Progressive Talk Launches in Chicago

Here's more about the launch of WCPT-AM in Chicago. It is now confirmed.

Progressive talk WCPT-AM Chicago launches May 5, billed as “Our Kind of Talk for Our Kind of Town.”

WCPT debuts at 8 a.m. Thursday with Springer on the Radio, hosted by former Cincinnati Mayor Jerry Springer via Air America Radio. Then, beginning May 6, WCPT begins its broadcast day at 5:30 a.m. with Morning Sedition, hosted by Marc Maron and Mark Riley via Air America Radio, with Springer on the Radio to follow at 8 a.m.

At 11 a.m. is The Al Franken Show from Air America Radio. He is joined by veteran journalist Katherine Lanpher. At 2 p.m. is the Ed Schultz Show, via Jones Radio Networks. Rounding out the broadcast day at 5 p.m. is The Randi Rhodes Show from Air America RadioWCPT will air several other shows on the weekend hosted by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Mike Papantonio, former WLS radio host, Mike Malloy, political activist David Bender, singer-songwriter, and Grammy Award-winner, Steve Earle and The Lionel Show.

WCPT will also have top-of-the-hour newscasts as well as local traffic and weather reports during the morning and afternoon drive times.

AAR returning to Chicago

Air America, the left-wing talk-radio network that disappeared from local airwaves due to a financial dispute shortly after it debuted a year ago April, appears certain to return to a new home at 850 on the AM dial.

The formal announcement will come "within the next 24 to 48 hours," said Fred Eychaner on Monday morning. He's the owner of Newsweb Corp., which operates nine area radio stations, including the future WCPT (for "Chicago's Progressive Talk").

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Stephanie Miller Show finally back in L.A.

WASHINGTON, April 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Progressive Talk superstar Stephanie Miller will bring her nationally-syndicated show to Los Angeles, starting May 2nd when KTLK AM-1150 begins broadcasting her daily program. From 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. local time, Angelinos will again be able to wake up and commute to work with The Stephanie Miller Show. KTLK will become the flagship station for Stephanie, who is well-known in L.A., having previously hosted shows on KABC and KFI.

In her first ratings book (Fall 2004) Stephanie won remarkable audience shares in key markets like New Haven, Connecticut, Columbus, Ohio, and Asheville, North Carolina. More impressively, the show earned higher audiences with men 25-54 than adults in the same age cohort.

Los Angeles is the biggest radio market in the nation, measured by advertising revenue. The announcement by KTLK caps a recent spate of affiliate clearances, which have been picking up the show at a feverish pace. In the last month, Stephanie has added local affiliates in Reno, Nevada, Binghamton, New York, San Antonio, Texas, Quad Cites, Iowa, Eugene, Oregon, Eureka, California, and Daytona Beach, Florida.

On KTLK, The Stephanie Miller Show replaces Air America's Morning Sedition.
"I am beyond thrilled to be back on the radio live in my hometown, and especially with the great team at KTLK," said Stephanie Miller. "Finally, progressive talk in L.A.!"

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Air America comes to Akron/Cleveland

WJMP AM/1520 in Akron will start airing the liberal talk-humor network Monday, May 2.

The network, which launched in March 2004, is billed as an alternative to the conservative voices dominating talk radio. It features Al Franken, Randi Rhodes and Janeane Garofalo and recently added Jerry Springer. It's on 53 stations nationwide but was slow coming to Ohio.

"We're targeting the NPR crowd," said Bill Klaus, vice president of Media-Com, which owns WJMP, WNIR FM/100.1 (America's monophonic, FM-talk wonder) and two TV stations. "There's an audience out there looking for a different viewpoint."

Liberal talk is a minor radio trend. Last month, Clear Channel-owned WTAM AM/1100 dumped Glenn Beck in favor of Springer in its 9-11:30 morning slot. On WJMP, which can broadcast only from sunrise to sunset, Springer will be on from 9 a.m. to noon, followed by Franken from noon to 3 p.m. and Rhodes from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Chicago liberal talker rumors heat up

The RadioInfo message board is buzzing about 850 AM, which is supposedly changing its call letters from WAIT to WCPT. Could WCPT stand for "We're Chicago's Progressive Talk"? The station has long been rumored to be flipping to the format, and those rumors persist. 850 AM is a daytime-only station, so it goes off the air at sunset.

Stay tuned, and click the headline link for more discussion on this.