Re: Rush and Dr Laura

[Dib9@aol.com]

In a message dated 98-07-09 01:05:49 EDT, Terry Wood writes:

<< 
 In Fosters Daily Democrat in Dover NH it was announced that Radio Station
 WTSN was dropping Dr Laura and Rush Limbaugh, because of LOW RATINGS and
 rising costs of carrying the Programs.  Rush has dropped to Number 4 in
 ratings nationwide, and he is demanding big bucks to carry his show.
 Smaller Stations are refusing to carry him because the listenership is down
 and the GREED factor on his part.
 
 Terry >>

Greed?  Why does Rush do a talk show?  As he will readily admit, to make
money!  Why do the stations that carry his show do so?  To make money.  Why is
it greedy to ask those stations to pay to carry the show?  I guess some might
consider it greedy because most network radio shows are on a barter basis.
That is not because the people that run those companies are less greedy, it is
because those companies decided that they would not get enough clearences if
they charged for the show.  It is simply a business arrangement.  If a station
decides that Rush is not worth paying for, they can drop his show.

By the way, Rush is not the only show that charges stations to carry them.
Both Imus and Stern charge big bucks.  Are Stern and Imus greedy?  I don't
know what the arrangement is now, but when WZAN added Imus they were paying
three times as much to carry Imus as they were to run Rush on WGAN.

Oh by the way.  In case you were not aware, Terry.  Radio stations charge
advertisers to run commercials on there stations.  That's how they stay on the
air.  Is that greedy?

Also, before people start cheering for WTSN.  We should remember that this is
the station that eliminated a bunch of local programming earlier this year to
save money.  The latest moves follow that pattern.

Dan Billings
Bowdoinham, Maine

------------------------------