WMAL changes

[wadio]

(not related to Vince)

I don't listen to WMAL very often anymore because I'd have to sit through not one but two pre-roll ads each time.

But on Sunday I caught the garden show infomercial and noticed two improvements.

1) The station's imaging voice has changed for the better! I never understood the previous "making sense of the news" v/o. If I needed a voice for a cartoon lizard, that's the one I would have chosen! The new one is perfect.

2) The garden show has some good tips, but the host used to constantly and angrily bash the "box stores." I didn't hear him do that once. Maybe someone finally told him it's better to promote the benefits of your own products than to sound like a nasty person.

Anyway, two good improvements.

 

[wadio]

And as for of Vince's previous afternoon slot, Andrew Langer filled in yesterday and today. Never heard him before but I think he'd be great in that slot if he wants it.

 

[TheBigA]

And as for of Vince's previous afternoon slot, Andrew Langer filled in yesterday and today. Never heard him before but I think he'd be great in that slot if he wants it.

Apparently he previously worked at WBAL and WCBM Baltimore. He just left WCBM a few months ago. So this was likely a try-out.

 

[wadio]

The garden show has some good tips, but the host used to constantly and angrily bash the "box stores." I didn't hear him do that once. Maybe someone finally told him it's better to promote the benefits of your own products than to sound like a nasty person.

I spoke too soon. This morning he was on another anti-box-store rant. It's one thing to promote the products at the Azaya Ranch (that's how he says it) but no need to slam everything else. It's not credible. If I were a media buyer for Lowes or Home Depot I would make a point to avoid WMAL.

 

[radiofan2023]

If I were a media buyer for Lowes or Home Depot I would make a point to avoid WMAL.

Over one person’s show? I doubt media buyers listen to every single show on a station.

 

[davideduardo]

Over one person’s show? I doubt media buyers listen to every single show on a station.

And most media buyers for national accounts are not local, anyway. DC is not an "agency town" unless your idea of an "agency" is the CIA.

 

[TheBigA]

Derek Hunter has been named for the afternoon slot:

Derek Hunter To Host Afternoons At WMAL

Cumulus Media Conservative Talk 105.9 WMAL-FM Woodbridge VA/Washington DC has named Derek Hunter as its new afternoon host. Hunter most

radioinsight.com

Derek Hunter Joins WMAL Washington, DC, As Afternoon Drive Host.

Cumulus Media’s news/talk WMAL Washington, DC (105.9) has named veteran broadcaster Derek Hunter as its new afternoon drive host. Hunter, who has been a familiar voice to WMAL listeners as

www.insideradio.com

 

[Delete My Account]

Of all the stations to broadcast rants against big box stores...given that the economic policies their hosts support are a huge reason why local retail became big box and global, and hurt local radio revenues in the process.

 

[radiofan2023]

Of all the stations to broadcast rants against big box stores

what?

 

[davideduardo]

Of all the stations to broadcast rants against big box stores...given that the economic policies their hosts support are a huge reason why local retail became big box and global, and hurt local radio revenues in the process.

I read a paper about how "the death of local retail" began with the development of the Interstate Highway System in the 1950's. That permitted much more efficient dispatch and delivery of merchandise, eliminating transport to the train terminal, unloading the truck to the train depot, loading on the train, unloading later from the train and still later loading for local delivery on another truck... lots of time, lots of manpower, big costs.

The Interstate Highways allowed one truck to pick up and later deliver to stores. By the 60's, we found early development of big box stores that could take big deliveries. The early Walmarts, plus KMart and Walmart and others found that they could benefit from consolidated shipping and lower prices. And they improved self-service selling in the process.

The previous "owners"of that field were Sears, Montgomery Ward and other "Department Stores". But they were relatively small and depended on shipping upon order for much merchandise. The stores that had triple and quadruple the square footage and vast inventory creamed them.

The economic policies of talk radio hosts had nothing to do with the change from little specialized stores to great big general merchandise stores.

Oh, and when big national chains discovered they could buy cheaper stuff from Asia, they took advantage of newer container shipping and even things like "less than carload" alternatives to reduce shipping based on huge volumes.

A bunch of talk show hosts talking about stores to perhaps a 0.3 rating in a declining radio audience arena has nothing to do with the national economy.

 

[Delete My Account]

Excellent history, most of which I was aware of, but I didn't say "hosts" were the reason. I said those they support. Prior to MAGA, free trade and globalization were considered really great things among the bulk of talk radio hosts and the party they supported, particularly their largest voice in the 90s and 2000s.

History is what it is, and politics aside, I just find it amusing that a conservative talk radio station has a host railing against "big box" retail when for decades, it was considered a pretty amazing thing in those circles. I've heard tons of praise for companies like Walmart on conservative talk radio. Haven't heard many of them address the percentages of their employees that need to take federal assistance to get by.