The true power behind conservative talk

Huffington Post media blogger Bill Mann knows why conservatives dominate political talk radio: It’s because Clear Channel owns Premiere Radio Networks, syndicator of Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck and (in partnership with Citadel) Sean Hannity.

Yes, this is the same Bill Mann who recently argued  on Huffington that Rush Limbaugh has so many affiliates because stations get his show “for free.”

In a May 21st post  Mann says Premiere and Clear Channel work hand-in-glove to clear the big righty hosts.  He suggests this is improper and, no surprise, calls for government action to stop the “vertical integration” of the airwaves.

Mann goes on to contend that sales reps in clusters with both conservative and liberal talk stations tend to slight the lefty outlet because, as Mann acknowledges, they can make more money selling the more-popular conservative station.

Well, yes.  Incredibly, Mann fails to understand something most of us learn fairly early in life: People, and the organizations they form, will always make financial decisions in their own best interest.  Of course Clear Channel works to build synergy between its products and platforms.  And, OF COURSE, salespeople invest their time and talent where they will net the greatest return.  Self-interest is the driving force in business.  Nothing else works.

Liberal/progressive talk will be cleared on top signals when — and only when – it becomes a valuable asset, capable of  generating ratings and revenue on par or in excess of conversative offerings. Rush Limbaugh did not spring full-formed from Ed McLaughlin’s head with 600+ affiliates.  He started out on a lot of pea-shooter AMs — and stayed there until larger stations were convinced of his value to their business.

Supporters of liberal talk need to stop whining about “structural imbalances” and “vertical integration” and start producing better programming.

That’s the bottom line.

Enough to Make Your Eyes Bleed

With apologies to Keith Olbermann, that’s the only way to describe The Huffington Post’s embarrassing Rush Limbaugh hatchet piece .  Huffington media blogger Bill Mann claims to reveal the “dirty little secret” that Limbaugh has 600+ affiliates because his show is “free.”   There are so many errors in this story that correcting them is like trying to eat an elephant.  So, let’s start with the heart.  The Rush Limbaugh Show is simply the most successful talk radio show in the history of the format.  Limbaugh continues to win, even dominate, his talk competition in most every market.  WBAL/Baltimore’s 2006 decision to dump Limbaugh sent the entire station into a spin and gave new life to the struggling talk station that snapped him up. That’s why Rush has so many affiliates. 

What’s more,  the Limbaugh show is not free, and never has been.  Every affiliate pays an annual cash fee in addition to the commercial time they barter to Premiere Radio Networks for the right to carry Limbaugh’s show.  In a major market, that annual fee can hover around the $500,000 mark.  And even if stations didn’t have to pony up cash, their commercial time – during what is likely their top-rated show — has considerable value.  If the station is doing passably well, the value of that bartered inventory far surpasses the annual fee.

Mann identifies himself as a veteran print reporter who has covered radio for daily newspapers and the trade publication Radio World.  Alas, this isn’t journalism, it’s  ignorance and misinformation packed as “news” in the service of an agenda.  There is a lesson there for all media, including talk radio.