Clear Channel and Progressive/Liberal Talk

I am doing a follow up on my piece here on the blog according to yours truly about Progressive/Liberal talk. The October 1, 2004 issue of Radio & Records features an interview with Clear Channel Vice President for the News, Talk, and Sports formats Gabe Hobbs. Al Peterson who is the editor for the News/Talk/Sports section for R&R did a great interview and Hobbs gave some good answers to the questions that Peterson asked.

I will highlight some of comments that Hobbs said.

Hobbs said that a few years ago their was not any good product out their regarding Progressive Talk. Today he says its now possible to do it now that the costs are not as expensive. He does admit however that if any liberal talker that wants to be heard on Clear Channel's in house syndicator Premiere Radio Networks, that person needs to have more clearances than just 15 or 20 markets. Currently Air America is heard on over 30 stations. Jones Radio Network's Ed Schultz is heard on over 50 stations

Hobbs also believes that Progressive Talk can work in any market but he does caution that CC is early in the production curve. He also says that he is not aware of a market with 90% of the population that is Republican.

He does bring up the college towns and state capitals were their is a strong National Public Radio station in the market and were a commercial Progressive talker would likely first sign on. It seems that the gut feelings might be right in creating a radio station with nothing but liberal talkers, and the fact that liberals can't share the station with the Rush Limbaugh's of the world.

It seems that you just can't have a token liberal talker for a News/Talk staiton, although San Diego News/Talk powerhouse KOGO had left wing talker Sandy Taylor for sometime until they signed on their Progressive talker KLSD in the market. Hobbs admits that a station with mostly conservative talkers and listeners that were conservative were not the best places to try a liberal talker. KOGO might have been an exception to the rule, but Hobbs has in interesting quote about putting product on a radio station.

"We wouldn't test out a new rap and hip-hop group on one of our Country stations; we'd probably want to develop a rap and hip-hop station to put them on so they would have a chance to succeed with an audience that wanted to hear them." Gotta love 'narrowcasting,' key word here NARROW.

Hobbs also says the word 'Liberal' has become very negative and would love to see moderates tune in to the station. Personally to do that you would need to bring more people like Lionel who does a syndicated talk show from New York city. AAR and Jones Radio Network's Ed Schultz are admitting they are backing John Kerry 100%. However those on the left and many times than not does put the 'Conservative' label on such stations like KOGO and WFLA (the later of which is mentioned by Hobbs in the piece). Overall Clear Channel themselves did not label their News/Talkers KOGO and WFLA 'conservative Talk,' its critics did.

In a nutshell he says its all about the listener and getting them to tune in and listen to the programs offered, and in return Clear Channel hopes to make money. Even with 200 progressive talkers they would be outnumbered by the clearance of Rush who is heard on 600 stations Hobbs admits.

He thinks that progressive talk will open new doors in News/Talk/Sports format and more local hosts giving their spins on the issues. "Most of the formats listeners are going to come from a pool of people who mostly didn't sample spoken-word formats in the past and, quite frankly, from NPR."

NPR along with its news magazine shows Morning Edition and All Things Considered does have two of its own talk programs, Talk of the Nation, and Diane Rehm. Rehm also made the top 100 Radio Talkers list from Talkers Magazine. TOTN and Rehm appeal to an audience that likely calls themselves liberal although the shows themselves may not be as open regarding their beliefs if any. It also should be noted that liberal talkers Schultz, Lionel are also on this list, and a few other liberals have made the list as well, including Neal Rogers who has done well in the Miami market for years.

As mentioned earlier local San Diego talker Sandy Taylor does a local talk show now of KLSD which is Clear Channel's progressive talker in the market. Clear Channel's also has a local talk show on their station in Madison, WI. So far those those are only stations at least in the Clear Channel fold that have local talk from someone that has a liberal worldview.

You always had liberals doing talk radio and few have did well. Long before Rush you had the late Alan Burg from Denver, Larry King, and KABC's Michael Jackson (nothing to do with the ever famous Jackson family).

The key to doing well is not to create people that will vote for your man or woman but to attract listeners. Hobbs says that Rush admits that his show was to create listeners and not more conservatives and that politics don't matter and that the personality must be interesting to listen to, period.

The Progressive/Liberal talk format will be the radio format to watch in the coming years.