Show over for Jim Cramer - but not for long

[KJCB]

http://www.radioink.com/headlineentry.asp?hid=132221&pt=inkheadlines

Looks like they won't seek another syndicator like BTR to distribute the show or at least the minutes. A number of big stations like KFI use the market wraps and they sound pretty good, although his personality is much better suited for television.

Guess this means your local business station has an extra hour to sell.

EDIT: Apparently All Access broke the story after I posted. Surpising that WW1 picks him up, since that's a step up. Of course, he was picked up by WOR after Premiere cancelled the show a few years ago. So I stand corrected from my initial report.

[mightynine]

Westwood One picked him up, according to All Access.  He'll be on a couple of Free FMs (along with an all comedy AM, of all things), with WW1 picking up syndication duties for the non-CBS Radio stations.

[KJCB]

> Westwood One picked him up, according to All Access.  He'll
> be on a couple of Free FMs (along with an all comedy AM, of
> all things), with WW1 picking up syndication duties for the
> non-CBS Radio stations.

Apparently broken by AA after I left. Good to hear.

EXCERPT:
The show will air live 1-2p (ET) -- except in LOS ANGELES, where it will be delayed to noon-1p (PT) -- and will launch on Talk WFNY-F (92.3 FREE FM)/NEW YORK, News KNX-A/LOS ANGELES, Talk WCKG (105.9 FREE FM)/CHICAGO, News KIKK-A (CNN 650 RADIO NEWS)/HOUSTON, Talk WKRK (LIVE 97.1 FREE FM)/DETROIT, Talk WHFS (105.7 FREE FM)/BALTIMORE, Talk KDKA-A/PITTSBURGH, and Comedy KCMD-A (JOHNSON 970 AM)/PORTLAND. WESTWOOD ONE will handle distribution to non-CBS stations.

The end of KNX looms closer as 9a-1pm is now talk. You'd think they could kill lower cuming Dodgers affiliate KFWB first. As for the FreeFMs, seems a bit off to me, unless they're doing what WCKG is doing airing it as a lead-in to morning drive. And KCMD will need 17 hours a day of programming when All Comedy Radio goes under later this fall.

[mightynine]

> As for the FreeFMs, seems a bit off to me.....

This argument is being used on the NYRMB, but I'm not sure I buy it.  I think Cramer could appeal to a young male (I'm 27 and I like him), but was on stations like WOR which isn't exactly their first choice.

I do agree that Cramer brings a different level of intensity to his radio show, and whether he'll change it to match his slightly more frantic pace of his TV show is unknown.  But heck, maybe WOR made him tone it down a little.  I remember him being a little more fired up when Premiere syndicated the show.

Of course, you could get the impression that the TV show is more frentic when you have 800 images flashing across the screen at any given time.

But getting back to the Free FM point, while Cramer is talking about investing, he certainly does it with a certain flair and much more energy than say a Bob Brinker, which would not fit on something like a Free FM.  I think Cramer might resonate - or it could be a flop.  It's a chance you have to take, and really, WW1 had nowhere else they could clear him in NYC to say he's in the #1 market and charge for spots accordingly.

[KJCB]

> But getting back to the Free FM point, while Cramer is
> talking about investing, he certainly does it with a certain
> flair and much more energy than say a Bob Brinker, which
> would not fit on something like a Free FM.  I think Cramer
> might resonate - or it could be a flop.  It's a chance you
> have to take, and really, WW1 had nowhere else they could
> clear him in NYC to say he's in the #1 market and charge for
> spots accordingly.

I hear WLIB has some time available.

Seriously, I agree with you that Cramer is a character and is an interesting listen for the topic; few others could do so well for a financial format that appeals to a more mature demographic.

The contention could be made however that WFNY is paying the midmorning show NY size salaries only to have them cut down to three hours thanks to Mr. Gillette and Mr. Cramer. Maybe they should farm them out to a nearby FreeFM, or have one of the shows from WJFK or Live 105.7 in Baltimore fed to NY and send the duo back to the Bay Area. Just a thought.

[encarta95]

> EXCERPT:
> The show will air live 1-2p (ET) -- except in LOS ANGELES,
> where it will be delayed to noon-1p (PT) -- and will launch
> on Talk WFNY-F (92.3 FREE FM)/NEW YORK, News KNX-A/LOS
> ANGELES, Talk WCKG (105.9 FREE FM)/CHICAGO, News KIKK-A (CNN
> 650 RADIO NEWS)/HOUSTON, Talk WKRK (LIVE 97.1 FREE
> FM)/DETROIT, Talk WHFS (105.7 FREE FM)/BALTIMORE, Talk
> KDKA-A/PITTSBURGH, and Comedy KCMD-A (JOHNSON 970
> AM)/PORTLAND. WESTWOOD ONE will handle distribution to
> non-CBS stations.

> As for the FreeFMs, seems a bit off to me, unless
> they're doing what WCKG is doing airing it as a lead-in to
> morning drive.

But the new Jim Cramer show will air live from 12n-1p on WCKG. So some Stan and Terry will presumably be cut there.

Airing Jim Cramer on delay on WCKG in the early morning hours makes absolutely no sense, specifically because the financial data is a day old by the time the show is aired. And while Cramer is an interesting figure, I'd doubt that financial information is of much interest to Free FM listeners. If anyone can make finance lively, however, it's him. Perhaps the show will work, but it just doesn't appear to fit at first glance.

[KJCB]

> Airing Jim Cramer on delay on WCKG in the early morning
> hours makes absolutely no sense, specifically because the
> financial data is a day old by the time the show is aired.
> And while Cramer is an interesting figure, I'd doubt that
> financial information is of much interest to Free FM
> listeners. If anyone can make finance lively, however, it's
> him. Perhaps the show will work, but it just doesn't appear
> to fit at first glance.

Well, that's the point... clear the show at 4am. Boom! You're cleared in Chicago with minimum invasion for the station.

[johndavis]

> Well, that's the point... clear the show at 4am. Boom!
> You're cleared in Chicago with minimum invasion for the
> station.

Yup.  It's all about the net spots.

______________
...co-moderator of the Satellite Radio, Phoenix, and San Diego boards...

[mightynine]

> > Well, that's the point... clear the show at 4am. Boom!
> > You're cleared in Chicago with minimum invasion for the
> > station.
>
> Yup.  It's all about the net spots.
>

And really, Cramer's show has never been about the markets' action that day. I've never heard him go into that much depth (perhaps he's changed recently). It's much more about the longer term investing, diversification, etc. - which, I would think, doesn't need the day's market data as a crutch.

In other words, being a few hours old won't hurt Cramer.  It's not like you're running CNBC Business Updates that are hours old.

And the other argument - hey, it's 4 am!