It has come to my attention that effective Sunday, January 7, the 10 PM slot will be supposedly vacant, after the end of the "Idiot’s Delight" program. Now granted, I’m not writing about why that show should continue. Instead, I come with a proposal for a better show for the timeslot.
I understand that WNEW must run eight to ten infomercials each weekend to gain excess revenue, and that’s fine and dandy. But airing infomercials on Sunday during prime time ("Game Show Radio", while it is legally a paid program, is an exception because of its live content and high entertainment value) wouldn’t bring listeners to the table. I’m suggesting that the program that should follow "GSR" on Sundays should have about the same upbeat humor and aura as its lead-in. A program whose talent mainly consists of comedians, professional and amateur. And seeing as your station is tight with Carolines Comedy Club and Stand-Up New York, it would be a good idea. They can perform material, or pre-recorded portions of their acts can be played on the show. And, of course, listeners can call in and interact, and leave it to the talent to outsmart the guy on the phone - hey, that’s what a comic is paid to do, right?
Why am I suggesting this type of program specifically for Sundays 10PM and not one of the weekend dayparts? Well, for one, it would be a great counterpart with "Game Show Radio". Secondly, if you want some of the comic talent on this show to bring their A-material with no boundaries, that would be a safe timeslot. Of course, save for Opie and Anthony, whose raunchy and ribald tactics have broken barriers in afternoon radio in New York, and they have a great following; not to mention the comedians that visit that show usually have fantastic outings. But then again, they mainly want to entertain the average guy in the car driving home from work, or listening at work. Not to say the demographic of this proposed show should be unemployed people, but the point is, weekend dayparts, in my opinion, are mostly dominated by music formats or live sports broadcasts. That might be a contributing factor to the reason the station runs best-of shows of some of your popular daily programs during the weekend dayparts. This show would have a better chance on Sunday nights rather than the weekend dayparts… who knows, perhaps this show might get a following of its own. It could be ground zero for comedians to come together for a few hours every week, a summit. What’s more, I hope this kind of show doesn’t conflict with comics’ appearances on Opie and Anthony; however, this proposed show should have something in common with Opie & Anthony, as do the other programs on your air: fresh, entertaining, funny, and of course, reaching out to the young male demographic.
This is just a proposal, perhaps you can take it into consideration. It would certainly be a better listen than infomercials, but that’s just my opinion, and I’m sure many listeners would share it. A comedian-driven live program, with the right amount of support and advertising, would bring more ears to New York radio on Sunday nights.
By the way, one of the main components that anchor such a show is the host. I am sure station management is responsible for making that decision, but might a suggest a talented comedian to do the honors. She’s appeared in a number of television and cable specials over the last several years, and is currently involved in a few television projects. Most importantly, she’s one of the two creators of Comedy Central’s "The Daily Show". Her name is Lizz Winstead.
Thanks for your time…
Joe
Webmaster of LIZZLAND
http://www.lizzland.com