Re: another Entercom drop

["Bill O'Neill" <billo@erols.com>]

Mr. Igo:
> > issue-based discourse, only to be slam-dunked by
> > the ten-minute ticker...)
>
Mr. Ferrand:
> This is the problem every morning show has - it's tough to
> get some momentum going with constant interruptions. Beyond
> that, it's also the problem that the morning listener has,
> since he or she is jumping in and out of paying attention to
> the radio while getting ready to go take on the day :)

Mornng talk (and other multi-voice arrangements) has the "three's a
crowd" problem.  It's harder to drob towel and decide exactly what
role _the caller_ will play.  The following talkers have (or had) few
if any guests or side-kicks: Rush, Dr. Laura, Gene Burns, Jerry
Williams (ret.), Bob Raleigh (ret.), Larry Glick (ret.), that scary
overnight guy from a trailer who's name I just blanked on...   The
single host creates what I consider to be a 'response vacuum' that
urges a singular reply from that one listener.  That is created by the
singular host who is either just thinking aloud, baiting, questioning,
etc.  The response vacuum demands a reasonable percentage of listeners
to grab a phone, for better or worse, and reply, fill that void.
Every call, if moved properly, can sweep another quarter.

It is talk radio in it's purest sense, but not the ONLY way to do it.
I guess I am surprised that within an industry of fragmented music
formats that "talk" never diversified or evolved into something
"better."  Loose chatter, as it was likely considered, was discouraged
in the earlier days of the biz, coincident with the onset of Talk,
which explains why there were accomodations for one mic, one phone and
a tape-delay.  It seems that the further away the industry has gotten
from that model, the less of an impact that vehicle is having on its
market.  I also believe that coincident with AM's declining in
stature/status among radio listeners, believable, stimulating AM Talk
acted as a bit of a leveler or counterbalance to that drift.  As FM
rockers/wannabee talkers give up more time on the clock to ramble or
grab a call, they give the now inconsequential AM lifestyle talkers
even less of a reason to serve.

The best thing any specific station can do is to do what no other
station possibly can do, regardless of the promotions budget or TV
affiliation.  For local AMers, it's local news, soccer scores,
brutally local chatter (even if it risks the perception of
impertinance when viewed by big-boy competitors).  For metro AMers,
it's pertinant, relevant, mature Talk (and not just for, as Carr would
put it "Q-Tips," but) for 25-54 cars looking to connect with
non-gossip.

Bill O'Neill

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