Monday, April 21, 2008

EXCLUSIVE: Details On Matt Patrick's AM Talk Show

As first reported here last week, long-time Clear Channel Akron/Canton hot AC WKDD/98.1 morning co-host Matt Patrick will pick up an afternoon talk radio gig on sister AM talker WHLO/640.

We've now uncovered the details we didn't have last week...with an early version of a press release that floated out on the wind out of a Freedom Avenue window.

"The Matt Patrick Show" premieres on Monday, April 28th on WHLO from 5-7 PM.

No, Mr. Patrick isn't giving up his WKDD morning perch next to co-host Angela Bellios. That job is "Matt's as long as he wants it," a quote we believe will be contained in an official announcement to come very soon out of Clear Channel Akron/Canton.

As we suspected, but didn't know for sure, it'll be a second job for the WKDD morning driver.

We're hearing that Matt Patrick will get a studio in his suburban Akron home to do the WHLO show, but will continue to do his WKDD show live daily from the company's Freedom Avenue studios in Jackson Township/Greater North Canton just south of the Akron/Canton Airport in northern Stark County.

With the WHLO show ending at 7 PM, it only makes sense...as a double-commute and sleep saver, if nothing else.

The station is positioning the new Matt Patrick show as allowing "conversation on local topics", and says it won't be a "comedy show or free-for-all".

And WHLO sees an opening with the upcoming end of the WKYC/3-produced "Akron/Canton News", to call the show a "new outlet for local information at (6 PM)".

But we hear the show's been in the talking-about stages since last summer.

The new Matt Patrick Show will clip one hour off of ABC Radio syndicated host Sean Hannity's program. Hannity will continue to air live 3-5 PM weekdays.

The "lost hour" of Hannity's show, the hour now airing live at 5 PM, will move to 9 PM weekdays on Monday, following Hannity friend Mark Levin - whose WHLO airing moves up to 7-9 PM.

The odd man out?

It would appear to be TRN evening host Michael Savage, who appears nowhere on the new WHLO schedule set to start next week. Savage's show airs late evenings on Salem talk WHK/1420 Cleveland, from 9 PM-midnight.

WHLO will also nudge Savage's TRN stablemate, Rusty Humphries, up to a 10 PM start...

3 comments:

Unknown said...

It's true. I can't give my name (or e-mail), but I run an agency that advertises on WHLO. My AE confirmed to me this afternoon the lineup will be: Hannity 3-5; Patrick 5-7, then Levin from 7-9. THEn they will broadcast the final hour of Hannity. Savage is OUT completely. My guy said, "we haven't sold a local ad on Savage in three years."

Anonymous said...

The lineup has been posted on the website since Tuesday; it's not a big secret. In the end we could not negotiate a deal to keep all the shows on.

The statement about selling local time on Savage is untrue. We have several local Savage specific sponsors.

On Thursday 4/25/07
In the 6pm hour there were 11 local spots.
In the 7pm Hour there were 14 local sponsors.
in the 8pm hour there were 13 local sponsors.

Neil said...

Correction re Savage on WHK: He now airs only from 9 to 11 PM. The third hour has been replaced by infomercials.