Posted on 12/23/2001 9:38:38 PM PST by RobFromGa
O’Reilly on Radio: It’s a ‘Done Deal’
Fox News Channel phenom Bill O’Reilly is gearing up for a network radio show on Westwood One beginning this March, NewsMax learned this weekend.
A source familiar with Westwood, the nation’s largest provider of content to radio stations, said the new O’Reilly program was "a done deal.”
As it stands, O’Reilly will go head-to-head with conservative Rush Limbaugh, the nation’s most listened to radio host, in the 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. EST slot.
O'Reilly will also join Westwood's stellar lineup of radio talent, which includes Don Imus, Laura Ingraham, Tom Leykis, G. Gordon Liddy and Jim Bohannon.
Our source said O’Reilly is anxious to get started, and Westwood has already begun lining up stations.
One major hiccup is finding O’Reilly a New York outlet, the nation’s biggest radio market and one believed to be key to an early syndication success.
Currently, talk station WABC in New York carries Rush Limbaugh.
Westwood is already in negotiations with WABC competitor, 50,000 watt powerhouse WOR, which airs "King of Talk” Bob Grant during rush hour.
Currently, WOR has no political talk for its Grant lead-in during the 12-3 slot. Still, WOR execs won’t give Westwood the time.
WOR has offered to air O’Reilly, but on tape delay in the evening.
But that move may mean O’Reilly’s radio program will compete with its top-rated cable program.
A success on talk radio will solidify O’Reilly as one of the top media properties in America.
His radio audience could easily be several times larger than his cable one, and industry experts say O’Reilly could easily pull $10 million a year from his radio gig – significantly more than his multi-million Fox deal.
O'Reilly would bring the same fresh perspective to the air also. I've read some of the transcripts from the FoxNews site, and ol' Bill knows how to ask pointed questions of everybody. I'd give it a listen, if I can pick up a station, since we're pretty much Clear Channel exclusive around here.
Richard W.
Personally, I would switch to O'Reilly in a minute. Rush has bored me to tears ever since he talked about his golf, cigars, and celebrity dinners more than about current events. This happened years ago, before there was any issue with hearing loss. Perhaps some serious competeition will shake up Rush and get him back to the style that got him to the top in the first place.
I was an O'Reilly fan while he was attacking Greenspan and others in the ruling class elite, but he lost me recently when he began pushing the WTC victimhood crap and began featuring several ungrateful slugs crying about how hard they had to "work" to get their millions in charity.
Rush has his problems with dumb talk about cigars and golf which is a total bore, but he did have the common sense not to step into the populist "victimhood" trap that O'Reilly jumped into with both feet.
Both these guys will do just fine. Satellite radio is coming and is going to be big. Plenty of work for these guys and big contracts to go with it.
The big question that I have is what is going on with Geraldo now that even his liberal friends at CNN are attacking him. Now that is going to be an interesting fight as they seem to have gotten Geraldo PO'ed at them.
Richard W.
Southwest Oklahoma is served by three newstalk radio stations. One is KXCA 1380 out of Lawton and KXCD 1350 out of Duncan both owned by Friends Communications which carries Westwood One Talk programs, including G. Gordon Liddy and KWFS-AM 1290 out of Wichita Falls which is owned by Clear Channel Communications and carries Rush, Dr. Laura, Jim Rhome, Michael Reagan & Art Bell.
On his show each night, he delivers a couple of prepared statements (monologues), interviews a guest or two, reads selected viewer e-mail ("keep it pithy"), shows a reply to make him look psychic and often rants a bit. Maybe 10-15 minutes a night of unscripted "top-of-the-head" commentary. This compared with 150 minutes or more a day on radio, covering a MUCH BROADER range of topics. I don't think he can handle it.
My two cents.
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