There’s a lot that can be read between the lines between Cumulus and Sean Hannity & Rush Limbaugh. In the end what it does is it puts Cumulus in an interesting dilemma in NYC, which is how to replace the sometimes conservative, sometimes libertarian, rarely controversial and always anti-Obama Hannity and the godfather of conservative talk radio, Mr. Limbaugh when it appears both will move across town to WOR.
First, you have a Cumulus property like Mike Huckabee. You could put him in middays against Rush. The problem is you can also stick a fork in your ratings since his show isn’t close to the ratings success either Limbaugh or Hannity once was and is a defibrillation machine away from life support. If he can’t beat Rush now in small markets, do you think he has a prayer in NYC?
You also have Michael Savage, who has been telling anyone who’d listen the slot is his and his alone. The problem, you’d be placing a 70-something in a slot you’d like to make younger and not a step closer to classic 95-104 age demographic. Savage is not only not the answer, he’s going to anger every local salesperson who realize they will have a better chance to sell snow to eskimos than sell this show. The problem radio salespeople have faced in many markets is that it is tough to sell some syndicated shows (ask Merlin Media in Philadelphia, Cumulus in Los Angeles and Clear Channel in some markets – remember Boston’s “Rush Radio?).
For a station like WABC, the monies paid to someone national like Hannity could go to bring in a local host who can discuss local issues. While this may be a non-starter for some Cumulus syndication brass, for a station like WABC it may be the difference between winning and losing their ratings battle with WOR as well as taking their aging cume and turning it a bit younger.
And it’s not just Hannity’s departure. Talk icon Don Imus isn’t getting younger, and he too may have to leave one day soon. And while Rush is also getting older, he is also a Premiere property and another hard sell (see Sandra Fluke). Could WABC in all seriousness place talk hosts in their mid-70’s in drive-time and expect them to relate to listeners who could be the ages of their great or great-grandchildren?
WABC would be wise to consider local, non-conservative talent who can talk New York, knows New York and can become a face for their talk franchise. The future of talk was once staunch, hardcore conservatives. However that future is now in the past. If WABC wants to get younger, they have to appeal to non-white, non-straight, non-Republican listeners. They have some good pieces in place, such as their young-sounding newsman/talk host Noam Laden. Other elements such as Scott Salotto and Collin McShane from the Imus show in the newsroom, and household names Bill Evans weather and Jeff McKay traffic are all good building blocks for their news end. But neither of these voices has been known to do talk, so someone outside of the mainstream will be needed. Maybe Bernard McGuirk or maybe even McShane from in-house? Maybe a surprise from out of the house? It’s time for WABC to get creative, because a Cumulus-mandated syndicated host will not be the answer if they want to remain a talk station. Happily jettison Hannity and Limbaugh. Get younger and New York sounding. Less Obamacare – more mayor’s race and what New Yorkers want to discuss. Could 6 hours of local programming change the talk landscape in NYC? Who knows, what some consultants call “Live and Local” might even help ratings and sales.
First, you have a Cumulus property like Mike Huckabee. You could put him in middays against Rush. The problem is you can also stick a fork in your ratings since his show isn’t close to the ratings success either Limbaugh or Hannity once was and is a defibrillation machine away from life support. If he can’t beat Rush now in small markets, do you think he has a prayer in NYC?
You also have Michael Savage, who has been telling anyone who’d listen the slot is his and his alone. The problem, you’d be placing a 70-something in a slot you’d like to make younger and not a step closer to classic 95-104 age demographic. Savage is not only not the answer, he’s going to anger every local salesperson who realize they will have a better chance to sell snow to eskimos than sell this show. The problem radio salespeople have faced in many markets is that it is tough to sell some syndicated shows (ask Merlin Media in Philadelphia, Cumulus in Los Angeles and Clear Channel in some markets – remember Boston’s “Rush Radio?).
For a station like WABC, the monies paid to someone national like Hannity could go to bring in a local host who can discuss local issues. While this may be a non-starter for some Cumulus syndication brass, for a station like WABC it may be the difference between winning and losing their ratings battle with WOR as well as taking their aging cume and turning it a bit younger.
And it’s not just Hannity’s departure. Talk icon Don Imus isn’t getting younger, and he too may have to leave one day soon. And while Rush is also getting older, he is also a Premiere property and another hard sell (see Sandra Fluke). Could WABC in all seriousness place talk hosts in their mid-70’s in drive-time and expect them to relate to listeners who could be the ages of their great or great-grandchildren?
WABC would be wise to consider local, non-conservative talent who can talk New York, knows New York and can become a face for their talk franchise. The future of talk was once staunch, hardcore conservatives. However that future is now in the past. If WABC wants to get younger, they have to appeal to non-white, non-straight, non-Republican listeners. They have some good pieces in place, such as their young-sounding newsman/talk host Noam Laden. Other elements such as Scott Salotto and Collin McShane from the Imus show in the newsroom, and household names Bill Evans weather and Jeff McKay traffic are all good building blocks for their news end. But neither of these voices has been known to do talk, so someone outside of the mainstream will be needed. Maybe Bernard McGuirk or maybe even McShane from in-house? Maybe a surprise from out of the house? It’s time for WABC to get creative, because a Cumulus-mandated syndicated host will not be the answer if they want to remain a talk station. Happily jettison Hannity and Limbaugh. Get younger and New York sounding. Less Obamacare – more mayor’s race and what New Yorkers want to discuss. Could 6 hours of local programming change the talk landscape in NYC? Who knows, what some consultants call “Live and Local” might even help ratings and sales.
