Why Did WDEL Lay Off Allan Loudell?
Jason 330 asked, “Is the business really that hand to mouth, or is this crisis a handy pretext?”
Broadcast radio has the same problem newspapers do — it’s a bygone medium. It hasn’t lost listeners as fast as newspapers lost their readers, but its advertising base has shrunk for the same basic reason: Local businesses have been replaced by national chains. For instance, WDEL/WSTW revenue took a six-figure hit when Happy Harry’s sold out to Walgreen’s, which doesn’t advertise on radio. The coronavirus recession is expected to bankrupt a lot of small businesses. That will only speed up the existing trend.
Forever Media, which bought WDEL parent company Delmarva Broadcasting last year, had been shedding employees quietly even before this — WDEL Saturday morning host Frank Gregory got the ax last fall, for example, and the downstate talk station cut everyone but Dan Gaffney.
Because a news operation requires a large staff, WDEL’s expenses are relatively high. The former owners, the Steinman family of Lancaster, Pa., were committed to a news station as a public service, even though its operating margin is far lower than WSTW’s. The new owners have no such commitment, so any protracted recession will bite deep, and could end the news/talk format completely.
Unless and until that happens, local radio will do what local newspapers have done — farm out more content to national providers to cut payroll costs. At WDEL this might well mean a nationally syndicated talk show takes the place of locally produced news and talk.
And that’s a best-case scenario. The owners could decide to make it a Spanish-language station or, in a worst-case situation, shutter it entirely.
All the case scenarios seem worst. (Except Spanish, if you speak Spanish)
Laying off Allan Loudell (one of the only true newscasters in Delaware) while keeping that Fox-focused, Hannity and Ingraham inspired conservative misinformation spewing over the airwaves has doomed WDEL to that garbage heap of propragandist grifters that are unlistenable.
I’m talking about the noon to four Jensen regurgitation of non-facts and conservative Trumpian trash that is served. Layoff Loudell and pollute the airways with that right wing hackery. No other options in Delaware for normal thinkers who don’t fall for the “orange peel” and his “moonie-like” followers. This president is directly responsible for sabotaging any chance this country has of slowing the virus. Everything this nut says and does is focused on his self-aggrandizing, greedy message of hate spewing blaming and if you can’t see that then Lord help you.
Apparently WDEL has chosen the path of dysfunctional reporting of rabid dogs baying at the moon and to hell with Delawareans right to know any truths.
Sir, you are an idiot.
John, How’s that new income tax bracket coming along?
Stat
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha,ha, ha. You made a teabagger, grifteresque joke that only you and those haters, race-baiters, and Trumpeting nattering nabobs of negativity of the same ilk (as you) can appreciate. Thank you very much. A criticism voiced by a very “limited edition” of intelligence such as you and what you represent is actually a compliment when judged by people of normal intelligence who are blessed with a conscience and humane instincts. Isn’t it a wonderful world wherein those willing to embrace compassion and empathy for the average people can engage in a thoughtful dialogue with the mini-minded, self-loathing haters such as you. I’d like to end with “God bless America” but only with the commitment from “God” that he will judge Trump with all the empathy that he (loathsome man) has earned.
Thanks for confirming my comment.
“This president is directly responsible for sabotaging any chance this country has of slowing the virus.”
The people in the beach towns were clambering for the Governor to shut down tourism for a week and his response was to have a press conference at CHSP and then wait a few more days until the towns shut themselves before he acted, and even then he waited until the weekend was over. Carney was so slow that Schwartzkopf had to go to the Cape Gazette to out his recklessness and it still took him a week to act. He classified real estate sales, liquor stores, hotels and home building as essential. Delaware is still wide open for business and Sussex Countys infection rate keeps rising. Seems like all you need is a lobbyist holding a check and your industry is suddenly essential to Delaware. Forget Trump, Delaware’s cases are Delaware’s fault.
Your comments re Delaware’s governor and the various agencies (DHSS, DPS) he oversees are spot on. If you go to my Facebook page or web site you can see the criticisms I have leveled against the lack of transparency, the failure to act preemptively and issuance of false/misleading advice and information.
I will not, however, absolve or attempt to absolve Trump’s failures in this crisis. He is endangering the entire nation and his actions and statements have been irresponsible and dangerous.
Representative John Kowalko
UMMMM, I would lay blame on the Federal government to restrict travel. Why on earth wouldn’t you?
Nicely said and done John Kowalko. When I listen to that song “I won’t back down” I think of you.
Looks like nothing is Forever. Don’t forget Traffic Reporter Robin Bryson also got canned after 40 frickin years!
Maybe I’m speaking to the Choir but maybe WDEL could go to a niche format and air Progressive programming. It would stand out from all the RW drivel. Hey, works for WCPT (820) in Chicago. They have lotsa spots throughout the day from Chicago area labor unions. They could carry nationally syndicated talk shows live M-F from 9 a.m. to Noon such as the comedy heavy “Stephanie Miller Show” and the intellectual Thom Hartmann from 12 to 3 p.m. Well, if they don’t switch you can always hear them on SiriusXM Sat. Radio , Progress 127 (Ch. 127).
Just a thought.
Some long-timers who weren’t on the air were also let go. Greg Lance, who ran the board for Rick Jensen’s show and did lots of production/engineering work, was there as long as Robin.
If the major radio networks or NPR are smart they’d hire Allan in a New York Minute. There’s a good chance the next president will be a resident of DE and Allan has covered Joe Biden for decades. He’d make a great Wilmington-based correspondent.
If I were WHYY or WDDE, I’d be talking to Allan right now. (Actually, I’d have talked to him over the weekend.)
Podcast killed the radio star.
Clever, but inaccurate. Podcasts have nothing to do with the business model of terrestrial radio.
The problem isn’t lack of listeners, it’s lack of advertisers.
Ok olde timer. Radio people who think that way are going extinct. You think am radio is going to make a comeback? Where do you think advertisers are going?
Not to podcasts. The listeners, yes. The advertisers, no. And if you bothered to read the post, you’d know that radio IS going extinct.
Allan Loudell is an absolutely first-rate broadcaster – intelligent and independent. WDEL has made a great leap into mediocrity.
I don’t understand some people’s infatuation with Loudell. He is a terrible interviewer, always interrupting and trying to show he’s smarter than his guest. Just compare him to Terry Gross if you don’t believe me. If he was cut out for the big time, he’d have gone there long ago. Notice all the people who once worked for him who did move up. But what do I know? I don’t understand how people could call themselves Delaware Liberals and be infatuated with an establishment DINO and tool of the banks and chemical companies like Joe Biden. And listeners and advertisers is a chicken and egg relationship. Radio, especially AM radio, doesn’t have advertisers because they don’t have listeners. Look at the ratings (overall numbers are posted online). What’s even more telling is most people who still listen to radio in this area are listening to Philly stations.
Oy. D- concern trolling.
It’s not 1997 for Christ sake, brah.
Loudell and Delaware were a perfect fit. I’ll miss him.
Infatuated with Biden? Have you ever seen the site before?
“Listeners and advertisers is a chicken and egg relationship. Radio, especially AM radio, doesn’t have advertisers because they don’t have listeners.”
Perhaps you are unaware that every kind of legacy media, because it casts a broad net, has lost most of its ground to the targeted advertising of Facebook and Google.
You sound like one of the disgruntled obsessives who post this sort of stuff on radio-industry blogs.
Indeed, what do you know?