WLS radio fires Ski Anderson!

[grasswire]

Ski Anderson is out after five years as weekend talk show host on WLS-AM (890). Until last July, he'd been teamed with Nancy Skinner, who had to leave the ABC-owned station after she declared her candidacy for the U.S. Senate.

Michael Packer, operations director of WLS, is expected to announce a replacement for the noon-to-3 p.m. Sunday time slot later this week.

"After reviewing the ratings history of 'The Ski & Skinner Show' and the fact that in the latest ratings it ranked 13th out of all the WLS weekend shows, we felt it was time to launch a new talk show that will be more compelling and more competitive and move the ratings needle," Packer said.

Michael Packer, operations director of WLS, is expected to announce a replacement for the noon-to-3 p.m. Sunday time slot later this week.

"After reviewing the ratings history of 'The Ski & Skinner Show' and the fact that in the latest ratings it ranked 13th out of all the WLS weekend shows, we felt it was time to launch a new talk show that will be more compelling and more competitive and move the ratings needle," Packer said.

.....

In other words, something more conservative.

[lazarus]

1. link?

Need a link for LBN, please.

[Newsjock]

2. Here's a link

Not my posting, but here goes anyway:
http://www.suntimes.com/output/feder/cst-fin-feder30.html

Look way, way, way down in the story.

The mods can decide if this really is LBN, since it's a Sept. 30 article. (But we don't seem to have reported it here before.)

[symbolman]

3. Yeah, he wrote me..

One hell of a nice guy, good at what he does, and a great resource -- bet they replace him with Michael Savage..

any takers?

assholes.

[KharmaTrain]

4. From Chicago With Appologies

A couple years ago WLS, under Mike Elder, was turning into a great station...Roe Conn & Garry Meier, Jay Marvin, Mike Malloy, etc. Sure they had Rush and other hive-dwellers, but I wanted to hear them (hold your dear ones close, hold your enemies closer) so there was a balance.

No longer!

Ski and Nancy were a breath of fresh air considering most of those "weekend" programs cited in Ski's dismissal were syndicated or paid for. Bottom line is that it's cheaper to run a "best of" or mindless satellite show on Sunday than pay for both the talent (Union scale) and a Producer/Engineer. My bets are that this decision was made purely to cut costs...the typical radio thing...especially in a radio operation that has been one of the worst managed in this city for the past decade.

Here's wishing Ski the best of luck and I'm sure he'll land on his feet on the air somewhere...those WLS calls help...and that one day I can hear Nancy as well.

These days WLS rarely gets played on my radio. A sad thing since a few years ago they were on the radios in this house all day long. Plus, this was the station of my youth. I still pop in for Roe & Garry every afteroon (the best on Chicago radio) and local news, but that's it.

[saigon68]

5. WLS--A great staion in the 60's

Back in the days when "music" was played on AM radio, all we ever listened to in the midwest was WLS (remember Dick Bionndi?)

but with conservative mind control, what can you expect---sad--

[KharmaTrain]

6. I'm Showing My Age...

WLS & WCFL were classic stations and bonded a generation in the Midwest.

Now it's becoming a nest for hive-dwellers. Very sad.

BTW...Dick Biondi is still on the air every night in Chicago...rapidly coming up on the big 7-0 and still doing the same silly jokes he did 40 plus years ago.

[linazelle]

7. I started listening to WLS with the OJ trial . . . I loved that station...

no longer.

The local ABC affiliate became intolerable when their CON hosts hung up on callers or insulted them nastily during discussions about the war last March. I stopped listening to every show except Ski and Skinner--then they fired Skinner. Now Ski is gone. This is the same station that fired Mike Malloy without notice a few years ago too.

Now I turn back to monitor Rush or their news just to see how they treat important stories like IntimiGate.

I cannot express the sorrow that I feel about losing Ski. This is THE major talk radio station in Chicago and their influence is far reaching. They air Rush and Hannity and a bevy of unknown rabid CON hosts. I cannot express the sorrow at completely losing the sole source of political commentary either.

I'm getting tired of having to change my viewing habits (I'm considering dropping NBC as well as they ignore IntimiGate). I didn't think media bias could get worse. It has. It may be even worse in the future. It won't change soon and it's tragic.

[BiggJawn]

8. WEll, Crap! Won't do any good to complain to WLS...

Since I don't live in their "market"...Ski used to work in radio in my town years ago. In fact, I heard him mention that he still has ties to this area through his "day job"...

Ski, I know you read this board, so just let me say that I thoroughly enjoyed your show, the topics you took on gave me validation, and I hope you get "picked" up by somebody within range of Lafayette...Good Luck, dude!

And you Chicagoland folks, Skinner for Senate!