Holidays Bring More Talk Host Sackings, Mark Fuhrman, John Ziegler

FIRING SEASON

End Of Year Means Talkers Get Axed







In what has become an end- of- year tradition in the nasty business of radio, a number of talk hosts have been axed in recent days.

Because we get so many emails from readers wondering why their favorite host has vanished, your Radio Equalizer thought it best to provide this update.

By the way, in radio industry lingo, "to exit" a station means to be thrown out the door, sometimes physically.

The latest scorecard:


Best known for his key role in the infamous OJ Simpson trial, ex- LAPD detective Mark Fuhrman has been removed from his position as KGA / Spokane host. Since leaving the department, Fuhrman has built a second career as a local talker in Eastern Washington. His last show aired earlier today.

Likely cause of termination: budget cuts

From the Seattle P-I:

SPOKANE, Wash. -- A daily radio talk show by former Los Angeles police detective Mark Fuhrman has been canceled.

The "The Mark Fuhrman Show" on KGA-AM went off the air as of Thursday.

Fuhrman and producer Rebecca Mack were dismissed by station management.

Fuhrman said the show was third in the Arbitron ratings for talk shows in the market among its target audience of men, following national hosts Rush Limbaugh and Dennis Miller.

In Los Angeles, KFI evening host John Ziegler has hosted his final show after a four- year run. Likely cause: mysterious office politics.

From WHAS-TV 11 in Louisville:

Ziegler loses L.A. gig


Former WHAS Radio talker John Ziegler has lost his job on the air in Los Angeles.

Ziegler spent a short but tumultuous time as a talk show host for WHAS. He was sued by former local TV host Darcie Davita, who claimed defamation of character for things he said about her.

A jury found him, and Clear Channel, not liable, but that incident and his relationship with coworkers in Louisville cost Ziegler his job with WHAS Radio.

After four years, tonight’s show will be Ziegler’s last on KFI.

Ziegler says it’s a mutual decision.

In Houston, well- known local talker Chris Baker was let go last week from his position as local host at KTRH and KPRC-AM. Likely cause: Clear Channel budget cuts.

From the Houston Chronicle:

As Houston radio talk-show host Chris Baker continues working on his documentary film about talk radio, he'll have a new plot twist to incorporate into the mix — his dismissal from Clear Channel Houston's KTRH (740 AM) and KPRC (950 AM).

Baker, who had been on the air in Houston since 2001, and Cynthia Hunt, who recently joined him as co-host for an early afternoon show on KPRC, were told Monday night by Michael Berry, Clear Channel Houston's director of AM programming, that their shows had been canceled.

Baker's shift on KTRH will be filled by extended hours for the syndicated Sean Hannity show, which will air from 2 to 5 p.m., and by Berry's local show from 5 to 8 p.m. KPRC will extend the morning Walton and Johnson show and shift time slots for syndicated Erich "Mancow" Muller shows to fill the Baker/Hunt gap.

And in Seattle, afternoon drive talker Bryan Suits disappeared without a word from his station, KVI-AM. Likely cause: low ratings, cost- cutting.

From Sound Politics:

I've left e-mails with KVI station management and a phone message with program manager Dennis Kelly and I've been assured they'll get back to me. It's the whole holiday weekend don'tcha know.

FOR New England regional talk radio updates, see our other site. NEW: Howie Carr's undignified return?

Your Amazon orders that begin with clicks here, regardless of what you ultimately purchase, help to further this site's efforts.


Technorati tags: talk radio radio hosts fired seattle los angeles louisville spokane kvi kga kfi whas kprc ktrh houston chris baker radio host mark fuhrman bryan suits john ziegler