Friday, March 23, 2007

Dennis Miller's Underwhelming Station Lineup

After a failed TV talk show and equally unsuccessful attempt to be a color commentator on Monday Night Football, Dennis Miller, will try to resurrect his faltering career, once again, on Monday with a syndicated talk radio show that will reportedly debut on 80 stations.

We say "reportedly," because Westwood One, which is syndicating Miller’s talk show, has only identified 11 of the stations that will be carrying the show. In a press release, announcing the launch, WW1 claims that 80 stations will offer the show, including seven in the top 10 markets.

Five of the seven are low-rated Salem Communications stations that will have to juggle their line-up of such talk radio heavy weights as Dennis Prager, Hugh Hewitt, Bill Bennett, Laura Ingraham, Mike Gallagher, and Michael Savage to accommodate Miller’s three hour daily show. The other two top ten affiliates are Clear Channel second tier talkers-- KNEW in San Francisco and KTRH in Houston.

Here are the 11 station’s clearing the Dennis Miller Show that were announced by WW1 along with market rank and current ratings:



The combined share of these stations is less than a buck. In fact, KFI in Los Angeles reaches more homes in Southern California than all these 11 stations, including KRLA in LA, reach in the whole country.


Even the struggling liberal talk stations beat the Miller affiliates. In seven markets where they compete, the lib talk station beats the Miller station in four of those markets, loses in two, and ties in one.


Now remember, these 11 stations are the only markets that WW1 has announced prior to the launch. We will have to wait until Monday to find out what the other 69 markets look like. We don’t expect it will be pretty.



It appears that Michael Savage is the big loser on the seven Salem stations that are adding Miller’s talk show. Savage is being dropped from four of these stations – KNUS in Denver, WDTK in Detroit, WNTP in Philadelphia, and KYCR in Minneapolis and moved to less desirable time slot on KRLA in Los Angeles.



It will be interesting to see what incumbent right wing talkers get the boot on the other 69 stations that will be adding Miller’s Show on Monday. We will attempt to answer this question as the news leaks out next week.


While we are not big fans Dennis Miller, we remain open-minded about his upcoming show. WW1 has avoided the hard core right wing talk format offered by other syndicators like Premiere, ABC Radio Networks, and Talk Radio Network. They favor a more moderate stable of talkers including Imus, Tom Leykis, Jim Kramer, Don & Mike, Jim Bohannon, and Larry King. The only bonafide conservatives syndicated by WW1 are Bill O’Reilly and Lars Larson.



In any case we’ll take a straight trade of Dennis Miller for Michael Savage any time. Even with a player to be named later.

24 comments:

raccoonradio said...

>>In any case we’ll take a straight trade of Dennis Miller for Michael Savage any time. Even with a player to be named later.

So would I.
Another station running Miller
is WHBC 1480 in Canton, OH, which
reportedly will debut its new
talk lineup next Monday, a week
earlier than expected (see Ohio
Media Watch)

And it is true that the Salem
talkers don't get numbers; in Boston WTTT has never shown up in the ratings while the now-departed
AAR stations, WKOX and WXKS, did
get 0.6 or so

raccoonradio said...

WRKZ 93.7 in Pittsburgh, to be WTZN,
will carry Miller in his hometown
when it switches to talk on April
2. It will be known as

the Zone

Anonymous said...

At least Mr. Wiener is funny, in a psychotic sort of way. I don't think ever he takes himself seriously...Mr Miller's career is in a tailspin because he is not funny, and lacks talent. His MNF stint was painful to watch.

raccoonradio said...

I'd think Miller's more funny than Savage, who usually sounds angry but on occasion he's more mellow and
good-natured. Sometimes he (Savage) seems to
have an "ah, screw it, let's have
fun" mood and plays old songs from
the 50s. Mind you I usually don't
stay too long listening to him but sometimes I'll hit the button...

raccoonradio said...

Listening to Miller right now on dennismillerradio.com --not bad.
Rudy G, David Horowitz, and even
the Church Lady himself, Dana Carvey.
Many stations are doing him tape
delayed.

raccoonradio said...

Miller's launch of 80 stations is about the same amount AAR had at its peak. We know how many AAR/prog talk has lost over the last 15 months or so. Add WARF Akron OH to that list,
as Clear Channel finds sports will be more profitable.

It's probably
best that prog. talk try to "clone
(Stephanie) Miller" (says Ohio Media Watch, which notes that "it's about the entertainment, stupid") and try to land on the bigger, mostly
conservative stations.

raccoonradio said...

WVMT in Burlington VT is one and I think there's another in Wilmington DE (WARK)

raccoonradio said...

I notice a Station Finder has been added to DennisMillerRadio.com

I typed in Boston and found they listed WTPL-FM 107.7...which is actually just north of Concord NH
and not heard in Boston at all

Cleveland (Canton) WHBC 1480
Columbus WTDA-FM 103.9

Did you get NYC (WFNY 92.3, for a temporary try out) and Pittsburgh
(WTZN 93.7, starts Monday? The

station finder
also lists
stations in Syracuce, Rochester,
and Elmira NY. Vermont is not listed even though WVMT carries him, and as I said WTPL in Concord NH area is listed under "MA" but not NH!

Anonymous said...

Wow! Corey Deitz hits the career high of doing posts for About.com and feels he can diss Miller?

My guess is that Miller's incredible sense of humor is over the head of most who listen to him. His self admitted migration from left to right after 9/11 simply doesn't sit well with the MSM, Hollywood elites, or most who lack a flexible mind.

What Miller's style does lack is the kind of self-serving attacks Deitz makes via proxy (relying on a blog for his "reporting"). He discusses both sides of issues and causes one to think — and laugh.

Perhaps the point regarding the whiney nature of Deitz' post is made by observing that Miller already charges for premium services and Deitz' newsletter is FREE (sic). Proving once again, you get what you pay for.

Anonymous said...

As a personality Miller is fine. But there is nothing dynamic enough about his character on talk radio. He is so boring. He just bores the hell out of me.

Anonymous said...

As long as they are giving talk shows to former Weekend Update comedians, I vote to give a show to Dan Akroyd and Jane (You Ignorant Slut) Curtain.
Now, that would be good radio.

Anonymous said...

Hey Dr. B,

Ha ha....maybe you should read my bio before you accuse my posts at Radio.about.com as being my "career high". Isn't that just like some people to attack others - personally - just because they don't agree with that person's information, opinion, or facts?

Considering I've worked in cities like Chicago, St. Louis, Cleveland, Virginia Beach, Richmond, Toledo, Columbus, Little Rock and others as a radio personality (and still employed), I'd say my part-time gig with About.com is more like...just fun.

And for those who don't know, all the sites at About.com - including the Radio one - consist of hundreds if not thousands of original articles. The daily posts are just that - part of our blogs. They are a very small part of the content we provide to millions of visitors every week.

With my blog, I endeavor to post various viewpoints on all aspects of Radio.

So, go ahead Dr. B - spew some more venom. It only makes you look bad, not the people you attack.

Corey Deitz
Radio.about.com

PS - I sign my posts with my real name. I don't hide behind a pseudonym or initial.

Anonymous said...

It's on here in Indianapolis, and I've been enjoying the hell out of it. Good mix of guests from entertainment and politics. Despite the opinion of some that he's now "evil," he comes across as being very calm and reasoned. He's a little rough on the air, but that's partly what I like about it. It's a much better fit than his CNBC gig.

Anonymous said...

Savage is carried in Wilmington, DE on WILM and is still listed on the website program schedule.
WARK is an Oldies station in Hagerstown, MD. WNRK was an Oldies station in Newark, DE and is currently silent.

Steve J. said...

Miller is also on KVOI in Tucson, AZ. He replaced War Whore Laura Ingraham,who apparently dropped the station.

http://radamisto.blogspot.com/2007/03/radio-tidbits_27.html

Anonymous said...

Anyboby know where we can listen to Savage in LA?

I miss him...and he's actually funnier than Miller.
JJ

barooosk said...

Savage can now be heard on KLAA-AM 830 from 3pm to 6pm...LA now has four conservative talk stations. In addition to KLAA, there's KFI, KABC, and KRLA.

Anonymous said...

I don't know of other stations he may be in in california.

As far as other language stations, many seem to be spreading false propaganda that may sit well with Hippies, but not with American educated people.

Anonymous said...

Miller's also on in St. Louis on 1190 AM (they never seem to use the call letters, but merely announce it as "Talk Monster 1190".
Ironically, the station canceled fellow SNL alumnus Al Franken's show to make room for Miller.

Anonymous said...

hey buddy, miller has reached 150 stations in 9 months and airs in all 10 of the top 10 markets. not so underwhelming, huh. the only thing underwhelming is your blog.

Anonymous said...

Try 180 stations now and climbing.

Viagra Online said...

I think that if this guy doesn't have success with that radio talk show, he will stop this attempts to appear in media. Buy Viagra Viagra

Anonymous said...

i saw an old movie joe dirt and finally realized dennis was the radio talk show on it love you dennis and especially with bill oreilly

Anonymous said...

Love me the Dennis Miller Show here on the east side of S.F. Bay since the KNEW 910am days. Stream nightly on Iheart via WNTP & KRLA.