Business news, talk now flooding the airwaves

Not too long ago, radio shows about the economy were considered by many to be the driest, dullest subjects you ever could tune into.
Then the stock market slumped, the economy went haywire and the ripples – or tsunami waves, in some cases – spread to affect every one of us.
So perhaps it comes as no surprise that two Providence area radio stations are adding programs devoted to the economy and business.
One station – WPRV-AM 790 – is changing its entire format completely from playing the oldies to talk and business, and the other – WHJJ-AM 920 – has added a daily morning show associated with The Wall Street Journal.
WPRV-AM last week began three separate daily offerings from Bloomberg Radio, a service of Bloomberg L.P., as well as shows featuring national money adviser Dave Ramsey, CNN’s managing editor Lou Dobbs and local financial expert David F. Brochu, president and founding partner of Strategic Point Investment Advisors based in Providence.
Ron St. Pierre, program director for the local radio stations operated by the Citadel Broadcasting Corp. in East Providence, said the change at WPRV-AM comes because of the “unprecedented” financial times in which we live. “There is such a strong desire for this type of information,” he said. “This is a good opportunity to give people the information they are looking for.”
St. Pierre dismissed the idea that the oldies format is passé. “Our decision was based on what has the better upside, rather than looking at the oldies and saying ‘that doesn’t work’,” he said. “This is not a failure, as much as an opportunity.” The station went to the oldies format about one year ago, previously focusing on sports talk as Score 790.
The new programs on WPRV-AM begin at 5 a.m. every day and run through 1 a.m. the next day. National talk show star Don Imus is on the air from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., followed by MSNBC-TV host Joe Scarborough from 10 a.m. to noon. The three Bloomberg shows – Bloomberg First Word, Bloomberg Surveillance and Bloomberg Taking Stock – will run at 5 a.m., noon and 5 p.m. each day, respectively, varying in length from 30 minutes to two hours each. The bulk of the afternoon will be taken up by Dave Ramsey, offering a three-hour show that delves into “life, love and relationships and how they happen to revolve around money,” according to promotional information provided by the radio station. Ramsey, the author of four books, does not offer a dry financial show, according to Barbara Haynes, general manager of the Citadel stations in Rhode Island. Ramsey is “witty” and “entertaining,” she said.
After 10 years with a talk show on Saturday mornings on WHJJ-AM, Brochu has moved to WPRV-AM where, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. every weekday, he is the principal host of “Making Money,” assisted by other Strategic Point staff members including, Betsey Purinton, and special guests from the financial community. Listeners will be able to call in with questions.
“What I hope to do is to take the day’s market action, talk about what’s happening, why it’s important and what you should do with that information,” Brochu said. “I hope to help the community navigate what is an extremely difficult time.” He founded Strategic Point 20 years ago and the company has offices in Providence and East Greenwich.
Brochu said his move to a rival station has created “no hard feelings” at WHJJ-AM. “I’m leaving on good terms,” he said. “We had a wonderful relationship.” Haynes indicated that WPRV is delighted to have someone with Brochu’s 10-year experience in financial radio.
Talk and business radio formats have proven successful in other parts of the nation, Haynes said. The business format draws a “very targeted” audience, loyal and unique, that is expected to have greater appeal to the station’s listeners and advertisers than the oldies, she suggested. “People addicted to the business world, myself included, will tune in,” she said. Meanwhile, at WHJJ-AM 920, a two-hour morning show began March 24 with a focus on “timely topics,” the station said in a news release, “including the economy, trends, consumer news and personal finance.” A veteran of New York radio, Gordon Deal, is the host of “The Wall Street Journal This Morning,” which airs 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. weekdays.
“It’s more than a business show, it really has a friendly feel to it,” said Bill George, program director for WHJJ. Rather than featuring financial analysts dryly talking about numbers, he said, the show offers business-based advice that average Rhode Islanders can use in such areas as careers, consumer concerns, family matters, travel and technology.
The Wall Street Journal show replaces the Quinn and Rose talk show out of Pittsburgh, George said, at a time when listeners are focusing anew on the economy and money matters. Ratings that would help indicate the show’s popularity will not be available for several months, according to George, but he reported positive feedback to date from advertisers and listeners. Also on WHJJ-AM are weekend wrap-up shows and regular 60-second daily reports, both from The Wall Street Journal. Clear Channel Communications owns WHJJ.
Haynes readily acknowledged that WPRV’s format switch comes at least in part as a reaction to WHJJ’s Wall Street show. She was quick to point out differences, however. She noted that a morning business show only can focus on what happened the day before. “It’s about yesterday,” she said. The new WPRV lineup offers “real-time reporting” that can capture events as they happen, she said, in more depth than “60-second sound bites.” •