WILL THE ELECTION AFFECT CONSERVATIVE TALK RADIO?

Maybe. 

I subscribe to NTS MediaOnline and over the past couple of days, I've read reports that talk radio should take the election results as a wake-up call.   In this post from today, a couple of insiders say it's past time for the gasbags to change:

...longtime Talk programmer and Gabe Hobbs Media namesake Gabe Hobbs weighs in with his opinion. ... "...That said, our best protection is diversification and broader appeal. What is the other 95% of the population talking about? Perhaps we should think about also engaging them!”

Former Talk radio host Wes Minter (WSB, WCCO, KCMO and KRMG) — who is now working in corporate sales but continues to do fill-in work at News/Talk KDKA/Pittsburgh — agrees that changes are inevitable for spoken-word radio formats. “Our country is supposed to be indivisible, yet the anecdotal criticism I hear of Talk radio from friends is that its shows are more polarizing than ever. Millenials and younger demographics represent a growing new audience that talk hosts need to recognize and be able to attract and hold. Talk about things that matter to them and, in my opinion, the ‘stickiness” will be there.

From yesterday, this post has the same advice from another insider:

Veteran Talk radio programmer and Alpha Broadcasting advisor Brian Jennings notes, “While conservative Talk stations do well, they are still a small percentage of the overall ratings pie. Let’s not forget how important personality and entertainment value play too. If radio is fun to hear, there will always be an audience. My problem these days with the format that I had a strong hand in developing, is that its not as fun to listen to as it used to be. We often place politics ahead of entertainment value. We must recapture that edge. We also have more competition than ever before. While I think there will always be a role for conservative media, I see the pie shrinking with more competition from all other media, especially social media. Today, many young people watch the late night shows for their news. And, their mobile devices rule their lives. Conservative media will always have a following, but it will fight for attention and must never lose its entertainment value.”