What Factors Led to O’Reilly’s Big Debut?

Fox News commentator Bill O’Reilly’s radio program made its debut this week in what was reportedly the biggest launch ever of a talk radio show. And his syndicator says it didn’t pay stations to make it happen.

“The Radio Factor With Bill O’Reilly” began airing Wednesday on more than 200 stations nationwide, including KABC-AM (790). Online muckraker Matt Drudge alleged in his column that O’Reilly’s distributor, Westwood One, paid stations in major cities as much as $300,000 to carry the show.

Westwood One Chief Executive Joel Hollander said the claim was simply sour grapes on the part of Drudge, who has a radio show distributed by competitor Premiere Radio Networks, which also syndicates Rush Limbaugh.

In many markets, including Los Angeles, O’Reilly is going head-to-head against Limbaugh, the kingpin of talk radio. O’Reilly airs from 9 to 11 a.m. weekdays on KABC, while Limbaugh’s three-hour program is heard on KFI-AM (640) beginning at 9 a.m.

“I can understand why any show going up against Rush would want to put as much support behind that show as possible,” said Bill Lewis, director of AM marketing for Clear Channel-Los Angeles, which owns KFI. He noted that Limbaugh has held the No. 1 position in his time slot in Los Angeles for 12 years. “Whether it’s marketing or promotion, you’re going to go against Rush, you better back it up.”

It’s not unusual for a syndicator to give a station money for billboards or other advertising to help promote a program, especially a new one, said John Butler, program director at WMAL-AM in Washington, D.C., an ABC-owned station that carries Limbaugh and O’Reilly’s Fox compatriot, Sean Hannity.

“It would be a little more unusual if they were simply handing over cash to air the show,” he said.

But Hollander said none of O’Reilly’s outlets is getting promotion money for the program, even though Westwood One does that with other shows. “We deliver the program to the stations, and in return they give us commercial time.”

He credited the strong launch to the host’s recognition from his Fox News Channel program, “The O’Reilly Factor,” and his two best-selling books.

“This guy’s a big name. He’s got the No. 1 cable show. He’s an author. He’s got big brand awareness,” Hollander said.

Even so, he has a long way to go in terms of approaching Limbaugh, who is heard on nearly 600 stations with an estimated audience of 20 million listeners a week. Limbaugh debuted in 1988 with only 60 affiliates, compared to the 200-plus carrying O’Reilly.

“It’s a big number to start with, but O’Reilly is benefiting from the success of previously syndicated shows,” Clear Channel-Los Angeles’ Lewis said. “The anticipation here is that a conservative with a national profile based on his TV show is less of a risk than a total unknown. [But] I don’t know if you get 200 stations to pick you up without a financial incentive.”

The raw numbers may be impressive, but O’Reilly’s roll-out also shows how crowded the talk field already is. Of the nation’s top 10 markets, only in Philadelphia is his program being carried by the top-rated talk station. In San Francisco, his program is on a station that advertises itself as “100% Sports Smack”; in Chicago, he’s on an adult standards outlet.

Hollander said it stands to reason that such stations would seek out O’Reilly. “He’s somebody that can go on a secondary station and get better ratings,” he said.

Individual stations were mum on the nature of their deals with Westwood One.

“My contract with them says I’m not allowed to say anything,” said Lee Hammer, program director of KTCT, the San Francisco station carrying O’Reilly. A KABC spokeswoman also said the station was not in a position to discuss its contract.

Viacom Buys KCAL, Must Sell a Radio Station

It’s not some technological fluke or signal interference, but a change involving KCAL-TV may soon affect what some listeners hear on their favorite radio stations.

The Federal Communications Commission this week approved the sale of KCAL to Viacom Inc. The company, which already owns KCBS-TV and the CBS and UPN television networks, is buying the station from Young Broadcasting Inc. for $650 million. But the sale means that Viacom owns two television and seven radio stations in the Los Angeles market, one more than FCC rules allow. So the agency has given Viacom’s Infinity Radio division six months to divest itself of a radio station.

“Obviously, whatever station that is would be pure speculation at this point,” Infinity spokesman Dana McClintock said.

With no obvious dogs in the pack, the question is which of its high-profile stations Viacom will choose to unload. The company’s crown jewel in L.A. is “the World Famous KROQ,” alternative station KROQ-FM (106.7). It has been the top-rated station in the area for a year, and its “Kevin & Bean” program was the top English-language morning show in the first quarter of this year, according to the latest figures from ratings service Arbitron.

Smooth jazz KTWV-FM (94.7) is Infinity’s next-highest-rated station, at No. 7, playing a format that some observers believe has the biggest growth potential in the industry. Close behind is KRTH-FM (101.1), by far L.A.’s most popular oldies station. KLSX-FM (97.1) is the area’s only FM talk station and home to Howard Stern. And Arrow 93 (KCBS-FM, 93.1) just edged out its classic rock competitor, KLOS-FM (95.5), in the latest ratings.

In addition, the company owns both local all-news AM stations, KFWB (980) and KNX (1070). But McClintock said listeners shouldn’t look at the duplication and think, “‘Oh, well there it is.’ I would just point them to New York.”

Infinity owns the two all-news AM stations in New York City: WINS and WCBS.

McClintock said the two news stations can appeal to different demographics and report news in slightly different ways: one quicker with news and headlines, the other putting more emphasis on features. The stations can also stagger traffic and weather reports, so a listener who misses them on one station can catch up on the other.

Whatever happens--whether the station that is sold remains the same, altering only its owner, or loses listeners in a format change--will occur before the end of the year, with FCC Commissioner Michael Copps stressing that Viacom won’t get an extension to make the sale.

The lone Democrat on the four-member commission, Copps last month criticized an FCC decision to give Viacom a waiver extending the time the company has to sell TV stations it owns in excess of federal limits.