Re: person of the decade, anyone?

[Dib9@aol.com]

<<How did we ever make it without him?  Guess I was just dreaming during the first 20 years or so of my career.  What Rush has done (actually the
799 stations that carry Rush and other syndicated shows) is put 799 people who would be doing a local or regional show out of work.>>

That's way too simplistic.  Most of the small stations carrying satellite delivered programming of any type are doing so out of economic necessity.  If talk programming off the satellite didn't exist, they would not be producing it locally.  Its just too expensive and in many small markets, there's just not enough callers (or on air talent) to make it enjoyable all day.  Many of these stations were barely existing before new technology brought them new programming options.  Many of the small stations in Maine that now carry programming off the bird were running some form of automated music programming before the growth in syndicated talk radio.  Most stations "died" long before switching to satellite programming.

What Rush and the other syndicated programs have done is to make talk radio an economically viable format in small markets.  The well run stations have local morning shows and some other local content and use the syndicated programming to fill the rest of the day in a cost effectibe manner.

The reality is that the advertising revenue is just not there to support "local" programming in many small markets.  There are just not enough mom and pop stores around to keep the local radio station on the air. Radio just reflects the changes in our society.   Numbers in the closest metro are necessary to get the large adverisers that keep most stations on the air.  

-- Dan Billings, Bowdoinham, Maine