WRKO related ping
WRKO stays tuned in to Tom Finneran
Poor ratings don’t stop 2009 contract
By Jessica Heslam / MediaBiz | Thursday, December 11, 2008 | http://www.bostonherald.com
Despite lousy ratings over the past two years, WRKO radio has extended Tom Finneran’s morning-drive show for another year, the station confirmed last night.
Finneran had inked a two-year deal with an option to extend it another year and the station has exercised that option, said WRKO-AM (680) program director Jason Wolfe.
Sources say the station is keeping Finneran around because they want to make a play for WTKK-FM (96.9) duo Jim Braude and Margery Eagan and are waiting for their contract to run out. The pair is under contract with competing WTKK for at least another year.
While Finneran’s name has gotten WRKO a lot of publicity, his program has yet to break into the top 10 local radio shows in that critical time slot.
Since it debuted in February 2007, Finneran’s show has floundered in 15th and 16th place among the coveted 25- to 54-year-old listeners. One of his better ratings books was last spring, when his show placed 14th with a 2.4 share in that demographic. The show has fallen as low as 18th place.
The fall ratings period, which ended yesterday and included the November election, could decide Finneran’s future in radio beyond next year. Finneran appears to be readying for his next gig and launched his own lobbying business earlier this year.
WRKO has propped up the ex-pol with a roster of rotating co-hosts and the current lineup includes Wendy Murphy, Todd Feinburg, Warren Tolman, Holly Robichaud and Mariellen Burns. Sources say Feinburg could be made Finneran’s permanent co-host next year.
Marjorie Clapprood, another co-host, hasn’t been on the show since last month after being told that the station wanted to try something different and mix it up.
Finneran’s lack of listeners isn’t WRKO’s only problem. The New York Stock Exchange is threatening to delist station owner Entercom because the company’s stock price has plunged below a dollar.
Finneran didn’t return a call.
“Sources say the station is keeping Finneran around because they want to make a play for WTKK-FM (96.9) duo Jim Braude and Margery Eagan and are waiting for their contract to run out. The pair is under contract with competing WTKK for at least another year”
Moonbats in the Morning? Ugh!
The Radio Hall of Fame, which just inducted Howie, is part of the Museum of Broadcast Communications. It’s headed by Bruce
Dumont, who personally called Howie on-air earlier this year
to inform him of his induction. Gov Blago promised funding for a new HQ for radio hall of fame, etc. but it never came—
politics involved? See below (also note that the RHOF
inducted James Dobson/Focus on Family as well this year,
a very controversial decision [note though that the _public_
voted in Dobson!]), another reason Blago probably wouldn’t
support giving funding to MBC/RHOF...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2146938/posts
OMG! How pathetic do you have to be that Warren Tolman is considered a "prop"???? ;-)