WVKO AM RUMORED TO GO SPORTS / TALK

[del_griffith]

Thanks for the Hard Luck Charlie update. 

I used to listen to him periodically when he was carried in Delaware on WDLR.  At first, he had a novel program.  But then again, at that time it was cool to be anti-government, dislike Bush I and dislike Clinton even more.  Early in the 92 election, Ross Perot was a popular spoiler and Harder rode that sentiment to high popularity. 

Three things later impacted Harder's credibility and his ability to have his program carried. 

The first was Oklahoma City.  The once cool anti-government thing suddenly became less vogue as it became more clear that one of our own was the trigger man behind the bombing.  Some of Chuck's guests were too close to the movement (not the people involved). 

The second was Y2K.  Chuck spent an amazing amount of time in marketing the fear of the event while selling and marketing all kinds of survival gear.  When the lights didn't go out, a lot of his followers were not happy campers since they had invested a lot of hard earned money in wind up radios, water purifiers, fresh water, kerosene and the like.  He spent weeks dealing with angry callers on that.

The third was President Bush's election.  While his father seemed to be fair game for on air attack, this Bush had a larger base of defenders.  And a large portion of Chuck's listeners (those who weren't the staunch anti-globalists) were included in those ranks.  Those people wouldn't hear of this Bush being bashed whether for legitimate reason or not. 

Other contributing events included radio consolidation, many small am stations going dark and the fact that after listening to Chuck for any long period of time, those who cared about you in your household needed to hide the razor blades from you.  He was simply depressing to listen to. Also his unending ability to get in bed with partners who always ending up "stealing" his networks got old after a while.  Chuck just always seemed to be able to pee in his own Wheaties at just the right time to further inflict harm on his credibility. 

At one time, I sort of gave consolidation a bigger share of the reason for his declining station carriage, but then again Dave Ramsey is in the same time period  and now has as many if not more affiliates than Chuck had in his heyday.   In some cases, on the same station.   

[del_griffith]

I think you're referring to Sonny Bloch as the investment guy.

Got wrapped up in unlicensed investments and bogus ones.  Some of his advertisers were less than honest. 

He went to jail.  While there, he assisted inmates and staff with developing financial plans.  Ultimately, he got cancer which was rapid spreading and terminal.  He was released to go home and die, partly because of his work while in prison doing the financial stuff.

I at one time was in this man's home in NYC.  It was a neat meeting and I was treated kindly.  I think he got caught up in having to make the next big finanical nut and his standards dropped as time went by. 

Guy had a silky smooth voice. 

Oddly, if you listened to his show closely, you would learn never to invest in the advertisers he got in bed with that were fraudulent.  I would hear a commercial and think that's not the advice he gives. 

[gabigley1]

The Other Paper(see below) did an article on the WVKO format switch.

They mention that Gary Richards formed a group called Cowtown Communications to lease
the station.

There was also a group(The same?) trying to buy WVKO but the price was way to high.
They also wanted to bring back Progressive talk back to Columbus.
WVKO wanted about four million dollars for the station according to a reliable source.

Mr Richards said on the air that that what you hear now is far from the finished product.
They put the station on the air as quickly as possible after the programming opportunity
developed. They will have changes to the lineup including local talk shows including local news
weather and sports. He says they they will be a full service radio station.

Click here to view the entire article:

http://www.theotherpaper.com/top12-6/substory2.htm

THE OTHER PAPER
Liberal yak comes back
WVKO has a new sound
December 6, 2007 

"In January, liberal radio fans in Columbus went into a snit after Clear Channel’s 1230 AM eliminated its Air America-dominated format in exchange for a conservative-tinged talk lineup."

[zaxxons1]

Thanks for the Hard Luck Charlie update.

No problem.  I appreciate your understanding.

Other contributing events included radio consolidation, many small am stations going dark and the fact that after listening to Chuck for any long period of time, those who cared about you in your household needed to hide the razor blades from you.

Isn't that the truth!
Which brings up the whole issue of why he's still on the air.  I realize he's (as he once said on his show) on "light duty," but why doesn't he just go ahead and retire?  Yes, I sound like a control freak, who likes things all neat and tidy (hey, I'm an engineer by trade so forgive me).  But having Chuck Harder retire would bring this whole sordid chapter to a close.  Unfortunately, he does not see it that way.  So he goes on and on, slamming the U.S. government pretty much as he did back in 1992 (as illustrated by his rather ugly sobriquets against Dubya).  I gather that his radio audience (or "audio radiance") is in the low thousands, maybe as high as 10,000 or so, but the fact that he doesn't take callers (and hasn't done so for three years) pretty much proves that he is passe, that he cannot generate the revenue needed to keep his network (TalkStar Radio Network, www.talkstarradio.com) up and running for much longer.
I guess I don't really know the "radio bidness"; I'm looking at it from the perspective of your more conventional avocation/occupation (like engineering).  I believe that if Harder were in such a line of work, he'd be sitting on the beach sipping a rum-and-Coke by now.  But he isn't, and I (we) have to endure his silly and ridiculous anti-government tripe on a daily basis.
Make that a somewhat daily basis; he seems to like to take Mondays and Fridays off, because his shows on those days are usually reruns of previous programs.  Occasionally, they'll do a vintage show from the salad days of the early-to-mid-1990's, which provides a fascinating contrast to his current on-air performances.
Maybe it's just the nature of TalkStar; this is a tiny, "mom-and-pop" operation owned by an outfit called White Springs Media, which also (I think) owns WPGS AM 840 in Titusville, Florida (near the Kennedy Space Center) and something called White Springs TV (an Internet-based TV network).  WPGS basically broadcasts the TalkStar lineup, with some polka music (think Lawrence Welk and "ah-wahnnerful, ah-wannerful, tank yuh, tank yuh," bubbles, accordions, etc.) thrown in for good measure.  Haven't picked up White Springs TV, but I think it's classic TV sitcoms, movies, and lamebrain/screwball comedies such as the Three Stooges (love those guys!).

[zaxxons1]

I truly wish someone in the radio business - SOMEONE - would talk to Chuck Harder and convince him to retire.
He isn't doing anybody any good by staying on the radio.
Heard him today ... and he said he wanted to do something else.
Please ... please ... someone talk to him and get him to hang up his mike and do something constructive for a change.
He b*****d about New Orleans/Katrina for years ... is that perhaps something he could get involved in?  I think he still has some $$$ left over from his big lawsuit w/the UAW ... could he use that $$$ to help the folks down there?
What do you all think?

[zaxxons1]

I truly wish someone in the radio business - SOMEONE - would talk to Chuck Harder and convince him to retire.

Not gonna happen.  Last Friday, I think it was, Chuck said he'll be on the radio till 2011, when his contract expires.
Darn it!
Oh well, seeing as it's the holiday season, I've conjured up Chuck's version of the "Twelve Days of Christmas":

On the first day of Christmas, Chuck Harder gave to me ...
A dump conspiracy theory!
On the second day of Christmas, Chuck Harder gave to me ...
Two Clinton slanders
And a dumb conspiracy theory.
On the third day of Christmas, Chuck Harder gave to me ...
Three Bush insults, two Clinton slanders
And a dumb conspiracy theory.
On the fourth day of Christmas, Chuck Harder gave to me ...
Four doomsday visions, three Bush insults, two Clinton slanders
And a dumb conspiracy theory.
On the fifth day of Christmas, Chuck Harder gave to me ...
Five lawsuit threats!
Four doomsday visions, three Bush insults, two Clinton slanders
And a dumb conspiracy theory.
On the sixth day of Christmas, Chuck Harder gave to me ...
Six garbled remarks
Five lawsuit threats!
Four doomsday visions, three Bush insults, two Clinton slanders
And a dumb conspiracy theory.
On the seventh day of Christmas, Chuck Harder gave to me ...
Seven silly phrases, six garbled remarks
Five lawsuit threats!
Four doomsday visions, three Bush insults, two Clinton slanders
And a dumb conspiracy theory.
On the eight day of Christmas, Chuck Harder gave to me ...
Eight misspelled words, seven silly phrases, six garbled remarks
Five lawsuit threats!
Four doomsday visions, three Bush insults, two Clinton slanders
And a dumb conspiracy theory.
On the ninth day of Christmas, Chuck Harder gave to me ...
Nine goofy comments, eight misspelled words, seven silly phrases, six garbled remarks
Five lawsuit threats!
Four doomsday visions, three Bush insults, two Clinton slanders
And a dumb conspiracy theory.
On the tenth day of Christmas, Chuck Harder gave to me ...
Ten staying-on-airs, nine goofy comments, eight misspelled words, seven silly phrases, six garbled remarks
Five lawsuit threats!
Four doomsday visions, three Bush insults, two Clinton slanders
And a dumb conspiracy theory.
On the eleventh day of Christmas, Chuck Harder gave to me ...
Eleven flying saucers, ten staying-on-airs, nine goofy comments, eight misspelled words, seven silly phrases, six garbled remarks
Five lawsuit threats!
Four doomsday visions, three Bush insults, two Clinton slanders
And a dumb conspiracy theory.
On the twelfth day of Christmas, Chuck Harder gave to me ...
Twelve Ramos-Compeans, eleven flying saucers, ten staying-on-airs, nine goofy comments, eight misspelled words, seven silly phrases,
six garbled remarks
Five lawsuit threats!
Four doomsday visions, three Bush insults, two Clinton slanders
And ... a ... dumb ... conspiracy ... theory!

Ahhh ... that'll get you in the holiday mood!

[zaxxons1]

"To fellow radio listener's,

I, Chuck Harder, hereby resign my position as the afternoon radio talk show host on TALK STAR RADIO.
I realize this action on my part will hurt & disappoint my listerner's, friends, relatives, and what have you.  But because of my poor HEALTH, I cannot continue.
Also I have decided not to publish my book WHEN WILL WE EVER LEARN.
I am truly sorry for all this. But it was not my fault as certain folks like Hillary Clinton and that Jewish guy down in Atlanta wanted to see me off the radio and would do anything to accomplish that.  OK, they won. I'm off the air for good. But the United States of America continues to collapse and is starting to look like the beginning of that movie THE STAND by Stephen King ... remember?
This resignation will be effective January 07/2008.
Thank you.
Chuck Harder"

Ahhhh ... it's nice to dream ... peace and quiet!

[zaxxons1]

How did Chuck Harder put it? "Rumors of my death are greatly over-exaggerated?"
Well, the rumors are flying again, and sure enough, he's off the air again, his last show broadcast on January 21, eight days ago.  He sounded so awful on that program, I started to feel sorry for him.  That is rather amazing, for I can't stand the guy.  But in the absence of hard news, we still have to assume that he's going to get back behind his mike sometime in the next few days.  I can only guess what he'll sound like.
I'm not a doctor, so I can't diagnose his illness(s).  I wager that even a bona-fide MD would have trouble figuring out his prognosis, because he's been extremely secretive about his situation - really since he started his "hate-'em-all" anti-government format back in April 1991 when he publicly broke with the old Liberty Lobby, the group that was sponsoring his nationwide radio network at that time.  Before then, he was a mainstream consumer advocate.
It's very sad and depressing to contemplate, but I don't think he'll retire from radio like he should.  He's been doing it since he was 14.  He thus has absolutely no concept of life without his microphone or transmitter; he'd just as soon live on Mars.  He's stated on the air that he wants to be broadcasting at least until July 2016, the time, he claims, that the so-called "New World Order" (U.N. troops, presumably) will move in and take over and declare the end of the sovereign United States of America - at which point the "New World Order plutocratic mattoid thugocracy" will herd him into the Super Max facility (wherever that is) and direct him to his "three hots and a cot."
Or so he claims.
What a crying shame!  Especially considering that before '91, he was doing a lot of good for a lot of folks in the consumer business.  I've come to the conclusion that he reached a "quid pro quo" with Willis Carto and the LL at the time of the break, saying in effect, "You leave me alone, and I'll push your radical-right agenda and dump the consumerism because I'm tired of it.  And if I sound like a blithering idiot pushing your crypto-Nazi politics, so be it."
If so, that would be doubly tragic.