[BC] Building an audience

[cldube]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rich Wood" <richwood at pobox.com>
To: "Broadcast Radio Mailing List" <broadcast at radiolists.net>
Sent: Friday, October 14, 2005 12:50 PM
Subject: Re: [BC] Building an audience


> he had been entertaining. We had a Liberal well before Rush. At ABC we had 
> Michael Jackson (the one with two gloves). We syndicated him for years 
> before Rush. Trouble was, he was genteel. He had a South African accent 
> (mistaken for British) and actually had guests and insulted no one. Rush 
> came along and took the time slot just before Michael, banged pots and 
> pans, did parody songs and insulted every minority he could find.

When I started at the "twin towers of power" in West Springfield (1270 am), 
we carried that ABC Talkradio package with
Jackson, whom I greatly enjoyed (isn't he doing Food Network things these 
days?). He had a good, not bombastic, delivery and stunningly enough worked 
with facts. Probably his biggest mistake. Your description of early Limbaugh 
is spot on. But we must remember that Limbaugh was strictly "entertainment" 
then. Just riling up the sleeping masses. Not one who really "means" it. At 
least, that's what he proported himself to be. He worked hard though. Had 
the Rush to excellence tours every weekend. He was far from just a rabid 
voice behind the mic.

We experimented a lot with different talk shows from such places as Sun 
Radio Network (remember Chuck Harder?) and
(I think) American Radio Network. Aside from the ABC shows, it was a 
hodgepodge. After I left the station to go keep oldies on the air, Rush left 
as well, apparently as his popularity grew so did the rates and even though 
other stations in the area struggled to get him on their afternoon 
schedules, only the largest stations achieved this. 1270 went dark months 
later sadly enough (the recession hit that area very hard in 90/91. I 
remember spots going for $12.70- ouch!).

 >The original 2 hour Limbaugh
> show was noisy. It was followed on many stations by Jackson and all became 
> quiet and polite. Like falling off a cliff. Had Jackson been scheduled 
> before Limbaugh things might have been different. We'll never know.

It's interesting to think about that. I wonder if Jackson also might also 
have had a problem just with his name, which I'm sure might have confused 
some listeners (" I won't listen to a radio show with that guy.... he's a 
freak!").

Chuck