TALKERS News update 4/2
WGN Names Garry Meier Afternoon Host. Chicago broadcast figure Garry Meier is taking over the mid-afternoon program on Tribune’s WGN. The 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm program belonged to John Williams before he moved to morning drive after Spike O’Dell’s retirement. Program director Kevin Metheny tells TALKERS magazine, “We would have announced this yesterday, but…April Fool’s Day? No one would have believed it. We’re delighted Garry has agreed to bring his game-changing talent to WGN Radio.” Meier last worked full time in Chicago in 2004 with Roe Conn in afternoon drive at WLS. Prior to that, Meier had a long and colorful career as Steve Dahl’s sidekick.
ABC Radio Networks Becomes Citadel Media. Shucking the name it’s had for more than 25 years, the syndication unit that helps deliver talk hosts such as Mark Levin, Mike Huckabee, Curtis Sliwa, Don Imus, Joe Scarborough, Bob Brinker and more is now Citadel Media. Company president Jim Robinson tells TALKERS, “This evolution provides us a great opportunity to expand our legacy, which we have developed within the heritage of the ABC name. We originated within the Radio Corporation of America and became NBC’s Blue Network. When the Blue Network split from NBC, the American Broadcasting Company was created. In the last 25 years, our radio network has been owned by Capital Cities, The Walt Disney Company and now Citadel Broadcasting. One constant throughout this history of change has been the passion and dedication of our people to create innovative programming for our affiliates and advertising partners. That aspect of our company will never change.”
Ed Schultz Gets MSNBC Gig. Progressive talk host Ed Schultz is hired by MSNBC for a long-rumored program on the cable news/talk channel. Schultz takes over the 6:00 pm ET hour with a show titled, “The Ed Show.” He replaces David Shuster’s “1600 Pennsylvania Ave.” Shuster is staying with the network in another role.
WINZ Makes the Change. Clear Channel’s WINZ, Miami does the flip from talk to sports that’s been on the horizon since January. The station is using ESPN’s Mike & Mike for morning drive, Premiere’s Jim Rome in early afternoon and Fox Sports Radio the rest of the day. Of the changes and his crosstown competition at Beasley’s WQAM, CC Miami director of AM programming Ken Charles says, “Why another sports station for Miami?? Miami doesn’t need another sports station but it does need at least one good one!!! The best thing on one of them is Neil Rogers, and he is not even sports.”
WGN Names Garry Meier Afternoon Host. Chicago broadcast figure Garry Meier is taking over the mid-afternoon program on Tribune’s WGN. The 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm program belonged to John Williams before he moved to morning drive after Spike O’Dell’s retirement. Program director Kevin Metheny tells TALKERS magazine, “We would have announced this yesterday, but…April Fool’s Day? No one would have believed it. We’re delighted Garry has agreed to bring his game-changing talent to WGN Radio.” Meier last worked full time in Chicago in 2004 with Roe Conn in afternoon drive at WLS. Prior to that, Meier had a long and colorful career as Steve Dahl’s sidekick.
ABC Radio Networks Becomes Citadel Media. Shucking the name it’s had for more than 25 years, the syndication unit that helps deliver talk hosts such as Mark Levin, Mike Huckabee, Curtis Sliwa, Don Imus, Joe Scarborough, Bob Brinker and more is now Citadel Media. Company president Jim Robinson tells TALKERS, “This evolution provides us a great opportunity to expand our legacy, which we have developed within the heritage of the ABC name. We originated within the Radio Corporation of America and became NBC’s Blue Network. When the Blue Network split from NBC, the American Broadcasting Company was created. In the last 25 years, our radio network has been owned by Capital Cities, The Walt Disney Company and now Citadel Broadcasting. One constant throughout this history of change has been the passion and dedication of our people to create innovative programming for our affiliates and advertising partners. That aspect of our company will never change.”
Ed Schultz Gets MSNBC Gig. Progressive talk host Ed Schultz is hired by MSNBC for a long-rumored program on the cable news/talk channel. Schultz takes over the 6:00 pm ET hour with a show titled, “The Ed Show.” He replaces David Shuster’s “1600 Pennsylvania Ave.” Shuster is staying with the network in another role.
WINZ Makes the Change. Clear Channel’s WINZ, Miami does the flip from talk to sports that’s been on the horizon since January. The station is using ESPN’s Mike & Mike for morning drive, Premiere’s Jim Rome in early afternoon and Fox Sports Radio the rest of the day. Of the changes and his crosstown competition at Beasley’s WQAM, CC Miami director of AM programming Ken Charles says, “Why another sports station for Miami?? Miami doesn’t need another sports station but it does need at least one good one!!! The best thing on one of them is Neil Rogers, and he is not even sports.”
