Mike McConnell's departure from WLW (Louisville: cost, move, stations)

[Ohiogirl81]

McConnell rarely tried to be incendiary just to be an incendiary asshat, unlike one or two of his co-workers. *cough*Cunningham*cough*

I was never and never will be a fan of WLW, but McConnell at least was never offensive. Unlike one or two of his co-workers. Heck, to me he's even less offensive than Jim Scott, who's offensive just because he's too bland.

[jlawrence01]

Originally Posted by Crew Chief

There was a time when I never could've imagined my self listening to talk radio. Maybe it's my advancing age, but I find I enjoy WLW a fair amount. Mike McConnell was my favorite (I feel deprived to not have known Gary Burbank when he was on)

McConnell fits into the WGN mold. Bring in someone who is 50+ years of age who will not offend anyone in the audience. It is a great short-term strategy for the next ten years but pretty much excludes anyone under 40 being in the audience.

As for me, it is Bill Handel (KFI) in the morning, Neil Bortz (WSB) in the midday, Clark Howard for a couple of hours (WSB), and Mitch Albom (WJR) in the late afternoon. There has been noone on the Cincinnati market who has been interesting since the retirement of Gary Burbank.

[Wilson513]

Mike's forte is dissecting the illogical statements of his callers. Chicago is a more sophisticated market. His approach will be welcomed and respected there.

[Crew Chief]

Maybe it's time for me to branch out a little more. I've listened to Bortz and I like some of what I hear from him (can do without his constantly bad-mouthing "government schools", though...) McConnell was the reason I primarily listen to WLW. And I believe he WAS able to attract a younger demographic than Willie or some of the rest of 'em. Heck, even as a trucker, I can only stand so much of America's Trucking Network; about an hour's worth of decent trucking information and intelligent callers mixed in with 4 hours of Steve Sommers' gang of regular idiot callers. I enjoy Bubba Bo a lot more, but since I don't run weekends, hearing him is pretty much a rare treat. Even though I'm 55, I find that Jim Scott is just TOO old for me.

At least I still have WGRR's "Married with Microphones" to keep me going in the early morning (and, yes, I believe Chicagolanders will appreciate McConnell even more than we do...)

[Wilson513]

I think I'd have spring for satellite radio if I was in the truck all day

[Crew Chief]

Originally Posted by wilson1010

I think I'd have spring for satellite radio if I was in the truck all day

Heck, I'm too cheap... I get decent radio reception pretty much everywhere I deliver (except maybe in the hills of I-71 North of Louisville...) maybe if I can figure out how to get podcasts, I'll get Mcconnell that way. And maybe look at some of the other programs I've heard about.

[buckmoth]

Why would anyone care that he's leaving WLW? He's simply another FOX sycophant, a dupe who presents propoganda as if it were fact.... of course, with the exception of Reds and other sports broadcasts, conservative talk radio is the business of WLW... preaching to the choir of slack-jawed listeners........good riddance.

[Cincy Rider]

I've listened to Mike McC when there's nothing else on. He seems like a mildly moderate conservative, with, and I agree, Libertarian leanings. Either he was bored or he was boring, his topics were usually lame. I tend to agree with his take 75% of the time.

I thought he was already syndicated outside of Cincinnati, or was that just Clear Channel filling weekend airtime? Seemed like he had a lot of callers from C.C.'s other markets.

Willie was ususally pretty entertaining, sometimes annoying as hell--and that's all he had to be. I don't think he'll do well outside of this market--at least at first, anyways.

Scott Sloan is horrible, I can't listen to his BS. Same with Eric Deters.

Lance McAllister isn't great but is a little better than Andy Fuhrman who relied more on his schtick than sports knowledge.

Gary Burbank was awesome, I miss his show.

Eddie and Tracy has some chemistry but gets dumbed down to sophmoric levels too often, imo.

I can almost stand Jim Scott now, it took me years to be able to listen to him.

[smoking357]

Originally Posted by AimfulDrifter

Oooh, you rest your case! Your airtight narrative has neatly framed the rest of this thread, whatever that might include! Pray tell, how does one acquire cutting-edge insights such as WLW being a political lightning rod?

Yep, some people find mainstream radio programming to be stultifying and reprehensible. WLW and Clear Channel, in the process of manufacturing consent for/from the masses, also have a polarizing effect by turning off free thinkers. So does NPR.

Our nation's media are a sham in shambles, and that's just the way it is. I'm sorry if I steered attention away from debating the finer points of Annoying Host X versus Annoying Host Y.

OK, time for an impromptu poll: How many of you think that t45209 thinks I'm a liberal simply because I dislike WLW? I'll go first. I think he does.

Hey, you're smart. Nice writing. I've found that Republicans are a touchy bunch. Either you agree with everything they say, and I mean everything, or you're an Obama-lover who wants to hand the country over to the Muslims while burning the flag.

Which Cincinnati radio blowhard was chastised by McCain for repeating all three parts of Obama's full name, taking pains to emphasize the middle name, as if it carried a self-evident argument to vote for anyone but someone so named?

[smoking357]

Originally Posted by t45209

WLW is a business, not some propaganda machine, and they put the people on the air that sell advertising.

True, but there must be a more honest way for stations to earn a buck stations than by airing enraging and inflaming talkers such as Hannity, Ingraham, O'Reilly, etc.

That radio model plays to the lowest-common denominator, those who want to hear their hates and prejudices indulged.