In recent months, The Guy Benson Show from Fox News Radio has seen explosive growth in its list of affiliates.
The show has added at least 15 new stations since September of last year, with several additions coinciding with the partnership between Westwood One and The Daily Wire ending.
Stations like 790 KABC in Los Angeles, WLS-AM 890 in Chicago, WJR 760 in Detroit, KCMO Talk Radio in Kansas City, and The Mighty 990 KWAM in Memphis have all added the show in recent months, among nearly a dozen others.
And Guy Benson says he’s definitely noticed and felt the expansion in the interactions with his audience.
“No doubt about it,” said Benson. “With so many of these great new affiliates, we’re just thankful for all of them. There’s a number that happened to be really big stations and really big markets from KABC in Los Angeles to WLS — a station that I listened to for years when I was in Chicago in school and starting my career — to KCMO in Kansas City. We’ve had a great run at KTTH going back further in Seattle. We picked up affiliates in Houston, and we’ve got one coming up in Dallas. So we are really grateful, and that’s just to name check a few of them. There’s plenty more. I don’t wanna leave anyone out.
“I mean, just in terms of emails, social media interaction, messages, and calls, you can definitely tell that a lot of people, for the first time, are getting their ears on this show. We’re just trying to do our best every day to bring them a fabulous program over the course of three hours. We’ve seen growth in the podcast and the digital side, as well. So we’re just really excited about it. We’re honored to have the platform and the opportunity. And we’re trying to make the most of it and give people something that is unique and hopefully thoughtful, informative, and entertaining.”
Despite having an increased audience and affiliate base, The Guy Benson Show host says he doesn’t believe the content of the show changes.
“I think we’re trying to stay true to ourselves and to what we do and what allowed us to build slowly but surely this far up to this point, and not necessarily change things all that dramatically,” Benson said. “We’ll maybe shout out certain affiliates when there are stories from their neck of the woods. That certainly is something that we do with increased frequency because we have the occasion to do that with all these new affiliates.
“But in terms of the nuts and bolts and the focus of the show and the editorial direction, the choices that we make, if we had one affiliate or if we had a thousand affiliates, we’re just trying to stay steady as she goes and do what we do.”
In addition to The Guy Benson Show with Fox News Radio — which airs live from 3-6 PM ET, Benson is also a frequent contributor on Fox News television shows throughout the cable network’s lineup. He understands the complexities that come with each and believes one can be a master at both.
“They’re completely different forms of media. Different art forms, if you will,” he shared. “On TV, if you’re lucky, you’ll be able to make two points on the subject, and you want to generally try to make them your best points. The luxury of radio is the breathing room to develop points, to make points six, seven, and eight sort of at your leisure. We’re a fast-moving show, but sometimes, what’s so great about the medium is you actually have time.
“‘I’m gonna take my time when I do a few segments on this. I’m not gonna rush through it.’ The TV quick hit segment has its place and its own challenges. And I love the platform. I’ve been very grateful to be at Fox News now since 2013, which is kind of hard to believe it’s been 12 years, but for someone who enjoys not just talking and debating issues, but thinking through issues, the ability to go deeper on radio is something that I really cherish.
“And also, the ability to develop something of a relationship with the audience where they really– I think — feel like they’re getting to know me as a person. That is something that radio offers in a unique way that TV appearances don’t necessarily. There’s a bunch of other advantages on the TV side, of course, but in terms of radio, a few of the reasons I just mentioned are different, unique, and things that I value and treasure.”
Benson, whose Fox News Radio show airs in the same timeslot as his Fox News colleague Sean Hannity, called the longtime radio host the “800-pound gorilla in the room” when it comes to the 3-6 PM ET window on national radio. However, he said the Hannity host once gave him invaluable advice about the business. It’s a lesson that he still carries with him to this day.
“Years ago, I was an intern at Fox News … I got to tour his studios back when he was doing the show from a different studio in New York,” said Benson. “And he told me that his philosophy that had been passed down to him was there’s the business side of things and the politics of the industry. But he said whatever comes out of those speakers — meaning the program itself, what you were putting out — the content is king. That’s what matters most. And the rest will take care of itself. So I really have taken that to heart.
“We are now friendly competitors in the time slot,” Benson continued. “I like to see that we’re gaining on him a little bit, but you know he’s still the big kahuna.”
Guy Benson added that another one of his conservative media mentors is Salem Radio Network host Hugh Hewitt, who — ironically enough — moved into the 3-6 PM ET timeslot earlier this year as part of a shuffle at that network.
“To have two people that I considered to be friends, mentors, and colleagues in that same time slot — of course everyone’s competitive to an extent — but I think we all want what’s best for the country and it’s just an honor to be out there,” he concluded. “I definitely offer something different than either of them. So, I’m just sort of rooting for collective success and just excited to have momentum on our show.”
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Garrett Searight is Barrett Media’s News Editor, which includes writing bi-weekly industry features and a weekly column. He has previously served as Program Director and Afternoon Co-Host on 93.1 The Fan in Lima, OH, and is the radio play-by-play voice of Northern Michigan University hockey. Reach out to him at Garrett@BarrettMedia.com.
