Air America is such a "huge success" in New York City that its flagship station is dropping three programs:
WWRL cuts liberally into Air America
By DAVID HINCKLEY
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Tuesday, April 1st 2008, 4:00 AM
WWRL (1600 AM), flagship of the progressive radio network Air America for the last 18 months, dropped the flag to half mast Monday by bumping three Air America programs, including midday hosts Lionel and Thom Hartmann.
WWRL replaced Lionel's 9 a.m.-noon show with two health infomercials and former host Ron Daniels, 11 a.m.-noon.
It replaced Hartmann's noon-3 p.m. show with Ed Schultz, the country's highest-rated liberal talker.
WWRL also put the Rev. Al Sharpton's daily show into its 8 p.m. slot, bumping Air America's "Clout" to an overnight spot. Sharpton will be heard on tape delay.
Lionel and Hartmann are still heard on Air America's national network, which an informed source inside Air America said Monday remains "very much alive."
The network has had ratings problems in New York, some of which have been attributed to WWRL's dial position and spotty signal, and the station itself has shown some ambivalence about Air America. It has continued to carry its own morning show, which now features Coz Carson.
Air America's original agreement with WWRL expired yesterday, said the Air America source, which freed the station to drop some programs.
WWRL continues to carry Air America's Randi Rhodes, 3-6 p.m., and Rachel Maddow, 6-8 p.m., as well as several weekend shows. But the Air America source said this reduced schedule has sent the network looking for another New York station that could be more of a full flagship.
Meanwhile, the source said, a more limited agreement will keep some Air America programs where they are.
WWRL was not commenting on anything yesterday, but replacing two hours of Lionel's show with health infomercials is largely a financial move, designed to bring in some cash.
WWRL's move will inevitably trigger more speculation about the future of Air America. The network got another new owner last month, when Charlie Kireker bought a controlling interest from New York developer Stephen L. Green.
But the source inside Air America said the network is holding its own with affiliates, noting that Hartmann added four stations yesterday, including Miami.
The source also said the network will launch a "vastly expanded" Web site next week, noting that an increasing number of listeners get their radio on the Internet.
Fans of Lionel, who has been on New York radio for years, voiced particular frustration yesterday at his disappearance.
The shift gives a bigger platform to Sharpton and also to Schultz, who is popular around the country and had not previously had a New York outlet.
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