Rush Limbaugh, Baltimore, Maryland, WBAL

WBAL BELT-TIGHTENING

Longtime Baltimore Limbaugh Affiliate Drops Show





To news Rush Limbaugh has been dropped by longtime Baltimore affiliate WBAL-AM, liberals are reacting with predictable glee.

With conflicting accounts of what caused the change, however, is it possible to cut through the spin? And was it a good move for the station?

From the Baltimore Business Journal:

WBAL Radio will drop Rush Limbaugh as part of an effort to revamp its programming lineup.

The nationally syndicated conservative commentator will air his last show on WBAL Radio May 31.

Thereafter, "The Rush Limbaugh show" will air on another station in Baltimore, officials at Limbaugh's radio syndicate Premiere Radio Networks Inc. said Monday. Premiere Radio officials said they will make an official announcement in the "near future" about that station's identity.

"WBAL has been a great partner to Rush Limbaugh for many years," said Julie Talbott, executive vice president at Premiere Radio Networks, in a statement. "However, at this time, we're excited about a new direction the show will take in Baltimore."

WBAL Radio, a conservative AM radio station, issued a statement on its Web site on the programming changes, saying that they made the changes after putting "considerable time and effort" into researching what Maryland radio listeners want to hear.

The research showed that listeners like the station's local radio hosts -- Dave Durian, Chip Franklin and Ron Smith. "Listeners believe radio in Baltimore has become less local, has fewer personalities, and is too homogenized / vanilla," the statement read.

A visit to WBAL's website further explains their reasoning:

As experienced broadcasters, with over 50-years of collective experience, our instincts have been moving us to change. But, rather than just make such an important decision on “a gut feeling,” we recently commissioned a major research project. Considerable time and effort went into researching what radio listeners in our area want.

If increasing local programming was the real goal, why wasn't a new host hired for the noon-3pm time period?

Instead, WBAL's Chip Franklin and Ron Smith must now extend their broadcasts. While Smith's show increases to four full hours, worse, Franklin will now have an astounding four and one-half to fill.

That's where the new programming grid quickly solves this mystery: it's an obvious cost-cutting move for Hearst Radio.

To carry Rush Limbaugh, it's no secret the show doesn't come cheap. Because his loyal audience shows no signs of fading, however, a good sales department knows how to make it pay off.


For dropping Rush, in how many ways will WBAL suffer? Let's take a look:



--- It will give a new competitor the ability to cut heavily into WBAL's longstanding market ratings domination.

--- WBAL's current local hosts will be overtaxed by shows that are too long.

--- Revenue will decrease, as advertisers shy away from the noon-3pm slot. Worse, they may take their business to the new Rush station.

--- WBAL loses Limbaugh's legendary election-year ratings bump, which always hits during the critical fall Arbitron ratings period.


To determine audience sentiment, research is great, but if the results insisted you jump off a cliff, would that be wise?

Of any results that recommended removing Rush Limbaugh from a major news-talk radio station, we'd be suspect.

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