Will the end of Political send Revenues further down?

[PTBoardOp94]

I was just comparing the spot load of one of the radio networks between this week and last week. Last week, they had dozens of political spots on the log. This coming week, they have lots of political spots on Monday & Tuesday, and lots of PSAs scheduled for the rest of the week.

Then again, the several local stations I've listened to haven't had a lot in the way of Political load.

How much do you think the end of the political season will hurt revenues? Or will the end of lowest unit charge actually increase them? LUC didn't affect my stations much, but I imagine that it did others.

 

[Roger That]

Yes. Once the election is over, station revenue will take a plunge to more realistic levels.

 

[radioboy]

I'd say yes.

The end of political ads might send some folks going here for filler:

http://www.nabspotcenter.org

 

[adma]

Hmmm, could really literalize the notion of the election of President Obama meaning the death of conservative talk radio...

 

[SirRoxalot]

Hmmm, could really literalize the notion of the election of President Obama meaning the death of conservative talk radio...

You're kidding, right? Conservative talk radio will have a field day if Obama is elected, and there will be no dearth of conservative business owners willing to support it. It will be a format cockroach. If anything, we're likely to see more FMs switching from failed music formats to talk radio.

Otherwise, smart money would use radio as a way to cut advertising costs and drive holiday shoppers into their stores. Unfortunately, with the uncertain economy, I'm not seeing an abundance of smart money out there. I think that the 4th quarter could be ugly, and the first quarter of 2009 could be disastrous.

 

[RadioStarOne]

The one saving grace for the rest of the fourth quarter is the fact that a gallon of gas and diesel is coming down to earth rapidly and its going to give the economy a major shot in the backside. This just might save the X-mas season for a lot of retailers, but Sirius/XM is still in major doo doo.

 

[adma]

Hmmm, could really literalize the notion of the election of President Obama meaning the death of conservative talk radio...

You're kidding, right? Conservative talk radio will have a field day if Obama is elected, and there will be no dearth of conservative business owners willing to support it. It will be a format cockroach. If anything, we're likely to see more FMs switching from failed music formats to talk radio.

Well, I was sorta kidding, using "face value" logic (i.e. the end of political ad season + a political paradigm shift + the state of the radio biz in general).

I do agree with you about the potential "format cockroach" and AM-izing of FM part, though. But as such, it might as well be "dead" except to the niche interested, i.e. right-wing alt-radio--but in our segmented society, that's the way it goes.

 

[gr8oldies]

Cant wait for Wed, in OH were getting baraged with the Prez race and for/against a casino

 

[gunterm]

This coming week, they have lots of political spots on Monday & Tuesday, and lots of PSAs scheduled for the rest of the week.

I don't get why you'd run PSAs, when I have the spot load lighten I try to squeeze an extra song in each hour...

 

[pocket-radio]

Failed music stations are switching to conservative talk radio.
Oh good now we can further destroy FM radio like AM did..

 

[PTBoardOp94]

I don't get why you'd run PSAs, when I have the spot load lighten I try to squeeze an extra song in each hour...

Its a network with a published clock for its affiliates. Probably too much work to change the clock.