Mancow Muller Seeks New Chicago Station

Ratings juggernaut Erich "Mancow" Muller, whose estimated annual revenue impact in Chicago has reached $7 million to $10 million, is seeking a new flagship radio station, he announced Tuesday.

"I am committed to honor my current agreement with Emmis to continue broadcasting 'Mancow's Morning Madhouse' from Q101 through the duration of my contract," said Muller. "However, to expand my audience without interference I need a new partner."

Muller’s departure from Q101 comes as the most recent ratings underscore his dominance among the key demographics of men 18 to 34 and 18 to 49 (according to the Arbitron winter 2006 ratings period, Mancow has a 6.1 share among men 18-49 versus CBS station WCKG-FM’s .07 share).

Muller’s success is particularly significant because industry insiders say between 50 and 70 percent of an FM station’s revenues can often be attributed to a top-rated morning show, both in the show’s drawing power for morning audience and the way giant morning shows are used to monetize the rest of the station’s lower-rated day parts.

As his Chicago competition has stumbled, "Mancow’s Morning Madhouse" is now said to be one of if not the most powerful magnet for FM radio advertisers seeking access to key demographics during Chicago’s morning time slot.

"I wish Emmis management didn’t frown on my relationship with Fox News Channel and my success in national syndication," said Muller, who has been a top-rated regular commentator on the national morning television program "Fox & Friends" for the past seven years. "I’ve enjoyed working with Emmis, but they’ve wanted me to talk only about their narrow music world and related issues despite the fact that my track record and numbers are growing consistently as I broaden the subject matter of the show."

Muller says the national success of his show combined with exponentially increasing local ratings validate his vision of a program that goes beyond just music to include entertainment, pop culture and political satire. "Chicago is my home and I love broadcasting from here," he said. "It is great that, through syndication, the rest of America is sharing in my vision for a positive radio show that touches on topics people care about."

Industry insiders say that with radio advertising sales extremely soft nationwide and stock prices for publicly traded radio companies on a steady decline, a commodity such as Muller and the estimated $7 million to $10 million in annual revenue impact his show represents in the Chicago market alone will be a major financial boon to whatever flagship station he selects.

"Mancow’s track record of success in the top ten markets combined with the fact that his show has become an attractive environment for more than 25 national brand advertisers since 2004 position him favorably to take full advantage of the ratings quagmire created by Howard Stern’s early replacements," said Mark Masters, owner of Muller's syndicator, Talk Radio Network. "With more top markets on the way by year’s end, the Mancow juggernaut is positioned for unprecedented growth."

Whether he's known for having Chicago's No. 1 rated morning show for the past 11 years or one of the highest rated segments on the Fox News Channel, Muller is the hottest thing in radio right now.

Since the start of his career in 1988 on a one-kilowatt AM station in Missouri, Muller has catapulted to the top of the nation's radio marketplace. His show, "Mancow's Morning Madhouse," is fast-paced and listener-driven. In addition to his radio program, Muller has appeared on a variety of television programs including "Politically Incorrect," "Jerry Springer," "David Letterman," "Hard Copy" and others.

Muller is the author of a best-selling book, "Dad, Dames, Demons, and a Dwarf," and has written for Newsmax.com, Playboy and Gear magazine.