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What is Cumulus doing?

R

RadioTalker101

They run talk radio stations but they can't stop criticizing them.

If they have such an issue, exercise your outs on contracts and get out of that business.

Now, the worst talk radio hire since They hired Mike Huckabee, Geraldo Rivera is quoted as saying, as quoted by RadioInk:

He also took direct aim at Conservative radio. "Talk radio and cable crushed comprehensive immigration reform. They slandered an entire population of people." Geraldo was the opening keynote speaker at the Radio Ink Hispanic Radio Conference
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So spend money on our stations?
 
I think this thread is going to develop into a story from my childhood... the one about the Emporer and his clothes (or lack there-of). News/Talk is caught in a real bind right now. On the one hand, it is good business to be loyal to whatever is the current mainstream. On the other hand, if Talk Radio folks can't say it out loud... who is supposed to help Conservatives in America to understand that their core base is aging and dying, while they continue demonizing people who could join their fold... whether now or some future date.

If a guy with a name like Gerald Rivera can't be allowed to understand the situation... who can? (Hint: Geraldo Rivera, like Gomez and Garcia does not sound very German or Dutch or Irish to me.)
 
As I said in the other thread, I don't see what you're talking about. The issue Dickey had was the loss of revenues in talk dragging down the growth in other areas. He owns some very big and expensive talk stations inherited from the ABC and Citadel mergers. In some markets, he's replaced talk with all local news. That's what he did at KGO in San Francisco. In DC he is simulcasting AM conservative talk on an FM station. In New York, he's 100% syndication. So he's trying out different things in different markets.

So now Geraldo complains about talk radio hurting immigration reform. What's the big surprise there? Does everyone in talk radio have to march to the exact same drum? I think there's room for a lot of opinions, and maybe it's time someone has the courage to speak out.
 
Dickey's problems in San Fran are of his own making, much like his other talk radio problem. Revenue and ratings way down in San Fran, more so than a normal election year drop off. They also created a huge ratings and revenue hole on their statins from 9-noon and that will grow to 3pm EST if they get dumped by Rush, the solution will be dump their morning shows.

Whoever told you Dickey's other formats are outperforming his talk outlets is lying. Music radio is hardly beating out it's talk outlets, there are just more of them.
 
RadioTalker101 said:
Dickey's problems in San Fran are of his own making,
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Read the history. The problems in San Fran were inherited from ABC. They had an expensive local talk format, and it began losing money in 2007. That's when Citadel fired their GM. Then Citadel goes bankrupt, and Cumulus buys the stations. They realized local talk was dead there. Switched to news. They appear to have controlled the bleeding there.

RadioTalker101 said:
Whoever told you Dickey's other formats are outperforming his talk outlets is lying. Music radio is hardly beating out it's talk outlets, there are just more of them.
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You can read his SEC filing on the web. That will show all the P&L. Dickey did a conference call with banks and media last week, and he discussed the numbers with them. It's been covered extensively in AllAccess, Radio-Info, or other trade sites. Or you can look at the ratings and tell me where Cumulus talk stations are beating their music stations.
 
You are not listening.

If they have 5+ stations in a market, only one is talk. That stick is not sinking the ship, this is an industry wife problem people want to blame on one format, Dickey included, because it's an easy scapegoat.
 
RadioTalker101 said:
You are not listening.

If they have 5+ stations in a market, only one is talk. That stick is not sinking the ship, this is an industry wife problem people want to blame on one format, Dickey included, because it's an easy scapegoat.
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Dickey has not said talk is sinking the ship. He has clearly said it's underperforming. And he's not alone in that view. Premiere, who syndicates Rush, say they lost money last year, and was one of the two red spots in their company, the other being traffic.

All of this has been covered extensively in the radio press. Just read it, and you'll see.
 
umfan said:
If KGOs format was 'dead' why did the ratings fall like a rock when replaced?
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They were falling before the change.

But the new format, even with lower ratings, is making more money that the previous format.
 
So they exchanged a gradual fall, where they were #1 or close to it for an immediate plunge?

They made a horrible decision and it adversely impacted their business. It's obvious.

A better approach would've been to explain the realities to their local talkers, open the books if need be, get better deals with those willing to deal and insert syndicated programming in slots where they could not.

It would've been better than the approach taken.
 
I can only speak from my own experience, but every station I've worked at that carried Rush had no trouble selling what little local time his show offers. In turn that money allowed local shows to be on the air. Without Rush, I am pretty sure I wouldn't be able to come in every morning and talk to the mayor and police chief.
 
All Cumulus is doing is explaining why their earnings are not as high as expected. This is not the same as a "loss," but it does affect the stock price and the company's operations. It surely does not justify WABC abandoning the talk format entirely -- yet.

Take a moment and breathe.
 
RadioTalker101 said:
How do I know? Common sense. Knowledge of the industry. Grasp on reality.
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That's not facts. You say Premiere lost money because of other non-talk programming, not Rush. Prove it.
 
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