Posted on 06/04/2003 6:03:59 AM PDT by finnman69
There appears to be some interesting happening concerning hot-button talk show host and Marin resident Michael Savage. . On Monday, KSFO, the station Savage has been on since it went to the Hot Talk format in 1995, had no ''Savage Nation.'' Instead, all three hours (4-7pm) had a tape of the Sean Hannity Show, which meant that Sean was on KSFO for five hours on Monday! During the traffic breaks, there was no familiar mention of "Savage Nation" traffic or "Air Savage" by reporter Mike Stait as per usual. I tuned to Michael on his Sacramento affiliate KSTE, 650 am, easily heard in the East Bay and all he said was that there were "technical difficulties" in the Bay Area. But reading between the lines, I could detect that something else was happening. Today, during his final half hour Savage got a call from the Bay Area and told the caller that he would again be on a station in San Francisco "soon."
After his Monday show, I checked the KSFO web site and Savage's name was nowhere to be found. Sean Hannity was instead listed in the 4-7pm time slot. With his contract with KSFO set to expire on June 30, it is my guess that Talk Radio Networks, Michael's syndicator, has signed with KNEW, 910 AM, the new talk station that is owned by Clear Channel. The KNEW program director did not return my call seeking comment. Not surprisingly, there was no mention of this significant radio development in the liberal Bay Area newspapers or their web sites.
Although these type of station-jumping deals seem to happen frequently in talk radio (and I hinted that this Savage jump was a possibility in the first piece I wrote for ChronWatch as a response to another article in March) it is still shocking that KSFO would let Michael Savage get away. After a brief weekend overnight stint at KGO in 1994, Savage basically began his career at KSFO and within a few years, became Number 1 in the ratings in afternoon drive time. And Savage took KSFO along for the ride; the station was basically invisible in the ratings book in January 1995 when it switched from a liberal "radio with attitude" to the "hot talk" format. In the latest ratings book, KSFO was tied for Number 2 in San Francisco and a solid second in the San Jose rating book, trailing only KGO in both surveys. Both stations are owned by ABC/Disney.
So what will KSFO do, if indeed, Michael Savage has moved up the dial? They could keep a tape-delayed Sean Hannity Program in the 4-7 pm slot; perhaps KSFO could steal the Bill O'Reilly Radio Factor show presently heard on the misfit sports station KNBR - 1050 and fill two of the Savage hours with everybody's favorite humble correspondent. Another possibility is obtaining Larry Elder (syndicated by ABC) from KNEW in what would be a even-up trade for Savage.
Whatever happens, one thing is certain, the landscape of Bay Area talk radio is apparently being changed forever. And for the liberals in the audience--the Monday vote by the FCC to relax radio and television ownership rules which you whined about--had nothing to do with it!
I agree with you 110%. Melanie makes me crazy. She can't seem to put three sentences together. I'd think that would be pretty much a prerequisite for someone on the radio. I think Savage has gotten increasingly difficult to listen to as his popularity has risen. Who knows, maybe Jack Swanson has got some fascinating plan to turn the station into 24 hours a day of Sean Hannity. That would be wildly popular. Or maybe Sean and Dr. Laura 24 7. Theres a winner.
(but I CAN do something about it, genius -- I switch off KSFO when you're on-air)
A few years ago she marketed herself via cheesecake photos in which she posed with a Corvette. Some here on FR defended her ("How can you criticize this BABE?!?!") on that basis. All I could think was, "If she's such a babe, what's she doing working in radio?"
Michael Savage is the only syndicated radio host who:
Advocates the closing of the borders.
Believes people like that woman who actually sued to wear a mask in her driver's license photo should be thrown out of this country.
Has referred to the ACLU for what they are: Red Diapered Doper Babies.
Has sued people trying to stifle his right to free speech by attributing to him things he never said (which is what they did to Dr. Laura).
And, by the way, the only reason GLAAD is involved in that campaign is because Savage said he draws the line in the homosexual agenda when there are children involved.
Borders. Language. Culture. You can't have a country without them.
May God bless Michael Savage and the Savage Nation.
They couldn't use an F350, 'cause it might be hard to tell them apart.
Meeeee-OWWWW grrlfriend! <|:)~
Does KSFO have a streaming Internet feed? I really miss listening to Brian Wilson. He was the morning guy in KC for about a year before they dropped him.
Mark
The problem is KNEW isn't streaming yet.
Yeah, Lee ("with a 'd'") Rodgers is not without his faults, but I'd still much rather listen to him and O.V. than to the Harpy and the "Suss-Man" (strikes me as a lightweight).
Seems to me that Lee does some good pre-show prep, while Mrs. Swanson and Sussman just wing it.
I finally stopped listening to him a few weeks ago. I just couldn't stand him anymore. He's all of the rotten things you said he is, and more. He's incapable of having an actual discussion with anyone. The last straw was when he said Maurice Chevalier was a pervert for singing "thank heaven for little girls". That comment sickened me. After he repeated it the next day, I had had enough. Never listened to him again.
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