24 hours news radio

[ASchinella@aol.com]

	I personally like WBZ the way it is with news all day and talk all night and
with the state of the talk format here is Boston, I have found Bruds, Raleigh,
and even Sowyrda on Monday AMs, tolerable compared that "hot crap" format over
at the other station. 
	Now, with that said, that does not mean that a 24 hour news station couldn't
be profitable. As it is, WBZ makes the majority of it's money doing news.
Billing from 5-9AM is $900 per 60 seconds. Billing after 7pm is $250 per 60
seconds. Billing from Mid-5AM is $25. If you listen at different times during
the day, you will find that there are more commercials in the morning than at
night. Of course, the argument of having full time news is that you have to
pay people to do the reporting but let's be honest, there are so many people
in and out of radio who would give their right arm to do some news for minimal
amount of money and we all know WBZ has the funds to do it. 
	The other thing is that WEEI 590 had a business news format if I remember
correctly (someone correct me if it had regular news before the 90s cause I
rarely listened to it then) and I think that a limited format like would not
be as successful as all of the news together. 
	Also, as a political junkie (as well as radio junkie), I think a 24 hours
news station could really broaden coverage of politics in this town. With the
lack of political talk, combined with a stagnant media in general, obsessing
over celebs and sports stars instead of what is going on down at the town
hall, they have left an electorate uninformed, as well as, dislocated from the
process -- 'it isn't on TV (or radio), it is isn't covered, it isn't
important' -- that kind of "logic." I have noticed this with the 8th
Congressional District race. This is a historic seat and it is the first time
in 12 years the seat has been open. You have some interesting candidates
(including myself) doing some interesting things and the coverage is abismal.
No clips from announcements. No clips from forums. No coverage at all in a
major political race. But there is a ton of coverage about Woody Harrelson,
his paparazzi and his kids! 

Tony

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