Political talk radio is taking it in the teeth in Minnesota’s twin cities — but is that just an isolated case, the post-election listernship blues or an indicator that larger listener preference shifts may be in the works?
Note this Star Tribune story:
Locally, conservative-talk icon Rush Limbaugh’s show has lost 43 percent of its audience among 25- to 54-year-olds in the past year. Sean Hannity’s show is down a whopping 63 percent. The shift is serious enough that “we’re weighing where these shows fit for us in the future,” according to Todd Fisher, general manager at KSTP (1500 AM), which carries both syndicated programs.
Many Americans also are switching the dial. While ratings for political talk radio typically drop the year after an election, experts around the country sense something else in the air. Many metro listeners are turning to local, often sports-oriented shows.
“We’re not sure yet what’s really going on,” said talk radio veteran Ken Kohl, Clear Channel’s director of news and talk programming for northern California. “In general, the talk shows that are succeeding are ones that haven’t been reliving the election, or constantly harping on the polarization between liberals and conservatives.”
So: Is the rage radio talk radio act getting old? MORE:
Kohl thinks many listeners have tuned out because of “war fatigue. I don’t think a lot of people want to talk or hear about the war at this point.”
The story notes how sports radio is growing and growing.
WAIT! Here’s an idea: why doesn’t a network hire Rush to broadcast during football games? MORE:
What may be of particular concern to KSTP executives is the impact on shows such as Joe Soucheray’s popular “Garage Logic,” which airs after Limbaugh’s show and has dropped in the ratings as well. Local partisan talker Chris Krok, whose show follows Hannity’s, has less than 1 percent of the age-25-to-54 audience, too low to even register a rating point.
“We are giving a lot of consideration to the nationally syndicated shows like Rush and Hannity,” said KSTP’s Fisher. “We have really become concerned with what I would call their tight play list of topics revolving around politics. We respect them and they’ve done well for us, but we’re really in a quandary here.”
Can we say it again?Is this act getting OLD? (Bloggers, is there a lingering lesson for us, too?)
It isn’t just a matter of politics, said Carol Grothem, broadcast manager for the Campbell Mithun ad agency. She suggested listeners may be turning more toward local talent and issues, and away from syndicated shows.
She pointed to healthy ratings for WCCO and its afternoon and morning drive-time hosts: “Don Shelby had good numbers and Dave Lee is consistent. I think local is what listeners want.”
Fisher said KSTP wants to focus more on “local content and dynamic personalities that can really do more than ‘us-versus-them’ commentary.”
Indeed, there is almost a tribal nature about many talk radio shows (and we are addicted to them). They need to attract listeners on their side but also must be entertaining enough to garner cross-over listeners. Who created this model? Largely, Limbaugh, who also pioneered the mega-syndicated radio political talk show. MORE:
According to the Tribune, stations running America have smaller ratings but remained stable. The only exception there is Minnesota native Al Franken, whose share has increased 2.4 percent among listeners 25 to 54.
But, Al, beware: your act could be getting old soon, too..
Michael Harrison, editor and publisher of Talkers Magazine, thinks the post-election drop is still the biggest factor in the fluctuating ratings — but stay tuned, he said:
“A lot of people in political talk radio are still on that left- versus-right formula because it’s been working. You can be sure that if it continues to show a decline in ratings, they’ll alter the course.”
Does mean Rush will become become the new Oprah? Will Sean tailor his show after Dr. Phil’s? No, the tone of those shows are set. But newer talk show hosts or new ones coming up could make the adjustment.
So does this twin cities talk news mean Air America should smack its lips in delight? Nope.
I recently had a vistor to San Diego who is to the left on most issues, particularly environment, and is NOT a fan of George Bush. Our chat turned to talk radio and I mentioned an Air America talk show host.
“I HATE that show!” she angrily said. “It’s just as bad as Rush Limbaugh. I tuned in expecting to get something different but it’s just as bad as he is. I HATE that show!”
The real significance here may not be that right-wing talk radio is in trouble in one city. The real significance may be that perhaps Americans are getting sick of this whole political schtick and debating culture where people on the right and left pile on adjectives demonizing the other side and then turn around and act as surrogate defense lawyers for the political, legal, ethical or moral sins of THEIR side. Talk radio then becomes hypocrisy radio (on the right and left).
Each side (in the most extreme moments) accuses the other of being subversive to either country of American democracy. Yes, a GREAT deal is at stake and it’s understandable why people do so.
But the whole tone and predictability of some of the nationally syndicated shows in particular may be tiresome for younger listeners.
And just think about it: who would ever have thought 20 or 30 years ago that Americans would listen in the millions to programs where talk show hosts basically lambast one political party and promote another for three hours?
Like every other form of media and entertainment, perhaps talk radio must evolve — and the present model is simply evolving (or perhaps it is “intelligent design…”).
It may be we’re seeing the beginning of this cycle of political verbal razor starting to wane as a sure-fire marketing commodity for younger, advertiser-vital radio listerners. Perhaps that explains why Comedy Central’s Jon Stewart, heavier on the irony and raised eyebrow than on hurling politically defining adjectives and expressing angry partisan outrage, seems so hugely popular among young people these days.
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.