Columbus OH loses Progressive Radio-station turns to right format

[mod mom]

Station’s format to turn right
Saturday, December 23, 2006
Tim Feran
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH


Liberal listeners in central Ohio will lose their only radio voice next month when WTPG (1230 AM) drops its format of "progressive talk" and makes a hard right turn.

Out: Al Franken, Stephanie Miller, Ed Schultz and Randi Rhodes.

In: Michael Savage, Laura Ingraham and a mix of sports and consumer shows featuring Jim Rome and Dave Ramsey.

The station will change its call letters to WYTS on Monday; the new format will begin at 9 a.m. Jan. 9.

-snip

http://www.dispatch.com/features-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/12/23/20061223-B6-02.html

[Botany]

1. I knew this was coming ....

When they started putting on Bowling Green Football.
Stephanie Miller was pulling in killer ratings too.

..... WTPG was a big help in turning Ohio from Red to Blue and
the "powers that be" could not stand by and let that happen again.

I hate to think I will be Stephless.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=315x8271

post #3 Stephanie Miller & me (buddy) when she packed the house during her Columbus visit.

[Ezlivin]

2. WYTS - Why You Think Stupidly

I'm sure that others can come up with suitable acronyms using the station's call letters....

[PFunk]

3. I'm surprised it's lasted this long.

Things like this are the reason why satelite and internet radio are now so popular. And it will probally be normal radio's downfall when the they can put out a portable, low cost unit that picks up internet streams.

[GCP]

4. Boston lost its only progressive radio network this week also

We now have salsa 24/7 - un-fucking-believable in one of the most liberal cities in the nation.

[Buzz Clik]

5. Well, folks. Clearly there was no profitable market for liberal radio.

[depakid]

6. Yep- in a state where communities have been devastated

and is NUMBER 1 in job losses due to far right trade and economic policies.

Que: Crissy Hines and the Pretenders:

"Way to go, Ohio."

[Berry Cool]

22. Chrissie Hynde, actually, but you got the sentiment right.

"Well I went back to Ohio, and my progressive radio was gone."

Actually, though, the good news is that Radio Free Ohio is still alive and well in Chrissie's hometown of Akron. Thank goodness.

[GCP]

7. Yeah right

It's almost as if there's a concerted effort underway to shut down liberal voices.
I don't believe it's anything to do with ratings.
The fascists really are winning.

[Botany]

11. It is happening nationwide

Columbus is a dem city ..... Ohio just went blue big time ....
there should have been a market for the station and plenty
of people who wanted to reach it's listeners ....

Boston, Cincinnati, and others have dropped liberal talk
too.

I know Stephanie pulls in great ratings in Columbus but
has very little local advertisers ... something stinks.

[Buzz Clik]

14. Before AAR, there was almost nothing available.

AAR was propped up by benefactors, and the money is gone.

[Botany]

16. I understand Air America going belly up but that does not make

..... the format of progressive not viable. Jones Radio which has Steph &
Ed is profitable and gets good ratings.

Steph is very big in Columbus (where I live) and yet there was never any push
for local sponsorship.

Ohio just elected a dem governor, senator, sec. of state, and A.G.. The race for
Congress here went down the wire before 7 term republican Pryce squeaked
it out (1,000 votes) in a rigged district.

This is about shutting down "a voice" that the right did not want to hear.
BTW how does adding more right wing talkers and sports to an already saturated
market make sense?
*************************************

http://ltradio.blogspot.com/2006/12/changes-are-coming-to-wtpg.html


Of course, this is all mere speculation. WTPG might not even change formats. After all, ratings-wise, 1230AM has done better with progressive talk than with their last several formats. During the 1960s and 1970's, WCOL ruled the Top-40 roost in Columbus. As music-formatted AM stations were eclipsed by more powerful and better sounding FM signals, many of the abandoned AM facilities were in a rut. They tried conservative talk and all-sports, with poor results. The station returned the WCOL call letters in 2003, complete with an oldies format, but the automated station was a shell of its former self.

Since September 2004, when they flipped to progressive talk and even became the first affiliate for Miller's current radio show, ratings have tripled. While ratings have been mediocre at best, WTPG's progressive talk format has given the station its highest ratings in years. Then again, it seems the braintrusts at the Clear Channel fire sale don't really care about ratings, just so long as they can do it as cheaply as possible (though syndicated progressive talk is an outrageously cheap format to run). So, whatever happens to WTPG, who knows?

[Buzz Clik]

12. You really think that an owner would shut down a profitable format?

[Junkdrawer]

19. How The Conservative/Big Business Alliance Bankrupted Air America....

Few things raised joyfull cackles among Republicans in the waning days of 2006. Many, however regarded the bankruptcy of Air America as a bright spot in an otherwise dismal fall. Talk radio, it appeared, remained part of the conservative “heartland” where such liberal voices as Al Franken meet a resounding silence.

However, as reported by the New York Times, the story may have a lot more to it then a tale of silly liberals who can't run a business and have nothing interesting to say. It appears that 90 major national advertisers engaged in a boycott of Air America programming, to the extent that they wanted their advertising stripped out of syndicated material from other sources (here, ABC Radio Network). The interesting question, of course, is why would supposedly dissinterested companies with no motivation to interefere with domestic politics want to drive Air America out of business?

Hahahahaha.....I love it when I ask silly rhetorical questions like that. For a further specualtion on what apparently went on and why I think the new, Democratic Congress might want to do a little investigatin' into the Case of Secret Boycott, see below....

...
http://www.wetmachine.com/item/634

[A Brand New World]

8. Well I'm completely bummed! That was the radio station I

listened to everyday. I guess it's time to break out the CD's again.

[Armstead]

9. Three words: Clear Channel Monopoly

One of Air America's (and liberal talk in general) biggest mistake was banking so heavily on their affiliatioin with Clear Channel.

Clear Channel knows right wing talk. That's what they do. A leopard can;t change its' spots.

And by allowing companies like Clear Channel to own multiple outlets in single markets, the FCC and the US Government (both parties) gave away any chance that local ownership with a committment to what goes out over the air would have the patience tyo nurture new formats.

[kma3346]

10. The listeners need to voice their protest

The same thing happened in Madison, Wisconsin. The only progressive radio station was shut down and a FOX sports station (which nobody wanted) took it's place. Well, I heard the other day that so many people protested that they brought back the progressive station. I'm lucky to live in the SF Bay area where we get Stephanie, Thom Hartman (who I've really gotten to like), Ed Schultz, Rachel Maddow, Randi Rhodes, AND Mike Malloy (hooray!) on a regular AM radio station. Now if they would add Sam Seder to their lineup, it would be perfect!

[welshTerrier2]

13. Madison staying on the air

here's a link about AAR staying on the air in Madison, WI: http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/1222-06.htm

[Lusted4]

15. ((XM)) 167 Air America 24/7 The best investment I have ever made.

What ever happened to those meetings John Conyers was having on one sided media?
I hope he has more of them. And I hope he holds them in the basement again. ( just to add flare )

[Lady President]

17. Sad, but expected

Since WTPG started I never saw a single ad for the station in the MSM. There would be ads in the alternative papers-- The Other Paper, The Lantern, Columbus Alive, etc., but that was it.

I make the daily drive from the 'burbs to downtown, and I will really miss it. Viva NPR!

[SoCalDem]

18. You're surprised?

There's a pivotal election coming up in 08. Why would they money-boys want a liberal viewpoint getting out to the people.

Better to have every station tuned into the rightwing spin, so it's hard to or impossible to hear dissention from their spin.

[sallyseven]

20. Clear Channel bought up the Boston Stations

and the providence station. Boston will carry only latino programing and the Providence on will carry Hannity and other trash right wing stuff. Going to have to stream on my computer now.

[sallyseven]

21. Clear Channel bought up the Boston Stations

and the providence station. Boston will carry only latino programing and the Providence on will carry Hannity and other trash right wing stuff. Going to have to stream on my computer now.

[Red Zelda]

23. THIS is the real medium!

Radio and newspapers are dead.
It's up to us to keep pulling people here and to other LW sites.