ABC Yanks Michael Savage in New York

newsmax ^ | June 18, 2003 | Carl Limbacher

[TLBSHOW]

ABC Yanks Michael Savage in New York

Rising radio star and best-selling author Michael Savage has been yanked off the air by his New York City affiliate, WABC Radio, due to a contract dispute with his San Francisco flagship station, KSFO, which syndicates Savage nationally through the Talk Radio Network.

"'The Mouse' is trying to intimidate me," Savage told the New York Post on Wednesday - referring to WABC's parent company Disney. "It's bullying of the worst kind."

The shoot-from-the-lip talker has been off the air on KSFO since June 2. But on Monday, WABC followed suit, replacing him with Landmark Legal Foundation President Mark Levin, who has own show on the station on Sunday.

"ABC has outright told me, point blank, that if I don't sign with them in San Francisco they're gonna take me off in New York, that they want to send a message," Savage told The Post.

"This is out of bounds - in plain English, they took me off the air in New York to pressure me to sign below market value in my home market, San Francisco."

The acerbic talker complained, "It's astounding a corporation can act this way in this day and age. 'The Mouse' is trying to intimidate me. It's bullying of the worst kind."

A terse statement on WABC's website explained:

"Due to unresolved contractual issues between Michael Savage and our sister station KSFO in San Francisco, WABC regrets that we have made a decision to remove the program from the air on a temporary basis.

"We hope those issues can be resolved quickly, and that Michael can again return to the air on WABC in New York City."

The station's program director Phil Boyce told the Post, "I'm the guy who put Michael on the air [in New York City] and he's performed well for me - it's very painful to take him off the air."

Boyce said he was hopeful that the dispute could be worked out and that Savage would be back on the air "as soon as possible."

But the WABC PD added, "He won't be on the air until there's a resolution one way or another."

Still, the California-based talker showed no signs of giving in. In a statement of defiance that Savage has kept on his own Web site for weeks, he declared:

"Right Now the Station [KSFO] that I made famous has chosen to take me off to pressure me into signing a contract extension. They want me desperately. Beginning July 1, 2003, I will be heard again in the San Francisco Area. Right now you may be able to hear me on 650AM on the dial (KSTE) in my regular time slot between 4-7PM broadcasting live, from Sacramento, California."

He continues to hint that there's more to the dispute than mere money, announcing cryptically, "Very soon, the whole story will be told."

Rumors swirled earlier this month that ABC was concerned that Savage was planning to jump to radio behemoth Clear Channel and its Premier Radio Network - and that both he and No. 1 talker Rush Limbaugh were planning to abandon KFSO.

But an industry insider told NewsMax that Limbaugh has just renewed his deal with KFSO and has no plans to leave the ABC affiliate.

[vpintheak]

You can't keep a good man Down. When are the lib's gonna figure that one out?

[undergroundwarrior]

This really upsets me. Put Savage back on the air.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

Hopefully this won't end up in court. The stench from the bench would surely make him clench. (attribution: Michael Savage) :O)

[ladyinred]

I can just imagine the stories he will tell about the "mouse" when this is over. It ought to be a riot. Savage will not take this lying down!

[TLBSHOW]

I doubt he will either. This should be interesting.

[Sunnyvale CA Eng.]

"This really upsets me. Put Savage back on the air"

KSFO is a little 5000 watt station and is hard to get in parts of the SF Bay Area often. KSTE in Sacramento comes in fine in Sunnyvale - 45 mins south of SF. WABC is a bigger deal - Savage probably needs WABC more than KSFO.

[holyscroller]

What's he doing on MSNBC anyway? He should be on FOX.

[autoresponder]

Recall the blonde on "Three's Company" or the redheaded guy on "NYPD".

Career moves...

[nutmeg]

The shoot-from-the-lip talker has been off the air on KSFO since June 2. But on Monday, WABC followed suit, replacing him with Landmark Legal Foundation President Mark Levin, who has own show on the station on Sunday.

Darn, I forgot to tune into WABC tonight (Wednesday). Was Mark on again?

[RJayneJ]

Is he still on MSNBC on weekends? If he is, he might be making a deal with NBC, but can't talk about until there is a deal in writing.

[Cacique]

I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for savage to be back on the air any time soon. Savage is syndicated and has to pay extra for Savage. They own Larry Elder however, they've been testing his show on the 9-10 time slot and I suspect that they will use him to fill in from 7-10. It all depends how well Mark does in the next few days.

In the end it's about money. If they make more dollars paying cheaper salaries to Elder and Mark, then why not? I actually prefer Mark levin and Elder. They are more calm and articulate. Savage is too full of himself and tends to bite more than he can chew.

[my_pointy_head_is_sharp]

he will be back on the air in San Francisco on July 1st

I hope it's not KSFO. Sean Hannity took over Savage's time slot, and I'm getting used to him. Though I did turn him off when he started whining again today about a newspaper that printed quotes of his that he never said. I won't listen to Savage again if they put him back on. Sour shriveled pervert.

[Cacique]

To get a perspective from people in the radio business in New York check out the NY Radio Boards.

It looks like people who know are looking at numbers and they don't look good for Michael.

[Bullish]

Hmmm... publicity royal?

This can only stir up more popularity for one of my favs, Savage.

[Hank Rearden]

But on Monday, WABC followed suit, replacing him with Landmark Legal Foundation President Mark Levin, who has own show on the station on Sunday.

Good move. Levin's smart and funny. Savage is an ass.

[Stultis]

Savage's popularity is a complete mystery to me. He's repetive and boring. I've tried listening to his show frequently (he's on when I'm driving home from work) but can seldom manage more than 10 minutes. He (or his staff) are apparently lazy and seem to do little research. Worst of all callers frequently get the better of him and, even when this is completely obvious, he is either too dumb to realize it or too inept and lacking in mental agility to acknowledge a valid point and shift to a stronger argument. At least these callers are not always leftists, but when they are it is especially painful. There's no excuse for a conservative talk show host to lose on substance as frequently as Savage does. Michael is the weakest link among conservative talk show hosts.

[hellinahandcart]

Yes, he was on again last night, and funny as hell.

I have to say it. I just plain feel better after two hours of Mark Levin than I do after two hours of Michael Savage.

[CalvaryJohn]

I can't stand that minor league buffoon. He is a total embarrassment to the cause. I am glad to see a few fellow freepers agreeing with me this morning. The rest of you that just won't see his ineptitude and sophomorishness, go ahead and flame away!