Huckabee Quit Because Cumulus Didn't Clear Him

12-30-13

Reflecting on his brief career as a daily talk show host, Mike Huckabee told Politico that when he realized Cumulus wasn't going to make a real effort to syndicate him across the country, he took "an out" he had in his contract. Huckabee was marketed by Cumulus in April 2012 as less confrontational. His show ended in December of 2013 as Cumulus focused more on keeping Rush Limbaugh in the noon to 3 p.m. slot and adding Michael Savage to afternoon drive.

Huckabee told Politico, "I thought, OK, I can keep doing this with the unrealized hopes that they?re going to start clearing me on other markets and really make this thing where it has the footprint that it needs and the revenue that would make justifiable for me that kind of time. But, in reality, I just didn?t want to be pinned down without some kind of guarantee that that was going to happen. And when that wasn?t coming, you know, it was the right decision to make.?

Huckabee also told Politico that of all the things his done over the past two decades, being a talk show host was the easiest. "Being a candidate, being an officeholder and being a talk show host, far and away the easiest of those is a talk show host. It?s time-consuming, but the fact is you?re not responsible for the outcome of any of the ideas that you express. I can say whatever I want to. I totally control the medium. If there?s a caller I don?t like, I either don?t put him up or if he starts saying something I don?t like, I can push one button and he?s gone. How I wish I could have pushed buttons and caused some legislators to disappear. That would have been wonderful.?

Read the Politico piece HERE

Add a Comment Send This Story To A Friend

View the original article here

From Huckabee to Cincinnati

12-20-13

Cumulus Media Cincinnati has named Casey Acevedo as Executive Producer for ?BMR? (Bob and Marianne Radio) at AC WRRM. Casey most recently produced ?The Mike Huckabee Show? for Cumulus Media Networks in Dallas as well as former producing roles with ?Your Time with Kim Iverson? and the ?Dave and Jeri Morning Show? in Grand Rapids.

View the original article here

Huckabee Ends Radio Show

11-27-13

Mike Huckabee posted the following message on Facebook today. "The Mike Huckabee Show on radio, which was heard 3 hours a day on over 200 radio stations across the country since April of 2012 will conclude its run at the end of the final show on Thursday, December 12. This does not in any way effect The Huckabee Report, my three times daily commentary which is now heard on over 500 radio stations and continues to grow. It will remain without interruption and grow in the future. I have loved doing the Mike Huckabee Show, and it's success of going from launch to over 200 stations in less than 2 years is significant, but the contract was at a decision point for both Cumulus Media and me, and we mutually agreed to conclude."

(11/28/2013 7:52:54 AM)
I believe this was planned. He would have had to give up his show to run for president in 2016 anyway.
(11/27/2013 9:20:18 PM)
"Loud Mouth"...hmmmm...

A free society depends upon proper discourse. I'm a fan of great radio, whether it's proferred by 'liberal' or 'conservative' voices. Name-calling creates heat, but sheds no light.

(11/27/2013 1:34:49 PM)
Another third-tier conservative loud mouth silenced by lack of ratings success. Don't let the door hit you on the way out Mike.

Add a Comment | View All Comments Send This Story To A Friend

View the original article here

Huckabee Says The Show Must Go On

5-13-13

Last week it seemed Mike Huckabee was unclear about the future of his radio show. This quote in the publication Arkansas Business caused that speculation. "Within the next month, I?ll decide if I want to continue it or not." On Friday Newsmax interviewed Huckabee who said, "I'm hoping that we're going to continue right on. That's my plan and my hope and so there's nothing to report other than I'll be on the air today and next week and, as far as I know, for the long term to come. I've enjoyed it. It's been a terrific outlet for me." Huckabee is syndicated by Cumulus on over 200 stations.

View the original article here

Huckabee to Fill the Ramsey Slot

12-10-2012

It could have been, as Ramsey put it, an inability to agree on a simple renewal. Or it could be that Cumulus was simply looking to give more time to Mike Huckabee, who is part of the Cumulus Media roster. Huckabee will now air from noon to 3 p.m. on WWTN-FM (99.7) in Nashville. Michael Savage is also added to the station and will air from 10 p.m.-1 a.m. The changes go into effect January 1.

Cumulus/Nashville Market Manager Mike Carpenter said, "We believe in the Mike Huckabee Show and anticipate that this change will accelerate the governor's popularity in Nashville. Mike is a man of such character that we feel our clients will appreciate the opportunity to make him a key part of their marketing plans. His on-air interest in music expands our talk repertoire and will play extremely well in a city where the music industry is the number three employer. As for Savage, we assure you that a large number of our listeners will be happy to learn that their pleas have been heard and that Michael Savage is back on in Nashville."

Add a Comment Send This Story To A Friend

View the original article here

Huckabee Hits 200 Station Mark

10-11-2012

The Mike Huckabee Show is officially at 200 affiliates with six additional markets picking up the show, including Raleigh and Fresno. Cumulus launched Huckabee into syndication a little over six months ago, calling his show "More Conversation. Less Confrontation." WPTK-AM picked up Huckabee in Raleigh and KGED-AM in Fresno. He can also be heard now in La Crosse, MN on KWNO-AM; Sioux Falls, SD on KSOO-AM; Sullivan, MO on KTUI-AM; and Flat River, MO on KFMO-AM.

View the original article here

Lew Gets a Little Defensive About Huckabee

8-10-2012

Responding to a statement from an analyst that Mike Huckabee isn't performing as well as had hoped, Lew Dickey, shot right back stating, "I take issue with your premise that Huckabee isn't going as well as we had hoped. Our team has done an excellent job of getting him cleared. We're off to a good start with the Governor. This is a marathon. We are solidly behind this." As Cumulus expands its talk network content, Governor Mike Huckabee and Geraldo are the two anchor talents, so far, that the company is building off of. Dickey says the company is in negotiations with other talent and additional announcements will be made soon.

Add a Comment Send This Story To A Friend

View the original article here

Huckabee Speaks to Full House at Conclave

7-20-2012

(by Fred Jacobs) It was an n interesting second day at the Conclave in Minneapolis, complete with fireworks. Mike Huckabee led off the festivities by being interviewed in front of a full house in the main ballroom. He had strong comments telling attendees, "Like politics and radio, you?re only as good as you were yesterday." He also added an interesting comment about those who say dumb, offensive things but, ?only apologize if I offended someone.?

In Huckabee?s mind, you should ?Man up and admit you made a mistake.? He compared the role of a Vice President to a spare tire: ?You?re kept in the dark, out of sight, but all pumped up and ready to go when you?re needed.? Says that local hosts make better interviewers because they ask deeper questions, connected to local issues and concerns.

Then, a couple of sessions where ?Minnesota Nice? was MIA. Starting with the ?Syndicated All-Star Session,? featuring Jim Brickman, Geoerge Noory, Todd Schnitt, and Andy Dean. It was moderated by Perry Michael Simon, and for a while was pretty much what you?d expect from a panel of nationwide hosts.

They talked about how they got started in the business, but then Andy Dean began to turn the session into what Pamela Muldoon referred to on Twitter as a WWE match. At times, Dean looked bored, aloof, and even not paying attention. At other times, he attacked Schnitt who gave as good as he got. Some attendees were either entertained by the banter, while others couldn?t believe it was happening. As one tweeter noted, there?s a fine line between arrogance and confidence.

Next up, ?Keeping It Local? moderated by Mike Stern, featuring Clear Channel?s Mike Crusham, WCCO PD Bob Shomper, Entercom Madison Ops Mgr David Moore, and consultant Keith Hill. In this session, Hill was the agent provocateur. He argued that radio is ?broken? because of voicetracking and cutbacks. He also advised attendees: ?Do not take a job at Clear Channel, Cumulus, or CBS. Find a job with a local owner-operator.? All this, with managers from Clear Channel and CBS on the panel. Moderator Stern fired back that there are lots of local owners who are pretty crazy, too.

On the substantive side, the panelists agreed on lots of things:
Social media and the Internet make it even easier for local hosts to prepare their shows.
Shomper: Vertical recycling works and helped grow CCO?s share.
Crusham: ?I bemoan the past but the past is gone.?
Crusham: ?Radio is tribal.?
All-time great local host? Dave Moore says Alaska?s Rick Rydell.
Shomper: Bob Sirott

The always inspiring Val Geller?s ?Finding Future Stars?
?All-stars are storyteller junkies. If you?re a great storyteller and love stories, you?re halfway there.?
And ?Every great talent takes risks.?
And Val?s big 3: Tell the truth, make it better, never be boring.

Doug Harris (head honcho at Noisemaker Communications) had a fun session that had
attendees taking notes?
Quotes: ?Sales thinks programming?s favorite word is ?no.? Programming thinks sales? favorite word is ?yes.? A PD?s best defense against bad sales promotions ? a ?station bill of rights.? Put together your rules for how promotions are going to be done at your station.

One of the more interesting sessions of the day, ?New Ways To Make Money,? moderated by Jacobs Media?s Paul Jacobs. On the panel, Chief Strategy Office of Federated Media James Derby, Dir of Bus Dev & Strategy for Hubbard Interactive Rob McCracken, Northern Lights Broadcasting?s Sam Elliot, and an interesting addition ? a non-radio person, Maureen Carlson from a company called Good Scout.

Paul Jacobs: ?Radio has two secret weapons and needs to leverage them ? our cume and our megaphone. Stop with the CPM and CPP.? Rob McCraken talked about how Hubbard has ?rebranded? its digital marketing efforts using ?2060 Digital.? He says they?ve become one of the biggest social media agencies in the Midwest.

Carlson talked about how non-profits are now using corporate dollars for cause marketing, but need media partners. Oftentimes, she doesn?t know which stations to talk to, or even who to talk to at the station. The room ? and the other panelists ? really responded to this, definitely thinking that non-profit + corporate opportunities may be a missed opportunity for radio.

To get help because they were using the receptionist to handle social media, Northern Lights? Elliot talked about how they?ve brought in an outside agency to help them with social.

Derby: Out of 7 reps at most stations, 1 or 1? ?get? digital.
McCracken: ?The old days with the PD and sales manager fighting over promos is over.? Important to get buy-in from both.
Derby noted that ad agencies are now referring business to Federated Media because of the sophistication of their digital departments.
Good Scout?s Carlson: Don?t give ways your PSAs or just show up at events. Sit down the non-profit and think about strategic opportunities that are win-win.
Federated Media?s Derby: ?It?s about the ask. The digital dollars are out there. Be aggressive.?

Finally, this quote from Matt Fisher (mornings, KKIA, The Moose) :?Conclave is such a valuable tool for the radio industry. I wish more stations and staff members were here to benefit.?

Reach out to Fred Jacobs via e-mail fredjacobs@jacobsmedia.com
Check out his blog
www.jacobsmedia.com
Follow on Twitter @fnjacobs

Add a Comment Send This Story To A Friend

View the original article here

Boortz Not Buying Huckabee or Smerconish "Friendlier" Talk Angle

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.

(4/23/2012 1:13:37 AM)
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.

Add a Comment | View All Comments Send This Story To A Friend

View the original article here

The Buildup And Hype End. Huckabee Goes Live at Noon

4-9-2012

Mike Huckabee officially launches his long-form 3-hour program on over 170 stations nationwide today. Many stations will carry Huckabee live at noon eastern while others take him on delay. And while the Sandra Fluke incident involving Rush has given Huckabee a lot of national attention he may not have received otherwise, it's now about entertaining the audience and producing ratings. And, as one 25-year network industry vet told us, it's not really about competing with Rush. "With just 38% of the affiliations actually airing the program at the same time as Rush Limbaugh?s program, it?s not accurate to represent that the two programs will compete for audiences, given the numerous delayed clearances." Huckabee kicks off his program with Mitt Romney as guest number one.

WOR-AM New York General Manager Jerry Crowley, who picked up the show, says "We like to have hosts who are rational and controlled, and don't upset the landscape in a manner that is shouldn't be upset when you are discussing issues. You've seen a lot of that recently.  Obviously, the 800 pound gorilla in the room is what Rush did. I think that it dealt a serious blow to talk radio. I think, in a number of ways, certainly advertisers have raised an eyebrow about how and when and where they want to advertise with respect to that. I just don't think it was a good thing." The Huckabee slugline is: "Conservative...and not mad about it."

Huckabee tells Radio Ink he's been taking all the hype about his show in stride. "The main thing I have been doing is a lot of prayer, a lot of crying, wetting the bed at night. One of the things that is helpful for me is I am already doing, or course, the commentaries on FOX News. Everyday, I am absorbing vast amounts of material on current events. I would probably be doing it anyway, just because that's where my interests have been for the last 30 years. It is not really in terms of mentally transferring over to getting interested in all the current topics of the day. That is not difficult. The biggest thing that I am trying to think through is what kind of guests that we can have, what kind of content is on that can be compelling, informative, and at the same time, entertaining. I want it to be a fun show. I want it to be one where rather than people listen to it for two hours a day and then have to go take blood pressure medication, I really want it to be a show where they are thoughtfully informed, they  have information that they haven't had, they get a perspective that they may not have heard. I think that's one thing that I will bring to talk radio that is a little different, having been one of the actual people on the arena floor, not just an observer. I want then to have fun. I want them to not slam the door of their car when they get out of it walking into their office building."

See more coverage on the issue at The Politico

Add a Comment Send This Story To A Friend

View the original article here

Dickey: The Timing is Right For Huckabee

4-5-2012

With the national launch of the Mike Huckabee show only days away, Cumulus Co-COO John Dickey tells Radio Ink listeners are fatigued by what they are hearing now and Huckabee is coming along at just the right time. "I think people are fatigued. We can see that in ratings in these talk stations. You can look at Rush's ratings which have trended down, look at Hannity's ratings which are trending down. You can look at what's become of Beck and his business and his model. People are tired." Mike Huckabee is on the cover of an upcoming issue of Radio Ink where Dickey goes into more detail of how this relationship came about. Here's more of what you'll read in that issue."

Here is more from our upcoming interview with John Dickey. "I think the Governor is bringing to the table a wealth of experience, and intelligence, and perspective on a whole host of issues. Just naturally, he is an entertainer. He certainly has the gift of gab. I think above and beyond all of that, he's got a sensibility and a civility about him that I think has been very much absent from the talk landscape over the last few years. I think people are fatigued. We can see that in ratings in these talk stations. You can look at Rush's ratings which have trended down, look at Hannity's ratings which are trending down. You can look at what's become of Beck and his business and his model.  People are tired. It's no different than music based stations. If you burn out a record, you are going to lose TSL. If you burn out a subject and a perspective, you are going to lose TSL. I think what's happened in our format in talk and in news talk, is there hasn't been enough of a balance from a delivery perspective. It's not so much a balance left and right. It is just a balance of how a product is delivered and presented. I think the Governor is going to change that. He's going to open up the discourse to a wider group of people, by virtue of the fact that he's not going to intimidate and shout at people. I think you are going to see the Governor being more successful at bringing younger demos in, females in, minorities into the format. I think he's going to be more successful at holding people longer, because he is an entertainer. He's not going to lose sight of that, but he's also a very smart guy who has an opinion and he's not afraid to give it, but he does it in a very respectful way. I think that is what's going to happen. That's our perspective on what needs to be offered up here."

To order Radio Ink and have all 22 issues delivered to your iPad or smartphone GO HERE

(4/5/2012 6:50:54 AM)
I think Dickey is on point here. We all know the greatest enemy of success is the status quo--the habits listeners have formed over the years--but I expect CC to engage in some very aggressive marketing to take advantage of the discontent with edgy, hyperbolic talk radio and to perhaps even attract some new ones.

Add a Comment | View All Comments Send This Story To A Friend

View the original article here

Here Comes Huckabee

3-30-2012

The Mike Huckabee national syndication launch is 10 days away and Cumulus is lining up affiliates for the former Arkansas Governor's Noon to 3PM slot. It's a talk radio position that has been dominated by Rush Limbaugh for nearly 25 years. And it's a slot Cumulus thinks it can chip away at following Limbaugh's recent issue involving Sandra Fluke. Huckabee will appear on an upcoming cover of Radio Ink magazine and in our interview he addresses the upcoming Limbaugh battle for the first time. Here is an excerpt from our upcoming interview.

"You know, Rush is sort of an institution in himself. I think they were unfortunate comments. Had they been made spontaneously once, and then he said "Gee, that wasn't really what I intended to say," I think that would have been one thing. I think the fact that he camped out on it for three days and then only after the overwhelming outcry did he walk back was problematic. It is one thing to say that a person's point of view is ill-advised or even stupid. I think one can say that. But when it goes into calling a private citizen very derogatory names, I think most people, whether they are right or left, will say "Gee, maybe that's not quite where we want to go." If a person is a public figure, even then, I'm not sure it's necessary to go into, what I would call, some very serious name calling. When it is a person who is not a public official, not elected to anything, not running for anything, not a celebrity, not a person who had stuck him or herself out in the public square to say "By golly, I am a gladiator on the field, " then I think people are genuinely uncomfortable with that.

To order Radio Ink on your iPad GO HERE
To order our print issue in time to receive the Mike Huckabee issue GO HERE

(3/30/2012 12:51:42 PM)
There`s nothing wrong with a good debate but when you have to resort to calling names that`s where the debating ends and the bullying begins.
I think margaret thatcher said it best when she said:

"I always cheer up immensely if an attack is particularly wounding because I think, well, if they attack one personally, it means they have not a single political argument left.
-Margaret Thatcher"

Add a Comment | View All Comments Send This Story To A Friend

View the original article here