Wow! That's Just What Atlanta Needs, Another Talker!

[RoddyFreeman]

Air America was put on 1690 by the engineering firm that built and launched the station as a placeholder. It was built simply to be put on the air so it could be sold. When the engineering company owned it and broadcast Air America, the station did not accept local commercials.

Joe Weber bought it because he saw an opportunity to get his format (bird calls and all) heard well in the main parts of Atlanta and also broadcast at night. 1160 has a poor daytime signal in a lot of the market and has flea power at night. It had nothing to do with ideology and everything to do with getting his show and format on a better signal.

 

[monkeymanmoi]

If AA was serious they would try to get Jello Biafra to do a show. Now THAT would be fun, liberal, and topical, whether you agree with him or not.

I'd listen to that. I checked out Mojo Nixon's weekly radio show and thought it'd be fun, but wasn't into it, so who knows if Jello would make a good go of it. Maybe he's already done some radio gigging, but I'm not aware of it (wouldn't surprise me).

The comment someone made about too many talk shows and 2nd/3rd tier stations make sense from a ratings standpoint, but I come to this forum all the time as simply a radio listener who's not into ratings talk (boring). Having all these stations with many choices of talk will keep me from going satellite.

 

[DashRiprock]

Something else must be driving these owners to change formats to conservative talk.

Maybe the desire to make money?

 

[AtlBanker]

The desire to make money? Have you looked at WGKA's income from another post? Everybody in the metro area can hear their station yet they make very little money. You have a bunch of 'follow the leader' stations. Maybe if they just put some talent out there that is funny, creative, has an original thought, people might listen. Where is the rule book that says a talk station has to talk conservative talk and nothing but conservative talk. What a waste of a radio station.

 

[jabba17]

The desire to make money? Have you looked at WGKA's income from another post? Everybody in the metro area can hear their station yet they make very little money. You have a bunch of 'follow the leader' stations. Maybe if they just put some talent out there that is funny, creative, has an original thought, people might listen. Where is the rule book that says a talk station has to talk conservative talk and nothing but conservative talk. What a waste of a radio station.

I will say this, to expound on an earlier thought. WGST/CC and WCFO/Weber aren't wed to conservative talk because of ideology, but WGKA/Salem is. Salem is the largest conservative/Christian broadcaster in the nation (http://www.salem.cc/aboutOverview.htm ). Salem would take WGKA dark before putting liberal progressive talk (AA, that new libtalk network that picked up Randi, etc.) on it, even if someone offered them millions to do it.

 

[DashRiprock]

The desire to make money? Have you looked at WGKA's income from another post? Everybody in the metro area can hear their station yet they make very little money. You have a bunch of 'follow the leader' stations. Maybe if they just put some talent out there that is funny, creative, has an original thought, people might listen. Where is the rule book that says a talk station has to talk conservative talk and nothing but conservative talk. What a waste of a radio station.

Liberal talkers just don't bring in as much coin as conservative talkers. True or false?

 

[RoddyFreeman]

The desire to make money? Have you looked at WGKA's income from another post?

WGKA is in business to make money for its parent company, Salem. The company wants to maximize revenue on its national talk network. When media buyers evaluate a national network buy, it's critical that the network has an affiliate in the major markets. WGKA gives Salem an Atlanta affiliate and helps them get national buys.

So yes, WGKA's format is there because of the desire to make money.

 

[TheRealOtherNeil]

There isn't a single radio station or company that doesn't want to make money (Insert Atlanta Clear Channel joke here). Isn't that the reason business exists? If WGKA switched to all-Polka and it drew a 9.5 rating with $25 mil. in revenue, you can rest assured three other stations would flip.

 

[DashRiprock]

There is a huge hole in Atlanta radio for the polka format. This demographic has been overlooked far too long.

 

[jabba17]

The desire to make money? Have you looked at WGKA's income from another post? Everybody in the metro area can hear their station yet they make very little money. You have a bunch of 'follow the leader' stations. Maybe if they just put some talent out there that is funny, creative, has an original thought, people might listen. Where is the rule book that says a talk station has to talk conservative talk and nothing but conservative talk. What a waste of a radio station.

Liberal talkers just don't bring in as much coin as conservative talkers. True or false?

110% true. But the question remains whether a #4 conservative talk station could make more money with libtalk. A bigger slice of a smaller pie, as it were.

At the end of the day it's still all about the Benjamins, not diversity on the dial.