Opinion: Clay & Buck Week 1..How Did It Go?

They opened their show by insisting that they are not Rush Limbaugh’s replacements. “No one is ever going replace Rush Limbaugh,” they said.

But Clay Travis and Buck Sexton are in his time slot, and they just wrapped up the first week of their much anticipated debut.  How did Week 1 go?  Jennifer Graham at Deseret.com had some thoughts.

Here are her few takeaways from the first 15 hours of their show:

"Travis and Sexton are good at radio  They sounded professional and comfortable together, belying their personal differences.   Some people took to social media to complain that there seemed to be more ads than commentary. That, of course, is not a bad thing as far as Premiere is concerned."

Limbaugh was married four times, but did not have any biological children. Travis has been married for 16 years to a former Tennessee Titan cheerleader (the program originates in Nashville), with whom he has three sons. Sexton, now conservatism’s most eligible bachelor, said Monday on the show that he didn’t have a wife or kids, but that he is “working on it.” He does have a dog: a French bulldog named Tallulah that he often posts about on social media.

Graham notes Travis and Sexton came to the show with existing audiences: Travis, from Fox Sports and OutKick; Sexton from another Premiere Networks show, and before that, from Glenn Beck’s network. But people who don’t know their voices are struggling to tell them apart when they don’t address the other by name. To make matters even more confusing, Sexton sometimes sounds a bit like Sean Hannity.

(Photos courtesy of The Broadcasting Club on Facebook)

In the industry, Limbaugh had been known as a “ratings tentpole,” a host whose success boosted others. “Rush was a once-in-a-generation talent,” Fred Jacobs, a longtime radio consultant and president of Jacobs Media, has said. He was also at the forefront of a growing industry.

Now, conservative talk shows proliferate on podcasts and radio. It’s harder to stand out, particularly when so many hosts are talking about the same subjects, like cancel culture, critical race theory and whatever the Democrats are doing at the moment.

But most of the comments on social media have been positive, and Travis and Sexton scored big by booking Trump on the show next week. Although Trump lost the election, more than 70 million Americans voted for him. That’s more than listened to the king of talk radio even at his peak.

Graham writes longtime radio consultant Donna Halper said to give the new hosts time before making a judgment. “You’re expecting them to hit the ground running, but I don’t think that’s what the marching orders were.” The pair’s first job is to hold onto the existing audience, and then they can take chances and develop their own distinctive style, she said.

“For Clay and Buck to succeed, they’re going to have to bring in younger conservatives without alienating the people who’re still in mourning. I never judge hosts by their first week, when a show is still in transition,” Halper added. “Will they be able to rise to the occasion? Too soon to say. Call me in a month and I’ll have a better idea.’’

On Twitter, @Clayandbuck began the week with about 4,500 followers; they ended with nearly 14,000. They had no guests, but on Friday announced a big one: Former President Donald Trump will be on the show Tuesday, which they called “a momentous occasion.”