Together since 1983... No show has a more unique mix of "stream of consciousness", opinionated and compelling talk, guests, musical elements, fictional characters, famous impersonations, Great skit writing and production coupled with powerful audience interaction. This is a show that knows how to get an audience and to sell product.
The Difference:
What sets Walton & Johnson apart is they say what everyone thinks, but is afraid to say. Whether the listener agrees or disagrees... They say out loud what everyone wishes they could. Do they take a lot of flak for it? Yes. But their knowledge and inarguable assessments of the nature of the beast is remarkable and compelling. No personality on the air today gives an audience such a diverse frame of thought as Walton & Johnson. No matter what they say, they do make you think.
The Successes:
Walton & Johnson's Core Demo of 25-54 M consistently ranks #1 at all affiliates. Walton & Johnson have received numerous awards and accolades. In 2008 W&J were voted Houston's Favorite Morning Show and in 2009 they were voted #1 Morning Drive Show in Biloxi-Gulfport, MS, Favorite Morning Show Personality in Baton Rouge, LA and have also been voted Favorite Morning Show in New Orleans, LA.
The Guests:
On any given morning you are likely to hear interesting conversations and performances by some of the show's dedicated VIP fans, famous comedians, high profile politicians, authors and musicians.
The 10%er's:
A self-descriptive term for Walton & Johnson's listeners, since only the smartest, prettiest, and most sophisticated listener "gets" the satire and commentary.
The Books:
Walton & Johnson's Book Club is considered by some par to Oprah's. When the guys speak of literary publications, sales of those prints experience a noticeable spike.
Show History:
The W&J Radio Show is one of the most respected and universally imitated radio programs in the nation. No show has a more unique mix of "stream of consciousness," opinionated and compelling talk, celebrity guest, musical elements, fictional characters and famous impersonations, great skit writing and production coupled with powerful interaction that radio audiences seem to appreciate.
Since February 1983, The Walton & Johnson Radio Show has built a huge audience of affluent and active adult radio listeners (known on the show as 10%ers) between the ages of 18-65,
When "The Gawds" speak the 10%ers listen. Advertisers have spend over 100 million dollars reaching this huge and well heeled group.
The Walton & Johnson website www.waltonandjohnson.com gets over half a million individual hits per week on average. their listeners (known as 10%'ers) are not only avid fans but are very attuned to the trends and the products on the show. Google Walton & Johnson and you get over one million mentions.
Many W&J sponsors have been with the show for over 18 years. Many have had such success using the show that they use no TV, print, or outside media, only the W&J Radio Show.
The W&J Show has received accolades and awards almost too numerous to mention and raises record amounts for worthy charities going back for the entire history of the show. Recently the Houston Chronicle conducted a survey of most popular radio morning show and W&J Show was so dominant that it nearly received 50% of the vote in a market of 5 million and 50 radio stations. The closest competitor was 20 percentage points behind (after actively campaigning to win it on the air). That is real audience power.
Because of the unique and entertaining nature of the W&J Show which eschews traditional Niche pigeon holing of music formats, you are likely to hear interesting conversations and performances by some of the show's dedicated VIP fans. On any given morning you may hear famous comedians and high profile politicians or major recording artists playing and singling live something you've never heard on record.. Friends of the show like Kinky Friedman, Anne Rice, or Erica Spindler talking about the latest book or movie or famous athletes, John Goodman, Dan Akroyd, David Landers, Mike Ditka, famed chef Emiril Legasse, actor Charlie Sheen, Rhonda Shear, Richard Simmons, Pete Fountain, Better Than Ezra, Johnny Lang, Jerry Jeff Walker, and others too numerous to mention.
1983 WQUE New Orleans (Clear Channel Communications) The W&J Show came together for the first time. After replacing "Scoot in the morning," W&J took the morning show to #1 in adults from the station's usual outside of the top 10 position. CCC offered a multi-year contract but W&J wanted to try the show in larger markets.
1986 KTKS (Kiss 106) Dallas/Ft. Worth (Gannett Comm) W&J had the good fortune to have a choice between 3 major stations the CBS O&O FM in Los Angeles, KZPS, or KTKS both in Dallas. They chose KTKS to work with Gerry DeFrancisco and Jay Cook. W&J took the CHR station from out of the top 10 to #4 in the market 12+ behind only Chapman, Joiner, and Dorsey. In key demos such as 18-34 the show was often #1 or #2. Gannett pulled the plug on the format as the performance of the whole radio station never measured up to that of the morning show.
1988 WQHT New York (Emmis Comm) W&J were brought in for a 3 month tryout by Rick Cummings and Jeff Smulyan for the hybrid dance CHR in New York City. Emmis wasn't sure that a southern bred show would play in New York. Not only did it play, it seemed that it was going to thrive. Negotiations, however, fell through when then agent Saul Foos urged W&J to do mornings on a Houston move in. The boys thought they enjoyed a large equity position in this property so passing on NY seemed a no-brainer at the time. Of course, most of us in the business now know of this as the famed "Ponzi Scheme Case" and we all know the folly that ensued. As luck would have it EZ Communications offered a lucrative deal to return to New Orleans.
1988 WEZB New Orleans (E Z Comm) W&J replaced Ken Cooper and immediately vaulted station to the top where it would stay. W&J were #1 over a 5 year contract that produced an estimated 12 million in morning only billing.
1993 Syndication W&J formed MasterVox Media in New Orleans and syndicated the show independently without a flagship station. Immediately signed WEZB New Orleans and WTGE Baton Rouge to carry the show. Having no major corporate affiliation, money problems began almost immediately. John and Steve feuded over how to save the network. The disagreement resulted in the team going their separate ways in the spring of 1994. Walton teamed for awhile with Rick Rumble and carried on with MasterVox and B-97 mornings, later gathering as many as 26 stations in syndication before throwing in the towel. Johnson left MasterVox during the tiff and teamed with Gary Spears to do afternoons quite successfully on B-97.
1994 WCKW New Orleans Reconciliation. W&J now realizing that the whole of the show was better than the sum of its parts decided to give synergy another try. It turned out to be the best possible move. The burnout that many team shows face was now behind them. Their roles were more clearly defined than at any other time in the history of the show. The show was now more comfortable, productive, and powerful than it had ever been. The metamorphosis they had gone through had transformed the show into smooth machine that far surpassed anything it had ever been during its very successful past. The show was now so good in fact that many people were approaching them to put the show back into syndication.
Jan 1, 1999 WRNO New Orleans. The rebirth of the legendary "Rock of New Orleans" with W&J as the cornerstone and a new syndication deal which both the small Centennial Broadcasting and Beasley Broadcasting gave little more than lip service. W&J are proud to have "The Eagle" 98.1 in Baton Rouge as the premier key affiliate. The Eagle is widely recognized as one of the finest rock radio stations in the South.
Feb 1, 2002 KLOL Houston. Early in 2004 the 34 year proud history of Houston's famed rock station KLOL came crashing to an end as KLOL was urgently flipped to become Houston's needless 16th Spanish station (a need that just had to be filled). W&J continue to service all affiliates with a new Houston flagship to be announced later.
Oct 2004 KIOL Houston. Became the new flagship station of the show. Now broadcasting via satellite to The Bone in Dallas/Ft Worth, top-rated Eagle 98.1 Baton Rouge, and now The Bayou in New Orleans where as a direct result of W&J being taken off WRNO (break with all Clear Channel stations) totally knocked that station out of the rock format (now talk), The Pirate Lake Charles, WCPR Biloxi/Gulfport, The Eagle Temple/Killeen, KFH Wichita, and with more to be announced soon. The show continues to expand everyday and the 10%'ers are loving it.
July 31st 2007 KPRC Houston. Served as the flagship for the W&J Show. The Radio Mojo where W&J were featured along with Michael Savage, Dennis Miller, and Bill O Reilly on unique high energy talk station. W&J decide to shift back to a big stick FM flagship for the coverage and access to younger listeners.
On March 2nd, 2009 W&J moved their flagship station to Houston's largest FM signal, 93.7 FM (The Arrow) Alexandria, Louisiana has been since added. |