Ann Arbor's Liberal Talk WLBY To Switch To Programming From The Business Talk Radio Network

[Purveyor]

Saturday March 14, 2009, 3:19 PM

WLBY, Ann Arbor's liberal talk radio station, will drop the Air America format Monday in favor of programming from the Business Talk Radio Network.

The new Business Talk 1290 AM weekday lineup will feature the nationally-syndicated show "Doug Stephan's Good Day" from 4 to 9 a.m. That will be followed by local programming from Lucy Ann Lance from 9 a.m. to noon (effective March 23), the nationally-syndicated financial advice call-in program "The Dave Ramsey Show" from 2 to 5 p.m. and programming from national consumer advocate Clark Howard from 5 to 8 p.m.

Lance's Saturday show, which began in January, will continue in the 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. time slot. Lou Perry's local call-in program will air from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday.

General manager Scott Meier said the new format will serve a growing need for intelligent financial and business information in Washtenaw County.

No change in call letters is planned. The station is owned by Cumulus Media, which also owns three other stations in this market: WQKL, WWWW and WTKA.

WLBY, with a program of nationally-syndicated programs like "The Stephanie Miller Show" and The Ed Schultz Show," went on the air in August 2004. Previously, it had broadcast oldies under the name "Honey Radio" and call letters WHNE.

http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2009/03/ann_arbors_wlby_to_switch_to_p.html

[1gobluedem]

1. NO format is going to work for AM 1290 until they have a stronger signal

That being said, I could get WLBY in the car in most of Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti and I'm going to miss it a lot.

It's a shame that RW talk radio got such a head start on liberal talk radio and has a lock on most of the strong AM signals. AA never really had a chance to showcase itself to a wide audience. People keep saying the programming was bad but I really disagree; the weak signals are doing them in. Thom Hartmann has a great show and there are many, many others.

[Purveyor]

2. I live northwest of Grass Lake and usually could grab a decent enough signal to listen

in the daylight hours.

I'm going to miss the format and haven't found another station as a replacement.

[forintegrity]

3. Try 1310 AM

I live in Dexter and I was just listening to Thom Hartman. I believe it's out of Detroit. WDTV. I hope this one stays progressive. I'm very disappointed that 1290 made that change. I can understand perhaps some part of it for the financial stuff but not ALL of it!

[forintegrity]

4. Correction

It's WDTW. Here's the lineup:

http://www.1310wdtw.com/pages/listen_live.html