Let's get it straight, is it "Pig Vomit" or "Pig Virus"? I thought it was the former in "Private Parts"?

NY Times article on the downfall of WGN:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/11/us/11cncradio.html

[quote="WOHO"]Let's get it straight, is it "Pig Vomit" or "Pig Virus"? I thought it was the former in "Private Parts"?[/quote]

It is Pig Vomit in the movie. But Pig Vomit was the name of a band that did the opening theme to Stern's WNBC radio show. In real life, it was (and for many remains) Pig Virus.

As for Kathy & Judy, my guess is there was a lot that went on behind closed doors among all parties. Yeah, the memo Metheny wrote says they left of their own accord. What PR person wouldn't tell the PD to say that, rather than, "well, we were trying to get them to leave and they wouldn't, so there it is." Don't be so naive about radio. Both sides say things that make them look good. I'm not sticking up for Metheny but I am saying that there are things that happen in upper management that no one else knows about. Perhaps they were making too much money and not bringing in the advertising $$$? Or, more obviously, management is making a MAJOR change in programming, i.e. Steve Cochran, Mike McConnell, etc. and wanted them off.

It's about programming philosophy. OK, don't agree with the philosophy and wait and see if you're proved right by tanking ratings. But if the ratings improve, then maybe management had a plan, or not. Bottom, bottom line on all this is that unless you're inside that office with all the input that comes from above, you have no clue as to why or how these decisions are made.

And to add something after reading the NYT piece, it IS about advertising $$$. They're not getting them in the all-hailed 25-54 demo and that's what they're looking for. Frankly, in my opinion, that's a mistake. 25-54 is NOT the big demo for radio anymore, especially not talk radio. 35-64 is the demo to target there.

I tried to get into the building, but the security guards at Tribune Tower wouldn't let me through.



35-64 men, to be exact....or as I call 'em, "pissed off white guys".

And the ad market there isn't exactly hot either. Listen to Limbaugh some afternoon and take note of the national advertisers....fly-by-night gold brokers, herbal snake oil salesman, and penis-enlargement pills pushers. The good news is that these yahoo's usually pay cash up front. The bad news is that they don't pay nearly as much as, say, GM, Ford, Frigidaire, Macy's, J.C. Penney or PNC Bank might pay.

The same is true on the local level. Local business owners are not stupid. They may have their political views, but they also realize that half their clientele doesn't see things the way they do, and they don't want to piss these people off by appearing to take one side or the other. We had this problem in St. Johns back in the mid-90's. We tried airing a conservative talk show from USA Radio in the morning, and couldn't sell the damn thing locally, because the local banks, auto dealerships and grocery stores didn't want to be associated with "controversial" talk radio.....and I'm talking about a very conservative area politically, but these were business owners who realized that there were liberals, even in Clinton county, who opened checking accounts, shopped for groceries and bought cars.

For the most part, the mainstream advertisers, and upscale advertisers in particular, have jumped to FM (with the exception of local sports). FM radio entertains with music. AM radio entertains by picking fights and posturing. Meanwhile, talk radio listeners who want to get away from that stuff are going one of three places....NPR, satellite or their IPods (for me, it's the latter).

I switched to WGN from WJR after it went down the Limbaugh/Hannity/Laura toilet, and even its local hosts like Smith, Beckman and Albom started to "get political" (something the late great J.P. McCarthy never did). That station, in effect, died on August 16th, 1995, but its de-evolution was inevitable. Sad to think that this powerhouse, which was once the home of Ernie Harwell, Hal Youngblood, the Tigers and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, is now airing spots to "shit yer fat" and "grow yer dick". I've already heard a couple of those on 'GN, and I'm sure there will be a lot more, as long as the scammers pay cash up front. Meanwhile, we will probably hear fewer spots for Sears, Cadillac or Saks Fifth Avenue (you know....the BIG money accounts). And as the rate card drops, they'll have to sell a lot more snake oil ads to make up for the deficit, but I'm sure that won't bother Mr. Michaels. He'd probably sell his soul to the devil for a buck and a cigar.

More on WGN:

http://www.ntsmediaonline.com/wp-conten ... 071610.pdf