| Thursday, November 30, 2006 |
| Rock the boat |
Ed Schultz is going head-to-head to Limbaugh. Franken future in doubt...?
Ed Schultz, the nation’s largest progressive talk radio host, is moving head-to-head with Rush Limbaugh’s sometime in December, industry insiders familiar with the deal tell RAW STORY. The move – which puts Schultz in the choice noon to 3 p.m. window – will also bring him face-to-face with Air America’s flagship talker, Al Franken.
Two radio insiders, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed the move. Both characterized the decision to move The Ed Schultz Show from drive-time to early afternoon as one intended to bolster a rapidly growing national audience.
The decision to move Schultz to noontime eastern could put another nail in the coffin of Air America, which filed for bankruptcy Oct. 13.
A 2006 survey by Talkers Magazine pegged the Fargo talker’s listenership at 2.25 million, tying Schultz at #10 among radio hosts nationwide. Air America’s Al Franken rated #12, with an audience of 1.5 million.
Limbaugh still dwarfs all liberal radio hosts in popularity, with an estimated audience of 13.5 million, according to the Talker’s survey, down from 14.75 million in 2005. Sean Hannity pulls in roughly 12.5 million listeners.
A spokesman for Schultz said he couldn’t comment on the report, but confirmed that a major announcement would be made on Thursday’s show.
Schultz is expected to announce the change on the Thursday’s program. Schultz's show is owned by Product First, which is headed by one of the same guys who launched Limbaugh, who some have say Schultz -- who was a conservative before he was a "progressive" (and who some think may have drifted for less than pure reasons) -- resembles.
Stay tuned.
Tags: radio, Air America, Ed Schultz |
posted by JReid @ 11:54 AM   |
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