Thursday, December 07, 2006

BREAKING NEWS: "The Revolution of Talk Radio" Runs Out of Gas in Cincy

Not like we didn't see this coming.

Clear Channel talk WSAI/1360 in Cincinnati is dropping the liberal talk format that has been "home base" for ex-Queen City mayor and TV anchor (and trash TV host) Jerry Springer, according to Cincinnati Enquirer TV/radio guru John Kiesewetter.

Starting Monday, the station will be known, both on-air and online, as "1360TheSource.com". It'll keep talking, but with advice and consumer shows instead of liberal politics, with Jones Radio's Clark Howard playing a key role (airing in afternoon AND morning drive, the latter a repeat of the previous day's show).

The station's new incarnation also returns former Premiere host Dr. Laura Schlessinger not only to the Cincinnati airwaves, but to her first major Ohio market in some time. Until now, she's been relegated to places like Findlay and Canton as far as her affiliate base goes...a long cry from when she was heard on major Clear Channel news/talkers all over the state.

"1360TheSource.com" will also air a number of existing advice-based talk programs from sister WKRC/550, including the Cincinnati-based Clear Channel show "At Home with Gary Sullivan" and other such shows - on delay.

It's also the second Clear Channel talk outlet in the country to brand on-air with its website URL. Talk WRNO/99.5 in New Orleans is known on the air as "TheNew995FM.com".

As for the format dump of liberal talk?

Just about anyone who's spent over five minutes in a news/talk radio station could have told you it would happen, once local name Jerry Springer's radio show was abandoned. And even with "Jerry, Jerry, Jerry" aboard, the station had trouble drawing any significant audience...

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Is Progressive Talk coming to an end at Radio Free Ohio? What's with all the "self help" features they have been running during programs? Are they paving the way for an "Advice" format in Akron?