Wall St Journal radio network gone at end of year

[raccoonradio]

http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowl...journal-and-wall-street-journal-radio_b232501

 

[TheBigA]

If a tree falls in an empty forest....

 

[Avid Listener]

Considering the fact that the board management moved the first thread in News/Talk about this news to Radio Spider, I didn't think it wise to waste time commenting on the second thread about the same topic. I assumed this one was also destined to be moved the way the first one was.

 

[Ravens]

The usual suspects are blaming Rush for it. It's as bad as Bush/Obama/Palin Derangement Syndrome with these radio consultant types. They get paid by failing stations to tell the failing stations what they're doing is A-OK.

 

[umfan]

Does WSJ This Morning fall under that umbrella?

I believe it does, so this creates a hole for a lot of independent stations. The one that carries the Dow Jones updates also has Lou Dobbs for that, but for a morning news magazine, some stations may start clearing America In the Morning as an alternative.

WSJ This Morning is a good program. I'll miss it.

 

[TheBigA]

The story says that WSJ is leaving terrestrial radio. That should mean all products branded WSJ.

 

[FredLeonard]

The usual suspects are blaming Rush for it. It's as bad as Bush/Obama/Palin Derangement Syndrome with these radio consultant types. They get paid by failing stations to tell the failing stations what they're doing is A-OK.

That's a lie. Even worse, a dumb lie. I Googled this and nobody mentions Rush in connection with this. If you have a link where some credible source does, post it.

It's a lie that makes no sense. Dow Jones is part of News Corp, owned and operated by Rupert Murdoch. Why would Rush oppose a Murdoch operation? Why should Rush, a midday host, care about a show which airs before Morning Drive? Or quickie business news updates in other dayparts?

NPR recently cancelled their business news segments. And they have an audience more likely to be interested in financial and investment news than right-wing talk stations with audiences skewing working class. There is limited demand for radio business news apparently among listeners and more importantly among advertisers. A few stations tried all biz all the time and ended up either flipping or running infomercials passed off as business news. Looks like APM Marketplace has business news on radio to itself.

And consultants get paid for telling stations what they tell their other clients - demonstrating the classic definition of insanity.

 

[Ravens]

That's a lie. Even worse, a dumb lie. I Googled this and nobody mentions Rush in connection with this. If you have a link where some credible source does, post it.

Good lord. You're hopeless.

http://www.talkers.com/

Look at the Wed. Nov. 12 news.

WSJ Radio Demise a Repercussion from Anti-Limbaugh Campaign? The above story about the end of the Wall Street Journal’s radio products is bringing some strong reactions from within the news/talk radio industry. Former WTOP, Washington vice president of news and programming and current principal of Florida-based News Doctor, Inc, Jim Farley, suggests people are missing the connection with this story. He says, “Since the high-powered leftie campaign against Rush Limbaugh advertisers after the Sandra Fluke controversy, spoken-word brands as benign as AccuWeather and Charles Osgood have been on ‘Do Not Buy’ lists from ad agencies. The announced shutdown today of Wall Street Journal and Marketwatchfarleyjim Radio makes them collateral damage in this chilling war on the First Amendment which is crippling non-controversial, fair and accurate radio news and information outlets.” TALKERS publisher Michael Harrison reacted quickly to Farley’s comments as well as other buzz generated around the industry per the alleged Limbaugh connection to the demise of WSJ Radio stating, “With all due respect to Jim – a past recipient of the TALKERS Freedom of Speech Award – industry observers and the trade press have been connecting these dots for quite some time now. Consultant Holland Cooke even ran a big headline in his harrisonmichaelBHmicnewsletter distributed at our conference in June proclaiming, ‘THE BOYCOTT WENT TOO FAR.’ The problem is nobody seems to know what to do about it or has the clout to do anything about it….or worse, wants to do anything about it. This whole issue is wrought with a social disease common in political circles left and right – namely hypocrisy… the pursuit of victory at the cost of truth… and it is proving extremely detrimental to one of America’s most vibrant platforms of public policy conversation. Perhaps the folks at the NAB and the RAB (and even Media Matters) – if they really care about free speech and fairness, not to mention the beleaguered radio industry as a whole — should mount a unilateral campaign to educate the advertising community that has been unjustly persecuting the ‘innocent’ in its broad-brush blitzkrieg against political controversy. Perhaps the rest of us (meaning anyone even loosely associated with talk radio) should be more vigorously defending Rush instead of conveniently making him the scapegoat for our mounting economic woes, because looking at the big picture – it would be the right thing to do. This whole thing stinks and we are all to blame.”

Awaiting your apology.

 

[FredLeonard]

Awaiting your apology.

Since, I haven't seen any apologies from you for some of your insults in threads I hadn't even participated in, I don't think you are entitled to one now, especially since your original comment was so poorly and misleadingly worded.

The blame, in the article to which you belatedly provided a link (thank you) places "the blame" on advertisers bailing out on right-wing talk radio. This has been a long term process (not just after Sandra Fluke). Possibly some people in the biz would rather blame fear of controversy instead of the undesirable audience demographics and shrinking audience numbers. Talk radio is dying for much the same reasons as Standards and Oldies formats (and they were not at all controversial).

And controversy is more an excuse than a reason. Howard was controversial. The FCC and the religious right may have hated him but lots of advertisers loved the guy and kept (to use Paul Harvey's phrase) putting their money where his mouth was.

 

[Ravens]

Didn't think you'd do the right thing.

From now on, perhaps you'll get the point that unlike you, I don't just make this stuff up. I didn't want to single out this Farley guy, but there it is.

Now go contemplate why no one takes you seriously. Instead of calling people liars, think that perhaps they know more about this than you do.

At least read Talkers. You might learn something.

 

[NewsStud]

...this Farley guy.

This "Farley Guy" is perhaps the nation's most enduring and successful news and spoken word broadcasting executive. I'd take what he has to say to heart.

And I didn't read it as Farley, himself, blaming Rush for anything. Only that fallout from the "Rush Fluke" was far-reaching; that even companies to which radio station's outsource certain service-based programing were feeling heat while normally they are disconnected from such situations.

 

[TheBigA]

Talkers appears to be inventing a story here. Their headline is a question. It's not a statement.

 

[Ravens]

This "Farley Guy" is perhaps the nation's most enduring and successful news and spoken word broadcasting executive. I'd take what he has to say to heart.

And I didn't read it as Farley, himself, blaming Rush for anything. Only that fallout from the "Rush Fluke" was far-reaching; that even companies to which radio station's outsource certain service-based programing were feeling heat while normally they are disconnected from such situations.

It happened more than two years ago. Constantly bringing it up is derangement territory. I know who he is, but he's dead wrong to say that something Rush said years ago is responsible for WSJ Radio going under.

 

[Ravens]

Talkers appears to be inventing a story here. Their headline is a question. It's not a statement.

I do like the suggestion that hosts stop being so petty and start standing up for one another. We need more of that in this business. Instead of eating our own, we need to work together.

 

[TheBigA]

It happened more than two years ago.

That may be, but the "Do Not Buy" order stands and I still see it on every order coming in.

Having said that, I have no reason to believe that's the reason why WSJ is discontinuing this service.

 

[NewsStud]

It happened more than two years ago. Constantly bringing it up is derangement territory. I know who he is, but he's dead wrong to say that something Rush said years ago is responsible for WSJ Radio going under.

Two years is not as far long ago as you think.

If we are to blame Rush for a downturn in advertising that gave any of these companies a bad quarter, they still might not have recovered. Those advertisers may still be gun-shy. And that may have caused rates to have been slashed in hopes of luring them back, or luring new ones in in an otherwise unproductive economy.

I'm not of the mindset of blaming Rush for a constant slew of problems, but advertising revenues have been down for years (moreso a demos issue than anything else) and the Fluke issue made it worse, even if temporarily. The problem didn't hit Rush so much as it hit the affiliates, who found advertisers who once paid top-dollar for the in-program local avails or the adjacencies running for the hills.

Less revenue overall (caused either by Rush or the general downturn in advertising due to demos and the economy) lead in turn to operators looking to pay even less for outsourced services like traffic, weather and business reports. The move to bring such efforts in house was already underway; Cumulus already started their own traffic service and Clear Channel had gobbled up what was left of Metro Networks. If Dow Jones couldn't convince client station operators to pay enough money for the services (that is, to pay enough for Dow Jones to pay its people and make a profit), then it makes sense they would have ended their radio programming.

 

[radiophiler]

So, if you're an all-news station, primarily all-news station, or even a news/talk station with news-like blocks in morning and/or afternoon drive, what alternatives are there to Wall Street Journal Report, Dow Jones Report, and Marketwatch, all of which will be discontinued after Dec. 31? Bloomberg? Does CNBC have anything for radio? Fox Business?

Example of a station that will be looking for something: KYW Newsradio in Philadelphia airs Marketwatch in AM at :25 and :55 through 8:25 a.m. At 8:55, they have a KYW staffer take over the business reports during the day.

 

[frankberry]

Seems that the alternative would be to hire someone to collect the information and deliver the reports rather than depending on WSJ to do the job for you.

 

[FredLeonard]

Seems that the alternative would be to hire someone to collect the information and deliver the reports rather than depending on WSJ to do the job for you.

Very true. Everything in the WSJ reports is on the AP wire. All you have to do is print and read.

Then again, I never could see why stations pay for the Accuweather "brand" and having some guy in State College, PA read a local forecast you can get from NOAA for free. If you want a different voice, all you had to do was call the nearest weather station and they'll read it to you over the phone - also for free.

 

[Ravens]

That may be, but the "Do Not Buy" order stands and I still see it on every order coming in.

Having said that, I have no reason to believe that's the reason why WSJ is discontinuing this service.

Two years is not as far long ago as you think.

If we are to blame Rush for a downturn in advertising that gave any of these companies a bad quarter, they still might not have recovered. Those advertisers may still be gun-shy. And that may have caused rates to have been slashed in hopes of luring them back, or luring new ones in in an otherwise unproductive economy.

I'm not of the mindset of blaming Rush for a constant slew of problems, but advertising revenues have been down for years (moreso a demos issue than anything else) and the Fluke issue made it worse, even if temporarily. The problem didn't hit Rush so much as it hit the affiliates, who found advertisers who once paid top-dollar for the in-program local avails or the adjacencies running for the hills.

Less revenue overall (caused either by Rush or the general downturn in advertising due to demos and the economy) lead in turn to operators looking to pay even less for outsourced services like traffic, weather and business reports. The move to bring such efforts in house was already underway; Cumulus already started their own traffic service and Clear Channel had gobbled up what was left of Metro Networks. If Dow Jones couldn't convince client station operators to pay enough money for the services (that is, to pay enough for Dow Jones to pay its people and make a profit), then it makes sense they would have ended their radio programming.

I think that's the point Talkers was trying to make. Revenues are down, and blaming one guy all the time (even if he is the biggest name) is self defeating. The more we sit around and point fingers at Rush, the less we look at ourselves and try to improve what we ourselves do.