WSPD News: NOT

You're right, I’m listening on iHeartradio at 4pm and they didn’t do any local news. Only the Fox News feed.

Did you notice fox changed their music. Totally weirded me out the first few times I heard it.

They didn't do any 4:30pm news, only sports.

Saving a buck I guess...

Saving a buck I guess...

Once they collect a few billion of them ($21 billion to be exact), they'll be in great shape.

Not one of Bain Capital's smarter investments...

Radio Business Report: Clear Channel OK with debt through 2014

Media Post: S&P Warns on Clear Channel Debt

Near term debt payments shouldn’t be a problem; however, “The more formidable refinancing risk is in 2014, with $2.9 billion of secured and unsecured debt maturities, and in 2016, with $12.3 billion of secured and unsecured debt maturities.”

Why should a radio company be any different in today's financial hardships. Only people that don's seem to be affected very much are oil companies and politicians.

Debt? I keep hearing how successful talk radio is... Also doesn't WSPD call themselves "news radio"?

Clear Channel is mostly music I think SensorG.

Same omission today. No local news on the NEWStalk station. I also noticed that the latest local news filed on their webpage was last Thursday.

Are their traffic reports local? On the way in this morning, the traffic guy said that there was a disabled truck on Secor, west of Central. last time I checked, Secor ran North/South.

Very sad that what we grew close to as a home town radio station we could always depend on like an old friend is gone forever. I suspect it was caused by the same that affects other things we remember such as social/fraternal organizations and clubs, and other family oriented things. Today, society's thoughts (and appreciation), for what we enjoyed are far different from ours. It's all iPods, apps and ear buds today. I have an iPhone (since xmas), and fully believe it will replace my home computers in the next five years. I have an app that boasts 30K radio stations. I would suspect that 15K all have the same programming.

I heard Deb the phone screener is gone too! I think its a matter of time before they, ClearChannel, syndicates the whole station. They are slowly weening Toledo of all local content and costly (in CC mind) local radio people. I think the CC Iheart format of internet radio is being worked out and change is in the air. I've taken to listening to Iheart and I can tell you Toledo radio is the loser. Too much out there to dwell on knuckleheads in Toledo.

Well you can always start your own station wolf / anonymous, both of you feel such hatred for their "local" hosts, I'm sure you could do a better job. I say local because although Brian pretends to be local hes not living anywhere near here. Maybe you could create an online radio show, although since you both appear to be liberals you can probably not count on success if Air America is any kind of example for liberal radio.

I don't think young people will put up with any kind of info/tainment source that is not 100% programmable by the user.

I can see their point -- lately it has felt absolutely painful for me to have to endure commercials, loud DJ laughter and disease/diet chat when I just want to hear the traffic or weather. I used to be content to flip around to different stations, but now I understand that I should get onboard with other devices and find out what I need to know (or just want to hear) using something other than existing broadcast services.

I think all the stations will be trying to come to grips with this new behavior. There's no money in "broad"casting when everyone is occupying their own niche.

I’m surprised that Deb is gone. They just hired Don back after he was let go last month. Was the guy who reads the news let go too? Lately it feels like all they’ve been doing lately is reading the headlines from the Blade and WTOL lately anyway, but it’s better than nothing when you’re in the car. It sucks if they gave that up too.

What was funny about the national Fox news feed yesterday is that they talked about the tornadoes down south and that I should keep tuned in for the continued coverage….What coverage? WSPD doesn't cover tornadoes in NW Ohio, why would they cover them down south.

Sensor G: Debt? I keep hearing how successful talk radio is...

It is, in and of itself, successful. In the larger picture, it's only a positive drop in the bucket.

The deal Bain & Lee (capital equity firms) made to purchase Clear Channel was so unbelievably bad. They laid out billions in 2008 (right as the economy went in the crapper) and you can't dig your way out of that kind of debt in a few years (2014 & 2016 being major debt payback dates) selling $75 radio spots.

Daddyg: Are their traffic reports local?

No. Clear Channel operates the "Total Traffic Network" and information comes from "regional" traffic centers that monitor traffic cams, then add any updates they get from local callers/e-mailers. Toledo is not a regional hub...so the report comes from elsewhere.

Wolfman: I think the CC Iheart format of internet radio is being worked out and change is in the air.

Well, maybe not in the way you imagine; however, it is telling that Clear Channel recently dropped the word 'radio' from its official name. To me, this signals they no longer consider radio to be a front-runner business. That's fine--but if they believe it, they should sell their stations to someone who does still believe in radio's power.

viola: I think all the stations will be trying to come to grips with this new behavior. There's no money in "broad"casting when everyone is occupying their own niche.

New technologies co-exist with old...and traditional broadcast is not dead yet. Radio was not rendered useless by television. Television was not replaced by the VCR/DVR or even with watching via the internet (in fact, TV has had it's biggest audiences ever in the past few years). Ebooks have not crumbled the libraries.

Live sporting events will not move to the Internet in any meaningful way. Big 4 (ABC, NBC, FOX, CBS) network primetime still draws millions upon millions of viewers (apart from online viewers). Traditional radio stations are still listened to by over 90% of the country on a weekly basis. The doom and gloom over "new media replacing older media" is really misplaced. Both will coexist and thrive.

What is killing.... killing ....radio now is the massive leveraged debt of the companies that own hundreds of stations and owe billions of dollars...and the regulatory environment that allows and rubber-stamps local stations being rendered ghost towns in the name of cost efficiency. If local stations are going to be run regionally or nationally, why bother local licensing at all? There's nothing "local" about music or talk that is 100% piped in from elsewhere. I don't want Rush or Glenn Beck or hell Ed Schultz to be out of a job...far from it. But having entire stations full syndicated content strikes me as completely subverting the intent of licensing a station to serve the public interest, convenience, and necessity.

Even in the days of network radio--Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Jack Benny, Fibber McGee and Molly, etc--the station was expected to be somewhat locally accessible. That expectation has waned greatly.

Good points.

Sad really. Let’s face it, there isn’t much the hosts of WSPD agree on, but I still listen because I still want local news, slanted or not (I’m good at filtering for truth). Now they have less and less local material, if the Toledo Blade doesn’t publish it, they most likely don’t talk about it. Even a couple of years ago, they had actual reporters going out and digging for news, asking questions, etc…

Now they don't even have local news on the half...

Need audio versions of the stories published on our local media websites. Could listen to the newspaper over an Internet-connected mobile device.

Fact: WSPD is the ONLY Clear Channel newstalk station in a major Ohio city , the others are in Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati, to NOT have a viable local news department. The decline began when Wilson took control several years ago.

It was just sad this afternoon. Wilson was bitching about the Blades cover of Tarta and thinks they should be doing more digging. Of course they should, but last time I checked you were NEWS TALK dumb ass, why isn't your news department doing more digging?

That's right, the Blade is your News Department! What a f*cked up relationship. He then goes on to quote Maggie's blog... What? Doesnt Wison describe bloggers as nothing more than a bunch of "mouth breathers"? What a joke!

Because Brian doesn't want to drive up here to dig.

SensorG man! Listening to Foghorn Leghorn Wilson? Damn he doesn't offer but very little local news except crap like monkeys peeling bananas! Most of what he spews is libertarian mumbo jumbo from his rolodex of national book pushers and corporate think tank shills. I'm sorry he's just sooo out there. If I'm going to listen to a blowhard rather listen to Ed Schultz on 1310 WDTW @ 3:00PM.

Fact: WSPD is the ONLY Clear Channel newstalk station in a major Ohio city , the others are in Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati, to NOT have a viable local news department.

Toledo is not a major city in the league of Cleveland, Columbus, and Cincinnati in terms of market size.

Arbitron Market Rankings-- Fall, 2011

#29: Cincinnati
#30: Cleveland
#35: Columbus
------
#95: Toledo

Both Dayton (#63) and Akron (#78) are bigger than Toledo as well, but are somewhat covered regionally by WLW/Cincinnati and WTAM/Cleveland for news.

CC has apparently decided that it is not in their best interest (not your best interest) to provide anything beyond national news in this market. And as long as no other ownership group in the market (Cumulus, Welch, etc.) is willing to challenge WSPD, they will keep paring the costs.

Wolf, Sensor, everyone else--it would appear to be a golden time to find an AM/FM signal in the market, get funds together from a sugar daddy/mommy (you would think the local unions would be all over this), and start a competing station. Perhaps have Ed Schultz on in Toledo and local news!

In the meantime, there's always WGTE and NPR's good programming.

Is it just me, or is radio in general so stale anymore that it is barely worth listening to?

These points about WSPD are valid. But it's not just WSPD, in my opinion. I find that there really is nothing on the radio that interests me anymore, and the lack of worthwhile local news on WSPD is just one example. Not so many years ago, if you were driving, and came upon a traffic jam or wreck, you could tune in WSPD and count on getting some word on what was going on...not anymore.

I like oldies and classic rock, so for years I listened to WRQN and WXKR. But both of those stations have gone to hell. WRQN plays the same 20 songs ad nauseum, as does WXKR. WRQN's morning show is bland as a breadstick, and WXKR's morning show is some meatheaded, syndicated pile of crap called "free beer and hot wings." Not pandering at all with that show title, eh?

I gave up on WIOT YEARS ago, because all it seems to be now is a bunch of shouting (both the music and the announcers). 101.5 is so syrupy it makes me gag. And I don't care for modern country, so K-100 does not interest me. And 105.5...well, what reason would one have to listen to them?

On the AM dial, we have one right-wing talk station, TWO sports-talk stations that most people do not listen to, and a smaller right-wing talk station that carries all of the shows not popular enough to be on WSPD. Plus a few religious stations that barely come in. OH, and several stations that come in from other cities that air the same shows as WSPD.

In the trucks I drive at work, all we have are AM/FM radios; no cassette or CD players. That is the only time I listen anymore, and I often find myself turning off the radio and opting for silence, after becoming frustrated with the choices being offered me.

Just my own opinion; feel free to disagree. Am I alone here?

Am I alone here?

I'd say by the response here (and the response these WSPD threads generally get), no.

Do your trucks have any sort of AUX IN on the radio? Might be worth an mp3 player or one of these for more radio options.

In the trucks I drive at work, all we have are AM/FM radios; no cassette or CD players. That is the only time I listen anymore, and I often find myself turning off the radio and opting for silence, after becoming frustrated with the choices being offered me.

I swear, if I thought it would do any good, I'd beg you to write that in a letter to the radio groups in the market. But, it would be put in the "nut" pile and filed away in the public file. Take it from someone who was inside for 20 years, they don't care...and the programming orders are coming from outside the market, not in the buildings located in Toledo.

Sohio, I agree with you. Discovering audiobooks from the library was a game-changer for me. I only listen to them while driving for work (but of course, one needs a CD player). I am amazed at how quickly the time passes, and sometimes I even LIKE to get back to work on Monday so I can continue the story. Maybe you should invest in a portable device.

"I swear, if I thought it would do any good, I'd beg you to write that in a letter to the radio groups in the market. But, it would be put in the "nut" pile and filed away in the public file. Take it from someone who was inside for 20 years, they don't care..."

Oldhometown, I know. I was on the inside too. Just as a part-time board operator, when I was a lot younger. And for a short time I was a producer at a station up in Michigan, where part of my job was to "handle" those types of letters. You are absolutely right. The only reason those letters get read in the first place is that SOMETIMES they are colorfully or passionately written, to the point where the people at the station find them entertaining. That was my experience, anyway.

It's hard to explain, but what I saw when I was in that business, was not so much that a "product" (in this case, programming) was tailored to meet what they saw as the desires of the audience, in order to grab the largest possible audience; but rather, they just put out the "product" and expected you to take it or leave it. This got even worse as the stations were consolidated and there was less competition; since each company owned so many of the stations in town, it meant less to them if you decided to "leave it." Of course, there was market research done on a regional or national level (rarely on a local level), but that only served to indicate to them how basic and anemic they could make the programming and get away with it.

Case in point: all of us here are saying we want local news on WSPD [and who would say they DO NOT want local news?], but they have obviously figured out they can have little or no local news and still [somehow] sell ad time, so the local news is axed. They aren't going to keep it on there in the name of quality or public service, especially when their only competition is either owned by them [WCWA] or in no position to realistically compete with them [1470, 1560].

I'm not sure I am explaining this very well. I am normally in favor of capitalism and the law of supply-and-demand; but this is one example of the demand being somehow ignored...

Your doing a great job Sohio! I've called WSPD and complained about the programing, I've written ClearChannel's Toledo manager to compel them to offer some diversity. Hell I've even written the main office in Texas! Which only got my name slandered on air when the knuckleheads found out through the chain of command! I've though this would be a no brainer, an opportunity to broaden their ratings. I mean hell they already have the programing in Detroit. But we're dealing with that Virginia carpetbagger BW, and he thinks ALL Toledoians want this type of propaganda. I know many former listeners who have given up on the nut job station. I guess I always had hope but now have found myself drifting to other radio stations on the internet. In fact my son is about to hook up a FM transmitter to my computer so I can listen just about anywhere.

But Sohio I believe what you say because I've lived it too on the other side. With the loss of local news especially when foul weather approaches like when the June 5th 2010 tornado ripped through Wood County. It was on a Saturday night an all of WSPD was at home eating Cheetos wearing sweatpants while Blizzard Bill worked all night saving lives. Yes Its all about the greed of ClearChannel! Jeez they have at least 30 minutes of every hour running KIA commercials. Well its just too much anymore.

Here's an idea... :)
Why don't some of us / you get together and work on a daily or weekly podcast of local news? If we're not getting it from the radio, let's make it ourselves.

Wolfman, sorry but you are not the person who should expect to have his letters acknowledged by CC. With all due respect, the constant threats against Fred, the legal trouble you were in with Cassie Wilson, and your constant deep hatred that you express pretty much every day here and on Swamp Bubbles... well, is it any wonder your letters aren't taken seriously?

What are you talking about? Legal threats? I believe CCMO knows nothing about or cares less about the shenanigans of its former employees. I've never threaten anyone here or at the station with legal or physical harm. In fact its been the other way around. More attempts to quiet descent. This (TT) is about the only forum left to express an apposing view of hate radio or anything for that matter. Your comments are ridiculous dell_diva, have you ever listened to the constant one-sided monotone drumbeat of negativity on WSPD? Its manic depressive and dangerous to an open society! I did not start this thread. Its obvious there is a concern in the community. We are discussing the general pathetic state of news radio in Toledo. I just added to the discussion my experiences of my attempt at change. Basically confirming what Sohio has said and I thank him for his constructive candor of his experience in the business. They (CCMO) could care less about the fairness doctrine or community standards. Its all about greed and the fact that the company is or was near bankruptcy taken over by Bain Capital (Mitt Romney's former venture capitalist employer) because the previous owner Mays got overextended buying up community radio stations. So we all suffer now!

You need to face it, Mr. Wulf. You're issues with Fred, Brian, and WSPD long ago passed from a cause into a pathology. Find some peace.

Just my own opinion; feel free to disagree. Am I alone here?

No. I rarely listen to radio, and when I do it's classical music. I can't stand the racket from the so-called 'rock' stations, and I can't get hold of the motor mouth on the microphone and tell him to shut the fuck up.

If you want commercial media to pay attention to anything you have to say, the people you should write to are the advertisers. CC the radio or TV station, knowing that when a sponsor gets a letter telling them that station WOLF in Temperance, MI is spewing lies, more lies and political lies about your favorite candidate or cause and idly wondering what the sponsor thinks about that, you are much more apt to get favorable results.

wolfman - You must not have read my previous comments... I can't stand WSPD and don't listen to them. I suggest you do the same. I think the above poster's suggestion that you "find some peace" is a good one.

By the way, CCMO probably doesn't care for the fairness doctrine because it doesn't exist at this moment.

I was a longtime listener of Speedy as were many of my friends. The station always had a conservative slant basically along many of my views contrary to what has been posted here and elsewhere. It was a news station that did give unbiased news throughout the day. My angst began with the current program director and his proclivity to spread extreme right wing propaganda. I tried to suggest they offer some diversity any diversity in their programming but the out-of-town director could care less about objectivity. Writing to the advertisers may or may not work. We seen the community in an uproar when the host spewed his famous words about "Monkeys Peeling Bananas" The community did not organize a attack against the advertisers. It went nowhere. Their message is corrosive and divisive while they hide behind some charitable work to give legitimacy. I believe the constant subliminal racism is not helping heal this community. Daily it is reenforced with repetitive messages, videos posted on the net, and sound clips from all of their hosts local or syndicated. It makes running the city much harder and will lead to troubles in the future. My opinion.

Wolf, we may have worked together...I was at CC several years ago; I left in 1999, worked mostly at Fort Industry Square...

dell_diva too many in this country are turning the other cheek and walking away from their civic responsibilities. I gave it a shot, one of my many pet peeves that I do act on. Sounds obsessive I don't think so. If people allow corporate America to run over their rights so be it! I for one have been raised conservative my whole life and believe in it to a certain extent. BUT! I DO NOT go along with crony capitalism that has taken over our country and is now running our country to the detriment of its citizens.

Sorry if I painted you a WSPD lover!

...have you ever listened to the constant one-sided monotone drumbeat of negativity on WSPD? Its manic depressive and dangerous to an open society!

No. Free speech, even that which you disagree with, promotes an open society. By the way, it's spelled dissent.

Wolfman: They (CCMO) could care less about the fairness doctrine or community standards.

DD: CCMO probably doesn't care for the fairness doctrine because it doesn't exist at this moment.

And the winner is....dell_diva. The "Fairness Doctrine" was abolished in effect 25 years ago (unenforced), finally taken off the books in 2011 as an obsolete rule. So pining for it is rather stupid, since it has been unenforced for 25 years through both Republican and Democrat led administrations and Congresses.

Well it doesn't make it wrong. The Fairness Doctrine has been under attack for decades. Oh by-the-way 95% of all talk radio is right wing. Some equal time! How the Hell can anyone form an opinion when the outlets are all one-sided? That's propaganda and its dangerous to any society!

Stop listening then.

If folks were interested in non-conservative talk radio and there was $$ to be made doing it, it would be thriving. Bankrupt Air America comes to mind.....

Frankly, I consider talk radio somewhat of a balance to CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN, NPR, etc.

I'm always amazed at the rants against "conservative" talk radio. If it is so disturbing, change the frequency or get yourself hooked up to satellite radio and listen to all the left wing propaganda you can possibly stand.

I have no interest in the one sided Barbara Streisand spewed non-stop by the above mentioned "major" networks. Therefore, I don't watch/listen to them. I have no interest in reading what passes for news in the local daily rag so I don't waste my time.

Keeps my blood pressure under control.

On the other hand maybe we should bring it back, they would have to give equal time on CBS, NBC and ABC to voices like Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh. I can just see the wheels spinning and the foam frothing on Wolf now, and wouldn't that be a real boner for unintended consequences. Try reading about the fairnes doctrine on Wikipedia, its a pretty interesting read and who really killed it way back when it wasn't even in their own best interest to do so. Give you a hint, Ronald Reagan.

Sheesh. How did this thread become a political discussion?

wolfman got involved, that's how.

_Oh by-the-way 95% of all talk radio is right wing.

Source for that stat? You're of course including sports talk, Spanish/Asian/ other talk stations, NPR, others...

How the Hell can anyone form an opinion when the outlets are all one-sided? That's propaganda and its dangerous to any society!_

Once again, all the outlets? There are no "liberal" (since you've defined the one-sidedness as "conservative") newspapers, blogs, internet sites, radio hosts, television shows, etc?

WSPD is one choice of many in your media world. Listen or don't. This isn't the 1930's anymore where you only have the choice between radio or newspaper.

What did wolf do for Clear Channel? This is the first I have heard he worked for CC.

I’m a liberal, I know liberal and CBS, NBC and ABC aren’t liberal… One could argue the MSNBC is liberal, and that’s true part of the time, but part of the time it’s conservative. Conservative in the morning and liberal at night.

If you look at the Sunday talk shows EVERY Sunday, conservative are represented WAY more than liberals. Conservaitve who think the big networks are liberal, aren’t watching them they’re being told about them by conservative radio.

This week's Sunday morning line up...

CNN’s “State of the Union” — 3 Republicans/1 Democrat - Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.; Gov. Rick Scott, R-Fla.; Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, D; former Commerce Secretary Carlos Guttierez, R.

CBS’ ”Face the Nation” — 5 Republicans/1 Democrat - Reince Priebus, chairman of the Republican National Committee; Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, head of the Democratic National Committee; Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn.; Donald Trump; Reps. Allen West and Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla.

NBC’s “Meet the Press” — 3 Republicans/1 Democrat - 2012 GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum; David Axelrod, political adviser to President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign; Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.; former Sen. Fred Thompson, R-Tenn

ABC’s “This Week” — 2 Republicans/0 Democrats- 2012 GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich; House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio.

Fox News Sunday” — 2 Republicans/0 Democrats - Gingrich; Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis.

The 15 Republicans and 3 Democrats...

SensorG - good points - quick question here - Don't you think that there are more Republicans on those programs at this particular point in time because of the interest in the Republican primaries?

It would be interesting to see if the scales were tipped the other way if we had a sitting incumbent Republican President and the Democrats were holding hotly contested primaries.

I could be off-base with that, but it seems logical that they would have people on that are topical when you consider current events that are in the news.

Even looking at the Democrat names you have listed, they are both politically invested in what is going on with the Republican primaries. Wasserman-Schultz and Axelrod are both integral parts of the Demnocrat team for the upcoming election, so their participation is relevant in the discussion.

That line-up looks as though it is balanced just the way it should be if the main topic of discussion happens to be the Republican Primary.

Just a thought - what do you think?

Oh those people are running those shows? or are the guests? The folks working and running CBS, NBC, CBS are liberal, just because your further right then they are dont mean they are conservative. Guests on a show dont mean the shows are conservative. Who are asking the questions of these guests? All in all Liberals control the big three television networks, and conservatives control the radio.

SensorG--a true content analysis involves more than 1 week's worth of data. What you have presented is a snapshot.

Do a study of 5 years or longer and you may have something that is publishable. Something that includes the 2008 and 2010 election cycles.

Also, view studies that show that media members overwhelmingly vote liberal (e.g. Lichter & Rothman, 1981; University of Connecticut Public Policy, 2005) and tell me with a straight face that personal political views do not color how the "mainstream media" frames debates, asks questions, etc.

The theme to this thread was what happened to the news at WSPD?

The Cheetos eating sweatpants wearing talking heads are only reading the Blade for their day old news. The rest of the time flatulent blowhards propagandize their scripted daily talking points to the unknowing.

Is this the best use of our public airwaves?

I think your views are scripted as well wolf.

I didn't want to dip a toe in to the political side of this thread, but I will ask this: where is the proof that the major networks are "liberal?"

It's been claimed in this thread several times, with no real evidence to back it up. "Of course it's liberal! Can't you see that?" is not evidence. Nor is any study that purports to show how "media members" vote.

I agree that one week's worth of programming is not necessarily a representative sample to prove either side. You could also point out that the Democratic President's speech was on practically every network while it was being given; which might signal to some a sort of bias (even though we all know it is always that way, regardless of party.)

But, we were talking about news coverage here. You can argue whether WSPD's news coverage is biased one way or another. You cannot argue that their talk programs are not biased to the right, since nearly every politically-oriented show they air is unabashedly "conservative." But it's really beside the point; at least, the point of this thread.

General Electric owns NBC. Corporate owned I'd say not a liberal company. My last thread was in responds to the silly comments attacking this thread.

My point is WSPD is not giving unbiased news. It use to report the news like WWJ 950 AM Detroit. Now just a propaganda nightmare to titillate the misinformed for ratings.

GE is run by one of the biggest Obama supporters there are, try again. I will agree WSPD isn't unbiased, and your point is?

Several years ago CC Corporate put out the word from an Atlanta meeting that the chain's news directors were to "slant" their news to the right. I am told the local news director balked at that and was pressured out shortly thereafter.