“I spoke with station manager Jim Clayton who told me that, despite any rumors going around, the sole reason for letting Kirby go was that his ratings were down. Jim told me that they were searching for someone local to fill the time slot and that the addition of The John Gibson Show to the lineup was temporary.
(I have a call into Kirby to get his take on this claim and will post an update when I hear from him.)”
I think that ratings combined with the nasty economic times caused this business decision by Fisher Communications. Glenn Beck's competition did not help matters even though Beck often goes beyond the average listener's ability to understand; especially during a typical morning commute in Western Washington.
...and who are they going to get locally that would do a better job than Kirby???