There was a small news item the other day that may force me to make a change to the listings. I’m writing this to ask for opinions. It’s nothing earth shattering.
The news item has said that word has gone out that Cumulus will be branding their syndication offerings as “WestwoodOne” rather than a mix of Westwood One, NBC and Cumulus media. I haven’t actually heard this in practice (ie the Red Eye Trucking Guys brought to you on WestwoodOne)
Right now, the syndicated shows still reflect their origins – the progressive jones radio talk is listed as Dial Globsl, Jim Bohannon as Westwood One and the ABC carryovers as Cumulus Media.
Should I just combine it all into one big group?
I probably can’t help – I look at http://www.streamingradioguide.com/streaming-radio-shows.php?sformat=1&radio-format=Political Opinion almost all of the time. I couldn’t begin to tell you where to find Westwood One stations – I checked the “by Syndicator” and it isn’t there.
I guess I already merged Westwood One with Dial Global prior to the purchase by Cumulus.
Looking over the list of syndicators is sad – it just shows how consolidation of radio owners has wiped out the independent content providers. Business Talk Radio Network and Lifestyle are just about gone, TRN is down to only Jerry Doyle and shrinking, Chuck Harder’s network is dead, cumulus controls Westwood one, dial global, Jones, NBC Radio and CBS Sports. CBS Radio has not been very involved with syndication – Westwood One handled that for them.
There is a little rebound of stations starting up new local shows as they lose their syndicated shows (like where Cumulus has stations in town and pulls the shows back to their stations), but nothing yet big enough to call a trend.
As the options dwindle, I encourage SRG subsribers to sometimes listen to London talk radio- especially interesting to get caller’s opinion of the Ukraine situation.
http://www.lbc.co.uk/
Check your phone company – many offer free calls to the UK, or charge about a penny per minute… you will probably get right through the screener with your Yank accent and that you are calling from overseas. Be polite, you are representing the Red, White and Blue.
You think a conspiracy nut like me could make it on air? Well according to these statements from Iain Dale’s Blog there are others out there who do…..
http://www.lbc.co.uk/iain-dales-blog-30195/entry/120/9935
“Tonight on my LBC show I have endured listening to calls from a succession of people who seem quite happy to think the worst of their own country and yet think the best of an illiberal, intolerant, state which thinks nothing of invading another sovereign state with the stated intention of annexing part of it.
On what left wing, peacenik planet is Vladimir Putin a guardian of any sort of freedom? He imposes policies on his people which these leftist zombies should recoil against. He persecutes homosexuals. He tolerates the killing of journalists.”
English people are good at many things… chief among them is their schooled use of the mother tongue. Holy cow!
Dirk Van IDed this morning as from Westwood One, rather than NBC Radio, so change is underway
(There is a massive ice storm in Fargo, ND)