Posted on 01/02/2007 7:23:52 PM PST by freedomdefender
McALLEN — Some of the biggest names in conservative talk radio have been stripped of their microphones — at least in the Rio Grande Valley.
Bill O’Reilly, Glenn Beck and Michael Savage are among the radio talk show hosts who will no longer have a spot on the local airwaves after Clear Channel pulled the plug on Brownsville’s KVNS News Talk 1700 AM.
The station has switched over to a new Spanish format that will play songs from the 1970s to 1990s.
The three-year-old station couldn’t draw a large enough audience, said operations manager Billy Santiago.
“We couldn’t get any ratings on that station first of all,” Santiago said. “From a revenue standpoint, we weren’t making a lot of money.”
Since KVNS broadcasts from Brownsville, it was often difficult to clearly get the station’s signal from McAllen westward. The station once considered moving to McAllen, but that plan never came to fruition.
KVNS was one of the lowest rated on AM radio. It carried a 0.4 percent market share, according to Arbitron, similar to that of KSOX, the ESPN sports affiliate that was temporarily axed in 1999 and has been recently battling some transmission issues due to windy weather in the area since Thursday morning.
Some upset listeners have called KVNS to show their displeasure for dropping their favorite radio shows, but since there were few listeners in the first place, calls have been limited.
Joann Teuscher, a Winter Texan who lives in Harlingen, listened to “The Glenn Beck Program” back home in Akron, Ohio, and counted on KVNS to play her favorite program when she moved to the Valley for the cooler months.
“I love Glenn Beck,” she said. “He’s like ‘Saturday Night Live’ on the radio.”
She called the station and complained to Santiago when her program disappeared last week, but she was only urged to rally her fellow listeners.
If the stations new format doesn’t work out and enough talk radio listeners complain, the station format could be switched back, Santiago told her. Now, Teuscher’s trying to mobilize the other listeners at her mobile home park to e-mail the station manager.
Beck, Bill O’Reilly and Michael Savage were the highest-rated programs on the stations, but there was not a local program to hook a local audience, Santiago said.
Those programs have not been picked up by another station.
The Valley still has one English-language news talk radio station. KURV, based in McAllen, has the highest AM radio ratings in the area. It has a 2.4 percent market share with program hosts such as Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity.
Santiago said the Valley may not be a good market for two English-language talk radio stations.
“From a revenue standpoint the news talk audience goes to KURV,” he said. “We were left with crumbs.”
BTW I saw your post to the other guy I am not stalking you, just responding to a post you made on this thread.
and the nation is lesser for it.
"If I weren’t so darned old, I would rush out and buy some Spanish Language Learning CD’s. Get it over with … La salsa seems to be our destiny. Or Arabic …"
Maybe both? After all, the moors did control spain for quite a long spell.
He sounds like another victim of the drive by media. I guess all who call themselves conservative are immune to falling for stupid msm sound bites.
Frankie Yankovic (Peace be unto Him)
Excellent point! AMEGO (pun intended)
Polkas, the Macarena, disco, and bell bottoms are rightfully banished to the trash heap of pop culture.
Mexican Radio - Wall of Voodoo
I feel a hot wind on my shoulder
and the touch of a world that is older
I turn the switch and check the number
I leave it on when in bed I slumber
I hear the rhythms of the music
I buy the product and never use it
I hear the talking of the dj
Can't understand, just what does he say?
I'm on a Mexican radio
I'm on a Mexican - whoah - radio
I'm on a Mexican radio
I'm on a Mexican - whoah - radio
I dial it in and tune the station
They talk about the U.S. inflation
I understand just a little
No comprende, it's a riddle
I'm on a Mexican radio
I'm on a Mexican - whoah - radio
I'm on a Mexican radio
I'm on a Mexican - whoah - radio
I wish I was in Tiajuana
Eating barbecued iguana
I'd take requests on the telephone
I'm on a wavelength far from home
I feel a hot wind on my shoulder
I dial it in from south of the border I hear the talking of the dj
Can't understand, just what does he say?
I'm on a Mexican radio
I'm on a Mexican - whoah - radio
I'm on a Mexican radio
I'm on a Mexican - whoah - radio
Radio, radio,
Radio, radio...
(what does he say?)
Shows the glaring need for a spanish speaking conservative talk show.
I'm also in favor of lentil soup, but I didn't have enough room in my tag line.
Stan Ridgeway is a genius.
I spent New Years down in Mexico, fun in the sand. All the bars down there had Sirius sattelite radio on, kinda ironic. I like to listen to a radio station out of LA, but sometimes it gets hashed over by one in Hermisillo, its a bummer.
Well we agree on something. I detest Savage. I wouldn't call him a conservative though, more like a ranting madman.
Agreed, he did some great solo stuff in addition to WoV.
Says a guy from California? LOL
I'm leaving California.
I loved "Don't box me in", it had that weird hypnotic riff in it. Music stinks today.
And all this time I thought Texaco was only a gas station...now I'll add it to Mexifornia as a "lost-state".
What a shame.
I will be moving back to the Valley from San Antonio and will miss hearing Savage and O'Reilly.
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