Shot In The Dark: They Can Use All Those "Air America" Stations

July 19, 2006

They Can Use All Those "Air America" Stations

Gloria Steinem says women want female-friendly radio:

Based on conversations and surveys conducted by GreenStone, Steinem listed top radio turnoffs for females. "Women told me they don't want to hear the same top news stories that report only problems, not solutions," [Wow - when I took Journalism 101, news wasn't supposed to offer "solutions" - and I'd be afraid of the "solution" the typical radio news person would provide to anything more complicated than "do I throw out the tuna after the expiration date or not"] she said. "They want less politics and sports." And women are turned off by "verbal prizefights," she added, "even if they agree with the winner."

Steinem said the "argumentative, Washington-obsessed" talk shows have driven women "crazy by distorting what they really want -- fairness."

Women want a radio community that "treats everyone with respect" along with more humor and more stories about home, health, books, movies and "how women live in other countries."

That's what women say.

And yet the local station that fits that description to a "t" - Hubbard's FM107, a talk station aimed exclusively at women which was overjoyed to have drawn, after four years on the air, a 1.3 share.

And it's the same idea that Clear Channel followed in setting its non-Limbaugh/Hannity schedule; AM1280 is, reportedly, clobbering KTLK (except, obviously, for Limbaugh).

Gloria Steinem's never had to run a radio station, apparently...

Posted by Mitch at July 19, 2006 07:45 AM | TrackBack

Comments

Sweet, a radio network version of The View. Where do I sign up?

Posted by: angryclown at July 19, 2006 09:02 AM

I’m not the target demographic but just by going to their home page and looking at how they chose to describe their “talent,” I can see why more markets are not choosing this format.

http://greenstonemedia.net/

Is it just me or is anyone else getting the impression that this “feminist” radio network tends to condescend to its target demographic (females 25-44) by treating them as if they were bad caricatures of the hags from Sex in the City then, you know, real people with interests beyond food, fashion, and f***ing?

Posted by: Thorley Winston at July 19, 2006 12:10 PM

"And it's the same idea that Clear Channel followed in setting its non-Limbaugh/Hannity schedule; AM1280 is, reportedly, clobbering KTLK (except, obviously, for Limbaugh)"

Enjoy your last 2 weeks on top~!

Posted by: Jason at July 19, 2006 03:06 PM

I have to agree with the above poster, Mitch.

When he returns, he will give Hugh a SERIOUS run for the money, simply because, while being as much, if not more passionate and eloquent and educated in the issues as Hugh is, He's going to focus a lot on LOCAL issues, and that just holds more intellectual interest in my head than national. Always has. I've always read the metro section of the strib before the front page (regardless of Souch's dismissal of a potential political candidate based on such actions) simply because I'm more interested in what's going on within 25 miles of me than within 2500 or 7500.

Posted by: Bill C at July 20, 2006 12:53 AM

Jason (or "Jason"):

Welcome back! I'll enjoy the show!

"Enjoy your last 2 weeks on top~!"

It'd really be embarassing if you *couldn't* beat a syndie on a 5,000 watt AM station, wouldn't it? That'd be some lousy ROI!

At any rate, PM drive is fine and dandy - but holler when you're ready to duke it out for the *real* prize, Saturday mid-days!

;-)

Posted by: mitch at July 20, 2006 06:40 AM