Posted on 01/04/2010 4:23:26 PM PST by God'sgrrl
To Our Loyal Listeners...
We regret that Rush Limbaugh is no longer a part of the Curtis Media Family, effective, December 31st, 2009. However, please know the following true facts:
1) The decision to move Rush from WSJS was NOT ours.
2) Rather, that call was made by the programs’ syndication company, Premiere Radio Networks. We were afforded no opportunity to discuss the matter, let alone renegotiate a new deal. Instead, we were given a 90-day notice of cancellation back in September.
3) Premiere Radio Networks are controlled by Clear Channel Communications, the same company that owns five of our competitors in the Greensboro Triad Metro area. This latest move is one of seeming desperation. At one time, the stations under their Triad umbrella dominated the marketplace. Now they receive a much smaller percentage of overall advertising revenues available in our market and are attempting to try, yet another format change, this time entering the NewsTalk arena in which there are already 4 NewsTalk stations. This is new ground for them.
We’ve enjoyed a long, fruitful relationship with Rush Limbaugh, and we hate to see him go. WSJS was among the first affiliates to air Rush's show, but it's time to move on. We’ll always be proud of what we have accomplished together and what we have provided our fans.
It concerns me that so many WSJS listeners think we’re arrogant (or dumb) enough to purposely drop a successful show like Rush Limbaugh. While we’ve made our share of bonehead moves over the years, I can assure you this isn’t one of them.
I can also promise you that the other quality components you’ve come to expect from 600/1200 WSJS, The Triad’s News Radio, will remain in place….with experience and talent with the likes of J. R. Snider, Smith Patterson, CBS News, Accu-Weather, Wall Street Journal Reports, Charles Osgood, Triad Traffic, Sean Hannity, Mark Levin, Dave Ramsey and just added to our lineup, Dennis Miller and Jim Bohannon.
More national, regional and local news coverage, more local talk, more of what WSJS has stood for since 1930 and, unfortunately, no more Rush Limbaugh.
I know I can speak for the entire staff at 600/1200 WSJS when I say how much we’ve appreciated your listening to Rush over the years. I hope you will continue to tune in throughout each day for the finest news coverage and variety of unique features unlike anything you’ll find on your radio dial in the Piedmont.
Thank you for reading, for your understanding and the very best to you & yours in 2010 and beyond!
Tom Hamilton
General Manager
WSJS/WSML/WMFR
336 777 3900 x1342
thamilton@curtismedia.com
Folks, I won’t miss Curtis Media one bit. Here in Raleigh, Curtis Media lost Rush as well... and I’m pretty happy about it. Why? Because now we have Clear Channel carrying Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, and Sean Hannity.
We also won’t have to listen to WPTF’s liberal news announcers reading the AP newswire anymore... or pumping up the latest thing that Gov. Purdue said. Or replaying the same godawful lies about how good Obamacare is going to be, and how the Gay Marriage vote in California was such a travesty. Thank goodness we won’t be hearing the same quotes repeated every half hour from the Liberal Congressman David Price from Chapel Hill. They let that guy get away with murder everytime he was interviewed about anything.
Instead of the Liberal / Moderate news from Curtis Media, we’re getting Fox Radio News from Clear Channel. My wife and I couldn’t be happier. You can listen live on the 106.1 RDU website if you like as well.
Something tells me Greensboro will be getting a better option soon.
Well that settles all the controversy. Thanks for the info.
Do not despair! Rush is on 106.1 FM at
the same time. FM sounds better that AM
anyway.
This is similar to the move that Premier/Clear Channel made in New Orleans a couple of years ago. Rush ruled his timeslot on WWL-AM, the Entercom-owned blowtorch that has dominated the market for years. Instead of making the rich ever richer, Clear Channel saw a chance to build an audience on their own FM news-talk outlet in New Orleans. So, they cancelled their deal with Entercom and moved Rush to WRNO-FM.
The result? WWL-AM has genuine competition in the news-talk segment of the local market for the first time in years. Last year, WRNO was virtually dead even with WWL, largely on the strength of Rush’s huge audience in the Crescent City. You’ll see similar growth for the Clear Channel news-talk outlet in Greensboro that “inherits” Rush.
And, for what it’s worth, Clear Channel has been doing this for years. In Memphis, Rush moved from WMC-AM to WREC-AM (another CC station) almost a decade ago. The move destroyed WMC as a talk station, while WREC has more than tripled its audience.
If I were the general manager of a Rush affiliate in a market with a Clear Channel station “cluster,” I’d be concerned. The radio giant has discovered a easy way to turn around an under-performing FM outlet, at the expense of the “legacy” AM news-talker.
LOL!!!!!!!!!
Sorry. I had Triad area and
Triangle area confused. Rush
is on 106.1 in the Triangle.
2) Most likely the Levin and Hannity contracts are not up as of 1/1/10.
D’oh!! Sorry, of course I meant Little Rock, AR, which in spite of Bill Clinton’s former influence is a good town with some nice folks in it.
Ummm...did you actually read the article? Try it, just this once. I’ll wait here.
Doesn’t change my response. It’s still a stupid move.
Probably Clear Channel is moving Rush over to one of their own stations since they have the syndication rights in that area.
Actually was there for my brother’s wedding in July 1995. What a hoot! It was at 12 Noon on a Friday... Most of those who came basiclly stopped work for a couple hours, walked or drove to the church, at exactly 12 when the church bells rang, the priest said “let’s go...let’s get started.” And aso they did. It was all so unique. Then a few hours later, after their local reception, the entire bridal party and several others-including me-drove down to Albuequrqe and caught a flight up to LV, NV for a delightful weekend of fun. Was a great time all around.
I find it wierd to listen to talk radio on FM.
Especially when I’m used to a particular host, such as Rush, on AM.
The voice sounds so different as to be almost unfamiliar.
If you think Little Rock has some nice folks, you need to try Fort Smith—we’re more conservative too :) Must be an influence from literally being on the border with Oklahoma. Sen. Tom Coburn started practicing medicine here in Fort Smith years ago. One of our local Tea Party ladies told him he was welcome to come back to Arkansas at any time—he could undo all the damage old Blanche has done.
WSJS would not have dropped Rush. The same thing is happening with Rush on WPTF in Raleigh. Two of the oldest and best AM stations in NC.
Rush has his very own station in the Triad now. RUSH RADIO 94.5
http://www.rushradio945.com/main.html
Trouble is reception drops off terribly. 94.5 was a small local all-Spanish station. I can’t pick it up at home or the office anymore. The station gets drowned out by 94.1 out of Charlotte 100 miles away. I can get it fine when in my car driving though.
This was covered in another thread, it appears that Clear Channel is gathering its big guns unto itself and shutting out the other media outlets that they don’t own. Which is normal radio/TV strategy and not a big deal. Just find Rush on a station owned by Clear Channel.
Heard Rush’s show today on 94.5. Sounds good!
Good for you! I wish more talk stations had FM affiliates.
http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/today.guest.html
“EIB Affiliate Update for North Carolina Listeners:
Find Rush on WRDU-106.1 FM in Raleigh-Durham
and WGBT-94.5 FM in Greensboro-Winston-Salem”
Rush 24/7 is an excellent investment. Well worth it! Dittocam, commercial free podcasts.
http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/menu/fathers.guest.html
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