosts it, sometimes, is about paying for those huge syndication contracts.
I see it as a great way to generate additional (sometimes pretty significant) income..."Live from ____ studio it's the fill in the blank show." For many shows that is the only mention...at the top and maybe bottom of the hours. I think listeners can handle that and advertisers love being able to be 'part' of the show. At that point the perceived relationship, from the advertisers perspective (and to a lesser extent the listener),is that they are closer to the host due to this.
Closer to the host = stronger endorsement. Stronger endorsement = stronger brand. Stronger brand = stronger sales.
It's all economics...
One local news/talker in Wilmington Delaware, WILM, a CC owned station does sell the studio name as an advertisement. The top and bottom of the hour id sounds something like: Coming from the Del One studios this is WILM Wilmington, etc, etc. Del One is a credit union here. I believe for a while it was the Winner auto group studios, and prior to that the DART first state studios. So they've been pretty successful selling the studio name for top and bottom of the hour plugs.
As far as Rush and the syndicated talkers segueing into a live spot while they are talking about Obama, etc, people need to remember Rush/Hannity/Beck, etc, etc, are not newscasts, they are political entertainers. Sort of like Jack Benny except political. Sweet baby James on Hannity, Snerdly on Rush, and Stew on Beck get to be Rochester or Don Wilson. One wouldn't expect to hear in the middle of a CBS radio newscast, or even a Fox radio newscast the anchor or reporter doing a news story and then then without taking a breath start talking about hemorrhoid medicine.
As far as Rush and the syndicated talkers segueing into a live spot while they are talking about Obama, etc, people need to remember Rush/Hannity/Beck, etc, etc, are not newscasts, they are political entertainers. Sort of like Jack Benny except political. Sweet baby James on Hannity, Snerdly on Rush, and Stew on Beck get to be Rochester or Don Wilson. One wouldn't expect to hear in the middle of a CBS radio newscast, or even a Fox radio newscast the anchor or reporter doing a news story and then then without taking a breath start talking about hemorrhoid medicine.
Another sponsor that gets stealthily plugged by the conservative talkers: The Heritage Foundation.
Yesterday (April 22), Rush started a segment by talking about the fact that it's Earth Day, and then he proceeded to start a sentence with, "Now, The Heritage Foundation..." That's when he lost me. That's business, I guess.
Even CC's sports radio stations are no stranger to this practice. The one in their own backyard of San Antonio's backyard, "Ticket 760", boasts how they broadcast "from the Bud Light studios."
Yesterday (April 22), Rush started a segment by talking about the fact that it's Earth Day, and then he proceeded to start a sentence with, "Now, The Heritage Foundation..." That's when he lost me. That's business, I guess.
Even CC's sports radio stations are no stranger to this practice. The one in their own backyard of San Antonio's backyard, "Ticket 760", boasts how they broadcast "from the Bud Light studios."
I forgot, that WILM has also sold the time of day to Del One. The news anchor used to say, WILM newsradio time is 10:15, now he says Del One time is 10:15.
Just about every CC station here sells studio naming rights, not just the news/talk/sports stations.
- Status