The Larry Kudlow mystery. Robert Feder, the long time radio kibitzer in Chicago, posted an item on his blog that Larry Kudlow was coming to WLS to replace Bob Brinker on Saturdays. It wasn’t clear to me (and still isn’t) if this is a WLS-only deal or syndication, although I’m leaning towards WLS-only. Kudlow already does a 10 AM-1 PM show on WABC in New York on Saturday. The WLS show will be 3-6PM (Central) [4-7 ET]…
There is nothing on the WLS web site, nothing on Kudlow’s web site, nothing on Citadel Media’s web site, and Lynn Jimenez is sitting in for Bob on WLS (and the network). The Feder piece sort of implied that this change was this weekend, but not completely. I guess we’ll have to wait and see. Perhaps Kudlow was waiting to sign his contract until after the company had exited bankruptcy.
From a local radio site: the change doesn’t take effect until June 5.
Also, the implication there is that local stations will indeed have to pick new programming, so I would think that the new show might be WLS only. Whether this will be a tape-delay of the WABC program or a totally new local show, or some combination thereof, I’m not sure. If it’s the first or third, it could be a test-run for a later syndication launch, as is typical with ABC/Citadel products.
Or, theory #2, is that this is the “three-hour” slot that Joe Scarborough is going to get… they never said the three-hour program was going to be daily.
I’m thinkin maybe they have the idea of an MSNBC simulcast of the existing show. That would make sense if/when Imus stopped doing his show.