ITHACA/CORTLAND -- Lineup changes at Saga's Progressive Talk AM 1470 (WNYY) are complete, after last month's sudden shutdown of the Air America network left the station -- and countless others nationwide -- scrambling to fill holes in their schedules. Updated 2/4 at 3:15pm with additional info from PD Geoff Dunn.
While we had earlier reported on a preliminary list of changes, by comparing the schedule posted on the station website with an older schedule posted a few months earlier on the CNYRadio.com Station Wiki, program director Geoff Dunn now tells us all the contracts for replacement shows are signed and the schedule is locked into place. He confirms the following changes for us:
Very little change in our weekday line up:
- 5am Rachel Maddow was replaced by the Wall Street Journal This Morning from Dow Jones radio
- 9pm Montel Williams has been replaced by Norman Goldman
On the weekends, we’re integrating more lifestyle and self-help programs into our line up:
- Saturday at Noon is Health Talk with Dr. Ronald Hoffman
- 2pm – The Car Doctor
- 4pm – The Pet Show
- Ring of Fire is now heard from 6pm to 9pm, followed by Free Talk Live from 9pm to 12a
On Sunday mornings, we’ve added the Wall Street Journal This Weekend from 7am to 8am, followed by Real Estate Today with Gil Gross. Peter Greenberg’s Travel Show is now heard from 1p to 4pm, followed by Leo LaPorte The Tech Guy from 4p to 7pm. The Ring of Fire is rebroadcast from 7pm to 10pm on Sunday.
Added 2/4/10: In an email blast sent out to listeners on Thursday afternoon, Dunn explains some of the former Air America shows are still being produced, but simply don't have a syndicator to distribute their programming to radio stations.
This includes Ron Reagan, State of Belief and Freethought Radio. You can go to the respective websites of those programs for podcasts and other information on how you can continue to enjoy those shows.
Others, like Hollywood! Clout, were picked up by other program syndicators, but we have chosen not to continue airing them locally. The remaining shows, like Rachel Maddow, Lionel and Montel Williams, are no longer being produced at all.
I also want to apologize to Ring of Fire fans. The program will continue to air twice every weekend, but technical issues last Saturday prevented us from recording the program to play in its new time slots, Saturday at 6pm and Sunday at 7pm.
Our thanks to Geoff Dunn for staying in touch and walking us through all the lineup changes.
Originally published January 25, 2010:
ITHACA/CORTLAND -- The recent shutdown of the Air America network has resulted in some changes to the lineup at Saga's Progressive Talk 1470 (WNYY). For starters, Bill Press, syndicated by Dial Global, is back in the morning drive slot starting today.
Press replaces Air America's morning offering, Lionel. In a written statement posted on WNYY's website, GM Susan Johnston says "all of our programming, except for a few minor changes and week-end shows will remain intact."
The statement links to a commentary Press wrote for The Huffington Post, where he says Air America's demise will make "zero" difference on the overall progressive talk landscape. He also states Air America will someday be studied as "the textbook case of a great idea, but lousy execution."
No "official" word from the station on exactly which other shows were impacted, but comparing the schedule on the station's website to the yet-to-be-updated schedule listed on the CNYRadio.com Station Wiki, it appears the following changes were made:
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Over on NorthEast Radio Watch they note a few stations as losing Montel Williams when Air America went under, without my searching to see who syndicates who - is that a transposition error, or is that really correct?
Pontiac - the list that currently appears on this article is based on a comparison between the schedule posted on the WNYY website as of 8am today, and the schedule posted on the Station Wiki by user "tamesser" as of October 2009. We know for sure that Bill Press has been placed in morning drive, so I'm under the impression the rest of the current schedule -- at least for weekdays -- is correct.
However, I also heard from PD Geoff Dunn earlier this afternoon. He says it'll be another few days before he can confirm the "finalized" schedule because he's still working on arrangements with various syndicators. So while there are definitely some changes between October and now, there still may be some more changes before we can consider the dust to be settled.
Looks like it was just transposed, it should read "Montel Williams replaced by Norman Goldman" ...