Conservative talk radio on wane in California

[dad49er]

Tune in to conservative talk radio in California, and the insults quickly fly. Capturing the angry mood of listeners the other day, a popular host in Los Angeles called Republican lawmakers who voted to raise state taxes "a bunch of weak slobs."

With their trademark ferocity, radio stars who helped engineer Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's rise in the 2003 recall have turned on him over the new tax increases. On stations up and down the state, they are chattering away in hopes of igniting a taxpayers' revolt to kill his budget measures on the May 19 ballot.

Economy to blame?

But for all the anti-tax swagger and the occasional stunts by personalities like KFI's John and Ken, the reality is that conservative talk radio in California is on the wane. The economy's downturn has depressed ad revenue at stations across the state, thinning the ranks of conservative broadcasters.

For that and other reasons, stations have dropped the shows of at least half a dozen radio personalities and scaled back others, in some cases replacing them with cheaper nationally syndicated programs.

The causalities:

Casualties include Mark Larson in San Diego, Larry Elder and John Ziegler in Los Angeles, Melanie Morgan in San Francisco, and Phil Cowen and Mark Williams in Sacramento.


Two of the biggest in the business, Roger Hedgecock in San Diego and Tom Sullivan in Sacramento, have switched to national shows, elevating President Obama above Schwarzenegger on their target lists.

Another influential Sacramento host, Eric Hogue, has lost the morning rush-hour show that served as a prime forum to gin up support for the recall of Gov. Gray Davis. Now he airs just an hour a day at lunchtime on KTKZ-AM (1380).

Declining influence:

"It's lonely, it's quiet, and it's a shame," Hogue said of California's shrinking conservative radio world. "I think this state has lost a lot of benefit. I don't know if we can grow it back any time soon."

Still, in a state that Obama won handily in November, a decisive conservative push-back against the tax-spend-and-borrow ballot measures is far from certain. The older white Republicans who tend to listen to conservative radio are a shrinking portion of the state's voters.

It's also no sure bet that the radio shows are converting listeners who might disagree with their agenda.

"All these people are going to vote the conservative line anyway, or they wouldn't be listening to those shows," said Jim Nygren, a Republican strategist.

So goes California, so goes the nation?
Or, just a sign of the economy?

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-talkradio15-2009mar15,0,39114.story

[darknessesedge]

Tune in to conservative talk radio in California, and the insults quickly fly. Capturing the angry mood of listeners the other day, a popular host in Los Angeles called Republican lawmakers who voted to raise state taxes "a bunch of weak slobs."

With their trademark ferocity, radio stars who helped engineer Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's rise in the 2003 recall have turned on him over the new tax increases. On stations up and down the state, they are chattering away in hopes of igniting a taxpayers' revolt to kill his budget measures on the May 19 ballot.

Economy to blame?

But for all the anti-tax swagger and the occasional stunts by personalities like KFI's John and Ken, the reality is that conservative talk radio in California is on the wane. The economy's downturn has depressed ad revenue at stations across the state, thinning the ranks of conservative broadcasters.

For that and other reasons, stations have dropped the shows of at least half a dozen radio personalities and scaled back others, in some cases replacing them with cheaper nationally syndicated programs.

The causalities:

Casualties include Mark Larson in San Diego, Larry Elder and John Ziegler in Los Angeles, Melanie Morgan in San Francisco, and Phil Cowen and Mark Williams in Sacramento.


Two of the biggest in the business, Roger Hedgecock in San Diego and Tom Sullivan in Sacramento, have switched to national shows, elevating President Obama above Schwarzenegger on their target lists.

Another influential Sacramento host, Eric Hogue, has lost the morning rush-hour show that served as a prime forum to gin up support for the recall of Gov. Gray Davis. Now he airs just an hour a day at lunchtime on KTKZ-AM (1380).

Declining influence:

"It's lonely, it's quiet, and it's a shame," Hogue said of California's shrinking conservative radio world. "I think this state has lost a lot of benefit. I don't know if we can grow it back any time soon."

Still, in a state that Obama won handily in November, a decisive conservative push-back against the tax-spend-and-borrow ballot measures is far from certain. The older white Republicans who tend to listen to conservative radio are a shrinking portion of the state's voters.

It's also no sure bet that the radio shows are converting listeners who might disagree with their agenda.

"All these people are going to vote the conservative line anyway, or they wouldn't be listening to those shows," said Jim Nygren, a Republican strategist.

So goes California, so goes the nation?
Or, just a sign of the economy?

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-talkradio15-2009mar15,0,39114.story

calif sounds right for the picking for air America..if it is still on the air.

[dad49er]

calif sounds right for the picking for air America..if it is still on the air.

I think it is still on the air here. I use to listen to one station here that had it, then they went to a different format.

I tend to blame the economy.
Which puts fans of conservative talk radio in a predicament, have Obama's plan work or lose stations.

But with the exception of Prop 8, they lost on nearly every issue and race for office they took a stand on. Their influence is wanning.

[fjccommish]

Hate to tell you, but the reason for Arnold's problems is not the economy. It's that he has been more liberal than conservative.

BTW, Conservatives are not waning. If they were, Obama would not have played towards the center - i.e. further right than he really is - to win. Fake Conservatives like McCain are waning.

[itsrea]

Tune in to conservative talk radio in California, and the insults quickly fly. Capturing the angry mood of listeners the other day, a popular host in Los Angeles called Republican lawmakers who voted to raise state taxes "a bunch of weak slobs."

With their trademark ferocity, radio stars who helped engineer Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's rise in the 2003 recall have turned on him over the new tax increases. On stations up and down the state, they are chattering away in hopes of igniting a taxpayers' revolt to kill his budget measures on the May 19 ballot.

Economy to blame?

But for all the anti-tax swagger and the occasional stunts by personalities like KFI's John and Ken, the reality is that conservative talk radio in California is on the wane. The economy's downturn has depressed ad revenue at stations across the state, thinning the ranks of conservative broadcasters.

For that and other reasons, stations have dropped the shows of at least half a dozen radio personalities and scaled back others, in some cases replacing them with cheaper nationally syndicated programs.

The causalities:

Casualties include Mark Larson in San Diego, Larry Elder and John Ziegler in Los Angeles, Melanie Morgan in San Francisco, and Phil Cowen and Mark Williams in Sacramento.


Two of the biggest in the business, Roger Hedgecock in San Diego and Tom Sullivan in Sacramento, have switched to national shows, elevating President Obama above Schwarzenegger on their target lists.

Another influential Sacramento host, Eric Hogue, has lost the morning rush-hour show that served as a prime forum to gin up support for the recall of Gov. Gray Davis. Now he airs just an hour a day at lunchtime on KTKZ-AM (1380).

Declining influence:

"It's lonely, it's quiet, and it's a shame," Hogue said of California's shrinking conservative radio world. "I think this state has lost a lot of benefit. I don't know if we can grow it back any time soon."

Still, in a state that Obama won handily in November, a decisive conservative push-back against the tax-spend-and-borrow ballot measures is far from certain. The older white Republicans who tend to listen to conservative radio are a shrinking portion of the state's voters.

It's also no sure bet that the radio shows are converting listeners who might disagree with their agenda.

"All these people are going to vote the conservative line anyway, or they wouldn't be listening to those shows," said Jim Nygren, a Republican strategist.

So goes California, so goes the nation?
Or, just a sign of the economy?

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-talkradio15-2009mar15,0,39114.story

In the first place RE:the L.A. Times saying anything honest about conservatives is my opinion: :)) :)) :)) :whistle: :)) :))

Having been born in California and having spent most of my adult life in rural or remote California, I know that, in the second place, a portion of Californians that the L.A. times doesn't even admit is ALIVE, much less counts in polls lives by two things: country music and talk radio... 'cause (this is cut in stone and you can take it to the cleaners) :: their wives have control of the remote daytimes, so there is no way they are going to give up their radio.

No way.

:)

[kparra44]

I really liked Larry Elder.

[PuckHappy]

John Ziegler left KFI well over a year ago and on HIS terms. Larry Elder left KABC in Feb., again on his terms. One reason was that he was unhappy that KABC was replacing his show to broadcast Dodger games during baseball season. He also had too many irons in the fire and wanted to pursue many other opportunities while he had the option.

The AM "conservative" stations are still going strong in the LA area. It was the ONE liberal station (97.1)that totally tanked and went to all music.

[TF2Pyro]

Yawn...here's a link showing the real listener numbers not the made up LA Times numbers.

http://patterico.com/2009/03/16/la-times-hit-piece-on-john-and-ken/

Also shows how the LA Times ignored a tax revolt rally of at LEAST 8000 people made up of many YOUNG voters but instead decided to cover the Katie Holmes/Angelina Jolie toddler tea party story. If your going to post an article from a source at least post it from a source that's not a complete joke.

[Billy_Bob]

Tune in to conservative talk radio in California, and the insults quickly fly. Capturing the angry mood of listeners the other day, a popular host in Los Angeles called Republican lawmakers who voted to raise state taxes "a bunch of weak slobs."

With their trademark ferocity, radio stars who helped engineer Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's rise in the 2003 recall have turned on him over the new tax increases. On stations up and down the state, they are chattering away in hopes of igniting a taxpayers' revolt to kill his budget measures on the May 19 ballot.

Economy to blame?

But for all the anti-tax swagger and the occasional stunts by personalities like KFI's John and Ken, the reality is that conservative talk radio in California is on the wane. The economy's downturn has depressed ad revenue at stations across the state, thinning the ranks of conservative broadcasters.

For that and other reasons, stations have dropped the shows of at least half a dozen radio personalities and scaled back others, in some cases replacing them with cheaper nationally syndicated programs.

The causalities:

Casualties include Mark Larson in San Diego, Larry Elder and John Ziegler in Los Angeles, Melanie Morgan in San Francisco, and Phil Cowen and Mark Williams in Sacramento.


Two of the biggest in the business, Roger Hedgecock in San Diego and Tom Sullivan in Sacramento, have switched to national shows, elevating President Obama above Schwarzenegger on their target lists.

Another influential Sacramento host, Eric Hogue, has lost the morning rush-hour show that served as a prime forum to gin up support for the recall of Gov. Gray Davis. Now he airs just an hour a day at lunchtime on KTKZ-AM (1380).

Declining influence:

"It's lonely, it's quiet, and it's a shame," Hogue said of California's shrinking conservative radio world. "I think this state has lost a lot of benefit. I don't know if we can grow it back any time soon."

Still, in a state that Obama won handily in November, a decisive conservative push-back against the tax-spend-and-borrow ballot measures is far from certain. The older white Republicans who tend to listen to conservative radio are a shrinking portion of the state's voters.

It's also no sure bet that the radio shows are converting listeners who might disagree with their agenda.

"All these people are going to vote the conservative line anyway, or they wouldn't be listening to those shows," said Jim Nygren, a Republican strategist.

So goes California, so goes the nation?
Or, just a sign of the economy?

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-talkradio15-2009mar15,0,39114.story

Tax the corporations to death....they leave and then they wonder why their state is dying....CATS (cranial anal thrust syndrome)

[TF2Pyro]

Tax the corporations to death....they leave and then they wonder why their state is dying....CATS (cranial anal thrust syndrome)

Like Intel, who is a California based business, opening up multi-Billion dollar factories in Arizona because of the lower tax rate compared to California.

[Aaron1122]

Lets be honest here. Conservative radio is dying in California because there isn't very many intelligent people there. Sorry. No offense to people from California. I'm from California myself, but we left 20 years ago. It really is sad what it has become. People with common sense and wisdom are leaving in droves. SO naturally.....so goes conservative talk radio.

[onokaya]

I dont think Liberals are to concerned about Republicans and their current disarray. It seems the Democrats are going to be in power for some time. Right Wing Radio is starting to spin and grasp too hard. Doth protesting too much.

[Aaron1122]

I dont think Liberals are to concerned about Republicans and their current disarray. It seems the Democrats are going to be in power for some time. Right Wing Radio is starting to spin and grasp too hard. Doth protesting too much.


:)):)) Im sorry, but disarray in the "Republican party"??!! Were you lauging while you typed that?

[onokaya]

no but i am now

[TF2Pyro]

I dont think Liberals are to concerned about Republicans and their current disarray. It seems the Democrats are going to be in power for some time. Right Wing Radio is starting to spin and grasp too hard. Doth protesting too much.

Yes, and we can see that with Obama's rising poll numbers....oh wait.

And speaking about "doth protesting too much", who seems to be doing the protesting about AIG bonus payouts and spewing righteous indignation right about the same time as his poll numbers are slipping? I'll give you a hint, it's the same guy who knew about the payouts MONTHS ago back when his buddies authored the stimulus bill that ALLOWED for it in the first place.

By the way, here's a link that shows that "doth protest too much" quote is incredible misused and isn't doesn't even mean what you think it means.

http://www.enotes.com/shakespeare-quotes/lady-doth-protest-too-much-methinks

[onokaya]

Yes, and we can see that with Obama's rising poll numbers....oh wait.

And speaking about "doth protesting too much", who seems to be doing the protesting about AIG bonus payouts and spewing righteous indignation right about the same time as his poll numbers are slipping? I'll give you a hint, it's the same guy who knew about the payouts MONTHS ago back when his buddies authored the stimulus bill that ALLOWED for it in the first place.

By the way, here's a link that shows that "doth protest too much" quote is incredible misused and isn't doesn't even mean what you think it means.

http://www.enotes.com/shakespeare-quotes/lady-doth-protest-too-much-methinks


We are comforted by the Republicans being reduced to third party status.

[TF2Pyro]

We are comforted by the Republicans being reduced to third party status.

Nice deflection.......:clap:

[Tomcat]

I dont think Liberals are to concerned about Republicans and their current disarray. It seems the Democrats are going to be in power for some time. Right Wing Radio is starting to spin and grasp too hard. Doth protesting too much.


Who is Doth? Is that one of Arianna Huffington's flying monkeys she sends out to scour forums like these?

[Tim$2]

Hate to tell you, but the reason for Arnold's problems is not the economy. It's that he has been more liberal than conservative.

BTW, Conservatives are not waning. If they were, Obama would not have played towards the center - i.e. further right than he really is - to win. Fake Conservatives like McCain are waning.

Excellent observation! I couldnt agree more.

[Ex_Spy_Guy]

I think it is still on the air here. I use to listen to one station here that had it, then they went to a different format.

I tend to blame the economy.
Which puts fans of conservative talk radio in a predicament, have Obama's plan work or lose stations.

But with the exception of Prop 8, they lost on nearly every issue and race for office they took a stand on. Their influence is wanning.


good thing is you still gots dat Hannity so let not your heart be troubled....

When was the last time La Times reported on their circulation? Oh....they may have laid off that department.....

:))

[Erick_KS]

Heh. This limp story is old news already.

Call me when the big dogs are off the air. Which won't be happening, so nevermind that.

[dad49er]

In the first place RE:the L.A. Times saying anything honest about conservatives is my opinion: :)) :)) :)) :whistle: :)) :))

Having been born in California and having spent most of my adult life in rural or remote California, I know that, in the second place, a portion of Californians that the L.A. times doesn't even admit is ALIVE, much less counts in polls lives by two things: country music and talk radio... 'cause (this is cut in stone and you can take it to the cleaners) :: their wives have control of the remote daytimes, so there is no way they are going to give up their radio.

No way.

:)

I don't question the facts they use. Fewer conservative talk hosts, etc. I think the conclusion is up to question, and you can not dismiss the effect of the economy.
There was no poll in the story.
I live in a rural California area too, in the Central Valley, near Fresno in a small town. The area is fairly conservative, with Christian values, I have a Republican Assemblyman, but my county did support Obama

[dad49er]

Tax the corporations to death....they leave and then they wonder why their state is dying....CATS (cranial anal thrust syndrome)

Corporations are older white Republicans?
Now there is a stereotype.

[PSBandit]

LAT Propaganda... nuff said.

[Mojotiger]

I don't question the facts they use. Fewer conservative talk hosts, etc. I think the conclusion is up to question, and you can not dismiss the effect of the economy.
There was no poll in the story.
I live in a rural California area too, in the Central Valley, near Fresno in a small town. The area is fairly conservative, with Christian values, I have a Republican Assemblyman, but my county did support Obama

Just conservative talk radio? The Adam Carolla show (based out of LA) was taken off the air too.

[dad49er]

Just conservative talk radio? The Adam Carolla show (based out of LA) was taken off the air too.

I'm not familiar with Adam Carolla.
But that would give credence that this is more of an economic effect than a political one.

[snagswolf]

I'm not familiar with Adam Carolla.
But that would give credence that this is more of an economic effect than a political one.
Actually, that would give credence to the idea that this is a political hit piece by the liberal hacks at the L.A. Times, attempting to paint economic cutbacks across the board as 'the waning of conservative radio'.

[ValricoKate]

Could it possibly be the stations gearing up (or down) for the new localism rules?

[upsetmom]

wait.

a NATIONAL show is a SMALLER market?

lol

nah. It's just wishful thinking on the part of the 'smellay' times.

actually, Rush gives a pretty good description of the ratings system, talking about his show and "the EIB network", but it's pretty illustrativeRUSH: Well, this ratings business, can't blame that one all on the liberals. Well, yeah, I guess you could, but not liberals in the media. Radio ratings are a curious thing. There are two ways that they're taken right now. One is the old-fashioned way, a diary, where people fill a diary out for a week, send it back to the rating company to get tabulated every month, and then every three months the report comes out. There's a new device called a personal people meter, portable people meter where people actually wear a device on their belts and radio signals are encoded and whatever they're listening to is picked up by this thing, and it's in about the top 10 to 15 markets.

It just started a year ago. They test marketed Houston and Philadelphia, and according to the personal people meter data, which they get data every day, yeah, things are through the roof on this program, but, you know, it's tough to know because not all radio stations are reporting them. You can't say that on 15 radio stations, which is all we get day-to-day information from right now, you can't take those 15 when you're on 600 and say things have doubled. Now, some trade expert made that claim, but there's nobody that knows that, we won't know that for a while. Radio ratings have a lot of vagaries to them.

When you're on 600 radio stations, as am I, some of those radio stations have good books and some have bad books every time. You never have a period where every radio station shows gains, nor do you have a period where every radio station shows losses.

(http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=12548960&ch=4226716&src=news)

Removing people who aren't successful is so foreign to leftists they don't recognize wise business practices when they see them!

:))

[mrsc696]

Could it possibly be the stations gearing up (or down) for the new localism rules?

No because people who replaced guys like Larry Elder (local) was replaced with Mark levin (syndicated) It was also a matter of economics. It's cheaper to buy syndicated shows than to produce
a local show, I.E staff and host.

[monkeymom]

John Ziegler left KFI well over a year ago and on HIS terms. Larry Elder left KABC in Feb., again on his terms. One reason was that he was unhappy that KABC was replacing his show to broadcast Dodger games during baseball season. He also had too many irons in the fire and wanted to pursue many other opportunities while he had the option.

The AM "conservative" stations are still going strong in the LA area. It was the ONE liberal station (97.1)that totally tanked and went to all music.


It was never specifically stated, but I heard some conjecture that part of the reason Larry Elder left KABC was because they just could not afford him anymore.

By the way - as much as the Times likes to paint them as conservatives, John and Ken are nothing of the sort. They have ripped Republicans and Democrats alike (liberal and/or conservative) when they think policies are wrong. And throwing them in the mix with radio programs that are supposedly "waning" is absolutely laughable. John and Ken's show has a HUGE listenership - I honestly don't recall the numbers, but I think they have as many listeners on their one station than many large names who are widely syndicated do.

[monkeymom]

We are comforted by the Republicans being reduced to third party status.

You are fooling yourself in your comfort - but enjoy it while you can.