An Orlando First: Conservative Talk Radio on the FM Dial (home, living in)

[OrlFlaUsa]

Oaky so I'm not going to miss 96.5 WHTQ's classic rock format in Orlando since A: I'm not a huge fan of that music, B: I listen to music off my MP3 player, and C: WTKS 104.1 plays plenty of that after 11pm and on the weekends. However, a tragedy has come to pass and WHTQ's shoes will be filled with the hateful rhetoric of AM Conservative talk radio WDBO. While I agree that there is always room for a different opinion, spend 10 minutes listening to Neil Boortz out of Atlanta or Sean Hannity out of NYC on the new 96.5 and you'll see that they don't share that open-mindedness. The only saving grace is that Clark Howard is on that station during midday's and he rarely talks politics and does a great service like Dave Ramsay does by helping people with their shows. Oh and WDBO will have the Magic games too, but that's only if there's a season. Maybe this also bothers me because I think live and local is the recipe for good talk radio and at least they could have conservative hosts from Orlando like my own friend Bud Hedinger, at least he talks Orlando. They say the wall to wall Casey coverage doubled this station's ratings and that's why this decision was made. Hopefully they will see that there's a reason right wing talk has been subjected to AM obscurity in this market and FM talk like Real Radio and NPR are much higher rated for a reason in Orlando.

[Rocky Raccoon]

Ehh...

I actually don't mind having a Conservative Station on FM.

It's simply "supply and demand".

In fact, I used to listen to WDBO on my way home a couple of years back. And I found it very entertaining. I would listen to Hannity and Savage. In fact, this is when I was far more "left" than I am now.

I guess I am a Conservative Democratic, don't know how else I would characterize myself.

But again, Central Florida in general leans to the right, so its only suitable there is a format of this kind on FM.

I have no issue with it.

[OrlFlaUsa]

Originally Posted by Rocky Raccoon

Ehh...

I actually don't mind having a Conservative Station on FM.

It's simply "supply and demand".

In fact, I used to listen to WDBO on my way home a couple of years back. And I found it very entertaining. I would listen to Hannity and Savage. In fact, this is when I was far more "left" than I am now.

I guess I am a Conservative Democratic, don't know how else I would characterize myself.

But again, Central Florida in general leans to the right, so its only suitable there is a format of this kind on FM.

I have no issue with it.

I too have no problems with the supply and demand aspect except that it's an artificial demand created by the 3 month ratings spike WDBO saw as a result of non-stop Casey coverage. The highest rated talk programming in the Orlando market is the left of center or simply non-political stuff you hear on WTKS 104.1 (Real Radio) and NPR (WMFE).

While I enjoy living in a swing state which means you get the best and worst of both sides, talkers like Boortz and Hannity are anti-gay marriage which to me equals hate. Sorry, there is no room in my opinion for that kind of garbage on the airwaves in Central Fl. And by the way, in terms of national politics, Orange & Osceola county go blue and therefore would seem to lean left rather than right.

Thanks for your reply though, I just was saddened to hear about the changes.

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by OrlFlaUsa

Oaky so I'm not going to miss 96.5 WHTQ's classic rock format in Orlando since A: I'm not a huge fan of that music, B: I listen to music off my MP3 player, and C: WTKS 104.1 plays plenty of that after 11pm and on the weekends. However, a tragedy has come to pass and WHTQ's shoes will be filled with the hateful rhetoric of AM Conservative talk radio WDBO. While I agree that there is always room for a different opinion, spend 10 minutes listening to Neil Boortz out of Atlanta or Sean Hannity out of NYC on the new 96.5 and you'll see that they don't share that open-mindedness. The only saving grace is that Clark Howard is on that station during midday's and he rarely talks politics and does a great service like Dave Ramsay does by helping people with their shows. Oh and WDBO will have the Magic games too, but that's only if there's a season. Maybe this also bothers me because I think live and local is the recipe for good talk radio and at least they could have conservative hosts from Orlando like my own friend Bud Hedinger, at least he talks Orlando. They say the wall to wall Casey coverage doubled this station's ratings and that's why this decision was made. Hopefully they will see that there's a reason right wing talk has been subjected to AM obscurity in this market and FM talk like Real Radio and NPR are much higher rated for a reason in Orlando.

It's hardly surprising that the evil hate that is Conservative Talk TV/Radio is expanding in Orlando. While the city may vote "blue" the region in general is considered "swing", but seemingly leaning toward Neo-Conservative when an AM station base spills over to a popular area on the FM dial. Until Orlando/Central Florida develops a more outspoken left-leaning populace this will be what we're faced with. I find it kind of interesting timing that the format switch is happening right now, aka pre-2012 elections. I wonder who's pulling the strings/supplying advertising dollars in terms of format changes...

[seain dublin]

Originally Posted by OrlFlaUsa

Oaky so I'm not going to miss 96.5 WHTQ's classic rock format in Orlando since A: I'm not a huge fan of that music, B: I listen to music off my MP3 player, and C: WTKS 104.1 plays plenty of that after 11pm and on the weekends. However, a tragedy has come to pass and WHTQ's shoes will be filled with the hateful rhetoric of AM Conservative talk radio WDBO. While I agree that there is always room for a different opinion, spend 10 minutes listening to Neil Boortz out of Atlanta or Sean Hannity out of NYC on the new 96.5 and you'll see that they don't share that open-mindedness. The only saving grace is that Clark Howard is on that station during midday's and he rarely talks politics and does a great service like Dave Ramsay does by helping people with their shows. Oh and WDBO will have the Magic games too, but that's only if there's a season. Maybe this also bothers me because I think live and local is the recipe for good talk radio and at least they could have conservative hosts from Orlando like my own friend Bud Hedinger, at least he talks Orlando. They say the wall to wall Casey coverage doubled this station's ratings and that's why this decision was made. Hopefully they will see that there's a reason right wing talk has been subjected to AM obscurity in this market and FM talk like Real Radio and NPR are much higher rated for a reason in Orlando.

You act like you're in Portland, OR.

It would be shocking there.

You're in Central FL.

[OrlFlaUsa]

Originally Posted by kyle19125

It's hardly surprising that the evil hate that is Conservative Talk TV/Radio is expanding in Orlando. While the city may vote "blue" the region in general is considered "swing", but seemingly leaning toward Neo-Conservative when an AM station base spills over to a popular area on the FM dial. Until Orlando/Central Florida develops a more outspoken left-leaning populace this will be what we're faced with. I find it kind of interesting timing that the format switch is happening right now, aka pre-2012 elections. I wonder who's pulling the strings/supplying advertising dollars in terms of format changes...

Kye you're spot on and seem to eco my sentiments about this change. However I still believe that an area whose populace is comprised primarily of transplanted blue state northerners mixed with large hispanic and black numbers is not significantly right leaning. Voter registration for Democrats in CFL is higher than Republicans, it just seems the left down here doesn't give a $h*t and let the vocal minority take charge. They move here from blue states up north and then stop caring about politics. Anyways, pretty fair assessment, and I'm terrified to think about your last point regarding the 2012 election.

Originally Posted by seain dublin

You act like you're in Portland, OR.

It would be shocking there.

You're in Central FL.

It was still a first for Orlando, so before you try to act like the joke's on me, realize that it hasn't happened until now. Our highest rated talk program, The Philips Phile, is left leaning and has a nationwide audience on satellite radio. BTW, I am not pretending this is Portland, but the same unfortunate occurrence happened to them back in March of this year when after 21 years as a rock station, KXL-FM was converted to a simulcast of a conservative talk AM station (Kyle might be onto something here). So Seain, if Portland, OR now has Glen Beck on FM, then I guess Orlando should be glad we dodged that bullet.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KXL-FM

[boy3365]

When you say "first," are you referring to this being the first AM station to port over to FM? Or are you saying that this is the first time its happened period? If the latter, this is becoming more and more common.

[OrlFlaUsa]

Originally Posted by boy3365

When you say "first," are you referring to this being the first AM station to port over to FM? Or are you saying that this is the first time its happened period? If the latter, this is becoming more and more common.

It's the first time right wing talk has gone to an FM format in Orlando (and other much more liberal cities). Not the first time any AM station has gone to FM, no.

[Learflyer]

Evil hate? Jeez. Where do I start.

[Learflyer]

Give me examples of "hate." Are you jacka$$es going to vote for O'Bungles again? ARE you paying ANY attention to what's going on out there regardless of politics? This idiot just isn't working out.