Rush Radio 1200: Winners And Losers

Here’s how I expect the Boston talk radio landscape to look from here forward:

— WRKO: watch as it limps along without Rush Limbaugh and is put to sleep when Howie somehow manages to exit the building for good. Until then, expect a slow and painful demise. Given the troubles at both WEEI and WRKO, I’d hate to be a Entercom salesperson right now.

Hope Rush’s “replacement” enjoys the futility of competing against him for the next six months or so, until the show is inevitably cancelled and replaced with fee-free syndicated programming.

— Rush Radio 1200: Limbaugh himself can prop up this otherwise-weak station to a point, but ultimately it will require major-market management and a real commitment to programming.

So far, it appears to be run from Providence (by the same people who have failed to make an impact with WHJJ and resent any intrusion from Boston radio types into their market) and will be burdened with some of Premiere Radio’s unsuccessful syndicated shows. That’s not a recipe for ratings or revenue.

Beyond Rush, syndication has never fared well in New England and I doubt that will change now.

— WTKK: with WRKO and the new station struggling in the ratings, WTKK might appear to “win” on occasion (by ranking higher than either one), but I’m still not sure how it can afford a live-and-local lineup without a viable programming focus or successful air talent.

The bottom line: we’re entering a new era where no one station really dominates the market (even WBZ ain’t what it used to be) and the audience is carved four ways or more.

KISS 108: Rush Switching Stations In A Month

Is Rush Limbaugh switching Boston stations much sooner than previously believed? During this morning’s Matty In The Morning Show on KISS 108 FM, host Matt Siegel (below image) indicated that Limbaugh would be moving to his sister station at 1200 AM in just a month.

Until now, it seemed shifting Limbaugh’s show away from his longtime home at WRKO would take some time as contractual issues needed to be resolved.

Click here for the audio, it’s about two minutes into the segment.

Should Rush Stick With WRKO?

Based on what we know so far about the new Boston talk station run by Clear Channel, I’m convinced Rush Limbaugh is better off sticking with WRKO. The new outlet, WXKS 1200 AM, doesn’t look terribly promising. That would leave El Rushbo to prop up a weak lineup.

Key concerns:

— In a region known for hostility toward syndicated talk, WXKS will feature almost no local content. This alone makes it not much of a threat to established competition.

— Rather than build a line-up based on market demand, Clear Channel is using WXKS to dump Premiere Radio’s national shows, some of which have already failed here or have little chance of success in our area. If there is no budget for local talk, why run Jason Lewis (a Premiere host) at 6pm when Mark Levin (Citadel – ABC) is up for grabs?

— Instead of bringing major-market programming talent to the new outlet, Clear Channel appears to be recycling Providence management to save money. Yes, the Boston mafia was once run from the Ocean State, but the very folks who have done little with WHJJ-AM aren’t likely to succeed here. Boston is a top ten market, so the stakes are much higher.

If I were advising Limbaugh, I’d recommend he steer clear of 1200 until there’s a credible plan for success.

Resisting The Body-Snatchers

Inside any American mainstream media outlet today, the internal pressure to conform to the Obamist Overload is clearly enormous. For many newspapers and Barack’s over-the-top cheerleaders at NBC, newsrooms are already so far to the left that good news judgment is now a distant memory.

To see just one of thousands of examples from recent days, take a look at Friday’s Providence Journal, which features a gaggy fluff piece on a furniture purchase by the Obamas.

But those who have the courage to stand up to this wild (and frankly divisive) excess will quickly experience a newfound appreciation from grateful readers, viewers and listeners. Certain conservative talk show hosts have already recognized the need to fight back, but we are also lucky enough to have a newspaper willing to balance its coverage as well.

In recent days, the Boston Herald has carried at least two catty anti-Palin columns and today offers a sappy love-letter to Barack written (shockingly) by one of his Harvard buddies.

But it was also willing to consider that many here at home are feeling overwhelmed by the nonstop reminders of Obama’s supposed (yet unproven) greatness. Friday’s front cover provides a rare example of fairness. In an environment where the mainstream media believes it can compel us to love him, it’s a refreshing approach.

Another welcome perspective comes from conservative talk icon Rush Limbaugh, who on Friday refused to cave into the silly notion that all Americans “want Obama to succeed”. Keeping the country safe is one thing, expecting single-party rule with no political opposition is another.

From his show:

I disagree fervently with the people on our side of the aisle who have caved and who say, “Well, I hope he succeeds. We’ve got to give him a chance.” Why? They didn’t give Bush a chance in 2000. Before he was inaugurated the search-and-destroy mission had begun. I’m not talking about search-and-destroy, but I’ve been listening to Barack Obama for a year-and-a-half. I know what his politics are. I know what his plans are, as he has stated them. I don’t want them to succeed.

If I wanted Obama to succeed, I’d be happy the Republicans have laid down. And I would be encouraging Republicans to lay down and support him. Look, what he’s talking about is the absorption of as much of the private sector by the US government as possible, from the banking business, to the mortgage industry, the automobile business, to health care. I do not want the government in charge of all of these things. I don’t want this to work.

So I’m thinking of replying to the guy, “Okay, I’ll send you a response, but I don’t need 400 words, I need four: I hope he fails.” (interruption) What are you laughing at? See, here’s the point. Everybody thinks it’s outrageous to say. Look, even my staff, “Oh, you can’t do that.” Why not? Why is it any different, what’s new, what is unfair about my saying I hope liberalism fails? Liberalism is our problem. Liberalism is what’s gotten us dangerously close to the precipice here. Why do I want more of it? I don’t care what the Drive-By story is. I would be honored if the Drive-By Media headlined me all day long: “Limbaugh: I Hope Obama Fails.” Somebody’s gotta say it.

Were the liberals out there hoping Bush succeeded or were they out there trying to destroy him before he was even inaugurated? Why do we have to play the game by their rules? Why do we have to accept the premise here that because of the historical nature of his presidency, that we want him to succeed?

With the Obamists poised to assume power, his media supporters have now shifted their focus back to hyping “threats” against their Messiah by bitter, gun-clinging whiteys. See coverage here, here, here, and here.

For those of you not yet grabbed by the body-snatchers, now is no time to get sucked into to this absurd excess.

And finally, for the remaining respectable media types reading this, here’s a tip: it might be worth your while to check out local and state offices on Tuesday. Apparently, some workers may be planning to take a fun-filled four-day weekend culminating in local Obamist celebrations on Tuesday.

Nice work if you can get it!

What Margery Is Afraid To Tell You

Let’s face it: Margery Eagan’s performance at the Boston Herald has been spotty for some time. Occasionally, the WTKK talker makes a decent point or two, but it’s usually followed up with a crappy piece that probably isn’t worth publishing.

In particular, she has an obsession with the appearance of other women, coming across as catty and petty. That is still evident in her references to Sarah Palin.

In Sunday’s Herald, however, she’s played defender of evil, attacking those who dare to question the increasingly-creepy cult forming around Barack Obama.

Clearly, the body-snatchers have full control over Margery, so she’s gone on the offensive, accusing cult critics of suffering from “Obama Derangement Syndrome” (itself a cheap rip-off of Michelle Malkin’s Bush Derangement Syndrome of a few years back).

Subject to the Herald’s standards (which must have been relaxed a bit to run this rubbish), it’s her column, so that’s not my objection.

In two places, however, she’s completely out of line. See for yourself:

Meanwhile conservative talk radio, having failed to prevent Obama’s election, has launched the undermine-him-right-out-of-the box squad. My Herald colleague and fellow WTKK 96.9 FM talk radio host Michael Graham has his own Obama resistance movement, warning about civilian police forces and mandatory youth indoctrination, etc.

Personally, I love Michael. Politically, I think he’s out there.

“So Michael, are you deranged?” I asked him yesterday.

“Just because you’re paranoid, huddled in your bed in the fetal position doesn’t mean somebody’s not out to get you,” Michael said.

Deranged? I let you be the judge.

First, Margery wants you to think that conservative talk radio “failed” to defeat Obama, despite being burdened with John McCain, a candidate the right never wanted.

And if Rush Limbaugh and others are so ineffective, where does that leave Margery Eagan? She fails to note in her column that in the most recent Boston ratings, Rush is now beating her program in the critical 25-54 demographic.

That’s thanks to a 22% drop for her team, versus a 44% gain for Rush over spring 2008 figures.

Second, many talk programmers I know would be quite uneasy over the way Eagan has used her column space to attack a fellow host so directly. An oblique reference to The Felon in Howie’s column is one thing, but at most stations, Margery would be in hot water this morning with management.

The problem is that she’s undermining WTKK’s image and credibility by making a co-worker out to be a nutcase. A station’s brand name can be damaged this way.

Obama cultists will be looking for a variety of ways to attack resisters in coming weeks and months and Margery has offered her own approach, weak as it may be.

Sore Winner Attacks Carr

Since yesterday, I’ve been tracking the sore winners out there, Obama supporters who still can’t find reasons to be happy despite their victory.

Here’s another example of an unhinged Obama fan who would rather lash out at Howie Carr than celebrate:

Exile for Carr

Yesterday morning, Howie Carr was just another tired, cranky, bitter old man (“It’s moonbat nation Рbut I’m no citizen,” Nov. 5). Oh wait, that was John McCain. Howie is living in his usual delusional place if he continues to blame just the Democrats for the economy tanking. McCain and all his fellow Republicans were gleefully shuffling up to the trough throughout the whole process. I understand Howie is upset because his grandfather lost, but let’s be real.

By the way, has Howie Carr, in his delusional state, ever met Sarah Palin, who lives in her delusional state (Russia/foreign policy)?

- Bruce McPhee, Yarmouth

Rush Limbaugh had a great point yesterday, that Obama’s “progressive” left will be forced to find new outlets for their eternal rage and anger. With Bush gone, what will they do?

Clearly, as Bruce McPhee indicates, attacking those who dare to criticize their cult leader / messiah will provide one avenue for rage release.

Welcome To SaveWRKO.com

For over 25 years, Boston’s WRKO has been a national news-talk trendsetter, providing for New England a rare dissenting voice against Boston’s entrenched media and political establishment.

From the legendary voice of the late Jerry Williams, to Howie Carr and others heard today, it continues to provide a rare check on the excesses of Beacon Hill’s powerful elite.

In turn, WRKO’s fiercely loyal listeners have rewarded the station with consistently high ratings and substantial revenues.

And now, with Massachusetts facing single-party rule and few opportunities for speaking out against the tax-and-spend agendas of Governor Deval Patrick and his legislative partisans, WRKO is needed now more than ever before.

Without any apparent business-related reason, however, WRKO as we know it is now facing sudden extinction. In recent months, we’ve seen multi-sided debates between callers and hosts disappear, while fluffy, non-controversial programming takes its place.

We’ve seen WRKO’s entire newsroom shown the door, including award-winning anchors and reporters, for reasons that still remain baffling.

And we’ve also noticed an obvious clampdown on conservative opinions, in addition to an apparent edict against criticism of Governor Patrick outside of Carr’s program.

In its place, there are news reports that the ultimate Beacon Hill Democrat Party insider, convicted felon Tom Finneran, will soon be handed the all-important morning drive slot, despite his incompatibility with the station’s audience and lack of full-time talk radio experience.

Next, we wonder how long it will take before industry leaders Rush Limbaugh and Howie Carr are also removed from the station’s lineup.

Beyond that, WRKO is for the first time ever run by local managers without any experience programming talk radio. With their flawed decision-making, that lack of format expertise shows. In addition, it appears that one local executive is attempting to impose her own tastes on an unwilling audience.

While we understand that airing Red Sox games will likely boost evening ratings, there is simply no justification for throwing away the rest of the station’s schedule, especially when there’s no evidence that planned changes could improve the station’s ratings and revenue.

Watching the wholly unnecessary implosion of a great heritage talk radio station is sad, but hopefully preventable. Now, WRKO’s many listeners must make their voices heard, before it is too late.