Joe Scarborough Debuts On WABC Radio

'MSNBC ON THE RADIO'

Joe & Mika Debut Panned, Syndication Planned







What kind of media company would attempt to force listeners of a top-rated conservative talk station to endure inexperienced "hosts" from a low rated, leftist cable network? One that will be lucky to avoid bankruptcy.

In fact, the decision to insert MSNBC's Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski into WABC's midmorning slot is exactly how Citadel - ABC Radio got into this mess in the first place.

Since the ill-fated merger of the two companies, Citadel's upper management has struggled to grasp news-talk and what drives listenership. Instead of learning more about this highly-successful medium's audience characteristics, CEO Farid Suleman has compelled stations to comply with a series of increasingly-bizarre programming edicts, of which this is merely the latest.

In March, we joined others in calling for Suleman's termination, but he seems bound and determined to take Citadel - ABC straight into bankruptcy.


His latest fiasco debuted yesterday, made possible by the recent removal of longtime WABC honcho Phil Boyce. One longtime major market radio programmer who monitored the broadcast told your Radio Equalizer that it "sounds like a train wreck on the air. Maybe this is the making of a new horror movie: When CEOs Program." He further called it "just MSNBC on the radio."

Without a skilled programming coach to guide Joe and Mika, both rank amateurs when it comes to talk radio, the program lacked focus. It skipped around haphazardly between topics and guests, which included MSNBC insiders such as David Gregory and Tom Brokaw.

Another bad sign: the show airs for only one hour and forty-five minutes daily, an indication that someone inside the company doesn't feel these two are ready for prime time.

Despite this disappointing (but not at surprising) debut, Citadel has already announced that it will be syndicated (meaning likely force-fed to other ABC Radio talk stations) in the coming months.

Never mind the fact that most listeners to these stations despise MSNBC and its programming lineup, Suleman's edicts are all that counts at Citadel.

Between the debt and these ill-considered on-air moves, it's no wonder Wall Street has given up on Citadel: its shares (NYSE:CDL) currently trade for 20 cents. The New York Stock Exchange is expected to de-list the company in the coming months.

The one silver lining in all of this is that Citadel's likely bankruptcy will probably render null and void any contracts signed by Joe and Mika, meaning Suleman's latest disaster could be thankfully short-lived.


FOR New England regional talk radio updates, see our other site.


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