Thom Hartmann left Air America?

[oregonjen]

According to this website:

http://oregonmediainsiders.com/node/1803


KPOJ talker Thom Hartmann has moved his national show to syndicator Dial Global, according to All Access:

"With the addition of THOM HARTMANN, DIAL GLOBAL solidifies its position as the premiere content provider of the very best Progressive Talk Radio. DIAL GLOBAL now offers 12 hours of proven, winning progressive talk shows. We’re delighted to work with THOM and WYD," said DIAL GLOBAL SVP/GM News/Talk AMY BOLTON.

[Ian David]

1. How many more ways can Air America find to make themselves suck? n/t

[oregonjen]

3. Exactly

They have no big names left, except for Ron Reagan?

As long as Thom stays on radio, same time, same place, I'm good. With him in Portland, we get an extra hour of him locally on KPOJ.

[Ian David]

2. So, I went googling...

Madison's The Mic 92.1 boots Thom Hartmann, and Lee Rayburn follows
A double whammy for progressive radio in Madison
Emily Mills on Tuesday 01/13/2009 10:32 am , (14) Recommendations


Last week, it was announced that Madison’s progressive talk radio station, The Mic 92.1 FM, would stop airing Thom Hartmann’s show during its prime 2-5 p.m. timeslot. His replacement is Dan Ramsey, a conservative Christian who gives financial advice. Then, this past weekend, the station’s popular local host, Lee Rayburn, announced that he, too, would be leaving.

It was a one-two punch for Madison-area fans of progressive talk radio, and they’re not taking it well. A group of concerned listeners, Friends of Progressive Talk, plan a meeting tonight to discuss the station’s decision to cut Hartmann and Rayburn’s departure. Mike Ferris, Clear Channel’s operations manager, has agreed to attend. The meeting is tonight at the Dardanelles restaurant, 1851 Monroe St., at 6:30 p.m. Anyone is welcome to attend.

The loss of Hartmann’s program came as a surprise to many listeners. When asked about the decision by a caller to his own show, Rayburn expressed his deep admiration for Hartmann, his “mentor,” and sadness over the loss of the program.

Rayburn has not commented publicly on whether his decision to leave the station was prompted by the dropping of Hartmann’s show. I did, however, speak to him about the flurry of changes at The Mic, and his departure in general.

<snip>

Questions must be asked: Is this downturn simply a product of the financial woes being felt nationwide? Is there a real lack of interest in the station’s format? Or is there something else going on at the corporate level?

One can’t help but look at the jagged hole that’s suddenly been blown into the middle of the station’s line-up and wonder how that made sense to the suits in charge. Some fans are wondering whether the goal is to slowly kill off the current progressive programming so that, come time to shut the whole thing down, hardly anyone will notice or care.

More:
http://www.thedailypage.com/daily/article.php?article=24816



And:

DIAL GLOBAL ADDS HARTMANN
NEW YORK -- February 2, 2009: Dial Global and WYD Management have announced an agreement under which Dial Global will provide advertising sales and affiliate representation for The Thom Hartmann Show, beginning March
1. The show airs from noon-3 p.m. ET and currently airs in Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, and other markets.

"With the addition of Thom Hartmann, Dial Global solidifies its position as the premier content provider of the very best progressive Talk radio," said Dial Global SVP/GM, News/Talk Amy Bolton. "Dial Global now offers 12 hours of proven, winning progressive talk shows. We're delighted to work with Thom and WYD."

WYD's Ron Hartenbaum said, "It is great to be reunited with so many friends and former colleagues who are at Dial Global. In a tough economic environment, we are pleased to be working with such an aggressive team on all aspects of our business."

More:
http://www.radioink.com/Article.asp?id=1141065&spid=24698

[oregonjen]

5. Thanks!

Sure was a quiet switch.

[clbuck]

4. He hasn't left yet, but it sounds like he will be leaving at the beginning of March.

More info here: http://ltradio.blogspot.com/2009/02/hartmann-moves-to-dial-global.html

Dial Global, by the way, is who bought out Jones Radio Networks last year (the network that Bill Press, Stephanie Miller, and Ed Schultz belong to). Honestly, I not surprised that Thom's jumping ship. Rachel Maddow's radio show was moved to early mornings on Monday, and is pretty much just a re-broadcast of her MSNBC show. None of AAR's other hosts have very many stations that carry their shows.

[LSparkle]

6. Isn't Dial Global what used to be Jones Radio Network?

Home of Stephanie Miller, Ed Schultz and Bill Press?

I just heard Richard Green interview Thom on "Clout"
(another Air America program) the other night, and
no mention was made of him having left the network.

Is he leaving to make room for Ana Marie Cox maybe?

[Sebastian Doyle]

7. Maybe this is what Mike Malloy was alluding to last night?

He was talking about the affiliate in Washington DC and other progressive talk radio stations that went down in recent months, and how he thought that it was only a matter of time before all liberal talk radio is available only through XM, Sirius, or the Internet.

And if Thom is leaving Air America (and Rachel's not really doing any original programming for them anymore) then that means they officially have no originals left, aside from Ring of Fire on Saturday.

Not that I have much sympathy for Mark Green, his brother, or any of the other Repukes and DLC'ers who have been fucking up that network for years. But still, it sucks that something that once held such promise - a national Liberal talk radio network - has been reduced to this, by corporatist tools within and without.

For Thom's part, he's probably making a wise business decision. Ed Schultz and Stephanie Miller don't seem to have any problem keeping their affiliates, so the company that produces their shows should be a good fit. With one possible exception...... How will Global deal with having two of their shows (Hartmann & Schultz) in direct competition for the same time slot in the same markets?

[Maat]

8. Is Dial Global going to make Thom's podcast available?

That's what I want to know.