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WPHT shake up
- Thread starter wprt949
- Start date
DG02816 said:
At least part of Hannity's 3-6 PM show would be on night power/pattern from November
through February (half of the show during December).
http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/48311/
The Glenn Beck organization is wisely using the time between this WPHT news and the announcement of where he's going to sign up as many folks as possible for his "Insider Extreme" audio/video pass so Philadelphia won't miss anything.
I'm already seeing tons of ads on Drudge and Facebook targeting WPHT listeners.
I don't think Hannity has any such premium service.
The Glenn Beck organization is wisely using the time between this WPHT news and the announcement of where he's going to sign up as many folks as possible for his "Insider Extreme" audio/video pass so Philadelphia won't miss anything.
I'm already seeing tons of ads on Drudge and Facebook targeting WPHT listeners.
I don't think Hannity has any such premium service.
George Brusstar said:
Glenn did the same thing back in 2005 when WTAM/Cleveland unceremoniously dumped his show in favor of --- Jerry Springer. (That was a move commandeered not by the station's PD, but by then-operations manager - and now former WGN-AM PD - Kevin Metheny, who claimed to be a 'talent coach' for Jerry.) Two suburban signals in Akron and Elyria picked up Glenn as soon as they were able to, and did very well with the show.
It backfired so badly on WTAM - they suffered a 66%+ ratings drop in that daypart! - that Springer was axed less than a year later in favor of a local conservative host. Eventually, they brought back Glenn on Election Day 2008, at the expense of the Akron and Elyria stations.
aindik said:
To answer this question, I was actually wrong. There was an earlier article I read that has since been corrected which said that Smerconish would keep his noon-3 program and broadcast the 3-4 live to Philly. It seems weird to offer the syndicated Smerconish from 4-7 when they could do the local hour at 6 instead of at 3. It just seems like this is more standard for talk radio lineups.
It makes perfect sense. Why would Smerconish hang around for three hours after his syndicated 12-3 shift instead of doing one more hour immediately at the tail end for Philly?
What's weird is that 1210 would sack Hannity instead of moving him to the 7-10P slot, and playing him later when the Phils are on (as they do with Rush when he's pre-empted by day games). Probably something contractual with Premiere prevents that. But by canning Beck & Hannity, CBS opens itself to competition from a CC FM, or at least a more robust WNTP lineup. It's gotta ultimately be about the buck$. It alway$ i$.
musichead1029 said:
And if he did 6-7 PM live/local for Philly, wouldn't that hour often be pre-empted during
baseball season for a Phillies pregame show?
What sort of ratings was Beck/Hannity getting on WPHT? Maybe the cost vs spot local spot load isn't worth it, which might explain the dropping of those shows and why someone else isn't jumping on the bandwagon to sign them up.
In at least two other markets Wilmington and Baltimore, the former Rush/Hannity station (WDEL Wilmington and WBAL Baltimore) dropped Rush/Hannity and went live and local. This may also be a trend for talk. The larger heritage stations drop syndicated talk daytime and go live and local pushing the syndicated talkers to 2nd tier stations as maybe tastes for more local talk has returned. The problem is Philly is a major market city so the price tag to get Beck/Hannity/Rush are pretty high. Would a 2nd tier station want to take on that sort of expense, especially if they aren't sure of generating enough local spot revenue? Would the FM dropping music generate more local spot revenue or would it lose money?
WILM Wilmington and WCBM Baltimore picked up the two shows dropped by WDEL and WBAL. WDEL and WBAL have done well in ratings both beating out out their competitor in 12+ numbers and more importantly, at least for WDEL, in local spot revenue. WILM essentially is airing PSA's during the local avails of Rush. Maybe someone who hears WCBM and WBAL can give more details on which station is doing better in Baltimore spot wise, but the 12+ numbers put WBAL ahead of WCBM.
In at least two other markets Wilmington and Baltimore, the former Rush/Hannity station (WDEL Wilmington and WBAL Baltimore) dropped Rush/Hannity and went live and local. This may also be a trend for talk. The larger heritage stations drop syndicated talk daytime and go live and local pushing the syndicated talkers to 2nd tier stations as maybe tastes for more local talk has returned. The problem is Philly is a major market city so the price tag to get Beck/Hannity/Rush are pretty high. Would a 2nd tier station want to take on that sort of expense, especially if they aren't sure of generating enough local spot revenue? Would the FM dropping music generate more local spot revenue or would it lose money?
WILM Wilmington and WCBM Baltimore picked up the two shows dropped by WDEL and WBAL. WDEL and WBAL have done well in ratings both beating out out their competitor in 12+ numbers and more importantly, at least for WDEL, in local spot revenue. WILM essentially is airing PSA's during the local avails of Rush. Maybe someone who hears WCBM and WBAL can give more details on which station is doing better in Baltimore spot wise, but the 12+ numbers put WBAL ahead of WCBM.
C
ccuphl
Guest
oldiesfan6479 said:
The WUBA signal is not a player in the market. It never has been. You need either a low-end AM frequency (WIP) or 50kw to have a chance in this market. This is WNTPs chance to make a move and conservative talk is one of the few formats that work on AM.
Sadly Salem isn't doing anything with WFIL these days.
If the Tom Taylor newsletter is correct that CC isn't interested in flipping another station as they are all FM's other than Rumba 1480, that seems to suggest that they are making more money for the home office in TX playing music, even if they're not the top music stations in Philly than going to Premiere Talk all day.
Again, it makes me ask the question of what sort of ratings did Beck/Hannity/ and yes even Rush get on WPHT? How well has those three shows sold in Philly? It's sort of like a Nostalgia format, that might pull in decent numbers, but those numbers (demos) are people advertisers don't want, so yes you've got decent ratings, but can't sell it.
Wilmington used to have AM 1290 that did nostalgia and did have decent numbers, but couldn't sell it, now it's sports talk. It has lower ratings, but they do get some spots for their Fox Sports talk programming, and definitely make money from local spots covering U of D, Del State, Wilmington Blue Rocks, etc, sports.
This is also a problem for WILM in Wilmington with Rush/Hannity. They get decent ratings, but can't sell it locally. They literally air many PSA's during Rush/Hannity and few if any local spots. So WPHT may have had the same problem and decided to go live and local.
Maybe the talk audiences in very Blue markets has tired of the national political talkers who have ridden a huge wave for a long time making for themselves millions of dollars while ranting each day GOP talking points where it's darn near impossible to get on to challenge them, so it becomes a "secular" sermon for 3 long boring hours. Maybe local advertisers don't want their store name tied in with these very RED talkers as they try to sell their products in a very BLUE metro area, which Wilmington, Philly, and Baltimore are.
If I'm going to listen to a GOP talking head, I'd put on Wilmington's Rick Jensen on WDEL, even though I'm not a fan of his show or his style of doing his show, but at least I can call in and actually get to confront him and have had some good discussions with him, try doing that with Beck/Hannity/Limbaugh.
Again, it makes me ask the question of what sort of ratings did Beck/Hannity/ and yes even Rush get on WPHT? How well has those three shows sold in Philly? It's sort of like a Nostalgia format, that might pull in decent numbers, but those numbers (demos) are people advertisers don't want, so yes you've got decent ratings, but can't sell it.
Wilmington used to have AM 1290 that did nostalgia and did have decent numbers, but couldn't sell it, now it's sports talk. It has lower ratings, but they do get some spots for their Fox Sports talk programming, and definitely make money from local spots covering U of D, Del State, Wilmington Blue Rocks, etc, sports.
This is also a problem for WILM in Wilmington with Rush/Hannity. They get decent ratings, but can't sell it locally. They literally air many PSA's during Rush/Hannity and few if any local spots. So WPHT may have had the same problem and decided to go live and local.
Maybe the talk audiences in very Blue markets has tired of the national political talkers who have ridden a huge wave for a long time making for themselves millions of dollars while ranting each day GOP talking points where it's darn near impossible to get on to challenge them, so it becomes a "secular" sermon for 3 long boring hours. Maybe local advertisers don't want their store name tied in with these very RED talkers as they try to sell their products in a very BLUE metro area, which Wilmington, Philly, and Baltimore are.
If I'm going to listen to a GOP talking head, I'd put on Wilmington's Rick Jensen on WDEL, even though I'm not a fan of his show or his style of doing his show, but at least I can call in and actually get to confront him and have had some good discussions with him, try doing that with Beck/Hannity/Limbaugh.
Zach said:
Actually, Taylor said that by way of an article by Michael Klein that was published over the weekend... Taylor himself is actually quoted in it...
So, in other words-- the exact same thing Michael Klein reported over the weekend...
A decision to apply "synergy" to the situation by using a Clear Channel-owned station to clear Premiere-owned programming, I would think, would be dictated from well above the market manager level. I'm assuming it's not the Clear Channel market managers' responsibility to ensure smoothness in the operation of a separately-run company (regardless of its having the same parent).
Greater Media, I believe, is an entirely different situation. It's a much smaller overall operation, and structured entirely differently (with no vested corporate interest in clearing any co-owned programming). Plus, it's my understanding the deal with ESPN makes "just going Talk with the AM" a little more complicated.
A decision to apply "synergy" to the situation by using a Clear Channel-owned station to clear Premiere-owned programming, I would think, would be dictated from well above the market manager level. I'm assuming it's not the Clear Channel market managers' responsibility to ensure smoothness in the operation of a separately-run company (regardless of its having the same parent).
Greater Media, I believe, is an entirely different situation. It's a much smaller overall operation, and structured entirely differently (with no vested corporate interest in clearing any co-owned programming). Plus, it's my understanding the deal with ESPN makes "just going Talk with the AM" a little more complicated.
Mike, my gut tells me the WILM-can't-sell-Limbaugh situation is more of a Delaware/WILM/Clear Channel problem than a Rush/Blue State/GOP talking points problem.
The station is a trainwreck, and outside of the syndicated hosts there's very little reason for anyone to listen. Everything WILM used to excel at, WDEL now does-- and much better.
There are plenty of "shadow city" markets where the smaller station carrying Limbaugh isn't loaded with PSAs during local avails-- despite the bigger-town station's signal being about as good as WPHT's is in Wilmington. I'm thinking of Providence and Baltimore. Even WSBA York-- last I heard, had plenty of locals despite WHP Harrisburg's looming in.
The station is a trainwreck, and outside of the syndicated hosts there's very little reason for anyone to listen. Everything WILM used to excel at, WDEL now does-- and much better.
There are plenty of "shadow city" markets where the smaller station carrying Limbaugh isn't loaded with PSAs during local avails-- despite the bigger-town station's signal being about as good as WPHT's is in Wilmington. I'm thinking of Providence and Baltimore. Even WSBA York-- last I heard, had plenty of locals despite WHP Harrisburg's looming in.
ccuphl said:
Actually, there was a time.
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