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Traficant show?

For those of you who haven't read the blog about this, a quick interjection here...

When we first wrote about this, I was doing a lot of "poo-poohing" of the idea. I figured it wouldn't happen, and that the Mahoning Valley had mostly moved on.

Boy, what a difference a little perspective makes!

I wrote that I "wouldn't bother" CC Youngstown boss Bill Kelly about it, and I didn't. I didn't write him.

HE wrote OMW, UNSOLICITED, and gave me permission to put the quotes I put up Wednesday. They are verbatim, copy-and-paste from his E-mail to us, except for one small fact...Mr. Kelly writes in all lower case, and I did the manual conversion to mixed case. :) The words themselves are unchanged.

I tuned in WKBN after today's Indians game, and they broke from the Indians network a little early (before post-game) to start the Ron Verb show live from the Canfield Fair.

It's obviously not scientific, and indeed, even a pre-selected sample, but the callers were all Traficant fans.

The callers - and for that matter, Ron Verb himself - ripped the Vindicator for today's "go retire quietly and shut up, Jim" editorial.

Well, I haven't read the thing, yet, but that's how it was characterized by both the host and callers. Ron told callers that the Vindicator thinks Traficant supporters (his callers, all of 'em in that hour) are "stupid" and "idiots".

Gee, I wonder if Jimbo will find a home there?

I'm not ready to bet the house on it yet, but I'm nudging towards the casino. At very least, Mr. Kelly, Mr. Verb, Mr. Rivers et al. are very happily riding along with the publicity and notoriety surrounding the ex-congressman's prison release.
 
I think you would find that the overwhelming vast majority of people in Youngstown - especially those over age 50 - are huge supporters of Trafficant. The fact that the majority of callers were supporters doesn't surprise me in the least, nor do I think it would have to be set up to be that way.
 
TenInARow said:
I think you would find that the overwhelming vast majority of people in Youngstown - especially those over age 50 - are huge supporters of Trafficant. The fact that the majority of callers were supporters doesn't surprise me in the least, nor do I think it would have to be set up to be that way.
Click to expand...

The Youngstown area is skewed heavily 50+, given the flight from the Mahoning Valley by many of its less-senior residents in recent years. That's not necessarily Jimbo's fault, but it's a fact. I left the area years ago in order to have an opportunity to keep my hand in the radio biz. C'est la vie.
As for Traficant, I never voted for the guy and have always found him to be a bit of a blowhard. I can understand the populist appeal, but the "folk hero" schtick is a little long in the tooth. The Valley desperately needs to move on and welcome some new blood.
Would Jim make for good radio? I don't doubt 'KBN could make some coin and ratings with such a show. He clearly has a devoted following and the rumblings of a talk outlet for the ex-congressman don't surprise me in the least. That being said, I'm clearly not in the demographic they're going for.

</soapbox mode>
 
TenInARow said:
I think you would find that the overwhelming vast majority of people in Youngstown - especially those over age 50 - are huge supporters of Trafficant. The fact that the majority of callers were supporters doesn't surprise me in the least, nor do I think it would have to be set up to be that way.
Click to expand...

Oh, no, I don't think it was set up that way. My "pre-selected sample" comment refers to what you say above...an older skewing market, an older skewing talk station, with pretty much every caller likely to be a supporter of the former congressman just by the nature of the venue and his history in the region.
 
Art Schlichter was filling in for John Corby on WTVN yesterday. If Art can get back on the radio, I don't see why Trafficant can't have a show.

BEAM ME UP SCOTTY!
 
OhioMediaWatch said:
Art was a (telephone) guest on Jim Rome's show the other day.
Click to expand...

And you were mentioning betting the house in an earlier reply :)
 
Heh! I don't think Art would take that bet now.

A reader E-mailed me a link to audio from 'KBN...apparently, Jimbo did an interview. I'll have to listen...
 
Well, he sure can't be twice put in jeopardy, and he already got nailed. At this point I think an illicit affair coming out somewhere for exercising free speech might be a non-starter.
 
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