NY Radio Message Board thread about Rush Limbaugh LA station change, new LA station is weak, commenter says KFI main motive was getting rid of Hannity

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12/5/13, "Re: Clear Channel Moves Rush to Progressive Talk Station in LA," NY Radio Message Board

Here are 2 posts from the thread. In New York Rush will be moving from WABC to WOR which isn't a huge change signal-wise. In LA there will be a big change. Rush is moving from a very big station, KFI, to a very small station, KTLK. I don't blame any station for wanting to get rid of Hannity. The first poster below, John Mainelli, was program director of WABC radio from 1988-1995. I'd add that the radio business is very unstable today not least the Cumulus group which at the moment owns WABC in New York:

 "Posted by John Mainelli on December 05, 2013 at 19:06:26:.

In Reply to: Clear Channel Moves Rush to Progressive Talk Station in LA posted by Craig on December 05, 2013 at 17:11:16:

Saying L.A.'s KTLK is a "somewhat lower-powered station" than KFI is liking saying Torquemada was something of a busybody. The station loses millions of people during their commutes (if it had them) and is noisy for most of the rest.

The message is clear. KFI took drastic measures to avoid having to pick up Sean Hannity in January. He is SO not L.A. I know. I lived there or nearby for 15 years.

Another message is clear. It's over for Limbaugh. With major demotions in L. A. and New York, coupled with being on several major-but-collapsing Cumulus stations, his national ratings and revenue will plunge precipitously next year.

Incidentally, no all-syndicated "Patriot"-style station has succeeded anywhere. Ever."

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This is the post to which John Mainelli responded:

"Posted by Craig on December 05, 2013 at 17:11:16:

This apparently means the end of Progressive Talk stations in Los Angeles. Rush will move to Progressive Talk KTLK in the new year, and a new Conservative Talk station, called The Patriot, will be built around his show. Rush is also moving from one Clear Channel station to another in San Francisco, leaving 910 KKSF and going to 960 KNEW.

http://www.radioink.com/Article.asp?id=2731816&spid=24698

In LA, Rush is leaving Clear Channel's 640 KFI, perhaps the most successful Talk station in the country, and a Class A 50,000 watt blowtorch. In SF as in LA, Rush is being moved to a somewhat lower-powered station.

In both cases, Clear Channel says it will move Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck and other Premiere syndicated Conservative Talk shows to Rush's new affiliates, while KFI and KKSF will concentrate on being more local in their approach. So now, LA will have four Conservative Talk AM stations, Clear Channel's KFI and KTLK, plus Cumulus' 790 KABC and Salem's 870 KRLA. But no Progressive Talk outlet unless someone else switches.

In SF, both Clear Channel stations run a blend of conservative and liberal voices. KKSF has Alan Colmes and Gil Gross (both one-time WABC morning hosts and both liberal). KNEW runs syndicated Progressive talkers Randi Rhodes, Stephanie Miller, Norman Goldman, Thom Hartmann, Mike Malloy and Bill Press, while also finding time for Glenn Beck and Dave Ramsey. So when Rush moves over, it's likely some, if not all, of those Progressive Talk shows will go. Perhaps some will move to KKSF.

So it's a bold move for Clear Channel, creating new Conservative Talk stations around Rush, in LA and SF, after buying WOR and making it a New York home for Rush and Hannity. Apparently Clear Channel thinks Rush's brand of Conservative Talk still has enough appeal to launch new stations around him, on AM no less."

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KTLK daytime coverage

KFI daytime coverage