WWDJ 'THE APPLE" NEEDS TO GO LOCAL

[OhioMediaWatch]

It just started at 9 AM, with Salem's Mike Gallagher.

And that reminded me that Salem could well consider Gallagher a "quasi-local" show, since he does his show from NYC and has history in the market at WABC a good while back.

I'm listening to the stream now, and he's basically falling all over himself welcoming his new NYC affiliate.

 

[radiohawkins]

Where can I hear the stream? Do you have a link?

 

[actioncentral]

http://am970theapple.townhall.com/

 

[wibg1020]

Forget "maybe's" and coulda's". As Broadcast Licensee of a very successful AM in
Atlantic City, AM's need TLC and not treated like the poor stepchild.
Morning drive, whether it be AM or FM is the engine that drives the rest
of the stations dayparts. A supercharged local morning drive host certainly
is the sparkplug that ignites it all. We've got it in
Harry Hurley, and the motivation and espirit he brings to the communities we serve
is the dynamic engine .

The ratings trending is so strong that many others cannot comprehend the
dramatic shift in ratings upward on an AM daytimer.
People on these boards who believe AM is dead, believe in Santa too.

AM is far from dead. The Corporate suites killed the local news departments,
slayed the local hot talkers and the best they can do is try to stop the
financial hemmorage with band-aids like IBOC and other soon to be dead
technologies. For those on this board who believe AM is dead, need to
look at the numbers and see the effects of strong local talk dominance.

I could not disagree more with the FM guys who maintain only 60+ listen
to AM. They simply haven't been in the AM camp to determine how to make strong live local
talk radio work.. Absolutely no recesssion here at South Jersey's AM Christian News/Talk.

My guess is that Salem will rubberstamp its WNTP Philly format in NYC. Its still NOT
local.. It will still wobble in ratings. Crystal clear reception for tallkers is not the primary
motivation. Its about strong local content. strong local talk. And those who say FM
will migrate toward talk may prove the point that FM isn't doing all that well. You can
keep the HD-1's, 2's and 3's and all the other gidgets and gizmos like one 50kW FM
in North Jersey did. It has done absolutely nothing for their dreadful ratings. It is still about
local content. And like in the case of this particular station, they are rimshot from the BigApple,
does not make them a BigApple station, Doing that disqualifies them from their commitment
to serve the communities they were licensed to support.

People are no longer fooled. If their local station doesn't talk to them and with them
about their hometowns, then they won't stay. Our average TSL is foursquare higher
than all of the FM's in the market. Truly a David and Goliath story. So these so called
pros on this board who claim that AM's don't produce should look at the numbers.
They are absolutely wrong!

One of the board writers scoped out WMTR in Morristown, NJ. Of course, musicradio
on AM is a tough sell, regardless of the format, but even in the AM environment
when combined with committed local information (not community bulletin boards)
AM still has a bright future.

 

[disney fanatic]

It just started at 9 AM, with Salem's Mike Gallagher.

And that reminded me that Salem could well consider Gallagher a "quasi-local" show, since he does his show from NYC and has history in the market at WABC a good while back.

Mike Gallagher has started his show on the new WNYM "The Apple". I remember him when he was on WGHQ in the Hudson Valley area formerly known as "News/Talk 920" in the afternoons right after Rush. He was on with Dr. Laura along with other shows like Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh from WABC. That was from around 2004 along with some weekend "Best of" shows.

Do you have the aircheck of the format flip from WWDJ to WNYM?

My Lord! Forget Bill Bennett, and NO, NOT Quinn & Rose either.

"Quinn & Rose" has been on mornings on WKIP's "News/Talk 1450" in Poughkeepsie, NY, it lasted a few months and it bombed. It was replaced by Don Imus from WABC to do his morning show on WKIP and other stations.

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

Mike Gallagher has started his show on the new WNYM "The Apple". I remember him when he was on WGHQ in the Hudson Valley area formerly known as "News/Talk 920" in the afternoons right after Rush. He was on with Dr. Laura along with other shows like Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh from WABC. That was from around 2004 along with some weekend "Best of" shows.

Do you have the aircheck of the format flip from WWDJ to WNYM?

No, as I told a friend, I wasn't recording...being in NYC, I imagine dozens of radio geeks like me probably were recording.

Were you not in the market when Gallagher was on WABC? He actually did pretty well. I'm not sure I remember what led him from WABC to syndication, which originally was via an effort he was 50/50 with another broadcaster.

There was a while there, in that syndication, where he was considered the potential "default" syndie host in the pre-Rush time slot. The move to Salem pretty much killed that.

The debut NYC show was interesting. It was very NYC-centric, and he all but tried to interview the Statue of Liberty...

 

[DToTheJ]

Maybe now with another talk outlet in New York, Glenn Beck's show could finally be cleared in Market No. 1! Or can he?

If not, I'm sure it would boggle his mind that, now with a new talk station in New York - and namely, one that is on base with his ideology - his radio show isn't even carried on tape delay in the market, despite the fact that that show, along with his TV show, are broadcast out of there.

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

I see no evidence that Salem would clear Beck, even on tape delay. He's not on their radar, and I don't know if Salem clears ANYTHING out of Premiere. Well, not counting Dr. Laura (not owned by the company anymore) or Hannity, who they cleared in Boston (now a joint ABC/Premiere deal).

R-I's Tom Taylor had an excellent story in his newsletter this morning quoting Salem's Ed Atsinger. As suspected, the primary reason for the WNYM flip is obvious:

But the business reason for investing in the upgrade and the flip to conservative talk is that 70% or more of the programming comes from the Salem Radio Network stable. Atsinger says “this facilitates our national business” and “ensures access for our talent in the nation’s #1 population center.” Not much downside.

Anything else? Gravy, and filling out the non-Salem part of the schedule vs. repeating shows in late night or something.

It's a no brainer, as said. With the 50KW stick, it becomes almost imperative for Salem to add NYC to its market list for its own syndie shows.

 

[kzewdude]

Great that they have a New York station now, but has Salem's talk lineup (Bennett, Gallagher, Medved, Hewitt, Prager, etc.) worked anywhere? After 3 years, you'd think they'd try something else. But maybe .5s and .6s 12+ are acceptable to the corporate office?

 

[ddybas]

Great that they have a New York station now, but has Salem's talk lineup (Bennett, Gallagher, Medved, Hewitt, Prager, etc.) worked anywhere? After 3 years, you'd think they'd try something else. But maybe .5s and .6s 12+ are acceptable to the corporate office?

For Salem it's not just a format...it's an Agenda. Shareholders be damned!

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

Great that they have a New York station now, but has Salem's talk lineup (Bennett, Gallagher, Medved, Hewitt, Prager, etc.) worked anywhere? After 3 years, you'd think they'd try something else. But maybe .5s and .6s 12+ are acceptable to the corporate office?

As I posted above, the Salem folks are primarily interested in "growing their network business", particularly in this case...where WNYM gives them the chance to get more money out of network advertisers on all those shows, by having market #1 on the clearance list.

I do wonder if they'll do anything extra with Gallagher, who of course has history in the market at WABC as a local host. What that gets him, and Salem, in 2008...hosting a national show on a third-tier talk station...is an open question.

 

[theradiokid]

I must say that I am a little frustrated with some posters on this board who feel that WNYM "The Apple" needs to be local. I understand that you feel that it can't compete with the other talk stations in NYC unless it is local in at least morning or afternoon drive. But, before you go posting a reply to this, I suggest you read these facts.

1. WABC runs Imus in Mornings, and Hannity in afternoon drive. Unless something's happened that I don't know about, both of those shows are syndicated? Therefore, how can you criticize Salem for not running anything local on 970?

2. Correct me please, but doesn't 970 WNYM run LOCAL! news?

Just some things to think about...

--The Radio Kid
(AKA Oswego Jeremy, as nicknamed by George of the Radio Racket.)
My email: [email protected]

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

1. WABC runs Imus in Mornings, and Hannity in afternoon drive. Unless something's happened that I don't know about, both of those shows are syndicated? Therefore, how can you criticize Salem for not running anything local on 970?

Imus and Hannity are identified as local New York City personalities. NYC is a different market in regards to its syndication. Both men "made their bank" in NYC, and got syndicated out of it.

2. Correct me please, but doesn't 970 WNYM run LOCAL! news?

Yes, it sounds like they're farming out to Metro for that.

Your points are well taken, but it doesn't really matter...look for my message above about the primary purpose of WNYM. It's there, in Salem's own words, to grow its network operation. They'll make more money for their network of conservative national hosts, and can "by the way" promote their NYC ties, as they are already doing on air.

When some say they think WNYM needs to "be local", it sounds like they mean the station should mount NYC-specific local shows. As I said, that's not why the station exists.