WFOM is now billing themselves as "Atlanta's ONLY all conservative news & talk station".
Is this real?
Is this real?
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What's this? Xtra106.3?
- Thread starter Doctor_Technical
- Start date
Apparently they are picking up Zombie Rush and Glenn Beck. WSB dropped Re-Rush and Beck hasn't been on the air in ATL since WGST flipped to WBIN.
I knew some class C/D AM would pick up the post mortem Rush when WSB dropped it.
Not to get political, but Erick Erickson elicits mixed opinions on the Right. My guess is that he picks up some non-Rush listeners while losing some Rush listeners who might go for Rush's Greatest Hits.
Sounds like we may have a second-tier talk battle among WGKA 920, WMLB 1690, and Dickey's WFOM 1230/106.3. IIRC 920 is also on a Fish HD subchannel.
I wonder if WFOM would add the Kimmer if the talk format get traction...from what I gather he was the only bright spot on 106.7 and the short-lived WTZA 1010.
They tweeted out an interview with Brian Kemp conducted by Mark Zinno, who they previously let go back in Fall. I guess they rehired him.
Nice to see programming voids in the market being filled. I'm sure the ratings will reflect the pent up demand for this format in Atlanta...
/sarc
/sarc
https://news.****************/artic...uts-as-Atlantas-Most-Conservative-News-Talker
Its a Fox News Radio affiliate according to the schedule
1230 WFOM is 1,000 watts with a 250 watt FM translator at 106.3. Fox News on the hour.
6-9 am -- Fox Across America with Jimmy Failla (Fox News Radio)
9-Noon -- Glenn Beck (iHeart/Premiere)
Noon-3pm -- Best of Rush (iHeart/Premiere)
3-6pm -- Guy Benson (Not sure of syndicator, is it Fox?)
6-9pm -- Buck Sexton (iHeart/Premiere)
9pm-12am -- Best of Rush repeat
12am - 6am -- Coast to Coast AM with George Noory (iHeart/Premiere) I suppose the station will carry at midnight Noory's last hour from the previous night. Then the real show begins at 1 a.m. And the first C2C hour is repeated at 5 am, unless this schedule is not accurate.
Meanwhile, 1690 WMLB (10kw days, 1kw nights) is also running conservative talk, with some Cumulus/Westwood One shows like Mark Levin and Red Eye Radio. CBS News on the hour.
Salem-owned WGKA 920 (14 kw days, 490 watts nights) runs the Salem Radio line up with Townhall News on the hour.
And WSB / WSBB carries one syndicated show, Sean Hannity, every weekday evening.
6-9 am -- Fox Across America with Jimmy Failla (Fox News Radio)
9-Noon -- Glenn Beck (iHeart/Premiere)
Noon-3pm -- Best of Rush (iHeart/Premiere)
3-6pm -- Guy Benson (Not sure of syndicator, is it Fox?)
6-9pm -- Buck Sexton (iHeart/Premiere)
9pm-12am -- Best of Rush repeat
12am - 6am -- Coast to Coast AM with George Noory (iHeart/Premiere) I suppose the station will carry at midnight Noory's last hour from the previous night. Then the real show begins at 1 a.m. And the first C2C hour is repeated at 5 am, unless this schedule is not accurate.
Meanwhile, 1690 WMLB (10kw days, 1kw nights) is also running conservative talk, with some Cumulus/Westwood One shows like Mark Levin and Red Eye Radio. CBS News on the hour.
Salem-owned WGKA 920 (14 kw days, 490 watts nights) runs the Salem Radio line up with Townhall News on the hour.
And WSB / WSBB carries one syndicated show, Sean Hannity, every weekday evening.
BIGSTICK says we definitely do not need this crap anymore.
I find many critics are not listeners because they don't care for the content. In reality, because they don't listen, they judge content from what others say. Seldom do people listen to what they don't like. So, my question is are you making this statement from being a listener? If so, why would you listen to something you seem to dislike? If the statement comes from the stereotype of conservative talk radio then would it be fair to say the statement may not be so accurate? I'm not trying to pick a fight with you but just sharing my observations in general...stereotyping your comment to the usual scenario
I find many critics are not listeners because they don't care for the content. In reality, because they don't listen, they judge content from what others say. Seldom do people listen to what they don't like. So, my question is are you making this statement from being a listener? If so, why would you listen to something you seem to dislike? If the statement comes from the stereotype of conservative talk radio then would it be fair to say the statement may not be so accurate? I'm not trying to pick a fight with you but just sharing my observations in general...stereotyping your comment to the usual scenario
I will disclaim that I hate talk radio, and I hate it regardless of viewpoint. I will occasionally listen to news or sports talk if something serious or important happens, but I very rarely ever listen.
I will, however, also say that I tend to agree more with BIGSTICK on this one, and the numbers would seem to back him up. How many non sports talkers not named WSB and not affiliated with NPR amount to a of hill of beans in the ratings? Apparently, it's cheap enough to operate and/or sells well enough that people can, or think they can, make money off of it. People, however, aren't listening. It wouldn't seem to be just an Atlanta problem either.
I understand broadcasting is about profit, and the advertisers, not the listeners, are the stations' customers. You can survive with a tiny but loyal niche if advertisers will pay a premium, and you could have every teenager or senior in metro Atlanta listening and lose everything. I get it. I understand that. There doesn't, however, seem to be any sort of pent-up demand from an audience standpoint for more politically oriented talk. I know nobody has to listen if they don't like it, and, judging from the ratings, they aren't. How thinly can you keep slicing that pie?
Both the AM and FM translator are in an Atlanta exurb, Marietta GA. The 60 dBu contour of the FM translator barely makes into the NW corner of Atlanta. This outlet isn't going to be much more than a quick flash and burn.
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Some ideas:
1) WSB has been changing their schedule. There is an opportunity there that another station could pick up, particularly for people who don't like Von Haessler or more particularly Erickson or Arum. WSB's ratings fell over a whole point in 6+ in the last book, so people may be starting to wander post-Rush.
2) Salem and Premiere and WW1 need someone to clear their syndicated shows in Market #7.
3) How much listening is being done online, versus a 1000W class C AM + a 250W FM translator, or a 10,000W/1000W class B x-band AM?
4) WGKA has worked their way up to a 1 share since the demise of WGST. They are the #4 AM in town, and #1 among those without an analog FM signal.
5) What else are you going to put on a non-class-A AM? The alternatives would be to flip it to an ethnic or religious broadcaster (and they're not exactly doing gangbusters on AM these days either, either in terms of share or buyers of AM signals), or send the license back to the FCC.
6) Dickey can co-market it with WCNN and WIFN. Maybe if you buy spots on 680 you can get some for cheap or free on WFOM.
I grant your point about coverage, but I wouldn't call Marietta an "exurb".
I agree with the above however I would contend if there was enough demand for something different, the chances are good it would be tried. It seems to me someone decided the market where almost everything is being done, someone has hedged their bet on a cheaply run station where they don't need much of the pie to survive. They have as good of a chance to carve out a niche as anyone else but if I were to speculate, they will likely 'exist' and possibly support a computer in a closet. There will come a day sooner or later, where this will not work for them but the objective is to make it work as long as they can make it work.
I know from managing an AM in a major market the art is to make enough to turn a profit but to not appear successful enough to be on the radar of every other hungry station on the dial that thinks you have enough of the pie to attempt to steal it away. And trust me, there's lots of 'hungry' stations out there ready to abandon ship and try to monetize what your station has already established. That's not what many not in radio like to hear but it is a reality of running a dial challenged and coverage challenged station. I tried to explain that to folks that tried to get my station to go oldies. If we made the cash we needed to cover the debt of a start up and ongoing expenses, then somebody with a better signal would try to do it better likely before we ever got to the point of paying off even a fraction of the start-up costs which can easily eclipse $1 million inside the first year. Building awareness in a major market ain't cheap. Selling in a major market, especially early on, is primarily selling mom and pop businesses where it is highly likely you won't have enough listeners within their primary trade area to produce the results to get them to renew.
I know from managing an AM in a major market the art is to make enough to turn a profit but to not appear successful enough to be on the radar of every other hungry station on the dial that thinks you have enough of the pie to attempt to steal it away. And trust me, there's lots of 'hungry' stations out there ready to abandon ship and try to monetize what your station has already established. That's not what many not in radio like to hear but it is a reality of running a dial challenged and coverage challenged station. I tried to explain that to folks that tried to get my station to go oldies. If we made the cash we needed to cover the debt of a start up and ongoing expenses, then somebody with a better signal would try to do it better likely before we ever got to the point of paying off even a fraction of the start-up costs which can easily eclipse $1 million inside the first year. Building awareness in a major market ain't cheap. Selling in a major market, especially early on, is primarily selling mom and pop businesses where it is highly likely you won't have enough listeners within their primary trade area to produce the results to get them to renew.
I also don't like conservative talk radio. I think hosts who tell people what they want to hear, knowing it's not true, do a disservice to democracy. But even my conservative friends will admit, if you do a show that's "reasonably" conservative, you'll be replaced by someone who is more extreme. Just ask Michael Medved (Salem) and John Batchelor (Westwood One) about being "moderate conservatives."
That said, this is a democracy. People have the right to hear, see and read what they want. If host X didn't say the election was stolen, or Democrats are working to destroy our government, someone else would. I don't understand why so many people believe these things but they do. As such, they get the media they want. There must be 30 or more syndicated conservative talk shows. Premiere, Westwood One, Salem, Fox, plus plenty of independent distributors with conservative talk shows for all dayparts.
If it weren't for conservative talk radio, the AM band would have dried up much sooner than it has. And having access to these affordable conservative talk shows means an AM station only needs to find a few sponsors and they can turn a profit. I wish that other formats worked on AM, other than religion and ethnic. But apparently nothing, not Standards, not Oldies, not Progressive Talk, not Soft AC can be sold to local mom and pop businesses to make an AM station profitable. And with Sports increasingly moving to FM, even that route is not available in many cities.
That said, this is a democracy. People have the right to hear, see and read what they want. If host X didn't say the election was stolen, or Democrats are working to destroy our government, someone else would. I don't understand why so many people believe these things but they do. As such, they get the media they want. There must be 30 or more syndicated conservative talk shows. Premiere, Westwood One, Salem, Fox, plus plenty of independent distributors with conservative talk shows for all dayparts.
If it weren't for conservative talk radio, the AM band would have dried up much sooner than it has. And having access to these affordable conservative talk shows means an AM station only needs to find a few sponsors and they can turn a profit. I wish that other formats worked on AM, other than religion and ethnic. But apparently nothing, not Standards, not Oldies, not Progressive Talk, not Soft AC can be sold to local mom and pop businesses to make an AM station profitable. And with Sports increasingly moving to FM, even that route is not available in many cities.
They might as well try this. It's inexpensive (meaning mostly syndicated), and they might snag some listeners who wandered away from WSB after Rush's show ended. Nevertheless, this station will never make the minimum to show up in the ratings. A 1,000-watt AM in Marietta on the jam-packed 1230 frequency and an FM that covers Marietta, Smyrna and little else does not have the signal to compete in Atlanta, let alone get any semblance of ratings.
As far as WSB's ratings decline, it's hard to read anything into it with just a 1-month number. WSB has been in that range and even somewhat less for many months in recent history. Remember, January was a huge news month with the Capitol riot, the impeachment and election challenges. The cable news networks hit record ratings for the month.
As far as WSB's ratings decline, it's hard to read anything into it with just a 1-month number. WSB has been in that range and even somewhat less for many months in recent history. Remember, January was a huge news month with the Capitol riot, the impeachment and election challenges. The cable news networks hit record ratings for the month.
It sure looks like Premiere is pushing hard to get affiliates for El Rushbo in markets where the show has been dropped post-mortem. Even where those new affiliates are relatively weak signals.
They signed a 4 year contract with Premier....What does that mean for 680?
By my count, they have 10 on air daytime hosts compared to 6 at 92.9 The Game. I thought when they combined the 680 and 106.3 David Dickey had said they were going to move some talent back to 106.3 and rebuild the station when things improved. It certainly doesn’t look like that’s going to happen as a sports talk station now.
Don't forget that Dickey also has WIFN 1340, also a 1000W class C AM but centrally located so it covers more of the population center. However, its translator at 103.7 is signal-challenged, probably due to 103.7 Chuck FM northeast of town.
Running ESPN Radio 24/7 on WFOM and Fox Sports Radio 24/7 on WIFN probably wasn't that much of a draw.
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