WBT no longer local at night.

[Mike Sheridan]

I disagree of course and you shouldn't be surprised.  Much more than one show changed... the very soul of the station is changed by diminishing the live/local element beyond a certain point ... and the WBT image is watered down in the listener's mind, making the brand less distinctive and the station less of a destination.  Look, this is silly to keep going round and round.  We're never going to reach agreement on this subject.  If I were a WBT talk show host I'd be going to the next caller about now.

I can agree with both of you in a way.  Back in the '70's I worked overnights at a very successful station that didn't even try to sell the overnight show.  Still they paid me well and I like to think that having a live overnight show helped the morning mans numbers a little.  Then again in those days other than simulcast with our beautiful music FM there wasn't much they could do to save money and they still needed a live body to take transmitter readings and change the automation tapes.

By 9pm I don't want to hear any more political harping so WBT is only on my radio occasionally in the car or if there is a big news event I want to hear about.  I could do with more NEWS and less TALK.

[w00t]

To me, that's giving up the battle and surrendering to the folks who try to tell us that "...no one listens to AM anymore...", which we know from data measured during crisis times to not be the case.

Flawed logic, so flawed that you pointed it out yourself.  There are a lot of things that happen during crisis times that don't happen otherwise.  Every time a hurricane comes, everyone makes a run on the grocery store.  Doesn't mean they need to remove everything but bread and milk from the store 24/7/365.

[Matt Smith]

Who said radio (or tv for that matter) was logical?

[radioguy39nj]

Nationally, the answer seems to be for such stations to add FM signals.  To me, that's giving up the battle and surrendering to the folks who try to tell us that "...no one listens to AM anymore...", which we know from data measured during crisis times to not be the case.  However, the bottom line is making money...so it may come to that if news-talk is to continue to flourish in North Carolina's radio markets.

Moving news, talk and sports formats to FM has increased listership in the 35-54 demo that was hard to get on AM.  This has happened in many markets nationally.

[quadraphonic]

Nationally, the answer seems to be for such stations to add FM signals.  To me, that's giving up the battle and surrendering to the folks who try to tell us that "...no one listens to AM anymore...", which we know from data measured during crisis times to not be the case.  However, the bottom line is making money...so it may come to that if news-talk is to continue to flourish in North Carolina's radio markets.

Moving news, talk and sports formats to FM has increased listership in the 35-54 demo that was hard to get on AM.  This has happened in many markets nationally.

WBT was on the FM thing 10 years ago.

[TheBigA]

WBT was on the FM thing 10 years ago.

Do you think GM would be willing to blow up The Link to put conservative talk on FM?

[Mike Sheridan]

WBT was on the FM thing 10 years ago.

Do you think GM would be willing to blow up The Link to put conservative talk on FM?

No, I don't think they would.  I think the Link delivers younger more desirable demos.

[XTalker]

It is, to a great extent, about the money. Advertisers don't care about radio after 9PM (even 7PM) even if the ratings are through the roof.

Small market stations have felt this pinch for years - that's what gave birth to Larry King, Bruce Williams and Larry Bohannon. An automation system and even a live board op or way cheaper than a local host and producer - particularly in a day-part that is most often used for "bonus" spots.

I don't like it, but it is the reality of radio.