1510 talk format & programming AM & FM

[A Joseph Ross]

On 6/5/2014 12:48 PM, M.Casey wrote:
> Really well thought out essay by Scott.
> There's some truth to the "parasite" comment.
>
> Political talk radio, while successful when placed on a successful 
> Heritage station, as a format by itself, is mostly a failed venture. 
> So, I doubt any fully talk formatted station whether it be liberal or 
> conservative, will ever be really successful. Maybe 5% of the 
> population is really interested in politics, or listening to political 
> debate on a regular basis. Some of the 95% will listen to political 
> comments for very short periods of time, then back to music or sports, 
> or for short periods of time, to news.

It's surprising that there have been so many attempts, given this 
failure.  We used to hear that Rush Limbaugh had saved AM radio.

> I'm surprised that more stations don't pick up a program like Clark 
> Howard to run when they don't have a talented local during the day 
> before or after Rush, or to run in the evening instead of a Savage or 
> Beck type. 

Interestingly enough, when I was in the Amherst area at the end of 
April, WHMP seemed to have Clark Howard on whenever I tuned in.

> WHYN, WHAM or WOWO would probably succeed as much or better with shows 
> like Clark Howard, the local talk guy,  Swap Shop, and the Mayor's 
> show, from 10am to 4pm, than with Rush/Hannity/Beck, etc. And they'd 
> probably do just as well with 2 talented liberal talkers as with 2 
> talented conservative talkers. Thom Hartman, though not too well 
> known,  comes to mind as a talented liberal talker comparing with Rush 
> & Hannity.

I haven't heard Thom Hartman very much, but I believe he replaced Al 
Franken when Franken gave up his Air America show to run for the 
Senate.  When Air America came along, I listened, and I found that with 
few exceptions, all they were but rants.  Franken was an exception.  He 
presented facts, had liberal and conservative guests, and sounded 
reasonable.  We're well rid of a number of the others.
I remember listening to Ed Schultz back in those days on radio, and he 
was just one long rant, like the others.  On those occasions when I've 
been home to catch his TV show, it seemed that he had improved a lot.  I 
also like Rachel Maddow.  Other liberal talkers got worse over time.  
Keith Olberman let the thing go to his head and became more and more 
noise.  I give him credit for pioneering liberal talk on television and 
essentially pointing the way for a network that had no identity before, 
but I wasn't sorry when MSNBC canned him.

-- 
A. Joseph Ross, J.D.| 92 State Street| Suite 700 | Boston, MA 02109-2004
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