Coming to your local bookstore soon...

In publishing, where imitation is one way to climb the best-seller list, the search is on for the next America (The Book) — or at least something like it.

Currently in the works:

• Rodale Books plans a September release of New Rules by Bill Maher, based on the segment of his HBO show, Real Time, and filled with sarcastic observations on politics and culture.

• HarperCollins signed a deal this week with two comedians from liberal radio network Air America to take on President Bush, the religious right and the mainstream media. Working title: America (The Nightmare), to be published in the fall.

Sam Seder, co-host of Air America's The Majority Report, and Stephen Sherrill, the show's producer, are the authors of the book.

• Franken, who took on conservative media in his 2003 best seller, Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them, is writing a satire aimed at the right. Yet untitled, it's to be published in the fall.

Memphis to get Air America affiliate

Jerry Springer is not coming to Memphis radio -- at least not yet -- but Al Franken is. Franken, the former Saturday Night Live comedian who made a splash last year with his book about Fox News, will be featured on a new AM format starting Friday.

Entercom Memphis will change the call letters of radio station WJCE-680AM on Friday, and will launch a liberal talk radio format under the name Progressive Talk 680 WWTQ-AM, broadcasting the Air America Radio network.

Operations manager Jerry Dean says the station will go with the Air America format for the first few months, but hopes to add a live morning show thereafter. The station has not decided who will host that show, Dean says.

The station's new format will offer current political topics, social activists, occasional comical twists and "a creative approach to liberal talk by the best artists available," he says. It also will offer local news, weather and traffic.

(It should be noted that this is the second Entercom-owned station to flip to liberal talk. Entercom also owns WROC-AM in Rochester, NY.)

Franken Close To TV Deal With Sundance

Al Franken is reportedly close to inking a deal with The Sundance Channel that would give the Air America talk show host his own show on the cable TV network. According to US News & World Report, Franken’s noon – 3 p.m. radio show would be filmed, edited and “snazzed up” to air on Sundance in an abbreviated version that night.

“It’s sort of halfway in between what [Don] Imus does, which is literally a live show on MSNBC, and what [Howard] Stern does” on E! Entertainment Television, Franken said.

Farewell, Johnny.

(1925-2005)

Without the influence and genius of Johnny Carson, TV and radio would be much different.

Thanks for the laughs.

Okay, so now it looks like liberal talk is coming to Los Angeles

Now, if this is just a case of the boy crying 'wolf', well...

As first tipped by ALL ACCESS, liberal Talk is coming to LOS ANGELES as the last piece of the CLEAR CHANNEL AM format shuffle puzzle on FEBRUARY 3.

The 1150 AM frequency presently occupied by KXTA-A/LOS ANGELES, the northern half of the XTRA SPORTS 690 AND 1150 simulcast will pick up the standard CLEAR CHANNEL liberal talk lineup of AIR AMERICA RADIO and JONES/DEMOCRACY RADIO's ED SCHULTZ. LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS basketball will remain on the 1150 frequency.

And, as previously reported, the Sports format will join LAKERS basketball on KLAC-A's 570 AM frequency, while the Adult Standards format of KLAC will move to the 690 AM frequency (XETRA-A/ROSARITO-SAN DIEGO) at the same time.

UPDATE: According to Radio and Records, it looks like 1150 will pick up the call letters KTLK, and will be known as "K-Talk". The KTLK calls are currently on Clear Channel's liberal talker up the road in Santa Barbara. Look for the Santa Barbara station to pick up new call letters. This story is also being reported in today's LA Times (no link available).

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