99.7 WTN

[rocky top buzz]

I know minor changes in our daily media seem like major changes, but I think this story is a little extreme. When I moved to Nashville in 2001, 99.7 was THE talk radio station, with 1510 WLAC a distant second. Only 5 years later and everything has changed. 2 of their 3 top programs, Steve Gill and Sportsnight, are both gone. One can only wonder when Dave Ramsey will go elsewhere.

What has happened? I know Cumulus bought the station from Gaylord, but why buy a station only to kill it? Steve Gill has moved to channel 2, which I see as temporary before he'll head back to Radio. Maybe 1510? In the meantime, George Plaster and the gang simply moved their success from one station to another.

I don't know; it just seems ridiculous that this station can't negotiate with anyone. Any other thoughts on this?

[Lexy]

Cumulus sucks. Worked for them for three years and would never do it again. They are the killers of decent radio with Clear Channel a very close second.

They spend very little money but expect a whole lot of results. See the flaw???

[Hankster]

Yhat's amazing to hear. When I lived in Nashville 4 years ago, WTN was "kicking butt". This goes to show what poor management can do.

[franktown]

Speaking of leaving, what do you all think about Brad Schmitt leaving the Tennessean for Chanel 2? Chanel 2 seems to be snapping people up lately, are they behind in the ratings or something?

[rocky top buzz]

I have a friend who works at channel 2. He says most of his job isn't affected by ratings so he doesn't know much about where they stand, but I'd venture 2 say they rank 4th in evening news behind CBS 5, Fox 17, and NBC 4.

They should really consider updating their studio and graphics. Maybe bringing in Steve Gill and Brad Schmitt is part of that? I gues we'll see.

[BrandonTO416]

I don't waste my time listening to conservative media outlets. They are anti-intellectual and do nothing good for the community. WTN 99.7 and WLAC 1510 do nothing for Nashville other than get the conservative population up in arms on a daily basis over things that don't matter.

[Relient J]

Though I often disagree with him on other issues, I strongly applaud the work that Phil Valentine has done on the illegal immigration problem. It makes me proud to live in a state where people like Mr. Valentine work so hard to fight against one of our nation's worst problems.

[rocky top buzz]

I really like Phil because he's not a card carrying republican. He'll tell you what he really thinks and both parties have failed miserably with our borders. I haven't listened to Kevin Miller. I flip between 104.5 and 1510.

[Relient J]

^ That's a good point about Valentine. As a conservative who considers himself a former Republican, I definitely feel we need more people in the media who can think independently without having to be a knee-jerk cheerleader for the Republican party like Sean Hannity. After all, the Republican party has become the party of neo-conservatives, having left true conservatives behind.

[Lexy]

Both my wife and I used to work with him at 1510 WLAC. Back when she was a DJ at The River and I was a newscaster at 1510 WLAC. Those were the days. "Johnny B", his sidekick, is a hoot!!!

[BnaBreaker]

Nashville BADLY needs more liberal talk radio to balance it out a little.

[rocky top buzz]

Talk radio isn't about balance, it's about ratings. Air American tried 'Liberal' radio in liberal markets, and it failed miserably. I'm not sure why. But I can tell you that there are plenty of libs who call Phil Valentine's show.

[BnaBreaker]

As far as I know Air America is still going strongly. You're right though. Talk radio isn't about balance and there will never be balance simply because of the fact that liberals, by their very nature, are deep and free thinking individuals who generally make up their own minds about things. Liberals, by their very nature, are individualistic. Conservatives, by their very nature, generally need suggestion as to what they should believe, if not need to be told what to believe outright. Conservatives, by their very nature, are pack oriented and generally need to be ideologically lead. It is for this reason conservative talk radio is so much more popular than liberal talk radio...at least in my opinion.

[rocky top buzz]

Actually, I would reverse your roles for this reason:

Conservative talk radio is successful because we bat around our idea's. Talk radio would be boring if every person calling in simply supported the host. Conservatives are more individualists.

Liberal talk radio fails because liberals do not think indpently; they are the 'pack mentality.' Liberals just agree with whatever their leaders tell them to think. That's boring radio.

I also believe that about 80% of americans are "conservative," (yes, many democrats are conservatives and just don't know it!), and that's why they tune in.

Here's the link that air america is not going as well as you think:

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/s...5p-388836c.html

The other liberal radio station (NPR) is doing just fine thanks to my tax dollars.

[The Tot Pack]

Actually, I would reverse your roles for this reason:

Conservative talk radio is successful because we bat around our idea's. Talk radio would be boring if every person calling in simply supported the host. Conservatives are more individualists.

Liberal talk radio fails because liberals do not think indpently; they are the 'pack mentality.' Liberals just agree with whatever their leaders tell them to think. That's boring radio.

I also believe that about 80% of americans are "conservative," (yes, many democrats are conservatives and just don't know it!), and that's why they tune in.

Here's the link that air america is not going as well as you think:

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/s...5p-388836c.html

The other liberal radio station (NPR) is doing just fine thanks to my tax dollars.

[BnaBreaker]

Actually, I would reverse your roles for this reason:

Conservative talk radio is successful because we bat around our idea's. Talk radio would be boring if every person calling in simply supported the host. Conservatives are more individualists.

Liberal talk radio fails because liberals do not think indpently; they are the 'pack mentality.' Liberals just agree with whatever their leaders tell them to think. That's boring radio.

I also believe that about 80% of americans are "conservative," (yes, many democrats are conservatives and just don't know it!), and that's why they tune in.

Here's the link that air america is not going as well as you think:

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/s...5p-388836c.html

The other liberal radio station (NPR) is doing just fine thanks to my tax dollars.

[Onyte9]

Actually, I would reverse your roles for this reason:

Conservative talk radio is successful because we bat around our idea's. Talk radio would be boring if every person calling in simply supported the host. Conservatives are more individualists.

Liberal talk radio fails because liberals do not think indpently; they are the 'pack mentality.' Liberals just agree with whatever their leaders tell them to think. That's boring radio.

I also believe that about 80% of americans are "conservative," (yes, many democrats are conservatives and just don't know it!), and that's why they tune in.

Here's the link that air america is not going as well as you think:

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/s...5p-388836c.html

The other liberal radio station (NPR) is doing just fine thanks to my tax dollars.

[samsonh]

I don't understand why any talk radio is successful. I have tried listening to Rush and Hannity on long trips. Their is little substance. I feel like I hear 15 minutes of talk and 45 minutes of commercials or intros in any given hour.

But I would think if anything conservatives think in the 'pack mentality'. In any given election cycle the GOP picks whatever morality issue is hot(i.e. gay marriage, ESC research, abortion) and uses mediums such as talk radio to get their message across to their eager masses about how evil those things are.

[rocky top buzz]

Gee on a board of mostly liberals and I get this response; big surprise!

You say a majority of Americans support gay marriage, but gay marriage amendments have passed almost everywhere by a margin of typically 80% - 90%. Even California banned gay marriage by a large margin. That's where I get my 80% number.

If you take the D and R off peoples names and ask polling questions, you get a better idea that most Americans think that American was better off with leaders like David Crockett and Abraham Linclon, than with people like Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid.

[The Tot Pack]

what do you expect rocky top, us gays, jews, and liberals own everything.. remember

[BnaBreaker]

Gee on a board of mostly liberals and I get this response; big surprise!

You say a majority of Americans support gay marriage, but gay marriage amendments have passed almost everywhere by a margin of typically 80% - 90%. Even California banned gay marriage by a large margin. That's where I get my 80% number.

If you take the D and R off peoples names and ask polling questions, you get a better idea that most Americans think that American was better off with leaders like David Crockett and Abraham Linclon, than with people like Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid.

[rocky top buzz]

1-As far as Abe Lincoln, what specific points about him would you say are opposite of today's republican party?

2- Issue's that Republicans differ on: immigration, stem cell research, business lobbying efforts, social security reform, taxation; those are the main ones. I typically lean more conservatively on these issues, but other R's (John McCain) lean more liberaly. I oppose ILLEGAL immigration, oppose federally funded stem cell research as there's no need to fund it at the federal level, I support restrictions on businesses being able to buy congressman (D and R), I support an option for me to invest some of my SSI money into private accounts, and I support elimintaing the IRS and replacing with either a flat income tax or flat sales tax.

... You see, I don't toe the party line on every issue

3- Democrats don't want you to be free thinking. Most black people are extrememly conservative, yet they vote democrat? Why is that? Because there are a few people at the top (Jessee Jackson, Al Sharpton, etc..) who portray this image that republicans want to send all black people back to Africa. That doesn't sound like the school of free thought.

... and I'm not coming out of nowhere on this. I have a black friend I do computer work for, and he is staunchly democrat, and the only reason he gives me is that he is afraid of what the republicans will do to black people. I ask him the issues (immigration, taxation, gay marriage, etc...), and he is completely against where most democrats stand.

I will say though that is a bigger problem by republicans not reaching out to black people back when all the southern democrats were voting to keep jim crowe laws.

4- Please note that I don't use Conservative and republican interchangeably. I consider myself a conservative who primarily vote republican. Republican's have let me down many times, especially on social security. I believe that this country is great because it has great people, not because we have great government.

5- Here's a commentary that suuports my assertion that most American are conservative, but also supports your idea that conservative talk radio is successful because "everybody here's it and agrees."

http://usconservatives.about.com/

I think you'll also enjoy the comments.

6- I also want to make note that I have many friends who are liberal, and this has nothing to do with personally liking or disliking anyone to me. I just think libs are typically wrong in their political assertions

[monsoon]

Gee on a board of mostly liberals and I get this response; big surprise!

.....