DRCTV.com is on-target - and David Burd is the best light commentator in town!

Buck's PR POV: Yes, I second DRCTV -- WMAL, just FIX IT. Randall Bloomquist, no matter how many hard-hitting marketing promos you have, content is still content. People get tired of the flutter and sputter of Fred Grandy's tired congressman jokes and Andy Parks' buffoonery. Plus, all of the local paid-for programming? No, thanks. You did lose a grand guy in the Burdman. And here's what Mort Sahl has to say about Sean Hannity: "Isn't it possible for them to get a real fascist instead of this guy who plays one on radio and TV?" So my dial is set to 107.7 again for Dave --and to XM Radio, to listen to television news. Go figure.

I do believe there is hope for Chris Core. He is warm, and a real guy. Has been for years.

Just my two cents -- the Buck stops here, too, ya know.

Abbe B.

---from WWW.DRCTV.COM

Rant - 7/23 - Another installment in my occasional "How I'd Fix" series. Well, after seeing the latest ratings and how far righty news talker WMAL continues to fall, let me offer some suggestions for rebuilding this once noble station.

First, fire Grandy and Andy. The morning show needs a complete makeover. Think young. Think female. Think ethnic. Sure, politics is fine. But make it more of a fair fight - righty AND lefty voices. And don't make it so shrill, so hackish and partisan.

If I was running MAL, I'd put late morning talker Michael Graham back on the bus to Richmond. There are smart conservatives and stupid conservatives. He's the latter. But, maybe if you paired him with an equally dopey liberal you'd be able to salvage the show.

Evening talker Chris Core is the best thing WMAL has going for it. And the station desperately needs to localize its afternoon drive. So, take Sean Hannity's last hour and move it to 8 PM, and start Core's local show at 5 PM.

And, please don't over "infomercialize" the weekends. Canning the weekend "morning news" and letting the brilliantly funny David Burd go to WTOP was a huge mistake(!)

Also, add more sports to the station's mix. Bid for the Nationals next season. The Orioles work well for Baltimore news talker WBAL.

Never forget - WMAL sits in the middle of a "blue state" zone, Democratic territory. Almost all of the DC area's major localities voted for John Kerry in the last election. If you want ratings - and respect - you simply can't alienate this core group of potential listeners. And that's exactly what WMAL has been doing.


###