Re: Mega Sells WAMG Boston

["Dan Billings" <billings@suscom-maine.net>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Donna Halper" <dlh@donnahalper.com>
To: "Mark Watson" <markwats@attbi.com>
Cc: <boston-radio-interest@bostonradio.org>
Sent: Tuesday, May 06, 2003 2:25 AM
Subject: Re: Mega Sells WAMG Boston


> Wow, we certainly don't have enough of those on the air, do we???????  I
> can only dream that one day liberals and moderates will awaken from their
> slumber.  Just about every major talk show on the air today seems to be
> conservative, sometimes exceedingly so.

My guess is that Salem's product will be significantly different from the
talk shows that are on most stations.  The shows that are on now though
conservative, offer primarily a secular point of view and focus on the major
issues of the day.  I would expect that Salem would feature hosts with a
much clearer evangelical Christian point of view and with more of a focus on
social issues, which many Christian conservatives are upset that President
Bush and the Republican leadership have not made a priority.  I think
Salem's strategy is to have talk programming on one station and worship
programming on another.  There are some people who will tune into a talk
station with a Christian perspective who would be turned off by the worship
programming offered by Salem's other stations.

As for the chances of such programming finding an audience:  it is niche
programming.  There are large numbers of evangelical Christians in all parts
of this country, even in the Boston area.  I saw a legitimate poll recently
where 45% of Americans describe themselves as evangelical Christians.  That
number is probably much higher in parts of the south and lower in much of
New England, but it is a significant market.

Don Kroah, who for years co-hosted the morning talk show on WGAN, did a talk
show for Salem's station in DC after he left WGAN.  I am not sure if he is
still working for them or not.  Along with working in radio, Don is also a
minister.

-- Dan Billings, Bowdoinham, Maine