Winning the Ratings . . . Conservatively

By Tim Timmons
ttimmons@thepaper24-7.com

Love it or hate it, conservative talk radio isn’t just around, it’s dominating.

Take WIBC, for example. The Indianapolis-based station has long been one of the giants in Indiana. From its early days on 1070 AM to the switch to 93.1 FM, through ownership changes (including the recent sale from Jeff Smulyan and Emmis Communications to Urban One) the “Voice of Indiana” has a decidedly conservative bent that seems to be hitting home with listeners – all across the state.

Ratings are on the rise, so it must mean it’s working.

“I think people want somebody to fight back,” Jason Hammer of the Hammer & Nigel show said. “For a long time the knock on the Republican Party was that they’re pushovers. I think people understand how liberal the media is. For every Newsmax there’s MSNBC, CBS and on and on. I think that’s what Donald Trump captured in America. He fought back. Aren’t we all tired of getting a lecture from the liberals?”

The Hammer & Nigel Show airs Monday through Friday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., or in what the radio industry calls afternoon drive time. The pair have worked together on and off for a number of years, both on radio airwaves and on a podcast.

“Nige and I are kind of alike,” Hammer explained. “We got into this pretty young. I think I was 19. We ended up starting out at smaller stations. I went to work at 104.5, the Bear. Actually, I think I replaced Nigel.”

Nigel Laskowski agreed. He graduated from Tri-West High School (Hammer from Beech Grove) in 1994.

“I started off at a contemporary Christian radio station doing every shift I could possibly get when I turned 18 . . . making $5 an hour,” Laskowski said. Like a lot of folks in the media, Laskowski worked at a few places, including KLBJ in Austin Texas in late 2007. After that he “came back home, started the podcast with Hammer and a few years later here we are.”

Both men, now in their 40s, share a passion for the airwaves that goes way back.

“I knew I wanted to do broadcasting,” Hammer said, remembering back to his school days. “I loved Lettermen before he got so political. I went to Ball State to be a weatherman and got into radio there. As a kid I looked at the people (in Indianapolis media) and thought what a cool job. Mark Patrick was so good. He did Bob & Tom, WISH-TV and the lottery. I wanted to be like that – diverse. To an extent, I’m kind of doing that now.”

Laskowski was similar, although his goal wasn’t necessarily talk radio.

“I remember my parents listening to Rush (Limbaugh) but didn’t know about politics or what any of it meant when I was a kid. I remember being fascinated at the notion of one guy sitting in a studio and talking for three hours and millions of people listening. I listened to the rock and pop stations in town and when I got older Bob and Tom . . . I thought about it constantly . . . almost obsessive!”

The two men think about it a lot now, and not just during their work days.

“I’m always thinking about the show, day and night,” Laskowski said. “I’m sending stories to Hammer and ideas at all times.”

Hammer echoed.

“People don’t understand. They think we show up half an hour before we go on air and just talk. They don’t know what we do before,” he explained. “I get here around 10:30 or so. Nig gets here around 10:30 or so. (Their show doesn’t begin until 3 p.m.) There’s lots of work that goes into it. We do all of our own web work, well Nig does most of the tech stuff. And then even afterward. We’ll see something and text the other one. We’re always working on the show.”

Listeners, whether regular or casual, are treated to a point of view decidedly from the conservative side, whether from the hosts or regular guests. However, neither man toes a party line.

“The knock on WIBC was that we’re a mouthpiece for the Republican Party,” Hammer explained. “But that’s just not true. We take on government.”

Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb, a Republican, is frequently a target of scorn. So is Indianapolis mayor Joe Hogsett, a Democrat.

“Where (Holcomb) lost us is when he called those businesses that wanted to remain open (during the pandemic) a petri dish,” Hammer explained. “Yet Malik Muhammad leads a group of people on a march to Holcomb’s mansion and he gets a one-on-one with the governor. Do you know where Malik Muhammad is now? He’s in prison for attempted murder. How come he can put together a crowd of over 200 people and get a meeting with the governor while people who want to make a living are called a petri dish?

“Joe Hogsett? Joe Hogsett has a standing invitation to be on this show. So does (Marion County district attorney) Ryan Mears. They all do,” Hammer went on. “We don’t want to be friends with these people. I don’t need to be their friend. I have enough friends. I’m sure they do, too. I just want them to do their job, lower taxes and not be an embarrassment.”

And it’s not about party.

“Will I always vote for a Republican every time?” Hammer asked. “No. There’s a Democrat running who I think has done a good job. I’ll vote for him. I want people who do good work. I’ve always been taught nothing is for free. If you believe in that more than likely you’re a conservative.”

What’s next for the popular radio personalities?

“Tomorrow’s show,” Laskowski quipped. “It would be cool if we could reach a nationwide audience and I’m convinced that if we keep doing what we’re doing, we’ll get that opportunity.”

Hammer doesn’t disagree.

“We’re going to see how long we can keep the success up. I still want to pursue some other things, but nothing that interferes with this. I think we would love to have a national platform – but doing a local show is important. I don’t want to do something national if it takes away from Indianapolis. We mix serious with fun.”