Why does talk radio have a three-hour format?

[Ladyhawk]

Did it start with the likes of Rush, then just get adopted by everyone?

Exception: Randi Rhodes has four hours.

I'm beginning to think three hours is too long. Now, I'm just thinking out of my ass, but wouldn't it be better for AAR to restrict air time to two hours for each person, then get more talent?

I've never heard Guy James or Ed Schultz, but a lot of people on DU really like them and Guy James' show is in trouble.

Thoughts?

[disgruntled_goat]

1. i had the vague impression

that back in the day, 3 hours was the longest time a radio personality was allowed to be on the air.

so i dunno. old programming habits die hard?

[gmoney]

2. Longer is too long to fill...

...shorter probably isn't worth the effort to come in. Two hours also probably doesn't justify full time pay. Randi's show is easy to pad to four hours because it's almost entirely caller driven.

Franken has said on several occassions that people wondered how he'd fill three hours, and he thinks he could easily fill four if he had it. (Contradicting my own headline.)

Don't forget that a three hour radio show is really only two hours of content, with an hour of ads. Probably trim out another half hour for bumpers, phone number giving, and other housekeeping, and you're barely giving them time to do anything.

Three or four hours is (was) also a pretty standard music deejay shift... again, much less is probably not worth it.

(That said, I'd support giving Ed 3 hours on Saturday or Sunday in place of a "best of" show. Why not start a petition?)