Re: WLLH?

[Aaron Read <aread@speakeasy.net>]

At 08:59 PM 6/10/2003, SteveOrdinetz wrote:
>Smyth, Sean wrote:
>>Question to toss out there: could WLLH make a "comeback" in the
>>local news-talk game after having the Spanish switch in the
>>"on" position for the last four or five years?
>
>
>They'd have a tough go of it.  Unless a potential owner has very deep 
>pockets, the likelihood of a significant local news presence is pretty 
>slim (barring some sort of alliance with the Sun), and most if not all of 
>the "good" syndicated talk shows are taken.  I suppose you could just pot 
>up CNN and walk away like the old WMVU did a few years ago, but look where 
>it got them.

I would also opine that a lot of people are turning more to public radio 
for their local news...as evidenced by the huge spike in ratings for WBUR 
and NHPR in the past few years (not just for the war either, mind 
you).   Both NHPR stations and WBUR reach Lowell quite well.  Armchair 
analysis, I know, but it's got some logic behind it.

I don't think it's impossible for a local news outlet to "make it" in 
Lowell, but it'd be damn close to for a commercial station...unless it were 
WJUL going on a radical new track; with a "sponsor" like a university, that 
might make it fiscally feasible.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aaron "Bishop" Read             aread@speakeasy.net
FriedBagels Consulting          AOL-IM: readaaron
http://www.friedbagels.com      Boston, MA