RUSH RADO FM IN ORLANDO?

[jmtillery]

I'm sure many, if not all, of you are aware of Clear Channels bold move in the Raleigh - Durham, North Carloina market regarding Rush Limbaugh leaving heritage WPTF-AM. Clear Channel has elected not to renew WPTF's contract, and, instead is launching Rush Radio 106.1 on country outlet WRDU. Could this be a new trend with Clear Channel to move News-Talk from AM to FM? And could Orlando be next with this move? And if so, which Clear Channel station will become Rush Radio? Perhaps due to the ratings decline over the years with WTKS-FM, largely due to the loss of Howard Stern, could Real Radio 104.1 become Rush Radio 104.1 within the next few months? If this should happen, what happens to WFLF-AM? Sports perhaps?

[Radio Circus]

I hope not...1150 WNDB,Daytona Beach has carried RUSH for 20 PLUS years.

[livingfruitvirus]

Real Radio won't go down that easily. Besides, Rush is already carried by a CC affiliate in Orlando.

[jmtillery]

Yes, and Clear Channel also owns WTKS Real Radio along with four additional FMs in Orlando. Clear Channel has already begun making the switch in Raleigh-Durham along with another 100kw station in Greensboro. The trend appears to be CC is flipping news-talk from AM to FM in select markets, possibly as an experiement much the same as it did with Spanish programming when oldies Big 100 became contemporary Spanish Rumba 100. It would be no problem whatsoever flipping WTKS, or any CC Orlando FM since CC already owns the stations and the programming content, including Rush through CC owned Premiere Radio Networks. I'm not saying it will definately happen, but it is a possibility. And, same as WNDB carrying Rush for the past 20+ years, so did WPTF Raleigh, but CC did not renew the Rush affiliation contract with Curtis Media Group's WPTF in favor of moving Rush, Hannity and a few others to 100kw WRDU-FM 106.1 which is slated to become Rush Radio 106.1 sometime in January. It wouldn't be a problem for CC to do the same in Orando, especially considering CC already owns the station currently carrying Rush in Orlando, that being WFLF. This is an idea for discussion.

[smedge2006]

Real Radio has been the most successful example of what used to be called FM Talk. However, since the failure of Free FM and the dismantling of KLSX, it has become fashionable to diss the format. Not to mention the fact that these stations usually carry huge payrolls. Trashing RR and moving WFLF to FM would save a lot of salaries.

[jmtillery]

I agree during Real Radio's hey day, it was one of the most listened to radio stations in Central Florida. It had a great local line-up with Howard Stern in the morning, Ed Tyll middays, Jim Phillips afternoons, and Drew Garabo evenings with Cutting Edge Music overnights and weekends. This format is what Ed Tyll once coined as Talk Radio for a Rock 'N' Roll Generation. It was a great concept under Press Broadcasting, and did quite well throughout the 90s. And I agree, the format on WTKS has stood the test of time  and has been one of the most successful FM Talk stations in the country. KLSX Real Radio 97.1 was patterned after WTKS-FM. The problem now is the cost associated with operating a station of this type in a down economy and the overall decline in ratings. Of course, if WTKS is still a high biller for CC, it would make sense to leave it alone and place Rush Radio on one of the other Orlando FMs.

Theoretically News-Talk could move to 104.1 without completely dismantling the current Real Radio format. The station would simply take on a more conservative news-talk strategy. Although Jim Phillips tends to be more liberal thinking, he is highly rated in the market and it would make sense that he most likely would remain on PM drive while more conservative Bud Hedinger would most likely move from AM drive on 540 to that same time slot on 104.1. Rush, of course, would move from WFLF to the Noon to 3PM time slot on WTKS, a perfect lead-in to Phillips, having a conservative on just before a liberal. This would make for a great contrast in local radio. Hannity could move to the 6PM to 9PM time slot with Glenn Beck on 9AM to Noon, following Bud Hedinger. Overnights, of course, would be Coast-to-Coast AM with George Noory. The 9 PM to Midnight time slot could be filled with a local talk show, rounding out the entire 24-hour broadcast day. No, doubt, I agree, this would save CC a bundle in the short term as well as long range while greatly improving the WFLF format by moving it to FM.

If CC is planning a move such as this in Orlando, but not with WTKS, which other Orlando CC FM would make sense to become Rush Radio?

On a sidenote, I don't believe a move to FM in Orlando would have very much effect on Rush and WNDB Daytona Beach as WNDB serves a totally and completely seperate top 100 market.

[billcross]

Just clarifying the Real Radio line-up when it was a Press Broadcasting outlet as I was on the air staff.

The line-up was Howard in the morning, Tyll in midday, Phillips in the afternoon, then Passion Phones with Erin, then me. Then Press moved Russ & Bo from the weekends into my slot and I was bummped to overnights. Then Garabo moved into the overnight slot replacing me. When Tyll left, Russ & Bo moved into his slot (morphing into the Monsters of the Midday as Bo left), and Drew moved into their slot (passion Phones having long since disappeared from the format).

[Parttimer]

I'm not sure whether they'd try it in Orlando:

CC pulled the power play to take Rush from WDBO and move him to 540 several years ago. It didn't work.  DBO held onto Boortz's numbers late morning and Clark Howard does well, plus DBO has Hannity. CC has bounced back and forth between 540 being all news/talk and a hybrid with sports during the unfortunate 740 en espanol experiment. CC has never overcome DBO's heritage and news presence (plus 540 has had multiple morning shows, had Schnitt in the afternoon, which Maitland management didn't support, it's been a mess...) and won't in this environment either.

The Raleigh station's not the first. In Pittsburgh CC converted 104.7, which in its lifetime had been probably 20 different formats, to a news/talker. They have a local conservative show, Jim Quinn in the morning ( a legendary Pittsburgh Top-40 jock who worked at KQV, the same station at which a young Limbaugh worked as Jeff Christie). They then have Beck, started off mid-days with Boortz, Hannity, a local sports show 6-8P, and Savage evenings.  They were beating Rush on KDKA with Boortz, but pulled him from KD for the damage it would do to them. WPGB is very successful, always top 5 in the market. They are also now the Pittsburgh Pirates flagship.

The reason to move to 104.1 in O-town would be cost. The Monsters jumped the shark years ago, in fact maybe CC would carry Quinn there.. then move Beck and Rush, but what to to with afternoons? Philips is great but the audience flow would be a train wreck and he'd probably gripe about it on the air.

And the inevitable end game of all of this is that 540 deteriorates into brokered programming like 1250 in Tampa. Then again the naked guy with the travel scam show needs a new home....

[jmtillery]

These are interesting scenarios, and I'm not making any predictions. I am, however, considering the possibilities for Orlando considering Clear Channel seems to always be making some changes in its various markets. Some of those changes are good moves; others I would consider questionable. I think, should 104.1 become news-talk with Rush Noon to 3PM, followed by Jim Phillips remaning where he is would be quite entertaining, especially if Phillips complains as was mentioned. Listeners love it and it's great for advertisers as the advertiser has a captive audience. Again, I'm not making any predictions, but considering WFLF low ratings, they may look into moving the format to one of the Orlando CC FMs although WDBO will be difficult to overtake in the ratings war. Cox could actually move WDBO to FM, possibly the 96.5 frequency or move Power to 96.5 and move WDBO to 95.3.

And to Bill Cross, I apologize that I did not include you in the WTKS line-up. I remember you quite well when you were on mornings and again during the night-time along with Erin Summers and Passion Phones. There was also a guy named Flounder and another named Mike Wiley, along with a few others that I don't remeber the names, that was on prior to Ed Tyll during Real Radio's infancy. Phillips has been there form the start, having moved over from WKIS/WWNZ on the AM side. Bill, are you on any stations now? I would enjoy tuning in and listening to you again.

[billcross]

Thanks for the kind words. As long as we're being thorough, Mark Samansky also had a brief run on Real Radio's mornings until he offended Phillips and was yanked.

I would say that radio & I had a mutual divorce. I really was not cut out for the "shock jock" style of talk radio and had outgrown the format I worked in the best (CHR). I really was never a fan of corporate radio and after a stint behind the scenes at Cox, I moved into the advertising field (which I always had dabbled in through the years). I am currently a senior copywriter for a marketing company in southwest Florida.

I never say never, but a return to the airwaves at this point would be a long shot. (I also don't miss those 3:30 am wake-up calls).