In my post last Saturday about the decision by WBAL radio to let Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. stay on the air until July despite his announced candidacy for governor, I described the Republican ex-governor's Saturday morning show as a 50,000-watt megaphone that could be used to bash Gov. Martin O'Malley and rally his own troops.
But while 50,000 watts suggests the powerful reach of WBAL-AM, it doesn't address the more important question as to whether or not anyone is actually listening to Ehrlich and his wife, Kendel, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturdays.
Well, according to Arbitron ratings figures for the three most recent survey periods (Holiday, January and February) the Ehrlichs have an audience of more than 50,000 adult listeners each week, making their show the highest rated news-talk program on Baltimore radio in its time period. Overall, it is the second most popular show among all programs airing at that time.
And while music station WLIF is the highest-rated station from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturdays, the Ehrlichs not only top all news-talk competition, they decisively beat such national hits as NPR's "Car Talk" with Baltimore listeners.
And almost everyone in the audience is of voting age. The total audience of persons 2-years-old or older is 50,500, while the adult (18+) audience is 50,200.
Those are impressive ratings. And while 50,000 radio listeners might not get you elected governor, it sure is a nice audience to have every week to hear your views during what many analysts believe will be a tight race. And I expect it will only grow in coming weeks -- with Democrats and journalists, if no one else, listening in.