(photo: these cuties are totally irrelevant to the subject at hand, but who isn't?)
Take a look at the Top 5 Talkers of 2010, and you can see why talk radio industry types are worrying about succession, and appealing to the next generation.
A big worry is that there's no next generation -- Luke Burbank, David Boze, and Pocki Finpockets are real exceptions. It's the market not at work. The industry, run for years by old, Wall Street-sucking, risk averse porn-dogs, have made radio unattractive financially and spiritually to talented young people entering media. There's little training radio: case in point:
The Frank Shiers Show (KIRO m-f, 7-11p) is the only real live and local show in Seattle that's not in the prime hours. Evenings, late night, and weekends - once the training hours for new radio talent - are dead except for newscasts, syndicated re-runs and informercials.
1. Rush Limbaugh, 59, is aging, playing a lot of golf, lately, has a young wife to keep happy, and has many prayer circles both Christian and Pagan praying for the aneuryism that will send him to the next time slot.
2. Sean Hannity, 59. has some years left, but let's face it: he's a bland and unsubtle movement tool; no Rush Limbaugh; and his numbers have been stagnant for several years.
3. Glenn Beck, 49, is young and claims "I am not dying," but his numbers have also calcified as his Wizard of Ozian curtain has been pulled back, and he has opted for teevee. and business schemes. Much of Rush's old white demo don't like him for his messianic view of his role in the universe; the young and the growing brownish majority are appalled at his prima facie racism, and politically incorrect stunts. Industry suits are afraid he's an unstable element that will flame out as the political/economic era that created him ends.
4. Michael Savage, 68, is popular with those who confuse multisyllabicism with knowledge, and hell, he's older than Rush! His listenership, and advertisers has flagged as well. The Mean, it seems, has limited appeal to all that many listeners.
5. Dr. Laura's age (63) is irrelevant - she's signing off next year. And there doesn't seem to be anyone in the wings ready to pounce on the naggy, moralistic agony aunt spot she's held down for lo, these many.
Get below the Big 5, you take a precipitous drop in listenership, name recognition, mass appeal, or, in most cases, talent: Laura Ingraham, Dave Ramsey, Mark LeVin, Lou Dobbs, Thom Hartmann, Ed Shultz, Neal Boortz, and Mancow. Howard Stern, once huge, is caught in the ether between earth and the deep space of subscription radio.
Who do you think will be in the Top Five of say, 2015? Will anyone know their names?
This is a sign that talk radio is dying. The only people who listen to it in significant numbers are oldsters who grew up in the days when radio had relevence. It isn't relevent anymore. When this aging audience dies, talk radio will die with it. As the man said, all things must pass.
Posted by: tigsnort | October 17, 2010 at 12:57 AM
On the other hand, I sure would like to meet one of those young "cuties."
Posted by: Pasquale | October 17, 2010 at 01:19 AM
With the new age of technology, talk radio will fragment into very specific little pockets for each individual.
Downloading as opposed to plain ol' listening will be the way and
"Tuning in" will be a thing of the past.
Posted by: Rat_Bastard | October 17, 2010 at 08:25 AM
I have a crystal ball. In the future: people will still want to listen to someone talk about current events on their way to work. I can't say what technological medium will allow this to happen, well... yes I can, it's pretty obvious by now.
And in the future, people will be too lazy to take precious time out of their day to hand pick pre-recorded content, podcasts and the like. There will still be networks whose specialty is delivering 1) time sensitive content and 2) quality content hand picked by an intermediary, such as a DJ or a new editor or aggregator.
You can't tell me the world is devolving into shitty podcasts and limited mp3 collections. That would be way to boring. There would be mass suicides.
Posted by: Andrew | October 17, 2010 at 09:49 AM
Oh, and follow the logic: old people like talk radio. Young people become old. There are always young people. There will always be old people. There will always be old people to listen to talk radio.
Posted by: Andrew | October 17, 2010 at 09:51 AM
I think the underlying consensus here is "I hope talk radio dies - there are some promising signs for the future."
Bottom line: As long as there is corruption and injustice in government, there will be talk radio. Seattle is a notorious dead zone when it comes to talk radio, so if you are gauging it from the local response, your bearings are clearly off...
Posted by: KS | October 17, 2010 at 10:16 AM
Look at how young people select and consume pop music today. Older generations listened to radio DJs who broke new songs, compiled hit parades, made or broke bands by putting songs in heavy rotation or not... radio DJs were the synthesizers / tastemakers of a big, crowded music scene. Today's teens regard radio is utterly ireelevant. My teenage son has thousands of songs on his iPod but ignores radio completely. He decides what he likes by listening to friends and web communities. Radio is nothing to him.
As goes music, so goes talk. Niche-focused web discussion boards have already assumed the role talk radio used to play. I'm not sure younger people will suddenly develop a taste for talk radio as they age, any more than we suddenly developed cravings for 78rpm records or Packards.
Seattle is not much of a radio market anymore anyway.
Posted by: TomF | October 17, 2010 at 11:23 AM
Yep. I've said the very same before, Andrew. It won't die. Change? Of course. But there will always be a niche for just about anything. Corporate profits may decline and radio may be less or more local but radio will always be radio.
I listen much less myself because I prefer podcasts now - both at home and at work. But, when I'm in the car, on the move, gardening, walking on the beach, reclining in my trashy trailer which does not come equipped with cable (hardly any tv signal even) or internet, etc. etc. etc., radio still works - most of the time.
Posted by: joanie | October 17, 2010 at 11:46 AM
TomF's mistake is assuming that teenagers of today will be equally willing to be so proactive in their listening entertainment in the future. Eventually we just run out of time. We want to listen to new music and new talk, but we need extra help seperating the wheat from the chaff. Podcasts have been around for years now, and the entire genre is still niche compared to dished out media. And you think this niche is going to become the status quo?
Another reason the "choose from 10,000 options" form of media will never take hold is because it's lonely. People like being a part of the mainstream. It makes them feel connected.
Posted by: Andrew | October 17, 2010 at 01:43 PM
The top 5 rated radio hosts in 2015
culled from my recent trip forward in my flyin' time machine
1.Dennis Miller
2.Jerry Doyle
3.Howie Carr
4.Lars Larson
5.Curtis Sliwa
In Seattle
1.Dave Boze
2.Bryan Suits
3.Dori Monson
4.Tim Eyman
5.John Carlson
Posted by: William J Harrison | October 17, 2010 at 02:43 PM
I think Andrew is spot on regarding the likely Seattle talkers.
Funny how the Young Turks, Randi, or even Stephanie Miller can't crack the national list.
Evidently Mike Malloy is otherwise unavailable in 2015--no doubt off the air for inappropriate comments and getting his license lifted. That nutter is so fringe you listen to him wondering when he goes completely off the rails...
Posted by: Puget Sound | October 17, 2010 at 02:52 PM
Funny? You're funny, PS. Everyone knows why they don't except you. And you've been told over and over. I think you're the funny one.
Posted by: The Anti-Dori | October 17, 2010 at 03:44 PM
I despise Hannity as much as anyone else with half a sense of fairness but he's 49 not 59. Glenn Beck is 46, not 49. An article that has AGE as a prime subject should at least get the ages correct. Another example of amateur "news bloggers" determined to write their point of view; facts be damned. An actual Journalist would have taken the 20 seconds it required me to determine the actual ages of these people.
Posted by: benseattle | October 17, 2010 at 03:50 PM
Putz, once again your reading skills have betrayed you...Stephanie Miller is # 24 and Rhodes is #41.
Posted by: Fremont | October 17, 2010 at 03:56 PM
Humans aren't genetically wired to like talk radio when they hit a certain age. They stay with what they're familiar with, what they grew up with. Oldsters grew up with AM/talk radio. Young people today are accustomed to exerting complete control over their media experience - they aren't interested in being passively fed on the media's terms. Things are changing. Talk radio will probably still be around, it'll just be chopped up into niches as someone said, and much less irrelevent. 20 years from now there will be no kingmakers like Limbaugh. It will be a startlingly different landscape.
Posted by: tigsnort | October 17, 2010 at 04:39 PM
(make that "much less relevent")
Posted by: tigsnort | October 17, 2010 at 04:41 PM
Above everyone is Dori Monson! His accumen on the Seahawks is fantastic and his way of stirring the pot on his show is pure genius (you can tell by the comments he generates). Having him team up with anyone is a mistake tho - hope KIRO is realizing that. Dori is a solo talent.
I'm getting encouraged by what KIRO is trying to do, but please let Dori be Dori and don't try to supplement his show with co-hosts. Works with Ross, but NOT with Dori. I'm sure that Tommy of this blog would agree with me as he seems to be Dori's biggest fan.
Posted by: MstngSally | October 17, 2010 at 04:45 PM
I grew up on rock and roll. I don't listen to R&R anymore. Sorry, Mr. T. I do not agree.
Posted by: The Anti-Dori | October 17, 2010 at 05:17 PM
Putz, once again your reading skills have betrayed you...Stephanie Miller is # 24 and Rhodes is #41.
Posted by: Fremont | October 17, 2010 at 03:56 PM
Andrew was naming his top 5. Hence, the others at 24 and 41 are unlikely to be in the top 5.
LMAO.
Posted by: Puget Sound | October 17, 2010 at 05:25 PM
Puget said "Funny how the Young Turks, Randi, or even Stephanie Miller can't crack the national list."
Yes Miss Fremont, Puget cannot read his own writing.
Or else he can't count to 21 without a hole in his pocket.
Posted by: HP | October 17, 2010 at 05:43 PM
poor HP, read above comment.
it was about Andrew's top 5.
Duff was correct. The Usual Suspects are so desperate to find something wrong that they gotta make up something.
Posted by: Puget Sound | October 17, 2010 at 05:47 PM
That wasn't my top 5 please read more carefully
Posted by: Andrew | October 17, 2010 at 05:55 PM
tigsnort says "Young people today are accustomed to exerting complete control over their media experience - they aren't interested in being passively fed on the media's terms"
That's because they don't have kids or full time jobs, or very high standards.
Posted by: Andrew | October 17, 2010 at 05:57 PM
Sorry Andrew.
I stand corrected.
Posted by: Puget Sound | October 17, 2010 at 06:06 PM
...but the comment regarding the Top 5 stands.
Posted by: Puget Sound | October 17, 2010 at 06:25 PM
Oh ok, for a sec...
Posted by: Coiler | October 17, 2010 at 06:27 PM
hah.. I know..
Posted by: sparky | October 17, 2010 at 07:03 PM
I agree with the remark about the ages being messed up. Kinda shootin' your credibility in the face when your story is about age and the ages are all fucked up.
If you consider that Glenn Beck is only 46 and Michael Savage is 68, Glenn Beck might have 25 broadcast years left in him. Radio will be 3D by the time he retires.
Posted by: Andrew | October 17, 2010 at 10:32 PM
Michael Savage is a hero for life's late achievers. He didn't go national until about 1999, and he's now worht 20 million dollars. I still enjoy his show, but he's got a little meaner and less funny than in his first decade. People making big money nowadays are likely to be very young and moronic like idiot skateboarder Bam Margera ( Jackass, Viva La Bam on MTV, ETC) and ignorant rappers liek Little Wayne, T.I. etc. Margera has as big a fortune as 80 plus year old Hugh Hefner. When i see how many young morons have much more money than me it makes me realize I've been slacking, so I'm dedicating the next five years towards a nonstop catch up program.
Posted by: Tommy008 (Star is pooping in my yard) | October 17, 2010 at 11:23 PM
OFF TOPIC, but wasn,t it wonderful the way Patty Murray took the Wop to the cleaners tonight. A 5th grader learning to debate could have kicked his ass. He is not qualified to be dogcatcher!!!!
Posted by: saintrudy | October 17, 2010 at 11:53 PM
Brian Suits has been very unhappy with Rossi's "wimpish" tv ads in his latest attempt to win statewide election. He's had several grumblefests with listeners calling in venting on how their candidate (Rossi) is getting his lunch money stolen from him by Murray in the battle of the ads. One guy grumbled that Rossi's ads were like a guy standing in the corner of the boxing ring, protecting his privates , while another caller called Rossi a "sissy". I'll be listening tomorrow to see how Suits and his listeners think their man fared in the debate. Somehting tells me they will not be amused.
Posted by: Tommy008 (Star is pooping in my yard) | October 18, 2010 at 12:04 AM
Oh ok, for a sec...
Posted by: Coiler | October 17, 2010 at 06:27 PM
sparky
hah.. I know..
Posted by: sparky | October 17, 2010 at 07:03 PM
yep, glad to see that you 'both' can coordinate on this big 'gotcha' moment.
the main point stands that in 2015 you won't see Stephanie Miller or Randi Rhodes in the top 5 nationwide.
we could put some money up on this but I worry that Coils -given his eating habits- will be around that long.
Posted by: Puget Sound | October 18, 2010 at 03:31 AM
This is one of the stupider articles to appear on this site. Hype without content. The focus of the article is on age, and it gets the ages wrong. Pathetic.
Radio provides the benefits of (or illusion of) social interaction without the obligations. Radio will always be around. And the radio business has always been infested with shitheads, whether on-air "talent" or not. A radio veteran told me once that the typical radio-station salesman would pimp for his mother if he could make a dollar at it.
It's fun to watch admitted lefties--the enlightened ones--thrash and flail about as they contrive excuses for leftie radio's tiny audiences. It's the audience's fault of course--right?
Wed Nov 3 is gonna be a fun day. Though we all fear that the dumbest member of the US senate will be re-elected, we'll benefit if Perry Como... err..Dino... just goes back to sleep. RIP Mr. Excitement. Poor guy is duller than John McCain.
Posted by: henri (pronounced "ahhn-REE") | October 18, 2010 at 05:43 AM
Speaking of radio shitheads, be sure to read the NY Times article about DJs running The Chicago Tribune:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/06/business/media/06tribune.html?pagewanted=all
Posted by: jacques (pronounced "jay-kweez") | October 18, 2010 at 06:58 AM
Dori Monson is about the best this area has to offer. He is stymied by being paired up with any one, he is one who should be by himself to get maximum effect.
Dave Ross can work with the right partner, but not Dori. Dori's handling of Seahawk's pre & post game is also superb. He is by far our area's most proficient talk radio personality. I'm sure our friend Tommy (of this blog's fame & Dori's biggest fan) will attest to this.
Posted by: MstngSally | October 18, 2010 at 07:33 AM
Dino couldn't focus at all during the debate, had no list of accomplishments, other than being part owner of a bank.
Posted by: Coiler | October 18, 2010 at 08:08 AM
Yes coiler I would say you're correct. Ms Murray is not a debater and Mr Rossi is worse. Sad for the cons that he is all they have to offer. We will crush them here in WA.
Posted by: MstngSally | October 18, 2010 at 08:32 AM
Bryan Suits has been lasered in on the Patty Murray position...
That tax cuts are robbing the state of it's rightful ownership of our money.
Murray sees us as money suppliers for big government, and Rossi sees us as Americans who should be in charge of Government.
Seattle will most likely get more of what it deserves in the next few weeks.
More big, wasteful government.
It's good for talk radio.
Job security.
Posted by: Rat_Bastard | October 18, 2010 at 08:55 AM
"Funny how the Young Turks, Randi, or even Stephanie Miller can't crack the national list."
Putz, why would you question the absence of Miller, et.al. on WJH's (not &rew's...once again, your reading skills have betrayed you) national list and not Beck, Hannity et.al.? Are you actually using someone's opinion as validation that the YT, et.al. are unable to "crack the national list?" Wow! Terrific reasoning as well as reading skills!
HP: "Miss" Fremont???
Posted by: Fremont | October 18, 2010 at 10:13 AM
Funny how the Young Turks, Randi, or even Stephanie Miller can't crack the national list...
Posted by: Puget Sound | October 17, 2010 at 02:52 PM
Putz, why limit your query to those personalities?
Thom Hartmann #10
Ed Schultz #11
Joe Madison #12
Ohh, convince, I get it. You must be a bagger.
Posted by: BlackRhino | October 18, 2010 at 07:22 PM