Posted on 04/09/2012 11:01:52 AM PDT by raccoonradio
(RUMOR OF...)Smerconish to Bump Limbaugh from WPHT. And possibly more than that…but first things first. A very hot rumor out of Philadelphia has WYD Media-produced Michael Smerconish’s nationally syndicated program airing live 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm on CBS Radio’s news/talk WPHT– where Premiere Networks’ Rush Limbaugh does right now. Smerconish is currently delayed to PM drive on WPHT. Radio-Info’s Tom Taylor wrote about the other part of this rumor in his morning blast on 4/6: Merlin Media may be planning to go talk and not all-news on WKDN-FM, Philadelphia – its new property which is still airing Christian programming from prior owner Family Stations. With former WBT-AM/FM, Charlotte morning drive host (and Philly native) Al Gardner hired to program and possibly host mornings at WKDN-FM and Rush Limbaugh possibly soon-to-be-available (plus Premiere’s Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck available, as Tom Taylor points out), a move to talk would be much less personnel intensive and would enjoy the ability to grab three of the biggest news/talk personalities in the business. But there’s more…other chatter coming out of New York is that Merlin Media has been talking to Premiere Networks about bringing Rush Limbaugh to its all-newser FM News 101.9 (WEMP-FM) if Cumulus Media decides to put new national syndication rollout Mike Huckabee on WABC in Limbaugh’s place. Then one would have to ask the question, “Would Merlin do the same with WWWN-FM, Chicago if Cumulus bumped Limbaugh in exchange for Huckabee on its news/talker WLS?” Stay tuned.
A post at the New York board of http://www.radio-info.com by industry expert Scott Fybush: “Premiere is already doing business with a CC competitor in New York, and that competitor, Cumulus, has all done everything short of taking out a billboard in Times Square to announce that it’s not a guaranteed renewal for Rush at WABC and WLS when the current contract is up, and that it intends to take as much of its business in-house as it possibly can. Since there’s no in-house CC station in NYC to go talk (no, they’re not going to flip Power or KTU or Q!), the prudent thing to do is to line up another outlet in case the need arises. The ratings are a red herring in this case: for a show like Rush where the main income stream is the cash that stations pay for the rights to the show, what matters here is continuing that cash flow and maintaining a clearance in market #1. Merlin’s cash is presumably just as green as anyone else’s in this case.”
The very definition of a squishy RINO. And a Spectre fellator to boot.
Going inhouse is the new big thing. Bortz and Clark Howard at Cox are classic examples.
it’s all about $
We’ll see what happens in Philly. (In Boston Smerc is on
WTKK 96.9 while Rush airs on WXKS 1200) In NYC supposedly
Cumulus says they’ll keep Rush on WABC till his contract
on ‘ABC expires in 2013, with Huck going to WOR but maybe
when contract expires, Rush to FM and Huck to 770...?
Was not able to stomach Smerconish for more than five minutes...he was a great ratings boost...for the other stations!
A radio consultant/historian I know who is on the left politically said she admires Smerc’s show. Translation:
if you must listen to someone to the right of Air America,
then listen to RINO Smerconish.
The Hell with Smerconish...he went in the tank for 0bama and has Snarlin Arlen on every ther show. On top of that, I find his voice like nails on a chalkboard. His work for Dan Faulkner’s family notwithstanding, I will not listen to his show. Ever again.
This does bring up an interesting topic:
Eventually, Rush will no longer be on the air because, at some point, he will retire or he will pass on.
What then? He and everyone know he is the undisputed king of Conservative radio, and a huge moneymaker for everyone involved. How does he pass that mantle on? Or does he simply leave, and create an enormous void in his wake?
The WPHT signal is so horrible it hardly matters. 10 miles away it’s pure noise, and WDEL isn’t much better. I stream it over the net.
You have a strong stomach!
Very interesting to note that this story about Michael Smerconish is followed immediately on the FR page by a story about head and body lice infestations.
Coincidence?
I don't see why he would move to FM. I can't imagine that he couldn't get five million internet subscriptions at $30/year. That's $150 mil. And it would frost the liberals because they would have to pay to listen!
ML/NJ
Smerconish runs a decent program as long as he avoids poltics. Unfortunately for Smerconish, the bulk of talk radio listeners tune in for conservative political talk, and that’s not something Smerconish can credibly deliver.(The liberal simpleton voted for the corrupt and incompetent Kenyan communist!)
I enjoy his show from time to time - - he recently did a truly great show where he interviewed the incomparable Jerry Blavat - - but as soon as he swerves into politics, I push the button and go over to music or sports talk or Hannity, or even Medved.
Smerconish is useless. I don’t like him at all. Huckabee is the same. I don’t like Beck, either, or Hannity. Rush is the best by far.
His show, in a nutshell, is "I ... me .... my .... mine .... I ..... I .... I"
More confirmation of the Philly move via NY Times
>>Nonetheless, the move is likely to gain attention because Mr. Limbaugh’s show has been under scrutiny lately. On Monday, a new competitor, “The Mike Huckabee Show,” started broadcasting nationally in Mr. Limbaugh’s noon-to-3 p.m. time slot.
>>It is unclear when the change will take place in Philadelphia. The company that syndicates Mr. Limbaugh’s show, Premiere Radio Networks, declined to comment.
But Premiere has indicated that it will be moving Mr. Limbaugh to a new station in Philadelphia. Radio-Info.com reported on Monday that it might be WKDN, a Christian programming station that is expected to be turned into a news-talk station soon.
>>To the untrained eye, it would appear to be a step down for “The Rush Limbaugh Show.” WKDN, with a 38,000-watt signal, is a smaller station than WPHT, which has a 50,000-watt signal. But WKDN is an FM station, while WPHT is an AM station, and Premiere has shown interest in moving its talk radio shows over to FM stations lately.
>>The owner of WPHT, CBS Radio, said in a statement on Monday afternoon, “Premiere recently notified WPHT they will be syndicating Rush Limbaugh on a new station in Philadelphia. As a result, we are pleased to be able to now showcase Michael, who is a well-known and acclaimed broadcaster in the market, in this new time period.”
Mr. Smerconish is a relative rarity on radio: a moderate.
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