> Does anyone have any recollections of the old ABC Talkradio
> network? Lineups? Airchecks? When did it operate? When
> did it end? Was Rush part of the lineup? I remember Sally
> Jessy Raphael & Tom Snyder having evening programs, but I
> think that was after the Talkradio network was gone.
>
ABC Talkradio began in 1982, much of the programming came from KABC, Los Angeles, and KGO, San Francisco. Although I don't think those stations actually ran any of the network programs. I think the local hosts did a seperate network show.
I found a lineup for the network from about 1985...
Mon-Fri:
10-12 Dr. Susan Forward
12-2pm Owen Spann
2-4pm Michael Jackson
4-6pm Dr. Toni Grant
12mid-3am Ira Fistell
3-8am Ray Briem
Sat:
10-11am Leon Kaplan, automotive
11-12noon Tom Shorall, attorney
12noon-1pm Ralph Snodsmith, gardening
1-3 pm Dr. Lawrence Walter, child psychologist
3-4pm Bob Fitzsimmons
4-7 pm Dr. Dean Edell
Sun:
10-11am Bob Fitzsimmons
11-12noon Ralph Snodsmith, gardening
12noon-1pm Dr. Malcolm Kram, veterinarian
1-2pm Al Ubell, home repair
2-4pm Dr. Robert Atkins, nutrition
4-7pm Bill Bresnan, financial
Although Limbaugh was never a part of ABC Talkradio, his show used the two hours on the satellite noon-2pm after ABC cancelled Owen Spann's network show. And Rush couldn't add a third hour until Michael Jackson's network show was cancelled.
Tom Snyder and Sally Jessy Raphael either came after ABC Talkradio closed down, or were offered seperately. They weren't a part of it.
One feature of ABC Talkradio was the hosts didn't say where they were broadcasting from or give the phone number during the program. That was done during localized liners ("give us a call here at KCMO"). Some stations had a local number people could call, which I assume had some sort of re-dial for the national 800 number. This was an attempt to make the network sound like a local show on your local station. Of course, it didn't, and I don't know of any other network that tried this.
