Cullen out as WPTT changes format
Pittsburgh:Many kind of expected it wouldn't be long before Lynn Cullen would be out at Renda's WPTT-AM (1360) - especially after Doug Hoerth's ouster last December. Yesterday she confirmed that her last day will be August 29. The reason has nothing to do with Cullen's performance but a change in format come September 1 on which her show would not fit. WPTT will become an all-financial advice station as WMMY.
Alan Serena, vice president and marketing manager for Renda Broadcasting (and once-owner of 1360) told the PG that direct competition from KDKA-AM (1020) and WPGB-FM (104.7) were the reasons the talk format would no longer work for the 5000 watt daytime station; 1000 watt nighttime, out of McKeesport. "It was slicing the talk pie pretty thin, and we found that, quite honestly, it was like trying to push a boulder up hill," he said. Serena also pointed out that Cullen's show was the only three hour block which brought in any ad revenue. Additionally, the reason they cut Hoerth's program last December was in hopes that the budget would be trimmed enough to make sure Cullen could survive on the station.
Cullen will not be on the air this week due to a long-planned vacation, but will return for the final days of her program next week. Lynn Cullen is known as one of Pittsburgh's few liberal talk show hosts. She considers her audience to be more of a community - one whom she'll discuss this change with to "try to assuage what I suspect will be frustration and anger at losing a voice that they felt spoke for them," she said. Meanwhile Cullen says there are other outlets interested in possibly letting her continue her show. Although she wouldn't specify which stations, they are interested in her because of her loyal audience.
Lynn Cullen arrived in Pittsburgh in 1980 as a feature reporter on WTAE-TV (4). Prior to her 10 years on WPTT, she hosted a similar program for 10 years on WTAE-AM (1250) now WEAE.
Note: This story was edited since its original posting.
Readers’ Forum
Lynn Cullen is a true gem that stands out among all the rubbish talkers in the burgh.
I followed her broadcasting career from its beginnings at Wisc TV in Madison WI, where she was an evening news anchor in the mid to late 1970s.
I do hope Lynn finds an outlet for her wit, charm, and down right common sense liberalism, really with a progressive slant, true to her Wisconsin jouralism roots.
pittbull - August 19, 2008 at 07:01 am
Another smooth move by Renda Broadcasting. First they replace Doug Hoerth with Mike Gallagher, who is about as sympathetic to the middle class as Marie Antoinette.
Then it’s Mike McGann in favor of (gag me with a microphone) John Tesh. And now Lynn Cullen in favor of business radio?
Does anyone in that outfit have any concept of giving the listeners what they want?
Rick - August 19, 2008 at 2:43 pm
Rick, as far as I’m concerned, Renda did what they could to give the listeners what they wanted. In fact it was the only thing pulling in any revenue. While changing the format is probably the last thing any station wants to do, it has kind of become necessary. Sure, you could intersperse some financial stuff amongst a general talk radio format, but in reality that’s probably not going to work any better when you still have the big talk stations well above in the ratings than you are. So in this case, it’s giving the listeners whatever the station can afford.
Eric - August 19, 2008 at 3:03 pm
What a shame losing the brilliant Thom Hartmann as well as Cullen. The good news is that some other station can now pick them up and add more progressive, populist and liberal voices so Pittsburgh can have a real progressive station. WPTT ran conservative valley girl Laura Ingraham and while calling themselves a progressive station. We in Pittsburgh need a true progressive Air America affiliate.
Rob - August 19, 2008 at 6:32 pm
Perhaps you’re right and Pittsburgh does need a “true progressive Air America affiliate,” but what station would you suggest attempt economic suicide and pick up Air America? If a format isn’t working in the ratings, it is unlikely that any other station will pick it up. The Young Turks were available in this market on the old WURP and that station never attracted ratings. Lynn Cullen made money for WPTT, but such wasn’t the case for Thom Hartmann, Clark Howard, Alan Colmes and the other programming there (including the twice-daily offering of Laura, which never made sense). Thom Hartmann’s departure is tragic because I think WPTT carrying him was part of what broke him open as a national talk show entity. Frankly, I hope Lynn does get picked up elsewhere. If Fred Honsberger does recover enough to resume his 3-5 shift at KDKA, having Lynn on as his lead-in might spark some true fireworks. Come to think of it, Lynn Cullen also would be an interesting change of pace after Marty Griffin.
Pat Cloonan (URL) - August 20, 2008 at 08:29 am
Shouldn’t the call letters “WMMY” in the article be “WMNY”?
Doug - August 20, 2008 at 12:13 pm
Any idea what PCNC will do to replace her time slot?
Fred Brucker (URL) - August 20, 2008 at 12:28 pm
It’s very easy to get the liberal slant on radio – just listen to NPR.
Roy - August 20, 2008 at 5:58 pm
Roy – NPR is hardly liberal – it’s the voice of the Washington establishment, hardly a revolutionay voice. Anyone who thinks NPR is liberal has never heard true left radio voices like Hartmann, Marc Maron, Mike Malloy, etc.
Pat – I think that you are right that WPTT really helped Thom get a national audience. I do believe that progressive talk can work in Pittsburgh. I also firmly believe it is a necessity for our region/city to have progressive ideas introduced into our social fabric. Air America/Nova M/Jones progressive talk works in about 60 cities across the nation in some form. WPTT never committed and promoted the format. The prog talk audience is loyal, has disposable income and is smart. Renda never gained it’s trust and never reached out to build the base. They ran the awful Mike Gallagher on weekends as well as Ingraham. The station didn’t make money because it was mismanaged. I’d suggest the losing sports station 970 flips to lib talk. If not, maybe 660, 770, 1550 or any of the other small daytimers. They would certainly do better with prog talk than what they have now. Also, it’s recently been reported that CBS may sell KDKA to Saga. Saga has been very pro liberal talk. There are small AM stations all over the dial that would make money with progressive/left talk which has a very dedicated fan base that needs to be grown.
Rob - August 21, 2008 at 7:50 pm
I would have preferred they cut Cullen back in December to do everything they could to keep Doug Hoerth – the better talent of the two.
Hoerthfan - August 24, 2008 at 4:09 pm
It looks like WPTT is trying to compete with KQV for the “upscale business person’s market”.
I’m not worried for Lynn as much as I was worried for Doug Hoerth. Lynn has a really good chance of getting a job in the market, because Lynn = ratings and revenue (unfortunately unlike Uncle Douggie, who I enjoyed).
She probably has a good chance at getting a job at the 50,000 watt blowtorch (KDKA). KDKA likes to tout how they use local talent during the day instead of syndicated feeds (like other stations). Plus, Fred Honsberger has been out so long due to illness that it’s possible that he isn’t coming back.
Jennifer - August 25, 2008 at 3:06 pm
Doug,
WMNY is already taken by Radio Disney in West Palm Beach, FL (yes, MNY doesn’t just mean money, but also Minnie, and apparently Radio Disney snatched it up first).
Joshua - August 26, 2008 at 8:57 pm
Jennifer, if she does get a KDKA slot, which contract are they going to cut? Marty Griffin? Kevin Miller? Honsberger? John Steigerwald (Paul is the true Steigy, unlike the other blowhard)? From the look of the schedule and the contracts, it’ll probably be Marty getting the boot. Otherwise, good luck finding another station with available slots for Lynn. 104.7? Yeah, right!
Joshua - August 26, 2008 at 9:03 pm
Rob – A progressive Left Station would probably get one listener…....you…..!
Rob - August 27, 2008 at 09:53 am
They’d probably get me, too. Back a couple of years ago, I accidently stumbled upon Air America on WKRC in Cincinnati (1530) while taking an early-morning drive to the Harrisburg area. Much to my delight, I found out I could hear it in western Pa. for most of the day. And I’d probably still be listening to it had the station not switched to sports.
Progressive radio will always struggle to succeed, even in major markets, as long as their shows are carried on suburban AM stations that can barely be heard in the next township.
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