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STUCK HUCK: Palin Snub Symbolizes Poor Start
Radio Equalizer ^ | 6/23/12 | Brian Maloney

Posted on 06/23/2012 1:42:19 PM PDT by raccoonradio

Huckabee Radio Talk Show Off To Extremely Slow Start

*** EQ EXCLUSIVE ***

With mainstream media expectations so high, Mike Huckabee's new radio talk show was probably bound to disappoint. But newly-available hard data reveals a gaping donut hole where the audience should be.

It's an ominous sign for Cumulus Media, Huck syndicator and new owner of ABC Radio's largest AM legacy news-talk radio stations.

Widely touted as the "civil" answer to Rush Limbaugh's regime-threatening political effectiveness, the former Arkansas governor became an establishment darling earlier this year when the talk titan got caught up in the Sandra Fluke controversy.

In addition to hundreds of other media outlets, The Wall Street Journal played up his chances of tackling Limbaugh with this fawning coverage:

"Mike Huckabee will pose the most formidable challenge to Limbaugh that I can remember from a conservative hosting in the same time slot and being backed by a major company," said Michael Harrison, publisher of Talkers Magazine, a talk-radio trade journal.

But the strategy behind Huckabee's new positioning has been flawed from the start: though "civil", his delivery is generally regarded as stiff and dry. Weak performance has opened him up to ridicule from both left and right, including libtalker Randi Rhodes, as seen below:

(see clip on original link)

Far more damning was last week's embarrassing Bristol Palin interview no-show. Triggering a Huck scolding, the former Alaska governor's daughter responded by saying she was unaware of the appearance and would rather spend her time appearing on Limbaugh's program anyway.

Equally important: Huck's conservative credentials have become increasingly suspect. If he's really destined to replace Limbaugh on WABC, WLS / Chicago, WBAP / Dallas and many others, how does defending Michelle Obama build that case?

clip

In 2007, the late Robert Novak nailed Huck's real agenda here: "Huckabee is campaigning as a conservative, but serious Republicans know that he is a high-tax, protectionist advocate of big government and a strong hand in the Oval Office directing the lives of Americans. Until now, they did not bother to expose the former governor of Arkansas as a false conservative because he seemed an underfunded, unknown nuisance candidate. Now that he has pulled even with Mitt Romney for the Iowa caucuses and might make more progress, the beleaguered Republican Party has a frightening problem."

But enough with perceptions: let's look at the facts. According to newly-released Arbitron audience data, the Huckster is off to the kind of start that makes Air America Radio appear downright successful.

That's despite enjoying an avalanche of free publicity upon his debut.

And that's even before we compare him to Rush, as Huck doesn't stand on his own, either:

In New York City, where he currently airs evenings on WOR-AM, Huck ranked just 20th overall in the broadest audience demographic, listeners six and older.

Houston's KSEV registered a tiny 0.1 overall audience share during his timeslot, good for 43th place in what should be a friendly environment.

In Seattle, heard from 4-6pm local time, Mike drew a 0.2 on KCIS-AM, for a 36th place finish.

A similar story in Cincinnati: 0.2 overall and 31st place on WQRT-AM.

Hartford: 0.0 at WDRC-AM

Adding markets where Huckabee goes head-to-head with Limbaugh only underscores the futile nature of this battle:

In San Francisco, where Mike's heard on KSFO, Rush has a 143.4% larger overall audience.

In Dallas, where Cumulus seeks to remove Limbaugh from his longtime home at WBAP, El Rushbo is CRUSHING the Huckster with eleven listeners for every one fried squirrel fan. Mike ranks 40th in the Metroplex.

Portland Oregon: Rush's ratings are 1444% higher. Huck ranks 27th there, heard on KUFO-AM.

Salt Lake City: Rush beating Mike by 13900%. The latter ranks 40th at KKAT.

Providence / New Bedford / Fall River: Huck stuck in 44th, Rush with 766% higher ratings.

Jacksonville: Rush beats by 8500%, Huck takes 27th place.

We used 6+ data here, though advertisers usually favor Adults 25-54. But the picture isn't brighter there, either.

Moreover, in most of these metro regions, the trend is actually moving further against Huckabee.

We could only find one place where the former GOP presidential candidate fared relatively well: in Nashville, from noon-1pm at WWTN-FM, resulting in 12th place and a respectable 4.1 overall share. Perhaps he could become a local host there.

The bottom line: we know why the establishment media loves Huck, but we can't figure out why Cumulus would willingly undermine itself with this truly doomed effort, unless they're looking for a giant tax write-off.

Radio execs cannot force listeners to tune into a bad program, no matter how hard they try. It's a lesson they NEVER, ever seem to learn.


TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: gope; huckabee; huckster; mikehuckabee; nannystater; talkradio; waronrush
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To: raccoonradio
IMO, he's gross.


21 posted on 06/23/2012 2:14:02 PM PDT by I see my hands (It's time to.. KICK OUT THE JAMS, MOTHER FREEPERS!)
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To: raccoonradio
Widely touted as the "civil" answer to Rush Limbaugh's regime-threatening political effectivenes

LOL. These idiots just don't get it. There is nothing at all uncivil about Rush. He simply says things the way they are without sugar coating them. It's quite refreshing and is why he is popular. I listen to Rush whenever I can and wouldn't spend a minute listening to the Huckster.

22 posted on 06/23/2012 2:17:50 PM PDT by KevinB (We'll stop treating Obama like a dog when he stops treating us like a fire hydrant - Fred Grandy)
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To: raccoonradio
The fundamental problem with huckleberry is that he has absolutely nothing original to say. The simple fact is, there is no reason to listen or watch him.
23 posted on 06/23/2012 2:18:33 PM PDT by hinckley buzzard
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To: nickcarraway
If "mainstream media expectations" were "so high," then sho yo right, Huckleberry is nothing but a msm flunkie.
24 posted on 06/23/2012 2:21:48 PM PDT by hinckley buzzard
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To: RichInOC
LOL! true dat. Only way I knew he even was having a program was the publicity over being "snubbed."
25 posted on 06/23/2012 2:25:01 PM PDT by hinckley buzzard
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To: KevinB

Ditto.


26 posted on 06/23/2012 2:26:46 PM PDT by PA Engineer (Time to beat the swords of government tyranny into the plowshares of freedom.)
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To: I see my hands

Good God, I think that pic just gave me a seizure.

That is extremely difficult to focus on lol.


27 posted on 06/23/2012 2:30:50 PM PDT by chris37 (Heartless.)
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To: raccoonradio

I refuse to watch any TV program that includes Huckabee or Geraldo so why would I even think about listening to them on the radio?


28 posted on 06/23/2012 2:32:57 PM PDT by Grams A (The Sun will rise in the East in the morning and God is still on his throne.)
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To: raccoonradio
the "civil" answer to Rush Limbaugh
Gee, Huck. You're a amazing guy... in your own mind.
29 posted on 06/23/2012 2:32:57 PM PDT by samtheman (http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/jun/21/obamas-socialist-designs/)
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To: jjotto
Someone need to let Cumulus (and Huck) in on the secret that a successful talk show should be informative, entertaining and interesting. Listening to Huckabee is not much better than watching paint dry.
30 posted on 06/23/2012 2:33:56 PM PDT by Baynative (REMEMBER: Without America there is no free world!)
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To: raccoonradio

What Rush makes look so easy.... isn’t.


31 posted on 06/23/2012 2:39:49 PM PDT by upsdriver
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To: jjotto
Huck would be a good host for a revised Hee Haw radio show.
32 posted on 06/23/2012 2:42:24 PM PDT by Average Al (Forbidden fruit leads to many jams.)
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To: Cicero
Huck will never appeal to liberals, because they think of him as a conservative fundamentalist. And he will never appeal to conservatives, because he isn’t.

the huckster is ELMER GANTRY

33 posted on 06/23/2012 2:44:19 PM PDT by Donald Rumsfeld Fan (The)
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To: raccoonradio

Huckabee is despicable:

http://www.arktimes.com/arkansas/gifts-solicited-for-gov-huckabee/Content?oid=864695


34 posted on 06/23/2012 2:44:54 PM PDT by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: raccoonradio

The Huckster isn’t a conservative, he’s a big-government nanny-state populist.

Remember when O’Reilly “the finger-in-the-air populist” tried to go up against Rush? How’d THAT go? :)


35 posted on 06/23/2012 2:48:39 PM PDT by Matchett-PI ("There is no limit to the depravity of the liberal mind" ~ Rush Limbaugh 5/23/12)
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To: I see my hands

Holy cow! I haven’t had a drink for years but looking at the Huck picture you posted makes me feel totally drunk! LOL


36 posted on 06/23/2012 2:50:24 PM PDT by House Atreides
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To: I see my hands

Oh good Lord!!!! My eyes, my eyes!

That scared the heck out of me. LOL :p

I don’t like Fluckabee. He tries too hard to come off as a caring humble person, then he turns around and slams conservatives.


37 posted on 06/23/2012 2:53:36 PM PDT by mardi59 (THE REBELLION IS ON!!!)
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To: raccoonradio

Can you spell toast?


38 posted on 06/23/2012 2:54:00 PM PDT by tx_eggman (Liberalism is only possible in that moment when a man chooses Barabas over Christ.)
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To: raccoonradio

After 21 yrs of listening to Rush, he is almost like family to me. Huck is minor league and his gig will soon be over and out.


39 posted on 06/23/2012 2:56:05 PM PDT by JPG (Don't just talk about it, make it happen.)
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To: I see my hands

Dang! That’s creepy!


40 posted on 06/23/2012 3:03:52 PM PDT by JaguarXKE (If my Fluffy had a puppy, it would look like the puppy Obama ate!)
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