Ladies and gentlemen... the Monday update

Yet another historic anniversary on this day. Forty-five years ago, on Sunday February 9, 1964, Beatlemania officially began, as the Liverpool band took the stage on The Ed Sullivan Show, in front of 73 million Americans, then a record audience. Not bad for a British rock band nobody had even heard of more than a month prior.

Otherwise, here's a little roundup of what's going on, including a few things I've forgotten to write about...

Roots Up Radio hits the web

Many apologies for the delay in bringing up this one. I just plain forgot. Winter must be freezing my brain too.

Anyway, following his departure from WXXM Madison, Lee Rayburn has resurfaced via a new online project, Roots Up Radio, which launched on Inauguration Day. The new venture is described as "a new-media collective of community broadcasters from across the country."

Joining him will be Jeff Farias, formerly of KPHX in Phoenix, who's show will run 7-10ET. In addition, other hosts, including KTLK Los Angeles' Bree Walker will soon join the venture.

Roots Up Radio was founded by Joe Connolly with the intent of giving local broadcasters a forum they have lost as media corporations have grown and local programming has given way to syndicated hosts.

"Most of the hosts are veteran broadcasters," Connolly said of his planned Roots Up Radio lineup. "With all the change happening in radio, most stations seem to be run by one or two people now and there's not a lot of support for local points of view. That's what we're trying to provide."

Bye Bye, Obama 1260

As of today, liberal talk on WWRC (1260AM) in Washington, DC is no more. Replacing it is business talk, which was tried years ago on the same frequency and failed, along with many, many other formats. As they say, insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Oh well.

For those of you needing at least some kind of liberal talk fix, Ed Schultz has been moved over to sister station WTNT (570AM). And to their credit, they are airing the show live from 12-3P.

Bill Press has a Washington Post op-ed about the format change here.

And for those station programmers that can't figure out how to attract ratings with progressive talk, perhaps they should talk to whoever's running similar stations in Madison, where WXXM had a phenomenal book, or even Portland, where KPOJ is currently the #4 station overall in the market, with a 4.3 share. Oh wait - the tighty-righties are saying nobody's listening. Yeah, whatever.

It was 45 years ago today...

Oh yeah - Here's video of The Beatles' first appearance on Ed Sullivan. Enjoy!

Another video can be found here.

A peek inside XM's retooled 'America Left'

Come Monday, fans of XM's Air America channel (ch. 167) will notice quite a few changes, as they ditch the Air America moniker and return to the original name, America Left.

After several weeks of speculation, XM has quietly unveiled their new lineup, with a few notable additions and a few subtractions as well. One theme that carries throughout is their attempt to air as many shows as possible by cutting off an hour on several of them. Unfortunately, they didn't go for my idea of setting up several devoted progressive talk channels. Yet.

First, Bill Press remains from the old lineup, but gets an hour shaved off. You can find him 6-8A ET.

The Young Turks, formerly of Sirius and Air America, return to the weekday radio grind after airing exclusively online since January. The new show, airing on America Left weekday mornings 8-10 ET, will actually be a replay of their online show from the night before (which will air 9-11P). At least the gang will be able to sleep in, given that they're based in California, and would otherwise be up very early in the morning to do their morning thing.

Stephanie Miller fans will be happy to hear that her show finally makes it to the XM satellites. She will air in truncated form from 10A-noon.

One personality who's show will not get sliced up is Ed Schultz, who will air live from noon to 3P. Ditto for Randi Rhodes, who's three hour show will follow in its entirety.

Rachel Maddow will air on America Left in truncated form, from 6-8P. Unfortunately, that means listeners will get that obnoxious MSNBC screaming pundits show that makes up the first hour of her show.

Thom Hartmann is still on XM, but only two hours of his show will air on delay, from 8-10P. As with many Air America affiliates these days, he'll get a replay from 4-6A.

In the late night hours, Mike Malloy comes on from 10P-midnight, followed by Air America's Clout from midnight to 2A and Jon Elliot in two hour form from 2-4A.

Speaking of XM, the proposed merger with Sirius, which was rumored many times to have been consummated by now, is still plodding along. In the most recent development, 16 state attorneys general have come out and criticized the merger, and are also on board the bandwagon that favors leasing part of the combined satellite radio spectrum to outside programmers.

Bill Press talks to Buzzflash

Over the past year, our friends at Buzzflash.com have conducted in-depth interviews with some of the biggest personalities in progressive talk. Thom Hartmann, Randi Rhodes, Stephanie Miller, Rachel Maddow and Mike Malloy have all talked with them. This time, Bill Press is on the hotseat, and discusses his lively style, the future of progressive talk, how he learned to adapt to radio and talk radio as entertainment, among other things. You can read the entire article at Buzzflash.

BuzzFlash: In our BuzzFlash interviews with progressive talk-show hosts such as yourself, we're asking first of all, where is your show broadcast from, how many markets do you reach, and if people don't have you in their area, where can they stream you from?

Bill Press: God bless you for that question. We are on Sirius satellite radio in all fifty states. We broadcast Monday through Friday from 6 to 9 a.m., morning drive, on the East Coast. In addition to being on Sirius, we're syndicated in about 35 markets nationwide through Jones Radio Network. Those markets include: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento, Denver, Phoenix, Reno, Chicago, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Grand Rapids, Buffalo, Ithaca, Columbus, Daytona Beach, Washington, D.C., and Asheville, among others.

If people they don't have Sirius and we're not syndicated in their local market, they can stream the show live at billpressshow.com. Those who want to hear us also can just call up the local radio station and raise hell, and tell them to put progressive radio on in your community.

BuzzFlash: How do you describe your style?

Bill Press: I like a lively, fast-paced, entertaining and informative morning show, and that's what I try to provide every day. We're on top of the big news of the day, first of all, with what's my take as a liberal on what's happening. We also giving listeners an opportunity to weigh in and be part of the conversation. And every day, we talk to two or three news makers -- people who are either in the news or reporting the news. So it's a combination of news, analysis, calls, interviews, and keeping it light and entertaining, and just giving people a good start to their day.

BuzzFlash: That 6 to 9 a.m. time spot presents kind of a challenge, because you're getting the stories from the evening before, and you're also dealing with the stories that are likely to come up that day.

Bill Press: Yes, but it's the best time of the day, actually. I've been doing talk radio for a long time, and the morning drive is the pot of gold for most radio stations. It's where they have the most listeners and make the most money. As a talk-show host, you can make the most impact because you've got the first crack at everybody listening that day. They're hearing what's happening first from the Bill Press Show, and they're having a chance to weigh in on the Bill Press Show. And I get the first crack on what it all means. So I really love that timeslot.

(snip)

BuzzFlash: How are you feeling about the future of progressive radio?

Bill Press: I feel both very confident and very worried, and I'll tell you why. I feel very confident because I think we have proven in the last two years -- and when I say "we," you know, I'm talking about Air America, I'm talking about Stephanie Miller, Bud Schultz and myself, and basically that universe -- I think we have proven that, given an opportunity, we can win. We can build an audience. We can hold an audience. We can make money. We can be successful in talk radio. We have disproven the old theory that liberals can't do talk radio. That's why I feel good about talk radio. And I particularly feel good coming into 2008. I think this year is going to be the golden era for progressive talk.

Where I worry is that there are so few outlets for progressive talk -- there are probably sixty total progressive talk stations in the country, compared to some four or five thousand for conservative talk. And the ownership of those stations is just about exclusively held by companies that are very conservative, that have very little commitment to progressive talk, and that have proven that they're willing to pull the plug on progressive talk even if their ratings are good, if they think they can make more money from sports or some other format.

So we have very few outlets, and we're at the mercy of networks owned by conservative Republicans who don't really care about progressive radio. For example, in San Diego -- KLSD. Great station, great audience, good ratings. Clear Channel just pulled the plug and turned it into their second sports talk station in that market. Now there's no more progressive talk in San Diego. The audience is there. The demand is there. The need is there. But the outlets and the ownership are lacking.

(continued)

More news, in bite-size pieces

And now, with apologies to Paul Harvey, is the rest of the story.

First, we start with an Air America Radio host who has evidently inspired a new movie. No, I'm not talking about Stuart Saves His Family. This one is a documentary. The 11th Hour, created, produced and narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio. The film is an environmental film, somewhat in the spirit of last year's Oscar-winning An Inconvenient Truth. It features former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev, physicist Stephen Hawking and others. And it was inspired by Thom Hartmann's book, The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight. DiCaprio admitted this in a guest appearance on Hartmann's show last Friday (8/17).

"You really got me, as a reader, to take a step back and try to understand how this all came about and where oil is extracted from," said DiCaprio. "The light that fell on the fields was the most that humanity could use in a certain amount of time -- and when we actually started taking this ancient sunlight out of the ground was when our population exploded on this mass level... and has led us to the situation that we’re in today. So thank you for your book, truly. It made me want to take a different perspective on this documentary as far as mankind’s relationship to the planet, and the resources that we use."

For his part, Hartmann is helping to promote the film, making appearances in Los Angeles and New York for the opening weekend, as well as a planned promotional appearance in San Francisco this week. Hartmann appears in the film as well.

You can check out the trailer here.

And speaking of Air America hosts branching out into the visual media, we check in with former Majority Report co-host Janeane Garofalo, who has, ironically, been added to the cast of the slowly fading "24" on FOX this fall. The show, which is some sort of Tom Clancyesque spy yarn about civil servants yelling and sweating in high-tech control rooms while its sleepless hero beats the shit out of terrorists, is produced by Joel Surnow, a self-confessed "right-wing nut job" fresh of his fizzled unfunny comedy "The Half Hour News Hour," recently shelved by FOX News Channel. Granted, Garafalo hasn't been with Air America in well over a year (and probably longer than that), though some disturbingly obsessed souls still seem to think she's there. Go figure.

Anyhoo, the seventh season of "24" will premiere on FOX sometime this decade, possibly in January 2008.

And back to current Air America shows, as Orlando attorney John Morgan is the newest addition to Ring of Fire, joining Mike Papantonio and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Out is David Bender, who is leaving the network to work on a book.

Morgan, also a consumer advocate, entrepreneur and self-described "Democrat on strike," made his debut on the show this past weekend.

He decided the time was right to jump into radio, thinking that more people are tuning out conservative commentators. "They're saying: 'We drank the Kool-Aid. And now we're sick.'" Morgan will appear on the show, which airs Saturday afternoons from 3-6P ET, via his own radio studio in his downtown Orlando law office.

And finally, resident GM hater Ralph Nader is hopping mad once again. No, they're not bringing back the Corvair. This time, Nader is going straight to government regulators in regard to what he deems payola on the part of General Motors.

It seems that GM is lending out cars and purchasing advertising on a variety of radio shows. They've offered cars to the likes of AM radio staples such as Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly, 'Dr.' Laura Schlessinger and Sean Hannity. Representing the FM side of the medium are Whoopi Goldberg (yeah, she's in radio), overrated, lame-ass Dick Clark wannabe Ryan Seacrest and a few local radio personalities in Los Angeles and Dallas. And representing the left are none other than Ed Schultz (wait! I thought he was a Ford guy!) and Bill Press.

With this little offering, a fine line is being crossed. The FCC recently cracked down on the practice called ''payola,'' which involves the giving of lavish gifts from record labels to program directors to pimp their latest piece of shit hit recordings on FM radio. In April, four of the largest U.S. radio companies agreed to pay $12.5 million to settle these claims.

So, how exactly does talk radio fit into this whole payola thing? Is it payola? Well, we are comparing apples to oranges somewhat. The recording industry was using bribery to get their music played on the radio, while GM is going after independent radio show hosts, buying advertising time, loaning them cars and encouraging them to say nice things about them. Is this wrong? On many levels, yes. But is it illegal? I guess that's what we'll soon find out. If I were a prominent radio host, would I do it? Well, um, that new Corvette is nice.

What's interesting is the role that journalism plays in all of this. O'Reilly passes himself off as one. Hannity also hosts a show on FOX Noise Channel. With most of the rest, it seems like a fine line between journalism and entertainment (which in my opinion is really what talk radio is about).

Of course, no self-respecting 'journalist' would accept a gift such as this. But these people are not really journalists. Only O'Reilly really claims to be one, so I guess this settles that matter once and for all. Regardless, is this where the line between 'journalist' and 'radio talk show host' finally ceases to blur? I won't pass final judgement just now, as this is such a grey area. I am a bit suspicious of a host accepting a free car from a manufacturer that often makes the news. There is that whole 'conflict of interest' cloud looming large over all of this. Will Schultz, for example, be torn between saying nice things about GM and commenting frankly on union issues regarding the manufacturer? Or is this all just similar to a really big advertising buy on the show? In this case, I'll report, you decide, and I'll most certainly welcome your comments below.

The end of Radio Free Ohio?

NOTE: The following article has been updated on March 29. Toward the end, I even take apart Clear Channel's spin on the whole matter.

Ohio Media Watch is reporting that WARF in Akron, aka "Radio Free Ohio" is about to flip to the new AM radio format du jour, sports. And station management has confirmed it.

Clear Channel has already reserved the domain SportsRadio1350.com, and the flip will occur Friday morning.

Since there is already a glut of sports stations in the market, by way of ESPN-affiliated WKNR in Cleveland and low-powered FOX Sports-affiliated WJMP in nearby Kent, the only option left open for the station is Sporting News Radio. That will be combined with Westwood One live sports programming, including the NFL, NCAA basketball and whatever else. They also carry local lower-tiered sports teams.

Why the flip? As I mentioned, all-sports is the format du jour. And it's highly concentrated male demographic is highly desirable to advertisers who want to target male listeners. And sports talk doesn't even need substantial ratings to do this, which fits perfectly with the many neglected AM stations that dot the landscape. In the past year or two, radio station owners have come to realize this, hence the sports radio boom.

WARF is notable in that they served as Bill Press' very first affiliate. The station also carried other Jones Radio Networks offerings, such as Stephanie Miller and Ed Schultz, sprinkled with a little bit of Air America Radio.

The station never became a ratings powerhouse in its almost two-year run, but they did have a devoted following, and ratings for the progressive talk format even eclipsed the station's previous incarnation as a FOX Sports-affiliated sports talker. Station management claims that ratings were higher prior to switching to progressive talk, but as I wrote in May 2005, sports-formatted WTOU consistently had mediocre showings in the Arbitron ratings From 2001 until the switch to progressive talk, overall ratings shares for the station were between 0.3 and 0.6. Following the switch, WARF launched with a 1.0 share for the summer 2005 book. Ratings for the station were often between 0.6 and 1.0, eclipsing the overall ratings for the previous sports format. In the most recent ratings book, the station dipped to a 0.6 share. It's doubtful the new 1350 will get those same ratings, but that's not why they're doing it.

UPDATE: Malloy's joining Sirius Left

Good news for truthseekers, as it looks like the rumors I posted yesterday were correct.

Nova M host Mike Malloy announced on Alex Bennett's show this morning that he will be joining the Sirius Left roster starting next Monday December 18, live 9-Midnight ET.

In addition, KSAC in Sacramento picks up the show, as does KPTK in Seattle, albeit on a delay, from 11PM-2AM. Other stations have yet to be announced, though Miami's WINZ has claimed on their website that they will add the show as soon as they are able to:

11/27/06 UPDATE! It's going to happen. We just need to be patient. Latest word from the Drobny's and Dr. Newcomb is they are still a couple of weeks away from being able to distribute the program via satellite. The channel is set - it's just a matter of getting the show to the satellite. This would enable the show to be distributed to interested stations like AM940! At this point, we hate to pinpoint an exact date, but we're hoping for mid-December. We know this isn't the news Truth-seekers have been waiting for, but it's posiitve proof everyone is working hard to bring Mike Malloy back to South Florida radio. As Anita Drobny said "The world needs Mike Malloy." We're trying! Thanks for your patience.

This will be a third go-round for Malloy at Sirius. Sirius Left originally carried his show when they started, obtaining the majority of their programming from the now-defunct I.E. America Radio Network. Following that network's demise, Malloy, unable to self-syndicate or distribute his own show, sat in the wings until Air America Radio picked him up for nights in the fall of 2004. At the time, they were carried as a seperate channel by Sirius, until the network signed an exclusive deal with XM Radio. Now Malloy has come full-circle as he is back on Sirius Left.

To make room for Malloy, Stephanie Miller's delayed show will move up a few hours, airing from 6-9PM ET. The replay of Bill Press' morning show, which aired in the 6-9 ETslot following the departure of The Young Turks to Air America, will cease, though Press' show still airs live in the 6-9AM ET morning drive slot. A replay of Lynn Samuels' show will also air from 3-5AM ET early mornings.

Stations start shuffling lineups, Springer might leave radio

In the wake of The Ed Schultz Show moving to an earlier timeslot, the first station to adjust their schedule in response is WCPT (850AM) in Chicago, which has announced a lineup change, as reported by the Sun-Times' Robert Feder.

Effective Dec. 11, the daytime-only station will air Bill Press from sign-on to 8AM (CT), adds Stephanie Miller (previously heard on weekends in best-of form) from 8 to 11AM, Ed Schultz from 11AM to 2PM, Al Franken on tape-delay from 2 to 5PM, and Randi Rhodes on tape-delay from 5PM to sign-off.

It should be noted that the move of Schultz's show to middays may not affect all of his affiliates, since Jones Radio Networks will offer a refeed of the program during his original slot (3-6PM ET), for stations that can't air him in middays or are unable to record his show for later airing. As a result, it's likely that not all stations will choose to follow his move immediately.

One name missing from WCPT's new roster is Jerry Springer, whose radio show has been airing from 8 to 11AM local time. Springer will exit the Newsweb-owned station for now -- and could be stepping down from radio entirely. This would not be a surprising move, since his show has been losing serious traction in the past year. Currently, Springer airs only on a few stations, most notably WCPT and WSAI (1360AM) in his hometown of Cincinnati.

The late-morning time slot is a difficult one, due mostly to the fact that on the West Coast, this is morning drive, and quite a few stations there carry their own local programming. Of course Springer has also struggled against one of the highest-rated talents in the format, namely Stephanie Miller, who's show airs at the same time and has picked up many affiliates. Add in Air America Radio's roster realignment this past September, which had Springer shuffled off to a secondary feed and Sam Seder taking his main network timeslot, and it was evident that Springer's days were numbered.

Springer, who's experience has been in Cincinnati politics (as former mayor) and television, has done a respectable job as a radio novice, but never really caught on with progressive talk listeners, who feel he's a bit bland. As the format shakes itself out, and the fate of Air America could be learned today, Schultz' move and Springer's departure could be just the first shoes to drop.

And special thanks to Bob, who posted a comment about WKOX/WXKS in Boston, which will drop Franken and replace him with Thom Hartmann. Schultz will remain in the 3-6PM slot, via the delayed feed. This also seems to contradict rumors that the two stations will change formats in the near future. I expect local Clear Channel management to make a decision on the future of "Boston's Progressive Talk" once the pending power upgrade to WKOX is complete, which could see at least one of the stations changing format, as WKOX's new 50,000 watt day and night signal should clear up their current reception issues. The new signal will improve on WXKS' better city coverage, making the two signals redundant. And as updated, it looks like the two stations are changing formats anyway, so this is all a moot point.

Hartmann has also recently replaced Franken on KQKE in San Francisco and new affiliate WCMI in Ashland, KY/Huntington, WV.

The Central Massachusetts trio of WHMP/WHNP/WHMQ has dropped Randi Rhodes and has replaced her with Schultz. However, she may be brought back via evening time delay if Franken decides to leave radio. Franken's decision could happen as soon as Tuesday December 5.

And WINZ in Miami will carry Schultz live starting Monday December 11, bumping Franken to the delayed 6-9PM ET slot. As a result, Randi Rhodes' show will air live 3-6p ET. Rhodes is no stranger to success in South Florida, as her current radio show got its start on WJNO in West Palm Beach, located just north of Miami.

Washington, DC's WWRC is adding Bill Press to morning drive effective next Monday, displacing The Young Turks. Schultz gets a live clearance in the nation's capital from 12-3PM, and Franken will air on delay from 3-6PM.

In the Twin Cities, KTNF (950AM) will give Schultz another live clearance, moving hometown host Franken to 2-5ET. From December 18 through the end of the year, while Franken is in reruns while he's touring with the USO in Iraq, Hartmann will air during that timeslot.

Radical Russ is the next "Progressive Talk Radio Star"

Congratulations are in order for "Radical" Russ Belville of Portland, OR, who has won a national contest to find America's next Progressive Talk Radio Star.

The contest was sponsored by Clear Channel Radio, The Center for American Progress Action Fund, Jones Radio Networks, and Media Syndication Services, Inc.

Belville, who won a local contest sponsored by Clear Channel progressive talker KPOJ (620AM) in Portland, went on to defeat Curtis Hannum of Boulder, Colo., in the finals of the contest, a two-hour broadcast in Washington, D.C. hosted by veteran television broadcaster and nationally syndicated radio host Bill Press.

Judges for the final broadcast included Product First syndicated talker Ed Schultz, Melody Barnes, executive VP for Policy at the Center for American Progress; Paul Woodhull, founder and president of Media Syndication Services; Jessica Sherman, VP of Affiliate Sales for Jones Radio Networks, and Bill Hess, program director for Clear Channel talk WWRC (1260AM) in Washington, DC.

As the winner, Belville will now get an opportunity to develop and host his own syndicated radio show in conjunction with the contest's sponsors.

WPUL/Daytona Beach is optimistic about progressive talk

From the Daytona Beach News-Journal:

Management at WPUL (1590AM) are optimistic about their young, mostly liberal talk format.

The former gospel station switched to a progressive talk format a year ago when it realized there "was a void in the market," said Phinesse Demos, the station's programming manager.

"For so long, people have heard only heard one point of view," said Demos about conservative-dominated AM radio.

"We want to give them another side. It makes for good conversation."

The new format is capitalizing on a backlash against Republicans that's threatening to unseat many incumbents during the mid-term elections. Talk radio provides an outlet for political frustration and alienation, industry officials said.

"We have three progressive shows that are doing extremely well," said Bolton, referring to talk hosts Stephanie Miller, Ed Schultz and Bill Press, who are carried by roughly 170 stations nationwide.

KPUL combines the three Jones Radio Networks offerings with shows from Al Sharpton, The 2 Live Stews (sports talk), Lionel and Rollye James, who airs in the overnight hours.

What's interesting is that the network declined to affiliate with Air America Radio when they made the switch last year. No reason was given by station management but a Jones executive claims it was due to Jones' more flexible syndication model.

Demos believes progressive radio has made his station more competitive with WNDB.

"We're coming for them."

"The Next Progressive Talk Radio Star"

SAN ANTONIO, WASHINGTON DC, and CENTENNIAL Colo. – October 6, 2006 - Clear Channel Radio, The Center for American Progress Action Fund, Jones Radio Networks, and MSS, Inc, announced today a collaboration to launch a nationwide search for the next Progressive Talk Radio Star. The groups announced the contest will begin on Monday, October 9 with local promotions at participating stations and culminate in a final broadcast in front of a live studio audience in Washington, DC on Thursday, November 16. Entries will be judged by an expert panel including one of the highest-rated progressive talk hosts on the airwaves, Ed Schultz.

A national at-large contest will be held at the same time as the local promotions at TalkProgress.com, a website designed by Nakea LLC. “TalkProgress.com will combine the topical heat of top blogs like Think Progress with the cool media richness of YouTube. TalkProgress promises to be one of the most dynamic interactive communities for the online user,” said Chris Nakea, President and CEO of Nakea, LLC. In addition to holding the At Large contest, the site will follow contestants’ progress and provide behind-the-scenes interviews, candid moments, and other elements of a contest that’s sure to enhance the experience of the audience.

The Progressive Talk Format was born in March 2004 in Portland, OR, when Clear Channel Radio’s 50,000 watt AM radio station changed its call letters to KPOJ and became the first major market talk radio station to program all Progressive Talk. To demonstrate the popularity and scope of the Progressive talk format, KPOJ skyrocketed up the charts from #23 to #1 (Adults 25-54) based on the first full ratings evaluation period, according to Arbitron. Since that time, nearly 100 radio stations nationwide (including 8 out of the top 10 markets) have programmed Ed Schultz and other progressive talkers.

Center for American Progress Action Fund President John Podesta said, “Talk radio has emerged as a potent force for driving the national debate. We’re working towards a return to a balance in the airwaves by supporting this initiative to bring more progressive voices to the microphone.” “

Progressive Talk has grown so big, so fast, that all of us in the industry are searching high and low for more great Progressive Talk radio talent,” observed MSS president and radio entrepreneur Paul “Woody” Woodhull. “Great talkers like Ed Schultz, Bill Press, and Al Franken are hard to find.”

“Clear Channel has championed Progressive Talk by committing 23 great radio stations to the format,” commented Clear Channel VP of AM programming Gabe Hobbs. “We need to follow that commitment with finding and training the next generation of great talkers.”

Amy Bolton, 2005 and 2006 Talk Radio Industry Executive of the Year and Vice President/General Manager of the Talk Radio division of Jones Radio Networks, predicted, “This national talent search will be the ideal training ground for many local talkers to break into the national arena,” and added, “From the beginning, Jones Radio Networks has pioneered the discovery and syndication of new Progressive Talk talent and we’ve only just begun!”

The local winners and an at-large winner, who will each receive a $1,000 cash prize, will proceed to the next phase of the competition when a panel of judges announces the final eight participants on Saturday, November 4 during the inaugural broadcast of the network program, Progressive Talk Radio Star. The contestants will be narrowed down through quarterfinal and semifinal broadcasts, with two finalists winning an all-expense paid trip to Washington, DC to participate in the final broadcast on Thursday, November 16. These final two contestants, competing for a nationally syndicated radio show, will perform live before the judges, the media, and a studio audience at the Center for American Progress Action Fund.

Morning shakeup at "The Quake"

From AllAccess.com:

CLEAR CHANNEL Talk KQKE-A (960 THE QUAKE)/SAN FRANCISCO expands its carriage of STEPHANIE MILLER's JONES syndicated show from 6-7a to 6-9a, starting OCTOBER 2, with AIR AMERICA RADIO's AL FRANKEN expanding from 10a-Noon to 9-Noon, replacing the local 7-10a show with former Mayor WILLIE BROWN and comic WILL DURST, who remain on the staff for special appearances.

What it looks like is KQKE is further shaking up its on-air schedule, in an attempt to become more competitive in a very tough market. Miller's show has been a strong performer all over the West Coast, so The Quake hopes that she will bring her magic to them.

The station's current morning show, Will and Willie have had a difficult time matching the success of other similarly-formatted stations. And the fact that Miller will obviously be cheaper to run (since she is syndicated) makes this move a no-brainer. Franken will also get back all three hours of his local clearance.

The Quake has recently done a complete overhaul on its schedule. The Quake took a cue from markets such as Portland and Seattle and added the popular Thom Hartmann to an evening delay. EcoTalk was also added to evenings, and the station also airs Bill Press' show live in overnights.