O’REILLY MAY GO TO WOR IN RADIO FACEOFF

New York Post ^ | 01/16/2002 | JOHN MAINELLI

[Pokey78]

January 16, 2002 -- FOX News Channel stars Bill O

[Leisler]

Fine. If he crowds out a leftist, that is a improvement.

[wcdukenfield]

I certainly hope O'Reilly gets his radio show up against Hannity. Sean will spank the captain of the "No Facts Zone" (as the old saying goes) like a narc at a biker rally. There's so much less to O'Reilly than meets the eye (or the ear, on radio) it won't even be a competition. Hannity is fun to listen to; he engages the people who call in and gives the people who listen something to listen to.

And the people who've pointed the out the minor facts that O'Reilly is neither conservative, humble or very smart are right on the money. He reminds me of the Ted Baxter character on the old Mary Tyler Moore Show.

[holdonnow]

Were you reading your glasses when you read my comments? Did I say everyone has to agree with me to be effective? Can you respond to my points rather than reacting to something I never said? O'Reilly is not a conservative, and he says so. Why can't you believe HIM? O'Reilly is BAD on a number of issue that I believe to be very important for those of us who cherish individual liberty and capitalism. He doesn't have to agree with me, and I don't have to like his show. Benny Hill wasn't like me, but I enjoyed his show. Do yo get it now?

[Leisler]

The left hate him. Check out democraticunderground.com. Anyone the left hates, I want on the air. He is more of a threat to them then Rush. Why? People who like him will not support the left. They may not be rockribbed consevatives but anything that TAKES power, time, attention away from the left is of value.

[Spook86]

In radio, ratings often depend on your lead-in; if O'Reilly goes into the 3-5 pm slot on WOR, he's relying (in part) on the lead-in audience from those "specialty" food/finance shows on WOR. Trouble is, Rush (on WABC) kills them in the ratings. The specialty shows remain profitable only because WOR has some long-time advertisers who continue to back them. Most of the talk audience (at that time of day) is listening to WABC.

With Rush as a lead-in, Sean Hannity will do just fine on WABC--in fact, I'll go on record right now in predicting that Sean will beat O'Reilly head-to-head, both in cume (total audience), and the 25-54 talk radio demographic.

WOR was once a ratings powerhouse; in fact it was the #1 talk station in the market when WABC was a Top 40 outlet. But times--and talk radio--have changed. WOR's format/hosts are about 20 years behind the times. And, ironically, ABC is borrowing a competitor's trick to beat WOR. WABC offers a variant of the "hot talk" format, while WOR is aimed at speciality/middle of the road talk. The same thing happened in LA, where KFI's hot talk sent long-time talk leader KABC to the bottom of the ratings barrel.

Wonder what O'Reilly will do after 2 or three ratings books where he loses to Sean Hannity? How will he "spin" that one? One more thing: O'Reilly will get a big "roll out," but his show is going to wind-up (mostly) on second-tier talk stations, making it even tougher to find an audience. Consider this list of major talk stations: WBZ (Boston), WRKO (Boston), WABC (New York), WLS (Chicago), WGN (Chicago) KMOX (St Louis), WTAM (Cleveland), WLW (Cincinnati), WHAS (Louisville), WSB (Atlanta), WWL (New Orleans), KOA (Denver), KFI (Los Angeles), KABC (Los Angeles), KGO (San Francisco), KSFO (San Francisco), and KVI (Seattle); all (with the exception of KABC) at, or near the top, of the local radio ratings. How many have expressed a serious interest in the O"Reilly radio show? None. All have successful programs in the proposed O'Reilly slot, making it much more difficult to build an audience.

[lormand]

"Hi! I'm Bill O'Reilly. Thanks for tuning in. Today we'll continue my massive drive to get SUV's taxed. Then I'll complain how the Government it unjustly taxing us all to death. Them I'll whine about the massive Government bueracracy and how its not working. Then at the top of the next hour I'll demand that the Government take over the airlines. All this on my show today."

Well said and accurate too!

[Matchett-PI]

Big Time Bump!! (See #58)

[Carolinamom]

I heard O'Reilly's peremptory "Be quiet" to Cavuto and was also stunned at his rude, emperalist (wd?) tone... to a colleague no less..and to one more knowledgeable than he about business. Cavuto basically told him that he had not done his homework, and that particular truth hurt the Bill-I-Know-Everything-About-Everything O'Reilly's massive ego.

[Matchett-PI]

To save myself more typing, see #58.

[lormand]

"O'Reilly has done many positive things. 1) Calling out the Hollywood elite 2) Calling out the improprieties of the Clinton Administration 3) Taking on a perverse organization like NAMBLA.."

A broken clock is right twice a day.

[jpl]

Cavuto, like all stockbrokers and stock "analysts", doesn't care whether his advice is good or lousy, or whether people actually make money or lose their shirts. All he cares about is that people actually buy stocks, any stocks. And if the company engages in a little fraud, well, then the investors deserve what they got.

[wtc911]

You are right about Bill O. He does serve a good function though. He is willing to take on big issues and people on both sides of the aisle. No matter what we may think of his style or personality it must be admitted that he does stir the pot.

As for Hannity, he is a poser and a corporate wonk. I can't even listen to him in the car anymore because he is so predictable and his thinking is so shallow. He has his conservative act down and will keep working but I don't see what value he brings. To agree to have HRC on his TV show but to agree that only Combs would question her highness was weak and ratings oriented only. No respect for that.

[Bill S]

I don't want to get too technical, but if you invest in a stock you should at least read the annual report. The footnotes to Enron's 2000 annual report include #16 "Related Party Transactions" Any potential investor trying to read this arcane gobblygook would run, not walk, to the nearest exit. There is no way I would invest a penny in a company with financials like that. The annual report is available for download by anybody at Enron.com

[celtic gal]

Let him have his radio show. I can't wait for him to get a ratings slap. I won't listen to him. I used to like him but once his tv show outdistanced Larry King O'R got really big headed and just downright insufferable. It is not so much that I disagree with him, though I do on some subjects, I just can't stand his attitude and nasty arrogrant manner. To me he is the Bill Press of the more conservative world. I'll keep Rush tuned in! and Hannity when I can get him. But O'R? Never.

[Matchett-PI]

"O'Reilly ..... He's not substantive..."

"...not substantive.." is the understatement of the year when it comes to him.

"Populists" (professing champions of the "under dog") will always be "popular" with shallow, dependency-minded victim mentalities.

The people of substance who founded this country were not "Populists" or "Socialists". They respected the individual and each person's potential to be the best they can be (sans government meddling/interference).

Rush and Hannity are people of substance like America's Framers.

[celtic gal]

I saw that program too. Had I been in Cavuto's seat, I would have taken the mic off and left the set. I think the two don't like each other anyway...seems there was a hint to that once on another episode. Cavuto could not get his point out. There was no discussion..only O'R's rant.

[Clemenza]

Why? People who like him will not support the left. They may not be rockribbed consevatives but anything that TAKES power, time, attention away from the left is of value.

O'Reilly reminds me of one of those Lawn Guyland losers (he is from Levittown, I believe), who are "conservative" when it suits them ("no tax money for the city, but give us our share), but are wedded to big government. Remember that O'Reilly's (and my) neck of the woods turned away from the GOP after 1994 and gave 60% of the vote to the Goreon.

[Slyfox]

Is O'Rielly planning on doing "No Spin TV" and "No Spin Radio" at the same time? If so, something has got to give. As much as Rush loved doing his TV show, I got the impression that he was somewhat relieved when it ended because of all the time it took for him to do it and do a good job. O'Rielly is going to really have to crank it out to do half as good as Rush did. I don't think he's got it in him, personally.

[Carolinamom]

Cavuto's show is becoming a habit with me, for I know how much I don't know about stocks, etc. I have not only found him knowledgeable, but clear in his presentations and personable, and his sign off essays show him to be a decent human being. Sorry, but I can't ascribe these traits to Bill O.

I've read both O'Reilly's novel (in paperback) and his most recent, highly touted (by him) book. Frankly, I didn't see the uniqueness of the latter.

[AshleyMontagu]

I went from religiously watching O'Reilly every night for months when he first started to religiously staying away from his program for the past six months. His self-promoting act becomes tiresome after awhile, especially with his lack of knowledge. OTOH I was able to put up with Hannity for only about a month. There is no there there.