4-24-2012
In the upcoming May 7th issue of Radio Ink magazine talker Neal Boortz discusses the recent push by Cumulus and others for a more toned down type of talk radio. Cumulus launched Mike Huckabee April 9th pushing the show as a friendlier conservative talk host. Boortz isn't buying that consumers have tired of the likes of Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and others and they want to see more talkers like Huckabee and Michael Smerconish. Boortz says listeners want to be entertained. "Mike Smerconish is immensely talented. Barack Obama likes him. But on the radio, he is not compelling or exciting. He is methodical and dependable. The listeners are not going to react with overwhelming enthusiasm to somebody like that."
Boortz adds, about Smerconish, "I can see where he would want to go on the air and say "The type of talk radio I do, that's what the consumers want. That is what they are going to be looking for in the future." It's a great sales pitch to get people to sign on to your show. I still think what the consumers are looking for is, number one, entertainment. They want to be entertained. It can be a liberal, a libertarian, or a conservative. It can be far-left or far-right. If they are entertained, they are going to tune in. The ratings are going to be there and the advertisers are going to be happy." Smerconish is syndicated by Dial Global.
In our interview with Boortz, he also says, "syndication is really destroying the supply of good local talk show hosts. The talent pool is very shallow. So, the wonderful world of syndication, while it's been marvelously lucrative for the few hosts that manage to really get into it, it has really smothered the development of local talk radio talent." Neal Boortz has now been on the air for over 40 years and is heard on over 200 radio stations.
To subscribe to Radio Ink in time to receive our May 7th issue which also includes a special report on talk radio GO HERE.
(4/23/2012 5:50:21 AM)
I'm sure the watering-down hole approach appeals to some controlling the media. Too long in broadcasting to not see the bias toward pro-government management of everything coming from news sources.
Fragmentation of sources in the media pleases those supporting big government makeovers. Truth telling IS difficult in a spin driven multimedia platform where the truth can be rewritten as it makes the circle.
While Steve (below) makes a valid and sobering point, the issue - as it applies to Radio is the following:
As an electronic medium, Radio impacts firstly, primarily and most powerfully as a medium that stirs emotions. As a medium that delivers information or "content" that is processed thoroughly by an audience, Radio suffers drastically.
So, even those who would be more so-called moderate and reasonable had better get excited about that if they want to be embraced by their audience. "Mellow" won't make it. Sorry, but that's the nature of our medium and we best get hip to that as a fact. Sooner would be better.
(4/22/2012 11:11:32 PM)". . . [H]e is not compelling or exciting. He is methodical and dependable."
I believe that tells you all you need to know about the current state of political dialog in America. We are entertaining ourselves straight out of a functioning democracy.
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