[BC] Building an audience

[Rich Wood]

------ At 02:33 PM 10/14/2005, cldube wrote: -------

>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.

I remember the history of WSPR. I affiliated them with ABC. I also 
cancelled them when they didn't return affidavits. The engineer of 
WDEW, Westfield, moved over there. His first name was Larry. I recall 
visiting the transmitter site as a kid. Their PD had something called 
Music Director. I believe it was owned for a while by a friend of 
mine, Al Herskovitz.

I'm shocked that you think Limbaugh is more than just entertainment! 
Just because the only guest he's ever had was Daddy Bush shouldn't 
give you the impression that he "means" it. I'm sure such a 
suggestion would pain him. I mean pain him even more than Vicodin and 
Oxycontin can cure. Surely if he meant it he never would have become 
one of the lowlife druggies he rants about.

>We experimented a lot with different talk shows from such places as 
>Sun Radio Network (remember Chuck Harder?)

Yes. Chuck worked for me when I went to IDT/TalkAmerica. Chuck was 
with almost every small network that ever existed. Chuck's a good guy.

> >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!").

At the time an association with the one-gloved one would have been a 
great boost. Today Michael Jackson, the Talk Show Host, might want to 
change his name.

Rich