I think the best bet for WRKO is go after two of the best talk show hosts in the business by wooing them from Top 10 markets. Put one on 5:30 to 10 and one from 3 to 7. Run the rest of the day inexpensively. Put all the $$$ into drive times. I'm sure easy said than done but, strategically, I believe, this should be there approach. Who are the big talk show host who might come here from S.F., Washington, Philly, etc?
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What WRKO Needs to Do
- Thread starter dhoule
- Start date
If you're talking about a national politics talker, they could woo someone from anywhere. The immigration issue is the immigration issue, no matter where the guy is from. Then they just have to decide whether it's a 'Let-em-all-in-and-turn-em-into-Liberal-voters' talker or a 'close-the-border' talker.
A local politics talker, like Howie, needs to be--in my view--home-grown. And that is tough. I don't mean yanking a TV guy and making a radio guy out of him. That's doomed to fail (see: Ted Wayman, et al). And it doesn't mean yanking a newspaper guy either. Both the TV news and the newspaper industries are dying; people in each business are looking for life preservers, and they probably see radio--and WRKO--as their welfare check. WRKO shouldn't pander to these wannabe radio people. So while a local talker is needed for either AM or PM, I'm not sure who that would or could be.
A local politics talker, like Howie, needs to be--in my view--home-grown. And that is tough. I don't mean yanking a TV guy and making a radio guy out of him. That's doomed to fail (see: Ted Wayman, et al). And it doesn't mean yanking a newspaper guy either. Both the TV news and the newspaper industries are dying; people in each business are looking for life preservers, and they probably see radio--and WRKO--as their welfare check. WRKO shouldn't pander to these wannabe radio people. So while a local talker is needed for either AM or PM, I'm not sure who that would or could be.
They are in a tough spot presently.
I would think that there will be a lot of changes there from the top on down in the coming months.
Although an opportunity it seems, will come for WRKO to try something new and exciting
What should happen and what Entercom will decide to do are, as with most format change decisions,
are mutually exclusive.
What WRKO should do is choose an angle that is Not used.
It would be nice to hear WRKO add Progressive talkers to their lineup
Boston a glut of Sports, and conservative talk all over the dial and in neighboring cities whose stations
can be heard in Boston metro
Despite their conservative talk of late, they have had a history at leat during the 80's and 90's of airing some
left leaning hosts, Including Stephanie Miller's prior syndicated show, and for a while, Alan Colmes.
I would think that there will be a lot of changes there from the top on down in the coming months.
Although an opportunity it seems, will come for WRKO to try something new and exciting
What should happen and what Entercom will decide to do are, as with most format change decisions,
are mutually exclusive.
What WRKO should do is choose an angle that is Not used.
It would be nice to hear WRKO add Progressive talkers to their lineup
Boston a glut of Sports, and conservative talk all over the dial and in neighboring cities whose stations
can be heard in Boston metro
Despite their conservative talk of late, they have had a history at leat during the 80's and 90's of airing some
left leaning hosts, Including Stephanie Miller's prior syndicated show, and for a while, Alan Colmes.
If you're talking about a national politics talker, they could woo someone from anywhere. The immigration issue is the immigration issue, no matter where the guy is from.
Well, no. I have a feeling that someone from San Antonio or Tucson may well have a different take on it than someone from, say, Minneapolis or Butte.
A local politics talker, like Howie, needs to be--in my view--home-grown.
You mean like David Brudnoy, Gene Burns, or Jerry Williams? Okay, if you say so. Curiously, the local host you seem to hate the most is the one with the deepest Boston roots.
And that is tough. I don't mean yanking a TV guy and making a radio guy out of him. That's doomed to fail (see: Ted Wayman, et al).
I assume the 'et al' includes John Dennis and Ted O'Brien.
And it doesn't mean yanking a newspaper guy either.
Yeah, newspaper guys like Howie Carr and Paul Sullivan, Callahan, Barnicle and Eagan just don't have the skills to make the transition to radio.
Both the TV news and the newspaper industries are dying; people in each business are looking for life preservers, and they probably see radio--and WRKO--as their welfare check.
Ahh...the famous Chris Conumdrum. You think a local talk host should be a 'home grown' guy with knowledge of the local political scene, but since you don't think the host should come from the political, television, or newspaper fields, where exactly are they going to get this experience? Insurance executive maybe, librarian, banker, social worker, fireman?
WRKO shouldn't pander to these wannabe radio people.
Offering a job is pandering? Who was pandering to you when you got your job?
I'm not sure who that would or could be.
Hard to disagree with that.
Regards,
TSB
Well, no. I have a feeling that someone from San Antonio or Tucson may well have a different take on it than someone from, say, Minneapolis or Butte.
A local politics talker, like Howie, needs to be--in my view--home-grown.
You mean like David Brudnoy, Gene Burns, or Jerry Williams? Okay, if you say so. Curiously, the local host you seem to hate the most is the one with the deepest Boston roots.
And that is tough. I don't mean yanking a TV guy and making a radio guy out of him. That's doomed to fail (see: Ted Wayman, et al).
I assume the 'et al' includes John Dennis and Ted O'Brien.
And it doesn't mean yanking a newspaper guy either.
Yeah, newspaper guys like Howie Carr and Paul Sullivan, Callahan, Barnicle and Eagan just don't have the skills to make the transition to radio.
Both the TV news and the newspaper industries are dying; people in each business are looking for life preservers, and they probably see radio--and WRKO--as their welfare check.
Ahh...the famous Chris Conumdrum. You think a local talk host should be a 'home grown' guy with knowledge of the local political scene, but since you don't think the host should come from the political, television, or newspaper fields, where exactly are they going to get this experience? Insurance executive maybe, librarian, banker, social worker, fireman?
WRKO shouldn't pander to these wannabe radio people.
Offering a job is pandering? Who was pandering to you when you got your job?
I'm not sure who that would or could be.
Hard to disagree with that.
Regards,
TSB
>>It would be nice to hear WRKO add Progressive talkers to their lineup
but do prog talk fans want a station run by the apparently inept (once "golden boy") Jason Wolfe?
newspaper people: Joe Sciacca of the Herald hasn't been too bad in fill ins.
but do prog talk fans want a station run by the apparently inept (once "golden boy") Jason Wolfe?
newspaper people: Joe Sciacca of the Herald hasn't been too bad in fill ins.
WRKO has it tough...
They've lost their way...Dan Griffin built a strong foundation there but due to years of mismanagement it's crumbled away. Now it will take time (and $$!) to rebuild it. They might have to demolish the station to do so properly-it's filled with bad habits now.
Drive times are the most crucial times, yet WRKO has managed to put their weakest talents (and I use that term loosely) in mornings and they just LOST their afternoon guy do to stupidity. This PD is incompetant and has to go. I don't know the GM there well, but she needs to hire someone that's GOOD as PD, THEN...keep her nose the hell out of his business (other then rubber stamping his requests).
I might actually consider hiring Dan Griffin out of retirement as a consultant-at least he knows good talent when he sees it.
Getting rid of the news department was a DUMB idea! I know that it was done for budgetary considerations, but as they say: "If you can't take the heat, stay out of the kitchen!" Talk is an expensive format to do, though the returns can more then offset those expenses. Talk can't be done successfully or well on the cheap. That's what WRKO is trying to do though, and you can see how well it works for them!
If the GM there doesn't have the spine to do it well, then WRKO should change format to oldies or big band or some other music format....or Spanish for that matter!
Let me tell you one more thing...WRKO's window of opportunity is getting smaller by the day! 1200 will probably be on this fall with their big signal, and for all the bad stuff you can say about Clear Channel, one thing that's true is they know how to program talk stations! It's very likely that WRKO will lose Rush to them.
They've lost their way...Dan Griffin built a strong foundation there but due to years of mismanagement it's crumbled away. Now it will take time (and $$!) to rebuild it. They might have to demolish the station to do so properly-it's filled with bad habits now.
Drive times are the most crucial times, yet WRKO has managed to put their weakest talents (and I use that term loosely) in mornings and they just LOST their afternoon guy do to stupidity. This PD is incompetant and has to go. I don't know the GM there well, but she needs to hire someone that's GOOD as PD, THEN...keep her nose the hell out of his business (other then rubber stamping his requests).
I might actually consider hiring Dan Griffin out of retirement as a consultant-at least he knows good talent when he sees it.
Getting rid of the news department was a DUMB idea! I know that it was done for budgetary considerations, but as they say: "If you can't take the heat, stay out of the kitchen!" Talk is an expensive format to do, though the returns can more then offset those expenses. Talk can't be done successfully or well on the cheap. That's what WRKO is trying to do though, and you can see how well it works for them!
If the GM there doesn't have the spine to do it well, then WRKO should change format to oldies or big band or some other music format....or Spanish for that matter!
Let me tell you one more thing...WRKO's window of opportunity is getting smaller by the day! 1200 will probably be on this fall with their big signal, and for all the bad stuff you can say about Clear Channel, one thing that's true is they know how to program talk stations! It's very likely that WRKO will lose Rush to them.
W
webcastboy
Guest
Tom Ashbrook is doing nicely over at WBUR...he came straight from the Globe.
Chris Lydon made the transition from WGBH-TV to WBUR and was an excellent host for several years.
It is true that it's easy to fall into a trap that just because someone is a good reporter, columnist or TV anchor...that they'll automatically make a good radio host. It's not automatically true, and there are often misconceptions that have to be corrected. "Re-training" if you will. Again I cite Ashbrook, who was pretty rough at first...even accounting for the emotional impact of Sept.11th...but has evolved into a good host doing a good show.
(Note: personally I don't like Ashbrook's style all that much...I feel he talks over his guests way too much...but I don't deny that he's become a talented and skilled host, and that overall On Point is a good show)
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