WBT no longer local at night.

[ncscradiogeek]

the 9 to midnight host at WBT just announced he will be leaving WBT on 3/31.
Replaced with tape delayed programming.

 

[charlestondxman]

Neil Boortz. Tweets from Pete Kaliner:

I was told that this was due to budget cuts at the station, and that paying a local host is too costly. WBT will be putting Neal Boortz (tape delayed) on in my place. Before Thursday's show I was informed that Greater Media was not renewing my contract. My last show will be March 31st.

 

[ncscradiogeek]

WBT did show class in not just throwing him out of the door.

 

[Mister N.]

Just what we need, more tape-delayed syndication.....ugh

 

[yugoidar]

Very sorry to hear.  Pete Kaliner is one of the few bright spots on the WBT schedule.  Certainly better than their afternoon host - she was a much better investigative reporter in the print media than she is as a drive-time radio host.

I will add that Kaliner seems to have been among the missing several evenings in the past few months.  I wonder it there's something going on there that we're not being told.

I wish Pete well, I think he can do better than 9-Midnight on WBT.

 

[wncc]

They're keeping Tera Servatius and showing Pete Kaliner the door ??? Honestly, I won't even turn to BT before 6:00 PM in the afternoon. Is Greater Media going to become the next Clear Channel? Firing the good hosts, and replacing it with syndication.

 

[radioguy39nj]

Strange move considering many talk stations are replacing some syndie talk with live and local. ???

 

[Mike Sheridan]

I miss the days when WBT was live and local 24/7 granted that was a long time ago (before 1985). Going by the overall ratings I'd say they have problems, I'm not sure how they can fix them.

I heard Neil Boortz on WSB awhile back ranting about how much he HATED Obama. He was totally off the rails, pure hate talk.

I always thought that Pete Kaliner would get a better time slot on WBT.

I'd like to see WBT go more news and less political talk.

 

[TheBigA]

I miss the days when WBT was live and local 24/7 granted that was a long time ago (before 1985). Going by the overall ratings I'd say they have problems, I'm not sure how they can fix them.

I think by this move they've decided they can't fix them. The only thing they can do is continue local programming where there are local sponsors.

I posted this in another group, but it was about WBT: Take a listen to the spots airing from 7 to midnight. How many are for local stores? How many are from networks. You can tell the difference because the network spots are usually for 1-800 numbers, GEICO, or drugs. If the majority of the money is coming from a network, then the local show is extraneous. They'd make the same money without it. Ultimately, it all gets back to the huge drop in advertising. That 20% a few years back translates to about 5 hours of local programming. That's 7 to midnight.

 

[Mike Sheridan]

I miss the days when WBT was live and local 24/7 granted that was a long time ago (before 1985). Going by the overall ratings I'd say they have problems, I'm not sure how they can fix them.

I think by this move they've decided they can't fix them. The only thing they can do is continue local programming where there are local sponsors.

I posted this in another group, but it was about WBT: Take a listen to the spots airing from 7 to midnight. How many are for local stores? How many are from networks. You can tell the difference because the network spots are usually for 1-800 numbers, GEICO, or drugs. If the majority of the money is coming from a network, then the local show is extraneous. They'd make the same money without it. Ultimately, it all gets back to the huge drop in advertising. That 20% a few years back translates to about 5 hours of local programming. That's 7 to midnight.

Very true! A good analysis.

 

[radioguy39nj]

While I do prefer live and local talk and don't like to see any station add syndication, do consider this. I looked at WBT's schedule and it's a 50-50 mix of local and network. In NYC, there are two 50 kW AM blaster talk stations, WOR and WABC. Between those two stations, there is less local programming than on WBT! The #1 market in the country has no station that talks to them!

Be happy that Charlotte has one station that talks to your market at least half the time! New York doesn't have that!

 

[Mike Walker]

I guess I'm really showing my age, but I seriously miss "Hello Henry". Wat a warm, friendly voice in the night.

 

[Mike Sheridan]

I guess I'm really showing my age, but I seriously miss "Hello Henry". Wat a warm, friendly voice in the night.

Me too, Henry was one of the last Southern Gentlemen on the radio. Whoever the guest was he always took an interest and asked some very good questions, he was smart and inquisitive. Henry was the favorite uncle who came to visit and just sat and talked he also listened to whatever you had to say. I always think of Henry when there's a full Moon. If you listened to him for very long, you know why.

He was as much fun off the air as on and a very nice man.

I should say there were some other prominent talk show hosts that reflected their cities and did some witty rather than whiny work. Some that I remember include:

John Otto WGR Buffalo off beat, smart, very educated, his humor would sneak up on you.
Eddie Schwartz WIND, WGN Chicago, Eddie was all about Chicago and fun. Whatever was going on in Chicago Eddie knew about it!
Joey Reynolds WOR New York, An ego as big as the big Apple, funny, warm and an unusual often funny way of looking at ordinary things. Where else could you hear "The Jewish Hour"?

There were others in Boston, Miami, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and elsewhere. They did more than beat the political drum every night. Listening to these people we learned lots of interesting things on a multitude of subjects, from the serious to the silly. If something political came up both sides were represented. As we know many times there isn't a clear cut correct answer to our complex problems.

 

[Mike Walker]

What I miss terribly is general conversation on the radio. Not politically charged talk of the "if you don't agree with me, you're a Kenyan born Communist Nazi"...but friendly neighbors who talked about...everything. H.A Thompson was one such person. Yeah, he played music...and nobody listened to "H" for the tunes! It was all about "what is that guy talking about today?"

I miss hosts who brought their community together, rather than scoring ratings by pulling it apart. But it takes something to do that type of radio that's in very short supply these days...talent.

 

[quadraphonic]

Tom Kearney on WPTF is about the closest to "Hello Henry" I can think of these days.
He has a topic of the night, but it's rarely anything close to political or hot-button.

 

[yugoidar]

Mike, I agree totally with your posts. While the price is right for WBT, the return of Jason Lewis is hardly something that I look forward to. I didn't give a rip about him when he was on afternoon drive.

I find it interesting that WBT couldn't afford to keep Pete Kaliner on board, but they now have doubled up, and sometimes triple up, on the number of people reporting within each traffic report. That's got to be costing them some more money. And basically, what they contribute to the traffic report is how long it should take you to travel from one point to another - rarely is that important, pressing information. It's window dressing at best!

 

[eacalhoun1]

I guess I'm really showing my age, but I seriously miss "Hello Henry". Wat a warm, friendly voice in the night.

More age-showing here...I miss Ty Boyd and H.A. Thompson back in the WBT music days. And fond memories of seeing them in the studios at Carowinds!

Eric

 

[Kent Dorsey]

Good point about H.A. Thompson - I enjoyed the music - there's some Anita Baker and Bonnie Raitt tunes that remind me of his last days on the air...
Still enjoy Jon Hancock...and am glad to hear him slip a tune in every now and then, Avett Brothers or others.
In the early 80's, I enjoyed Larry King on Mutual (listening on cue, that is...) but mostly Open Phone America from 3am to 5:30am... some the guests were good but mainly Open Phone America AFTER the guests left at 3am. His banter with newsman John Henrihan was great...

 

[Mike Sheridan]

Mike, I agree totally with your posts. While the price is right for WBT, the return of Jason Lewis is hardly something that I look forward to. I didn't give a rip about him when he was on afternoon drive.

I find it interesting that WBT couldn't afford to keep Pete Kaliner on board, but they now have doubled up, and sometimes triple up, on the number of people reporting within each traffic report. That's got to be costing them some more money. And basically, what they contribute to the traffic report is how long it should take you to travel from one point to another - rarely is that important, pressing information. It's window dressing at best!

Thanks for the note. I just call it as I see it, not everyone agrees and that's okay. I get clobbered by the guys who are into research, I tend to go with my gut instinct and what I think is interesting radio.

On the subject of the traffic reports. That is handled by a separate company so I don't know what the cost structure is. I have a feeling the guys don't make a lot of money compared to the service the provide. There is a lot of monitoring and watching that goes on behind the scenes. I have been to Roads Traffic, it's quite an interesting place.

Having said that, in my former commute, traffic reports didn't help much because the alternate routes were limited and took about as long was waiting through whatever tie up there was. Most times the accident is cleared quickly.

H.A. Thompson, now there is a nice guy. I'd hate to see him get angry because I've never seen him that way! Always up and positive, a real people person.

I always wanted to work out of the Carowinds studio but by the time I got to WBT only WBCY was doing it.

 

[vchimpanzee]

H.A Thompson was one such person. Yeah, he played music...and nobody listened to "H" for the tunes! It was all about "what is that guy talking about today?"

Not true, though I did like H.A. Thompson as a DJ.

Hello Henry was also mentioned. He substituted about ten years ago on Mix 106 when they had a local afternoon drive time DJ. It was nice to hear him again. I asked if they'd be able to get H.A., but he wasn't interested.