1090AM's opportunities drift by, ratings drift down...

"Big Eddie" Ed Shultz was in town today. If you don't listen to AM1090,(and too few do) you'da never knowed it. He's an important rising star to the liberal talk radio format, yet promotion seemed minimal.

What's going down at our new progressive station? Are they being all that they can be?

The increasingly popular progressive talk host from Fargo did his live syndicated show from Seattle's Town Hall joined by Governor Gregoire (on the phone from Paris where she's selling Boeing airplanes), Rep. Jim McDermott and Democratic Chair Paul Berendt.

The amiable, red-state talking Schultz has the fastest-growing show in progressive talk radio. Debuted Jan. 2004, three months before the launch of Air America, Schultz’s three-hour show currently airs on 95 radio stations, including 8 of the top 10 markets. Air America currently has 63.

It was a big day for Schultz--his show was sold today by Democracy Radio, to PF (Product First) the hopeful new progressive talk empire started with some fanfare by former Clear Channel Radio CEO Randy Michaels and former ABC Radio and Premiere Radio Networks VP Stu Krane. They also handle LA comedian/talkhost Stephanie Miller. The deal keeps Schultz as a stakeholder in his own show but his new partners are Michaels and Kane. 

Media entrepreneurs are going for liberal talk. That's a good sign.

Schultz is an ex-pro-footballer, a hunter and a fisherman with a folksy rural appeal that's proving to break down some of the walls of deception that conservative-talk radio has thrown up around their listeners to shield them from the real world.

Ed Schultz is no effete wimp, like us here at blatherWatch. There's little irony to him, just a sort of good ol' boyishness that's positive but masculine. He has a self-deprecating blue collar sense of humor, he's smart as a whip, and well-informed with a common sense approach to liberal issues. He's a Jim Hightower rather than a Gore Vidal.

He was a right-wing talk host until he married a liberal who helped him in from the dark.

Even Michael Medved has praised Ed Shultz as a talker who could be nationally formidable. (Maybe we shouldn't take Medved at face value--we suspect he was lifting up Schultz to put down Al Franken, whom he dislikes).

But where was the press coverage before, during and after Schultz's appearance today? As far as we can tell, we in the press weren't invited.

For the Al Franken Show, sold-out way in advance, there was massive coverage and a dynamite PR offensive. They even toadied-up to blatherWatch. We liked that.

And their good work bore them fruit. The Seattle Weekly, and the PI did pre-interviews with Franken and there was TV and a press conference. Franken, a well-known national figure, woulda filled the hall without any promotion.

Schultz, less known, is a harder sell and thereby needs more promotion, not less. KPTK failed to do that. No print. No TV. They didn't even fill the hall this time. As far as we know, what you heard on the radio was all Big Eddie got. And let's face it, not many people listen to KPTK, even on a good day. That's what PR is about...attracting new listeners? Right?

What happened? Infinity Broadcasting, who owns the station is known for doing stuff on the cheap. Is this an example of that. If true, that's depressing.

Success in talk radio can hinge on local talkers, just ask KTTH.

Ratings on the right-wing station fell apart like a $2 suitcase--3.8 last summer--2.7 today. Entercom geniuses thought they could stop paying attention to their new station and rely on syndicated shows and riding on Rush Limbaugh's ample backside like Whale Boy. That worked for a couple of books, then local talkers with local issues on KVI snatched it back.

(We're worried about KPTK, after all, it's our only progressive talk station. After a good Winter book--this month's ratings went down. Why are there no local talker-hosts yet? We hope they haven't let the momentum (such as it was) pass them by. The longer they go without the radio community-building done by local jocks, the harder it'll be to keep this new audience in the room).

KPTK Program Director Jim Trapp says he knows all that. The real opportunity for KPTK comes with  KIRO's misfortune. The former giant who had No.1 in newstalk locked up for years is flopping around at No. 6.

The time to strike is while they're down--the window won't be open forever, Jim.

Comments

[Marty]

Nice post
'cept for this part,

**It was a big day for Schultz--his show was picked-up today by Democracy Radio, the hopeful new progressive talk empire being started with some fanfare by former Clear Channel Radio CEO Randy Michaels and former ABC Radio and Premiere Radio Networks VP Stu Krane.**

No Democracy radio SOLD the ED Schultz show
they didnt buy it
Ed told us the name of the new group yesterday, it was something like
"Product first" or some lame name like that.

The Intercom guy said that Ed was within a point of the leading Conservative guy during his time slot?
do you know anything about that?
was he talking about Hannity or DoriDildo?

Thanks!

[blathering Michael]

thanks Marty: You're absolutely right and we've made the correction in the post. Don't know who he was talking about as no. 1 in that time slot locally. It's not Dori Monson, we can assure you, he's way down. It's either or Hannity or Medved--more likely Hannity...would love to know for sure...anybody?
That would have not have been an Entercom guy speaking yesterday, but rather an Infinity guy...

[Marty]

**That would have not have been an Entercom guy speaking yesterday, but rather an Infinity guy...**

Doh!
must be in the water.

At the beginning of the show (I was there!) The “Infinity” guy came out to great the crowd,
He said that Ed was within a
"Tenth of a point" of the leading talker in his time slot
I assumed he was talking about Doridoe
But Hannity?

Gosh.

even better.

[Fremont]

I was there, too...I was looking for you, Michael. At one point BigEddie asked if any reporters were present....nope! Just one guy from alternet.com. Schultz shunned the media, or was it the other way around? It's a mystery who rates a tenth of a point above Ed.

[Lump]

"Ratings on the right-wing station fell apart like a $2 suitcase--3.8 last summer--2.7 today.
(We're worried about KPTK, after all, it's our only progressive talk station. After a good Winter book--this month's ratings went down."

So what are the ratings for sinking KPTK? Let's hear the numbers.

[Duane]

According to Radio and Records.com
KPTK ranks #24 with a 1.3 share for Spring '05.

[Fremont]

Here ya go, Lump...
http://www.radioandrecords.com/

[Political Pulpit]

He said that Ed was within a "Tenth of a point" of the leading talker in his time slot. I assumed he was talking about Doridoe

I was sitting right next to Marty, and the VP from Infinity specifically said that Ed was within a tenth of a point from beating KIRO. So the assumption is, that Ed was within beating DoriDOH which I had already assumed was being beat by the Garfield High School radio station.

I, too was surprised at the lack of promotion for this show. I am also surprised by the lack of promotion for the station in general. Where are all of the ads on the buses, on the billboards, and in the papers? Word-of-mouth just won't cut it.

I agree, that AM1090 needs to have some local programming and quickly. They need a morning drive show, and they could open up some vanity slots in the evening and on the weekends. Another change I would make is to switch Ed and Randi, making Randi live and Ed delayed, since Ed does much better in rural areas and Randi does better in the urban ones.

[PeakLimiter]

As Michael knows, Arbitron data with regard to daypart, demograhics and other qualitive data is copyrighted and may be quoted only by those who are Arbitron clients. I will tell you this as per the latest Arbitron trends, Ed Shultz is not even close to Medved, Monson, Hannity or anybody else. Who ever from Infinity stated that he is within a tenth of a share behind any of these other stations or hosts is either incredibly uninformed (most likely nothing more than a promotions employee) or a liar.

[Marty]

**I, too was surprised at the lack of promotion for this show. I am also surprised by the lack of promotion for the station in general**

yes
the sad part is look at all the adds Infinity has been buying on the TV for KROQ or the new "Jack" or whatever the hell it is called these days
not one TV add for KPTK
heck even KKKvi was advertising for a while on CNN MSGOP and Faux (at least locally)

its like Infinity want's KPTK to fail

[Bush Lies]

AM1090 doesn't need advertising. We are in the majority, regardless of what the ratings say. I would hate to see some local host displace strident voices of truth like Randi or Mike Malloy. I worry that if they replace popular national hosts with locals, the ratings will fall.

Remember, AM1090 has the truth and the truth always wins!

[Political Pulpit]

But just spouting the truth doesn't mean there are people who will actually listen to it. I know many liberals here in Seattle who didn't know Air America exists here, let alone what station it is broadcasted on.

Yes, the Seattle area is a hotbed of Liberalism. But if people don't even know where to go to get their message, then what is the point?

The whole idea is to generate listeners. In order to do that, you have to start promoting.

[blathering Michael]

Right on, PP, plus we and build a radio community--that's what the right's done and it's a powerful political tool tht gives them power disproportionate to their small numbers.

[Forrest]

Word of mouth won't cut it... I personally tell everyone about it (and yes, I have the bumper sticker), but they need bus ads and billboards.

What does radio listenership do in the summer months? Is it cyclical? When everyone wants to be outside, does overall listenership decline regardless of affiliation? It makes little sense that their ratings would be falling, when the national ratings for air america are rising- particularly here in Seattle.

[Lump]

" It makes little sense that their ratings would be falling, when the national ratings for air america are rising- particularly here in Seattle"

Huh?

[Political Pulpit]

You really need to do something about the "crap flooding" comment SPAM here. If you need a solution, contact me. I run several blogs and have dealt with this problem before.

[Bush Lies]

The falling ratings of Air America prove that liberal talk radio is gaining in strength. The radio rating services are controlled by conservatives - is it no doubt that suddenly the fastest rising phenomenon in radio (AA) mysteriously shows up at the bottom of the ratings in all of the major markets????

We've hit a nerve. If they are having to lie about the ratings in an attempt to discredit AA, that just means we're winning!

[murkytooth]

Read Michael's new posts,Bushly. Air America's ratings are good, once you drill down a little bit past the republican bullshit...

[bfree2think]

I often listen to KTPK, especially since KIRO messed everything up. I am convinced that the place to start is by demanding that they replace the 6-9 morning show with local content. Al, Ed, Randi, and the Majority Report are all fairly strong programming.

They need to start somewhere and the morning slot would replace their weakest program during the morning commute. They would be sure to get local pols and activists at that time to try and catch that audience.

How about starting an online petition on your website? They don't mean anything to politicians because they are easy to flood. But the corporate owners of KPTK are in MARKETING. Get them thinking about dollars and they will respond. We should also all dog the KTPK booth at any public event this summer.

[blathering Michael]

We're hearing that the 6-9a spot is to be the first to be filled by a local host at KPTK-- then some spots on the weekend. All manner of conjecture around...that an out of town professional might take it; also rumors are that Goldy from Horse's ass or Mike Webb or Erin Hart.

[sparky]

Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease not Erin