Friday, February 10, 2012

Cholly pumps Supertalk

Columnist Charlie Mitchell, formerly of the Vicksburg Evening Post and now teaching young scribes at Ole Miss, penned a little column in yesterday's Clarion-Ledger extolling the virtues of Supertalk Mississippi (97.3 FM). Some excerpts:

This may sound like a commercial for a radio network. It's not meant to be.

It's just that how and where state government junkies get information has changed. Jackson-based SuperTalk Mississippi is in the driver's seat. That's worth talking about.

And talk, of course, is what they do.

The nine FM radio stations in the network blanket the state. For those who can't pick up a signal - or who want to see the show in addition to hearing it - SuperTalk is on the Internet
."

You can't escape. They are everywhere. Give in. But I digress.

"For listeners, the best asset of SuperTalk Mississippi is the guests. Want to know what's going on with suggested changes in Public Employee Retirement System benefits? Tune in and the chairman of the study commission is likely to be on air explaining the findings.

Want to know what's going on with prisons, pardons, Medicaid funding, traffic cameras - you name it? The people in the key decision-making positions are likely to be on the air, taking questions.

This type of exchange has not existed previously in Mississippi. MPB television has a longstanding show, Quorum, with a panel of legislators.

But it's usually so boring and self-serving even the lawmakers' mothers find a reason not to watch
."

"The state's newspapers do the best they can, but fewer than ever have reporters assigned to the state capital. There are some really good websites, blogs and alternative papers reporting and jawboning state topics. SuperTalk also uses multiple platforms, including social media. Most in its audience, however, probably just listen...

Notably, however, they are continuing to call in or go to the studios to explain or discuss the state's news. It would be better if the hosts challenged their guests more, but the hosts are not sycophants. They ask pretty good questions and usually get to the nut of the issues
."

But then there is this nugget:

"Gauging by the number of public service announcements aired free during the shows, SuperTalk Mississippi, as with other commercial media, doesn't have as many advertising customers as it would like to have. Maybe the "state news junkie" demographic is too small."

Looks like we got ourselves a winner over on Ridgewood Road.

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

The last para is pure conjecture.

Whatever one thinks of the network they are paying the bills and adding staff but, unlike the Bugle, that is paid staff versus indentured intern labor.

Btw, numerous PSAs are a fact of life on nearly every radio station in our state.

Anonymous said...

The observation about PSA is quite releveant. I am also surprised at the number of stations that change formats (sometimes drastically) every year. it seems clear the owners are chasing a small number of advertisers who are not impressed by the small numbers of listeners. This has been going on since before satellite radio and iPods that plug into car radios came into use, so I suspect it has to do with low income levels, etc...

Anonymous said...

So if your measure of success is the number of times a station does not change formats in some given period of time then the Supertalkers must be considered quite successful regardless of the relative size of a local advertising base.

Where Charlie's conclusion falls apart is that advertisers considering radio don't solely focus on the size (i.e. "too small") of a specific demographic.

Anonymous said...

10:12 Either Supertalk is making a pfrofit with their format OR someone with deep pockets is subsidizing their losses, possibly with some agenda in mind. Given the large number of advertisers I've heard on their shows while driving I suspect the former.

Anyone got any actual data?

Anonymous said...

Cholly must be wantin a job.

Anonymous said...

Maybe Cholly wants to be hostin' one of them huntin' shows they got some nights.

Shadowfax said...

Supertalk hired that boring, monotone, know-it-all goob Salter. Then followed it up by hiring that boring, monotone goob Ramsey. The capoff to a trifecta would be hiring this boring, race-baiting goob Mitchell. I quit listening when Gallo started that God-Awful, unrelenting, kill-the-dead-air stutter.

The perfect answer to the old JT and Dave should would be Mitchell and Holland.

Anonymous said...

Ask them for their #s.
If you have one person listening in Snellville and he calls in. You get the impression that every body in Snellville is listening.
That been said they do a good job of covering state government.
A PSA from government agencies does generate revenue. That's what's help to fund the expansion.

Anonymous said...

They should do great with the new administration. They certainly kissed every ass that got within smooching distance.

Anonymous said...

They should do great with the new administration. They certainly kissed every ass that got within smooching distance.

Anonymous said...

Gallo never did have the balls to cover the Davis boys in Desoto County. Too much allegiance goin' on.

Anonymous said...

Title should be "Cholly blows Supertalk."

Anonymous said...

Supertalk is all about the new administration because it generates big advertising dollars! They did everything but pick Bryant up and place him in the governor's chair!

Anonymous said...

Kim Wade ( WYAB) dominates the afternoon drive home.
Marshall is the weakest link in Davenport's programing.

Anonymous said...

I was skeptical about Salter's PM talker at first but over time IMO he improved dramatically. He displayed a radio voice that became far more strident and opinionated than you'd ever know by only reading his columns. He had his sacred cows -- like the King does here -- but you got to hear more of his conservatism on the air than his written words reveal.

Anonymous said...

I love Marshall Ramsey! He's just such a nice man and is getting better and better on the air. I do miss Dave on JT and Dave so I just listen to the Dennis Miller Show.

Anonymous said...

what happened to Dave ? & where is He ?

Shadowfax said...

Dave got fired for his mouth. What a giant surprise. Right? What negative, nasty man. Marshall being a nice man and good with his kids is hardly a reason to have him on the air for three hours trying inartfully to be a comedian and news person. Salter, I do believe, was the most irrationally opinionated man I ever met, which is fine if you're a column writer, but not as a radio talk show host in conservative Mississippi that thrives on call ins.

Anonymous said...

"Salter improved over time"? Please!

Anonymous said...

Seethespending.org shows in excess of $600,000 paid by the State of MS to Telesouth Communications (Supertalk's parent) in FY11.

Anonymous said...

Seethespending.org shows in excess of $600,000 paid by the State of MS to Telesouth Communications (Supertalk's parent) in FY11.

And? Is there a point?

Anonymous said...

Seethepending is half of the story, the campaign finance reports on Dogbert's site is the other half.


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