Norfolk: 'Mike and Bob' PPM Cancellation

It often happens with no warning.

Turn on the radio one morning and the program that long had been part of your daily routine is no longer there.

Last month, it happened to "The Mike and Bob Show," an irreverent all-talk program that had been a mainstay on radio station 96X for a decade.

According to a story by Rashod Ollison at The Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, the show was canceled after months of tanking ratings, and the latest sounds in modern rock - Paramore, Kings of Leon and others - now fill the spot.

A flurry of angry comments followed on Facebook, most lamenting what they say is an increasing homogenization of local radio. "Bring Back Mike and Bob to 96X," an online petition to station owner Bob Sinclair of Sinclair Communications, had 340 signatures as of Friday.

But such grassroots efforts can't compete with the Arbitron ratings system, which ultimately affects advertising dollars and determines what stays on and off the air.

"It's the same as any business," said Sinclair, feet propped on his desk inside his sleek downtown Norfolk office. "If the ratings are good, you keep going. If not, you make changes. According to the ratings, listeners want more music, less talk."

Read More.