Q100’s Bert Show enters Nashville, takes on the challenge of syndication

June 11, 2010, by Rodney Ho

Bert Weiss

loves local radio. His ability to connect with his Atlanta audience helped turn Q100’s Bert Show from an upstart in 2001 to the powerhouse it is today. “I like being able to focus on one market,” he said.

But he's also a realist. His show started syndication June 7 in Nashville on a new top 40 station i106. More stations are likely to come. For Weiss, it could mean a boost in salary and resources for his team. More importantly for Atlanta-based Cumulus, Q100's owner, it's leveraging a valuable asset in hopes of generating more revenues in a down economy while spreading around Weiss' hefty costs.

The Bert Show going syndicated

• Great for them! I"ll keep listening no matter what.
• I'm fine as long as they don't dilute the local content.
• A shame. It's going to hurt the show for sure.
• I don't listen anyway.

Syndication has been around for decades, with Rush Limbaugh turning it into a major business. And Atlanta is packed with syndicated personalities, many based here, including Steve Harvey (Majic 107.5/97.5), Rickey Smiley (Hot 107.9), Neal Boortz (WSB-AM) and the 2 Live Stews (790/The Zone.)

But it’s not risk free. There’s always the potential to alienate the home market while seeking to establish ties in other places.

"The most loyal listeners are going to be hyper sensitive," said Clark Howard, who started syndicating his consumer radio show in 1998 and is heard locally on WSB-AM. "Especially the first six months, they need to put special emphasis on local cutaways. You have to super-serve your flagship market."

“I was really nervous how our local audience would embrace it,” Weiss said. But so far, “people are happy for us.” A good sign: the show tested its “national” format for nearly a month and he said nobody in Atlanta noticed the difference.

“I’m going to protect Atlanta,” Weiss said. “I lose Atlanta, I lose the show.”

Since the Nashville station plays music in the mornings (and the Bert Show only does so during the 9 a.m. hour), Weiss can fill about 12 minutes an hour with Atlanta-only talk, which could include Melissa Carter's local news report, Wendy's party planner or Jessica Dauler's shopping tips.

The trick, Weiss said, is ensuring seamless transitions between local and national feeds, which includes a two-second silent break. Weiss has to watch a countdown clock to make sure the team hits its mark every time.

“This means starting a new topic or rebooting an existing one” midstream, Weiss said. He said he has had a habit of filling that silence with the word “Alright!”

Jenn Hobby, who has been a core part of the show for seven years, admits they've had a habit over the years of rambling: "This forces us to tighten up the show and stay focused. Everybody has to pay closer attention to things."

“After nine years, things can get a little routine,” Weiss added. “This has shaken things up. It’s a challenge to us, which is not a bad thing.”

Alex Demers , a veteran radio consultant who worked with 99X's old Morning X years ago, said local or national, the bottom line is universal: " It comes down to being funny, being entertaining and being topical."

Demers said most topics people talk about nowadays is national, not local, be it Lady Gaga or the oil spill.

Weiss said most stories they talk about appeal in a broader sense and aren’t tied to being in Conyers or Midtown. Oftentimes, the calls they use don’t even have a locale attached, such as the woman who plans to fire folks she hates before quitting herself. And even if a location is referenced, as long as the story is interesting, it doesn’t matter, he said.