The topic that comes up most often when speaking with my talk radio clients and friends is how to use the 2024 elections to maximize ratings.
Anybody who has ever worked with me knows how competitive I am. When I enter a new radio station and meet the staff, I tell them I’m all about winning ratings. I’m no deeper, no shallower.
Inside Radio just posted a ratings scorecard that shows the news/talk format is having a tough time ratings-wise. The trade sheet reports:
“The Christmas format also put a dent in News/Talk’s performance. While the format typically turns in its lowest numbers during the Holiday survey, it ebbed to its lowest share in two years. News/Talk’s 8.7 share is down 14% from November 2023’s 10.1 and 4% lower than the Holiday 2022 book. In the 25-54 Money Demo, News/Talk finished fifth in the Holiday 2023 survey, down from fourth in December, and a third-place tie in November.”
Inside Radio shows it’s not just this year. The news/talk format has trended downward for at least the past couple of years. In 2021, it averaged 7.0%, followed by 6.7% in 2022, and 6.1% for 2023. It’s a frightening trend.
Thus, increasing ratings should be top of mind when talk radio programmers, hosts, and I discuss how to take advantage of the 2024 elections to maximize ratings.
There’s been a straightforward answer. The people asking my advice work for conservative outlets. I’ve advised them to appeal to the base and go all in on Trump.
If a liberal station or host asked me for advice, I’d suggest doing the opposite and continuing to attack Trump relentlessly, as CNN and MSNBC have done.
But my conscience makes it difficult for me to tell any media outlet to do either. For the first time, my values are in conflict.
As a programmer, my primary concern is ratings (and revenues), but I don’t believe telling audiences that Trump is the best answer for the country is truthful. Doing so violates my principle of being honest and authentic.
I also don’t believe the many cases brought against him are honest. It’s ironic when Saturday Night Live this weekend made a legitimate point during its Weekend Update. They noted that the judgment against O.J. Simpson for double murder was $33 million, while the judgment against Trump for defamation – not even the abuse of E. Jean Carroll, was over $83 million. Maybe that’s Bidenflation, or it could just be how much Trump Derangement Syndrom causes some people to hate Trump.
The legal cases are primarily political, designed to destroy Trump and persuade people not to vote for him—those who cannot see that are blinded by Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS). Objective people can see that both can be true.
I’m conflicted between telling talk radio clients and friends to continue to defend Trump or for liberals to keep hammering away at him versus a more objective and truthful presentation of the current situation.
The ratings trend Inside Radio published may provide answers about news/talk radio content. The ratings could suggest fatigue with hearing about how good or bad Trump and Biden are more than nine months before the election.
As February begins, it becomes increasingly clear that the rematch of 2020, which everybody claimed they didn’t want, is about to become reality. Both parties will hold coronations at their conventions.
The 2024 election will be decided by which side can make the other’s candidate the most unpalatable, not about which has the best vision for the nation’s future. This election will be, without question, the most negative ever. That will turn more people off and reduce interest in hearing what commentators are peddling.
As I speak with talk radio people, I’m rethinking the advice I give them. For those without research or at least the ability to do some groups, I suggest considering less talk about Trump, which has been relentless, whether in support or hammering him for years.
Whereas I typically recommend appealing to the base, which for most talk radio stations means total support of Trump, now I suggest continuing to support the former president but a little less frequently and fervently, as well as offering a little more objectivity.
I believe that seeing where Trump’s weaknesses lie and stopping saying Trump won the 2020 election, but Biden cheated narrative is a good start.
If our elections allow wholesale cheating that can change the results, what’s the point of participating in them? Instead, talk radio should help organize voter registrations and vote-by-mail drives so Republicans aren’t starting election night down by a significant lead. Republicans must engage in vote harvesting as Democrats do. In 2020, Democrats didn’t cheat so much as they took better advantage of rules that, like it or not, are here to stay.
Spending the rest of this year relitigating 2020 and discussing the vengeance Trump will seek is unlikely to have a good result for his campaign. We already have evidence suggesting it is not good for news/talk radio.
Trump fans have likely already concluded I’m a RINO, but I offer the same advice to “progressive” news/talk outlets. More of the same isn’t going to produce different results. Americans have heard the same arguments by both sides for eight years. There’s evidence suggesting many are exhausted by it. So, what’s your plan for the next nine months?
Andy Bloom is president of Andy Bloom Communications. He specializes in media training and political communications. He has programmed legendary stations including WIP, WPHT and WYSP/Philadelphia, KLSX, Los Angeles and WCCO Minneapolis. He was Vice President Programming for Emmis International, Greater Media Inc. and Coleman Research. Andy also served as communications director for Rep. Michael R. Turner, R-Ohio. He can be reached by email at andy@andybloom.com or you can follow him on Twitter @AndyBloomCom.
